November 9, 2009 – Daily Brief

Written by Jeff on November 9th, 2009

Over the last 18 months, Los Angeles County devoted special planning resources for the Disney Studios at the Ranch project, says Dave Bossert over at the WEST RANCH BEACON. Supervisor Antonovich was very involved with the project. Bossert also says the City of Santa Clarita didn’t know about the project until about 3-4 months ago, which flies in the face of what Jason Crawford said to KHTS (KHTS quotes him as saying the City had been working with Disney for over a year).
Report concludes City doesn’t do enough to educate Latinos in town about the risks of sub-prime and predatory mortgages SIGNAL
Santa Clarita Marathon a success, attracting 3,000 runners for various events SIGNAL
SCV Water agencies looking to get a piece of the $11 billion state water infrastructure project SIGNAL
Signal launches fancy new e-edition, which allows readers to see the newspaper as it is printed on the web. It’s not free, however- it’s an additional $36/yr for subscribers or about $72 per year if you’re not a subscriber SIGNAL
Now that’s how you do redevelopment: the City of Beijing will tear down 10,000 homes in an effort to expand its Central Business District INFRASTRUCTURIST
Metrolink could raise fares an additional 6% in January due to falling ridership and increased costs LA TIMES
Assemblyman Cameron Smyth records YouTube video on why he supports Steve Poizner for Governor STEVEPOIZNER.COM
100 year old SCV woman says the thing that stands out most in her mind is women’s suffrage. Great article SIGNAL
Linda Slocum, real estate blogger, reviews the Crime Reports website SCVRE
Letter writer asks if Extreme Neighborhood Makeover bullies made people in Canyon Country and Newhall upset as well LTE
The mother of a Saugus high student who was upset with the reading material her 14 year old daughter received from the school isn’t dropping the subject: she penned an LTE that prompted the Signal editor to warn readers of ‘graphic content.’ She says she’s organizing other parents to fight the school district on the reading material and references readers to some website that’s not working for me. She ends her letter claiming, basically, that the school district is distributing “obscenity” to children LTE
Signal editor wonders what conclusions can be drawn from last week’s election SIGNAL
Tim Myers on Joe Messina’s improbable (impossible?) win SIGNAL
The reason few businesses in Newhall are taking advantage of city programs? The letters announcing said programs are only in English claims letter writer LTE

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14 Comments so far ↓

NickelDime says:

November 9, 2009 at 9:38 am

Linda Slocum’s blog link appears to be a double-up of Timmy’s piece in the Signal.

http://tinyurl.com/yzrx35u

Jeff, did you rethink Tim’s billing in the Brief ?
lvogel says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:09 am

I would like to get the schools comments on the ‘book’ issue. The parent indicated that the school did not allow for parents to ‘opt-out’ and that the students had no choice in what they read. That would be ‘this’ parents only concern; not the material. Heck, our children see, read and hear worse on t.v., video games and movies. However, if a parent does not wish their child to be exposed to any of these, then that is their right, as their right to ‘opt-out’ of that particular book…..but to BAN, I’d say no to that. She’s using the fact that kids cannot wear tee shirts with obscentiy: “Both books also violate the school district’s own policies against sexual harassment, obscenity, pervasive profanity and religious discrimination.

Try wearing a shirt to Saugus High School with some passages from either book and see how quickly security removes you.”

It’s true that kids shouldn’t walk around with profanity, but this is contained in a book, for crying-out-loud, not on a tee shirt. I always go back to the big truck I was parked behind a few years back, while waiting for my child to leave school. On the back tinted window, in very large white letters, was F–K OFF. That was vulgar and obscene, but after contacting both the school and Sheriffs, it’s not against the law. Banning books in school that contain material you don’t wish your child to read, should not be allowed and I hope that her ’cause’ doesn’t go too far, quite frankly.
Timothy Myers says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:31 am

lvogel:

This book issue does not smell right. The folks recently moved to the area and if you check the comments on The Signal’s website they seem to know an AWFUL lot about the law related to this issue.

Sounds like another plot to spin cash out of the school district. Look for the Rutherford Institute to become involved soon.
Jane says:

November 9, 2009 at 11:53 am

Extreme Makeover – CC Edition

As a homeowner I was happy to see some attention from the city for a change. Efforts, unfortunately, seem to fall off after the attention goes somewhere else which is why I wrote the city and asked to have the Bonelli code enforcement folks sent over to the East side of town.

While I understand that there are issues with lots being divided prior to the city being in place for the Bonelli homes, there is no excuse for un-permitted additions, garage conversions, or commercial vehicles constantly being parked on the street.

