January 26, 2012 – Daily Brief

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Jeff
  • A former student and graduate of Canyon High was killed in a car crash in Escondido “while racing another on Interstate 15,” according to the Signal. TMS says Derek Milsap, 22, was racing his Nissan 370Z against a Titan truck when he lost control and crashed into a light pole. He’s the second Canyon High graduate to die in a car crash in the last two weeks. Story not online yet.
  • Meanwhile, Deputies and other first responders will host an “Every 15 Minutes” programs at Canyon High to display and talk about the consequences of drunk or reckless driving KHTSCVTV
  • Another recap of the City Council meeting focusing on the appointments conflict SIGNAL
  • A seat is open on the best commission of them all, the Planning Commission. Get your application in by February 8, Petz, I don’t want any excuses this time CITY BRIEFS
  • The SCV Young Republicans, the  group that caused a stir when it endorsed a rival to Scott Wilk during the COC Board race, will host a City Council candidate’s forum next week at the Santa Clarita Republican headquarters WRB
  • The city says it does not have employees enforcing helmet laws at the skate park because the law classifies BMX bike riding and skateboarding as hazardous recreational activities, but it does everything it can “to encourage kids to wear protective gear.” All this following the recent accident at the skate park involving a boy who was not wearing a helmet SIGNAL
  • College of the Canyons is undergoing a review of its election processes, particularly whether it ought to remain at-large or create voting districts within the Santa Clarita Community College District to ensure that minorities and neighborhoods have adequate representation. Some agencies in California have faced lawsuits for having at-large elections. Should the City engage in the same process to ensure its elections are fair? SIGNAL
  • A 21 year old man who worked as a safety inspector for some agency was arrested this week for allegedly building an improvised explosive device. Not much more detail than that other than the fact that authorities arrested him in the dead of night at his home SIGNAL
  • Ugh: 70mph Santa Ana winds could hit SCV by this Friday LA TIMES
  • What’s next in Real Estate? The LAPD is cracking down on LA Realtors who use remotely piloted drones to photograph houses. Creepy LA TIMES
  • Et tu Brutus? The Hill says staffers and even lawmakers are upset and angry that someone leaked the names of three Congressmen -including our Buck McKeon- who received favorable mortgage loans from Countrywide. Fellow California Republican Darrell Issa -whose committee brought to light the mortage details- thought he’d only ensare Democrats in his probe, but all three are Republicans. THE HILL
  • Speaking of McKeon, he apparently accused President Obama of being from another planet in a video released in reaction to the State of the Union speech. SCVTV
  • And one more from McKeon/Obama: turns out President Obama’s idea to penalize colleges who can’t keep tuition costs down originated in Buck McKeon’s Education and Workforce Committee in 2003, according to INSIDE HIGHER ED
  • John Boston’s TIME RANGER for this week
  • LTE Writer says he likes Buck McKeon’s personal touch; he wrote the Congressman asking him to make sure babies born to illegal immigrants don’t get citizenship and McKeon’s response “made me feel that he understood my concern.” LTE
  • Republican confidence collapses in the pages of the WSJ no less: “Let’s just say right now what voters will be saying in November, once Barack Obama has been re-elected: Republicans deserve to lose.” WSJ
Posted in Daily Brief | 58 Comments

