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February 14, 2011· scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0) · Wayback capture

February 14, 2011 – Daily Brief

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

  • The last hope for a positive outcome on the Cemex matter in Soledad Canyon rests with liberal Senator Barbara Boxer. Cemex says that if a land-swap deal like the one engineered by Buck McKeon isn’t executed, then it will commence mining in the Canyon. Mike Murphy at the City says federal courts and litigation won’t be any help either. #ThanksBuck SIGNAL
  • Beverly Hills-based Shappell homes has backed out of a deal to develop the Whittaker Bermite area in conjunction with the City of Santa Clarita and the Lewis Company. Shappell says the deal, hatched and approved just last month, was too complex. The City tried to put a positive spin on it but the news is clearly the latest setback in the sordid history of Whittaker Bermite SIGNAL
  • Still no word on how Pfc. Jake Suter, a Marine from Santa Clarita, died in Afghanistan last year. It’s been reported that he was on base at the time of his death but Marine Corps officials are still waiting on an investigation SIGNAL
  • I haven’t seen confirmation of it, but word is that Borders books and musics and Johnny Rocket’s will close soon. Bad news for Town Center Drive. This is a totally unconfirmed rumor and I shouldn’t have put it in the DB. Apologies
  • Only one day out from tomorrow’s special election race between Sharon Runner and Darren Parker for the office of State Senator for the 17th District. Great article in the Daily News today on the race which shows that the traditional walloping Republicans have been handing out to Dems in this district has narrowed in recent elections DAILY NEWS Also, SIGNAL
  • As if reporting on local crime stats wasn’t controversial enough, The Signal has gone ahead and published a list of where people arrested in the SCV are from. Care to guess which community tops the list? Canyon Country. Cue the persecution complex from folks on the east side of town. Also, white males commit more crimes than Latinos locally. But we can all solace ourselves with the fact that a big percentage of people who commit crimes in the SCV don’t even live here SIGNAL
  • Over 600 jobs in local education have been lost since the recession began and local school districts have been forced to cut their budgets. One superintendent tells the Signal that there’s no fat left to cut; another says that programs that take years to build can be destroyed virtually overnight by budget cuts SIGNAL
  • The Signal is publishing a series of articles on the Strange Days of the SCV Housing market. Part 1 outlines where we’re at now (“It’s both a buyer’s and seller’s market”) and ends with a realtor telling the paper that if there hadn’t been a foreclosure moratorium, “we would have gotten through this by now.” In other words, the housing market is, well, constipated and in need of relief. SIGNAL
  • Recession-ravaged cities like Lake Elsinore, Temecula and Lancaster are implementing ordinances that require local businesses to use the federal government’s E-Verify system in order to deter illegal immigration. But businesses in those communities are complaining about the E-Verify system and say the cities are being too hard on them LA TIMES
  • Interesting profile of Archbishop Jose Gomez, the man who will replace Cardinal Roger Mahoney as sheperd of the LA Archidocese’s 4 million Catholics. Gomez critics say he’s too conservative for LA but the Bishop has been driving around the diocese for several months to meet parishoners and priests and sell them on his style LA TIMES
  • Hundreds of Jewish and Christian conservatives show up at Orange County community center to hassle and shout at Muslims holding a fundraiser. The protesters say the Muslim group hosting the domestic violence fundraiser is ties to terrorism.  OC REGISTER
  • Dave Bossert says he has documentation that proves Hart Board member Gloria Mercado-Fortine has failed to recuse herself on votes that clearly conflict with her position as an administrator for a charter school company. He says she also hasn’t disclosed income in her FPPC Form 700. WRB
  • Not a Ferry Fan moves to Vimeo, posts NAFF Greatest Hits video in wake of his public outing by Laurie Ender NAFF
  • The SCV Tea Party is angry about something going on at Henry Mayo. Honestly who can keep up? TEA PARTY
  • Tim Myers heroically calls BS on “statistics” released by both the City of Santa Clarita (on crime) and the Hart School District (on drop out rates and performance). SIGNAL
  • Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your’s! Learn why retailers love the holiday SIGNAL

Comments (39)

