The West Ranch Beacon

West Ranch Beacon New Site!

2006-11-28T06:45:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Our New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

Antonovich Supports Effort to Secure Airline for Palmdale Airport

2006-11-28T06:42:00.000-08:00

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Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich issued testimony before the Board of Commissioners of Los Angeles World Airports in support of a Request for Proposals to secure a major airline to provide service to major hubs from the Palmdale Regional Airport:

“The full operation of the Palmdale Municipal Airport is a vital step forward in the realization of a regional air transit system for Southern California.

In the 1960s, the Los Angeles City Airport Commission acquired the 17,000-acre Palmdale airport site, Ontario airport, and later contracted with the Air Force for plant 42’s runway and air terminal, for a regional airport network to meet the future population demands.

The immediate utilization of all the county’s regional airports is the only viable alternative to over-reliance on the dangerously congested air space and roadways at LAX.

Palmdale Airport is the future economic hub of the high desert in the heart of the fastest-growing area in
California and will generate future development, interstate commerce, job creation and an estimated $65 million dollars in economic benefit to the community.”

The proposal was unanimously approved by the Board of Commissions

Wine Tasting at TPC in West Ranch

2006-11-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

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The Valencia Wine Co. is hosting their Second Annual Holiday Tasting today at the TPC Country Club. The event is from 2-6 PM and features more than 100 wines from around the world. Hot and cold appetizers will be served accompanied by great live music in the elegant atmosphere of the club. The cost is $55 at the door and Valencia Wine Co. will be offering specials 6-pack and case discounts.

Buck McKeon is the Best Choice!

2006-11-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Our New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

There is no question in our mind that Congressman Buck McKeon should be re-elected to congress. He has the credentials, the integrity, and simply has an incredible track record.

First and foremost, Congressman McKeon is “Mr. Education” in our book. He has done more for education in the 25th Congressional district than anyone before. As Chairman of the Education & Workforce committee, Buck McKeon understands the challenges of the “new realities” of the global economy.

Mr. McKeon’s major legislative accomplishment in the field of higher education continues to be passage of the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998, which reauthorized the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make college more affordable, simplify the student aid system and ensure quality. The legislation cut student loan interest rates to their lowest levels in 16 years, increased Pell Grant authorizations and provided incentives to control the costs of higher education.

Of significant importance, the legislation contained provisions:

Establishing a Performance Based Organization (PBO) within the Department of Education responsible for running the student financial aid system more like a business. Under the previous system, the Department’s budget for informational systems doubled over the last five years, but was still wrapped in miles of red-tape, required dozens of paper forms and suffered from needless processing delays and breakdowns. The organization will be judged on how well it serves parents and students and on how much it saves taxpayers by cutting waste, fraud and abuse.

Creating a program for the establishments of partnerships between local school districts and institutions of higher education to improve teacher preparation. Recently, Congress enacted H.R. 1, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to expand and increases funding for the partnerships already authorized in 1998 to include quality professional development programs and provides more funding so that we can better prepare teachers for the demands of today’s classrooms. This will provide a major boost to schools in their efforts to establish and support a high quality teaching force.

Mr. McKeon has also been a strong supporter of increased funding for the Pell Grant program and the TRIO program, which provides an opportunity for a college education for low and moderate-income students. Recently, Congress provided $10.3 billion for Pell Grants, $1.6 billion more than last year and the highest level in the program’s history, and $802.5 million for the TRIO program, which helps disadvantaged students get into college and complete their degrees.

Mr. McKeon has also spearheaded the Upping the Effectiveness of our Federal Student Aid Programs (or FED UP) Initiative to identify needless or overly burdensome regulations within the Higher Education Act of 1965 to bring some sense to the regulations that students and members of the higher education community must deal with on a daily basis. The Initiative aims to streamline the current regulatory system to the extent possible, while maintaining or improving program integrity. Last year, his Subcommittee received over 3,000 responses from college officials, administrators, students and other personnel who operate America’s institutions of higher learning, laying the groundwork for the reforms initiated by the Department of Education and many in Congress.

Locally, Buck has made a tremendous difference at College of the Canyons and at CalArts. Mr. McKeon helped make possible the beautiful Performing Arts center on the COC campus. After the 1994 earthquake, it was Mr. McKeon’s efforts that help CalArts to recover from devastating damage that threatened to shutter the school for good.

There is no question that the West Ranch Beacon is throwing its support behind Congressman Buck McKeon. Our entire staff is voting for Buck come Tuesday and we hope you will too!

Council to Decide Vacant Seat; Morgan to Speak

2006-10-31T06:51:00.000-08:00

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The West Ranch Town Council will be selecting a candidate to fill the vacant council seat at its Wednesday November 1st council meeting. There are two candidates vying for the council seat that was vacated when Paul Ash resigned in September.

At the October meeting there were three candidates that had turned in applications for the vacant seat. Two of the three were present, Don Fleming and Chuck O’Connell, at that meeting and had an impromptu opportunity to say a few words on why they would like to be selected for the open council seat. Since then, Mr. O’Connell has decided to withdraw his application for personal reasons.

Gary Morgan, who was not at the October meeting, will be given an equal opportunity to speak for a few moments at the beginning of tomorrow nights council meeting. At a later point in the meeting the Council President will call for nominations and then the entire council will vote cast votes for those candidates that were nominated.

Reminder: Town Council Meeting Tomorrow Night

2006-10-31T06:38:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Our New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

The West Ranch Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, November 1st at 6:30 PM in the Southern Oaks Community Center located on Southern Oaks Dr. The center is located in the Southern Oaks neighborhood off of Pico Canyon in Stevenson Ranch.

Tomorrow nights meeting will feature an update on the Lyons Canyon/Warner Ranch project. Also on the agenda will be regular updates from the Sheriffs department, LA County, Parks and recreation. The special guest speakers are Chris Fall and Larry Mankin of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce.

A View from Another Side

2006-10-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Our New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

Eric Rosenberg is a community volunteer in Stevenson Ranch and is a candidate for the Stevenson Ranch Community Association board of directors. He attends most of the community meetings in the West Ranch area and is an informed resident. Eric is a new to the West Ranch Beacon and is a guest commentator expressing his views on politics, local issues and the upcoming election. As with all columnists, these are his own views and don't necessarily reflect those of the West Ranch Beacon.

I spent the past two weekends reading every line of the various propositions that will be on the ballot November 7th, plus every word I could find on all the candidates running for office. Since I know many special interests have seriously confused the actual meaning of many of these propositions, and because very few people will actually take four days to read anything other than the short biased summaries for each proposition, and because not everyone has an extremely knowledgeable attorney as their spouse to whom they can pose legal questions, I'd like to offer my non-partisan advice on how to vote.

I am not a member of either the Democratic or Republican Party; my philosophy is a combination of Libertarian and Green with a few handpicked positions from the two major parties. Basically, I'm an Independent beholden to no one who has the ability to make up my mind without worrying about how the "party faithful" will feel. I don't get fooled by silly catchphrases like "stay the course," "cut and run," etc., nor bamboozled by people throwing out labels such as "liberal" and "conservative." Talking points and repetition have absolutely no affect on me (other than to annoy me!), so no matter how many ads the oil companies run against Proposition 87, I'm still going to vote based on the actual text and meaning of the proposition!

If you and your readers are now comfortable with me as a voter and agenda-less community participant, then let's move on to my suggested positions for the coming election. (If you're not comfortable, it's probably because you don't like people who question your group's positions, regardless of which political party you belong to. If you've lost the ability to sincerely question your leaders, then you've lost the ability to stay informed and be objective. "You're either with us or against us" is 3rd grade playground logic and should not be relied upon for your decision making. Don't be held hostage and blindly follow the party line...that's what Islamic terrorists do, not Americans.)

Here are the candidates and propositions I recommend based on my research and fact-checking:
1) Governor – Arnold Schwarzennegger
2) Lieutenant Governor – Tom McClintock
3) Secretary of State – Bruce McPherson
4) Controller – Tony Strickland
5) Treasurer – Mehul M. Thakker
6) Attorney General – Kenneth A. Weissman
7) Insurance Commissioner – Dale F. Ogden
8) State Board of Equalization (2nd District) – Bill Leonard
9) State Senator – Dianne Feinstein
10) U.S. Representative (25th District) - Robert Rodriguez
11) Member of State Assembly (38th District) - Cameron Smyth
12) Castaic Lake Water Agency - (At Large) Isaac Lieberman / (Division 3) Carole Lutness

While I would have preferred to vote for Michael S. Wyman for Attorney General and Todd Chretien for Senator, I just cannot accept their errant positions on immigration which are so important to the fiscal future of our state. Sorry! (I would also have liked to find out some information on David W. Erickson for Congress, but he has no website, no e-mail contact, a single phone number that's always busy, and almost no other public information that I could find! Maybe his only goal was to get on the ballot??)

I also can't support Howard "Buck" McKeon for U.S. Representative because of some very dubious decisions he's made, like using campaign donations to pay family members $152,362 for working on his election (of which $74,462 went to his wife), for his inability to reverse California's 12% deficit of Federal funding vs. what we pay in as taxpayers, for his weak refusal to debate his challengers in a public forum, and for his very slimy attempt to take credit for killing the Cemex mining expansion (which was NOT halted) by getting the City of Santa Clarita to pay for "Thank You, Buck" banners audaciously posted in the public right-of-way that made it sound like McKeon succeeded, when in fact he did nothing other than belatedly introduce a bill to Congress (HR 5471) that was dead on arrival.

Now for the propositions:

1A – YES
1B – YES
1C – NO
1D – YES
1E – NO
83 – NO
84 – YES
85 – NO
86 – YES
87 – YES
88 – NO
89 – YES
90 – NO
M – YES

It would take many paragraphs of analysis to explain the above votes, but I truly believe those positions are in the best interest of our state. The really smarmy part of these propositions is how many are worded to mean one thing but actually accomplish something else, plus the deceptive ads all over television that completely misrepresent what your YES or NO vote will accomplish.

For example, 1C sounds like it's a very charitable proposal to help battered women and low-income seniors find housing, when in fact 1C does nothing to make housing more affordable! Another example – Proposition 1E claims to protect California's drinking water supply, but it doesn't have any effective provisions to do this! Propositions 83 and 85 sound like good common-sense moral measures, yet both laws set legal precedents that would negatively impact many other areas of law and government, neither law actually achieves the main goals they claim, and both have failed legal and logistical tests in other states. And don't even get me started on Prop 87! This is a very good measure for the state, but you'd never know that if you listened to the 30-40 grossly misleading ads per day that the oil industry pays for to try and scare people into voting "no."

So there you have it. All I can hope is that the electorate thinks for itself, does the necessary research to make informed decisions, and votes for the best solutions for our state's and country's problems. I sincerely believe the above recommendations fulfill that criteria, and I know that others will disagree for various reasons. But if those reasons are ignorance, "because my party told me to disagree," apathy, or misguided hard-headedness, then it's not a valid rebuttal and we should ignore their vacuous shouts. Vote for what is right, not because you're "left" or "right."

Eric Rosenberg,
Guest Commentary

Gift Nights for Soldiers: Better than a Movie

2006-10-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

The average age of the American soldier in the Middle East is 22. That means that for every warrior who is 24, there is one who is 20. This is an age where a family holiday traditions are still fresh in the habits of a person. In particular, when you are in Iraq or Afghanistan these days, a time designed for peace and understanding is especially hard to put together.

I realized this recently at the Christ Lutheran Church in Valencia, as I was eating one of that church’s at-cost dinners it serves on Wednesday nights just to bring people of the community together.

It is this church’s members who package the boxes sent from anyone in Santa Clarita to the soldiers under fire in Iraq and Afghanistan. I had brought a bunch of new military magazines I had found at a magazine store in the K-Mart shopping center off San Fernando Road. As a “military brat” who grew up in and around bases in my childhood, I know how the many military-history books in base libraries somehow give soldiers the strength of a historic perspective. Others that evening gave whatever they thought could not be easily found in a war zone that much of the time doesn’t even have electric power.

I have enough years of being associated with military life to know many soldiers are finding a new family in their soldierly world. Their family backgrounds may range from extremely tightly knit to virtual estrangement. There are also many former foster children who find a guiding hand in the military after the state cuts off their foster family life at their high-school graduations. But let’s face it – we could all use a mom and dad to be there for us into our adult years, even as very close friends.

Through the dedicated leadership of lay activist Karolle Blackson, the Christ Lutheran Church has filled in with some of the family-like support that soldiers overseas appreciate in a way that the rest of us in our easy lives cannot imagine. Every month go the packages and personal message from Santa Clarita to Iraq and Afghanistan.

As I observed at the outdoor dinner, the parents of the church were using this service opportunity as a teaching moment for their children. “What can we do to help our soldiers?” asked parents in a way that they made sure their children alongside then would remember that question. I couldn’t help but think that these scenes – showing people bonding to soldiers they have never met – recalls something that directors like Frank Capra used to celebrate in their movies, but which is too seldom observed today

For the readers of this article, the answer to the question of “what can we do to help our soldiers?” can be found by calling the church right now at 661-259-0200 (they answer the phone during business hours), or simply bring something to send to the church at 25816 Tournament Road in Valencia. The deadline to give gifts for the holidays is November 7. The church members then take care of all the packaging. You might find me packaging, too. However, I promise leaders of my good church there is little danger of my changing my Christian membership so long as my church creates the kind of holiday support for our soldiers as I have seen at Christ Lutheran.

- Chris Sharp

College of the Canyons - Yes on Measure "M"

2006-10-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

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We received a very nice note from Diane Van Hook, President of College of the Canyons, thanking the Beacon for helping to spread the word on the importance of Measure “M”. Here is what she had to say:

On behalf of “Citizens for College of the Canyons Yes on Measure M” Campaign, I want to personally thank you for your commitment to this campaign and for all of the extra effort you have invested to help us be successful on November 7th.

As someone who values education, I know you understand:

• The role the community college plays in opening that door for tens of thousands of individuals in our valley as well as thousands of local employees per year who are employed throughout our valley;

• The fact that we offer quality education at an extremely affordable cost ($20 per unit, $600 per full load per year versus $3000 at CSU and $6500 at UC, Plus room and board);

• That we will use the $160 million to add classrooms and labs and expand access to train more nurses, law enforcement professionals, prepare students to transfer, and provide technical training for highly skilled positions that exist in our valley but need people to fill them;

• That we will expand our capacity to accommodate the ever-increasing number of high school students (60%+) who come directly to COC and the eleven hundred that attend each semester while in high school (tuition –free) to get a jumpstart on their college educations and save their families money at the same time; and

• That Measure M is an investment in our community, our businesses, our families, and our college future.

Thank you for getting the word out. I appreciate your extra efforts. Your efforts are special to us and will make a difference.

Thank you!
Dianne

Waste Management Declines Council Invite

2006-10-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

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In recent weeks, residents of the Stevenson Ranch and Westridge communities have raised questions regarding the fuel surcharge that Waste Management instituted last year. As the price of fuel increased many companies pasted those costs onto customers in the form of a fuel surcharge that was added to regular service bills.

Now that fuel costs are coming down closer to 2005 levels; the question is being raised that these charges should be reduced and/or eliminated. The West Ranch Town Council extended an invitation to representatives of Waste Management to attend the November Council meeting to discuss the fuel surcharge issue. Waste Management officials have declined the invitation.

This appears to be a strategic mistake on the part of Waste Management as it has raised concerns that there is more to this story than meets the eye. As it turns out, only the unincorporated residents are being charged the fuel surcharge; city residents are not being charged this additional cost. That begs the question; are the unincorporated residents subsidizing the trash collection for the City of Santa Clarita residents?

Waste Management officials declined to speak about the fuel surcharge and would only direct inquiries to their website. The fuel surcharge was no where to be found on either the local or national web site. The matter will be discussed further at the Council meeting on November 1st.

West Ranch Town Council Meeting November Agenda

2006-10-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

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The West Ranch Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday November 1st at the Southern Oaks community center starting at 6:30 PM. The community center is located on Southern Oaks Drive in the Southern Oaks community off of Pico Canyon in Stevenson Ranch. The following is the agenda for the November meeting:

6:30-
A. Call to Order/Roll Call

B. Gary Morgan

C. Approval of October Minutes

D. Treasurers Report and Banking Update

E. County Updates
1. Doug Newell Parks and Rec.
2. Sheriff's Liaison
3. CHP Liaison
4. Bob Haueter LA County
5. DRHorton- Lyons Canyon Presentation

F. Guest Speakers- Larry Mankin/Chris Fall SCV Chamber

G. 1. Garbage Collection Fuel Sur-charge
2. Appointment to vacant council seat
3. December- Steve Sturgeon/ Hart School District
4. Update on Town Hall meeting with Castaic TC, Aqua Dulce TC, and
Supervisor Antonovich. Date, time, location TBD

H. Committee Reports

1. Election 2008
2. Security/Public Safety
3. Governmental Relations
a. Homeless Shelter Task Force
b. Westridge HOA and TPC issues Update
4. Westridge and Southern Oaks Liaisons
5. Sunset Point Liaison

I. Old Business

J. Public Comment

K. Adjournment

Guest Speaker Shuffle For West Ranch Town Council

2006-10-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

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Due to a scheduling conflict guest Attorney Scott Campbell will not be speaking at the Wednesday, November 1st West Ranch Town Council meeting. Scott will be giving his presentation on the Brown Act on a, yet to be determined, later date.

Instead, Larry Mankin and Chris Fall will be giving a presentation on the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce. Chris and Larry were originally scheduled for the December meeting and have graciously agreed to come to the November meeting. They will be giving an overview of all the good work the Chamber is doing in our Valley.

The December West Ranch Town Council meeting on Wednesday December 6th will now feature Steve Sturgeon from the Hart School District. Steve will be discussing the importance of getting a new High School built in Castaic and the potential impacts on the West Ranch communities if that new school is delayed.

Household Hazardous Waste Round Up: City & County effort.

2006-10-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

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On Saturday November 4th at College of the Canyons from 9:00 am to 3: pm Los Angeles County and the City of Santa Clarita will holding a household hazardous waste round up.
Residents are encouraged to bring items in a sturdy box, preferably in their original labeled containers. Please do not mix the items together. There is a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste per trip. Be prepared to leave your containers. Remove all other items from your trunk.
What you CAN bring to an event (examples):
• Brake fluid, paint, paint thinner, cleaners with acid or lye,
pesticides or herbicides, household batteries and car
batteries, pool chemicals, motor oil, oil filters, expired
pharmaceuticals, anti-freeze, and fluorescent light bulbs.
• Household electronic waste which includes:
Computer monitors, televisions, computer CPUs,
keyboards, printers, cellular phones, etc.

What you CAN’T bring to an event:
• Hazardous waste and electronic waste from businesses.
• Explosives, ammunition and radioactive materials.
• Trash and tires.
• White goods such as refrigerators, stoves and washing
machines, etc.

BUSINESS WASTE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.For a complete listing of what you can and cannot bring or information on events, contact:
(888) CLEAN-LA • www.888cleanla.com, or
(800) 238-0172 • www.lacsd.org

CalArts Happenings this Week

2006-10-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com
Tuesday Oct 24
Apichatpong Weerasethakul: Syndromes and a Century
FILM/VIDEO: The heralded Thai filmmaker screens his latest work, Sang sattawat ( Syndromes and a Century ), a meditation on memory, love and reincarnation against the backdrop of goings-on at two provincial Thai hospitals.
CalArts, Bijou Theater, 7 pm. Call 661-253-7800 for ticket information.

