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June 24
1980 - Saugus Train Station relocated to Hart Park, Newhall [story]
Saugus Train Station


Like the song says: “I get by with a little help from my friends.”

William Oh is a pretty amazing kid.   The Golden Valley junior is president of the school’s Octagon Club, vice president of the Key Club, and serves as an officer on the ASB and as a council rep for the National Honor Society.  Oh, he’s president of the speech and debate club, too.   When he’s not dashing from one Honors class to the next, he’s thinking up ways to engage his fellow students in projects that will improve things on campus.  He recently spearheaded the school’s participation in an environmental campaign sponsored by DoSomething.org that netted Golden Valley  $5,000 in grant funding. The grant will provide monies for the purchase of a large tree that will serve as a campus landmark, plus several smaller trees and greenery to be planted throughout the school grounds. William’s Challenge: where to get the extra manpower and materials needed to loosen dirt, clear weeds, apply groundcover and give the school a thorough “ cleanup” to go along with its new greenery. William’s Solution: Make a Difference Day, America’s National Day of Volunteer Service.

For the second consecutive year, Make a Difference Day, which is organized locally by HandsOn Santa Clarita, will supply William with a number of community volunteers to bolster the group of 50 students he pulls together.   Members of the Make a Difference Day committee and representatives from Stay Green, a major sponsor of the event will meet with William and faculty to help identify trees and shrubs most suitable for the project.  HandsOn will supply extra gloves, water and supplies; Stay Green will provide extra materials and a few employees on the big day to assist with landscaping duties.  With the additional support from Make a Difference Day, William’s vision for a more green and beautiful campus will soon become a reality.

Make a Difference Day matches individuals and volunteers with a variety of “hands on” service projects – think painting, weeding, window washing and more – benefitting local schools and charities, and takes place here and across the country Saturday, October 27, 2012. Volunteer forces include individuals and teams from local business, churches, schools, scout troops and service groups.

Over the past 11 years, Make a Difference Day, the largest volunteer event in Santa Clarita, has attracted close to 14,000 volunteers and contributed an incredible 60,000 hours of combined service to schools and organizations including Carousel Ranch, the Boys & Girls Club, SCV Senior Center, SCV Historical Society, the Emergency Winter Shelter and Child & Family Center.

Often, it is the vision of one person that gets the ball of change rolling and Make a Difference Day can help in turning the roll into a goal.   Deborah Rocha is one such person.  Surviving a parent’s worst nightmare – the tragic death of her 15-year-old daughter, Samantha, in April of 2011 — Deborah refused to lose herself to grief.  Instead she used the intensity of her emotions to honor her daughter by founding Straightening Reins, an equine-based therapy intervention program dedicated to helping at-risk youth make positive choices. In a ranch environment, teens work with horses, goats, chickens and other animals.  They receive academic tutoring, leadership training and counseling for grief, loss, drugs, alcohol, peer pressure and more.  Debbie’s Challenge: finding the manpower needed to install fencing around a goat pasture and paint another fence surrounding the horse corral. Deborah’s Solution:  Make a Difference Day.

For the relatively new non-profit, participating in Make a Difference Day is providing added manpower to the 35 volunteers from Northpark Community Church and Masters College who will dig holes, install posts, affix wire, scrape, sand, prime and paint as they build one fence and paint another.  Rocha is also making important connections with schools and other non-profit agencies that are part of Make a Difference Day and with whom she can partner on programs and referrals.

Russ Kimura is regional park superintendent at Placerita Nature Center, home to Santa Clarita’s historic Oak of the Golden Dream.  The park and nature retreat offers numerous hiking trails, self-guided nature walks, docent/naturalist led hikes, a nature center museum and wild animal presentations.  The Center has applied for a grant to designate one of their nature trails as a “Brail Trail,” a trail featuring multilingual brail markers along the route.  A provision of the grant is that the trail be rich with a variety of native plants and shrubs about which future users of the dedicated “Brail Trail” will be able to “read.”   Russ’ Challenge:  Transplanting dozens of indigenous plants from throughout the vast park grounds to a 200 ft. section of the future Brail Trail.  Russ’ Solution:  Make a Difference Day.

Two years ago, dozens of Make a Difference Day volunteers spent the day clearing large rocks and debris out of Placerita Creek and stabilized its banks — efforts that allowed winter rainwaters to flow smoothly along the waterway as it traverses the park.  This year, volunteers from Chase, Yahoo Employees Foundation and Hyatt Regency Valencia will take shovels in hand to transplant the indigenous plants to both sides of designated sections of the trail.

Make a Difference Day was founded on the idea that neighbors helping neighbors is one of the best ways to keep a community strong. The more engaged a community is with its schools and the charitable agencies that care for, educate and heal its youth, elderly, families, pets and environment, the stronger those agencies and the community itself become.  Santa Clarita’s ranking as one of the country’s largest Make a Difference Day locations is not in jeopardy.  Close to 1,500 individuals have registered as volunteers for this year’s event, according to Seema Shah, executive director at HandsOn Santa Clarita. “Volunteers from age 6 on up will be deployed to 50 project locations to help fulfill the great ideas of 40 local schools and charitable organizations” Shah explained.

Local landscape professionals, Stay Green Inc., are Major Sponsors of Make a Difference Day this year.  Additional sponsors include Donaldson, ITT Aerospace Controls, Home Depot Foundation, Nexus and Hyatt Regency Valencia who hosts a Kick Off Rally for volunteers before they begin their projects.  Sandra Mitchell, anchor for KCBS 2 and KCAL 9 news emcees.  For additional information, please contact Seema Shah at 661.257.1997 or via email at makeadifferenceday@handsonscv.org.

