SCV Talk · Archive
Nine years of the Valley’s town square · 2006–2015
SCV Talk
October 31, 2011· scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0) · Wayback capture

October 31, 2011 – Daily Brief

By Mike — Mike Devlin

Image not recovered847540ac028911e19fe212313813204c_7.jpg

Ciao Balla from Great Balls on Tires, Bridgeport Halloween Block Party

  • Details are still coming in about a single-vehicle crash on Plum Canyon early Sunday morning that took the life of the driver. A 2006 Ford Fusion collided with a utility pole in front of the future Plum Canyon fire station. On top of that, first responders were nearly hit by a drunk driver while attending to the scene. SIGNAL KHTS SCVNEWS
  • Natalie Everett looks into the likelihood of the Cemex mine happening in SCV and explores what it would take to get started. It will just take a couple of years. Or twenty. Cemex is hinting that they’ll move forward if Boxer’s bill doesn’t gain traction (Thanks Buck!). SIGNAL
  • An interesting deal is in the works for the long-proposed park at the corner of Newhall Ranch and Grandview, in the Bridgeport Marketplace. Real Life Church, the subterranean megachurch, has been using some of the land for overflow parking on Sundays and during special events. The deal gives the church roughly half of allocated land for a 96-space parking lot. In exchange, the church will pay for construction of a new 2.6 acre park on the corner. I seem to remember that the park was a condition of approval for the shopping center, but I’m not sure who has been expected to pay for it. Oddly, the City’s archive of Planning Commission minutes only goes back two years and here isn’t an archive of agendas. Leon Worden has the writeup and a map of the new plan. SCV NEWS
  • The election is seven days away, but you’d hardly know it. I haven’t received a single mailer and the only signs I’ve seen around town are about a dozen pairs of Fortine signs. On Sunday, The Signal endorsed the incumbents for both COC races. SIGNAL
  • SCV-based arts and culture magazine Proxart released their seventh issue on Friday. PROXART
  • Interesting profile of SCV-based attorney and onetime singer Bill Lively SIGNAL
  • Atom! Freeman, owner of Brave New World Comics in Newhall, has started a page on Facebook where he promises to run for city council if he gets 5,500 fans. Count me in. FACEBOOK
  • Hart stuns Valencia, 19-14 SIGNAL KHTS SCVTALK
  • Because of the long, hot summers, electricity bills in the SCV can be stratospheric. SoCal Edison will be installing new “smart meters” in Santa Clarita homes that will give customers detailed information on their energy usage through the web. SIGNAL
  • More in smart electricity: one of the chief designers of the original iPod has started his own company, Nest Labs, and their first product is a self-progamming thermostat that will retail for $249 (ouch). Still, I suspect it would pay for itself within a year at my house. GIGAOM

Comments (50)

