September 2, 2010 – Daily Brief

  • Sprouts store a success on first day with “lines of shoppers backed up through the store with shopping carts full of purchases,” says the SIGNAL. Also don’t miss SCVTalk’s own Mike review the store. “My early guess is that they’ve found a sweet spot for this community,” he writes.
  • The City is looking to annex several communities east of Sierra Highway, including the rather infamous Jake’s Way, the community anti-high density proponents hold up as an example of why high density is bad for the SCV. But City officials and Sheriff’s Deputies say crime there is no higher than anywhere else in town. The annexation of Vista Canyon, Jakes Way and other communities will need to go through the LAFCO rigmarole first however. SIGNAL
  • The Daily News (which used to have three reporters dedicated to SCV news everyday. No I’m not bitter at all)  has a report outlining public opposition to the City’s library takeover which includes an optimistic note from Bob Kellar at the end saying he joins with citizens (who he really admires) in hoping the takeover and firing of public library employees works out for the SCV. Also there’s some news in there about the city’s “collection customization” plan (more audio books, for starters) DAILY NEWS
  • Deputies and friends remember Deputy Jake Kuredjian, the Deputy who was shot and killed during that standoff with a gun nut in Stevenson Ranch on August 31, 2001 SIGNAL
  • Thomas Sutton, a Newhall Land architect who helped design Valencia and its meandering paseos, has died. NLF officials remember him as a kind person who had a passion for creating spaces “that people enjoyed.” SIGNAL
  • Pot house with over 200 pot plants, cocaine and meth found, in all places, in Valencia SIGNAL
  • County receives $4.68 in Federal stimulus money that will go towards preventing homelessness of families on the brink. SIGNAL
  • Henry Mayo Hospital has contracted with a Los Angeles-based Construction firm to build its new parking lot. The value of the deal is $10.1 million according to the firm’s press release
  • LA County Supes voted to oppose any changes to the State’s Enterprise Zone program, which the City and County are hoping to expand in the SCV. Recall that last year the non-partisan Public Policy Institute said we taxpayers weren’t getting bang for our buck out of the program, and Democrats want to modify the program so that individuals hired through are given more benefits SIGNAL
  • Chemical giants kill plastic bag bill ban, or at least that’s how I’m reading KHTS‘ report
  • New book on rise of the right wing/Tea Party mentions a story about a Santa Clarita man named George, who, upon taking Glenn Beck’s advice to invest $10,000 in gold coins, found out he was getting ripped off and backed out HUFF POST
  • Also, if you haven’t seen it by now, there’s a really interesting and eye-opening piece in Vanity Fair about Sarah Palin
  • Letter writer asks why Buck McKeon wants more resources and money poured into Iraq when so many Americans are suffering SIGNAL
  • BMW Z roadster enthusiasts have picked Santa Clarita to hold their mobile convention of high priced German roadsters says CITY BRIEFS
  • “Right here in “Government is Bad, Corporations are from God” Santa Clarita, we’ve witnessed an outpouring of love and more love for socialized services the likes of which I’ve never seen here before. Until just now, judging from Republican input in our local media, one would conclude government could do no right, manage no budget, restrain no spending – provide no efficient or desired services.” Right on Gary Horton; as I’ve observed many times, local Republicans want to have their cake and eat it too. SIGNAL
  • Cam Noltemeyer with another chloride column, this time focusing on how State Water Project water is the reason for our high chloride count SIGNAL
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9 Responses to September 2, 2010 – Daily Brief

  1. Samuel Adams says:

    So if Sprouts makes it, why did Bristol Farms not make it? Was it location or prices? Or both?

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    • mike says:

      Location was great, pricing was prohibitive. BF can only succeed in an area where the weekly cost of groceries does not matter. Sprouts is much cheaper.

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    • Tim Myers says:

      I think the footprint of the Sprouts store is also much smaller. In low margin businesses like groceries it is all about sales per square foot, which is why TJ’s is so financially successful.

      I also think that Sprouts will do better because it is not the anchor of the retail installation, and will enjoy A LOT of traffic from the folks shopping at Target.

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      • Walker :) says:

        I think you’re right on w/the anchor comment. There is just nothing to draw you in to the Bridgeport center. Something like TJs that already had a local following would have done VERY well as an anchor in that center. A new and unknown (to most) ‘overpriced’ grocer, there’s nothing in that description that screams ‘new customer base’.

        I think the proximity to Target will be great for Sprouts. Both are after a similar demographic. People that consider themselves beyond Walmart but not quite Bristol Farms. Looking for great prices on staples, but maybe a few luxuries here and there.

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    • Mike M says:

      BF was a really pretty store, with a lot of really interesting specialty goods that you couldn’t find easily anywhere else, but it was all way overpriced for the average shopper. I’m sure there are folks in the SCV who could afford to pick up their weekly groceries there, but those folks certainly weren’t us – and we tried for several weeks. We also really loved the Wednesday night family pasta dinners, but that was just about the only affordable thing in the entire store… I’ve heard a rumor that Fresh & Easy is looking at that location, and I hope that happens!

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      • Tim Myers says:

        Fresh & Easy is Marks & Spencer’s first big move into the US market. A significant part of their sales in the UK is so-called “take away” meals that are generally higher quality than fast food. I read in the Economist that they are not doing that well in the US, though they generally went into markets initially where there was little local competition.

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  2. navigator says:

    I really appreciate the fact that the article on Glenn Beck wasn’t biased in any way. ;-) As far as Horton is concerned, we always know what to expect from him.

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  3. Andy says:

    Bummer about Sutton. The houses and communities that NLF built in the 60s and 70s are some of my favorites in this area. Valencia Hills, Valencia Glen, Old Orchard I and II, etc. I wish suburban architecture still looked like that.

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  4. spineflower2 says:

    “Pot house with over 200 pot plants, cocaine and meth found, in all places, in Valencia “

    I knew there was a good reason Valencia is known as Awesometown.

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