May 27, 2008 - Daily Brief
Written by Jeff on May 27th, 2008Today’s Brief is a mix of current news and some news from last week.
News
- Welcome to Santa Clarita, Population 478,293? It’s not only possible but likely and “expected” that the Santa Clarita Valley will one day be home to as many as a half a million people, The Signal reported last week. Jim Holt at The Signal focused mainly on water issues that would confront an SCV that big and also talked with city Community Development chief Paul Brotzman about the topic, who told The Signal that, “Every year, year-in and year-out, for the last 40 years, California has grown by 400,000 and 500,000 a year. Assuming California will continue to grow, where are they all going to go?” And the no-growthers of the SCV said, “SOMEWHERE ELSE!”
- Gay Marriage ruling, the County, and SCV reaction: The California Supreme Court has run “roughshod” over the will of California voters on gay marriage according to conservative State Senator George Runner. Republican Buck McKeon also had some words for the Court after the decision was announced two weeks ago: “Under no circumstance should the courts be allowed to show such utter disregard for the democratic process,” he said. While the outrage level may be high, local agencies like Los Angeles County still have to “prepare for a slew of marriage license applications and civil weddings” in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, reports the Daily Breeze. The Breeze says the County is “beefing up its volunteer staff, extending hours at offices that issue marriage license and perform ceremonies and providing staff with additional training about the court’s order.” Gay couples should be able to legally wed by June 16. So are there any same-sex couples in the SCV who will tie the knot next month in Santa Clarita in one of our few liberal churches? I’ll try to find out and cover it if possible.
- Little upward trending blue line indicates SCV Housing market getting healthier: That noise you heard last week was the collective rejoicing of hundreds of SCV realtors and real estate-associated professionals who must have been happy with the fresh April numbers on SCV home sales. According to our pals at the Southland Realtor Association, home sales jumped 18% from March to April and the median price increased some 2% from March. Condos did fairly well too with 67 units sold, a 24% jump from March. Those numbers still put us way down compared to April of 2007, but we’ll take all the progress we can get right? County econ czar Jack Keyser thinks so: “I think people are starting to venture back into the housing market.” The Daily News has the write-up while SRAR has the raw PDF data sheet. As for foreclosures? Well, the SCV is doing better than most markets, but according to the Daily News’ foreclosure tracking database, many SCV homes have been foreclosed on since January.
- Commish appointments at tonight’s City Council meeting: This one kind of snuck in under the radar. Katie Geyer reports in today’s Signal that City Councilmembers Laurie Ender and Bob Kellar will “appoint or reappoint” two planning commission seats tonight. Long time Planning commissioner Mike Berger is set to leave his post July 31. Also in the docket for commissioner appointments: Kellar and Ender will appoint or reappoint Parks Commision seats belonging to Laura Hauser and Duane Huarte, respectively. And Frank Ferry will have the opportunity to appoint someone to take Laurie Ender’s seat on the Parks Commission. But wait, there’s more! Oddly enough, there are also two seats on the brand-spanking-new Open Space accountability and audit panel that will “expire in July.” Kellar and Ender (Are you eseing a pattern here?) will have the chance to appoint or reappoint individuals to the seats occupied now by Spencer Leafdale and Al Ferdman, respectively. I’m confused….the makeup of the Open Space panel was settled at the February 12 Council meeting, how is that that some seats are now expiring? Also, Calvin Hedman resigned his spot on the open space panel due to “business reasons.” Signal report
- Newhall Ranch land valued at $2.6 billion in early 2007, now? There was an update last week in the continuing saga of Newhall Land/LandSource/Cal Pers, and the debt owed on the 15,000 acres of “undeveloped land in the Santa Clarita Valley” that changed hands from Lennar to LandSource/CalPers last year in a complicated deal. The AP used the word “scrambling” to describe the urgency in LandSource’s attempts to restructure the $1.24 billion it owes on the land, which was put on LandSource’s books before the real estate meltdown. As we all know by now, Landsource received a notice of default on April 22 and has been in discussions with creditors ever since. The AP says those creditors are a “syndicate of more than 100 banks headed by Barclays Capital.” AP Report
