header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 29
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys


Now and Then in the SCV | Commentary by Darryl Manzer
| Sunday, Nov 17, 2013
Darryl Manzer

Darryl Manzer

Leon Worden recently wrote on Facebook:

 

“If I had the time – sadly I don’t – I would write a column about how sick I am of L.A. city and water officials after a whole week of hearing them hail William Mulholland as a hero, without ever ONCE even MENTIONING that Santa Clarita Valley and Ventura County paid with their LIVES so Los Angeles could grow. Not Eric Garcetti, not Christine Mulholland, not nobody, made even the remotest mention of it at the goofy ceremony at the Cascades; there isn’t so much as a tiny little plaque at the new art installation at the Los Feliz fountain where they heap praise on the Chief. Yes, he was a brilliant engineer who designed one hell of an aqueduct system – thanks to maneuvers by shifty politicians who outsmarted Owens Valley farmers. But he also designed and built a cog in the wheel that killed 450 of us. I don’t even have any confidence that the artist woman with the silly ‘mules walking’ project even KNOWS about it. It is reprehensible that it was never once acknowledged this past week. I suppose I am jaded; all my adult life (and previously) L.A. City has tried to use Santa Clarita as its dumping ground – whether it’s more landfills (we already have one that handles far more than our own trash, thank you) or regional gravel pits or dense housing projects in pristine wildlife corridors on our borders. The mistreatment by L.A. is all part of the reason we tried in 1976 and again in 1978 to break away from Los Angeles County (we voted to secede, but the rest of the county voted no because they needed our money). Anyway, I really need to vent, and I guess I just did.”

 

Thank you, Leon. You have expressed how many of us feel about the way the city of Los Angeles treats us here in the northern section of Los Angeles County. Our little valley has been the “dumping ground” for so many of the problems of that big city to our south.

You’ll hear from the city of Los Angeles that it is the county and not the city that causes our problems. But the county has sent so many problems to us only because we lack the population to fight back.

For those of you who know me and what I have written about Los Angeles County over the years (since about 1997), you know I’m not a huge fan of the county. I’ve had some especially harsh words for our 5th District supervisor, Michael D. Antonovich.

Well, you’re reading it here and now: Too often the votes at the Board of Supervisors meetings are 4-1. Sometimes 3-2. Too often, Mr. Antonovich is in the minority of the vote because he is protecting us, or at least trying to do so.

You see, the other four supervisors represent lots of folks who are also citizens of the city of Los Angeles. And what the city of Los Angeles wants, it usually gets.

Ask the folks in Owens Valley. Or those around the planned Cemex plant here in the SCV.

If we could, we would ask some of the 450 folks who died in the failure of the St. Francis Dam in 1928. They weren’t mentioned in the recent celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first aqueduct to Los Angeles. The 40-some workers who died when constructing the aqueduct were mentioned, but not those 450 souls who went to bed and were crushed and drowned by a wall of water rushing to the sea. Nothing.

William Mulholland should be remembered as a great civil engineer who built the aqueduct and got the water to the rapidly growing city of L.A. Even the failure of the dam cannot be blamed on him. He was using the best engineering practices of his day. It was a case of the best practices not being good enough.

The problem is – and this is directed at Los Angeles CITY – We’ve housed your homeless and your drunks. We take your garbage and put it in our landfills. We’re mining the aggregate and putting up with the pollution that Cemex brings because you don’t want it mined in the mountains closer to you. Many of the criminals incarcerated at the jail in Castaic are from the city of L.A. Your aqueduct runs through our valley like a huge snake. And 450 of our citizens gave their lives to get you your water.

They at least deserved a mention at that 100-year celebration. Sometime. Someplace. Maybe at that huge fountain that is a memorial to Mr. Mulholland? Maybe on a marker at the Cascades in Sylmar?

We get nothing from all that. Not a drop of water or a single watt of electricity. The Big City and its Department of Water and Power (“Drip and Tingle at your service”) don’t even want to talk about that rather inconvenient bit of history. They are still sweeping it under the rug and whispering about how “We don’t talk about that here.”

We talk about it. We talk about being the red-headed stepchild of the City of Angels. Some “angels.”

We no longer have a sign that says of our valley, “Here it is … Take it,” as Mulholland said of the water he brought south.

It is no longer your dumping ground.

The Santa Clarita Valley is our valley.

If you think you had problems with the folks in the Owens Valley in 1913 or so, consider that a warm-up for us.

What is past is merely prologue.

Our history and our valley shall be preserved.

 

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com and his commentaries, published on Tuesdays and Sundays, are archived at DManzer.com. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].

 

 

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

4 Comments

  1. Tyler Montgomery says:

    Actually, there was an exhibit about the St. Francis Dam failure at the DWP Open House, which was held at DWP headquarters simultaneously with the ceremony at the cascades. It probably wasn’t mentioned at the actual ceremony because it took place 15 years after the opening of the aqueduct.

