- Sheriff’s Deputies and SWAT team members came up empty-handed after an all-day standoff with what turned out to be an empty house on Cross Street in Newhall on Wednesday. The SWAT team employed tear gas and K-9 and armored vehicles (2 of them!) and was all kitted out like SEAL Team Six, but ultimately the house was empty and the burglary suspect they were looking for is at large. They did, however, arrest three people who were standing nearby on drug charges, but none of them have been charged. Meanwhile Signal reporter Jim Holt couldn’t help himself from using the word “flophouse” several times in the initial report on the matter. SIGNAL 1, SIGNAL 2, DAILY NEWS, KHTS
- They should have sent the SWAT team after this guy: In Stevenson Ranch, a woman was followed home by a man who grabbed her purse and split according to KHTS. The woman was not harmed but Deputies think the man, described as a 20 something African American, followed her home from the Stevenson Ranch B of A KHTS
- Or this guy: man sought by Deputies after he allegedly followed a 12 year old Placerita Junior High student in his car. SIGNAL
- Looks like SCV school districts will lay off a total of 77 teachers this summer. Notices of layoffs have to be given by this Sunday and District administrators face an uncertain budgetary picture as they plan for the next year. If a budget fix is found, however, some of the layoff notices could be rescinded SIGNAL
- And over at the Hart District, teachers and administrators have worked out a contract which results in no teacher layoffs but keeps the Hart District’s school year five days shorter than the state standard SIGNAL
- Speaking of the budget, Republicans in the Statehouse have finally come out with their own proposal. It’s all cuts and no tax increases and really sticks it to vulnerable sick people, unions, elderly people and mentally ill people, the leeches who are entirely responsible for all our current woes. LA TIMES
- April was a really bad month for California’s housing industry. LA TIMES
- Fascinating new details on California’s population have been released by the US Census Bureau. Did you know only 37% of Californians have children in their homes? SACBEE
- Also, Census data shows that many Californians are participating in their own flophouses in order to cut costs AP
- Want our troops out of Afghanistan? Well don’t count on Buck McKeon to agree with you. The Congressman tells KPCC that we can’t leave Afghanistan now because “it would be like running a hundred yard dash and being at the lead at 95 yards and quitting.” He says victory in A-Stan is “so close” and believes Al Queda is “kicking their last death gasp.” As long as we can get that second jet engine for the F-35 we should be able to defeat The Terrorists once and for all! KPCC
- The local tea party chapter wants to SCV Tea Partiers to “adopt” a local school and pressure the school to teach about the Constitution during Constitution Week. Look for the Signal LTEs soon SCV TEA PARTY
- Hart Board member and local talk radio pundit Joe Messina thinks women should dress more modestly. REAL SIDE
- Scott Wilk has an excellent editorial today on keeping the SCV whole when it comes to redistricting. He’s also pushing a web-based petition which you can access here.
- Tales of Tiburcio Vasquez, a gruesome discovery in Soledad Canyon, and did shepherds really shepherd their sheep across Bouquet Canyon road back in the day? Find out in *deep voice with reverb* JOHN BOSTON’S TIME RANGER
- Big Picture shows you how the Russians celebrate Victory Day, May 9, 1945, the day Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allies BIG PICTURE
@SCVTweets onTwitter
- Bike to Work Day
http://t.co/jWAkeDfm2012/05/17 16:01 - Excellent! RT @Petz2: Cadet Petzold
http://t.co/mfXxCymI2012/05/16 12:31 - It's an embarrassment of riches. As of today, 4 the 2nd time ever, there are 2 actual barbecue spots in SCV: @longhornsbbq and @Lucilles_BBQ2012/05/16 10:27
- Over the months, we've reached out to @Lucilles_BBQ several times to talk BBQ and got the cold [pork] shoulder. But still, we welcome real Q2012/05/16 10:17
- If you love substance like we do, Jeff has a great interview with @LeeCRogers.
http://t.co/sJj9FNvc2012/05/10 09:04 - Tone of the meeting: BK and FF playing dads to TBB rebellious teenager. LW and MM the aunts who don't see why you need to dress like that.2012/05/08 23:39
- Bike to Work Day
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On Modest Dress:
Joe M. is so wrong! Us old guys need a reason to get out of bed in the morning! If you really want to see some smokin’ ladies pick up your grandchild at grade school and see all the beautiful moms!!!
You perv! lol. I drop my kids off at school too!
On Redistricting:
That big thud you just heard was the end of Cameron Smyth’s political career and Laurie Ender’s Sarah Palin dreams.