Wednesday through Sunday Oct 25-29Betontanc: Wrestling Dostoevsky
REDCAT: This high-velocity dance theater work from the acclaimed Slovenian company is driven by provocative texts by Dostoevsky and live music by the Ljubljana group Silence. Performing in the round, the six young dancers of Betontanc (”Concrete Dance”) amaze with their inventive and intensely physical sense for movement. Presented as part of The Sharon Disney Lund Dance Series.
Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater. Wed Oct 25-Sat Oct 2, 8:30 pm. Sun Oct 29, 3 pm. Click headline for ticket info.

US welfare system faces accounting overhaul

2006-10-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

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Krishna Guha, a Financial Times writer inWashington, reports “a radical new approach to government accounting that would require the US administration to account for the cost of future social security payments year by year as people build up entitlements will be proposed on Monday.”

“The proposal by the federal accounting standards advisory board (FASAB) – which would also require the government to account for benefits accrued under Medicare and other social insurance programmes in the same way – is unprecedented internationally. It would radically change the presentation of US government finances, in effect bringing forward the cost of rapidly increasing social security and Medicare obligations and greatly increasing the reported fiscal deficit.”

Read the entire Financial Times article, click on the headline above.

Traditional Media Outlets are Cutting and Running!

2006-10-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

Dovetailing with several pieces that I have written and a recent piece by Jeff over at SCVtalk.com there are more signs of cracks in the dike of traditional media. NBC/Universal announced that it would slash costs at its news division and abandon expensive primetime dramas.

The main reason being given for the cuts at NBC/Universal is that viewers and advertisers are flocking to new kinds of media. These trends are affecting all the traditional media companies. Top media executives are now acknowledging that the “entire way content is being distributed is going to change in a fundamental way.”

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that when the New York Times bought the Boston Globe in 1993 it was betting “on the future of the highly educated, affluent Boston market.” It turns out now that that educated, well-heeled target market is on the leading edge of the digital migration that is “pummeling” profits at the Boston Globe this year.

Video games, broadband internet, cell phone data services, iPods, Tivo, and a myriad of other devices and services are fracturing readership across all age groups. It’s not just today’s twenty-something’s that are getting much of their news and information online, it is spanning all generations. My parents who are in their mid-seventies are surfing the internet daily checking their “personalized” news page and getting various types of information when they need it.

The idea of picking up a newspaper is becoming more arcane when you can get up to the minute news instantly online whenever you want from multiple sources. What is so amazing is the amount of information that is available; why would you go anywhere else but to a computer or wireless device. Which begs the question, how do newspapers compete in the digital age?

Well, I don’t pretend to have all the answers but it does appear that there are options especially for local papers. It requires radical thinking and a breaking with tradition, the re-writing of the rules. In fact, I believe that there are plenty of ideas that would improve the image, circulation and ad revenue for a local paper. But it requires change! Unfortunately, a lot of people in media don’t like change and that’s one reason why the blogosphere is proliferating here in Santa Clarita and elsewhere.

A Greek philosopher once said, “the only constant in life is change.” That is something that has been lost on the local fish wrap as evidenced by its precipitously declining readership over the years.

-Dave Bossert

Exclusive: Council Candidate Withdraws

2006-10-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

In breaking news, venerable community volunteer Chuck O’Connell has decided to withdraw his name from consideration for the vacant West Ranch Town council seat at this time. According to Mr. O’Connell; “Being retired [for a second time] there are several time consuming issues that I'm currently involved in that could impact upon my availability for WRTC (West Ranch Town Council) matters in the immediate future.”

Mr. O’Connell, who has been a tireless advocate for the community, has been serving as the Sunset Point liaison to the West Ranch Town Council for several years. He said that he would be “pleased to continue in my present capacity as Sunset Point Liaison, if the Board so desires.” Chuck went on to say; “Good luck in your selection process and to the Board as it continues work, as a most effective body, protecting the best interests of the residents of the West Ranch area.”

Some Council members were surprised by this development while others were not. Some board members were aware that Chuck was wavering on submitting an application for the vacant seat. That information was made public at the October West Ranch Town Council meeting. Chuck felt that, “Since you have other qualified candidates for the Board seat, I request that my name be withdrawn.”

With this notification, the candidates vying for the vacant seat on the West Ranch Town Council Board has dropped from 3 to 2. The two other candidates are Gary Morgan and Don Fleming. The Council will decide on one of those candidates at the Wednesday November 1st public meeting.

Mr. Smyth Goes to Sacramento, if.....

2006-10-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

Please welcome Chris Sharp, the newest columnist to the West Ranch Beacon. Chris is a local High School teacher and a wonderful writer. He will be writing a regular column for the West Ranch Beacon on a variety of topics. Today’s column is a great piece to start off Chris’ association with our blog, it paints a very nice portrait of Cameron Smyth, Republican nominee for the 38th Assembly District

Consider the drama of Cameron Smyth, Republican nominee for the 38th Assembly District, former mayor of Santa Clarita, on the city’s city council over the past half dozen years. There’s more. Often looking younger than his mid thirties, he has installed a pictorial sense of his presence that has been missing from our political science since Churchill chewed his cigar and waved two fingers in the air. Smyth may be just as pictorial with political photos of milk on his lip and by his habit of running into intersections like the star football player he was, directing traffic during city blackouts.
He is running this year against a worthy challenger in Lyn Shaw, chair of the Women’s Caucus of the California Democratic Party. Both are classy leaders, which is unusual in our elections, and both deserve a place where they can influence the direction of California. However, in this very tough and even race, it is Smyth who represents a new and refreshing political style, and it is Shaw who is from the old school and the old boxed thinking.
Ironically, there are Democratic leaders now that are particular concerned to defeat the most capable and the most promising Republican candidates. Interestingly enough, they seem to be more content with the least original and the least promising Republicans, who are less likely to progress into greater responsibilities.
In other words, a new Ronald Reagan might be good for America, but it would not be good for the Democrat Party, so most of the Democratic efforts are concentrated into nipping the best people in the bud. Smyth is one of those who create opposition-party fears that he might become an important leader of our state.
Not that Smyth is Reagan. He has his own style, more like Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” where his anger flares not as a posture of partisan payback but over what he sees are instances of injustice. This might include his right to participate in a public breakfast prayer, or he might call someone on misleading campaign mail. At the same time, he does not demonize or generalize Democrats, but talks with them – as he does with his current opponent -- respectfully as individuals.
Like Reagan when he ran for governor, Smyth does not have a personal fortune to create a power base, but like all efficacious leaders – Reagan, Churchill, Roosevelt included -- he has an innate gift for using sight and sound symbols to bring out the best in his community.
Simply put, Smyth is too original for us to lose in any kind of Democratic mudslide this election year. What Democrat leaders are not telling us now is that Democrats as well as Republicans lose if Smyth does not get chance to amplify his leadership talents on a state-wide level.

By Chris Sharp

Pritsker: Containing Expenses?

2006-10-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

As reported here at the West Ranch Beacon, Keith Pritsker is one of the candidates running in the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) Board of Directors upcoming election. He is also one of two individuals who had signed the recall petition recalling the entire HOA board.

Keith stated on his application that he believed one of his goals and an objective if elected was to “contain association expenses”. Yet the last time Pritsker served on the master HOA board expenses actually soared especially in the area of legal fees to the associations’ law firm.

Here are the facts; Keith previously served on the Stevenson Ranch HOA Board from 2000 through 2001. In 1999, the year prior to Keith getting on the board, the association legal expenses were a little more than $23,000. For the year 2000, while Keith was on the board, those legal expenses spiked to more than $60,000 and for 2001 the legal fees were nearly $44,000.

Keith left the HOA board in late 2001 and the following year the total legal expenses dropped back down to the low $20,000 range. It is clear from the documentation that the association spent an unusually large amount of funds on legal fees during Pritsker's tenure on the HOA board. Much of these funds were apparently wasted, according to sources, because of Keith Pritsker.

Reminder: HOA Meets tonight

2006-10-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

The Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) has its regular monthly meeting tonight, Wednesday October 18th. The meeting begins at 6:00 PM in the large side room at the IHOP located on Pico Canyon in Stevenson Ranch.

This will be the last regular HOA meeting before the November Recal election takes place. Tonights meeting should prove to be interesting from a spectaor point of view.

Islamic Militancy - Seed for the Next Dark Ages

2006-10-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

We teach our collegians well about the period known as the dark ages but do we thoroughly explain what brought on this horrible period across the globe? With little fanfare the answer to that question is an unequivocal no.

Let’s do the math here. The marriage of civil and ecclesiastical power is without dispute the singular cause of the horrors of the dark ages. When the authority of the state and the church are wed, people suffer. The equation goes like this. If I am a Muslim, Christian, Catholic or Jew I may practice my religion without fear of persecution, reprisal or rejection. I still must obey civil law but the judicial body won’t besiege me with charges for the beliefs I hold about God and faith.

When any particular religion becomes the state sanctioned religion then I can be prosecuted for my lack of compliance. Once Catholicism was the state sanctioned religion and for one thousand years the Pope ruled across the globe, with an iron hand. Some say the reformation ended that and some like to call it the recovery, that is, the recovering of the simple gospel message and the abandoning of the burgeoning religious rules and mandates of the church. Is Islam bringing this kind of terror into civilization again?

In America the idea of the separation of church and state is all that stands between us and that kind of tyranny. Of course the separation of church and state is mostly a perception and not actually a law. The law in America simply states that the congress will not make any laws governing religion. This is a law we can live with in the most literal sense of the word. In Islamically ruled nations not believing in the state sponsored religion can and does cost lives.

News agencies have reported that an Iranian man, Mr. Issa Motamdi has been arrested and charged with apostasy. His crime was giving his son a Christian name. Even before his trial which is not likely to be any more than a travesty there is talk of execution.

In the Central Sulawesi area of Indonesia it is reported by the BBC News that three girls were attacked on their way to school. The three who traversed through a cocoa plantation on their way to a Christian school were beheaded. Dozens of Christians have been brutally murdered in this region since 2001 as militant Muslims seek to set up another Islamic state there.

Most people in what still might be referred to as a civilized world take exception to this kind of brutality in the name of any religion. With all her faults, excesses and problems America could be counted upon to deal seriously with this kind of brutality especially toward children. No religious preference would keep the perpetrators of such crimes from being prosecuted and most likely jailed for life or executed.

To the Christian it is sad thing when someone turns to another religion or another God and misses the salvation that comes only from the Savior of the world. Yet, no where in scripture are they called upon to execute any form of summary judgment against those who choose not to believe. Jesus Christ may have been many things but he is never any less than civilized, perhaps we could say he is a gentleman.

The constitution of the United States could also be said to be a gentleman if it had human attributes. It provides the security to believe the dictates of our conscience without fear of tyranny.

Most of the presidents in our history have been protestant and in the last twenty five years Protestants have met and surpassed the number of practicing Catholics in America. It would be hard to imagine the absurdity of making Protestantism America’s state religion. We would then be very busy prosecuting Catholics and those in other religions. We can only thank God that something this absurd has never been found appealing to even the most confused factions of our body politic.

By Rev. Bresciani who is the author of two Christian books and columnist at several political news sites online and publishes commentaries at Articlecube.com.

HOA Recall Election Escalates

2006-10-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) recall election taking place on Monday November 13th is starting to get heated. There has been much discussion amongst residents and delegates within the HOA regarding the true motivations surrounding the recall.A resident at the Diamond Head sub-association reported receiving a phone call threatening to “smash” in their head. The caller believed that the resident has been responsible for distributing information regarding David Harvey and his involvement in the recall petition.

Much more to come as this story continues to develop.

Antonovich Honored With NAACP’S Justice Award

2006-10-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

The Altadena Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has chosen Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich as the 2006 recipient of its “Justice Award.” Dr. Sandra Thomas, State Director of the NAACP, presented the award at the Freedom Scholarships and Awards Luncheon on September 10th in Pasadena. The theme of the luncheon was “Conscience of a Nation,” the same theme of this year’s NAACP 96th Annual Convention held at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee from July 9 through 15, featuring Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

Cruz on Personal Responsibility

2006-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

I originally intended to write about politics, given the upcoming November election, but given the last several weeks, I started thinking about society and each individual's role in it. More importantly two separate crimes committed against children made my blood boil, not just as a member of society, but as a Father of two small children. I hope both criminals are reserved a special place in hell for their crimes.

As many of you might recall, a shooter in the Baldwin Village area of south Los Angeles ran up to a family, who just returned from McDonalds. The shooter shot the father, who he mistakenly thought was a gang member, but much worse, after shooting him, the shooters turned his weapon toward the victims 3-year-old daughter and shoot her point-blank in the chest! The father survived the attack and the daughter was killed instantly. Through a joint task force between the LAPD and the FBI, the accused was arrested in the San Bernardino area.

I cannot recall prior to this gang-related shooting in which a toddler was an intended victim. This begs the question as to why shoot a little girl? Hopefully during the trial, this question and many more will be answered. Will the shooter take responsibility for his actions? My guess is that he will blame society for his problems or his upbringing, which in turned caused his actions. In other words, he will blame everyone else except himself for the death of the little girl.

In Pennsylvania, a man walked into a school and shoots 11 girls. Five of the 11 girls were killed. After shooting his victims, the shooter took his own life. According to a recent Newsweek article, the first girl to be killed was the oldest one in class. She was just 13 years old. She informed the shooter, that he could kill her first. She did this in the hope by sacrificing her life, that the others would be safe. After the killer shot her, the second oldest, who was only 12 stood up and made the same offer. The 12-year-old was killed as well. I deeply admire that through their convictions and faith, both girls were given the strength too stand-up to the shooter. I am in awe of the Amish people who have reached out to the shooter's family. The Amish community was almost given one million dollars from people across our country. In addition, to providing for the victims' families, they also made sure that the shooter's children were also provided for. The killer left several notes and blamed an event from 20 years ago for his actions that took six innocent lives.

It appears to me more and more, that people do not accept responsibility for their actions, there is always some excuse or justification. Congressman Ney from Ohio, who pled guilty to a felony, which originated from the Abramhoff scandal, is still serving in the House of Representatives. Former Congressman Foley checked himself in an Alcoholic Rehab, better yet how about the famous Twinkie defense. Back in the 1970s, a defendant in the San Francisco area was found not guilty, because he ate too many Twinkies which caused his sugar level to increase and made him not responsible for his actions.

As members of society, we need to take responsibility for our actions. If you hit a parked car and no one was around, would you leave a note? If you witnessed a car accident, would you pull over to see if anyone needed help or would you offer to be an eyewitness?

There are numerous types of responsibility. Such as our responsibility to our parents, children, siblings, employers and employees, just to name a few.

After God blessed my Wife and me with two children, we not only became responsible for their well being, but also raising them to interact with society and to prepare them for adult life. This does not mean that they don't get upset or angry, they do. The bigger question is how do they deal with their anger. Is it okay to get angry? Absolutely, people are complex and have wide range of emotions. But its not how you are feeling any given day, but rather how you react to your emotions.

I teach my children everyday to be respectful of other people and to treat people the way you want to be treated. The way I do this is by trying to set an example for my children, by being respectful of others and treating people the way I want to be treated.

Michael Cruz

West Ranch Beacon Transforms to New Site

2006-10-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

NOTE: New site can be found at www.WestRanchBeacon.com

When I first started the blog in November of 2005 it was truly on a whim because I felt the local paper was and is doing a terrible job in covering the West Ranch communities. It was a surprisingly simple process to set up the original blog and I immediately posted some of my previous writings.

It quickly became a place that I could post some of my thoughts on the various issues that concerned me and might be of interest to others. The blog was also a way to post news and meeting announcements that were not being covered or posted elsewhere. The existence of this blog site starting spreading by word of mouth and online; which, by the way, is known as “viral marketing”.

The West Ranch Beacon has grown beyond any expectations that I had last year. In fact, I had no expectations except that I now had a place to vent whether anyone cared or not. As it has turned out, a lot of people apparently do care and hence the thousands of hits the site has been receiving monthly.

New technology is changing the way we get information in our lives. I think if one looks at what has gone on in the music industry you can see how technology is reshaping the way an industry functions. The rulebooks are being completely rewritten.

This is what is happening with the newspaper medium. More and more people are getting their information, whether local, national or world, on-line. The industry is in the throws of figuring out how to change and evolve with all the innovations cropping up daily. Just look at the LA Times and its parent company the Tribune making recent news. Many papers are being forced to reduce staff because of declining circulation and advertising revenue. We are in the beginning stages of a consolidation that will forever change the newspaper industry as we know it.

It is quite interesting to receive phone calls weekly from print reporters asking about posting on our site. It is also frustrating to see the local papers taking story ideas off of our site and not crediting us for them. This is happening at an increasing rate and I have the email evidence to back it up!

The next iteration of the West Ranch Beacon is located at www.westranchbeacon.com . We have gone from a blog to a website so you may want to book mark the new address. You can click through on the headline above and once you do take note of the many new features and links the site has to offer.

Based on all the feed back that I received personally and through various contacts it was clear that our readers wanted to have a way to easily communicate their thoughts and comments to us. We have listened and added a comments feature and an email address for easier communication.

This two-way communication will be one that is managed. I’ll happily post comments that disagree with something that I or another columnist has written on a topic as long as the comments are written in a factual, well thought out and professional way.

There is a bunch of links listed on the right side and we are happy to add more. Just drop us a note and if the link is relevant to our readership we’ll post it. We are very much interested in shaping this website based on your suggestions and recommendations.

One thing for sure, I will keep posting information and commentary on this site whether people care or not and if the local paper actual starts to improve (doubtful) or not. Simply put, I am doing this because I think that there is a need and because I care about our community. I am beholden to no one; I only want to see our community as a whole be informed and determine its own destination. The truth is that that scares the heck out of an awful lot of people in the Santa Clarita Valley!

Dave Bossert

Indecent Exposure Arrest on The Old Road

2006-10-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Sheriff's Deputies on the day shift logged an arrest for indecent exposure on The Old Road Friday. Jerry Hattox, a 45 year old white male, was arrested without incident near the intersection of The Old Road and Pico Canyon. Hattox was charged with indecent exposure after being observed by three witnesses. The witnesses are employees of the newly opened La Quinta Inn hotel on The Old Road.

Air America Radio files for Chapter 11

2006-10-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Air America Radio, the liberal talk and news radio network that features the comedian Al Franken, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a network official told The Associated Press. The network had denied rumors just a month ago that it would file for bankruptcy protection.

It appears that nobody is interested in listening to whiners all day! Click on the headline for the entire story.

In the Immigration Debate, Children Deserve Better

2006-10-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

By Kathleen A. Moccio (NewsUSA) - Immigration has moved to the forefront of national debate. Sharp divisions have emerged on the subject as Congress deals with various pieces of legislation directly or indirectly related to immigration. Yet given the immense coverage and expansive debate, the one aspect of the immigration issue that is often overlooked is what happens to the children.

Every day, unaccompanied immigrant children enter the United States. America for them still represents the land of opportunity - sometimes it is economic opportunity, sometimes it is the opportunity for true safety, and often it is both.

