Happy Monday. I had a great weekend. How about you? It could have been a little cooler, but we were able to enjoy the sunshine and warmth. Remember that, next winter.

We’re going to have quite a problem come November. We’ve got to pick a new congressman. The 25th District hasn’t done that in more than 20 years. So what is the problem?

Well, if Tony Strickland wins, I think we’ll end up with a clone of our current Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon. I guess it is legal, but I find it really odd that someone from outside the district can run for office in it. After the recent Saugus Union School District problem with Stephen Winkler, will an election of Tony Strickland throw the 25th District into a legal morass? Could we end up without a congressman while the courts sort things out?

The other choice is Steve Knight. If he is elected, then his seat in the California Senate will be open. Who runs for that office? I happen to think it will be Scott Wilk, our current representative in the California Assembly. Should he get elected as a state senator, we’ll now have an open seat for the Assembly.

Filling that Assembly seat is problematic. I think someone from the Santa Clarita City Council will run for that seat.

The big question? I don’t know who that could be. TimBen Boydston? Maybe. Dante Acosta is an obvious choice. Whatever happens, you can see the SCV political pot being stirred briskly.

Of course, all of the dominoes falling into place, as I see it, is something of a long chance. At this point, my crystal ball is a little cloudy. As soon as it clears, I’ll tell you what I see.

Notice I didn’t include a Democrat who might run in the coming mix-up. I think the Democrats are still shaken by the loss Lee Rogers suffered.

While all of that could be going on, we’ll also have the billboard question to answer. As I’ve stated before, we’re going to hear a lot from the billboard industry on that question. I wonder just how much money the billboard industry is going to spend in efforts to stop the ordinance that was passed by the City Council.

So there you have it. Many paths to be found and used. Going to get a bit interesting around our pretty little valley.

Now there is something just as important happening this Saturday morning. In fact, it will be a very early morning for most involved.

The SCV Community Hiking Club has a short hike planned in Mentryville, and it will be a guided tour given by someone that once lived in Mentryville. That tour guide is – me.

Folks will gather Saturday at 7:45 a.m. in the parking lot across the creek from the old Felton School in Mentryville. From there, it is a short, 2-mile amble up the canyon to the historic oil well that started the commercial petroleum industry in the West. That is the California Star Oil Co.’s Well No. 4.

After we reach the well, some folks are planning to hike another two miles up the Pacific Coast Oil Co. side of the canyon. That part is a little steeper, so I hope you’re prepared for a good hike.

There isn’t any cost associated with this great historical tour, unless of course you want to pass the hat for your tour guide. I only accept new $20 bills … not really, but you will need to bring $5 for your parking fee. You’ll also have to sign a waiver just in case you should stumble on the paved road going up the canyon.

Simple? You bet. A lot simpler than what you’re going to have to figure out in November.

Even though we’ll be making the trip early in the day, you’ll still need plenty of water, good shoes and maybe a small lunch. It is going to be rather warm. While there might be a good reason to wear light clothes and flip-flops, this is not the time or place. Like the Boy Scouts would say, “Be Prepared.”

And be prepared for the election in November. Please be informed. I don’t know how I’m voting in that election. I will vote. Now, if each of us can take a friend to the polls to vote, too, we could double the turnout. So take a couple of friends.

I know that during this drought, one should shower with a friend. So now we should also go vote with that same friend. Please get dressed before you go vote.

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].