January 25, 2012 – Daily Brief

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Jeff
  • Home and condo sales rose 2.6 and 1.5 percent respectively in the SCV in 2011, according to a Realtor’s report. More demand for homes would equal median price increase right? Curiously, no- median home prices were down 10.2 percent to $364k for a home while condo prices declined 7.5 percent to $210k. The SCV still has an anemic supply of houses according to the report SIGNAL, SCV NEWS
  • City Council wrap: Councilmembers made committee appointments, took on $93 million in debt as the Newhall Redevelopment agency was axed, and heard more complaints about that guy with the tennis court in his back yard in Newhall I HEART SCV, SIGNAL
  • Meanwhile, the County has adopted a dark skies resolution for unincorporated areas that “promises to cut down on light pollution.” This should be named the Petz’ Sky Ordinance as Steve Petzold has been championing this freedom-slaying, liberty-crushing idea for years SIGNAL
  • City Council candidate Jon Hatami has picked up an endorsement from former LASD Captain (and 2008 Council candidate) Bob Spierer. Hatami also was endorsed by Krissy McAffee, the mother of a 24 year old man who died of a heroin overdose two years ago. McAffee shined a spotlight on heroin abuse in the SCV before the City Council.  SIGNAL
  • Really Patricia blogger unearths SecState filing showing that Patricia McKeon has sunk $40k of her own money into her campaign for state Assembly RP BLOG
  • Harry Welch, the former Canyon High football coach whose long career has had moments of great triumph and troubling accusations, may be in trouble again at his coaching post in Orange County. Mums the word but Welch has been placed on leave amid accusations of something involving a student/athlete. SCV NEWS
  • When did we start dubbing ourselves Hollywood North? Neat profile of Santa Clarita’s movie ranches in the LA Times; even Quentin Tarantino weighs in, saying “it’s a blast shooting here,” referring to P-Canyon’s Melody ranch. “Most other western towns look like dollhouses. This has the complete look. It’s fantastic.” LA TIMES
  • Speaking of celebrities and the SCV, Anthony Bourdain will visit the PAC on February 9. The Times says “renowned culinary bad boy will tell all.” LA TIMES
  • Hart Supe Challinor says the state budget for education is so bad that classrooms are bursting at the seams and the next thing on the chopping block may be athletics and visual/performing arts. He wants more money, plain and simple, telling Leon Worden Mark Archuleta that “We’ve got to make these issues real to our state legislators. They have to understand that if California is going to continue to thrive as a state, they can’t fund educational programs near the bottom of the 50 states.” SCV NEWS
  • Speaking of schools, this depressing but un-sourced stat on SCV students is quite troubling: “In the Santa Clarita Valley, home of the arguably best API scores in the State, 88% of the high school graduates need remedial math, English or both when entering college.” Phew! I only needed remedial math upon graduating Hart High CAL POLITICS BLOG
  • Buck McKeon was “edgy” and “difficult to deal with” back in 1998 when he was attempting to close the deal on his now well-known “Friends of Angelo” Mortgage with Countrywide according to a liberal blogger who references the AV Press, which itself highlighted portions of the Darryl Issa report on the matter.  Around the same time, Buck McKeon was going through the Howard & Phil’s bankruptcy according to the blogger. DOWN WITH TYRANNY 
  • Pile on: spot the spelling error in a recent Buck McKeon mailer BUCK STOPS NOW
  • Meanwhile, the Really Patricia? blogger speculates on why Assembly candidate Scott Wilk “released” the endorsement of his friend Tony Strickland. RP BLOG
  • Thems Fightin’ Words: What did you think of President Obama’s STOTU speech? I found it aggressive and was refreshed to see Obama defend himself a bit. I also liked the theme: you know what, America’s military is really good at killing people and breaking things, why can’t we be good at other things too? Buck McKeon, taking the GOP line yesterday, says it was a campaign speech. SIGNAL
  • Carl Goldman at KHTS says the SCV lost a “jewel” when Clyde Smyth died on Sunday night. “Clyde was all that’s good about Santa Clarita. He would always give a straight answer, often flavored with his wry sense of humor. He didn’t just talk the talk and he didn’t just walk the walk. Clyde led the walk,” he writes KHTS
  • From housewife to apparent “community activist” and finally savvy political columnist, Pat McKeon dazzles in her red meat Democrat attack piece in the Signal today SIGNAL
  • I don’t usually link to him because I find him verbose and tedious but Chris Sharp’s column in the WRB today on Romney is good. Romney gets painted as an inhuman stick figure who is overmanaged and over-groomed by the best paid minds in politics WRB
  • John Boston says to increase traffic safety in the SCV, we ought to give driver’s licenses to people only after they turn 40 WRB
  • Speaking of traffic safety, LA Observed picked up on my Newhall Pass Disaster Planning Tool. We should build an iPhone app for this LA OBSERVED
  • Facebook reports indicate a Gold’s Gym is opening up in the old Borders space. Is Gold’s Gym a right fit for Valencia?
  • Big Picture takes you inside the Lunar New Year celebrations (Year of the Dragon edition) BIG PICTURE
Posted in Daily Brief | 72 Comments