Many young ones travel here to escape abusive or other unsafe conditions. They weather the harshest elements to get here. Sometimes they fall victim to predatory traffickers who victimize and exploit them. And they go through all of this with a traumatic sense of separation from home and family.

When they arrive, the children have no way of knowing what lies ahead for them, but they have hope - hope that the place they have come to is far better than the place they have come from.

Unfortunately, these hopes are not fulfilled for many of the unaccompanied children who enter the U.S. More than one-third of the youth, once detained, are held in the same detention centers that house juvenile criminals and likewise are treated as criminals.

Yet some federal agencies responsible for the children's care neglect to keep current records or share information on these unaccompanied immigrant children, who are trying to navigate through court proceedings without sufficient guidance or representation.

For too many, the detention period is indefinite. Others eventually are linked with counsel or placed in foster care, although the conditions are not always sensitive to the child's special circumstances.

The government needs to ensure that the children's best interests are considered from the very first point of contact. Unaccompanied immigrant children deserve to be treated with dignity, and must have their basic human rights respected.

This is yet another reason why Congress and the administration need to work out a comprehensive immigration reform. Piecemeal policies do not work. In the past, these attempts that mainly focus on enforcement measures have failed to resolve the underlying issues that continue to drive immigration, failed to benefit either side of the fence, and most importantly they failed to create better conditions for the children who still arrive with the hope of knowing the American Dream.

Kathleen A. Moccio is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and an advocate for immigrant and refugee children. She recruits volunteers and develops training for the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children, a co-venture between AILA and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

SCVTalk.com- Annexation or Incorporation: Why Should We Care?

2006-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

Over at SCVTalk.com there is a good post by Chris Austin with her opinions on the question of annexation or incorporation. It is a good read and presents an argument for annexation. However, there are a number of issues that Chris has over looked. Click on the headline above to link to Chris's full article.

For instance, she claims that the unincorporated residents are putting a "strain on the city" services. Actually the opposite is true; the residents are spending millions annually within the city limits which is contributing to the sales tax revenue for the city. Most notably are all the automobiles, many high margin luxury vehicles, being sold at the Valencia Auto Mall to residents of the unincorporated areas.

This is the reason why the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Auto Dealers were opposed to any duel park fee structure at city parks. Also, it should be noted that the City can only charge the duel fee at some city parks. Any park that was taken over from the County by the City when it was formed can not use a duel fee system. Further, any City park that used Prop "A" money is also prohibited from charging higher fees to non-city residents.

City Councilman Frank Ferry pushed hard to have the duel fee system proposal passed as a way to punish the unincorporated areas, notable the west side, for not annexing to date. His bulling tactics have done a lot of damage to relations for residents both in and out of the City.

Let's face it; the residents of the unincorporated areas around the City of Santa Clarita have contributed enormously to the well being of the city's coffers with millions in tax revenue. The argument that Chris Austin lays out has some good points but misses some of the bigger picture.

Exclusive: Ranch HOA Candidate Profiles, Part V

2006-10-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

Over the past week we made an effort to keep the community informed about the upcoming HOA recall election/ annual meeting of delegates and we have been running a profile on each of the candidates that are seeking a board seat. Today we present the final two candidates that are running for the Stevenson Ranch Community Association board.

Jeff Stevenson’s main goal is to see a better association. He has served for sixteen years as a member of the association board. During that time Jeff has been an incredible volunteer in the community. There are frequent examples of his selfless and energetic support of the community especially during times of crisis. Whether it has been a fire, earthquake, or some other natural disaster Jeff has always been there to lend a hand.

Jeff has been a part of a number of Civic organizations and has participated in just about every community event over the past decade. He has helped out on the July 4th show every year since its inception.

Don Whaley would like to serve the best interests of all members of the community association. He would like to keep an open mind on all issues that come before the Board of Directors and to keep a sound fiscal policy for the Association.

His experience includes being a member of the Finance Committee for seven years. He has served as a member of the Security Committee and is currently Chairman of that committee. Don has attended at least 90% of the Board meetings for the past 10 years.

Mr. Whaley has been with the Civic Committee for eight years and the Civic Association for three years. He has served as the Treasurer of the Civic Association for the past two years. Don also served for three years on the Stevenson Ranch Town Council (now the West Ranch Town Council) and was a founding member of the Park Committee.

HOA Recall Part III: Harvey on the War Path

2006-10-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

It appears that David Harvey, one of the co-signers of the HOA recall petition, is keeping very busy calling HOA delegates in Stevenson Ranch. According to several delegates; Mr. Harvey has been “pushing his own agenda” against one of the incumbent Stevenson Ranch Community Association Board members. All of the statements appear to be so baseless that several attorneys are being consulted as this is not the first time Mr. Harvey has engaged in such conduct.

David Harvey seems to have taken a similar tact three years ago and many delegates complained vigorously to the master association Board. As a result a policy was instituted to protect delegates from this type of harassment in the future. It appears Board candidate Keith Pritzker may have shared a delegate list with David in an attempt to possibly slander and negatively influence the election and recall.

In previous articles posted on this site, we noted that Mr. Harvey’s apparent problems have arisen from an incident with Sky Security, the private security company that patrols Stevenson Ranch, which occurred earlier this year. We have also recently found out that there were similar incidents with the two previous association contracted security companies involving David Harvey.

The West Ranch Beacon has confirmed that Harvey’s attempts to have the Security Officer fired failed and that an official warning letter was placed in his file with the master association. This action by the HOA board seems to have motivated Mr. Harvey recent actions.

Mr. Harvey (who is treasurer at Diamondhead a sub-association in Stevenson Ranch) apparently sent a memo out to all the Diamondhead residents stating Sky Security is being replaced with the Copper Eagle security company. In fact the owners were told not to call Sky Security. This action appears to be ill-conceived since Sky Security is under contract to the Stevenson Ranch Community Association, the master HOA and the Diamond Head residents pay for their services. It appears that the residents of Diamondhead, who seem to have been excluded from voting on a new security company, are now paying for two security companies and may not even know it.

Further aggravating the situation is that Mr. Harvey, as the Diamondhead treasurer, has apparently refused to turn over the sub-association financial records. This has prompted some residents to raise questions of possible financial improprieties. A case in point; owners have complained that the Diamond Head Board holds it meetings in the morning at IHOP when many owners are at work which prevents them from attending. In fact David Harvey seems to have had an attorney at a recent hearing to represent him and it is the same attorney that represents the Diamond Head Homeowners Association. This gives the owners concerns raising the question, who paid for the attorney?

That coupled with Keith Pritsker who has been accused of costing the master association thousands in legal fees and contributing to additional master association financial problems could prove to be “disastrous to the community” said one resident.

Canyon Advisory to Discuss Measure “M”

2006-10-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, October 18, 2006, Dr. Dianne Van Hook- Superintendent-President of the
College of the Canyons, will be attending the Canyon Country Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the College of the Canyons- Canyon Country Campus. In addition, Ms. Rita Garasi, Campaign Chair for the Yes on "M" committee, will be discussing Measure M.

There is no cost for the event and the public is invited to attend.

The meeting will take place at 7:00 pm at the Sports Complex Center located
at 20850 Center Pointe Parkway in the George Carvalho Banquet Room.

For further information, please contact Al Ferdman at 661.713.9344 or via e-mail at ferdmana@dslextreme.com.

Exclusive: Ranch HOA Candidate Profiles, Part IV

2006-10-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Eric Rosenberg brings ten years of fiscal management experience to his candidacy, promising to act as an assertive voice for all homeowners who demand accountability for higher assessments, slow action on important community issues, and over-the-top enforcement of the more arcane sections of our CC&Rs while obvious, gross negligence goes seemingly unpunished. While applauding all candidates who run on the standard platform of "improving the quality of life and our property values," Mr. Rosenberg believes his unique skills, comprehensive experience, and ability to build consensus on tough issues will enable him to give homeowners what they demand: a safe, clean, debt-free community.

After attending the Master Homeowner's Association Board and Town Council meetings regularly for the past four years, Eric decided that it was time for him to give back to the community by helping to curtail ballooning HOA costs; create plans to alleviate long-gestating problems (such as iron fence maintenance, fountain disrepair, overlooked landscaping issues, increases in vandalism, and general community safety issues); and offer measured, non-partisan solutions to the issues that currently divide our Board so severely.

Mr. Rosenberg would consider his primary job on the HOA Board to be representing the desires and needs of all homeowners and the community's fiscal health. He does not believe candidates should run for personal gain or to resolve power struggles. Rather, an elected Director should work hard for transparency, accountability, and responsibility to his constituents. Since the assessment money the HOA Board spends is yours and the families' you represent, Eric believes that it is absolutely imperative that the Board's Directors do their best to spend it wisely, responsibly, and fairly.

Among other contributions, the HOA Board nominated Eric in early 2005 to assist the Newsletter Committee chair in revamping The Ranch Newsletter's look, layout, and grammar. In the coming months, Mr. Rosenberg plans to add a Letter to the Editor section; concise, regular reports on all HOA Board meetings and decisions; and more regular reports from Euclid Management on how they're spending your assessments.

Mr. Rosenberg thanks Betty Griffin, Paul Ash, Dave Bossert, Lynette Findlay, and Walter Hall for their endorsements. Eric hopes that the credibility their support brings, plus his experience and enthusiasm, will earn him your endorsement, your trust, and your vote.

Dave Siemienski would like to represent all Homeowners views for the mutual benefit of the community. He would like to ensure complete representation of all points of view and thorough research before any decisions are made.

Mr. Siemienski has a keen understanding of community issues and a problem-solving background from city government and private business. Communication is his specialty, and he pledges to promote a better way of keeping all residents informed on key issues.

His experience includes being the City of El Segundo liaison for the Park Vista Senior Housing complex, President of Reach Out Against Drugs (R.O.A.D.) a non-profit corporation and a Youth Counsel Member of the Glendale Youth Authority 1998-2000.

Dave’s Civic activities include being a charter member of the National Advisory Board for Cold Stone Creamery, Inc., past President (1987) of the Teamsters Union, El Segundo, and he was awarded Citizen of the Year 1992 by the Lions Club, El Segundo.

Fish Wrap Broiled on One Side

2006-10-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

For years there have been complaints around town that the local paper, The Signal, regularly gets facts and quotes wrong. There have also been accusations that the paper does not allow for both sides of an argument to be heard or that it is heavily biased to the one side they favor.

That seems to be confirmed once again with the lopsided coverage of the Stevenson Ranch recall election. The first story on the recall that was run in the Fish Wrap was so off that mark that we here at the Beacon viewed it as fiction. With subsequent stories appearing over the last several weeks there is no doubt that the Signal is heavily biased to supporting Mr. Pritsker and his views.

It is no wonder, The Signal has not kept pace with our ever changing valley. The Santa Clarita valley, with a population of more than 250,000 residents, has doubled in size over the past decade yet The Signal has an anemic subscriber base of around 13,000 according to knowledgeable sources. That would be roughly 5% of the valley population. Granted, they appear to be printing around 25,000 copies, still only about 10%, if that. Presumably the addition 12,000 copies are being used to house break dogs and line bird cages!

Various insiders and former employees have said that the circulation for The Signal has actually decreased as a percentage of the population over the past 25 years. That I find sad because a local newspaper should be continually growing and evolving with the community it serves.

A year ago I wrote a piece that was critical (no surprise) of The Signal that the papers editorial staff refused to print (shocking, I know!) and the substance of it still rings true. Here is a portion of that commentary:

“The Signal has not kept up with changes and growth here in the Santa Clarita Valley. It is not representing the entire valley but rather a smaller and, let’s face it, bygone version of this valley. Plain and simple, The Signal has not grown in unison with the rest of the Santa Clarita Valley.
It has spotlighted the fact that The Signal is basically on the slippery slope of irrelevance headed towards being nothing but an advertising circular, neither taken seriously nor purchased for any other reason than coupon clipping and yard sale notices.

The Signal's readership has been declining in comparison to the tremendous growth that the valley experienced. In fact, there are very few Signal readers in the west side communities in comparison to the population. The truth is that The Signal has covered very little on the west side, which in turn has done nothing long term to build a readership.

Yes, a newspaper is about building a readership through the dissemination of information pertinent to those readers and is supported by advertising. It’s not about pandering to the advertisers at the expense of the readers as has so often been displayed by The Signal.

Unfortunately if nothing is done to correct this situation it will eventually create a need for a real community newspaper and not a glorified advertising circular that The Signal has been turning into. Nature abhors a vacuum and will fill it when one appears. That will be true for The Signal. Sure, there have been some local upstarts attempted in the past that have not gotten traction but that speaks volumes that the need exists.

There was a glimmer of hope at The Signal when the paper got a new publisher and the hope that there would be some major changes. Sadly though, there have not been any major changes that would correct The Signal’s current course and bring the paper towards credibility and relevance. Instead, several key reporters and staffers have left the paper further weakening the integrity of The Signal. That says it all!”

That piece still applies today as it did last year. Since then, I started this blog The West Ranch Beacon primarily because our local paper has failed to keep step with the diversity of our valley and appears, from time to time, to be a tool for the city. This site has grown beyond any expectations that I had last year. In fact, I had no expectations except that I would have a place to vent whether anyone cared or not. As it has turned out, a lot of people apparently do care and hence the thousands of hits the site has been receiving monthly.

Change is important to the vitality of any individual and/or organization. As a side note, I would point out that even this blog will be going through some changes based on the feedback, both positive and negative, that we have received from our readers. Constantly striving to improve and better oneself is a basic human trait. That probably explains why the primates running the local Fish Wrap have not been able to evolve!

Dave Bossert
Commentary

Exclusive: Ranch HOA Candidate Profiles, Part III

2006-10-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Zack Noory has the goal to uphold the CC&R’s and ensure fairness when dealing with all members of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association. He has had some experience having served two years on the Board of Directors of the Windwood HOA, a senior association.

Zack had been a Manager and Director of Business Development for the Action Property Management Company for five years. He did not list any other community or civic activities or involvement.

Keith Pritsker would like to improve the quality of life of association residents, maintain property values and “contain association expenses”. He has been a long-time resident and community activist in the support of the apparent best interests of the residents.

Pritsker has served as the past Treasurer of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association and was a past President and Board Member of The Arts Community Association. He also served as a past President of the Stevenson Ranch Town Council, now called the West Ranch Town Council, and was a chair of the Land Use Committee.

More From Jack: Diplomacy 101

2006-10-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

After hearing all the rhetoric the past few days from all over the political spectrum on why it is so vital to have direct, one on one talks with North Korea, I feel that we all may need a little refresher in diplomacy 101. Or for some of you, a first time lesson in international diplomacy.

When, in the 1990's we had direct, one on one talks with North Korea regarding their nuclear ambitions, we came to an agreement. We provide them with energy and food needs and they halt enrichment of uranium. It was a noble attempt and surely it was worthy of trying by the Clinton administration. No one can fault them for this attempt. Even though it obviously had failed. ANYTHING was bound to fail at that point with a crazy rogue regime like the North.

It seems to had worked initially, until about the year 2000, when the North revealed to the world that they had in fact not halted their enrichment program, but instead took it underground and out of the public eye and the eyes of the international Nuclear inspectors. They were able to have someone else provide them with food and fuel ( USA ) so they where then able to devote more of their budget to the clandestine nuclear program.

In the end, when the world found out about the North's program there was a collective sigh, sans the USA, which was concerned and worried. See, when the North cheated, they cheated on the hated USA, and the rest of the world probably thought that that was pretty funny. However, no country, especially China, Russia, Japan and South Korea, wants a nuclear armed crazy regime as their neighbor. So, they laughed, but they were none the less very very worried.

The New US Administration knew exactly what to do. If you go back to direct talks, then you go back to the same ole same ole. We give them stuff, they cheat and the world laughs again. So, this time the Bush administration decided to put the ball in the hands of the "Friends" of Li'l Kim and the North Koreans. This time, if they cheated or lied their friends would be ticked off. See, they would be cheating on their friends, not the hated USA. The friends that support them and want to get along with them.

So, they cheated and lied and back stabbed their friends China and Russia. Now their friends are mad as hell at them and they are now concerned for THEIR own safety. Even they cant control the crazy Li'l Kim. So now, all their own nuclear arsenals are aimed at their friend, the North Koreans. Bet Li'l Kim never thought about that eventuality eh? Once you get a nuclear bomb you end up on all the other nuclear states target map FAST!

So, after the Nuclear test the other day, what's the BIG message out of the North Koreans? They want direct, one on one talks with the USA and NO ONE ELSE. Why? Because they want to be able to cheat and lie once an agreement has been signed and then have the world laugh at the USA once again when they disregard the agreement. The world would blame the USA not the North Koreans. That's what they want. They cheat and lie and we get the blame. Kinda like the September 11 attacks. Terrorists hijack planes and fly them into buildings and kills thousands and the goofy's in the world blame the US Government. They blame Clinton or Bush or whomever. Not the people that did it.

We WONT go for that again with the North. And all you people out there who are using this GLOBAL problem as an example of why we need to have direct, one on one talks with them and why we need to get George Bush or whomever out of office are just plain self serving and ignorant and obviously not very well heeled or informed.

Its not about politics at home, its about doing the right diplomatic thing internationally for the safety and well being of the whole world, not just your desire to elect a Democrat or Republican to office in November to get even for losing or to gain control politically. For once, start thinking about the rest of the world and doing the right and smart thing and not your self!

Jack Murphy

Exclusive: Ranch HOA Candidate Profiles, Part II

2006-10-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

Lynette Finlay (Incumbent) feels that the Board of Directors is essential to the upkeep and improvement of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association. In order to fulfill this duty, the Board’s goals should include the protection, maintenance and enhancement of our property value. Organized, detail fiscal management and consistent enforcement of the CC&R’s is important in managing our community.

Ms. Finlay has been a member of the Stevenson Ranch community since 1993 and has served as a community volunteer for years. She has served on several boards and was elected to the master association Board and served for five consecutive years. Lynette has served on the Security Committee since its inception in 1997 and has served on the Landscape Committee for two years in 1997 and 1998. Additionally, Lynette has served on the Finance Committee since it was founded in 2000.

Lynette is responsible for the revamp of the community news letter and chairs the Stevenson Ranch Newsletter. She has worked closely with Eric Rosenberg, a community volunteer and Board candidate, on the redesign of the newsletter format.

Lynette’s community association experience includes being a Board Member of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association since 2001 and serving as the Treasure from 2001 to present. She was the McCambridge Town Homes President and Board Member from 1984 through 2003. A Board Member of the Community Association Institute Greater Los Angeles from 1991-1997; serving as President from 1996 through 1997. Ms. Finlay was also a delegate for Greater Los Angeles- California Legislative Action Committee from 1997 to 2004. She has spoken, both locally and nationally, on various topics concerning community associations.

Her Civic activities are equally impressive. She has been on the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross, Santa Clarita Chapter from 1999 to present and was a member of the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association, Santa Clarita chapter from 1995 to 2001. She has served on the Stevenson Ranch Town Council (now the West Ranch Town Council) from 1998-2000 and was a founding member of the Stevenson Ranch Civic Association serving as a Director and Treasure from 2000 to 2001.