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SCV NONPROFIT LINKS

NONPROFIT HEADLINES
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025
Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence recently held its “Celebration of Everything” event in appreciation of the many volunteers who make such a difference in the lives of Santa Clarita Valley foster youth and recognizing a record number of 32 youth for education milestones.
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025
The Gibbons Conservation Center is nearly halfway to its June fundraising goal, which will generously be matched. That leaves one week to double your donation.
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025
The Agua Dulce Women's Club Community Blood Drive will be held Wednesday, June 25, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. at 33201 Agua Dulce Canyon Road, Agua Dulce, CA 91390.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025
The Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry, the longest-running and largest food assistance organization in the SCV, has been selected by Albertsons Companies to receive a $30,000 makeover grant.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025
The Samuel Dixon Family Health Center invites the community to the Third Annual Cornhole Tournament on Saturday, June 21 at 11 a.m. at Lucky Luke Brewing Company.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence recently held its “Celebration of Everything” event in appreciation of the many volunteers who make such a difference in the lives of Santa Clarita Valley foster youth and recognizing a record number of 32 youth for education milestones.
FYI Hosts Annual ‘Celebration of Everything’ Honoring Youth, Volunteers
The city of Santa Clarita will host a location for the 2025 World’s Largest Swim Lesson on Thursday, June 26, 10:30-11 a.m. at the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center, presented by Kaiser Permanente.
June 26: Join the 2025 World’s Largest Swim Lesson at Aquatic Center
Airman Matthew Mancillas, a native of Santa Clarita, is one of more than 60 sailors celebrating America’s 249 years of independence while serving aboard USS Constitution, the Navy’s oldest commissioned warship.
Santa Clarita Native Serves Aboard Navy’s Oldest Commissioned Warship
The Gibbons Conservation Center is nearly halfway to its June fundraising goal, which will generously be matched. That leaves one week to double your donation.
Gibbons Conservation Center Matching Fundraising
The Valley Industry Association is calling on all CEOs, presidents, business owners, chief marketing officers, chief operating officers, HR directors, vice presidents, executive directors, regional managers, project managers and more to fill in answers on a five-minute survey today that will help develop solutions for tomorrow.
VIA CEO Forum Survey
John Paul Mitchell Systems, a manufacturer of hair care products and styling tools, has announced it will relocate from California to Texas.
John Paul Mitchell Systems to Relocate to Texas
Luke Brueckner, a former player and assistant coach with The Master's University golf team, has been hired as the new head coach for both the men's and women's programs.
Brueckner Hired as New TMU Golf Coach
1980 - Saugus Train Station relocated to Hart Park, Newhall [story]
Saugus Train Station
William S. Hart Park has been a cherished part of the Santa Clarita community for nearly 70 years.
Ken Striplin | Preserving a Community Treasure, William S. Hart Park
The city of Santa Clarita has announced the launch of Kaizen, a new online recreation registration system designed to make it easier for residents to register for classes, programs and events.
City Launches New Online Recreation Registration System
Ava DiNapoli, a senior at Valencia High School, placed second in Impromptu Speaking at the 2025 National Speech and Debate Association's National Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.
Valencia High Student Placed Second at NSDA National Tournament
The Regular Meeting of the Saugus-Castaic School Facilities Financing Authority will be held on Tuesday, June 24, at the Saugus Union School District, 24930 Avenue Stanford, Santa Clarita, CA 91355, at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room.
June 24: Saugus-Castaic School Facilities Financing Authority to Meet
The Santa Clarita City Council will meet in open session on Tuesday, June 24 at City Hall, with the first reading of an ordinance of the Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map of the city of Santa Clarita issued by CalFire.
June 24: Council Will Consider CalFire Hazard Map of City of Santa Clarita
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo submitted a formal budget request letter calling for comprehensive funding, beyond the $110 million currently allocated, to fully implement Proposition 36.
Schiavo Leads Public Safety Budget Push
California Credit Union Foundation has awarded a scholarship to Saugus High School Senior Nathan Lieber as part of its College Scholarship Program, recognizing exceptional students for their school and community activities.
California Credit Union Foundation Awards Scholarship to SCV Student
The county of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation will host a "Pride at the Park" event, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, June 26 at Castaic Regional Sports Complex.
June 26: Castaic Sports Complex ‘Pride at the Park’
The city of Santa Clarita Film Office has released the list of seven productions filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, June 23 to Saturday, June 28.
June 23-28: Seven Productions Filming in SCV
A special meeting of the William S. Hart Union High School District’s Governing Board will be held Wednesday, June 25, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
June 25: Hart District Governing Board Special Meeting
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will hear input on a number of topics during a public hearing on Tuesday, June 24, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Board Hearing Room 381B, Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
June 24: L.A. County Supervisors’ Public Hearing
1946, 11:20pm: William S. Hart, 81, dies at L.A.'s California Lutheran Hospital, leaving his Newhall estate and his (now West) Hollywood home to the public [story]
Hart dies
1972 - Vasquez Rocks added to National Register of Historic Places [list]
Vasquez Rocks
The Agua Dulce Women's Club Community Blood Drive will be held Wednesday, June 25, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. at 33201 Agua Dulce Canyon Road, Agua Dulce, CA 91390.
June 25: Agua Dulce Women’s Club Community Blood Drive
The regular meeting of the Saugus Union School District Governing Board of Trustees will be held Tuesday, June 24 beginning at 6:40 p.m. The board will first meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m.
June 24: Saugus Union School District Board Regular Meeting
1941 - Ernie Hickson buys out Trem Carr's interest in their Monogram movie ranch, renames it "Placeritos" (later called Melody) [story]
Ernie Hickson
SCVNews.com