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Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
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On Saturday, April 20, 2024 Valencia High School Theatre will host the 104th DTASC (Drama Teachers’ Association of Southern California) Shakespeare Festival.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, in partnership with Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, launched the Commercial Acquisition Fund to provide capital to countywide non-profit organizations, helping acquire and revitalize commercial spaces within local communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Supervisor Barger issued the following statement today, after the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to implement the Rental Housing Habitability Program
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The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts will be holding a free Household Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Recycling event for Santa Clarita residents.
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The award-winning Valencia High School Theatre Arts proudly presents “The Outsiders” directed by Stephen Whelan.
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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit affirmed a $68.5 million judgment Monday for SCV Water for the cleanup of local groundwater contamination in its case against the Whittaker Corporation.
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Angelo Aleman smacked a pair of home runs as College of the Canyons concluded its three-game series vs. Antelope Valley College with a 10-5 home victory at Mike Gillespie Field on Friday.
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Cowboy Festival weekend is upon us!
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Castaic Union School District is thrilled to announce that Lara Frandzel has been selected to participate in the Teacher Innovator Institute at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C
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The city of Santa Clarita’s exciting Concerts in the Park series, presented by Logix Federal Credit Union, makes its highly anticipated return this summer for friends, families and neighbors to gather under the evening sky and enjoy free, live musical performances on Saturdays from July 6 to Aug. 24, at Central Park, located at 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road.
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The Master's University men's volleyball team left no doubt about it as they swept the OUAZ Spirit 25-22, 25-14, 25-22 in the season finale Saturday in The MacArthur Center.
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Join the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District online for an engaging conversation with experts in the field as they discuss the latest advancements and future trends in vector control Monday, April 15, from 6 p.m to 7:30 p.m.
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In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Child & Family Center is presenting a series of four seminars for parents and caregivers of children and teens.
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The University Student Union at California State University, Northridge is helping Matadors keep their peace during finals season with Crunch Time.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has been notified by the California Department of Public Health of one case of measles in a non-Los Angeles County resident who traveled throughout Los Angeles County from Saturday, March 30 to Sunday, April 1.
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California Department of Transportation, along with Valencia-based C.A. Rasmussen, continues to make progress on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.
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The Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival is expanding its 2024 Summer Season to include a weekend of performances at the MAIN in July by members of this summer’s youth Shakespeare Camp.
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The 28th Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival makes its anticipated return to William S. Hart Park, located at 24141 Newhall Avenue, this upcoming weekend!
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With the federal and state deadlines for filing and paying taxes approaching in three days, Los Angeles County is also renewing its focus on taxes, with a special focus on enhancing its property tax correction and reimbursement processes.
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The Los Angeles County Development Authority will be accepting registrants for its Senior and Family Public Housing Site-Based Waiting Lists, including Orchard Arms Senior Apartments in Valencia, from April 15, 8 a.m. through April 30, 11:59 p.m., or until a sufficient number of registrations have been received, whichever occurs first.
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Live jazz music, entertainment by talented William S. Hart Union High School District Students, music by Lance Allyn, be treated to happy hour, plus six seated courses - each one created by a different chef from your favorite local restaurants and paired with fabulous wines, local and statewide.
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Local realtor, Racquel Wilder, is hosting a free community paper shredding event Sunday, April 21, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., in the parking lot of Congregation Beth Shalom.
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52 Comments
Excellent article. I would add that the city should not allow expiration of the contract, it should also make restitution to the people that were victimized by the scheme in the first place. If Redflex can be shown to have collaborated in setting the yellow light time at 3 seconds, then they too are responsible for a share of the restitution. In any event, the cameras need to be removed and removed NOW. They take deliberate advantage of people who are frightened of all authority, the elderly, and people who simply do not know that the “tickets” are unenforceable. This kind of behavior on behalf of the city breeds disrespect for the law, the police, and they city government.
The second sentence about should read “I would add that the city should not *only* allow expiration of the contract, it should also make restitution to the people that were victimized by the scheme in the first place.
I realize that this is a lot of money, but in effect, a lot of money was *stolen*. When you steal, you make restitution – that is justice and the city is not exempt from that.