Walter Hall (Incumbent) would like to enforce the CC&R’s uniformly throughout Stevenson Ranch and to treat all homeowners & sub-associations equally and fairly. He would like to serve the interests of all the associations’ members.

Walter’s experience includes serving as a Board Member of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association. He is Chairman of the Fountain Committee, the Fence Committee and is a member of the Finance Committee.

Dial “M” for More Classrooms at COC

2006-10-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Citizens for College of the Canyons (COC) has mailed out literature on what the Measure “M” bond initiative means to the community and to College of the Canyons. Basically, Measure “M” was placed on the upcoming November ballot for consideration by voters because the college is out of classroom space.

In 1996 COC served 6900 students; today, even with the additions and improvements of recent years, the campus struggles to provide enough classrooms for over 18,000 students. Many class sections, both night and daytime courses, are closed due to a lack of classroom space. This has resulted in reduced class offerings for students.

Over 3,100 adults applied to the college in Fall 2005, but could not enroll because of space issues. Over 2,200 more students are on wait lists for required classes each semester. COC would have to add more than 300 sections to serve these students, and there is currently no classroom space to do so.

At the same time, as the costs of higher education at colleges across the country escalate, community colleges are the colleges of first choice for the majority of people who aspire to attend college and/or update their skills so they can secure well-paying jobs. That is true of College of the Canyons, where student enrollment is up 11.5% over Fall of 2005. Over 60% of the William S. Hart Union School students attend COC at this time.

COC also has a college training partnership with over 300 local businesses which are thriving and growing. In order to continue this proud tradition of meeting the community’s needs, the college needs a “yes” vote on Measure “M this November.

You can get more information on Measure “M” at: www.citizens4M.com or click on the headline above to link to that site.

Jack Attack: Um, we are not Nazi's, really!!

2006-10-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Last week, a prominent Democrat named Bruce something, wrote a Op Ed for the Signal in which he called President Bush and all his "henchman" today's Nazi's. He then went on to say how moderate and representative of America today's Democratic party is and that we should all vote for them in November.

Whew, I am so happy that he and his little group of unwanted's represents all of America when he stands with and affirms the views of our local Corvette owner Gary Horton, Hugo Chavez, Iran's President ( yeah, I cant spell his name ) as well as the great Leader of North Korea, Lil' Kim.

Lets get serious. This crazy grandstanding and name calling is NOT representative of the Democratic Party. This writer is actually just barely a Democrat. In fact I would be willing to bet that most Democrats would like him and his ilk to leave the party and join the party of least resistance. One where the motto is "Better Red then Dead". They can be the EMU Party. That's the bird that bury's its head in the dirt when ever danger is afoot.

The Democrats are a change'n folks. There is new leadership locally and smart, well thought-out ideas arise from the new blood. I am talking about Mr. Michael Cruz. A writer on these pages as well. Someone who doesn't call his friends and neighbors Nazi's because they happen to support a different President. Someone who respects other peoples ideas and plans. That doesn't mean Mike likes my ideas mind you. As a matter of a fact, he tells me where I am wrong quite often. But he tells me to my face ( actually the phone ), not behind the curtain of a Op Ed piece or a banner in the 4th of July Parade.

I recall walking with Mike on a very cold and rainy night, campaigning for City Council together and I brought up Iraq. I espoused my usual rah rah rah BS and how it will all turn out great and you better buy Iraqi Dinar soon while its still cheap. Mike was optimistic as well, but to a point. He pointed out that General Anthony Zini has called for more troops in the Baghdad area and that the population and situation there is ready for more sectarian violence and that unless we fill that city up with soldiers it was going to get much worse fast. Well, That was in April when he told me this.

Its now October and guess what, Mike Cruz was right. He was right because he studied the situation, listened to all sides of the argument and then came to what he thought was a sound solution based on a potential growing problem and a solution to that problem. He didn't say we were all Nazi's, he didn't say I was an idiot for supporting Bush and his team. He just said that the leadership is not looking at the big picture and is ignoring their critics when they should at least listen to them. He doesn't necessarily like Bush or other Republicans, but he doesn't think they are Nazi's. He would rather have a strong Democrat in their because he thinks a strong Democrat would fight the wars better. Not that they would not fight any wars ever.

Mike was right. Actually, in most cases he continues to be right on the issues we discuss. And it starts to make me think. If the majority of Democrats where like Mike Cruz, I have to admit, that I would possibly be a Democrat. To that point I also have to say that as a Republican there is currently only one Democrat locally I support 100% and that is Mike Cruz. A Catholic, a smart guy and one who is trying to guide his party towards normalcy locally by appealing to us all, not just to Carol and Bruce and the other 10 people who's opinions we see and read each week and just irritate us to no end.

Yes, there is a HUGE ray of hope for the Democratic Party and the rays are beaming from SCV. The future for Mike Cruz and Democrats like him is wide open. We are all looking to support local candidates who are honest, up front and mean what they say and say what they mean. But most of all, the bulk of us don't like to be preached to by unemployed rat trappers and called Nazi's. When you insult the President by calling him and his supporters Nazi's you are calling me a Nazi and frankly that is just plain dorky. No one takes a Corvette driving, sailboat tacking, golf club dress code bashing environmentalist serious so they certainly are not gonna take a commune loving, camera wearing Scotsman and his anti-American rants serious.

The future of Santa Clarita is in the hands of people like Mike Cruz and Cameron Smyth. You should not care what party either of them belong to because it doesn't matter. They are both good and honest men who want to succeed in political life and do what's right for our Valley.

Support Cameron in November with your votes and when the time comes support Mike Cruz when its his turn. Dont listen to the BS from the left or the right. These are two good men who care about our valley and the direction we go in the next 10 plus years!!!!!

Murph

Exclusive: Ranch HOA Candidate Profiles, Part I

2006-10-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

In an effort to keep the community informed about the upcoming HOA recall election and the annual meeting of delegates we will be running a profile on each of the candidates. These profiles will be presented in alphabetical order and will be featured in five parts over the next week.

Deborah Cabaza has lived in the Stevenson Ranch community for seventeen years and has seen many changes during that time. Her main goals and objectives for the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) board of directors is to maintain and improve the quality of life our community.

She believes that board members have a duty to the community they serve and should not pursue their own agendas to the detriment of the community. Deborah is open to the ideas of the members on how better the association can serve and assist the community.

Ms. Cabaza has been a volunteer at the Diamond Head Condo complex for many years. She has served as a board member of that association and has attended all the master association annual meetings for the last four years as well as many regular meetings. Deborah is familiar with many of the issues that are facing our community today.

Aside from her experience serving on a sub-association board, Deborah has volunteered her time with various organizations including the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the PTA. She also served as a Union Steward at Providence Medical Center.

Kristin Draper is a wife, mother and homeowner who wants to insure that the association spends wisely, communicates clearly with homeowners and keeps our community safe, clean and up to date so that property values continue to grow. She would like to work with the County, the Euclid Property Management and the homeowners to achieve these goals.

Her experience has come from having been a Western Regional Sales Manager for a six billion dollar company prior to having children. She brings to the table an understanding of how business works; contract negotiating skills and a working knowledge of budgets.

Aside from those attributes, Kristin has been a volunteer and member of Child Help USA, and a Board Member of the Parents Association at the local school. She also has been the Chairperson the last two years for one of the largest school fundraisers to date.

Update: Stevenson Ranch HOA Issues Recall Information

2006-10-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) has announced that the associations’ annual meeting has been combined with the recall meeting as is scheduled for Monday, November 13, 2006. The meeting will be held at 6:00 PM at the IHOP located at 24737 Pico Canyon Road in Stevenson Ranch.

The first order of business at the November 13th meeting will be dealing with the recall of the entire HOA Board. According to the documentation, if the recall vote does not pass, the following homeowners have placed their names in candidacy for the three available Board seats: Deborah Cabaza, Kristin Draper, Zack Noory, Keith Pritsker, Eric Rosenberg, Dave Siemienski, Jeff Stevenson (incumbent) and Don Whaley.

In the event that the recall vote does pass then all five of the Board seats will be up for election and the following two incumbent candidates will be added to the ballot: Lynette Finlay and Walter Hall.

The candidates appear to have varied degrees of experience with the community from very little involvement to a wide depth and breath of knowledge of the community association. The West Ranch Beacon will be profiling many of the candidates, in alphabetical order, leading up to the election in November.

Austin's Power Flames Out into a Whine on SCVTalk.com

2006-10-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

There is a new post over at SCVtalk.com from Chris Austin. The first portion of her post primarily deals with Carl Boyer¹s talk at the Wednesday October 4th West Ranch Town Council meeting. It is well written and appears to be well researched. If you click on the headline it will link you to her full piece.

The second part of her post is another personal attack on me! She is upset that I mentioned on this blog that she had shown up at the West Ranch Town Council meeting but bolted at the end of the meeting without introducing herself to me. She apparently was afraid of a “confrontation” in front of my “peers”.

Chris claims that I am attacking her personally in various pieces that I have posted. A number of those posts never even mention her name. For example, she claims that I have called her a “snarky idiot” which I don’t believe I ever linked her name to. But hey if she feels as though the shoe fits by all means she can wear it.

The fact is that there are a number of people that I have referred to as “communists”, “knuckle-draggers”, “monkeys”, “snarky idiots”, “morons”, “jack-asses”, and a bunch of other equally colorful adjectives. I like those names, there fun and they make people smile when they say them or read them.

Unfortunately, Chris seems to think that her opinions about the west side matter even though she doesn’t live in the West Ranch communities. Well, to me, they really don’t matter because Chris lives in Canyon Country. Now, that may sound harsh and I risk being called an “elitist” again but there is a level of truth to it.

If I were to start writing about what I thought should be done in Canyon Country to improve life for its residents then all hell would break loose. I would have a lot of nerve making suggestions on ways to improve aspects of that part of the valley since I don’t live there. Well guess what, Chris needs to tone done her rhetoric on what the west side should or should not be doing. She neither lives her nor attends the meetings on a regular basis.

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion but they need to use their heads when stepping into discussions. If you don’t live in our community and want to start attaching me, and yes you started attacking me, then don’t start crying when I hand it back to you. If you want to label me an “elitist” then don’t complain when you’re referred to as a “communist”.

Chris is clearly an intelligent individual so maybe it is time that she focuses her energies on improving her own community and contributing in a positive way. It is always so transparent to see someone constantly looking at what the next person has instead of focusing on what they have and how they can contribute.

I’ve seen this over and over again where people are constantly focused on trying to get everything the next person has; it all has to be equal in their minds. Instead, how about being happy if someone has gotten rewarded for his or her hard work and maybe thinking that if you work hard you might improve your lot in life.
No, that is not how the liberal mind works. Those types are only interested in getting every bit that the next person has without actually paying their dues. This explains why Chris couldn’t stand by and let the West Ranch community “negotiate” or raise questions about annexation. If her community didn’t do that than by golly no one will!

Chris bolted from the West Ranch Town Council meeting last week because she couldn’t look me in the face. She could not come up and introduce herself to me because she didn’t possess the confidence in what she had been writing about me to look me in the eye.

She wants to debate me on some of these issues “in a responsive forum”. But here’s the thing, I really don’t want to have a debate with someone who does not live in the community in which we are discussing. It is that simple, any issue that involves the West Ranch communities is one that the residents of those neighborhoods that make up the West Ranch area should weigh in on, not someone who lives elsewhere and has already decided “that what they have I have to have too”. She can weigh in when her City annouces that they are putting something on the ballot and wants the City residents to exspress an opinion and vote on it.

Sure, Chris is entitled to her opinion; it’s her first amendment right. She can say anything she wants but has to realize that when she starts to speak for a community she doesn’t live in then she opens herself up to be criticized. Telling someone to “just shut up” is another telltale sign of a screaming liberal; a person who does not want to let the other side express their views because they may be different or, God forbid, they may be right.

I have plenty of tolerance and respect for people; it’s just that I reflect back what I receive. If Chris wants to paint me with a brush of misconceptions and lies she shouldn’t get upset when I call her on it. Chris’s opinion of me is one that is misguided, ignorant, “insulting” and “offensive”. But hey, by all means she can keep rambling on as it is very entertaining watching her get her panties in a bunch over a community she doesn’t live in!

Dave Bossert
Exposing the Whiners

SCVTalk Posts Review of Boyer Talk and Council Meeting

2006-10-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

It’s always nice to see somebody from outside the West Ranch area attend one of our community meetings. It’s even better to see that person post a review of the meeting like Jeff has done over at SCVTalk.com. Thank you Jeff!

Jeff’s article is a well written reflection of primarily Carl Boyer’s talk at the Wednesday night West Ranch Town Council meeting. The piece did cover some other items on the agenda briefly such as the new office buildings being proposed at Magic Mountain Parkway and the vacant council seat. It is the type of unbiased, accurate writing I wish there was more of in our local media. Then again, the local blogosphere IS becoming our valleys local media!

Click on the headline above to read Jeff’s entire article at www.SCVTalk.com

Update: Naked Woman in Jake K Park

2006-10-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

As a follow up to a piece we published early last week regarding the naked woman at Jake K. Park in Stevenson Ranch. According to the Sheriff’s Department a call came into the Sheriff station that an apparent homeless woman was changing her clothes in the park in view of the Pico Canyon Elementary School on Thursday, October 19th.

When deputies arrived, the woman was fully clothed and walking away from the park. She was cooperative with the deputies and said she was heading toward the Social Security office. There was no cause at that time to warrant an arrest.

While it is disturbing to know that she took all her clothes off in the park, it is not something that deputies could have arrested her for since they did not witness it. There would have had to be a citizen’s arrest made for indecent exposure. That, however, won’t have been in the spirit of that law and the charge would not have held.

Sun CEO Wants to Blog Freely

2006-10-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

The LA Times has an interesting article from Bloomberg News repoting that Sun's CEO has asked the SEC to tweak disclosure rules so he can break company news in his online diary. Sun Microsystems Inc. Chief Executive Jonathan Schwartz has asked U.S. regulators to relax corporate disclosure rules so he can announce company news on his personal blog.

"If we have material news to disclose, we have to hold an anachronistic telephone conference call or issue an equivalently anachronistic press release," Schwartz wrote in his online diary Monday. "I would argue that none of those routes are as accessible to the general public as a blog, or Sun's website."

You can click on the headline above to read the entire story at the LA Times website.

Exclusive: Fleming, O’Connell Submit for Vacant Council Seat

2006-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

It was announced last night that Chuck O’Connell, West Ranch Town Council liaison to Sunset Point, and Don Fleming, a resident of Westridge Estates, have submitted applications for the vacant council seat. Both gentlemen were present at last night’s west Ranch Town Council meeting.

With Chuck and Don throwing their hats into the ring for the seat; that brings a total of three candidates that are vying for the vacant council seat. The third candidate is Gary Morgan who had run for a West Ranch Town Council seat in the July election and lost.

Morgan is being automatically considered for the seat and did not have to re-submit an application. Gary was not present last night and is known to have attended only one West Ranch Town Council meeting in the past several years.

Both Fleming and O’Connell had an opportunity to say a few words about their candidacy for the council. Don Fleming spoke first and expressed his desire to see that we continue to preserve the safe lifestyle that the West Ranch area enjoys. He was passionate in wanting to keep a watchful eye on the attributes that make our communities on the west side a great place to live.

Chuck O’Connell expressed similar views and elaborated on his involvement with the West Ranch Town Council. As the Sunset Point liaison to the council, Chuck spoke about his accomplishments working with the county in getting the abandoned Guy Guys store cleaned up. He also pointed out the work that he has done on getting a much needed traffic light on The Old Road and dealing with the big rig parking problem on Pico Canyon. Chuck reported that the county traffic studies he initiated are almost complete and will result in a speed limit reduction along Pico Canyon which will make that part of the community safer.

The West Ranch Town Council will discuss all the candidates at the November 1st council meeting at which time there will be a call for nominations. The sitting council members will vote on those candidates that garner a nomination by a council member. Once a winner is announced that person will be sworn in by Bob Haueter, Senior Deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

SCVTalk.com Attends West Ranch Council Meeting

2006-10-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Jeff who runs the SCVTalk.com blog site turned up last night in Southern Oaks to attend the West Ranch Town Council meeting. He came up and introduced himself to me after the meeting and we had a chance to speak for a few moments.

I asked him if the woman that was sitting next to him was Chris Austin and it was. She bolted once the meeting ended which is too bad because I would have liked to have said hello to her. Although we don’t always see eye to eye on various topics it would have been nice to speak with her face to face. Maybe she is still angry at my comments about her “espousing communist doctrine”!

It is always nice to be able to put a face with a name and I was glad to at least meet Jeff. He complimented us on having a good meeting which lasted just under 90 minutes. We both agreed that community meetings, like last nights council meeting, are under covered by the local media. That is a void that the local blogosphere is filling and filling quite well!!

West Ranch Town Council Approved September '06 Minutes

2006-10-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

West Ranch Town Council
Minutes for the Meeting Dated: September 6, 2006

A. Call to Order / Roll Call:
a. Meeting called to order at 6:30 pm by Dave Bossert
b. Present: Dave Bossert, Paul Ash, Randal Winter, James Zimmerman, Betty Griffin, Brian Toqe, Ron Mechsner
c. Absent: None

B. Approval of August Minutes
a. Approved by a vote of 6-0 with change to time of adjournment.

C. Treasurers Report
a. New balance of $2189.75.

D. County Updates
a. Fire Department - Chief Gil update on Los Padres/Angeles National Forest
i. Stephanie English introduction - Community Service Representative for fire department and community
ii. Fire is not threat to freeways at this time.
b. Parks and Recreation Update – Doug Newell
i. Katherine Ritner - Assistant Director of Northern Region
ii. Al Letner – Santa Clarita Manager of Parks
iii. Richard Rioux Park - Patriot day September 10th - 9am to 10am; Pastor Steve Staples presentation
iv. Soccer games starting Saturday – over 100 kids involved
v. Fall concert in park events – Saturday, September 16 – 6pm – 8pm
vi. October 31 - Fall Festival
vii. Turkey Toss - November 22, 3:30pm to 5:30pm
viii. Expression session – Saturday October 14 at 10am – 12pm
ix. Richard Rioux Park Tennis Court details - Katherine Ritner. Two courts at Richard Rioux park. Should take one year to complete. We have the money to put in light, but Bob Haueter asked if we should put them in – TBD at this time. Location of the courts was set back in the 1990's, but Bob Haueter was willing to look at what has been set in stone already. Conversation is to continue. Per Bob Haueter, they could find the funds if the community wanted it. Katherine will return at the next meeting with diagrams of the parks.

c. Sheriff Liason
i. Roger was not present. Cheryl provided update.
ii. Recent car burglaries in have occurred in the Hardy Neighborhood. Also burglaries in the Valencia Marketplace.
iii. Stevenson Ranch discussed traffic issues at their HOA meeting specifically where Pico Canyon median ends.
d. CHP
i. DUI arrests recently as a result of sting operation.

e. Cal Trans Update
i. Genie Bonefilio – regardingn I-5, SR-14, & SR-126.
A. I5 repairs for two more months
B. City of Santa Clarita is working on Magic Mountain Phs 2.
C. Hasley Canyon & I-5 - Roundabout project at interchange. Fall 2006 start date
D. Commerce Center Drive /SR-126 - Grade separated intersection project continues
E. Lyons Ave on/off Ramp - funding is concern. Landscape Architect needs to be involved. 405 at Roscoe is possible model for this site.
f. General County Update – Bob Haueter
i. Good Guys situation has improved
ii. Bob's responsibilities now include all the SCV.
iii. The high school district is talking to Northlake developer Suncal to request a high school be built. Concern is that golf course will not be built. Next Castaic TC meeting will include debate for school or golf course. This will affect west side high schools. It is in the interest of the West Ranch TC to be involved in this.
iv. Stephanie English is asked to attend all TC meetings.
v. Pico Canyon - Speed check just completed. 50 mph limit could be lowered. 48mph was average speed measured.
vi. No stopping signs will be installed at south side of Pico between Old Road and Stevenson Ranch Parkway. Temporary parking in front of the school will stay.
g. Regional Planning Update
i. Suzie Tan with Regional Planning introduced pending projects south of Pico Canyon.
ii. Tract 53653. Warner Ranch or Lyons Canyon. 186 units. 96 SfA and 90 Senior. Private parks sit and trails along the old road. CUP requested for area. Proposeing removal of 167 oak trees. Total oaks was unknown at this tiem. Suzie will get back to us. Sept 18 comments will tell us whether all pending issues have been resolve.d. EIR wqaas required and is going through county internal review. Public hearing prior to the
iii. Tract 50242 - 7 single family lots.
iv. Tract 52905 - Aidlin and Baker is applicant. Filed in 2002 for 37 units on 93 acres. Included one oak tree removal. EIR requried and applicant is to re-submit.
v. Tract 52796 - Also Aidlin & Baker. 202 units was prior submittal for 102 single-family detached units. Updated EIR wil be requested.
vi. TTM 61996 - Legacy - Stevenson Ranch Ph 5.
h. School Board Update
i. Presented by Steve Tanning, Mike McGrath, Mike ?, and Mark Winger
ii. Pico and Stevenson Ranch are full and frozen. Pocket development causes issues for schools
iii. Proposed school site west of TTM 50242. No infrastructure at this site at this time. No guarantees that this will work.
iv. Lyon Canyon Fee is worth 1.5MM at this time.
v. Next steps include CA Dept of Education is to look at the map.
vi. School costs 500K per year to operate - not including teachers. Cost of recent elementary school was 15MM.