- Council to decide $1.2 million purchase of Newhall buildings: The City Council will decide tonight whether to purchase some 6,200 sq. ft. of property in downtown Newhall in order to “clear the way for a new library” at the intersection of Main Street & Lyons Avenue. Katie Geyer at The Signal reports that the city already owns some of the land at the location, including the “parcels occupied by CarQuest Auto Parts and the Paws for Fun dog grooming” business and is already in neogitations to buy the site of a body piercing store. If approved and accepted by the land-owners, the businesses would become tenants until the City and County start building a 16,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. library. Other properties in the are include the historic Newhall jail building, which is currently occupied by a florist. Link
- HOAs hard hit by real estate troubles: Delinquencies on HOA dues and payments have soared as foreclosures have risen, even in Santa Clarita, according to a Daily News report. One property management company, Euclid Management, oversees some 38 associations in the SCV and says homeonwers started missing payments about 18 months ago. Now, he says, “lawns are brown, weeds are growing and neighbors are upset” as a result of unpaid dues piling up. Options for HOAs and property management companies are limited, especially if the homes go into foreclosure. Jerry Berrios has more.
- Flights out of Palmdale to be adjusted, may not be viable: Flights from Palmdale Int’l to San Francisco started on 50 passenger jets nearly a year ago, but so far, most flights are only a third full. The lack of use is making authorities consider using “fuel-effecient turboprop” planes rather than the jets. ““It’s not going quite as well as we would like it,” one official said. Link
- Santa Clarita Transit may get $2.8 million transit tech: The City Council will decide tonight whether to spend some $2.8 million to build a “Transit Information Network” that would track city buses, paratransit vehicles and other vehicles with GPS technology and would assist Santa Clarita Transit in monitoring and improving “key performance indicators such as on-time performance, fare collections, and ADA compliance.” The system would also include “electronic stop annunciators” (”Now approaching McBean Parkway and Valencia Blvd”) and would alert the general public about any delays in local and commuter service. All this tech whiz-bang and the $2.8 million price tag might have you upset since most of us drive our cars; but don’t worry, Uncle Sam is picking up 81% of the tab. The project involves city transit and IT staff and the contractor is based in New Zealand. Awesome Project
- Trash rates may go up: The City Council is set to discuss trash fees tonight. Katie Geyer reports rates may go up 4 percent if the council approves an amendment to franchise agreements it holds with two waste haulers. One wonders if the MRF plays a part in this. Link
- West Nile found in SCV bird: It’s that time of the year again, and once more a bird (a crow this time) in the SCV has been found with the West Nile Virus, according to the Los Angeles Times. That’s nothing compared to Orange County though, where at least a dozen birds have been found with the disease that can jump over to humans and even kill elderly or those with compromised immune systems. What’s helping the virus spread? Vector officials say foreclosed homes with un-maintained pools are breeding mosquitos all over the OC. Thank goodness we take care of our pools here. Link
Miscellaneous
- Evaluating the Tejon Ranch deal: Was the agreement announced earlier this month to set aside up to 240,000 acres of land in the Tejon Ranch area for open space a clever divide-and-conquer strategy by a developer or a win-win for environmentalists? More press is emerging on the deal, including an AP story where a condor expert says the Tejon Ranch company tried to buy his silence. And then, on the flip side, a pair of environmentalists with the Audubon Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council say it was a good deal that will stop the Tejon Ranch area from turning into a new Santa Clarita: “Newhall and Valencia have sprawled for decades… There, conservationists have been battling against piecemeal development for years — winning some and losing some — and the result is a patchwork of housing subdivisions, commercial projects and unconnected open space.”