I really wish we had the ability to edit comments here.
Mr. Farley’s analysis and his conclusions that the program should end are exactly correct.
The main reason that red light cameras produce profits over their high costs of typically $4,000 per month per camera is when the yellow intervals on both turn and straight through lanes are deliberately set or maintained too short for the actual traffic speeds. This IS a key part of the business plans of the for-profit camera companies because they cannot make profits with lights timed correctly for safety.
Florida made a change in the yellow interval rules in September 2013 by requiring the left turn lane lights to be the same as for the through lanes, not shorter as was their practice similar to the table for Santa Clarita. At many camera sites, the left turn violation rates dropped by up to 90% – showing that most tickets had been unfair right from the start.
Santa Clarita residents should contact all the council members by Monday to politely but firmly insist that the program end and the cameras be taken down. The contact information is here:
http://www.santa-clarita.com/index.aspx?page=71
Be clear that only an immediate and complete end to the program is acceptable to you.
James C. Walker, Life Member – National Motorists Association
This whole program is unacceptable!!We the people are sick and tired of the abuse of power going on in government and the bankers who are robbing our citizens.Theft,unconstitutional, fruad,all in the name of justice its destroying our country and no one cares.I hope people start waking up before its to late!!
i do find the traffic engineer for the city very lacking in expertise in regards to traffic issues within the city. This guy is never wrong in any issue but countless times citizens of this city have come up to the podium at council meetings to express there frustration with traffic decisions that he has made. I could bring up Benz rd but I won’t. They need to fire him and get someone who knows what they are doing
Mr. Farley is entirely correct both in his assessment and his recommendation that Santa Clarita’s camera contract be immediately discontinued. As a former Councilman from another city that struggled with the same issue, we found that the safety impact of the cameras was minimal at best and the cameras were implicated in a number of accidents as drivers, fearful of a camera violation, took unsafe actions only to avoid being “trapped” by a camera. The only real beneficiary to these camera contracts are the vendors who supply them to the city and who profit from their installation and management irrespective the impact they have. As a longtime resident of Santa Clarita, I support Mr. Farley’s position (as I know do MANY others. I am unable to attend the City Council meeting but urge our councilmembers to do what’s best for our community and dispense with the camera enforcement program. Traffic safety, city finances, and enforcement fairness will all benefit as a result.
My comments as a resident AND as a former Councilmember in another jurisdiction that dealt with this same issue are below. The bottom line is that the cameras should go … they don’t benefit traffic safety, they are a financial drain to the city, and they breed nothing but resentment from the driving public who are often forced to make unsafe driving decisions for no reason other than to avoid a camera ticket. Thank you, Mr. Farley, for taking point on this!
My comments as a resident AND as a former Councilmember in another jurisdiction that dealt with this same issue are below. The bottom line is that the cameras should go … they don’t benefit traffic safety, they are a financial drain to the city, and they breed nothing but resentment from the driving public who are often forced to make unsafe driving decisions for no reason other than to avoid a camera ticket. Thank you, Mr. Farley, for taking point on this!
Well said, and I believe it is illegal for a camera to ticket whoever the registered owner of the car is, instead of the driver. Also, do away with these cameras. A living person, officer of the law, should have to observe the alleged offense. Anything else is just a money grab,
Well said, and I believe it is illegal for a camera to ticket whoever the registered owner of the car is, instead of the driver. Also, do away with these cameras. A living person, officer of the law, should have to observe the alleged offense. Anything else is just a money grab,
Exactly correct. By the way, this website barely works, and it takes a long time for it to register your original post. If you click twice thinking the first one didn’t work, your post will appear twice, as yours did.
Some time ago I wrote to the city that the “traffic engineers” don’t seem able to figure out
that left turns take longer that straight through
traffic. Any driver is aware of this! That’s true
for every traffic light, not just those with cameras, so fix them ALL!
If you are reading this, you probably live in SC and know where SC’s cameras are and how to avoid them. But you are at risk when you travel to an unfamiliar city.
Here is info on how to cope if you get a ticket.
1. If it’s from a location in LA County (including SC and the Metro), it can be ignored, as the LA county court system does not report ignored camera tickets to the DMV. Skeptical? Search: red light camera no consequence.
