March 24, 2011 – Daily Brief

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

More details on death of SPC. Rudy Acosta: NBC News is reporting that Spc. Rudy Acosta was one of two men killed and six shot by an Afghan individual who was hired by an Afghan security firm just two weeks ago. The Afghan “walked up to a group of soldiers who were cleaning their weapons before a combat patrol and opened fire with an AK-47,” killing Spc. Acosta and a Corporal from Ohio. Six other men were wounded, but at least three fired back, killing the Afghan attacker. All were members of the same Army unit. NBC NEWS
There will be a prayer vigil held tonight at Santa Clarita Baptist Church in Canyon Country for Spc. Acosta. Then on March 31, there will be a funeral procession through town “under full military escort” from Soledad to McBean to Lyons and then Eternal Valley. Acosta will be awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star posthumously. SIGNAL, KHTS
More coverage of Tuesday night’s library spending vote. DAILY NEWS, KHTS
Can Canyon Country residents handle an English-style roundabout at the corner of Sand and Lost Canyons? We’ll find out if the support shown for the Vista Canyon project at Tuesday’s Council meeting was any indication. SIGNAL
Still no word on what killed an 18 year old Valencia High student who was found dead in the yard of a Frazier Park home after the storm Sunday SIGNAL
LA County Code enforcement is making life difficult for businesses in unincorporated parts of the Pasadena area. The code enforcers are even threatening to shut down a coffee house which has a live open mic night because the coffee shop doesn’t have an entertainment permit. PASADENA WEEKLY
It looks like California’s solution to the budget problem will be all cuts rather than a split between spending cuts and tax extensions. At least that’s the read from experts after seeing a new Public Policy Institute Poll in which only 46% of voters back a 5 year extension on sales, income and vehicle taxes. LA TIMES
All of which makes Steve Lopez’ Times column apropos to the moment: he says the tax extensions Brown wants would cost the average Californian about $260 a year, which would preserve some of California’s “civility and humanity” rather than letting the state “go to hell.” LA TIMES
Meanwhile, Democrats in Ventura County are pushing State Senator Tony Strickland and the GOP to let Californians vote on the extensions at a special ballot measure this summer VECO STAR
McKeon calls the Affordable Care Act a “travesty” on the one year anniversary of its passage WRB
Candidates for SCV Man and Woman of the year announced KHTS
John Boston’s Time Ranger this week focuses on Buzz Barton, a Missouri boy who moved to Newhall in 1910s and became a movie star shortly thereafter. Roles with Rin Tin Tin and a sponsorship by the Daisy Rifle Company followed until Barton grew out of fashion in Hollywood. He served on the battleship Missouri and was there for the Japanese surrender (talk about six degrees of separation, my own grandfather was on Big Mo when the Japanese surrendered in Tokyo Bay). WRB
Civil engineer and Castaic Town Council member writes an effective piece on why the Rasmussen-Romero Canyon site for Castaic High School isn’t the best idea SIGNAL
It hasn’t felt like it this week, but spring is here in the SCV and its time to think about gardening and flowers BLOG
Commenting on SCVTalk: due to the heavy volume of comments on this site, I’ve turned on registration. That means if you want to comment, you must register for an account first. Registration is quick and easy and can be done by clicking the registration link at the top right part of the blog. This is just an experiment for now, thanks as always for reading SCVTalk.

Comments (9)

PetzMarch 24, 2011 at 8:13 am

Petz drove up to Romero Canyon the other day and found it difficult to believe that this area is the best they could find for a high school. Very steep hill and canyon walls. Bring back the forum and you won’t have the riff raff on the front page.

Timothy Myers SR.March 24, 2011 at 1:10 pm

Petz: As has been said for a number of years, all the flat land was gone long ago and any building site (particularly the 50 acres needed for a high school) is going to need some significant grading. The Lombardi property is often pipped by the Romero Canyon NIMBY’s as preferable, but that is a Trojan Horse since it would require ALL the property owners in the Valencia Commerce Center to waive their common covenants (the covenants say no school) and the price tag of that could not even be forecast, whether in condemnation proceedings or not.

kerryMarch 24, 2011 at 2:09 pm

Tim, Please explain why the Lombardi land requires the Valencia Commerce Center to waive their common covenants? Looking at the map, the Lombardi property is North of Hillcrest Parkway while the Valencia Commerce Center is to the South of Hillcrest Parkway by several miles. I know at one time there was a property in (or next to) the Valencia Commerce Center, that was being considered (it was very popular with the Castaic residents) but that property is no longer in the equation. The Lombardi land is not near the VCC. Looking at the map (from the link in the Signal LTE), the Lombardi land is right next to the Rasmussen property. Both are miles away from the Valencia Commerce Center. Thanks.