- Signal columnist backs white supremacist for judge: Roger Gitlin, the Signal’s ultra-right wing commentator, had a Sunday column in which he examined the various candidates for judges for the June 3rd election. Of one contest for office in the Superior Court, Gitlin had this to say of candidate Bill Johnson: “The notorious Los Angeles Times called candidate Johnson a racist. Coming from the Times, a charge like that is very much suspect. Maybe it’s a cheap shot…” Actually, it wasn’t the Times that called Johnson a racist, it was the Los Angeles Metropolitan News-Enterprise, an LA legal journal, which researched Bill Johnson and found that the attorney has written a book under a pseudonym that “advocated deportation of non-whites” from the US and proposed repealing the 14th and 15th Amendements. The Times merely noted the story in a blog post. Does the idea of a white supremacist as a judge make you a bit worried? Don’t; Gitlin emailed him and didn’t “detect any racist leanings.” Link
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A library is not guaranteed for the Spruce Street area. Per the City Council: “the payment of funds for the Project will assist in the elimination of blighting conditions inside the Redevelopment Project Area by providing for adequate parcels and required public improvements to induce new construction and/or rehabilitation by private enterprise; promoting the comprehensive planning, redesign, replanning, reconstruction and/or rehabilitation in such a manner as to achieve a higher and better utilization of the land within the project area, and assisting in attracting new businesses and residential developments to the area.” More info here: http://snurl.com/2avce.
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If you want to see Jeff L and Paul B in action watch the rerun of the last planning commission meeting. The proposed (commission approved) office development north of San Fernando on Sierra Hwy. The owner of AV rentals is discussed. Lambert is not to be trusted and he easily double talks his way out of trouble when questioned about things like how he could have preserved the 10 oaks the will be removed. Paul defends the amendment that allow an increase in density for the buildings. What a joke. Rerun of meeting is not yet available, last I checked. Paul nor Jeff are to be trusted to protect smart growth in this valley.
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Alright. Memorial Day is over so that inappropriate video should be removed now - thank you very much.
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CIBBILL
I agree that the video is in poor taste, but Jeff has every right to express his opinion. I assume that is what he has done via the video. Bill, I know you believe in freedom of speech! You can’t have it both ways. Cash
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Indeed, Cash. I fought for his freedom of speech and I have the right to ask him to take it down.
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AWESOME video! 3 Doors Down, one of my top favorite bands. Thank you, Blogmaster. Good job!
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CIB Bill:
I am sorely confused. This video was produced as a recruiting tool for the National Guard and reserves and was shown in theatre advertisements ALL of last year. What do you find offensive and inappropriate? Are you sober this morning?
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you missed the prior video, an eerily cheerful Edwin Starr lip-synching to “War”
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In reality, the previous video was EERILY INAPPROPRIATE for Memorial Day. However, our Blogmaster promptly righted the situation upon my request. Thanks again.
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OK. Now the exchanges make sense.
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CIB Bill, what is inappropriate about posting an anti-war song on Memorial Day? Memorial Day is about honoring veterans, not promoting war. The video was anti-war, not anti-veteran. Don’t be a cliche and tell me you are so simple-minded that you can’t see how people can “love the soldier and hate the war.” (I can’t believe we still have to remind people of this distinction 35 years after Vietnam ended.)
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It’s hard for me to fathom that our council and planning commission would want to rip out one of the oldest pieces of history we have. The old Jail house. That jail is one of the greatest treasures we have of our history here in Newhall. Every attempt should me made by our city to preserve that place.
If removing it is the plan then that is what so many mean by lack of openness in our city’s intended land use. They seem to leave out the plans for things people would be entitled to have input over.
I think the city doesn’t want to deal with the public in a positive and productive way. That’s what happens when we don’t have enough people to get the cities work done. Skinny staff levels in perportion to work load means they don’t have time for citizen involvement. When the city does it’s usually window dressing so as not to be blamed for not attempting to be inclusive. Who will listen to the needs, wants, neighborhood rights, and quality of land use around the city when the city has no time nor staff to implement public involvement? I’ll tell you who– a small handful of people who have been lead to believe that they are the arbiters of our future.
