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1875 - John F. Powell, an Irish immigrant, becomes Justice of the Peace [ story]
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The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with Friends of Castaic Lake will host Bark in the Park on Saturday, June 8 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
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California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, announced that 18 of her bills have successfully passed out of their respective Assembly policy committees, with most now moving to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
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A 10-week Life Skills course underwritten by the Old West Masonic Lodge No. 813 in Newhall will be offered free to Santa Clarita Valley youth.
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The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency will hold a special board meeting on Monday, May 13 at 6 p.m. Board meetings have been temporarily relocated to the SCV Water Agency Training Room location at 23780 Pine St., Newhall, CA 91321.
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The 2024 California Institute of the Arts graduation ceremony will be held Friday, May 10 on the Valencia campus of CalArts. Honorary Degree recipients will include actor Keanu Reeves and director/writer/producer Gina Prince Bythewood.
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Graduation season is around the corner for the graduating seniors of the William S. Hart Union High School District.
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Members of the California Institute of the Arts community, industry representatives and friends and family journeyed to Los Angeles's Miracle Mile neighborhood to celebrate Character Animation students’ films at the 2024 Character Animation Producers’ Show.
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Princess Cruises, headquartered in Valencia, has announced it will return to San Juan, Puerto Rico after more than a decade, for a season of Southern Caribbean cruises onboard Grand Princess, from October 2025 through March 2026.
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Join the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, May 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for the monthly After Hours Mixer, an evening of networking and fun at Chronic Tacos.
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Get ready to level up your small business game. The next Los Angeles Region Small Business Summit will be held Thursday, May 9 and features Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles County Team Department of Economic Opportuntiy, city of Los Angeles and partners at Mission College in Sylmar.
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College of the Canyons has captured the 3C2A Southern California Regional Championship, the ninth in program history, after turning its opening round lead into a four-stroke advantage over runner-up Cypress College on Monday, May 6 at Rio Bravo Country Club.
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When every second counts, blood products can provide lifesaving care. The American Red Cross asks the public to give blood or platelets during Trauma Awareness Month in May to keep hospitals prepared for all transfusion needs, including emergencies.
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The city of Santa Clarita has announced the pickleball courts at Bouquet Canyon Park will be closed on Wednesday, May 8, for necessary maintenance on the windscreens.
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The California Animal Welfare Association, the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have announced the inaugural California Adopt-a-Pet Day will take place on Saturday, June 1.
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1861 - Andres Pico and partners granted state franchise to build toll road and cut 50-foot-deep cleft through (Newhall) Pass; they failed; Beale later succeeded [ story]
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Gilbert, Arizona's Leah Burke has signed her National Letter of Intent to play soccer at The Master's University.
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Master's University struggled against a high-energy Georgetown (KY) Tigers squad, losing in straight sets 23-25, 18-25, 20-25 in the championship match of the 2024 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Volleyball Championships.
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College of the Canyons student-athletes Nichole Muro (softball) and Owen Crockett (men's golf) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running April 29 to May 4.
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Step into the Heart of 1970s Texas at The MAIN as Front Row Center presents, "Lone Star, Laundry, and Bourbon."
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Warmer weather, longer days and the sound of baseball is officially back!
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Mental Health Hookup, in partnership with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, will conduct the third annual Stop the Stigma community event on May 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital campus, located at 23803 McBean Parkway in Valencia.
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California State University, Northridge is set to open a first of its kind resource center in the CSU system to provide basic needs services such as food, clothing and wellness in a centralized location on campus.
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The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office released the list of three productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, May 6 - Sunday, May 12.
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47 Comments
It is about time to say no to these constant property tax increases/end runs around Prop. 13.
It is about time to say no to these constant property tax increases/end runs around Prop. 13.
Sandy Devis Holguin and Tracy Linkes
Sandy Devis Holguin and Tracy Linkes
Unfortunately there are many green belts throughout Hillcrest that will now be the responsibility of the private homeowners. If they are unwilling or unable to keep up the maintenance all the property values in Hillcrest will decrease.
They tried this in our subdivision, wanted to take over our HOA funds to spread the money to other parts of the area. Told them to take a hike. We pay enough with the HOA fees this would have doubled our monthly fee to pay for someone else’s street!
Utility costs have not increased – as usual, the government agency just wants more money.
Everyone needs to stick together and start saying No. They were charging Valencia HOA and a fee of $400 a month called Melorose (spelling might be wrong) for what! It’s ridiculous . The more you make, the more they take. Stand up for your rights. Good Job Castaic residents. You Rock.