Timothy Myers SR.March 24, 2011 at 3:23 pm

Sorry. Wrong reference. This is the true “Trojan Horse.” Eugene Lombardi never formally offered the property to the Hart District, so the only sites for consideration were the Hasley Canyon Property owned by the Foundation or Romero Canyon. I personally hope the Citizens for Castaic prevail because the Hart District does not need this seventh high school, unless they are prepared to close Hart High School in the next ten years due to declining enrollment.

spineflower2March 24, 2011 at 5:51 pm

Wrong. They either Walk the Bond Talk or risk an uproar and suspension of funding for the board after voters recall every damn one of them. CHS was promised in writing as the number one priority and the fraud of not building it after duping the taxpayers out of half a billion dollars will not be tolerated. And if Hart must be shrunk or closed because of enrolment, then so be it. Why is that a sacred cow? Because of football?! Not like schools never close for new demographics. Got nothing to do with the severe overcrowding up north due to a lack of CHS.

Cheryl PhillipsMarch 24, 2011 at 8:48 am

Great Brief today, Jeff!

lvogelMarch 24, 2011 at 10:43 am

According to Lopez’s article, it would cost $22.00 a month per person….heck, I think we could afford that! I think we could afford a bit more, as a matter of fact. I’m a fan of Lopez so of course I might agree with him, but is there anyone here that feels 22 per month is a lot when talking about helping our fellow man/woman/child? I think ‘humanity’ is worth it.

jammerMarch 24, 2011 at 12:48 pm

True $22 in itself may not be much, but as I told me ex a few times that $5 more on the debt isn’t all bad but it’s still more then we can afford. I guess it’s all relative.

ToddMarch 24, 2011 at 11:34 am

Ban hammer to anyone calling anyone else “little someone something”! Excited to see the, as my friend Vader would call them, “roundabound” make it’s way into the plan. They really are more effective at controlling traffic. Too bad the NIMBYs will bitch and moan and it’ll be undone.

PetzMarch 24, 2011 at 8:13 am
Petz drove up to Romero Canyon the other day and found it difficult to believe that this area is the best they could find for a high school. Very steep hill and canyon walls. Bring back the forum and you won’t have the riff raff on the front page.
Timothy Myers SR.March 24, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Petz: As has been said for a number of years, all the flat land was gone long ago and any building site (particularly the 50 acres needed for a high school) is going to need some significant grading. The Lombardi property is often pipped by the Romero Canyon NIMBY’s as preferable, but that is a Trojan Horse since it would require ALL the property owners in the Valencia Commerce Center to waive their common covenants (the covenants say no school) and the price tag of that could not even be forecast, whether in condemnation proceedings or not.
kerryMarch 24, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Tim, Please explain why the Lombardi land requires the Valencia Commerce Center to waive their common covenants? Looking at the map, the Lombardi property is North of Hillcrest Parkway while the Valencia Commerce Center is to the South of Hillcrest Parkway by several miles. I know at one time there was a property in (or next to) the Valencia Commerce Center, that was being considered (it was very popular with the Castaic residents) but that property is no longer in the equation. The Lombardi land is not near the VCC. Looking at the map (from the link in the Signal LTE), the Lombardi land is right next to the Rasmussen property. Both are miles away from the Valencia Commerce Center. Thanks.
Timothy Myers SR.March 24, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Sorry. Wrong reference. This is the true “Trojan Horse.” Eugene Lombardi never formally offered the property to the Hart District, so the only sites for consideration were the Hasley Canyon Property owned by the Foundation or Romero Canyon. I personally hope the Citizens for Castaic prevail because the Hart District does not need this seventh high school, unless they are prepared to close Hart High School in the next ten years due to declining enrollment.
spineflower2March 24, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Wrong. They either Walk the Bond Talk or risk an uproar and suspension of funding for the board after voters recall every damn one of them. CHS was promised in writing as the number one priority and the fraud of not building it after duping the taxpayers out of half a billion dollars will not be tolerated. And if Hart must be shrunk or closed because of enrolment, then so be it. Why is that a sacred cow? Because of football?! Not like schools never close for new demographics. Got nothing to do with the severe overcrowding up north due to a lack of CHS.
Cheryl PhillipsMarch 24, 2011 at 8:48 am
Great Brief today, Jeff!
lvogelMarch 24, 2011 at 10:43 am
According to Lopez’s article, it would cost $22.00 a month per person….heck, I think we could afford that! I think we could afford a bit more, as a matter of fact. I’m a fan of Lopez so of course I might agree with him, but is there anyone here that feels 22 per month is a lot when talking about helping our fellow man/woman/child? I think ‘humanity’ is worth it.
jammerMarch 24, 2011 at 12:48 pm
True $22 in itself may not be much, but as I told me ex a few times that $5 more on the debt isn’t all bad but it’s still more then we can afford. I guess it’s all relative.
ToddMarch 24, 2011 at 11:34 am
Ban hammer to anyone calling anyone else “little someone something”! Excited to see the, as my friend Vader would call them, “roundabound” make it’s way into the plan. They really are more effective at controlling traffic. Too bad the NIMBYs will bitch and moan and it’ll be undone.