  1. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 7:08 am
    I am here to answer your smart meter questions, and dispel myths. Lets begin with a couple no-brainers: They can tell when you use your dishwasher, a/c, dryer, toothbrush etc…. FALSE! Smart Meters only measure electricity consumption. Not WHAT is consuming the electricity. IF you buy an appliance that communicates with your meter, you may choose for the two to talk, but they don’t automatically. They give you cancer/headaches…. FALSE! The RF emissions of a smart meter are on par with Wi-Fi enabled computing devices. They emit a fraction of the RF that cell phones, microwaves or even refrigerators or televisions do. They’ll cause my bill to go up…. MAYBE?!?!?!? If you stay at home and run your air conditioning at 65* all day in August, its likely. If your old meter is electro-mechanical, and has been in place for 40 years, chances are that your meter now is running slow and you’re being under billed. I remain available to answer your questions.
  2. MikeOctober 31, 2011 at 7:13 am
    What sorts of appliances communicate with the smart meters, and what are the benefits of that?
  3. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 7:25 am
    Any appliance that is enabled will communicate. Typically this would be washing machines, dishwashers, air-conditioners and lesser used are refrigerators and clothes dryers. The reason they communicate is to know what the “cost” is of using the appliance, and opting for the better price. A long-term movement is to go to time-of-use pricing for electricity in residences. I don’t know Edison’s particular timeline, but I know its available in pilot right now if you’d like to opt-in. Anyway…. what you can do is set your dishwashers and washing machines so that they automatically disable themselves until its cheaper (evenings/weekends). Also, if you choose, you can set it up so that in the event of a power emergency (rolling blackout… if we ever get back to those) that your A/C or fridge can raise the temperature by a degree or two. Differences that are imperceptible to any individual, but when done on a large-scale can have an enormous effect in terms of conservation. These all are opt-in initiatives requiring a.) that you buy the appliance that will coincide with the meter (or an appropriate adapter where available) and b.) that you choose to let SCE do it. Typically, you can also override any external commands, so you still retain full control.
  4. mikeOctober 31, 2011 at 8:11 am
    this is really interesting, thanks
  5. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 8:45 am
    Thanks, I think so too. There are many aspects that will significantly make our lives easier and better… If you’re open to technology and modernization. There are significant back-end updates too that come with these. Cost savings and nearly instantaneous outage info are two of them. These meters are all read remotely, so instead of relying on a person to read the meter and walking through the streets (Lucy won’t get a visitor every month now Petz, sorry) they’re taken care of automatically. They have built in batteries so that they send out a signal once the meter loses power, allowing Edison to see outages occur in near real time, and know immediately how large the affected area is. That can help them pinpoint the cause or location of the outage and instead of having to send crews to patrol for downed lines, they’ll know exactly where the power ends, and where to go to fix it.
  6. Alan FerdmanOctober 31, 2011 at 12:32 pm
    Todd Do you know if the new Smart meters have any capability for remotely reducing or shutting your power down?
  7. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 1:47 pm
    Some do have an internal switch which will disconnect the meter at remote command yes. Another big back-office advantage for both SCE and the customer. No more “yes Mr. Ferdman, we can start your new account and connect the power in 3-5 days.” Instantaneous. Talking within seconds of the customer service rep generating the order. As far as I am aware*, Edison is not authorized by the PUC to disconnect anyone’s power for any reason other than at their request, for non-payment, or in the event of a CalISO emergency (rolling blackout). They’re not capable of reducing power. If you have a 240V/80A connection, you’ll always have that. They don’t measure your usage and say “oops, you’ve used too much this month, no more power till next month!” (That is available, but its a different meter, in a product known as pre-paid power, similar to pre-paid wireless. I don’t think Edison offers that anywhere. *I don’t work for Edison, but I do work for another, municipally owned utility company. Our rules, and our regulatory oversight are vastly different… so I’m speaking from the best of my knowledge on this.
  8. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 7:11 am
    Now, off my soap box, and on to more interesting things…. The Nest thermostat… I’ve already pre-ordered and am looking forward to getting it in shortly after the ship date of Nov 14. I’ve already got a programmable thermostat that I’ve got pretty well trained, but not entirely. Really, for this I’m looking for the capability to remotely adjust it via my iPhone or the web. For those days when I’m leaving work early, or if I leave on a summer Saturday and realize I forgot to set it as being “away.” I shall report for all of SCV talk once its installed.
  9. Jim FarleyOctober 31, 2011 at 7:18 am
    For less than $50 you can get a good programable thermostat. While you can’t change it while you are away it is still highly effective at reducing heating/cooling bills. I’ve had one type or another since moving to the SCV in 1982. The Honeywell Cronotherm in my first house was a classic. All the electronic ones are good now. If you can find one that runs off the 24 volts provided by your FAU – great. If you can’t even the battery powered ones are good.