E. Thank you to Paul Ash for his service to the town council

F. Committee Reports
a. Castaic Vision Committee position opening. Randy Winters was asked to consider sitting on this committee. Dave Bossert will email meeting information. Bob suggested an alternate be considered.
b. Election Committee - Appointment to vacant Town Council position. Application process was discussed. Interviews contemplated as well. Appointees would be required to live in the jurisdiction. Vote will take place at November meeting. Applications available at this meeting.

G. Proposal for possible guest speakers – potential guests to be discussed.
a. Carl Boyer will be speaking in October
b. November- Scott Campbell, Attorney to speak on the Brown Act
c. December- Larry Mankin/ Chris Fall, SCV Chamber of Commerce

H. Town Hall meeting for West Ranch area proposed by Dave Bossert to Bob Haueter.
a. The West Ranch Town Council would like to reach out to the other local town councils.
b. General forum and Q&A format will be appropriate.
c. Planning is still 5 to 6 months out – Spring-time potentially

I. Security

J. Government Relations
a. Homeless Shelter Task Force. 6 properties meet requirements now. Owner ship is issue. Towsley Canyon site is only site at this time possibly in the County. Sept 27 is next meeting.
b. Temporary site is needed at this time. City of Santa Clarita would like to share the burden with the whole valley. Six sites are in the City of Santa Clarita at this time. Towsley Canyon site is city land surrounded by County. Towsley site lends itself to temporary homeless shelter. Site for this year is set. Facility is closed during the days. Sheriff Dept only reported 6 related calls, and the community was not significantly impacted.
c. TPC Meeting with Lennar and Westridge HOA
i. Lennar made offer for maintenance responsibility. Westridge HOA to review at next meeting.

K. Community Liasons
a. Westridge
i. HOA board still trying to reach quorum for election
b. Southern Oaks
i. None
c. Sunset Point
i. Good Guys update – County is still being resolved. County to consider legal action.

L. Meeting adjourned at 8:00pm

Smyth Launches New Website For Assembly Campaingn

2006-10-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Cameron Smyth, the Republican nominee for the 38th Assembly District, has launched his new website, www.votesmyth.com,in order to keep the voters of the 38th AD better informed about Cameron and the campaign.
Visitors to the site will be able contact the campaign, sign up for updates, learn about the District, Smyth's positions on various issues, and find out who else is supporting Cameron.
"Our new website provides the voters one more tool to learn about the campaign, and I encourage everyone to visit and contact us at any time," said Smyth.
Cameron Smyth, councilman of Santa Clarita and immediate past mayor, is the Republican nomination for the 38th assembly district. Smyth was first elected to the Santa Clarita City Council in 2000. He was re-elected for a second term in April 2004, both times receiving the highest number of votes. He has twice served as Mayor while on the City Council. Cameron and his wife, Lena, are proud parents to their sons Gavin, who is 2 ½ and Rowan who is born in March.
The 38th assembly district is comprised of the greater Santa Clarita area, the northern rim of the San Fernando Valley and a portion of northeastern Simi Valley. Over 40% of the district is made up of Santa Clarita. Assemblyman Keith Richman, who is serving the final term of the 3-term limit, currently holds the seat.

HOA Recall: What’s the Motive? Part II

2006-10-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

In part one of “What’s the Motive” we looked at some of the background and exposed the facts about Keith Pritsker’s involvement in the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) recall. In Part II we will look into some of the factual incidents and behavior displayed by David Harvey the co-signatory of the recall petition.

As we pointed out in an earlier piece, David Harvey was called to a hearing by the HOA for an incident that happen in June. Apparently the Diamond Head Condominium complex, where Mr. Harvey lives and serves as the Treasurer for that HOA, had been having a problem with skateboarders. On July 19th the Sky Security Service made an incident report, at the request of a Diamond Head resident, regarding two skateboarders that were causing a nuisance and were asked to vacate the condo property. One of the skateboarders was David Harvey’s son.

According statements at the June Board meeting, Mr. Harvey’s son refused to give his name and address to the security officer when requested. During that confrontation David Harvey pulled up, exited his vehicle and apparently verbally attacked and then shoved the resident. The resident then shoved David back at which point Mr. Harvey demanded that the security officer arrest the other man. The Sky Security officer refused Harvey’s request to make an arrest and pointed out the Harvey had in fact shoved the other gentleman first. At the next board meeting it was reported that the security committee asked the Sheriffs department if the Sky Officer acted correctly and the Sheriffs office said yes that it is a judgment call.

Mr. Harvey’s son was reported to have said on a number of occasions to the private security officers and residents of Diamond Head; “My dad owns this F_ _ king place and I can skateboard anywhere.” According to residents at the meeting, Mr. Harvey’s 13 old son is an instigator to many of the incidents that happen in the area.

Other residents state that David Harvey has shown a “pattern of trying to bully and intimidate people” in the Diamond Head complex. In December, Harvey filed an assault report against another resident, Mr. George Kerrigan, under almost the identical circumstances. Those charges were dismissed against Mr. Kerrigan. A request has been made for the Sheriff to look into the filing of false police reports by Mr. Harvey.

Several residents have complained that David Harvey seems to have demonstrated a complete disregard for the Diamond Head rules, for common courtesy and appears to have “difficulty remembering facts.” It has also been pointed out by one resident of Diamond Head that “he (Harvey) has filed bankruptcy! I sure don’t want somebody who can’t even take care of his own finances taking care of large sums of money at Diamond Head.”

So, one must ask the question as to what is the motivation behind this recall. Both Pritsker and Harvey seem to have had a checkered past with the Stevenson Ranch Community Association. Each seems to have had their own problems that stem from an apparent disregard for the rules and regulations within our community.

Dave Bossert
Rooting out the facts and exposing the truth

Reminder: West Ranch Town Council Meeting

2006-10-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

The West Ranch Town Council has it's regular monthly meeting tomorrow night, Wedneday October 4th at 6:30. The meeting takes place at the Southern Oaks community center located at 25026 Southern Oaks Drive. It's easy to find, just head west on Pico Canyon and make a left on Southern Oaks Drive less than a quarter mile past Stevenson Ranch Parkway.

AAA Warns Drivers to Be Wary Of 'Fuel-Saving' Additives

2006-10-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

(NewsUSA) - Drivers looking to stretch fuel dollars by boosting their vehicles' fuel efficiency may be left feeling an added pinch in the pocketbook if they decide to experiment with gasoline additives that promise big fuel economy gains, warns AAA.

"Some gasoline additives improve engine drivability by removing deposits from fuel injectors and other engine components, and others effectively deal with moisture in the fuel system," says John Nielsen, director of AAA's Approved Auto Repair Network. "However, products whose primary claim is a major boost in fuel economy are another matter. Over the years, AAA has evaluated many such formulas and has yet to discover one that can be proven to provide significant fuel savings for motorists."

"Fuel-saving" gasoline additives are sold at auto supply stores, on the Internet and through multilevel marketing organizations. Some are liquids, while others come in tablet, capsule or pellet form. All are added to the gas tank during a fill-up.

Additive marketers often state the fuel-saving effects will not become apparent until the product has been used for several tanks of fuel, and all of the companies require ongoing use of their product to maintain the benefits.

Manufacturers also often claim their product has been tested and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.

"This is true," says Nielsen, "but the procedures they cite are mandated by the EPA before any fuel additive can legally be sold in the United States. The tests only prove the additive will not harm a vehicle's fuel system or increase the amount of pollution its engine emits; they do not address a product's effect on gas mileage."

The EPA does have a test that can measure the effectiveness of any fuel-saving additive - the same federal exhaust emission and fuel economy test used by vehicle manufacturers to certify new vehicles sold in the United States.

Any maker of a "fuel-saving" product can hire an approved independent testing laboratory to perform back-to-back EPA tests of the same vehicle, with and without the additive, to generate scientifically valid figures that will support their claims. To date, AAA has not found one manufacturer of a "fuel-saving" additive that has done so.

The most effective ways to save fuel are to have your vehicle serviced regularly at a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility and modify your driving behavior, Nielsen says. Other fuel-saving tips are: Keep tires properly inflated, remove unnecessary weight from the vehicle and carpool when possible.

Lennar to Conduct Geotechnical Activities

2006-10-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

Lennar will be conducting geotechnical investigation activities on their property known as phase 5, which will be visible from a number of backyards in the upper portion of Stevenson Ranch. The investigation, which involves drilling core samples, is associated with the ongoing planning activities for the future development of Stevenson Ranch. The activity will occur on Thursday and Friday, October 5-6, 2006. Access for the investigative equipment will be taken from the end of Poe Parkway and there will be no disturbance to any homeowner property. The investigation will include the drilling of two borings in the undeveloped property adjacent to the current backyards of the neighborhoods at the top of Poe Parkway.

More Jack: I think they really are crazy!

2006-10-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

Here is Oliver Stone, in Spain of all places bashing the US Government. Why cant these folks just bash us here? When they talk about all the damage the Bush administration has done to our "international image" do they think that the bad things they say about the USA while abroad is GOOD for us? I think not. But, if you notice his last line below, you will see how freaking nutty Mr. Stone actually is. The line speaks for itself.

"If there had been a better sense of preparation, if we had a leadership that was more mature," he said. "We did not fight back in the same way that the British fought the IRA or the Spanish government fought the Basques here. Terrorism is a manageable action. It can be lived with," said Stone.

The Spanish fighting the Basques? They are STILL FIGHTING THE BASQUES YOU DORK!

Ladies and gents, I give you the next lunatic to get arrested for growing way too much weed in his garage....Oliver Stone.

Boyer Confirmed to Speak

2006-10-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

Carl Boyer, former Mayor of the City of Santa Clarita and author, is confirmed to speak on Wednesday evening at the West Ranch Town Council meeting. Mr. Boyer will discuss his book on the formation of the City of Santa Clarita and answer questions. The Council meeting on Wednesday October 4th begins at 6:30 PM at the Southern Oaks community center in Southern Oaks.

Jack is Back: Time to be honest!

2006-09-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

A short time ago, Sen. George Allen made a racial comment that he tried to explain away. His explanation was about as weak as you could imagine. He claimed he didn't know where the word came from and that he is not sure why he said it. Huh? How about just tell the truth George? Tell us that as a kid your Mom and Dad used that word all the time and you actually never understood what it meant. Now that you said it, and people have told you what it means you should tell them the truth. Your a dork and it should cost you your seat. As the commercial says, " People judge you by the words you use". You lose!

Having said that, how about the rhetoric from the Democrat's this election season. If we elect the Democrats we will have lower gas prices along with less dependency on foreign oil. How is that possible so soon? If we elect them they will fix Health care so that every American has coverage. How is that possible in a free market? They gonna force insurance companies to provide health care to anyone that applies to them at no cost? Or are they going to institute a Government run health care program? If so, then how do they intend on paying for it? Who is going to manage it? Imagine the cost to manage a program like that let alone the annual cost to maintain the health care rolls. Do you force Doctors to take less money, yet still have to pay huge insurance premiums for E and O coverage? As it stands now we are losing Doctors left and right because of the costs to run an operation and costs they incur to pay for litigation and malpractice insurance. Trial lawyers support the Democrat party, I wonder why? Seems like hypocrisy to me. ( I spelled it correct Chris. lol ).

How about the War's? They are going to bring all the troops home or as they now say position them "outside" the hostile zones and be ready to come in with-in a moments notice. Ok, so where ya put them? Saudi Arabia? Kuwait, UAE? According to UBL, having US troops stationed in their holy lands is why they are so damn mad at us to begin with. So where exactly is the " zone", Nebraska? Detroit? That's effective. Well, maybe the Detroit part is.

Lastly, as Robert Kennedy Jr. has claimed, George Bush has single handedly turned back the fight on global warming by 50 years. His crowd claim's that if in office they will sign the Kyoto protocol and start to reverse the damage he has done. How? Read that darn thing. We would have to close all refineries, coal plants ( read electric generating plants here ) and cut down on vehicle emissions. Do they understand that an economy runs on fuel? What exactly will we replace these sources of energy with? Nuclear? Well that would just bring out a whole new batch of ticked off people now wouldn't it! Or since they would be in power would that then be ok? Anyone but them attitude?

I am not a scientist, by far to be sure. But when I read all that I can on the subject I see one thing that no one discusses. Yes, CO 2 is a culprit in the greenhouse effect, but the largest culprit is water vapor according to every scientist. How do we fight humidity? What if we go to hydrogen vehicles? Isn't the by-product of hydrogen water? Seems like that would be the biggest threat to global warming.

Ok, so lets recap. If we elect the Democrats we will have No War, Health Care for everyone, Stop and reverse Global warming, and eliminate the need for foreign oil by making our own or doing something else they wont tell us about. Seems GREAT!!!! I'm a Democrat at heart for sure then. I want all the above and want it NOW! But, at what cost will this all be, if possible....................

How about some of the highest taxes in the history of the world. How about drilling for oil everywhere on US soil ( That's the only way to reduce dependence on foreign oil today ), how about building a wall around the entire USA and every time there is a problem in the world we ignore it and just tell the UN or whom ever that its "Not our Problem". How about another 50 nuclear power plants spread out all over the country. Net result would be the biggest depression in the history of the world. Imagine the unemployment rate if we where to do these things. There would not be enough people making enough money to pay all those tax's so they would have to raise tax's again and again and again. That would have a great impact on what's left of our economy don't you think?

Ya see, lies are lies. Whether its a goofy guy from Virginia claiming the unbelievable all the way to the talking heads from the Democrat party saying that George Bush and the Republicans are responsible for everything that's wrong with this world and by electing them they will fix it all and make us utopian perfect.

This is what is wrong with politics. Say ANYTHING to get elected. I think we are all smarter then these folks give us credit for. I'm voting for Steve Allen, not George Allen.

Jack Murphy

Update: Stevenson Ranch HOA Recall, What's the Motive?

2006-09-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

The West Ranch Beacon has uncovered more facts into the Stevenson Ranch HOA recall petition. As you have read here, the recall petition was filed by Keith Pritsker, a property owner of The Arts, and David Harvey a resident of the Diamondhead Condominium complex.

Earlier this year The Arts sub association, which Pritsker is the delegate of to the master association, became embroiled in a dispute over The Arts corner monument (pictured above). At issue was the fact that the monument was apparently not constructed within the architectural guidelines of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA). The size of the lettering and the materials used were not in keeping with the design aesthetics of the community.

As was reported on David Harvey, he apparently has had problems with The Stevenson Ranch Community Association over the past several months. The HOA minutes indicate that Mr. Harvey was called to an HOA hearing, a week before he signed the recall petition, for making threatening statements to a private HOA security officer and the contracted security company.

It is clear that both Pritsker and Harvey have had their issues with the Stevenson Ranch HOA this year. For those who attend the regular HOA meetings it appears obvious why these two individuals have spearheaded the recall of the entire HOA board. This is an action that apparently has caused confusion and anger among the master associations delegates which echoes Pritsker’s tenure on the HOA Board. It is worth noting that neither Pritsker or Harvey have attended a meaningful number of Stevenson Ranch Community Association HOA meetings over the past several years.

However, Mr. Pritsker was on the master association board up until November 2001. He was partly responsible for the hiring of the previous property manager, The Management Company, in Stevenson Ranch. He was also involved with the community fence painting project which started, no surprise, with his own neighborhood of The Arts.

The Management Company, while Pritsker was on the board, entered into a painting contract with a painter but did not use the associations painting contract as written by the HOA attorney. The painter hired under this contract did a terrible job and actually caused damage to the fences. Apparently, the painter was paid for fence lines that were not even painted! The painting contractor was fired in late 2001 and was not paid for the remaining work.

After Pritsker left the Stevenson Ranch Community Association board in 2001 The Management Company was terminated. The association’s books were left in a shambles which required the new management company to hire an extra full time person to straighten out the accounts receivable. Ultimately the association had to write off tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid receivables and appointed a committee to oversee the association’s finances.

Now, Keith Pritsker is running for a board seat on the Stevenson Ranch Community Association board. It is no wonder why some of the delegates are angered by the recall petition. There is much more to this story than meets the eye.

Exclusive: Newhall Land to Unveil New Office Buildings

2006-09-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

Next Wednesday October 4th, at the West Ranch Town Council meeting, Newhall Land and Farming Company will unveil a proposed new office building project. The project is to be developed on an approximately 9.95 acre site located at the northwest corner of the intersection of The Old Road and Magic Mountain Parkway. The proposed project would consist of two buildings (pictured above), each with approximately 100,000 square feet and four stories high and associated parking. Access to the site will be provided from The Old Road and Magic Mountain Parkway.

The project site is currently graded and vacant. The proposed project represents a modification to an already approved project for this property. Specifically, the County of Los Angeles has already approved the development of up to 200,000 square feet of office and hotel. The hotel is not proposed to be built at this time.

West Ranch Town Council October Agenda

2006-09-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

The West Ranch Town Council will holds it's regularly monthly meeting on Wednesday October 4, 2006 at the Southern Oaks Community Center. The meeting will begin at 6:30 PM and will feature guest speaker Carl Boyer. Mr. Boyer will give a brief overview of his book on the formation of the City of Santa Clarita followed by question and answers.

