For those of you who don’t know:

Pico Canyon Road, Potrero Canyon, Stevenson Ranch, West Ranch, Val Verde, Castaic, the Valencia Commerce Center, Southern Oaks and the proposed Newhall Ranch villages are all under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County – NOT the City of Santa Clarita.

All would have all been included in the 1987 cityhood vote but for the capricious actions and attitude of Los Angeles County. Just to set the record straight. So you can’t blame the city of Santa Clarita for problems in the L.A. County-governed areas of the Santa Clarita Valley.

A reader’s offered solution of completing Pico Canyon Road through the Santa Susanna Mountains to connect to Topanga would put the road through one state park, a couple of L.A. County parks, and the EPA Superfund site of the NASA Santa Susana Field Lab. It is also some of the roughest country in the area. I remember having problems with a horse on the small trails in that area. A tunnel would be way too expensive.

There are plenty of roads to provide fire protection in Pico and Potrero canyons. Making a major road through the area would not increase fire protection but could increase the likelihood of a wildfire from increased folks driving through.

We have one of the most beautiful places to live in Southern California, since our valley is surrounded by mountains that can be snow-capped in winter, and has wildlife that abounds throughout. Some wildlife is so prevalent, it can be pests. Take the folks I know in Happy Valley who have at least five different raccoons in their backyard. My sister living in the same area has had Animal Control come out three times now to remove raccoons from under her house. Stopping the building won’t be easy, so let’s think about responsible building.

I think when it comes to developers building a new neighborhood, it is sort of like a maker of bourbon telling folks to drink responsibly. Medical science tells me that one ounce of alcohol (the amount in a typical drink) starts to take away the inhibitions in anyone. Responsible drinking might not be and usually isn’t possible after that first drink. You can argue about this all you want; I’m just quoting the professor of pharmacology I had at Seattle University. Same way with folks wanting to build a neighborhood, because once you build one, you want to build more. Valencia, West Ranch, Stevenson Ranch, Bridgeport, Newhall Ranch – get my point?

But as the population grows, the need for housing does, too. Even those of us born and raised in this valley know it could never have remained the rural and pristine place it was. Sure, I miss the wide-open spaces, but I don’t miss the smell of onions, stockyards and the layer of dust that covered cars and people alike when the fields were plowed.

I think for the most part, the growth has been good, but I also think Los Angeles County could make sure the planning for the growth goes better. The simple questions remain about water, sewage, trash and traffic.

I attended the Santa Clarita City Council meeting last night and was struck with the realization that our council and the city staff are very much aware of the needs of the city. They do a great job, and we too often complain, when they are not the problem. Each and every member of the council is a volunteer. I try not to complain about a job that I’m unwilling to do myself. Being a council person isn’t on any of my lists of things I want to do. I’m happy with being the proclaimed mayor of Pico Canyon, as I once was in a comment made to one of my columns.

Also at the meeting last night, Mayor Weste gave a loving and heartfelt eulogy for Connie Worden-Roberts. Now Connie was a great lady, and as appointees to the city Arts Commission were being made, I thought of the solution to the art in the traffic circle in downtown Newhall. It was a perfect solution I thought of and didn’t get too many strange looks when I told a few others my idea after the meeting.

The lady who made sure our roads had a chance of meeting our traffic needs and the one person who did the impossible using nearly nothing. Our road warrior extraordinaire. So what is it that I want for the traffic circle? How about a statue of Connie in the middle of that circle? I like the idea. I like it better than my original oil well-derrick idea.

And let’s face facts, folks. Connie, even in bronze, would look a thousand times better than William S. Hart, Tom Mix or many other of our Western actors. Plus, Connie was the real deal. No acting, and every story she had was a happy ending.

So step up, folks. Cast your vote for Connie. Thanks.

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com and his commentaries are archived at DManzer.com. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].