2. No matter what county it’s from, check to see if it is a Snitch Ticket, the fake/phishing tickets many California cops send out to bluff car owners into IDing the actual driver. Snitch Tickets say, at the top, This is Not a Ticket, and you can ignore them too! Search: Snitch Ticket.
Please switch off — I have seen so many rear end accidents!
Please switch off — I have seen so many rear end accidents!
Drivers drive too close to the person in front of them. If there is a sudden stop, then they can’t stop in time. I remember this from driver’s ed 35+ years ago!!
Bottom line– you could get through that light without a problem– who can afford a 500.00 ticket!!
Better a rear end accident than a T-bone accident. Seen that happen at uncontrolled intersections and that’s ugly.
Cameras don’t prevent accidents – they just generate illegal revenue.
Most people look & slow, instead of plowing into someone!
You don’t need 500.00 dollar tickets– for the biggest part people are smart
Even with controlled , many, far to many accidents
Most people look & slow, instead of plowing into someone!
You don’t need 500.00 dollar tickets– for the biggest part people are smart
Even with controlled , many, far to many accidents
So you would be ok with the cameras if the fine were lower?
So you would be ok with the cameras if the fine were lower?
No– but what ever– the cameras will work– it’s a money thing– so we have been told.
There is a provision in the Bill of Rights that says that you have the right to confront and question your accuser in criminal cases, and traffic violations are criminal in nature. So whom do you confront and question, the machine ? Or the guys from Redflex who personally witnessed nothing and have a financial stake in the outcome ? I believe that this is the reason that the courts refuse to issue bench warrants for people who don’t show up, and why they are never reported to the DMV. For those foolish enough to appear, however, at least one judge that I know of compares the face of the person in court to that of the person driving on the videotape, and if he thinks there is a match, he finds them guilty. The lesson in this is DON’T show up. Nothing will happen to you. If enough people do this we can make the cameras worthless to the city and Redflex even if they leave them in place, which I think they plan to do.
Ok, the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution read, in part: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”
I think this speaks for itself.
Steve Petzold and James Farley are the SC heroes of local activism and engagement. Instead of just complaining they come armed with facts and logic. WIN!!!!
and Go Pontiac Aztek
As a couple of commenters have said, it would be more fair to also refund the tickets for those unfairly punished. That won’t happen because getting the state government and Redflex to give back their unwarranted profits is impossible. It would be fair, just, and honest – but impossible.
But the program CAN end. Hopefully many residents will contact the officials and attend the meeting to say this is what they want.
James C. Walker, Life Member – National Motorists Association
It should be noted, not everyone in this valley drives safely .At the intersection of Lyons, Valley/Orchard Village. There was an accident once or twice a week from people running the red lights on the left turn, in all 4 directions. That intersection was a mess of broken car debris before the installation of the red light camera. NOW everyone stops when they should.The amount of accidents has decreased in this area. And really that is the result we want..less injured people.
Jaime Gonzalez
Vina Penuela
Unconstitutional
I disagree. Keep the cameras. At Whites Canyon and Soledad I used to see many near misses and an accident once. I used to have to wait while 2 or 3 cars kept coming when the light turned green. Not anymore. Keep the cameras.
Wow. Glad I took the time to read this. Thank you for all your research and pursuing this. I received a ticket years ago and tried to fight it and was not able to…then my mom got a ticket at the same intersection driving my car when I was sick and she was trying to help me with my kiddos. I had to turn her in so I would not get a second ticket. I will be interested to hear what happens next.
Wow. Glad I took the time to read this. Thank you for all your research and pursuing this. I received a ticket years ago and tried to fight it and was not able to…then my mom got a ticket at the same intersection driving my car when I was sick and she was trying to help me with my kiddos. I had to turn her in so I would not get a second ticket. I will be interested to hear what happens next.
Some motorists in Santa Clarita drive too fast…especially those with pick up trucks. I don’t see too many of our elder seniors or visitors driving fast.
