Santa Clarita is an amazing place to call home. You don’t have to take my word for it. Last year Santa Clarita ranked among “America’s Top 100 Best Places to Live” by Livability.com based on economics, housing, education, amenities and infrastructure, among other items.

Each day, city staff works to enhance the community for residents of all ages. Some of the ways we do that include adding new trails and more open-space areas, improving our parks, events and sports/recreation programs, and developing business programs and incentives that attract and retain our targeted businesses.

Sports and recreation programming remains a top priority in the city. Right now we are working on a 12-acre improvement at Central Park to add two new, full-size, lighted, multi-use sports fields, plus 170 more parking spaces, lighted walkways and a new basketball court.

At 130 acres, Central Park is the city’s largest park and is already home to our fabulous community garden project, the popular cross country course, several playing fields, walking paths, and a children’s play area. Look for the grand opening of these new additions this summer.

I am also pleased to share that two of our Santa Clarita Public Library branches will feature art exhibits beginning Feb. 10 and continuing through June 10 as we work to increase accessibility to original art in the city.

At the Old Town Newhall Library, be sure to visit “Creative Mediums: Explorations in Oil, Watercolor and Acrylic.” The artists in this exhibit have selected various mediums and have interpreted the world around them using those materials.

Over at the Valencia Library, the “SCVi Art Exhibit” features art pieces created by K-12 students at the Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School.

I want to thank you for your participation in our community. Santa Clarita continues to be one of California’s best cities because of the people who live here. Please feel free to email me directly at lweste@santa-clarita.com.

Laurene Weste is mayor of the city of Santa Clarita.