Mela-roos are different from a landscape maintenance contract. LA is no longer taking care of the area. It needs to be done! otherwise, the neighborhood values will decrease and you will be responsible for the maintenace yourself. So, Castic residents… good job for not caring about your neighborhood
Actually I live in Castaic , by the mountains , a few years ago when the hills needed cleaning, I called the Fire Dept. Told them it was a fire hazard, they located the owner of the land. He sent out a crew and cleared all the brush. All done without paying $400 Mela-Roos . God Bless you Mr Chad, we do care in Castaic
Actually I live in Castaic , by the mountains , a few years ago when the hills needed cleaning, I called the Fire Dept. Told them it was a fire hazard, they located the owner of the land. He sent out a crew and cleared all the brush. All done without paying $400 Mela-Roos . God Bless you Mr Chad, we do care in Castaic
I have been a resident there for 16 years and its been a constant battle to get them to maintain the common areas. Rodent infestation and overgrowth is the norm with these people. They only come and trim when you got to the district office and scream. What happened to my and everyone else’s $250 a year they collected for maintenance
The measure failed and now the county is saying their are going to STOP ALL maintenance in the Hillcrest Park area!
If you live in Hillcrest Park – join our conversation online:
https://nextdoor.com/invite/jsksbnmnrensnwxpeswa
Can anyone tell me the boundaries of the zone Hillcrest is in? I live off of Hillcrest and we don’t have center medians any where near us…just landscape on Hillcrest.
As you drive up Hillcrest from The Old Road, Jackie, there is a short median with grass and trees. I think that’s the one we are talking about. I echo GK’s recommendation: if you live in the area, join the Nextdoor website so those of us who will be impacted can discuss the issue.
They probably want the money for all the new projects at Central Park and Rivendale.
Now they will be handing over the maintenance of hillsides to owners. There wasn’t enough money for one person to keep the landscaping and care up. Good luck to everyone keeping things looking nice on your own!
There goes the neighborhood.
LOL Shawna Hamann-Suffredini I was just about to say that!
What about irrigation?
Steve, each homeowner would be responsible for their own irrigation for areas that are now being watered by the county and paid for by our assessments.
So I am perfectly clear they will continue to tax us for common area maintenance however we will be paying for water and maintenance. I’m in the wrong business. Reminds me of mafia tactics
This is not good. Huge hillside at our property edge
If you actually live in Hillcrest Park – and care about your neighborhood – please join the discussion online: https://nextdoor.com/invite/jsksbnmnrensnwxpeswa
This is not so much a tax increase, as opposed to a pretty important service that will keep our neighborhood looking good. Of the 900 or so homes in the Hillcrest Park area, only 360 homeowners participated in the last vote. 240 against – 140 for the measure.
We’ve heard that the County plans to STOP ALL landscape maintenance in the Hillcrest Park area. If this is truly going to be the case – property values will more than likely fall, insurance rates may skyrocket…
Btw, the proposed increase was about $30 per month – a small price to pay for what will happen to the neighborhood.
Again – I urge all Hillcrest residences to join the conversation and do what is best for our community:
https://nextdoor.com/invite/jsksbnmnrensnwxpeswa
Most of us don’t have hillsides! It’s time you get off your laziness and take care of your own hills! My vote is still NO! The money will just be used somewhere other than Hillcrest Park! Wake up and smell the coffee people
Hi Rich –
Whether you have a hillside or not, if you live in Hillcrest Park, this measure will have a negative impact on your home’s property value, as well as potential for a significant increase in homeowner insurance. Currently, the county has stopped maintaining the hillsides and are only doing Hillcrest Parkway, which will also stop if nothing is done.
Wow Rich!! Great thinking.
I bought my home knowing my taxes are paying the maintaince and water of our slope off the parkway and now you feel since you don’t have a county maintained slope that we should cover at our own expense the maintaince and water and still pay the price in our taxes. Hopefully they won’t decide you have to pay extra for your kids to go to school or the fire department to come save your home or your life if needed.
You say “My vote is still NO!”. Lucky you. You got to vote….
I hope you will be happy when all the slopes around Hillcrest are dried out and on fire and our property values are falling.
I’m not buying the negative impact on my home’s property value. And I’d rather pay my homeowners insurance a little more money than anybody else more taxes! My vote will still be NO
I did not receive a ballot to vote, I wonder how many others had their ballots “lost in the mail”?
Of the 900 or so homes – 360 actually voted. The votes were like 240 against and 120 for. In order for us to get a re-vote we need to gather 500 signatures….
That sucks!!!!
That sucks!!!!
I love the “maintain the center median landscape”. That’s one small stretch of grass at the bottom of Hillcrest. Time to stop being fleeced!!!
Now why did they need an additional $27,000 per month? Extra personnel or equipment? Why don’t you ask them what this money is for. It shouldn’t be for some other project!
I think that a lot of us would be willing to pay if it was verified to be necesary and appropriate. $30/mo is $360 per year. If that amount is multipled by all the hundreds of residences the number seems way more than the cost of inflation. What assurances do we have that increase is appropriate? We need to see numbers! Numbers wouldn’t be hard to produce and should be required BEFORE ANYONE stops providing services that will impact our home values and even more important, fire hazards.