With the cameras gone, I believe the number of crashes will increase at some intersections, and they could be catastrophic because of the speed. Will our Sheriff’s be asked to now monitor these intersections? Some drivers, knowing the camera is not there, might “take a chance” and run the light.
Cameras, whether they are at intersections, in the dashboard of a law enforcement vehicles, or now police body-worn…help to assure accountability and transparency. In this case, it is too bad they were used for profit taking advantage of many innocent drivers.
What is the solution? I agree…remove the cameras. Do a study whether any intersections are now more prone to accidents. In the meantime, have a higher presence of Sheriff officers close by, and use the city cameras already at some of these intersections to characterize fault should an accident occur. Potential for increased insurance premiums can be a deterrent.
Technology is wonderful, but should not be used against citizens in this surreptitious manner.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
Thank you! Y’know, I really could use my $500+ back in total costs that was extorted from me when I was issued a left turn ticket at Newhall Ranch Rd./McBean Pkwy over 4 years ago while the light was “red” for a documented 0.00 seconds, according to the ticket…Grrrrr…0.00 seconds…and thank you for proving what I’ve been saying all along, that the intersections with cameras have shorter yellows (better for entrapment, thus more $$ for the city, courtesy of Redflex…).
I wonder if it is possible for people like Teresa Bruno to sue the city and Redflex in small claims court and recover her $ 500 she was defrauded of ? I’m not a lawyer so I don’t know, but it might be worth doing if it’s possible. I personally lost no money since I threw the tickets in the trash where they belonged. Legal, safe left turns do not deserve tickets.
So glad your addressing this situation…I received 2 of these. ..both times I was behind a bus…you can’t see the light behind a bus…I would have contested both in court…but was told you forfeit your right to traffic school if you lose your case…the second one I went ahead and threw myself on the mercy of the court…the man who evaluates the film was in court…he actually said it was down to 1/10 of a second and he debated to let it go…but in the end he made a case of it…that 1/10 of a second cost me over a thousand dollars…I got lucky and the judge allowed me to go to traffic school even though I lost my case…my husband had recently passed away…so with only my income and a thousand dollar lose…I was unable to pay my rent…and I’ve been homeless ever since…high price to pay…for 1/10 of a second…
That was harsh. I’m sorry!
The man who evaluates the films is an employee of Redflex, the people that make the cameras and profit from them. He has no legal authority whatsoever.
Got one 5yrs ago. Never paid it. Dmv won’t hook them up with your license since there is no proof of service.
Thank you Arthur. I agree with you 100%
People drive horribly in SCV, and the clowns that drive pickup trucks are the worst of all. However, that said, that is still not a reason to leave the cameras in place so Arthur Edwards can be on his way a few seconds faster. Arthur, just drive carefully. We all need to do that anyway.
Should we pay ours?
Should we pay ours?
On 3/24/15 at the Santa Clarita City council Meeting the Council voted 3-2 for option 3. The contract with Redflex will expire on March 31 and the cameras should be down a few weeks after that. While so many have been unfairly caught in this abusive trap, there will be no more. Careful though, the cameras are still on and operational through 3/31/15. While I believe that it would now be especially wrong to issue additional tickets since last Tuesday’s decision, I’m not sure they won’t. I will check with the Sheriff.
Back east where I live, Redflex was much more generous with the splitting of the loot. Our local bureaucrats negotiated a 50/50 split of the fines collected with our city government. I understand your City Fathers negotiated a 30/70 split with the 70 going to Redflex. Not only does your council pick your pockets but they also do it to their own disadvantage. Perhaps its time for a change at the top.
Our whole state recently dumped cameras as a nuisance (and perhaps one of our legislators got caught with a ticket)
I am trying to understand why it is that people post the names of others (usually their relatives or friends) on here and nothing else. Can anyone explain this practice?
Those comments – in fact all comments where you see someone’s face – come via Facebook. On Facebook, people “tag” other people so they’ll see the post. That is what you’re seeing.
I am also trying to understand why it is that people repeatedly click the “add comment” button when by now everyone should know that the site is sort of slow to respond. Give it about 30 seconds, and wait for the page to refresh. If it does not, THEN click the button again. If you don’t do this your comment gets posted as many times as you’ve clicked which is annoying.