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April 16, 2012· scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0) · Wayback capture

Daily Brief – April 16, 2012

By Mike — Mike Devlin

  • Cathie Wright, the former Assemblywoman and State Senator who, through much of her career, represented parts of the Santa Clarita Valley, died last week at 82. Her daughter (of the same name) has been caring for her in recent years, and has suspended her own congressional campaign for the time being. SCVNEWS
  • Due to the upcoming departure of Dena Maloney, the founding dean of COC’s Canyon Country Campus, the college has appointed two interim administrators while it determines how to fill the vacancy. SIGNAL
  • On Friday, lightning stuck a transformer near the Canyon Country Taco Bell, leaving much of Canyon Country and Saugus without power for hours. KHTS
  • The Signal continues it’s series of in-depth reports on the Newhall Ranch development. Interesting nugget: today, Newhall Land only has about 30 employees. SIGNAL
  • Major crimes blotter SCVNEWS
  • Last week, Best Buy announced that it would be closing 50 stores in the US, including eight in California. SCVNEWS reports that the SCV store has been spared. But for how long? SCVNEWS
  • SCV’s own Allyson Felix, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, is training like mad to win the gold this summer. SIGNAL
  • On Sunday’s opinion page, Tim Myers contemplates the historical significance of Tuesday’s election and where Laurie Ender went astray. SIGNAL
  • I’m not sure how we missed this one but it looks like Log Jammer is no more. It’s been torn out to make way for a ride that will open next year. H/T to friend of SCVtalk Susan Burrows for the picture. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to cry. RIP LOG JAMMER
  • Last month, the LA Times reported on the rumored 2013 coaster “Full Throttle” that will make use of the terrain and the old monorail tunnel and maybe feature the tallest loop in the world. LATIMES
  • I was never much of a fan, but I’m glad I lived long enough to see Tupac come back to life as a hologram. NSFW, of course. YOUTUBE
  • We save the best stuff for the blog, but we’re also on Twitter and Facebook, so please “like” and/or follow us.

Comments (59)

  1. AdamApril 16, 2012 at 9:23 am
    This is horrible news! I can’t believe they got rid of Log Jammer! I hope they replace it with another water ride otherwise that will leave Jet Stream as the only other ride like that in the park. We ALL know Jet Stream will never be able to compare with Log Jammer.
  2. thomasApril 16, 2012 at 9:38 am
    It is sad that Magic Mountain, who says they want to be a family park, took out a ride that families could enjoy, so they could replace it with yet another monster of steel geared towards a specific age group.
  3. brookApril 17, 2012 at 2:41 pm
    You don’t even know the reasons were or what’s next – nice assuming the worse. Who knows what the upkeep and maintenance on an old ride like that is. Forward and onward MM! Looking forward to seeing whats next for the park.
  4. ThomasApril 19, 2012 at 6:51 am
    Brook, if you would actually keep up on the local news, MM is replacing the log jammer with one of the world’s largest looping roller coasters. I am not assuming the worst. Just stating fact. You can google it if you like. That’s http://www.google.com .
  5. Timothy Myers SR.April 16, 2012 at 10:03 am
    Log Jammer smelled and looked like an open sewer so I am not shedding too many tears.
  6. CastaicClayApril 16, 2012 at 10:52 am
    I wish they would have left the Log Jammer and taken out Jet Stream.
  7. AlpinerApril 16, 2012 at 11:37 am
    Where has everyone been? It was announced that the Log Jammer would be taken out at the end of last summer!
  8. ScottEApril 16, 2012 at 12:05 pm
    WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US!!!!!
  9. CastaicClayApril 17, 2012 at 6:51 am
    I have known about it, I just like Log Jammer better.
  10. AlpinerApril 16, 2012 at 1:34 pm
    My understanding is that it was a location issue.
  11. LarMccApril 16, 2012 at 11:46 am
    Yeah, I saw the original article. I will miss the log jammer. And it did not smell like an open sewer, it had a wonderful clean chlorine smell. But, we should all take comfort that The Log Ride at Knotts is still open. That will always be the best flume ride hands down, IMHO.
