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Today in S.C.V. History May 10
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The Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District is seeking to raise rates to pay for the additional operations and maintenance costs of the new state-mandated Advanced Water Treatment Facility in Valencia and aging infrastructure improvements. The third Informational Meeting about the proposed increases is set for Saturday, May 18 at 9 a.m. at Sulphur Springs Community School, 16628 Lost Canyon Road, Canyon Country, CA 91387.
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The regular meeting of the William S. Hart Union High School District’s Governing Board will be held Wednesday, May 15, beginning with a closed session at 5:30 p.m., followed immediately by open session at 7 p.m.
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The Santa Clarita Valley Media Collaborative invites the public as well as local creatives, media industry professionals, students, parents, teachers and others to celebrate the next generation of media makers participating in the inaugural NextGen MediaMakers Festival on Saturday, May 18 from 2-5 p.m. at the Canyon Country Community Center.
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Starting Monday, May 13, crews will begin construction to widen the Copper Hill Bridge located at Copper Hill Drive over the San Francisquito Creek between McBean Parkway and Avenida Rancho Tesoro.
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Santa Clarita’s Olive Branch Theatricals will offer a production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” July 6 - 21.
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A presentation and tour will be held Saturday, May 18, 1-3 p.m. at the Rancho Camulos Museum Marie Wren Library and Archives to highlight the Del Valle/Rubel collection’s new archival system.
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The Santa Clarita City Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 14 at 6 p.m. Prior to the public session the council will meet in closed session for a special meeting at 5:15 p.m. The council will meet at City Hall, City Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd., First Floor, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
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The Academy at Method Schools has announced the launch of its innovative online independent study dual enrollment charter school in partnership with College of the Canyons.
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Hop on your bicycle, get to pedaling and explore the city of Santa Clarita’s sprawling bike trail network during the 2024 “Hit the Trail” Community Bike Ride on Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to noon.
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The 2022-2023 Valencia High School Jazz Choir Two 'n Four has been named the 2024 Winner High School Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble in the 47th Annual Downbeat Magazine Music Awards.
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The MAIN in Old Town Newhall will host “A Night of Narrative Song: A Music Tribute to the 80th Anniversary of D-Day” on Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m.
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The William S. Hart Union High School District is thrilled to announce that Caitlyn Park, a senior at Saugus High School, has been named a 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar.
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As spring blooms, it brings with it a renewed sense of opportunity to embrace the fresh air and physical activity that comes with the season.
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SCV Water, in partnership with the Association of California Water Agencies, is proud to announce that the 2024 Edward G. “Jerry” Gladbach Scholarship has been awarded to California State University, San Marcos student Krisha Pedraza.
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The Nextdoor Kind Foundation announced Thursday the recipients of 100 microgrants awarded to community leaders in Los Angeles County, including four from Santa Clarita, to fund initiatives that uplift their neighborhoods.
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The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency’s Public Outreach and Legislation Committee is holding an in-person meeting Thursday, May 16, at 5:30 p.m.
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The city of Santa Clarita announced all parking lots at Central Park will be closed Friday, May 10, due to the Boots in the Park Country Music Festival.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has released its fifth annual report on mortality among people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County.
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Students enrolling in the College of the Canyons Fall 2024 semester will notice a new course type featured in the class schedule: Focused Classes.
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Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies Shane Seacord, Grant Roth and Sergeant Eric Lee of LASD Emergency Services Detail, Air Rescue 5 crew received the California State Medal of Valor award Wednesday.
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May is National Bicycle Safety Month, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is encouraging everyone to get active and safely take bike rides while at the same time reminding drivers to be on the lookout for more people biking and walking.
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21 Comments
I’m so confused about this guy Greg. Every time I read about him it is about he betraying his own community. RECALL!
WOW ! ! ! Here is the video of these comments being made in public. It is true this CATC Board member really did say this.
http://valverdereport.com/blog/2015/9/11/last-night-in-val-verde-town-hall-recap
I guess Supervisor Antonovich has to vote in favor of California before LA County or his district with this way of thinking. One would think what is good for the region/district/etc would be good in the end for the larger area. What the heck – this country is supposed to have representation to be taxed. I sure as heck am being taxed and now I find out I don’t have representation… Wonderful.
This may help those who don’t understand.
Supervisor Antonovich is the Supervisor for the 5th District of LA County. He considers people in the 5th District as his constituents and thus looks out for their interest over the entire state of California.
