Put down that cell phone and read the Daily Brief, edited by yours truly.

News

•  Fuzz issues at least 10 cell phone tickets per day: Jim Holt reports today that at least 320 tickets have been issued in Santa Clarita after drivers were caught talking on their cell phones while driving their cars. That breaks out to an average of 10 tickets issued per da, Holt writes. Most of the citatations were handed out by the CHP. Tickets for first time offenders cost $20. Link
• One Valley One Vision plan meeting scheduled for Monday: Brief item in the Signal today: on Monday, City and County planners will hold a meeting to “discuss environmental impacts related to the One Valley, One Vision general plan.” The planners will explain how the environmental review process will work under the plan. The meeting takes place at 6pm at City Hall. Link
• Mock school shooting at Arroyo Seco Jr High: The Signal’s Katie Geyer was on scene to report on a fake school shooting held at a local junior high school in order to train Sheriff’s Deputies to respond to an active shooter type scenario. She’s got a pretty exciting lead-in to the story and some discussion of why the LASD held the exercise and how the Deputies reacted. Good read
• Neat House being foreclosed upon: One of my creepier tendencies is to gaze at some of those houses high up on the hills of South Newhall, where the old money lives. Well, one of these houses is just so distinctive for its architecture and look that you can’t miss it, even without binoculars. It sits on a hill and has multiple windows looking north with what must be a spectacular view of the SCV. Its owners, though, apparently couldn’t pay the mortgage: the Paris911 real estate blog reports that it’s being foreclosed upon and it even has a picture and description of the property. Link
• Fire hydrant hit, shops flooded: KHTS says a hit ‘n run driver slammed into a fire hydrant yesterday in Canyon Country and the resulting geyser of water flooded a shopping center near the Jan Heidt Library. Link
• Runner opposes LA to SF High Speed Rail? I’m trying to decipher an Antelope Valley Press article that details Senator George Runner’s opposition to a ballot measure this fall that would ask California voters to support a $9.5 billion bond aimed at construction of a High Speed Rail system. The system, which would pass through but not stop in Santa Clarita, may get a stop in the Antelope Valley, but Runner seems to think that voters are reticent to pass a bond measure now that the state’s in a fiscal and budget crisis. Runner and another Senate Republican say the measure and the High Speed Rail Authority are disorganized and have no “business plan” as well.  The article notes that 5th District Supe, Mike Antonovich, has urged a “yes vote” on the measure, and by all accounts, a north-south rail system that delivers passengers from LA to SF in about 2 and a half hours would be pretty swell. Link
• Teens not having fun this summer thanks to gas prices: The LA Times has a story today on how gas prices have dashed teenagers’ hopes for fun this summer. The writer spoke with a Castaic family for the story who reported that high gas prices stopped the entire family from driving to Santa Barbara to watch one son play in a baseball tournament. “”My mom couldn’t see how much I’ve improved. That bothered me,” the 13 year old kid said. “[I hope gas prices fall soon] so parents can enjoy going out more with their kids.” Link
• New school year report from Supt. Castellanos: The Hart District supe notes that Valencia and West Ranch High schools will “continue to bear the brunt of the district’s growth until a new high school can be opened to serve the community of Castaic,” and says that, overall, the Hart District has grown by 100 students this year, about 10% of the total just a few years ago, when 1,000 new students enrolled. He also covers some of the facilities improvements at various schools. Link
• Buck McKeon on pay discrimination legislation: House Democrats passed a bill yesterday that “would give women new tools to combat pay discrimination,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The bill would “treat gender discrimination involving pay in the same as race, disability and age discrimination,” according to the paper. Since it’s a labor related bill, our Congressman got his quote about the bill in several papers, including the AP. McKeon says it won’t accomplish those goals: “[The bill] isn’t needed to protect women from wage discrimination. Such protection is already found in the law. At the end of the day this bill will invite more lawyers to file more lawsuits because it offers them a bigger pay day.” Earlier this week, McKeon wrly remarked that lawmakers should rename the bill the “Trial Lawyer’s Paycheck Enhancement Bill.” The White House will likely veto the bill. Tribune
• McKeon hires new staff: He’s hired a new military legislative assistant and a “new media coordinator,” a position that will help McKeon “harness the best technology available to communicate better with my consituents through the Internet and other new ways.” Does this mean we’ll see an official Buck McKeon blog? Or perhaps more YouTube videos? Staff announcement
• City Manager message for August: Ken Pulskamp brings us up to speed on some new deputies patrolling the SCV, three new commuter buses including one that has a drop-off at the Van Nuys Fly-Away, and the State of the City Luncheon, scheduled for September 17.
• Another .edu official supports Newhall Library: Myron H. Groch, an official with the Saugus School district, says Newhall’s diverse students deserve a new library. “The idea that the excellent work of the members of the Newhall Library Committee may be all for naught leaves me frustrated and sad for the residents of Newhall who will still not have a library comparable to the library that the residents of Canyon Country and Valencia, where more expansive branch libraries now exist.” Link
• Bossert directs another angry rant my way: Contrary to what he says, I don’t regularly post on West Ranch Beacon.com, and if I do, I post under my own name. As for the rest of the drama he talks about, I don’t even care to comment on it. Link