  12. CCApril 16, 2012 at 3:09 pm
    The humanity!!!!
  13. JayceApril 17, 2012 at 7:43 am
    They should have just complete refurbished it, new track etc. At least replace it with another water ride bleh. Well I guess they don’t really care since they have a water park next door now.
  14. thomasApril 16, 2012 at 9:42 am
    Mike, it is not that you missed the removal of the Log Jammer, which closed on October 31, 2011, it is that you guys are trying to be too funny in writing your daily briefs and paying too much attention to the local election. Even in the November archives you guys were talking about the election. There are many posts by people such as myself that talk about local things, but they are just ignored.
  15. MikeApril 16, 2012 at 10:06 am
    Yes, of course, how could I forget when you told us all about the closing of Log Jammer?
  16. ThomasApril 17, 2012 at 1:21 pm
    Never said I mentioned it. I said many people mention local things, but you choose to ignore them so you can get out your political agenda.
  17. MikeApril 17, 2012 at 1:33 pm
    What have I been ignoring? AYSO scores? And just what is my political agenda? I’m curious.
  18. ThomasApril 19, 2012 at 6:45 am
    Why are you getting so defensive? I don’t know. What is your agenda? All you talk about is politics.
  19. Timothy Myers SR.April 16, 2012 at 10:01 am
    On Newhall Land: Developers don’t generally have a high employee head count because they outsource most of the employee rich stuff like design, entitlements and construction to independent contractors. True story. In the 90′s whenever one visited that behemoth building on Valencia Boulevard one would be hard pressed to find ten people, yet every two years or so the then publicly traded partnership would announced “reductions in force” of from 20 to 30 people to cut operating expenses.
  20. AlpinerApril 16, 2012 at 11:39 am
    I remember visiting Newhall Land just before the opening of the Northbridge development in the 1980s and the building was packed
  21. mikecApril 16, 2012 at 10:01 am
    At least we will always have roaring rapids! I will miss the log jammer as well…long live the jet stream!!!
  22. Silence DogoodApril 16, 2012 at 10:12 am
    The Big News of the day is… Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down is back!
  23. AdamApril 16, 2012 at 10:34 am
    Didn’t even notice till you mentioned it.
  24. LarMccApril 16, 2012 at 11:52 am
    The closure of the 50 Best Buy stores is only the beginning. People are using stores like Best Buy to find what they want, then purchase it on Amazon cheaper and often shipped for free without tax. Stores with big ticket items like this are going to have to totally re-invent themselves soon or they will be out of business. Target and Walmart are experimenting with exclusive products made just for their stores as a way to combat this. There are some though that are predicting Best Buy will be gone within 5 years. If I had stock in them, I would get out now.
  25. The Other LoriApril 16, 2012 at 12:00 pm
    Add Barnes and Noble to that list. Tons of browsers everyday and comments that lament the “end” of print books & bookstores, but no putting their $$ where their mouth is.
  26. Lori RivasApril 16, 2012 at 2:09 pm
    I remember talking to Jan Heidt in her bookstore, maybe a dozen years ago, about the coming of B&N in our town. She was not pleased. I miss her bookstore – what was it called? I always found unique treasures. My favorite buy was Man Eats Bugs, a photo journal of worldwide insect and arachnid eating, complete with recipes. The photography and journalist was so fantastic, that I have read a few others by Menzel, including Material World and What the World Eats. And, look here, there’s even a PBS NoVA about Material World. We’ll be watching this today (we’ve checked the book out of the library at least a dozen times): http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html
  27. MarianneApril 16, 2012 at 4:22 pm
    Her bookstore was “One for the Books”
  28. Cheryl PhillipsApril 16, 2012 at 9:34 pm
    I loved that store, plus the other independent bookstore on Lyons in the Clarice’s strip mall. There is just something so intimate about the small independents stores with owners that have such a passion for books. Even Barnes gives off a good vibe for a box store. The thought of living in a town where there is not a single bookstore is kind of frightening – the crack of the spine, the smell of the ink and of course, the visuals – illustrations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTklTJprnTA
  29. The Other LoriApril 17, 2012 at 7:40 am
    I have such strong memories of that bookstore for many reasons. I was an avid reader when I was a little girl and living across the street, I could easily ride my bike there and spend hours pouring over Judy Blume and Choose Your Own Adventure books. The summer my father died, I was in a book club at that store and upon finding out of his death, the first person I called was the lady who led the club because of the bond we had formed over discussing books. By the time B&N came to town, I was a teenager/college student who longed to live in a large city and eagerly anticipated the growth that followed the opening of the mall. Now, of course, I look forward to pendulum swinging back the other way as the demise of “big box” stores ensure the survival of the small, intimate mom and pop businesses. That is, if Amazon & Walmart don’t end up ruling the U.S. ala “Wall-E”. We also LOVE Menzel’s books–own a few of them (J’s favorite is, of course, Man Eating Bugs as well), but I never knew about the PBS show. Will definitely check out!
  30. MikeApril 17, 2012 at 8:14 am
    B&N coming to town what such a big coming of age moment for this town. Big, smart, attractive, modern, cultured, optimistic. And it was such an improvement over the way that most people bought their books – more often a mediocre B. Daulton-type place than the quaint mom & pops that stick out in our memory. For a moment, it was also a really good place for music. It was expensive in a way that seems laughable today, but it was curated really well and the ability to listen to a pretty wide range of albums blew my mind. Of course, it didn’t have the soul of Tempo. Sure. it where you could buy D’Angelo, but you were less likely to run into D’Angelo
  31. The Other LoriApril 17, 2012 at 8:28 am
    Omg, B. Dalton! Tempo! D’Angelo! You’re blowing MY mind, Mike! I think I blocked many of those years out…
  32. ScottEApril 16, 2012 at 12:08 pm
    Sure, but once you receive the “tax-free” goods, you’re filing a “Use-Tax” return to pay up … right?
  33. Phil EllisApril 16, 2012 at 2:11 pm
    Just like all your clients.
  34. ScottEApril 17, 2012 at 9:29 am
    Yes, of course. :-X
  35. LindaApril 16, 2012 at 3:55 pm
    No need to file a separate return; you can pay that tax on your state income tax return, Scott (line 95 on your 540) right before you donate your refund to all those other worthy causes…..
  36. ScottEApril 17, 2012 at 9:29 am
    I usually charge extra for that kind of info..
  37. LindaApril 16, 2012 at 12:08 pm
    I’ve only set foot in Best Buy once or twice in the last 12 years, but I know it holds sentimental value for some. There is something to be said for being able to touch and see up close what you are buying, but perhaps not enough to keep such businesses alive. Maybe parking will ease up at Trader Joe’s…. Target and Walmart also have online businesses up and running, but people will continue to shop in person for groceries, clothing and other everyday items.
  38. AdamApril 16, 2012 at 1:19 pm
    I think you actually have it backwards. If Trader Joes moved/closed(let’s hope not) parking would then ease up at Best Buy. Maybe if Best Buy closes then Trader Joes can expand and actually offer an shopping experience where I don’t feel like a sardine. I love that store to death but it’s nightmare to shop there because of the space/parking issue at that location. I remember when they put that store in on Cinema Dr. Much better space and parking over there.
  39. GibsonApril 16, 2012 at 1:26 pm
    I think you have it backwards. Parking is much better and the store much bigger compared to the old one on Cinema. When it was on Cinema, there often was no parking spaces available. Now, there is always parking available. Sure, you may have to park further down the aisle.
  40. AdamApril 16, 2012 at 3:07 pm
    I guess I don’t remember the old store very well. Still the curent store is horrible to go to sometimes. I would love to see Trader Joes in a bigger location, similar to the size of Sprouts maybe…
  41. LindaApril 16, 2012 at 3:50 pm
    There may be more parking at the “new” location, but getting from the parking lot into the store is like playing Frogger with your life because people (mostly Best Buy people, I am sure!) are in such a big hurry. I liked the old location better because it was closer to where I live and had a “cozier” feel. I also felt the employees were friendlier. The new location does not have the same feel. I wish they would find a spot in Newhall or Stevenson Ranch.
  42. Cheryl PhillipsApril 16, 2012 at 9:54 pm
    I have always felt that Trader Joe’s has the friendliest employees in the SCV and the rudest customers in the SCV.
  43. ThomasApril 17, 2012 at 1:24 pm
    Yes!!! The TJ customers are rude and feel they have a sense of entitlement to the parking lot. I just avoid both stores and buy my electronics at WalMart.
  44. brookApril 17, 2012 at 2:50 pm
    Disagree – I shop all different days of the week. I feel like the fellow customers smile and greet me much more than the other grocery stores in town (with the exception of Sprouts – good people there too!). Maybe thats because I have a plesant look on my face and and friendly to my fellow shoppers. Now the parking lot is a different story people from all the businesses there are zipping through there. Its easy to blame it on TJs because that is the latest store to arrive – but I have been mostly mowed down from the cars coming from the direction of Best Buy & beyond not in the lanes in front of TJs.
  45. Phil EllisApril 16, 2012 at 2:13 pm
    Totally Agree. Oops, I guess I can just use the T/U now.
  46. Timothy Myers SRApril 16, 2012 at 1:16 pm
    New York has already imposed sales tax and Amazon purchases and California (with Amazon’s agreement) will do so form November). Texas already imposes sales tax due to Amazon distribution facilities. That should help the brick and mortars compete a bit more fairly.
  47. GibsonApril 16, 2012 at 1:23 pm
    As Tim said, Amazon will start charging tax in California starting in November so you should do any big purchases without tax soon.
  48. ScottEApril 16, 2012 at 2:02 pm
    Pssssst … “Use-Tax.”
  49. CCApril 16, 2012 at 3:12 pm
    You can sure tell who does their own taxes and who doesn’t
  50. Lori RivasApril 16, 2012 at 1:59 pm
    Daring to Cut Off Amazon http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/business/media/amazons-e-book-pricing-a-constant-thorn-for-publishers.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp
  51. AlpinerApril 16, 2012 at 2:09 pm
    Alas, I still miss Circuit City!
  52. Phil EllisApril 16, 2012 at 2:15 pm
    You probably miss White Front, too.
  53. LarMccApril 16, 2012 at 10:36 pm
    I miss Fedco. And I would commit some sort of major felony to get my hands on just one bucket of Fedco Wing Dings.
  54. ToddApril 16, 2012 at 2:16 pm
    Frys got smart and is matching (and will even beat) online pricing. Now, granted, Fry’s employees have a collective IQ of 8 (the sum total of all of them), but if you know what you want because you’ve done your research on Newegg, Amazon, etc… then its not bad. Besides, I’ve seen Todd Bridges (whatchoo talkin’ bout Willis?) twice in a Fry’s… so obviously its where the cool kids shop!
  55. JayceApril 17, 2012 at 7:52 am
    Yeah that’s about the only way they could go about it. It’ll hurt their bottom line since by default they can’t have lower prices because of having to pay for the physical locations. Catch 22. I’ll miss them for sure and hope they can turn it around. In fact I’m going to pick up MI4 today they have a one day price on it
  56. Capt. GeneApril 16, 2012 at 8:12 pm
    Mike, Cathie Wright’s daughter is actually Victoria “Cathie” Wright.
  57. MikeApril 17, 2012 at 8:17 am
    You’re (W)right. For a moment, I was going to write “goes by”, but it seemed too fussy. The tension between brevity and precision…the brief is much tougher than it appears.
  58. Capt. GeneApril 17, 2012 at 8:35 am
    I figured you knew, I was surprised she was allowed to use her mom’s name to campaign. Either way, sorry to hear about the real Cathie Wright, from what I heard the last couple of years were pretty tough.
  59. spineflower2April 17, 2012 at 6:17 am
    One advantage of a store like Best Buy is for return of items that are defective out of the box, or soon after. It’s a major hassle to send back a big screen TV by the mail. Best Buy will probably morph into a sort of electronics Costco where there are a few samples out but you buy the box or order online and pick up at the store.

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