Greg Kimura is a CATC Board Member. I am suppose to consider the people of Castaic as my constituents. I don’t put the interests of Santa Clarita, Ventura County, the State of California ahead of the interests of Castaic.
When I was President of the Val Verde Civic Association, I looked out for the interests of the community of Val Verde, not just people who live near me.
Logic: LA Supervisor looks out for LA County, CATC Board Members look out for Castaic. VVCA Board members looks out for Val Verde.
Whoever wrote the CATC bylaws, created the clause in question for a reason. Why? Maybe to bring unity to Castaic vs having 10 Board Members from 5 Regions all looking out for their own region’s interests first?
Here is some video proof to support Steve’s argument.
The group is called the Castaic Area Town Council. It’s not the Val Verde Town Council, right.
When I was President of the Val Verde Civic Association, I looked out for the entire community of Val Verde.
Example: From my house, I don’t smell the landfill, but I did what I could to fight for the people who live in the areas that do smell it.
Logically, I am a Board member of the Castaic Area Town Council. Our bylaws say that I am suppose to consider the entire Castaic area in my decisions. And for those who aren’t aware, Val Verde is part of the Castaic area – we’re Region 2.
Just for the record, I did not come out of left field with this comment. It was a response to an error I made at the July Val Verde Town Hall Meeting. At that meeting, Steve Lee asked me a question about who I was suppose to represent first, Val Verde or Castaic. I made the mistake and told him that each representative considers their region ahead of the needs of Castaic. I was correcting an error that I had made.
For those who were not at the meeting, you will hear a woman in the background saying that she will not follow this part of the CATC bylaws. That woman is Bonnie, who is the Region 2 representative for the Castaic Area Town Council.
As a representative of the CATC, we are all sworn in to our position by a representative from our Supervisor’s office.
Bylaws are the rules of the organization. If a Board Member breaks one of the bylaws, the Secretary of State can remove their entity, which means they are not allowed to operate in the state. Mistakes happen, which isn’t okay, but we’re volunteers and we’re doing the best we can. When someone blatantly states that they will violate the bylaws just because they feel like it … well, that is something that is very serious.
My advice to Bonnie is to admit that she made a mistake. Admit that she got caught up in the dynamics of the meeting and that she didn’t think before she made the statement. She can then apologize to the CATC Board, publicly retract her statement and then promise to do a better job thinking before blurting things out.
I know that I’ve said many things in the heat of a meeting or argument – things I didn’t think about and I admit that I have made mistakes.
What’s good for Val Verde is usually good for Castaic. I will vote with Val Verde because they are who elected me. I will never vote for something that would hurt my town. I will not apologize for loving my town. I didn’t do anything wrong. It says in the bylaws that I have to give equal consideration to Val Verde and Castaic. I have yet to find myself in a vote that pitted me against Castaic’s well being. Name one time I’ve actually voted against what I believe is best for Castaic? Oh you cannot. If you want to split hairs and I know you love to split hairs: I can think of three council people off the top of my head that have never taken other regions into consideration while I’ve sat on the CATC.
I would appreciate you being more certain of a bylaw before going to the public with half truths. I can see what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to get me to break a bylaw so you can petition to have me removed from the board. Good luck with that since I have yet to break a bylaw. You should take your own advice and apologize for saying the county could hav Val Verde residents deported for retribution for signing the civil complaint. You should also apologize for telling people Acetone isn’t poisonous. The National Institute of Health disagrees with you. Maybe next VVCA meeting instead of running your mouth, you’ll tell people what is on the agenda and keep your snide remarks to yourself.
When did I say that Acetone isn’t poisonous? I said it was the first item on “your” list and that’s where I started my research. I found out that it’s in the cells of our body. I knew it was used as nail polish remover and as a solvent. I questioned the logic of having it on a list of banned items. Being the first item on the list, I don’t think it’s a good start.
I looked at other items on the list that I’m familiar with such as Iodine, Hydrogen Peroxide, Chrome, Vanadium, nonionizing radiation, tungsten, Nitorgen Oxides. Then I looked up some very dangerous chemicals and they aren’t on your list – Google search 10 most dangerous chemicals and you’ll see what I mean. If I’m questioning the list, what would the County think of it? Remember that’s who your audience is, not the residents of Val Verde.
If snide remarks are facts, then I think the community should be aware of it. From your posts, you don’t want to share the full story. I understand why, but please don’t attack someone who is trying to pass facts to the residents.
The list came from the CDC’s registry for toxic substances. I trust the CDC has a better grasp of these chemicals than you do. I also said “I will always represent Val Verde,” and I will. Even when I’m no longer on the council, I will always represent Val Verde. You can twist my words and your own to delude yourself into believing I broke a bylaw and that you are innocent, but your opinion doesn’t matter to me. The opinions of the citizens who aren’t somehow related to you, those are the opinions that matter to me. You’re spending so much time trying to make me look bad. Have you ever heard the adage “the lady doth protesteth too much?” Perhaps your time would be better spent coming up with new strategies on how to keep our town safe?
You also said you have to consider Castaic over your region. The bylaws say we have to give EQUAL CONSIDERATION. If you consider Castaic over your region, you have broken the bylaw yourself. you said in the video you have to consider Castaic. Did you also make a mistake in the heat of the moment. You sir have met the kettle.
Bonnie, Val Verde is Region 2 of Castaic. When an item comes up for a vote, we need to consider Castaic in our vote. We are Board Members of the Castaic Area Town Council – the word Castaic is in the title of our organization.
The bylaws say this: We vote on what’s best for Castaic as a whole, which includes Val Verde. The difficult thing is that it may not be what’s best for Val Verde. So yes, you may need to give a yes vote to something that isn’t good for Val Verde, but is good for Castaic as a whole. You were not at the July Val Verde Town Hall meeting, which is where I mistakenly said that I would vote for Val Verde over Castaic. I made a mistake.
I would like to know how allowing all those chemicals into the landfill is good for all of Castaic. Greg your just a landfill lackey and a recall should be directed at you!
:(
I missed the meeting, but I am sure I would have been dissed like Bonnie. I am one of the “radicals” that Greg has mentioned previously. Bonnie is doing what the community wants, not what the landfill wants. The landfill (DUMP) has lied in the past and gotten away with it, I don’t know how anyone can think they won’t do it again with a new CUP. Santa Clarita, open your eyes and ears, we are all getting screwed with the developments and the DUMP.
Just realized Greg says “When I was President of the Val Verde Civic Association, I looked out for the entire community of Val Verde.” Why isn’t he President anymore? Why is the Val Verde community Association not a recognizable committee in the eyes of anyone in the governmental sector? Just wondering.
Who’s your Daddy? By SCVsFinest!
My dad’s name is Bob. Any other odd questions?
I don’t get it – why interpret the bylaws (if they indeed they say to consider both Castaic at large and Val Verde) as excluding any region’s interests?
It is not logical to have regional representatives if they aren’t voting to defend that region’s concerns. That’s what Antonovich supposedly does, and our congressional reps, senators, etc., and that’s what our elected CATC representatives were elected to do too. It’s what’s they’ve always done up to now.
Val Verde’s concerns are not being either defended or represented at all by the rest of the council. The remainder of the regions therefore could be seen as not doing their jobs in following their own bylaws.
When a body, or a body of representatives, finds out that part of the body is under stress, or even perhaps cancerous, it knows that will affect the whole body and wisely removes the stressful situation or perhaps the tumor. It is supposed to be one whole, healthy body.
Perhaps Val Verde should notify the media that it is so disappointed in Antonovich and his Castaic advisory council that they are removing themselves in protest from that harmful body – protecting themselves from further abuse. They sure aren’t getting the protections as citizens they need and deserve. Doing so couldn’t make things any worse for them, and maybe it would shame – if that were possible- or embarrass his office enough to stop dumping on Val Verde.
Richard, I have been trying to get ABC, NBC, CBS, KTLA, and KTTV to listen and see what is going on to no avail. I hope another commentary by Steve Lee is posted. It has to do with a recall.
Richard thank you for your post. The reality is that they could have voted no other way. They had already made an agreement with the landfill. If they were to speak up for any of their residents they would lose the money. This according to quotes (Jim Walker) took from the August CATC meeting. He wrote an article in the West Side Reader.
“the possibility that by sending the letter, the council might be running afoul of the previous council’s vote to approve the landfill’s conditional use permit — which included the expansion of the landfill and the resulting $360,000 donated to Val Verde (approximately two-thirds) and Castaic (approximately one-third).
There is the main reason Val Verde cannot be represented, to represent Val Verde, by doing the right thing would mean to give up the money. Greg Kimura was president of the VVCA when they struck a deal with Castaic to give them part of them mitigation money. Greg Kimura was the president of the VVCA when he made the agreement with Castaic to give them 30% of the mitigation fees. I was also a member of the board and I voted, No!
Has anyone explained how the CATC can enter into a legal agreement with the county or landfill, when the same county says the CATC has zero standing or authority – not being in any way a part of county government?