Tim nails it. It would be nice if the Signal reporters noticed this fact and reported on what, I’m sure, is repeating itself in democratic-locked districts. The voters supported redistricting. The political parties opposed it. For a reason. The point that we need “one elected official” representing us is stunningly weak. At the water district we have dealt successfully with FOUR officeholders at one time (Smyth, Strickland,Strickland, and Runner) and I view it as an asset to have four people informed about Santa Clarita up in Sacramento.
Another story was a scuffle and arrest at Macy’s yesterday when 3 guys were trying to steal sunglasses…which one guy escaped and then was caught on I-5 because they thought they were pulling over the purse snatcher car mentioned today in the brief.
“In an unrelated incident…a strongarm robbery was committed in Stevenson Ranch at about the same time that the suspects were making their getaway. The victim in that incident described her suspect’s car as a black, late model Dodge Charger.
Within minutes of the description broadcast, deputies stopped a black Dodge Charger on the southbound I-5 freeway, thinking they might have their suspect from the Stevenson Ranch crime. Instead, they found the third suspect from the mall incident was a passenger in the Charger. They arrested both the passenger and the driver and confiscated merchandise from the vehicle that had been stolen from Macy’s.”
http://hometownstation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24563:deputies-robbery-suspects-clarita-2011-05-12-14-20&catid=26:local-news&Itemid=97
I loved this story:
http://hometownstation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24544:rob-gardner-caught-sucking-cock-2011-05-12-13-17&catid=26:local-news&Itemid=97
Who is Rob Gardner?
This a profound question.
Jeff:
With all the talk of high speed rail lately, I’m surprised you didn’t mention Dan Walter’s article in The Signal opinion today. Here’s a link to the SacBee that has the same article:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/11/3617419/dan-walters-high-speed-train-trip.html
The information he provides makes me believe that this project will never start. I believe that would be a good thing keeping in mind the sorry state CA is in right now.
Here is some more good insight from The Economist on why hgh speed rail is not a good solution for America. It focuses on how our very efficient freight railroad system would be negatively impacted.
http://www.economist.com/node/16636101
“The problem is not the creation of new corridors with trains rattling along at 150mph. Such lines, like those proposed in California or between Tampa and Orlando in Florida, would have their own track, separated from existing lines though on the same strip of land as a freight railway.”
As long as it is designed correctly, California HSR will not impact freight rail in any way. I am less supportive of projects in other states, which involve higher speed trains running on existing freight lines, but California is building a dedicated passenger rail system that as long as it is funded correctly (minimizing shared rail segments in LA and the Bay Area), will not have a negative impact on the freight rail system that is so vital to our economy.
As for the Dan Walters column, the charge that the Central Valley segment is a “train to nowhere” is false. This is the backbone of the CA HSR system. Bakersfield to Merced is just as important to the system as San Francisco to San Jose or LA to Palmdale (or Santa Clarita, depending on the alignment the HSR Authority chooses). Once this segment is complete (construction will begin next year, per the requirements of the federal stimulus funds), they will be able to run 220 mph trains and demonstrate that HSR isnt some pipe dream.
If anybody wants to read a good rebuttal of the LAO report, I highly suggest this piece from Robert Cruickshank at the California High Speed Rail Blog.
http://www.cahsrblog.com/2011/05/legislative-analyst-wants-to-give-hsr-the-scott-walker-treatment/
Great points as usual.
Saying the HSR is a “train to nowhere” because it runs through the Central Valley is akin to saying I-5 is a freeway to nowhere because it runs through the Central Valley.
“California is building a dedicated passenger rail system that as long as it is funded correctly……”
That is the most important thing. The system needs to be viable on it’s own with no government subsidy. This has not been proven yet as stated in the article. The state budget analyst says the plan needs a complete re-evaluation as to actual costs and ridership. Let’s hope they don’t proceed until all this is known.
Railroads an public roads are two different things. In the sense that neither should be subsidized by government I hold them to the same standard. Both should be paid for by those that use them. On public roads the government plays a legitimate role in collecting taxes from those that use the roads through gasoline taxes, car taxes, etc. Railroads need to be supported by those that use them and not supported by those that don’t. Correct me if I’m wrong but the freight railroad system is self sufficient, not government subsidized. Passenger railroads should be too.
I dunno about women in the SCV needing to dress more “modestly”, but I could do with less sparkle adorned jeans, UGG boots, and sweat pants with “PINK” on the butt.
Don’t mind the flesh – but toss in some better taste, original fashion sense, and ditch the cheesy shades.