West Ranch Town Council Agenda Wednesday October 4th

A. Call to Order/Roll Call

B. Approval of August Minutes

C. Treasurer Report and Banking Update

D. County Updates
1. Doug Newell Parks and Rec
2. Sheriff's Liaison
3. CHP Liaison
4. Bob Haueter LA County- Good Guys Update, La Quinta Update
5. Lennar/Newhall Land- Update

E. Carl Boyer/ City of Santa Clarita Book

F. 1.Discuss Castaic Vision Committee position
2. Discuss potential appointment to vacant council seat
3. November -Attorney Scott Campell on the Brown Act, December Larry
Mankin/Chris Fall SCV Chamber
4. Update to organize a Town Hall meeting with Castaic TC, Aqua Dulce TC, and
Supervisor Antonovich. Date, time, location TBD

G. Committee Reports

1. Election 2008
2. Security/Public Safety
3. Governmental Relations
a. Homeless Shelter Task Force
b. Westridge HOA and TPC issues Update
4. Westridge and Southern Oaks Liaisons
5. Sunset Point Liaison

H. Old Business

I. Public Comment

J. Adjournment

Update: West Ranch Power Outage

2006-09-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

The outage in Stevenson Ranch, as reported here, was caused by an underground equipment failure last Saturday evening. Southern California Edison responded by switching circuits and getting customers power restored.

The extend of equipment damage is currently being reviewed. Edison may have to have a planned outage to repair some of the underground equipment within the next few weeks. More information will be posted when it becomes available.

Apostles of the Blogosphere

2006-09-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

In today’s Financial Times there is a terrific article in the commentary and analysis section entitled “Apostles of the Blogosphere” by Gideon Rachman. If you click on the headline above it will link you to the article on the Financial Times web site.

It is an interesting article that comments on how “bloggers are…….holding the Goliaths of the Media and the political world to account", which was right on the mark. The article discusses how some world political figures are now using blogs including Sen. Hillary Clinton, Tory Party Leader David Miliband and President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad of Iran.

Some of these political bloggers have been successful and others have not. A great example of what not to say on a blog was a posting by the Prime Minister of Hungary, Ferenc Gyurcsary, who “confessed to lying constantly to get elected; a revelation that prompted riots in Budapest.”

Imagine that, a Politian lying to get elected! Check it out; the article is a great read.

Lennar quarterly profit, outlook sharply lowered

2006-09-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Reuters is reporting, on Yahoo Finance, that due to a steeper-then-expected drop in the U.S. housing market Lennar Corp.'s quarterly profit was pushed down 39 percent and prompted the home builder on Tuesday to slash its fourth-quarter forecast. Responding to a deteriorating market, some large U.S. builders have pulled back on the number of homes they build to protect their gross margins. But Lennar has pursued a different course -- trading margin for volume.

The larger publicly traded builders, which comprise about 23 percent to 25 percent of the new home market, are suffering along with the rest of the sector. According to the U.S.Commerce Department, home starts fell 19.8 percent in August compared with a year earlier to their lowest level in more than three years.

Click on the headline above for the complete story at Yahoo Finance.

Update: West Ranch Council Meeting

2006-09-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

The West Ranch Town Council will have their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday October 4th at 6:30 PM. The council meets at the Southern Oaks Community Center in the heart of the Southern Oaks neighborhood off of Pico Canyon.

Carl Boyer will be the guest speaker at the October meeting. He’ll discuss his book on the formation of the City of Santa Clarita. Mr. Boyer’s presentation will be followed by a brief question and answer session.

The meeting will also have regular updates from the County, Sheriff’s department, Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Fire as well as Parks and Recreation. The full agenda for the October meeting will be posted on this blog site soon.

Yes, I’m an Awful Speller!

2006-09-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading this blog for sometime you’ve no doubt noticed that there are occasionally some misspelled words. Simply put, I am an awful speller; always have been, always will be! Sadly though, that is something that some of the snarky idiots in the valley just love to jump on and pound.

I view people who want to harp on something like a misspelled word as small minded. They are missing the point of an article because of a misspelled word, a kink in the armor to attack. These are the folks that don’t have much in the way of intellectual depth. They have to go after you on something as simple as a misspelled word or show off their academic prowess at cutting and pasting a definition.

Better yet, if they read what you wrote they’ll respond to it by bringing up something that isn’t even in the article. Their not interested in acknowledging that they agree with you, they’ll dredge up something that you wrote in another piece and keep twisting on it. That is the sign of someone that can’t move on. They can’t just agree to disagree.

Sure I use spell check all the time, but even then a word or two slips through. String me up at the nearest tree! By the way, the Blogger spell check is just terrible. Even I can tell that it is bad!!!

But guess what? I have always acknowledged that I’m a terrible speller. So what! If you continue to read this blog be rest assured that, from time to time, there will be misspelled words. Get over it!

Dave Bossert

Power Outage in West Ranch Saturday

2006-09-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

There was a major electrical black out on Saturday evening which affected a large portion of West Ranch. All of Southern Oaks, The Stevenson Ranch Market Place and a large swath of Stevenson Ranch were without power for hours.

Apparently a transformer blew out in one of the underground vaults in the community. Residents were using flashlights to get around their homes and made the best of the outage. Others took advantage of the situation by un-corking a bottle of wine and having a romantic evening by candlelight.

Traffic lights were out at major intersections including Pico Canyon and The Old Road, Constitution and Pico Canyon, Stevenson Ranch Parkway at Pico and at Poe Parkway. Some of the signal lights were still out on Sunday morning but were back to normal by Sunday afternoon.

Naked Woman in JK Park

2006-09-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, September 21st, a homeless woman apparently disrobed in order to change clothes. The nude woman was spotted in the Jake K. park by yard duty personnel from the nearby Pico Canyon Elementary School.

Although it was in the morning prior to school beginning, there were children being dropped of at the elementary school early. Typically the children arriving early would head out to the playground for fun and games before school started. However, because of the naked homeless woman, the school personnel had all the children go into the multi-purpose room instead.

Total Jackasses: The Signal Blows it Once Again!

2006-09-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

I was originally going to title this commentary “The Signal: Jackass 3” but I didn’t want to disparage the Paramount Pictures movie franchise that was debuting this weekend. Non-the less, the editors and managers (if you can call them that) are complete and utter jackasses for the front-page article that was printed in the Saturday, September 23, 2006 edition of the Signal.

It was the West Ranch Beacon, this blog, which first reported on the recall of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association Board. The Signal does not even have the decentcy or the integrity to acknowledge sources for stories that they run. In fact, when the reporter from the Signal called to get more information (yes, the reporters call on a regular basis) about my blog posting on the HOA recall I specifically requested that the Beacon be sited as the source for the story.

I have no doubt that the reporter put the Beacon as the source into her story only to have it edited out by the dirt-bags running that inked stained wad of recycled garbage. Further, the final article appears to be so edited that it is factually incorrect for the most part and heavily biased to one side. As history has shown this is typical of that local rag, which over the years has continued to get the facts wrong, and regularly misquotes local individuals.

What is shocking is the level of wrong information and outright lies that are peppered throughout the Signal article. It refers to Lynette Finley as the property manager for the Stevenson Ranch Community Association, which is completely false. Ms. Finley is a resident and board member of the association. Euclid Property Management is the current manager of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA).

The article goes on to blame her for raised dues and fewer services, which is false. Lynette was part of a board of directors that voted collectively for any increase in dues. For the most part, the board has voted unanimously on almost all proposed dues increases. The Stevenson Ranch Community Association dues are among the lowest in the area at only $33 a month paid quarterly.

As far as services are concerned, the association seems to have increased services and benefits to the community since Mr. Pritsker’s tenue on the board. One thing for sure, the legal expenses for the association have declined since Pritsker’s involvement ended.

Mr. Pritsker is quoted as complaining about the fences in the association “rotting” when in fact the fence maintenance was started under his watch as an association board member. During which time the board, including Pritsker, and the previous managers from The Management Compamy appear to have mishandled the entire project costing the association members thousands of dollars. Mr. Pritsker needs to take as much responsibility for the failures to properly maintain the association fences as he is freely hoisting on Ms. Finley.

As for David Harvey, he apparently has had problems with The Stevenson Ranch Community Association over the past several months. The HOA minutes indicate that Mr. Harvey was called to an HOA hearing, a week before he signed the recall petition, for making threatening statements to a private HOA security officer and the contracted security company. It appears that his motivation for the recall may be different then he stated in the Signal article .

The article goes on to claim it could not reach Lynette on Friday afternoon for comment. This is an outright lie! The Signal called Ms. Finley and myself to get comments on the recall. Lynette actually called me after speaking to the Signal reporter mid-afternoon on Friday, September 22nd!

The Signal article is so incomplete it should be considered fiction, and bad fiction at that. Once again, the local paper drops the ball on getting the facts straight for a relatively simple story. The Signal is a complete disgrace as a local paper as it continues to short change our community on factual information. One has to ask, that if the Signal blatantly lied and misrepresented the facts in the article on the recall, how can you trust anything that they print?

Dave Bossert
Rooting out facts and Exposing the Frauds

Mike Cruz: A Veiw From D.C. Memorials

2006-09-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

I recently visited our nation's capitol, with a large group of people from Santa Clarita. Prior to meeting with congressional staff, we were able to have a day to do some sight seeing. I have never been to Washington, D.C., and was impressed, when I saw with my own eyes the various memorials, the Capitol and the Supreme Court. I didn't get a chance to walk by the White House- maybe next time.

During our tour, we walked over to several of the War memorials. After reading some of the quotes at the World War II memorial, I observed a veteran in a wheelchair, surrounded by loved ones. At this time, I began to wonder what he was thinking, which then got me thinking about several veterans in my family.

My grandfather Samuel Mendoza (who lived in the Santa Clarita Valley, during the 1940s and 1950s) served in World War II. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was only three years old. I asked my Mother, if he ever spoke about the war. She replied that she could not recall a specific conversation with him.

My wife's grandfather Jack Stephenson also served in World War II and he stormed the beaches on D-day. During the several years that I knew him he never spoke about his experiences in the war, instead he attempted to teach me without success, how to eat spaghetti and meatballs, in which you wrap the pasta around the meatball, he learned this well while he was stationed in Italy.

My Uncle Mike Upton served in the Vietnam War, During my entire life, he has never spoken about the war. However, if you look in the den of his house, you will see that he pays homage to those he served with.

What am I getting at? I don't want to say that I found respect for veterans, because I already have the highest admiration for those who served and to Quote President Lincoln for those who "gave the last full measure of devotion." I experienced a deeper feeling for all those who have served in our military. I cannot begin to understand the experiences they must have lived through or the horrors of war that they witnessed. I can only thank them for answering our nation's call.

I was also deeply moved by the following quotes, which were inscribed in the World War II memorial:

"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices."

President Harry S. Truman

"They fought together as brothers-in-arms. They died together and now they sleep side by side. To them we have a solemn obligation."

Admiral Chester A. Nimitz.

It doesn't seem possible, but come March 2007, the military will have been in Iraq for four years. In addition to The Signal, I read another newspaper, which publishes a list of soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq. After reading their names and their obituaries, I say a special prayer for them and their loved ones.

Based upon my experience in Washington, D.C., I can honestly say that Memorial Day and Veterans Day will take on a new meaning for me. It will no longer be about a three-day weekend or an excuse to barbeque, but instead I will reflect on our nation's military and the sacrifices they made on our behalf with a newfound feeling that words alone cannot express.

Michael Cruz
Santa Clarita

West Ranch Council Shows Support in Castaic

2006-09-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

There was an overflow crowd for the regular monthly Castaic Town Council meeting in Castaic last night. The hot agenda items were a presentation by the Hart School District regarding the proposed Castaic High School and a presentation by developer Sun Cal on the North Lake housing development which would include the new high school.

In attendance to show their support were members of the West Ranch Town Council including Vice President Ron Mechsner, Treasurer James Zimmerman, liaison to the Castaic Vision Committee Randall Winter, and newly installed Council President David Bossert. The West Ranch Council voiced its support for not only the proposed new high school but also for the Castaic Town Council and vowed to lend their help in anyway possible.

At the conclusion of the Hart School District presentation various Castaic Council members asked some pointed questions regarding the recent delays in moving the new high school project along. Clearly a number of the council members were annoyed and frustrated with the delays. There was some finger pointing but all agreed on the urgency of getting the project back on track.

Several members of the school district and the developer emphasized looking towards the future and driving toward the goal of getting the new high school opened by August of 2010. Sun Cal, the developer, was committed to doing whatever was needed to get a construction ready pad ready to turn over to the school district by March of 2008. The proposed Castaic High School will cost approximately $130 million to construct.

Update: Magic Mountain Parkway / I-5 Interchange Improvements

2006-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

The construction for the Magic Mountain Parkway/I-5 interchange improvements is underway! The general contractor, Security Paving Construction, is currently constructing a rectangular shaped storm drain box, which is located west of The Old Road. The completion of the entire storm drain box and the outlet structure should take about 12 months.

The improvements involve various construction activities in the City, Los Angeles County, and Caltrans' jurisdictions. Soon, we will be constructing retaining walls along the southbound I-5 on and off ramp at Magic Mountain Parkway, to be followed by widening of portions of the ramps. The work should take about 12 months to complete. In addition, we will be constructing retaining walls at the corner property of the northbound I-5 off ramp to Magic Mountain Parkway, which will take place in the summer of 2007.

There are a total of 11 phases for these improvements. Currently, we are on Phase 2 of the construction and this phase alone will take approximately 12 to 15 months to complete. During this phase, existing ramps, at least one lane, and local roadways (Magic Mountain Parkway and The Old Road) will be open for vehicular traffic.

Please check the City of Santa Clarita's website at www.santa-clarita.com or the project hotline (661) 290-2297, for any extended major lane closures, detours, or news associated with this project.

WM/Blue Barrel Temporarily Suspend Food Waste Recycling Program

2006-09-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Santa Clarita, September 20, 2006 - Waste Management/Blue Barrel has temporarily suspended the new food waste recycling program in the City of Santa Clarita program because of permit issues.

The County of Los Angeles has informed our local processor that they can no longer accept greenwaste that has been co-mingled with food waste. The company had been taking the material and composting it and processing it into soil and mulch. Residents are encouraged to continue to recycle green waste.

Recycling has always been a major priority for Waste Management. Not only does recycling help save valuable landfill space, it also helps protect the health of the environment and surrounding community. Waste Management and the City of Santa Clarita are continuously working together to increase the recycling efforts in the community. We strongly encourage residents to participate of all our or recycling programs.

Residents can continue to contribute to the recycling circle by placing loose yard waste materials in the charcoal gray 96-gallon greenwaste container alongside their trash and recycling carts, which will be picked up on the regularly scheduled service day.

Each Santa Clarita household is provided with one gray cart with a green lid for proper disposal of recyclable materials. We ask residents to participate each in recycling by placing glass, aluminum, and plastics in the container provided and place it at the curb on the regularly scheduled service day. If residents have more recycling than will fit in your cart, it's okay to place an extra container of your own or extra bundles of cardboard and newspaper along-side your carts. "Recycle" stickers to place on your own container are available for free by calling our Customer Service center at (661) 259-2398 to request them. Cardboard and newspaper must be cut and bundled no larger than 4'x4' in diameter and placed next to your bins.

Reminder: Meeting Regarding New High School Tonight

2006-09-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

The Hart School District Board will be meeting regarding the proposed new High School in the Northlake area of Castaic. The meeting tonight, Wednesday September 20th, will feature Paul Strickland the President of the Hart School District Board giving an overview of the proposed plan. The meeting begins at 6:30 at the Castaic School Board offices, 28131 Livingston Ave, Castaic.

Poll Shows Growing Support For Nuclear Energy Use

2006-09-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

(NewsUSA) - Summer days bring high temperatures and expensive electricity bills, and often the electricity grid is pushed to the point of rolling blackouts. Winter's cooler temperatures can put stress on the system as well.

It's apparent that the demand for more electricity is growing. Part of the solution for meeting that demand is nuclear energy.

A new public opinion poll conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates on behalf of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition shows strong national support for nuclear energy. However, the survey reveals that many Americans don't know enough about the country's future energy needs or the benefits of nuclear energy.

"There is a need for education to inform people that nuclear energy enhances security and, as the only major electricity source that does not emit greenhouse gases, protects the environment," said Patrick Moore, CASEnergy Coalition co-chair and co-founder and former leader of Greenpeace.

Americans see a need for electricity production solutions that focus on affordability, energy independence and environmental stewardship, the survey found. According to the poll, 76 percent of Americans do not believe enough is being done to increase affordable electricity supplies for the future. In addition, 69 percent do not believe enough is being done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution associated with electricity production.

Nuclear energy's attributes - protecting the environment and enhancing America's energy security - address people's concerns about electricity production in the future. Support for nuclear energy grew 40 percent after people learned that nuclear plants emit zero greenhouse gases or controlled air pollutants.

"I am convinced that as people learn more about nuclear energy, they will come to share my certainty that increasing America's supply of nuclear energy makes sense from an environmental and an economic standpoint," said Christine Todd Whitman, CASEnergy Coalition co-chair and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

New High School for Castaic

2006-09-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Hart School District is planning on adding a new High School to the Castaic area by 2010. On Wednesday night September 20th, Paul Strickland the President of the Hart School District Board will be giving an overview of the proposed plan at the Castaic School Board offices, 28131 Livingston Ave, Castaic.

The plan has finally gained the support of all parties including the developer in the area SunCal, the Castaic Town Council, the School Boards and The West Ranch Town Council. The proposed new High School will alleviate the potential future overcrowding of the West Ranch High School on Valencia Blvd. in Westridge.

Currently, high school students from the Castaic area are attending the West Ranch High School. With current growth trends, there is a potential of 800 more students flowing into the West Ranch High School in the coming years if plans for the additional High School in Castaic were nixed.

HOA Combines Recall and Annual Meeting

2006-09-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Stevenson Ranch Community Association has combined the recently petitioned recall of the board and the annual meeting. The recall of the board is now scheduled to be addressed at the beginning of the annual meeting and the outcome of the recall will dictate the remainder of the meeting.

The annual meeting was to originally be held in October but was moved to November because of procedural issues. At the October meeting there was to be an election to fill three board seats that were being vacated by the developer. That changed when a recall petition was filed by Keith Pritsker and David Harvey, two of the master association delegates.

The bylaws allow for a recall of the entire board if 5% of the homeowners petition for it. Apparently, Pritsker and Harvey represent enough homeowners in The Arts and Diamondhead neighborhoods to make the 5% requirement. Some delegates are questioning the validity of the petition and whether or not Mr. Pritisker was an actual delegate or an alternate at the time the petition was submitted.

The general sense around the community is that a move is a foot to grab control of the Stevenson Community Association. Some current delegates are questioning the motivation of Pritsker since he is only a property owner and no longer a resident of Stevenson Ranch.

Many may recall that Pritsker was a member of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association some years ago and was one of the board members responsible for bringing in The Management Company to manage the master association. That was apparently a very dark period for the HOA in which there were accusations of mismanagement and incompetence. It took the current board and new management company a number of years to clean up records, accounts and various issues in the wake of that period.