  10. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 7:29 am
    I have a cheapy programmable now, and its pretty good. In fact, every year since I’ve had it my power bill has gone down (average from $78 in 2008-2009 to $75 in 2010-2011 and we just got our notification that we had a surplus at the end of the year again, so our monthly went down to $70 for the coming year,we’re on Edison’s level-pay plan). But this is claiming to offer a level of intelligence that is beyond programmable. My issue is going to be that I have one system for two floors, and its learning function seems to rely on the motion sensors built in to determine if you’re home or not, so if we’re upstairs but home, will it go into away mode? Remains to be seen.
  11. AlpinerOctober 31, 2011 at 7:42 am
    I have a programmable, but with three kids in this house, I need one of those plastic “lock box covers” on top of it to get my bill lowered….
  12. LindaOctober 31, 2011 at 5:58 pm
    Blaming the AC bill on the kids…. is that the same as blaming that gassy smell on the dog?
  13. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 7:16 am
    And, pulling the trifecta…. I have significant problems with the proposal for the park. If part of the development agreement was for the developer to provide a 5 acre park, then they need to live up to their end of the bargain. The church wants to appear noble and such by saying “we’ll pay for it!” but I see right through them… they’re paying for the naming rights to the park, via their stipulation that they get to include their name on the park sine-age. The city should reject the deal, and start pressuring the developer to make-good on their end of the bargain. I’ve driven by there on a Sunday to see trucks parked in the dirt now…. and its not acceptable either way.
  14. MikeOctober 31, 2011 at 7:26 am
    You have no idea how hard it was to find this, but I did find a Daily New article that reported on the negotiations for the center (but I didn’t find anything detailing the resolution). It sounded like the commission was trying to get the developer to pay for the park, but they didn’t want to. I suspect the burden for construction is currently on the city. With three large parks in walking distance from the center, it probably isn’t a major priority of the city (if it’s on them). If so, it’s a clever deal. I’m not quite sure what good the park will do. It’s going to be tiny – too small and too close to the street for sports. All that grass is going to drink a ton of water. Some passive landscaping might be more appropriate.
  15. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 7:31 am
    a.) recycled water. We need to use more of it! b.) Any open space is better than a parking space. If we were to landscape it with native plants, it could be very inviting. c.) community garden. Point being, no need to let the Church have extra parking spaces. If they’re overflowing (and good for them if they are!) perhaps they should develop a ride-share program. Pretty sure Jesus carpooled with the deciples!
  16. Phil EllisOctober 31, 2011 at 8:07 am
    You wouldn’t expect him to rely on Arab oil.
  17. Mr PerezOctober 31, 2011 at 10:05 am
    Especially seeing that Aramaic, Hebrew, and Arabic are all Semitic languages(and people as well.) Why not use artificial grass?
  18. Jim FarleyOctober 31, 2011 at 7:22 am
    On the park. I’m not against parks but have to wonder if that is the best use at that location. There is already a very good Bridgeport park just accross the street. What will a small park there add? Even though that lot is right in my neighborhood I couldn’t care less if a park goes in there. I’d rather see a useful business/restaurant etc.
  19. MikeOctober 31, 2011 at 7:31 am
    Jim, I agree. 10 years ago, I moved right across the street, overlooking the lot. I was told at the time that due to a fault running through the parcel, an outdoor-oriented business, such as a driving range, was more likely. Somehow they managed to build something, but the layout on the land is a little unusual for Santa Clarita. I would suspect that corner was slated to be a park due to seismic issues. If you may recall, the original plan was for the church to have an earthen, landscaped roof. That would have been cool.
  20. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 7:34 am
    I had always heard that the parcel was contaminated with jet fuel and other nastyness from a plane crash in the 1970s making the land unbuildable for homes. Not to say that the fault story isn’t plausable (or that the contaminated jet fuel story is, for that matter)… but its surrounded by homes on pretty much all sides… and I’m pretty sure most faults aren’t just hundreds of feet long.
  21. MikeOctober 31, 2011 at 7:47 am
    The word straight from the city planning dept. at the time (2001) was that seismic issues were making development tricky and at the time of design and approval, seismic issues were mentioned in just about every article, IIRC.
  22. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 8:48 am
    Hmm. Wonder if it isn’t a water table/liquefaction issue then. But, yeah, it seems more likely than the jet crash issue. (Some of the stories I heard was that it was a prototype SR-71/A-12 or F-117 that had to be burned and that the ‘jet-fuel’ is really just the super-top-secret polymer coating used in those planes after it was burned to destroy the evidence… anything for a good story, right?)
  23. MikeOctober 31, 2011 at 9:05 am
    It’s in a liquefaction hazzard zone, but so it much of the neighborhood. There is a fault line that slices right through the property, but the city’s GIS system designates this with a very thick line. I’m no engineer, but from what I’ve observed, there are probably a few things at play. You’ll notice that there aren’t any structures near the middle of the property. I’d imagine larger structures are more troublesome than homes when it comes to building on faults. Also, as time goes on, they’ve found ways of working around these issues, or at least we would hope. For example, The Greens (or better yet, The Weeds) is what it is (or was) because it was thought that a proper commercial building couldn’t go on that land. Now they say there are ways to build on it, so the Greens was sold and someday it will be a hotel. At any rate, a city-run park seems like an odd thing on that corner, stranger still at 2.6 acres.