January 24, 2012 Daily Brief-”The RIP Clyde Smyth” Edition

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Timothy Myers SR.
  • On his tombstone Thomas Jefferson instructed the stone cutter to note his authorship of the Declaration of Independence, the Statute on Religious Freedom in Virginia (Predecessor to the First Amendment) and the founding of the University of Virginia.  President of the United States is not mentioned.  While the Signal notes in their headline that the recently deceased Clyde Smyth was a former member of the City Council, SCVNEWS gets it half right by noting his School leadership, for which he, like Jefferson, would probably want to be most known.
  • Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!  Hart District Officials tell the SIGNAL  that the opening of a Castaic High School must be pushed back to 2015 (one year) due to the enlargement of the property.  I have an over/under on the year of opening at NEVER!
  • SIGNAL reports how motorists celebrate needed rain by crashing into each other on local freeways.  How many SCVTalk commenters will assert the City needs to build a giant flying saucer to suck up broken cars and debris UFO style?
  • Bizarre story in the SIGNAL.  Scott Wilk, who by the way has not formally announced his candidacy for the 38th Assembly District, “releases” Tony Strickland from his earlier endorsement due to Strickland’s nascent Congressional campaign.  Can Tony not afford to upset Buck McKeon?
  • Well, the redevelopment agencies are being dismantled, and there was not the zombie apocalypse predicted by City staff and Councilmembers.  City Council will contemplate tonight the winding down of the Newhall Redevelopment Agency and the repayment of the $93 million in debt incurred to date. SIGNAL  City spokesperson Gail Ortiz claims that already dedicated and grandfathered tax revenues will repay the debt, but I say from her mouth to God’s ear.
  • John Boston weighs in with weekly humor over at the WRB.
Posted in Misc. | 37 Comments

Wargaming the Newhall Pass

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Jeff

Further to SCVTalk reader Todd’s comment this morning (in which he basically threw up his hands in reaction to the latest citrus truck disaster in the Newhall Pass), SCVTalk has developed this friendly and helpful infographic to assist the City of Santa Clarita and other authorities with managing Newhall Pass disasters.

The Comprehensive Newhall Pass Disaster Planning Tool 1.0 (CNPDPT) was developed for city planners, traffic engineers, emergency operations centers, law enforcement officers, CalTrans workers, and everyday Newhall Pass road warriors to help bring some order to the chaos.

The scenarios described in the instrument are based on real-life or potential disaster events that have/could result in the partial or full shutdown of the Newhall Pass.

It is presented free of charge or license fee below as a public service of SCVTalk:

Here’s how it works:

  1. Print the instrument out, preferably on a heavy, sturdy paper
  2.  Cut the wheel out, discard remaining paper
  3. Cut the triangular black Disaster Randomizer Selector tool out from the wheel
  4. Take care when inserting a sewing needle or other sharp instrument in the center of the wheel
  5. Insert bottom end of sewing needle into cardboard base (a used box works well in our testing)
  6. Prior to Monday morning commute, simply give the wheel a spin to assist you or your agency in planning for the terrible disaster about to befall the Newhall Pass
  7. If you are a commuter, plan accordingly. Always have water and food on hand in your vehicle, some way to relieve yourself, music, and potentially a weapon (in case of zombie hordes)

Thank you in advance for any feedback you have on the design of the instrument or the scenarios presented. Remember, SCVTalk cares and we will continue to develop the tool as new, unforeseen disasters present themselves.

Posted in Humor, Traffic, Transportation | 18 Comments

January 23, 2012 Daily Brief-”The Kinder Gentler SCVTV Edition”

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Timothy Myers SR.
  • Two “sort of” hit and runs on Friday night during rush hour. One driver was arrested at the scene and the Sheriff’s know who owns the other car, so justice will be served soon. SIGNAL has the story.
  • R&S Automotive, one of those most “evil” auto repair shops in Newhall, holds a six hour seminar for women to teach them how to properly maintain their cars and feel comfortable negotiating with auto shops. SIGNAL Does this mean they won’t need to use the age old trick of saying “I have to call my husband?”
  • Boy seriously hurt at City skatepark. SIGNAL Commenter blames City and specifically Frank Ferry. Seriously?
  • OJ Simpson was accused of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman the week we moved to Dallas, Texas. Two years later when we moved to Valencia Philip Vannatter, the lead investigator in the case, was one of the Grand Marshals of the Newhall 4th of July parade. Weird symmetry. He died over the weekend, age 70.
  • I know its not cool linking to one’s own work, but I point out in Sunday’s Myers Musings how four years ago the five major candidates for City Council (one incumbent and four challengers) had been running campaigns for a year at this point, contrasting with the newly formed campaigns that have really not gotten under way. I predict a short and uneventful campaign with the incumbents winning. Commenters talk about term limits but to qualify a local initiative one would need to get signatures equal to about 80% of the number of folks that vote IN TOTAL in local elections. Good luck with that!
  • Leon Worden makes a joke on SCVTV’s Facebook page on availability of tickets to a rumored fight between Junior High students. SCV-MOM’s takes issue and gets roundly mocked by other users. When I am asked personally to weigh in (Facebook sends out a notification.) I say I like to keep myself “unclenched.”
  • In the “I guess he is voting for Ron Paul” department local resident Mike Stafford gets caught using an illegal brine based water softener which he then disconnects. Mr. Stafford wonders how he was caught: Are the water authorities evil geniuses with a line into every Santa Clarita home to test water emissions, or did a neighbor inform on him in a Stalinesgue way? SIGNAL
  • I am having trouble linking to it directly right now but Dave Bossert over at WRB comes out as pretty much the sole voice in support of the the proposed Board of Supervisor’s rule limiting community participation speakers to one minute rather than the “too generous” three. Mr. Bossert thinks this will force people to be more succinct and prepare their remarks. Only he does not see the irony.
  • Apparently there is a Chinese School in the SCV that holds classes in Chinese culture and language on the weekends. They recently got ready for the celebration of the Chinese New Year.
  • The interwebs buzz with rumors of a Republican challenger to Buck McKeon in the open primary. Anyone have any ideas who that might be? A stray comment puts my guess at Dante Acosta, father of slain local warrior Rudy.
Posted in Misc. | 59 Comments