This will no doubt be a developing story over the next few months. The process and outcome is being watched widely by many both inside and outside the Stevenson Ranch community.

Pulskamp to Speak About Canyon Country

2006-09-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday September 20, 2006, City Manager Ken Pulskamp will be attending the Canyon Country Advisory Committee meeting to discuss issues and ideas related to Canyon Country. At the meeting, Mr. Pulskamp will be speaking about current and planned projects for the Canyon Country area. This is a free event and the public is invited to attend.

The meeting will take place at 7:00 pm at the Sports Complex Center located at 20850 Center Pointe Parkway in the George Caravalho Banquet room.

For further information, please contact Al Ferdman at 661.713.9344 or via e-mail at fermanda@dslextreme.com

Yes, Government Needs to be More Like Business

2006-09-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well here we go again! In the past, I have written several pieces where I proposed the thesis that any annexation had to be a “negotiation”. Several people have hammered me on that stance by espousing liberal and communist doctrine on how everything has to be equal, that if you get something than I have to get it as well, etc.

The other day there was a small piece in the news about the oil drilling leases off the Gulf Coast. Maybe you saw it in which it was widely reported that the leases did not have any royalty increase pegged to the price of crude. The leases called for a flat royalty fee to the US Government per barrel of oil pumped. As the price per barrel climbed over the past year or so there was no additional revenue income to our government.

What that means is that we, the US taxpayer/citizen have lost out on BILLIONS of dollars in potential royalty payments. We lost out because a government bureaucrat didn’t have the skill set to “negotiate” a fair lease agreement. Wouldn’t it have been great if the Federal Government was able get a qualified and skilled negotiator to handle these lease agreements? Maybe the feds should ask Donald Trump next time around!

Instead, the oil companies are reaping billions in profits. I don’t hold any grudge against these oil companies because they probably sent in their best and most skilled executives to negotiate on behalf of the oil companies and its owners, the shareholders. The companies got the best value legally for the shareholders; they did their job.

It is examples like this that showcases why governments should be run more like a business; albeit a not for profit business. This is why residents in the unincorporated areas of Santa Clarita should be asking a lot of questions and comparing services. It is also legitimate to look at the tax revenue being generated, like that along The Old Road commercial corridor, as bargaining chip as well.

The residents in Castaic and West Ranch need to continue to ask tough questions in the continued investigation into the self-determination options of annexation, incorporation or remaining in the county. Failing to do so will result in the possible loss of services and amenities that otherwise could have been “negotiated”.

Dave Bossert

Jack is Back: Who are the real Hypocrites ?

2006-09-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

After a couple week break to welcome his new daughter into the world, Jack Murphy is back with both barrels blazing. As I was reading Jack's latest column all I could do was smile and nod in agreement. Welcome back Jack!!

These days we hear the mantra of the far left loud and clear. And they are party correct. We are running out of fossil fuels. If you have a limited, non-reclaimable natural resource you WILL at some point run out of it. We all also concur that by acquiring most of our oil from the Middle East it is in someway or another helping monetarily fuel radical terrorists and crazy madrassas all over the world.

For a while the far left blamed the SUV for this problem. Claiming all SUV owners were helping fuel the terrorists, or what they really meant to say was that the SUV's were burning more gas due to low MPG's and using more oil and thus exacerbating the effects of global warming. Ok, fair enough argument.

Alas, since we have now seen with our own eyes these very same environmentalists driving around in their SUV's, the former president of the Sierra Club cutting down old growth trees in his own back yard so he could build a pool or something, they have cooled their heels a bit. Why? Because we get it. When know what you on the far left mean now and you KNOW we know. Your mantra really is " do as I say, not as I do".

I don't begrudge ANYONE the car of their choice. It is legal to drive a Hummer so great, if you can afford it, go and drive a Hummer. If you want to spend all that money on gas for that thing have at it. If you want to drive a scooter, great. have fun, but wear a coat when it rains.

I have 2 SUV's. 95% of the time they sit on the driveway and every now and then I go out to start them just to keep them alive. I love to drive them and occasionally I do. However, I work out of the house and am lucky because I only fill up at a gas station once every few months. But, most of the time when I do head out I take my car. A 1966 Volkswagen Bug. I get 30 plus miles per gallon. My wife, well, she drives a Prius and gets about 40 miles per gallon. We are Republicans. I have a compost pile and the reason my yard looks so good is that I use my compost in it.

I see a few local environmentalists and local far left folks in their SUV's driving around town. The same people who claim the air out here is rotten and blame me, a Republican for this poor air quality. I read Gary Horton's article in the paper the other day about how he is driving around in his 1995 Corvette. This is the same guy who says Bush went into Iraq for oil, who says we need less dependence on oil and need alternatives. Driving around in a Vette getting 10 miles to the gallon. Telling us it is costing his company 3 times as much money to fuel their air polluting landscape vehicles and he is fed up. Where is Rod Serling?

In closing I would like to end with this simple answer to all of our woes. Gary, get a Honda!

Jack Murphy

U.S. Immigration Policy Ignores Economic Reality

2006-09-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

By Deborah Notkin (NewsUSA) - The root of the current crisis of undocumented immigration is a fundamental disconnect between today's economic and labor market realities and an outdated system of legal immigration.

Undocumented immigration is driven in large part by a U.S. labor market that is creating a higher demand for less-skilled workers than is being met by the native-born labor force or by the current legal limits on immigration.

As the past decade and a half of failed federal border-enforcement efforts make clear, immigration policies that ignore these larger economic forces merely drive migration underground rather than effectively regulate it.

In short, there is an unsustainable contradiction between U.S. economic and immigration policy, with economics winning. The problem is a broken immigration system that sends the dual messages "Keep Out" and "Help Wanted" to foreign workers.

The U.S. economy continues to create large numbers of less-skilled jobs even as native-born workers grow older and better educated and are increasingly unavailable to fill such jobs.

Yet the federal government continues to impose outdated numerical caps and other restrictions on immigration that bear little relationship to the economic realities of our time.

As a result, enforcement resources are devoted in large part to trying to stem the labor migration the U.S. economy attracts and which is an outcome of globalization. Despite the critical role immigrants play in filling less-skilled jobs, America offers few opportunities under the current immigration system for them to come to the U.S. legally.

There is a similar bottleneck for low-skilled workers who seek temporary, employment-based visas. Of the 16 different types of temporary immigrant visas available for employment and training in the United States, only two -; H2A and H2B -; are available to workers with little or no formal training. Moreover, the total number of H2B visas that can be awarded in a year is capped at 66,000.

Only a truly comprehensive approach will work, one that includes a process by which undocumented immigrants already living and working in the United States can apply for legal status, as well as the creation of a temporary worker program with stringent protections for both temporary workers themselves and native-born workers.

Lawmakers must tackle the issue of undocumented immigration with less rhetoric and more realism. Continuing the status quo by trying to enforce immigration policies that are at war with the U.S. and global economies will do nothing to address the underlying problem. Nor is it feasible to wall off the United States from the rest of the world.

The most practical option is to bring U.S. immigration policy in line with the realities of the U.S. labor market and an increasingly transnational economy.

Deborah Notkin is president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Traffic in the City Backing Up

2006-09-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had to drive over to the Best Buy off of Newhall Ranch Road and I mad the mistake of going down Valencia Blvd. Take about Traffic! I could not believe the amount of cars on the roads in the city and the backups at various intersections.

The City of Santa Clarita has a relatively sophisticated traffic light system that has a control room right in City Hall. My question; is anyone using that room to actually control the traffic flow around the City? Last Saturday it certainly did appear so!

But this wasn’t the first time that I’ve noticed this kind of traffic at various intersections. Anyone who commutes home down Valencia Blvd will no doubt agree that traffic is awful at the Valencia Blvd/McBean Parkway intersection on any weekday evening between 4:30 and 7:00 PM. Why has the City not done anything about this? Why isn’t the City adjusting the traffic flow using that sophisticated traffic signal system they have?

The City should be adjusting the lights to accommodate the build up that is happening at some of these major intersections around town. From what the City officials have said in the past they can control the signal times as needed. Many of these intersections have cameras on them that feed video back to the City hall control room.

Trying to make a left turn at some of these intersections is ridiculous during certain times of the day. I have, on a number of, had to sit through two or three cycles of the traffic signal in order to get through. That, my friends, is worse than a recent visit to Tokyo or Taipei!

City officials could and should be doing a better job at keeping the traffic flowing around the city streets. They appear to have the system in place, now they just need to use it efficiently and to its fullest potential.

Easy Ways to Save Energy in the Home

2006-09-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

(NewsUSA) - The average American family will spend more than $2,000 on home utility bills this year, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

"Energy savings is on everyone's mind," says Beau Parker, vice president of marketing at Hunter Fan Co. "With the inflation of gasoline and electricity prices, consumers are seeking energy-efficient measures to help control the rising energy costs." The Department of Energy estimates that as much as 45 percent of home energy usage is dedicated to heating and cooling.

Here are some ways to save on energy bills now:

* Use ceiling fans to supplement air conditioning and heating. Ceiling fans help lower winter heating costs when run in a clockwise, or updraft, direction. The hot air trapped at ceiling level is recirculated, allowing more even, comfortable heating while reducing winter bills by up to 10 percent.

* Clean or replace dirty furnace filters monthly. Dirty filters block airflow through heating and cooling systems, increasing costs and shortening the equipment's life span.

* Lower the thermostat on your water heater to a warm setting of 120 F. Almost 15 percent of average energy bills go toward heating water. Also, use an insulation blanket, which will hold heat inside the tank longer.

* Unplug or switch devices off when not in use, including cell phone chargers and computers. Nationally, the Alliance to Save Energy estimates that 5 percent of energy is used by such devices, costing consumers more than $8 billion annually.

To benefit from long-term efficiency, try these tips:

* Install a programmable thermostat to automatically control heating and air conditioning, allowing energy savings while sleeping or away from home. A thermostat adjusted 10 degrees for eight hours will save approximately 10 percent on utility bills. Hunter offers digital programmable thermostats that are Energy Star-compliant and pre-programmed to Energy Star standards.

* Get a professional home energy audit to thoroughly assess how much energy your home consumes and highlight problems that, when corrected, may save significant amounts of money and energy over time. Contact state or local energy offices for recommendations on qualified auditors.

Fish Wrap Less Stinky

2006-09-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

Well a funny thing has been happening lately, the local “newspaper” which I have affectionately dubbed the Fish Wrap has actually been covering the West Ranch area. It seems that months of my hammering the knuckle draggers that run that paper on this blog have finally started to payoff with a little coverage of our community.

My friend and neighbor has been handing me a few more articles than normal from The Signal regarding our community. In fact, there was a reporter and a photographer from the fish wrap at the September West Ranch Town Council meeting on Wednesday the 6th.

Instead of ripping some of us over annexation they actually printed a story on Paul Ash’s last Council meeting. There was even a photo of Paul receiving the award that was presented to him by the Town Council. What was even more amazing was that the article was reasonably factual!

As with any effort, there is still much work to be done. We will continue to shake it up a bit and keep bringing you, our loyal readers, more insights and news pertaining to our community. In the process, you’ll see greater changes happen around us which we are witnessing with the fish wraps increased coverage of the West Ranch area.

I can’t help but think that this blog, The West Ranch Beacon, is somewhat like air freshener. We have been bringing useful news and commentary to the West Ranch area and the Valley on topics of interest for some time. So much so, that the local papers are reading this blog site daily looking for possible ideas and stories. It’s been a breath of fresh air to many local residents. We are succeeding in making the local fish wrap just a little less stinky!

Dave Bossert

Delegates in Ranch Angry

2006-09-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

A number of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association delegates are angry at the recently announced recall of the board. The Stevenson Ranch Community Association is the master homeowners association that manages a large portion of the Stevenson Ranch area.

The recall petition was filed by Keith Pritsker a property owner in The Arts neighborhood and David Harvey a resident of the Diamondhead Condominiums. Questions have been raised by community members as to whether Mr. Pritsker was The Arts delegate or the alternate delegate when the petition was filed. If he was the alternate delegate at the time then apparently the petition would be invalid.

Further questions are being raised regarding the moving of the annual meeting to November from its original October time slot and the combining of the annual meeting with the recall election. Several delegates are questioning the procedural legalities of the current schedule of meetings.

Further confusing delegates is the emergency meeting scheduled for Wednesday September 13 at the IHOP. Many residents were caught unaware of this hastily arranged master association meeting. Many are angry at the apparent waste of time and community funds that are going into what appears to be political jockeying for control of the Stevenson Ranch Community Association.

SCV Chamber to Give Campaign '06 Briefing

2006-09-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce will be holding a special Political Action Committee campaign briefing on Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at Valencia Country Club beginning at 5:30P.M. The Master of Ceremonies will be Councilman Cameron Smyth and the special guest speaker will be Mark Watts, former California Undersecretary Business, Housing and Transportation. Mr. Watts will be providing an update on the key November 7 ballot measures.

The event will raise funds for the SCV Chamber PAC and will be used to promote pro business candidates and issues in the Santa Clarita Valley. Donation levels are at the Century ($100.), Sustaining ($500.) or Founding Member ($1000.). Once you’ve contributed toward the SCV Chamber Pac, you will be able to attend all future events in 2006-2007 sponsored by the PAC at no additional charge. The SCV Chamber PAC will be hosting at least one more event in October prior to the November 7th election. RSVP by Email to huntb@hackerbraly.com or call Hunt Braly at 661-259-6800 if you have any questions.

2006-09-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

Where were you on 9/11?

2006-09-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

There are events in ones life that occur that are unforgettable. Moments in which you can remember exactly every detail as if you are watching it in your minds eye in living color. That’s exactly what the events of 9-11-2001 are to me and so many others. If you are from New York then it becomes a “degrees of separation” as to whom or how many folks you know that were directly affected by those terror attacks that day.

That day started like any other work day for me; I was up early and left the house for the office around 5:30 or so. I flipped on the radio to Star 98.7 and was listening to music until the DJ, Danny, came on and said it looked like an accident had just happened at the World Trade Centers in New York. They thought a plane had hit one of the towers. I called my wife and asked her to turn on CNN and see if there was any better information.

When I got to work I immediately turned on the television in my office and shortly after that watch in total disbelief as the second plane slammed into tower two in lower Manhattan. It was at that moment that I think everyone realized that we were under attack.

The only thing that ran through my mind was where my sister, Caroline, was because she worked at a brokerage house in the City. Did my sister take the train in through lower Manhattan that morning or did she go across the 59th Street Bridge? She use to mix up her commute route on a regular basis as it was more interesting to her. I also was flashing on some friends and relatives that, at the time, were FDNY & NYPD. Were any of our relatives or friends responding to this horrific incident?

As I stood in front of the television, I was alternating between calling my sister on her cell phone and calling my wife. I couldn’t get through to my sister. Each time I spoke to my wife there were more and more neighbors huddled around our TV at home. I found out later that some thieves stole the cable routers from the underground vaults in our neighborhood the night before. Most of the area was without TV! We were one of the few families on the street with satellite television at the time.

My office started to fill up with colleagues watching the news coverage. A Studio Security host popped his head in and said that the studio was shutting down for the day and that everyone should go home. I decided that I didn’t want to leave at least until I had gotten a hold of my sister. Eventually, Caroline got through to me and let me know that she was okay. They were evacuating her building and that she was headed up town by foot to cross over the 59th Street Bridge into Queens and then home.

Once I knew she was okay I headed back to my home in Stevenson Ranch to be with my family and to trade calls with family members all over the east coast. We had a cousin at the Pentagon, friends and family all over the City. It was a constant round of calls coming in and calls being made trying to find out information and to pass it as well.

In the end, a couple that were friends of my mother-in-law were on Flight 11 out of Boston. The weekend before they were at her house having dinner and discussing their trip to Los Angeles to visit their daughter. A photographer that my wife had worked with was on one of the other flights, as was a classmate of my brother-in-law. All in all, our family knew five people on those fateful flights that morning.

Before September 11th most people only knew the World Trade centers as being some of the tallest buildings in the world. Some even thought they were the tallest buildings still but knew little else about these structures.

The World Trade Center was conceived in the early 1960s by the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Development Association to revitalize the seedy radio row dominated by electronic stores. Chase Manhattan Bank chairman David Rockefeller, founder of the development association, and his brother, then New York governor Nelson Rockefeller, pushed hard for the project, insisting it would benefit the entire city.

In order to create the 16-acre World Trade Center site, five streets were closed off and 164 buildings were demolished. Construction required the excavation of more than 1.2 million cubic yards of earth, which was used to create 23.5 acres of land along the Hudson River, now part of Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. During the peak construction, 3,500 people worked at the site. A total of 10,000 people worked on the towers; 60 died during its construction.

I can remember my father taking me, my brother, and sisters up to the observation deck of Tower 2 on the 107th floor. It was spectacular! On a clear day, and it was really clear when we went, we were told that you could see up to 55 miles out in any direction. Most summer days you could see the twin towers sticking up on the horizon 35 miles or so away at Jones Beach on Long Island.

As often as I go back to New York over the past five years I still have not gone down to ground zero. Too me it’s like not wanting to go to a funeral; I’d much rather have the memories of an old friend when they were alive and well.

When I do go back to New York, like I did last month, I always go down to Jones Beach and take a walk along the boardwalk. Regardless of the time of year, and it is usually winter more often than not, it is refreshing to walk along the beach and it always brings back great memories. Out of habit, I always look off to the west towards New York City to see the two towers. These days when I close my eyes I can still see them out there on the horizon like the memory of an old friend.

Dave Bossert

Another Elementary School for West Ranch

2006-09-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning updated the West Ranch Town Council on Wednesday evening regarding proposed developments on the property south of Pico Canyon and west of The Old Road. There were 5 parcel of land in varying sizes and with different owners all with planned housing developments.

This overview highlighted the fact that there will be a need for another elementary school. Representatives of the Newhall School District including Superintendent Dr. Winger and Board members Steve Tannahill and Mike McGrath were on hand to discuss progress in planning for another school.

The School district has reached a tentative agreement with the various developers on a new ten acre school site located south east of Southern Oaks in a currently undeveloped area. The School Board is being proactive so that a new school can be in place to accommodate the potential influx of students from these proposed housing tracks.

Of course, when the school actually gets built is contingent on area real estate market conditions. The market is clearly in a cyclical downturn as evidenced by the exploding inventory in the Santa Clarita Valley as well as the recent spat of warnings from national homebuilders.

911; Is This What Happened?

2006-09-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

With the five year anniversary of 9/11 coming up on Monday the West Ranch Beacon will run a few essays that look at those terror attacks from different view points. Today we feature a piece by J. Schipper that explores four very different theories behind the attacks on September 11th.

There have been thousands of articles written on the events surrounding 9/11, and the avalanche does not seem to be slowing down.

There are basically four main streams of thought surrounding 9/11, each with its own group of followers who are convinced they know the truth.

The first group believes the official version of 9/11 : the attack was done under the direction of Saudi mastermind Osama Bin Laden by 19 Arab hijackers who used box cutters to hijack four passenger jets and turn them into flying bombs. United Airlines flights 11 and 175 crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center while a third, American Airlines flight 77, hit the Pentagon. A fourth airplane, United Airlines Flight 93, was heading towards the White House but crashed into a Pennsylvania field after several heroic passengers said "Let's roll" and struggled with the hijackers. The twin towers burned and collapsed due to the stress of the impact and the heat generated by burning jet fuel. Warnings which might have allowed the authorities to prevent the attack were lost in the bureaucratic maze of large, overburdened intelligence agencies such as the CIA.