Arbiter; a person or agency whose judgment or opinion is considered authoritative :a person with power to decide a dispute or judge
It’s sad that the jail would be the quiet tragedy our history to a handful of people who don’t really care what we destroy.
Does anyone care to have that old Jail? This is a great video the owner and I made one day. Take a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_tNYHjelNE
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Didn’t see the first ‘video’ that caused such ill feelings, however the one now is not offensive. I do want to set zyggurat straight though when it’s posted “Memorial Day is about honoring veterans, not promoting war.”…..Actually, ‘Veterans Day’ honors those men and women who have served our country. Memorial Day is to honor those men and women who have lost their lives serving for our country. There is a difference. Again, without seeing the first video that was posted, I have no idea what was offensive. The one posted now is a tastefull video (and I finda not offensive), however does it really ‘honor’ those men and women we’ve lost?
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I appreciate WethepeopleSCV moving the discussion forward, however I must address Ziggie’s question. Memorial Day is meant to honor our fallen military personnel who gave their lives preserving our freedom. I don’t think it’s meant, via that stupid video, to literally say their lives were for naught. I personally lost many friends, some right before my eyes, who served their Country with honor and distinction, so when I see a stupid video (such as that previous one) on my favorite Blog, well then… I’m gonna speak up. That is my right.
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Very good point, IVogue. It’s SO superior to the last one that I found it satisfactory.
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There’s a reason why it’s called “Old Town Newhall” and the ‘historical’ Jail is a very big part of the history here in Santa Clarita! It’s sad that modernization means getting rid of history. There should have been something in ‘the books’ that would preserve these sites. What’s next…….Hart Park/Museum? I remember when the city spent money on the old railroad town there in Newhall Park, it made a big difference and people appreciated it. It’s history! That area needs to be preserved at any cost. Sure go ahead and improve it, but don’t get rid of the history!
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For the record, this was the first video I posted yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/v/BZgHH72G8wQ&hl=en
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Sorry Bill, but Jeff should have left the video alone. You had the right to express your dissatisfaction, or not look at it, and Jeff had the right to leave it. You seem to want things both ways. Freedom of speech only, if you agree. The rest of us are able to draw our on conclusion without having you wanting to censure.
I have family fighting in Iraq, so please don’t try and invalidate their efforts!
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Lvogal,
Your right. We put so much value on renaming our roads back to historic names to bring back the past while we have a piece of the past in the Old jail. It’s sort of up in the air what will happen to it but the city wont say anything about it.
I would love to have that for my kids to see one day.
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I’m familiar with not only the song but the singer Edwin Starr. He was drafted and served 2 years in the military right after high school. Norman Whitfield wrote the song and originally had the Temptations record it, however he didn’t want to ‘offend’ the conservative fans out there and asked Edwin to record the single, which was a big hit. Again, it’s the opinion of a person that should not be taken away. Many do ask “what is it good for?” and they have every right to ask that. My brother lost many friends in Vietnam and watching the families grieve DAILY for the rest of their LIVING days is a very difficult thing to comprehend. There are many views and feelings regarding war, and I believe that the video orginally posted was one of those views. Nothing offensive, just an opinion.
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All I’m sayin’ is, I didn’t think that video was appropriate for Memorial Day & since it’s my freedom of speech I simply asked that it be replaced. I appreciate very much that our Blogmaster honored my request. We could on all day debating this - it seems our Blogmaster brilliantly surfaced many opinions here… again.
So moving forward… did you see this WHOPPER:
http://elections.foxnews.com:80/2008/05/27/recollection-of-obama-familys-service-missing-key-details/
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http://www.youtube.com/v/BZgHH72G8wQ&hl=en
It’s back.. Thanks Jeff!