Happy Friday

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Jeff

Smile inducing excellence below:

This is the second VW Superbowl ad that’s made reference to Star Wars. Their nerd-cred is inspiring me to give them a second look!

Posted in Misc. | 15 Comments

January 20, 2012–Daily Brief

Posted on January 20, 2012 by IHeartSCV
  • A man was killed while walking along the Newhall Pass truck route.  He was on the shoulder but moved into active traffic and was hit by a truck.  SCVNews
  • A couple of dry cleaning chemicals were found in the soil and ground water near a Newhall dry cleaner.  This alarmed members of the neighboring St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and parents of children attending its preschool.  However, the Department of Toxic Substances Control performed an investigation and assured parents at a meeting yesterday that “there is no risk to either going to church or bringing your children to school.”  No update from the owner of Palace Cleaners, who expressed some frustration earlier this week.  SIGNAL 
  • Hart’s Director of Facilities, Paul Rivas, has been investigated for an alleged conflict of interest.  The report found over $1M in inspection services went to a business he was involved with, a fictitious name for which provided cover.  H.R. recommends he be dismissed.  SIGNAL
  • A fourth man has been arrested in connection with the theft and attack at Dooly’s Liquor and Market.  The suspects allegedly stole beer, came back later to get the security tape, then slashed the store clerk’s arm in an ensuing fight.  SCVNews
  • Roy Burns, a Santa Clarita man with a career of military and police service, teaches cops how to survive ambushes with a paintball lesson in the hills.  ContraCostaTimes
  • Local girl’s song will be part of a campaign to make a “Beautiful and Bald Barbie” to support children suffering from the effects of chemotherapy, with alopecia, and so on.  Her father is a doctor with Santa Clarita’s Bladder Wellness Center.  KHTS
  • Discussing SoCal Edison smart meters makes for a lively Canyon Country Advisory Committee meeting.  About 70% of the meters have already been installed in Santa Clarita.  SIGNAL
  • Charles Floyd Johnson, a writer and producer, talks about the film industry and Santa Clarita.  His film about the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails, is out today.  SIGNAL
  • A rural outdoor light overlay zone would update outdoor lighting policy in unincorporated areas of the valley, helping to preserve dark skies at night.  This is doubtless a response to Petz’s oft-voiced concerns over nighttime light pollution.  SCVNews
Posted in Misc. | 6 Comments

Former City Council Member and Hart Superintendent Clyde Smyth Gravely Ill

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Timothy Myers SR.

KHTS has the story.  It appears that Clyde Smyth, father of Assembly Member Cameron Smyth and what the dictionary writers must have been thinking of when they defined “pillar of the community,” is in the process of ending a life well lived after suffering a massive stroke this past Saturday.

I had wondered what was up because for the past couple of Sundays Pastor Joe at Christ Lutheran Church, where the Smyth’s worshiped, had asked for special prayers for the venerable gentleman.

Dr. Smyth is probably most remembered for his signal accomplishment of dislodging an incumbent City Council member (Jill Klajic) by a mere 16 votes, but probably accomplished much more in his nearly twenty years as Superintendent of the Hart District, where that type of tenure equates to about two and one half reincarnations in the same job.

And while his family and friends will certainly miss him, there is no tragedy in the quiet and dignified ending of a long and stellar life.

Posted in Misc. | 5 Comments

January 19, 2012 – Daily Brief

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Jeff
  • A funeral for Dakota Damott, the 19 year old man killed in last week’s violent crash in Sand Canyon, was held yesterday. The driver, Colt Doherty, is off life-support and Sheriff’s officials say they’re looking into whether another car was involved SIGNAL
  • Up next in KHTSCVTV’s profile of Council Candidates: TimBen Boydston. Boydston says he’s running against Ender and he’s actually willing to pick a fight about the library takeover, which he says amounted to SCV residents paying for library buildings and materials twice. Boydston also says the city isn’t doing enough to attract high paying jobs and thinks Canyon Country needs a Sheriff’s Station. SCVTV
  • In yesterday’s Signal article about Buck McKeon’s Friends of Angelo mortgage with Countrywide, I missed something. Did you see the last sentence in the piece? Buck says that if he had known he was getting such a good deal with Countrywide, he would have put all his mortgage spend there. “If I had known we had got a good deal (on the loan) then I would have gotten all my loans from Countrywide,” McKeon said.” CHUCKLE
  • Dave Bossert says a “lot of digging” is going on into the fundraising machinations of powerteam Buck & Patricia McKeon over Patricia’s run for Assembly. He says the LA Times, WaPo and Politico are looking into it, particularly a fundraising meeting Buck McKeon held for his wife back in October in DC. No hard news yet though. WRB
  • Unsurprisingly, SCV Republican leaders didn’t like much of what Governor Brown proposed in his State of the State speech. SIGNAL, KHTS
  • Meanwhile, it’s come to this: Elementary school teachers and even a Principal will “double as McDonald’s employees” tonight to help raise money for their school SIGNAL
  • The Hart District renewed Einstein Academy charter for another five years at its board meeting last night. Board member Joe Messina quizzed an Asst. Superintendent of Instruction about her announced & unannounced visits tot he school and whether she had ever seen anything at the school that was “religious in nature.” She said she has not. SIGNAL
  • Mortgage guy tells VIA lunch attendees that the biggest problem real estate pros like him face is that banks don’t kick delinquent homeowners out of their homes quickly enough.  That has the strange effect of keeping inventory & prices low in the SCV for buyers. SIGNAL
  • Maria Gutzeit appointed President of NCWD Board KHTS
  • Mayor Laurie Ender via the City says residents should remove outdated yard sale signs. “Excessive signs can cause unwanted blight in our community,” she said. SCVNEWS
  • The theme for the Senses on Main event tonight is football tailgating. CITY BRIEFS
  • City unveils interesting “Black and White” art exhibit on the first floor of City Hall SCVNEWS
  • Local Tea Party leader Chris Lim isn’t fooled, urging his readers to not vote for the liberal Mitt Romney TEA PARTY ROUNDTABLE
  • Meanwhile, it turns out Rick Santorum actually won Iowa LA TIMES
  • COC student describes how cool it is to see TV and Movie shoots in the SCV, recalling that she and her sister were once shopping and saw Bill Paxton just casually stroll by them. Her sister had a panic attack and they went all paparazzi on him. She then recalls all the moments on film she’s seen that were shot in the SCV. I always love seeing old CHiPS re-runs for this reason! COUGAR NEWS
  • Speaking of COC, and further to my post about whiny SCVers and parking, a COC Student says COC charges too much for parking, then quotes another student who complains that she has “to leave my house an hour early just to spend thirty minutes searching for a parking spot that is far away from my classes.” Seems to me to be an argument to increase parking costs…how bad do you want to park next to Mentry Hall? Basic supply and demand. COUGAR NEWS
  • Stunning shots of the Costa Concordia shipwreck off Italy BIG PICTURE
Posted in Daily Brief | 103 Comments

Seized

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Jeff

The coordinated blackout of several highly used websites, including Wikipedia, appears to be working. The NY Times reports that Republicans in the Senate, even ones with star power like Marco Rubio, have backed off their support of the bill, and even the House GOP is getting nervous.

Speaking of the House GOP, I don’t think Buck McKeon has ever had so many tweets pushed his way:

I don’t normally sign on to these types of campaigns, but it would have been fun to black out SCVTalk for a day.

Protecting legitimate copyright holders is one thing; allowing studio and music lawyers to break the internet (by killing DNS, which would then mean you’d need to know the IP address of a site like SCVTalk) is whole ‘nother thing.

It’s refreshing to see “new media” exert its influence and power via the blackouts. A proud day for bloggers vs powerful old media titans and their lackeys in Congress!

Update from Congressman McKeon:

The Congressman’s office emailed to tell me he opposes SOPA as it is currently crafted. Here’s his quote:

“Today my offices received an extraordinary amount of calls and emails from constituents concerned with the SOPA bill.  I have listened to these concerns, and if taken up for a vote on the House floor I would oppose SOPA in its current form.”

Posted in SCV.Tech | 11 Comments