People in this group feel that the government does its honest best to preserve the security of the nation, but that determined and unconventional terrorists are difficult to stop even with the greatest vigilance. Intelligence agencies can be cumbersome and should be streamlined, but officials have displayed enough care and attention that no-one should be blamed for egregious negligence. This is the version of events presented by the US government and the mainstream news media such as Fox and CNN.

The second group believes most of the official version, with a few minor caveats. The main difference is that the second group supports a round of firings to deal with what they feel are incompetent government officials.

They excoriate the President for continuing to read "My Pet Goat" to school children instead of instantly responding to the tragedy, and blame the Vice President for going into hiding instead of standing in solidarity beside the president and rallying the public at the time of the attacks. They feel that intelligence agencies displayed indifferent attitudes to important information warning of an impending terrorist strike, that airport security was overly lax, and that proper diligence by the authorities would have prevented the entire scenario. They support radical improvements in the way foreign intelligence is collected and handled, and feel that with enough surveillance, America can be made safe from the threat of foreign terrorist attacks.

People in both the first and second groups are likely to see the Patriot Act and wiretapping without warrants are necessary evils in the fight against a foreign enemy. Both groups display a basic faith in the soundness of America's government and institutions. Islamic fundamentalists have a well-documented penchant for violence, and the 9/11 attacks are just another manifestation of what Samuel Huntington has called "The Clash of Civilizations". Many of these people feel that since America is innocent of any role in fomenting the attacks, it is futile to engage in dialogue with Arab malcontents; only military action can stop an enemy which hates America for its democratic values.

The third group is much more critical of the role of American foreign and domestic policy in causing terrorism. Islamic fighters in Afghanistan received American financial backing during the 1979-1988 Soviet-Afghanistan war. These mujahadeen, who fought the Soviets with training and weapons supplied by the CIA, were the forerunners of the Taliban, a group of radical Wahabi clerics who sheltered Al -Queda and Osama Bin Laden.

Followers of this school of thought point out the close links between the Bush government and the Bin Laden family (and of course, the Saudi regime generally). Immediately after 9/11, when all other planes were grounded, members of the Bin Laden family were allowed to leave America without being interrogated for information about their prodigal relative. In addition, American has a history of overthrowing democratic governments in the Middle East which oppose American policies (such as Iranian Premier Mossedeq in 1953), to install pliant dictatorships in their place. These actions create hostility which leads to terrorism, and Americans could and should have seen the attacks coming.

According to this group, the Islamic world dislikes America more for what it does than for what it is; America gives unwavering support to Israel and supports dictatorial Arab regimes as long as they service America's need for oil. American dependence on foreign oil insures further entanglement with dangerous, resentful Islamic fundamentalists. This group feels that America's corrupt foreign policy is largely responsible for the attacks, and support broad changes in American policies and disengagement from the Middle East.

Examples of this school of thought are film maker Michael Moore, whose film "Fahrenheit 9/11" exposed many examples of government malfeasance surrounding the attacks. These people are less likely to support increased security; they feel existing laws and agencies, as long as they function correctly, are more than adequate to deal with foreign threats. They heap scorn on airport security officers who search grandmothers in the name of political correctness, and are unlikely to support widespread, intrusive security. Terrorism is seen as a structural phenomenon, unlikely to disappear regardless of any military or security-related actions until the root causes are eliminated.

The fourth group consists of conspiracy theorists who forthrightly accuse the government of committing the attack, and use slogans such as "9/11 was an inside job". They believe that rogue elements in the CIA and the Pentagon orchestrated the entire event in order to provide an excuse for the pre-planned invasion of Iraq, and that Arabs, if they were involved at all, were not the masterminds.

They point to architectural and scientific evidence that the WTC was built to withstand more stress than would be generated by the impact of two airplanes, and that jet fuel does not burn at sufficiently high temperatures to melt steel. The collapse of the Twin Towers and the identical collapse of a third building nearby (the Seven World Trade Center, which was never hit by a plane) , are said to be due to a controlled demolition set up by explosives experts. They cast doubt on the idea that 19 non-military amateurs armed only with boxcutters could successfully commandeer 4 large commercial aircraft. The 8-mile long debris field left by Flight 93 points to the plane coming apart or exploding in midair (or even, more ominously, being shot done by a missile), not hitting the ground intact. A host of other irregularities in the mountain of available forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts are scrutinized as well.

These people have a decidedly unsavory opinion of America's government. They point out the long history of American military involvement in false-flag attacks planned and performed for the sole purpose of manipulating public opinion in favor of various wars, such as the attack on the battleship Maine, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, and Operation Northwoods.

This group sees the increasing levels of security and public surveillance as not only unnecessary (given the absence of foreign enemies), but as signs of incipient police state. They hold a general distrust of the American military-industrial complex, and speak fearfully of a "New World Order", an elite cabal of globalists who have no concern for the lives of ordinary members of the public.

People in this group, regardless of the merit of their claims, receive no exposure on mainstream media because their statements are so incendiary that the ramifications would destroy public faith in government. However, this lobby is a growth industry on the Internet; a search for "9/11 Conspiracy" yields 10,200,000 results.

Of course, there is considerable cross-pollination between the four groups. It is entirely possible to believe, for instance, that American security agencies functioned properly on 9/11 (the first group) while also believing that the nation is too dependent on foreign oil (the third group). However, these broad categories generally describe the different opinions about what happened on 9/11, and often people hold collections of views as a "package deal". Someone who supports the government's domestic policy is also likely to agree with foreign policy, while skeptics are often generally distrustful of authority.

So there you have it : one event, and four radically different interpretations and worldviews. When it comes to 9/11, everyone has a pet theory. Like the Kennedy assassination, this will keep both amateur and professional historians occupied for many years to come.

By: J Schipper

Update: Good Guys Property Becomes Scary

2006-09-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

The County is looking into whether or not the proper use permits have been issued allowing for a Halloween Store to operate in the now vacant Good Guys property. Apparently, the temporary store is being set up to sell Halloween costumes and decorations for the next two months. This was a surprise to many in the area.

The most recent information is that the abandoned Good Guys store will refurbished in the coming months to house a new Comp USA computer store. Let’s hope that is sooner rather than later!

Council Invites Submissions for Vacant Seat

2006-09-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

The West Ranch Town Council formally outlined plans for the selection process to fill the vacant council seat left by Paul Ash’s resignation last month. The council has decided on a 45 day window for those interested in filling the seat to submit an application seeking appointment.

Applications were available at last night’s council meeting and will be available at the October 4th town council meeting as well. Gary Morgan who had placed 4th in the last election will automatically be placed up for consideration and will not be required to submit another application. All those interested must be residents of the West Ranch community which includes the neighborhoods of Sunset Point, Southern Oaks, Stevenson Ranch and Westridge.

All applications should be submitted by October 22, 2006. The application is a simple form asking for name, address, phone numbers and a brief description of community involvement. The applications will be reviewed and perspective candidates spoken with by at least two current council members.

Formal nominations will be made by council members at the Wednesday November 1st West Ranch Town Council meeting. The final voting will be done on a written ballot and tabulated by a community volunteer at that meeting.

West Ranch Town Council August Minutes

2006-09-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

West Ranch Town Council
Minutes for the Meeting Dated: August 2, 2006

A. Call to Order / Roll Call:
a. Meeting called to order at 6:33 pm by Ron Mechsner.
b. Present: Paul Ash,, Randal Winter, James Zimmerman, Betty Griffin, Brian Toqe, Ron Mechsner
c. Absent: Dave Bossert
B. Approval of June Minutes
a. Approved by a vote of 6-0.
C. Treasurers Report
a. New balance of $2189.75.
D. Presentations to the Council
a.
E. County Business
a. Parks and Recreation Department
i. Doug detailed Park & Rec programs for July / August
1. Student Soccer registration taking place now. Still need coaches and players.
2. Summer Concerts in the Park; sat August 12, 2006. JD Hall Band – Rhythm & Blues Classic Rock band.
3. Dog Training 8 week program on Saturday mornings. 9am to 10am from July 29 to Sept 16.
4. Girls Softball league starting in September. Recruiting for three divisions from 8yrs to 15yrs.
ii. Ron asked about the tennis court status – Doug was to
iii. Betty asked about the skateboarding areas. Doug said is has been pretty too hot to judge the attendance. Some kids have been out to the skate park, but they are hoping for more.
b. Supervisor Antonovich’s Office – Bob Hauter
i. Bob was not present.
F. Committee Reports
a. Community Liaisons:
i. Randall Winters - Southern Oaks:
1. Working on issue with gate and 24-hour guard.
ii. Brian Toqe – Westridge:
1. Westridge HOA still having elections for community delegates.
iii. Chuck O’Connell – Sunset Pointe / Enclave:
1. Parking in front of Chuy’s restaurant is still an issue.
iv. Stevenson Ranch HOA:
1.
b. Election Discussion
i. Ron suggested thinking earlier rather than later about generating turnout. We do not have an official election committee at this time in the bylaws.
ii. What would it take to get our election included in the general election? Paul Ash indicated that we are not allowed to be included in the same general election “book”, but we are allowed to set up a separate booth at the same time and location – an independent booth. We would need at least two volunteers at each location. Paul Ash is to provide report regarding (1) existing election guidelines and (2) potential of using general election polling place. If the County would like this, then we should discuss what support may be provided.
c. Security Committee
i. We have had several incidents of car break-ins. These have all been related to visible items in the car. It would be helpful to get the word out that the usual targets are items visible from outside the car.
ii. We may want to look into updating security cameras at the fountains in Stevenson Ranch.
d. Government Relations Committee
i. Homeless shelter.
1. Total of 36 possible properties were narrowed down to 9 properties. Criteria is based on how close to residential, industrial and commercial. Also based on transportation and job accessibility.
2. Six properties are in the City. Two locations are in disputed County or City locations. One location is in the County at entrance of Hasley Canyon where temporary fire station was located during construction. Per Bob Hauter, the land where temporary fire station may be actually city land, but was only granted to the City with express condition that it would never be a land bridge for annexation.
3. Homeless shelter will be in the same location this year as last year.
ii. TPC Club
1. Paul Ash spoke with Gary Morgan today and with Glen Adamick as well. Will set up meeting for probably middle of August at the course so we will be able to discuss the site.
e. Public Safety & Security:
i. LA County Sheriff – Deputy Zarkowski, Patrick Rissler, Sgt. Wallace
1. Comp USA building update – graffiti still and issue and they are working with contacting the owner. Property management has been contacted as well.
2. Fountain graffiti by Vons
3. Racing on Pico Canyon – Highway patrol is aware of this as well.
4. Patrick Rissler – Neighborhood Watch: need to be proactive and not reactive. Contact for Officer Rissler is 661-799-5159; email is parissle@lasd.org for setup of meeting by blockwatch captain.
a. Paul asked about how large the geographic areas are to be. Long streets may need to be split up – the point is that the group has home easily in sight.
5. Ron added that skateboarding is still a problem. Town Council to request information on forming an ordinance, but that is not a quick fix solution. Sgt Wallace suggested keep the ball rolling with the Justice Department.
ii. CHP
1. School started on August 16, 2006 and CHP was asked to have a good presence.
2. Ron mentioned that Mallory is a problem for speeding.
3. Chuck O’Connell said that traffic on the Old Road at Chuy’s is excessive.
4. Pico Canyon parking of big rigs – Randy said that he thought it was illegal. CHP said they can ask them to move, but it is not illegal in the location they are thinking we are discussion – near Ralphs. Randy requested that no-parking signs be installed. CHP to confirm whether the zone is in fact a no-parking zone.
G. Old Business
a. No old business to address.
H. Public Comments
a. Has DR Horton complied with suggestions for La Quinta.
b. Thanks to the Councilmembers for volunteer work at the July 4th Show.
c. Thanks to the Council on behalf of Waste Management.
d. Thanks to Waste Management for changing service back to Mondays.
e. Per Glen Adamick, Lennar is in process of fixing the sprinkler system to the tree that was identified as dying.
I. Meeting Adjourned at 7:30 pm.

West Ranch Council to Discuss Vacant Seat

2006-09-06T08:35:00.001-07:00

Tonight will be Paul Ash’s last meeting as a council member after more than ten years of service to the community. The West Ranch Town Council will formally thank Paul for his service during tonight’s meeting at the Southern Oaks Community Center. The general meeting begins at 6:30 PM tonight.

The remaining council members will discuss the process that will be put in place for the appointment of a community member to fill the vacancy. There are many qualified individuals who would make an excellent council member and guidelines will be outlined for those interested in submitting an application for appointment. Anyone interested in the position should plan on attending tonight’s meeting

Tennis Court update at Tonight's Council Meeting

2006-09-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight at the regular monthly meeting of the West Ranch Town Council Bob Haueter, Senior Deputy to Supervisor Mike Antonovich, will update the community on the proposed tennis courts for the Dr. Richard Rioux Memorial Park. The County has already allocated the funds for the tennis courts and the process is underway. Bob will update the council as to timeline, placement in the park and other pertinent information regarding this new park amenity.

Cats and Dogs Sleeping together?

2006-09-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

What the heck is going on? Are cats and dogs starting to sleep together? Where has all that venom that’s been spewed about on the web and in the local fish wrap gone? Has there been some kind of shift in the local political landscape? These are just some of the many questions being asked over the last couple of weeks or so by various folks around town.

Well here is the simple answer; in July I was elected as President of the West Ranch Town Council! Since then, I will be putting my own stamp on how the Council is run and the direction that it will go. My leadership style is very different and is one that continues to evolve. My plan is to be much more open, inclusive, and consensus building. It is also my desire to see more participation from our community, more guest speakers and more dialogue.

How to achieve those goals? One of the first things that I did was to start to reach out to those that have been continuously throwing stones at us on the west side. I’ve been emailing Darryl Manzer on a somewhat regular basis. We have much more in common than we both thought and I think that we are having a good dialogue.

I also picked up the phone and called Carl Boyer and invited him to speak at the October town council meeting. Not only did he accept but he dropped by my house on Friday morning with copies of his book which I purchased for the other council members.

In August, I sent an email to Larry Mankin, the President of the Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce, asking if I could meet with him. Larry and I met along with Chris Fall, the SCV Chamber Chair, and had a very open and frank discussion regarding the west side, valley business, and what the chamber does for the valley. Both Chris and Larry have agreed to speak about the Chamber at the West Ranch Council meeting in December.

There are many others that I am reaching out to in a conciliatory fashion in order to have a better relationship. This is part of a broader vision for the West Ranch communities of having a better, more positive neighborly position in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Don’t worry, I haven’t gone completely soft! The local fish wrap will still get verbally smacked around by me whenever possible because the knuckle draggers running that worthless mass of pulp are clueless to the dynamics of the West Ranch communities.

Many more surprises to come!
-Dave Bossert

Reminder: Town Council Meeting Tomorrow

2006-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

As a reminder, the West Ranch Town Council meeting will be held tomorrow Wednesday September 6th. The regular meeting begins at 6:30 PM at the Southern Oaks community center.

Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning and Dr. Mark Winger will be guest speakers at the Wednesday meeting. They will be discussing future development in Pico Canyon and the addition of a new elementary school. Also, there will be a discussion of the gating of Southern Oaks and what impact that may or may not have on the planned school.

SCV Chamber to Speak in Ranch

2006-09-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Larry Mankin and Chris Fall of the Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce will be guest speakers at the December West Ranch Town Council meeting. Chris and Larry will be doing a presentation to the council and community on what the Chamber is and what they do for the Valley businesses.

Carl Boyer To Be Guest Speaker in Ranch

2006-09-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

Carl Boyer, a founding father of the City of Santa Clarita, will be a guest speaker at the October West Ranch Town Council meeting. Carl will discuss his book “Santa Clarita” which documents the “formation and organization of the largest newly incorporated City in the History of Humankind” back in the late 1970’s.

Mr. Boyer will speak on the topic of forming the City of Santa Clarita, which will be followed by a question and answer session. The presentation will take place during the regular town council meeting on Wednesday October 4th, 2006.

West Ranch Town Council September Agenda

2006-08-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

The following is the agenda for the Wednesday, September 6th, 2006 West Ranch Town Council meeting. The regular council meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at the Southern Oaks Community center. Any reprint of this information should be done with written permission of the West Ranch Beacon.

5:45- Council discussion regarding:
1) Possible Meeting day change
2) Potential candidates for vacant positions

6:30- General Meeting
A. Call To Order/Roll Call

B. Approval of August Minutes

C. Treasurers Report and Banking Update

D. County Updates

1. Doug Newell Parks and Rec
2. Sheriff's Liaison
3. CHP Liaison
4. Bob Haueter LA County- Good Guys Update, La Quinta Update

E.a) Regional Planning/ Newhall School District- Marc Winger to discuss New Elementary School/ Southern Oaks gate issues

b) Council/County Thank you to Paul Ash for his Service

c) Discuss Castaic Vision Committee position

d) Discuss potential appointment to vacant council seat

e) Proposal for possible guest speakers- October- Carl Boyer, November Attorney Scott
Campell on the Brown Act, December Larry Mankin/Chris Fall SCV Chamber of
Commerce.

f) Proposal to organize a Town Hall meeting with Castaic TC, Aqua Dulce TC, and
Supervisor Antonovich. Date, time, location TBD

F. Committee Reports

1. Election 2008
2. Security/Public Safety
3. Governmental Relations
a. Homeless Shelter Task Force
b. Westridge HOA and TPC issues Update
4. Westridge and Southern Oaks Liaisons
5. Sunset Point Liaison

G. Old Business

H. Public Comment

I. Adjournment

News Flash: La Quinta Hotel Causing Nuisane

2006-08-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Several complaints have been made from Sunset Pointe residents about the lighting at the new La Quinta Hotel on The Old Road. There have also been other issues raised that have warranted conversations about the possible delay in issuing the Certificate of Occupancy on the property.

An inspection conducted last week disclosed that the lights for the hotel are creating a nuisance to the adjacent residential property owners. The County enforcement staff has initiate enforcement action on this site to seek voluntary compliance with the property owners.

I-5 South Of Grapevine –Labor Day Weekend Traffic Advisory

2006-08-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

North Los Angeles County south of the “Grapevine” -- The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) advises motorists traveling over the Labor Day weekend to be aware of a lane closure remaining in effect on the northbound Golden State Freeway (I-5) north of Castaic at Templin Highway, as follows.

Due to a previous mudslide and ongoing repairs, only three lanes (out of four) will be open on northbound I-5 at Templin Highway. Heavy holiday traffic and possible delays are expected over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

While this is an ongoing closure, all planned construction, maintenance and encroachment permit activities that could create delay for motorists are to be suspended over the upcoming Labor Day weekend. This would include the following period:

Beginning Friday, September 1 from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. -- and Sunday, September 3 at 11:59 p.m. through Tuesday, September 5 at 6 a.m.

Motorists are advised to plan ahead and leave early or take alternate routes if possible.

The toll-free, 24-hour Caltrans road information number for planned lane closures is 800-427-7623.

Motorists are reminded to please SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE.