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Today in S.C.V. History April 18
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Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
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The Master's University men's golf team shot a 13-under 275 to finish second at the Golden State Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championships held at Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West, Ariz.
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Join local nonprofit Project Sebastian for an exhilarating day of racing and community support at its Rare Warrior 24 race on Saturday, June 1, at Heritage Park in the heart of Santa Clarita.
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Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station Station deputies will be taking part in the “DEA National Drug Take Back Day,” Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in front of the SCV Sheriff’s Station, located at 26201 Golden Valley Road.
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The College of the Canyons Center for Civic and Community Engagement—in collaboration with COC’s Golden Z Club—invites the community to attend the Nonprofit Community Resource Fair on Tuesday, April 30.
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College of the Canyons made quick work of visiting L.A. Valley College in a shortened 11-3 home victory that came on a day in which the program unveiled its newly named Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room during a pre-game dedication ceremony.
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For aspiring scientists at The Master’s University, taking up a student research project is no small commitment.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning residents not to use a Vietnamese herbal ointment called “Cao Bôi Trĩ Cây Thầu Dầu” (Castor Oil Hemorrhoid Extract) because it contains lead and can be fatal.
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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a California Apprenticeship Summit Wednesday to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and career technical education pathways that connect California’s youth to high-wage, high-growth career opportunities.
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College of the Canyons student-athletes Nichole Muro (softball) and Angelo Aleman (baseball) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running April 8-13.
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California State Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Wednesday his bill improving transparency between parents and schools’ sexual education curricula passed out of the Senate Education Committee.
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The 76.6-mile-long Antelope Valley Line has the third-highest ridership in Metrolink’s system with an estimated average of 9,000 passengers daily. However, the uneven terrain and single-tracking along the line in some areas forces trains to travel at a slower speed which results in an estimated travel time of approximately one hour between Santa Clarita and Union Station.
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Team Dragon Eyes, affectionately known as TDE, is gearing up to host its highly anticipated Fifth Annual Dragonboat Festival race on Saturday, June 1 at Castaic Lake, Lower Lagoon.
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This year marks the 20th year that the city of Santa Clarita has been hosting the annual Bike to Work Challenge. The community is invited to celebrate by riding a bike to work the week of May 13, and stopping by a pit stop on Thursday, May 16.
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Ready to take control of your financial future? Join the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs Center for Financial Empowerment for the next installment in the Lunch & Learn Financial Capability Month webinar series, "Understanding Credit.
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The Santa Clarita Valley Concert Band will perform a "Starry Might" concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday May 4. The concert, under the direction of Tim Durand, will be held at the Canyon Theatre Guild, 24242 Main St., Newhall, CA 91321.
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After a record-setting 2023 combatting organized retail crime, the California Highway Patrol continues to aggressively disrupt and dismantle illegal operations throughout California.
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Celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22 with California State Parks at any of the 280 unique park units across the state. State Parks has numerous Earth Day-themed events planned. They include in-person activities such as guided walks and hikes, workdays and a bioblitz, as well as virtual programming with a live dive broadcast exploring the hidden world of the ocean.
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1930 - Telephone switchboard operator Louise Gipe, heroine of the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster, tries & fails to kill herself over an unrequited love [story]
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Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Major Crimes Bureau Detectives worked closely with Century Station Detectives after learning of a serial robbery crew committing crimes throughout Los Angeles County.
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Join the Samuel Dixon Family Health Center for their second annual Cornhole Tournament fundraiser where all proceeds will support mental health services to anyone in need.
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California State University, Northridge will confer honorary doctorates on four alumni, all respected leaders in their fields, at the university’s commencement ceremonies next month.
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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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17 Comments
Wow! I would think the right to a free education would also include the transportation to get there. I am told that the superintendent is getting 180,000 a year. Is this true? To manage four schools? Did he just take a 30,000 raise in the mist of all this? These are the rumors I am hearing. That is how the system works of late, the teachers take more students than they should have in a classroom, the bus drivers get laid off, and those who never enter the classroom give themselves raises. It happens all over the United States.
Great Article.
May I suggest the possibility of the VVCA using a portion of the funds they receive from CLF to partially fund the school districts bus service.
Just a friendly thought or suggestion as I am not familiar with all the issues in VV.
Maybe the money that town gets from the dump can cover the cost.
I didn’t know any communities had bus service anymore but it sure seems like this one community is always complaining! All Democrats I guess, hands out, adding for more
I agree Josh.
While the state funds your district’s children’s education, that is no longer the case for their school bus transportation. I’m no longer up to date on the figures, but only children in the most intensive programs have reimbursement from the state for transportation, therefore the dollars to pay for school bus transportation comes from the general fund. Unfortunate, isn’t it?
Not a new issue in the SCV…Hart district cut school bus service for the majority of their students back in the early 2000s. JHS students got bus service only if they lived more than 3 miles from school. High school students only got bussed under extreme circumstances. And the parents had to pay for the school bus service. We live near Sand/Soledad and were told that our 11 year old daughter was expected to walk 2.9 miles to Sierra Vista, along one of the busiest roads in Santa Clarita, crossing two major arteries, on a road that has had repeated instances of attempted child abduction. I’m surprised Val Verde still has bus service, at least for middle school students.
When they cut the bus services in Junior high in the 90’s, that’s when I started cutting school to avoid public transportation and weirdos on the way to and from school. It’s unfortunate that transportation is not considered part of part of free and fair education.
For those who don’t know, I’m the President of the VVCA. Our treasury has a little over $200, so my organization cannot provide financial assistance.
Some facts that should be considered:
1. The distance the grade school kids will have to walk is 3.5 miles with most of it on roads with no sidewalks. It’s not reasonable to ask kids from 5 – 12 years old to walk these roads and that distance. Google maps says this should take 1 hour 7 minutes one way.
2. The middle school is even further at 4.1 miles if they cut through Sloan Canyon a dirt road with lots of ruts. I wouldn’t want my kids walking on Del Valle or Hasley Canyon, so this doesn’t seem feasible either. Google maps says this should take 1 hour 25 minutes one way.
3. If parents are forced to drive their kids to school, are the parents who currently drive their kids willing to endure more traffic from 120 kids at Live Oak or another 80 kids at CMS?
4. Traffic is already horrendous now. Add that many more cars and it’s definitely going to be worse.
Sara Jones, that would be a great option, except the Val Verde Civic Association (VVCA) receives zero dollars from Chiquita Canyon Landfill (CCL). The VVCA is a volunteer organization with less than $100 in reserves. Source: I am a board member of the VVCA.
The money goes directly to the Community Benefits Funding Committee (CBFC). The CBFC, as with many legal entities, sets a budget for it’s fiscal year, and earmarks the money for where it should be spent. The CBFC also polls the community, so they can get a gauge on what the community wants/needs. This issue came up within the past few weeks, well after the community was polled and CBFC decisions were made as to how the money should be spent.
That being said, the CBFC is wanting to help out. However, the cost of the bus service, as provided by the Castaic School District Superintendent is $650K per year. The CBFC receives approximately $350k per year, which means it would not be able to cover the full cost. Additionally, it would mean that if all CBFC money went to the bus service, there would be no funds for additional community benefits.
In sum, the CBFC doesn’t have enough to cover the cost, and has already decided where money should be spent prior to this issue arising. The VVCA receives zero dollars from CCL, and has less than $100 in reserves.
Josh, the explanation I just gave should answer your first comment. CBFC does not have enough to cover the service. Cost is $650K, CBFC receives approximately $350K.
Josh, I’m honestly not sure what the data is on how many communities have bus service, but it’s irrelevant. All children deserve to be educated. Do you agree with that? If not, please stop reading my comment. This means all kids. Those who have means to get to school without a bus service, and those that do not. It should be a number one priority for Americans to support EVERY child getting an education. If you disagree, please explain why you feel every child in this country is not deserving of an education?
If we cannot find a way to make sure every child gets educated in this country, regardless of their financial situation, then we have truly failed ourselves as a nation, and have no right to complain when other nations prosper and we continue to decline.
Lastly, Josh, I believe that education is not a handout. It is a necessity that all Americans deserve. If asking for every child to be educated in this country is similar to asking for a handout, then I’m truly at a loss for words. Prioritizing education means making sure all kids get to school and learn.Our kids deserve that, but I will always listen to a difference of opinion.
Annette, yes it is very unfortunate.
Tessa, thanks for your comment. I’m sorry for your situation, and honestly wish you did not have to be placed in that situation. I went to school in one of the wealthiest communities in Massachusetts. The suburb of Belmont. The town in which Mitt Romney lives in now. When I was a kid, and till this day, they have bus service. Not because the parents can’t afford it, but because the parents should not have to deal with the burden of whether or not their kid gets an education. Additionally, I also went to school in what was one of the poorest communities in Boston, the South End, back in the 80’s. My school was literally a 20 minute walk, and they offered bus service. This was mainly due to safety. This should be the case everywhere, including where you live.
In sum, I don’t understand why some people find it hard to grasp that all kids deserve an education, without the burden being placed on the families. Transporting kids to school is the first step towards ensuring each child gets an education. There are also safety benefits that go along with school bus service. Some families legitimately cannot get their kids to school without the assistance of a bus service hence being denied an education. Please support Val Verde and all communities across America. Educating our kids, which starts with getting them to a school, needs to be a priority across this land.
I think it should be noted that this service is NOT FREE. CUSD charges 325.00 for 1 student to ride the bus. Also, I would like to add, that as a REPUBLICAN living in Castaic, I think the Val Verde community and others affected by this have every reason to be upset.
Stayci, an additional note. Not every child that rides the bus pays. If the student qualifies for free or reduced lunches, they ride for a discount or free, depending on the situation. Even with the amount of money that has recently been charged, the district is only changing a small percentage of what it costs to bus the children. It’s the lack of funding from the state that has forced all other districts in the community to cat transportation to students with the exception of special education.
Lunacy. Great heads up. Keep us posted.
Thank you Stayci for setting the record straight. Many of the parents in Val Verde do pay for this bus service. One single mother I know pays $550 per year for her two kids. What has CUSD done with that money? Val Verde and Paradise Ranch are NOT looking for a hand out. However, it is very obvious someone has seriously mismanaged the money that has been assigned to CUSD – paid for by all of us in our taxes. I suggest starting at the top instead of at the bottom. They are being paid large salaries to screw it all up. The people who mismanaged the money should be held accountable. Cut salaries at the top and see if they start to make things work again.
Thanks, Greg Kimura for providing the correct amount of the VVCA’s funds.
Jennifer Fischer,
This article is a good way to politically create an up rising that might get some attention from a wealthy easily influenced individual that financial assistance could potentially be lured from; but I think you are underestimating the public’s intelligence, hence Stayci’s comment on how the transportation is funded by the students guardians let alone the bond that was just given to CUSD last year which has/had a $22,000,000 general fund to be distributed appropriately. Unfortunately the leaders in charge of these funds count on the short attention span of the general public which allows these leaders to spend and distribute money in an unorganized and irresponsible manner. Let’s not lose sight of the subject of the conversation at hand; I believe that you are aware of the points that I am making and also believe that you were persuaded to write this article, by what ever means, by the Castaic School District themselves. We all know that small groups have made the most dramatic changes in American history, so if we can dilute the truth and present the subjects of Val Verde with the issue of their children being denied transportation, then we will create an uprising that will hopefully get the attention of the state that line our pockets with even more.
Is this how you want to pursue your career in journalism?
Sincerely,
Lee
At the Feb 3rd Castaic School District Board Meeting, the room was not only SRO, but there were people outside the building trying to hear what was going on inside. There are a lot of people whose livelihood will be affected by the Board’s decision.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Feb 19th. I think even more people will attend (or at least try to get in). Each group is fighting for their part of the budget and their survival. I heard that the deficit is -$1.4M and they must send a balanced budget to the state. That means cuts are inevitable and will happen. The question is where are they going to cut?
I am told that the superintendent of Castaic makes 180,000; that is 45,000 per school. They have four schools. In comparison Lausd superintendent makes 330,000 for over 900 schools. That is roughly 367.00 per school. A big difference. Maybe Castaic should be incorporated into a bigger school district due to the theft of the taxes that pay for schools.