  1. mikecFebruary 14, 2011 at 7:57 am
    I guess this means I can look forward to seeing “Thanks Barbara” signs being displayed throughout Santa Clarita?
  2. NickelDimeFebruary 14, 2011 at 11:56 am
    No, it’s “Thanks, SENATOR Boxer.” She’s earned it.
  3. IHeartSCVFebruary 14, 2011 at 1:04 pm
    LOL! She worked so hard…
  4. TimBen BoydstonFebruary 14, 2011 at 8:13 am
    Arrest stats need to be listed as a percentage of the population of different areas to be relevant. Calling Tim Meyers.
  5. TimBen BoydstonFebruary 14, 2011 at 9:19 am
    Myers. Sorry.
  6. ThomasFebruary 14, 2011 at 11:45 am
    Maybe I am reading The Signal article wrong, but where does it say white people committed more crimes than latino? Or is this just Jeff adding stuff again?
  7. IHeartSCVFebruary 14, 2011 at 1:10 pm
    There were 164 crimes committed by white people and 110 committed by hispanic people, but no indication of whether these rates are proportional to local demographics and no indication of whether different groups commit different sorts of crime. So yeah, not a whole lot there.
  8. Berta González-HarperFebruary 14, 2011 at 5:08 pm
    @IHeart: How would they factor in someone like me whose RACE is Caucasian (white) but whose ETHNIC Group is Hispanic? How about if I were a black Dominican, or a 5th generation Asian from Peru, or Mayan from Gautemala? Do I count twice if I commit a crime, once in each “category”, or flip a coin? When are folks going to understand the difference between “race” and “ethnicity”? Sigh…
  9. IHeartSCVFebruary 14, 2011 at 5:26 pm
    Having never been booked, I don’t know how law enforcement does it. Does the arrested party get to self-identify their racial or ethnic group–and like you said, which one? I’ll second your sigh.
  10. Berta González-HarperFebruary 14, 2011 at 6:12 pm
    @IHeart: I’ve never been booked either but I don’t think they get to self identify since lots of arrest warrants, APB’s, etc go out before the alleged perpetrator is in custody and list “race”.
  11. ThomasFebruary 14, 2011 at 7:15 pm
    Many times when people are booked the officer or deputy asks them their race. Some officers or deputies just put one down, so the statistics can be skewed.
  12. ThomasFebruary 15, 2011 at 6:03 am
    Well, there are two types of warrants. An arrest warrant means the person has not been booked so it would be based on what the affiant says the person is. A bench warrant is issued after a defendant fails to appear after being booked or arraigned.
  13. mikecFebruary 15, 2011 at 9:29 am
    gender is white, black, hispanic and O for other
  14. Berta González-HarperFebruary 15, 2011 at 11:18 am
    @mikec: you say, “gender is white, black, hispanic and O for other”. I am sure you meant race is… and that is my point. RACE is white, black, O for other. Hispanic in and of itself despite all of the “Viva la Raza” stuff is not a RACE so it should not all be listed in the same category. You can be Hispanic AND ALSO Caucasian, Black, Asian, Native American, etc. More correct would be a question regarding race, (my answer Caucasian) and separate question regarding ethnic background (my answer Hispanic). For instance, former President Fujimori’s answers would be, race: Asian (of Japanese descent), ethnic group: Hispanic, nationality: Peruvian. Celia Cruz’s answer would be race: Black, ethnic group: Hispanic, nationality: Naturalized American, originally Cuban. Former President Benito Júarez would answer, race: Native American (Zapotec Indian), ethnic group: Hispanic, nationality: Mexican. I rest my case…
  15. FrankFebruary 14, 2011 at 9:46 am
    It seems like Awesometown has missed this devastating layoff news at Mankind http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0211-mannkind-layoffs-20110211,0,4519695.story We can always say Mankind in in LA County, Castaic or Valencia.
  16. JaneFebruary 14, 2011 at 1:30 pm
    Layoffs – Most will be in Danbury, CT and it is MannKind, not Mankind
  17. FrankFebruary 15, 2011 at 4:52 am
    Jane had this one nailed down, here it is in today’s Signal version: http://www.the-signal.com/section/36/article/40575/ How many people work at the LA County, Welcome to Castaic, Valencia, or the Signal says Santa Clarita site?
  18. Need for Involved CitizenryFebruary 14, 2011 at 10:11 am
    Why in the world does the City believe that they can make a go at Whitaker Bermite. Look at all the sophisticated entities that have failed or bowed out after taking a hard look – RFI- Avion, SunCal, Cherokee and Shappel. Is thie City that much smarter and sophisticated than these other entities or just blinded by their own greed and ambition? I always thought the City was there to provide services to its businesses and residents – not to act as a developer or development facilitator.