Code enforcement – please come up Camp Plenty Road from Delight – at 5:00 pm there are at least a dozen commercial trucks and large delivery vehicles that use this street for nightime parking. I have called the sheriff many times to complain, but they, understandably, have other things to do than cite these vehicles. API Leak Testing, GSF Truck Driving School, Time/Warner Cable, CEVA Delivery, and Gothic Landscaping are among the offenders.
Jeff says:

November 9, 2009 at 12:16 pm

I think you’re right Tim. The website the LTE linked to tells the same story the LTE did and has links/contact info for “lawyers who may be of help.”
lvogel says:

November 9, 2009 at 1:06 pm

Thanks for the information TimothyMyers. I went ahead and put my 2 cents in, also. I liked your comment, very much. As with the class that you mention (The Bible as Literature), it’s a choice for our children and one they should be given. We underestimate sometimes what our children really understand (or can understand when given the chance) in the real world. Knowledge of such things is just that, knowledge. The story that Jeanette Walls writes about is yes graphic, but hers is not so different then others and if those young people know this, it might just help them get through some difficult, lonely times; it might just bring some hope to their lives.
spineflower2 says:

November 9, 2009 at 3:42 pm

If the Signal really believes that the City doesn’t want to cherry-pick, and can influence that process, then they are even more ignorant than the voters who voted for Colley and McGrath!

And those here who claim it’s just paranoia should listen to the tapes of the Castaic Town Council meeting where Kellar came out and stated the City wants to annex enough to stop a second City.

By the way, though the vote makes the point moot, the claim that competing cities are trouble ignores the success in the Conejo valley where the cities of Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, and Westlake get along just fine. Heck, even Calabasas has played nice.
spineflower2 says:

November 9, 2009 at 3:43 pm

Can’t fix typos here once posted… first sentence above should read “CAN’T influence the process…” not “CAN…”
Berta González-Harper says:

November 9, 2009 at 9:47 pm

I live in Canyon Country too and like Jane have been very happy that the City of Santa Clarita took a proactive approach and was working hard to help residents improve their properties via the Extreme Neighborhood Makeover program. As I feared, because of the complaints from the Bonelli Tract folks, everything is at a standstill. I for one think it very unfair that the Community Preservation Officers are taking a beating for trying to improve areas we residents have asked them to help with. I hope we can get back to the business of improving our older neighborhoods soon without letting some people get away with letting their properties deteriorate further.
cash says:

November 10, 2009 at 8:31 am

Berta González-Harper

If the officer conducted himself as outlined at the October council meeting, he needs to be deciplined.

The Bonelli homewoners should at least be treated as the city treats the local gobn or business baggers. Bill Kennedy’s plea for money to fund the new private business development agency is totally out of line. The current taxpayer give away are not enough I guess. Give me a break.
Berta González-Harper says:

November 10, 2009 at 10:08 am

Cash, if the officer was out of line, then yes his superiors need to deal with the issue but I would remind you we have only heard the residents, not the officer’s side of what happened. I recently witnessed a resident chasing down a Community Preservation Officer and stopping him on my street to bully, yell and berate him. I overheard the conversation and at no time did the officer even raise his voice.Did you here about that anywhere? I would have punched the “innocent resident” if he talked to me that way and got in my face like that and I’m an old lady! So I caution you to make you sure you have all of the facts, both sides if you will, before forming your opinions.
cash says:

November 10, 2009 at 8:56 pm

BGH

The city is overstepping its bounds. This is a free country, if residents are complaining about the neighbors that are in violation of the city municipal code, then action should be taken. If not, the city needs to leave its Gestapo tactics at City Hall.

I caution you to not draw your conclusion after being witness to the one exchange you mentioned. Only a foolish city worker would not be on their best behavior under such a circumstance.

BTW, David G lost my vote tonight. The taxpayers have given enough to help keep the local business afloat.

Tax breaks, enterprise zones, free city services, and now 200k more for a group of gob’s to play with.

What a damn shame. The council even ignored the recommendation of the City manager, something they never do if he is agreeing to give taxpayer money to the beggars that do not need it.
Berta González-Harper says:

November 10, 2009 at 11:25 pm

Cash you and I are not going to agree on the issue of neighborhood preservation. I don’t think the City has overstepped its bounds since I/we are the City and are asking for our neighborhoods to be cleaned up and not allowed to further deteriorate. I don’t know where you live but my neighborhood needs help and I’m grateful I live in a city that has codes and ordinances. Some of us get tired of being put in the position of having to complain and then face the retaliation from our considerate, mature, responsible neighbors(not). I say again, IF THE OFFICER WAS OUT OF LINE HIS SUPERIORS NEED TO DEAL WITH HIM BUT IN THIS COUNTRY YOU ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. You keep stating it as though it is a proven fact.
Fred says:

November 11, 2009 at 6:27 pm

Sounds like another plot to spin cash out of the school district. Look for the Rutherford Institute to become involved soon.

Yeah, conservatives are always looking to make a buck off these things.

But when the ACLU does it, its for liberty and free thinking.

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November 9, 2009 – Daily Brief

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