  2. Andrew says:

    Yes, and the thousands and thousands of jobs that are south of the Newhall pass? SCV wouldn’t be possible without those, so remember where your “livlihood” comes from and remember, that we all play a role in this county’s properity, resources and benefits.

  3. Jimmy says:

    “We’ve housed your homeless and your drunks.”

    How are they our homeless if they don’t have homes? Heck, how are they our homeless if they have homes in SCV? Sounds like they are SCV residents.

    As for our drunks, I’m not sure how they got up there. Please send them back. Someone is probably looking for them.

  4. Rich says:

    “We’re tired of YOUR commuters clogging up OUR freeways!” “We’re tired of OUR tax dollars funding highway projects in YOUR community!”

    Your commuters spew more toxic fumes on the freeways that go through our communities. So let’s not pretend that SCV is some quaint self-sufficient little berg being bullied by big, bad LA.

    I recommend you direct your anger back at enforcing color schemes and brown-grass violations at your HOA board meeting.

Leave a Comment


Opinion Section Policy
All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.
Read More From...
RECENT COMMENTARY
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2024
Springtime in Santa Clarita brings not only vibrant blooms and opportunities to embrace the outdoors with warmer weather, but also an array of free, family-friendly events and this Saturday is no exception.
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
Did you know that each year, Main Street in Old Town Newhall undergoes countless makeovers for different events, such as Light Up Main Street and the Fourth of July Parade?
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District includes the Santa Clarita Valley, issued the following statement Thursday in response to an announcement by Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel of a proposal to change how calls to the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline are routed.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
Unlike our children who enjoy a week-long spring break, we adults no longer have that luxury.
Friday, Mar 15, 2024

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys
Los Angeles County Public Works is updating the Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan.
April 16:  County Bicycle Master Plan Virtual Community Meeting
College of the Canyons mens golf got back on track during its return to conference play on Monday, carding a five-man score of 370 to top the eight-team field at Brookside Golf Course and maintain its unblemished conference mark.
Cougars Win Again, Keep Conference Streak
Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, reminds property owners that the second installment of the 2023-24 Annual Secured Property Taxes becomes  delinquent if not received by 5 p.m. Pacific Time or United States Postal Service postmarked on or before Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
County Treasurer Reminds Property Owners of April 10 Due Date
Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence is seeking “Allies” to support Santa Clarita youth who are aging out of the L.A. County foster care system.
April 16: FYI Seeks Volunteers To Pair With Local Foster Youth
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today unveiled the latest L.A. County Health Survey, which gathers vital data on health behaviors, conditions, neighborhood settings, and the needs of L.A .County residents, informing future public health policies and programs.
Public Health Unveils the 2023 L.A. County Health Survey Findings
Due to the projected rain forecast, Eggstravaganza will now be held indoors at the Canyon Country Community Center beginning promptly at 10 a.m. on March 30.
March 30: Eggstravaganza Now Being Held Indoors at Canyon Country Community Center
To support the mental health of California's young people, the California Department of Public Health awarded $25 million to 28 tribal and community-based organizations across the state.
California Announces $25 Million in Awards for Youth Mental Health
The College of the Canyons Athletic Department will host a dedication ceremony to unveil the Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room in honor of the longtime board member and ardent softball program supporter’s nearly 40 years of service to the district.
April 16: COC to Host Michele Jenkins Team Room Dedication Ceremony
PFLAG Santa Clarita has announced the establishment of the Peggy and Jeff Stabile PFLAG SCV Scholarship. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to LGBTQIA+ students pursuing higher education and committed to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and promoting diversity and inclusion.
PFLAG SCV Announces Stabile PFLAG Scholarship
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
March 27 Ocean Water Warning
As an integral ingredient necessary to help the Santa Clarita Valley to flourish, feedback from the business community is the secret sauce for achieving great things.
SCVEDC Asks For the Business Community’s Opinion on Santa Clarita
Raise your heart rate while raising funds for the Santa Clarita Sister Cities Dollars-for-Desks campaign to provide school desks for students in Sariaya, Santa Clarita's Sister City in the Philippines.
April 13: Sister Cities Zumba-thon Fundraiser
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
SCVEDC Company Spotlight: Drumming Up Big Business with Remo, Inc.
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
Los Angeles County’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department  in collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition for the cohorts of JCOD's Incubation Academy.
March 28: JCOD Incubation Academy Helps Grassroots Non-Profits For the Second Year
Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
April 18: Children’s Bureau Hosts Virtual Orientation
The Sunburst track was constructed in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was a part of the main line running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Enjoy Spring With a Ride On The Sunburst Track
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Summit today where he announced his support for Assembly Bill 2927 (McCarty), legislation that would require a personal finance education course for California high school graduation.
State Superintendent Announces Support for Personal Finance Graduation Requirement
1847 - Probable birth date of Pico Canyon oil driller Charles Alexander Mentry [story]
C.A. Mentry
SCVNews.com