Tonight’s City Council meeting ought to be a doozy. Skateboarders are set to invade the chambers, angry Canyon Country/Newhall residents will probably show up to protest the MRF, Frank Ferry may rant about pot, and Bruce McFarland is planning to drink Bob Kellar’s milkshake (Drink it up!). But before the drama, get the facts you need with today’s Daily Brief.

News

•  Facing Shortfall, Hart District ponders bonds: The District says it’s short some $77 million in funds for building new schools and renovating old ones, so board members will hire a consultant to help them plan to extend a current bond measure or implement a new one, according to The Signal.  This is a separate shortfall from the District’s reported $10 million in planned cuts, which relate to the state budget. Jim Holt has the numbers and how this may or may not help with the construction of Castaic High School, here.
• No MRF on our turf CC residents say: Citing the number of trash trucks that may pass through a proposed Materials Recycling Facility on Sierra Highway, nearly 100 Canyon Country and Newhall residents packed a meeting room Monday night to organize opposition to the project. The organizer, 21 year old Joe Thompson, painted this picture: “Are you ready to see your property values go down? Vermin, flies, rodents - who knows what it’s going to bring?” Katie Geyer has the story. And over at KHTS, reporter Carol Rock spoke with city officials about the project and the public’s perception of it. She also confirmed that all of the SCV’s trash would be brought to this facility for sorting. Rock says several fliers anti-MRF fliers have been circulating around town and the figures about the MRF are “escalating with consecutive versions of the flier.”
  
• Third Quarter 07 Sales Tax down for city: The City’s Treasurer says sales tax receipts declined by5.4% ($300,000) in 3Q 07 lead by decreases in new car sales, home furnishing sales, and lumber/building materials. On the plus side -which is how the whole press release is intended to read- restaurant spending was up, as were”discount department stores” and office equipment. Sales tax makes up some 39% of the city’s general fund. It should be interesting to see the numbers for 4Q07 and 1Q08, the periods that were likely impacted by the Writer’s strike. Press Release
• SF Valley Fair to return to SCV: The agricultural fair will return to Santa Clarita this year on June 26-29th at the Saugus Speedway according to KHTS. The fair, intended to celebrate and preserve “agricultural heritage,” came to Santa Clarita for the first time last year, but was marred by the fact that livestock was kept out of Saugus Speedway due to the expense of transporting the animals. No word on whether the fair this year will be different. Link
• Hart High football won’t play private schools: The perennial powerhouse of SCV Football, Hart High, won’t schedule any more games against private high schools, Coach Mike Herrington told the Times on Monday. “It’s just not a level playing field,” Coach 1 told the paper. This news comes in the wake of some controversy in local athletics: last month, Alemany Principal and Santa Clarita Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ferry hired a former Hart High coach for his football team, and three other SCV High school football coaches formally protested a meeting held by Ferry for Castaic area 8th graders, which the coaches said violated a CIF rule. Hart typically played at least three private school teams in a given season; no telling if other SCV high schools will follow suit. LA Times blog
• Bicycle Retailer mag reviews Santa Clarita Amgen festivities: The industry mag talked to bicycle insiders about the show Santa Clarita tried to put on after the race. “Rock the Bike had all the elements of a great party—strong industry and community support, close proximity to the Tour Festival, live music and plenty of beer and burritos. Unfortunately, there was also plenty of rain,” a marketing director for a bicycle company told the magazine. Link
• Crime shorts: A man named Marcos Blanco is wanted for allegedly trying “to hit his wife with a hammer”, the Signal reports today. Blanco then allegedly used the tool to “wreck part of his house.” And the Friday night deputy-involved shooting in Canyon Country wasn’t the only gunfire that night in Santa Clarita. According to the Sheriffs website, two men were arrested Monday in “connection with gunfire Friday night near Second Street and Arch street in Newhall.”
• Dog poop and Santa Clarita mentioned in Wall Street Journal: “The boom in pet waste removal comes at a time when pet ownership is at an all-time high, yards are smaller than ever, and home services are exploding,” the Journal says in an article about the business of picking up dog poop. A Santa Clarita man named Timothy Stone is quoted in the article; he’s the founder of local company called “Scoop Masters USA.” Sigh

Opinion

•  Hell of a way to kick off a Senate campaign, Bruce: Bruce McFarland, local Democratic organizer and recently-announced Dem challenger to State Senator George Runner , will allege that Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar has “failed to accurately report his financial interests” at tonight’s City Council meeting. McFarland’s allegations center around Kellar’s reported income on a state form in 2005 in relation to his role as a selling agent for a COC-purchased property on Sierra Highway. McFarland lays out his complaint in an op/ed in today’s Signal.
• Signal chased off John Boston? That’s what one reader speculates in an LTE today. “Apparently great writing talent and an incredibly subtle, witty sense of humor doesn’t count at the ‘new’ Signal. Who chased off Mr. Santa Clarita, John Boston?” Sandy Menor of Newhall asks. She says she’s watched the Signal change since she moved here in 1975 and calls Boston an “SCV Icon.”
• Which Council Candidate has the best campaign bash? So it’s almost March, which means the five candidates running for two seats on the City Council are getting ready to host campaign rallies/parties. So far, three have announced events. Water Board member/she-with-the-stylish-hair Maria Gutzeit will be at a bash on February 28, hosted by Lauren Broadcasting chief Richard Budman. “Come on over for an informal get together…a little politics, a lot of fun, and friends,” Gutzeit says on her website. And as mentioned last week on SCVTalk, Parks Commish Laurie Ender will hold a family rally at Bridgeport Park on March 1st. Coffee, donuts, music, prizes, and face painting look to appeal to the soccer moms. Finally, incumbent Mayor Bob Kellar will host a lunch on March 1st with a “renowned Slovakian chef” at a home in Saugus. Alas, I don’t think any candidates are offering free alcohol, which would pretty much compel me to cover the event in an official capacity.

Santa Clarita through the eyes of Amgen Attendees
Check out what some out-of-towners thought of the SCV when they were here this weekend for the bike race:

 This is, as far as I can tell, a strip-mall town. Which makes it a funny spot for a stop on the Tour of California. I cruised around to the vendor booths in the morning and saw the chamber of commerce booth. The lady said, “Would you like some gum?” I took the package from her hand and looked at it. She said, “It’s Santa Clarita gum!”. Sure enough, the package said Santa Clarita. “Does it taste like parking lot?”. She wasn’t amused.

- Forrest Williams dot com

The last time I saw Valencia/Santa Clarita the only significant buildings there were the California Institute of the Arts and Magic Mountain. Now it’s one never-ending mega-mall/auto park. On February 23 most of it was blocked off for the sea of fans at ToC! The parking lots were total anarchy. So glad the sun came out (mostly) to give the riders and the sponsors the promised California postcard of a day. And I’m most pleased to report that cycling is not hurting for fans, people. There are MILLIONS of us and our numbers are GROWING. 

- Surfiet of Passion

 We’re in lovely Santa Clarita (where they film the excellent Weeds). The start (as well as yesterday’s finish) is in downtown Santa Clarita, a perfect introduction to greater LA; a contrived city complete with a quaint “town center”, a meandering street with shops (mostly national chains) and restaurants where a few people actually walk. But nobody walks far, the quaint village is just a couple blocks long and backed up on nearly every side by huge parking structures, and there’s a mall of course. There is something odd here though, housing density. In this little downtown area someone is actually trying to create an urban scene with townhomes, condos and actual housing density. It’s and interesting look at urban planning SoCal style. But the cars are still never very far away, and there are a lot of them. Along with 6 lane boulevards to get in and out of here. I’m glad to see effort at actual urban planning, but not planning on moving here anytime soon. Or anytime at all.

 - Chuck Ibis.com

The start at Santa Clarita was one of the best on the tour (Best has been awarded to the City of Modesto). Good crowd, just a spot of rain, and a really nice venue at the Town Center Shopping Center. The City of Santa Clarita bent over backwards to help us for the finish of Stage 6 and start of Stage 7. There was nothing we asked that they couldn’t do! 

- Tour Blog