  24. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 10:31 am
    Yeah I started looking at it. The wonderful CGS and their fault maps don’t have great resolution, so I can’t really make out where the fault runs… but I can tell its in the general area. I’m wondering if the fault doesn’t actually surface (or surface enough to pose a structural problem) there. If it does, a few simple pavement patches are all that is needed in the short term (barring a major rupture…) If thats the case… I wonder if we shouldn’t get the oak tree relocated. Don’t want that thing falling in the crack!!!!!
  25. AlpinerOctober 31, 2011 at 7:49 am
    As someone whose house actually looks down on Real Life Church, I too wonder about such a small park like that on such a busy corner with Northbridge Park and Bridgeport park so close. I do think the church should be commended however for taking the lead on dealing with their parking issues.
  26. Jim FarleyOctober 31, 2011 at 6:32 pm
    I’m really slow on some things but now realize that Jim, Todd, Mike, and Alpiner all live in the same neighborhood. That on top of TM living up the hill at the northern edge of the same hood. Fitting for Halloween. Am I the last conservative in Northbridge? aaaaaaagggghhhhhhh!!!!!!
  27. Jim FarleyOctober 31, 2011 at 7:30 pm
    I realize I may be not completely accurate on the political leanings of all mentioned above. Apologies if I’ve got it wrong.
  28. MikeOctober 31, 2011 at 8:23 pm
    Alpiner is very conservative, and I moved out in 04.
  29. VenturanOctober 31, 2011 at 7:39 am
    Don’t forget about Heritage and Northbridge Parks, which are both a 5 iron away from the Bridgeport marketplace.
  30. ToddOctober 31, 2011 at 7:37 am
    I’m on a roll! Quick correction for you Mike…. the car was a Ford Fusion. As an owner and lover of many Ford Foci, I must defend the compact!!!!! Not that it sounds like it would have made a difference. Very sad.
  31. MikeOctober 31, 2011 at 7:44 am
    correction made, thanks
  32. Mr PerezOctober 31, 2011 at 10:22 am
    Anne Coulter, “It’s outrageous the way liberals treat a black conservative,” columnist Ann Coulter said on Fox News. “This is another high-tech lynching.” The phrase was first used by now-Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, whose confirmation hearings focused on sexual harassment allegations against him. So using her thought process, nobody should question anyone of color or else they be accused of outrageousness or high tech lynching? Doesn’t this sound like the argument made against Conservatives with regards to illegal immigration, welfare, affirmative action, and many other items that involve minorities? Maybe she was being facetious because hypocrisy seems to want to jump political parties with regards to race.
  33. AlpinerOctober 31, 2011 at 10:48 am
    Do not always agree with Coulter, but the speed of the accusations and the anonymity of the sources does make one wonder.
  34. MikeOctober 31, 2011 at 10:56 am
    This appears to be well-reported and the Cain campaign has been made aware of the name(s) that Politico has.
  35. iMagicOctober 31, 2011 at 11:14 am
    Cain is unaware of the cash settlements handed out as a result of his sexual harrassment? Really? It does make one wonder.
  36. Mr PerezNovember 1, 2011 at 12:47 pm
    It only makes me wonder why it didn’t come out sooner given that anyone running for political office is open to have past skeletons exposed from their closet.
  37. iMagicOctober 31, 2011 at 11:11 am
    “This is another high-tech lynching” — Sounds like what has been happening to Obama for the past 3 years.
  38. 4eyedsueOctober 31, 2011 at 12:07 pm
    now Rush is calling the accusations ‘racists’. Wasn’t it just last week he was complaining about Liberals ‘always using the race card’?
  39. IHeartSCVOctober 31, 2011 at 12:13 pm
    He does things like that to be ironic and to demonstrate a point.
  40. SCV LoverOctober 31, 2011 at 12:24 pm
    I hope you are listening to Rush to be “ironic”
  41. IHeartSCVOctober 31, 2011 at 1:24 pm
    No, when I listen to Rush, it’s usually medicinal. An hour of his show is the only cure for the headache that comes from sitting in a car with a friend who listens to NPR.
  42. Phil EllisOctober 31, 2011 at 2:17 pm
    Can I send you some ear plugs?
  43. JasoOctober 31, 2011 at 3:31 pm
    NPR gives you a headache? Too much thinking involved?
  44. AlpinerOctober 31, 2011 at 6:30 pm
    Anyone who actually thinks that NPR is not left of center does not listen to it very often.
  45. NateOctober 31, 2011 at 9:23 pm
    HAHAHA and Alpiner NPR is quite fair and balanced. Hurling accusations of bias is just second nature to you… you want to listen to news sources which tell you what you want to hear do you?
  46. Your Web GuruOctober 31, 2011 at 7:08 pm
    I wonder if Petz ran out of pocket constitutions tonight?
  47. 4eyedsueOctober 31, 2011 at 8:51 pm
    Someone gave my kid a little bottle of Tabasco sauce. WTF?
  48. Whiskey Tango FoxtrotOctober 31, 2011 at 9:15 pm
    Classic!
  49. NateOctober 31, 2011 at 9:20 pm
    Perez got political propoganda.
  50. Mr PerezNovember 1, 2011 at 12:45 pm
    Don’t forget the Karate(kuh-rah-tay) ad and the dude dressed up as a wizard with a telescope showing everyone the moon. Almost thought it was Petz at first

Preserved as part of the SCV Talk Archive. Text is presented as originally published; presentation has been standardised for readability. The original capture is available at the Internet Archive.

Support