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Honored what! Leaving it was the right thing to do Jeff. Resurfacing it to make the point was fine as well.
War is not a good thing, no matter what your politics!
Bush was wrong and so will be JM.
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Was Obama one of todays topics on scvtalk.com? I don’t remember seeing that referenced in the Daily Brief or Micellaneous……hmmmmmm
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West Nile found in SCV bird:
I found a dead Crow last summer and called it into our Animal Shelter, then was given an additional number to call and when I told them about it they didn’t really seem to care! The same crow was there for several days before it was removed. I just hope that someone with ‘authority’ removed it and not a concerned resident! Was there a phone number listed in that particular article about who to contact when a person comes across such a thing? This might be something that can be included in the next Magazine of Santa Clarita Valley, huh? Information that might be helpful to MOST of us!
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Dead Crows. Now there’s a serious problem. Ha!
IVogue, we were discussing military stuff, which I realize is unimportant to left wing democrats so I offerred up Obama’s gaffe as proof.
Cash, no one “likes” War, other than the stinkin’ rotten terrorists who began waging War against against America a very long time ago.
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Tsk, Tsk, Tsk………Did you read the story about the dead crow CIBBILL? It can be a very serious matter. Much more serious then whether a ‘candidate’ gets his facts screwed up. West Nile virus can cause death especially in our older ‘residents’ and those people with immune problems. We healthy ones could probably get treated okay, but not all, so yes a dead crow is serious…….again, in my opinion, but obviously not yours. And I don’t think ‘military stuff’ was being discussed, videos were.
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“Cash, no one “likes” War” I wish this were actually true CIB Bill. There are those that have become very rich because of wars. I guess you could conclude, that in a sick way, they like war.
If you think the war is completely about honor, security, etc…., some might disagree with you.
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In America, we get to disagree… as long as our troops keep us free.
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Nice debate today, I’ll say that much. It also had nothing to do with Obama, so I’m puzzled by that link, but CIB has been much better about staying on topic lately. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
lv, I didn’t know Norman wrote “War”. It really does sound like a late 60s Temptations song. You learn something new every day.
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Isn’t it interesting how folks spaz out over Obama and/or dead crows. Ha!
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“So moving forward… did you see this WHOPPER:”
Yes, interesting……folks do have the tendency to ’spaz’.
Yeah, Mike I thought it was interesting also how Whitfield was so concerned about the conservative opinion that he didn’t want the Temptations (a very popular group during those times) to record it, yet Starr made it (still) a very popular hit!
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Since we are suddenly on the topic of classic soul, today I fell in love with Al Green’s brand new (yes, brand new) album. I sounds like 1978, and I mean that in the most endearing way possible.
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#1 - The new library is a fact and is a cornerstone of the redevelopment plans. County and city finds are already committed.
#2 - The old Jail will be saved. The SCV Historical gang wants to save it. The city wants to save it. The Redevelopment Committee wants to save it.The only question seems to be if the current owner really wants to sell it now or wait for a better offer. It it doesn’t stay on “Main Street” it may be moved to Heritage Junction.
#3 - It would indeed be good if Ms. Slocum would attend a Redevelopment Committee Meeting (regular attendance would be nice for her…like every meeting), if she is going to comment on the actions of the committee. She needs to write from a real knowledge base and not some 3rd or 4th hand gossip in Valencia.
#4 - Cash is right…trusting Jeff L or Ken P is NOT possible. How about this idea…Instead of building on the Mule farm site how about making Downtown Newhall an “AVENUES” type of place and convert the mule farm to a park? Gee, density does not increase much in Newhall and the basic infrastructure is already there. BTW, don’t ask Ms. Ender about “density” or other city planning terms…Frank Ferry may not be near to answer the question for her.
I remain as always, committed to the SCV and Newhall.
-Darryl Manzer aka. “Picokid”