Please let us know whatever is going on. How can we vote if we have no knowledge about it .
All I have to say is have fun taking care of the slopes and brush clearance behind your homes. Whether you have a planted slope or a natural area behind your home or if you don’t have anything behind your home you still have all the common area landscape up and down Hillcrest Parkway that needs to be taken care of and watered. I don’t think most of the people that live here know but in my paper work it states that my property extends out onto the slope areas, however I signed a document that says that it is for ingress and Egress only and that I have granted the easement to the Los Angeles County and I can not do anything on this portion of land, Read before you sign People.
There are several Landscape water meters that water these areas, have you not heard on the news that the price of water, gas, power, etc has gone up? Have you not noticed that your utilities at home have gone up, and your water usage will go up even more know that you are going to have to water the landscape on the slope behind your home? Ooooo by the way also since the areas behind are homes belong to us that means when it is time to clear the brush for fire season we will be calling ourselves to clear it or call someone and pay them to clear Ian’s if not guess who will be liable if someone’s house burns down because we did not comply with the fire department brush clearance.
It is ashame that people are so quick to react without looking at the bigger picture. Come on people do the math the assessments that we are paying where back from 20 years ago and I am sorry to tell you all if you have not noticed the price of EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP.
Also I see people saying that the money will be used else where, the money that is collected for our Landscape Maintenance District can only be used on us, that’s right no where else. do the research.
So Hear the Facts says that there has been no increase in 20 years? I’m sorry but I doubt that. The government never gives up a chance to have a tax increase.
Even if it is true all that I’m saying is that we need numbers. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. I find it ridiculous that we would simply vote yes or no based on someone saying that they need my money. Heck, I’m going to going to my boss tomorrow and tell him that I need my money. The real world does not work like that.
It sounds a lot like extortion to simply say give me more money or else I’m going to stop doing my job. Did we get an independent audit? Did they give us any facts? I’m a relatively new residents so excuse me if I’m not up to date on the latest information. All I know is that wherever I lived before we were given solid numbers before voting for an increase in any sort of fee.
In the last 16 years of my residency here I can honestly count the number of times I have seen them working on both hands. They continue to assess us with nothing to show. My rear hill has not been touched by them in 3 years. But I pay every year. Where is the logic in that
The meeting that was held at the sports complex they explained everything and showed the facts. I got the notice about the meeting and got my ballot in the mail, and Anonymous that is why if I have a concern I call the number on my tax bill and they send someone out to look and address my concerns.
Dave, you say that it sounds like extortion to simply say give me more money or else, however the fact is that if you get 10 miles to a gallon of gas and your tank is on empty and you need to go 15 miles and only have enough money to by 1 gallon of gas, what are you going to do about getting the other 5 miles? WALK
Dave, extortion to me is not given the chance to vote or see the facts, such as the increase in gas tax, DMV tax , sales tax and so on.
I think what most people aren’t realizing is the huge amount of money the developers spent on the infrastructure to maintain the landscaping. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on water mains, valves, timer control stations and Edison feeds. Once we allow this to be shut down and disconnected we will never able to get it up and running again without a huge expense that would be unrealistic.
I believe we shouldn’t let them stonewall us and they should give us a more detailed accounting but we can’t let Hillcrest go to shambles. Also the vote should be put out to all homeowners not just a select few.
Everyone should be made aware of the detrimental repercussions a no vote means to our community and home values. It’s too bad there is not enough money from our taxes to handle the expense but everything has gone up and we can’t realistically think landscape maintenance shouldn’t either.
Kelly you have to be made aware that county fails miserably at maintaining the slopes at least by me they do. The mountain adjacent to my property still has not filled in and it’s been 16 years due to lack of irrigation. We were all bullied by the developer to sign the rights away to our slopes and told we may not even step foot on them let alone improve the landscaping and now myself and my neighbors are stuck with rodent infested overgrown trash. Tell my why I should give them a raise for horrible work
Anonymous, I agree with all your points. My slope still has bare areas after 13 years and the water has been shut off for long periods of time. However we should have fought for the dissapproval of the services we receive a long time ago which is another topic instead of letting it all go to waste. I don’t think the maintenance crews are responsible for rodents and trash. You think it’s bad now just wait and see what no services will look like.
Well if Hear the Facts is telling the truth about the sport complex (which I don’t doubt he is) then it’s extortion because they gave us the numbers that I am talking about. (Provided the numbers are real which again I am likely to believe.)
The question is what do we do now? Many of us did not know about voting either because we were not paying attention or not even here. (I know many new neighbors.) At this point what do we do? It seems that the proposal was turned down and that there’s nothing to do at this point.