  19. Joe GrandeFebruary 14, 2011 at 11:05 am
    The biggest thieves don’t show up in crime statistics. They are the ones we elect to steal from us. How can we expect intelligent leadership from the people responsible for the library heist?
  20. ct stoneFebruary 14, 2011 at 10:36 am
    I dont think one person’s comment about Borders and Johnny Rockets closing is enough to warrant it on the Daily Brief. If there is a source okay, but it doesnt seem to be. I believe Barnes and Noble is closing soon. Will that get posted in the daily brief?
  21. Joe GrandeFebruary 14, 2011 at 11:07 am
    I’d like to see a real book store.
  22. ThomasFebruary 14, 2011 at 2:53 pm
    Comment probably had to do with the fact Border’s is going to file bankruptcy this week.
  23. AugustFebruary 14, 2011 at 4:25 pm
    Joe, you’re going to get your real book store. Just wait for the new LSSI run libraries in July. They’ll have all the best sellers, you won’t have to wait for anything, and by some slim chance they don’t have what you want, just call Darren Hernandez. He said the city will BUY everything you need.
  24. NateFebruary 16, 2011 at 9:44 am
    Now don’t you look foolish.
  25. David GaunyFebruary 14, 2011 at 11:57 am
    RE: “The SCV Tea Party is angry about something going on at Henry Mayo. Honestly who can keep up?” What??? I think the paragraph should read: Medical Executive Committee issues “Vote of NO CONFIDENCE” for CEO Roger Seaver and his board of conflicted interests. In fact, why not just post a link to the actual story: http://westranchbeacon.com/blog/2011/02/hmnmh-doctors-no-confidence-in-ceo-roger-seaver-and-board-of-directors/ The article at the Tea Party website doesn’t sound angry at all. What they seem to be saying is that the public should rally around doctors (or anyone else) who are bravely standing up against deliberate manipulation of by-laws in an effort to squash proper checks and balances. In this case, it’s quality of care problems that are being silenced. And the “no confidence” vote of the doctors is a serious, serious issue. Just shy of having our doctors refuse to admit patients at the hospital. Regardless of issue -whether library takeover or Weste’s underhanded immigration letter- we are all worse off when leaders cheat fair process. Too often our free press looks the other way when such manipulations suit their interests or opinion. I hope you are not falling into this trap. This story certainly deserves more coverage than a passing jab at the Tea Party.
  26. CCFebruary 14, 2011 at 1:43 pm
    You got that right David.
  27. ReaderMamaFebruary 14, 2011 at 7:21 pm
    I agree that what is going on at HMNMH should be front page news locally. Dr. Dorio has his own blog and it makes for very interesting reading for those interested: http://hospitalrantandrave.blogspot.com/
  28. Mark from SaugusFebruary 14, 2011 at 1:25 pm
    Hooray for Saugus! Our new slogan is “Saugus…We have less arrestees than Awesometown”.
  29. CCFebruary 14, 2011 at 1:44 pm
    That’s just because there isn’t anything worth stealing in Saugus.
  30. spineflower2February 14, 2011 at 2:49 pm
    There is after the crooks go back to their Saugus neighborhoods from AwesomeTown.
  31. Mark from SaugusFebruary 14, 2011 at 3:02 pm
    Ouch. You’re right though but, come on, let us celebrate something…
  32. Bill ReynoldsFebruary 14, 2011 at 6:55 pm
    Awesometown is money.
  33. JaneFebruary 14, 2011 at 1:39 pm
    Housing – these are the same jokers who were spouting all the nonsense about people being able to keep up with 15 – 20% gains per year in housing prices a few years ago. They have a product to sell and do not care whether the person loses the house a year later. Why does anyone even quote them?
  34. ThomasFebruary 14, 2011 at 3:01 pm
    Jeff, why can you say that you have it on good authority that an Apple store will open with no confirmation, but you can’t print that Border’s and Johnny Rockets are closing?
  35. CCFebruary 14, 2011 at 4:27 pm
    In case anyone hasn’t noticed, this is a BLOG. So innuendo and conjecture are fair game.
  36. Bill ReynoldsFebruary 14, 2011 at 6:57 pm
    So… B.S rules here. Hmmm….
  37. Gang FangFebruary 14, 2011 at 9:07 pm
    Only when you post, shaky hands.
  38. Bill ReynoldsFebruary 15, 2011 at 9:40 am
    And you, Girlie Man…
  39. Gang FangFebruary 15, 2011 at 8:58 pm
    I love “us”. We’re like Abbot & Costello. So cute.

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