I love it when someone uses a bunch of statistics to explain why something did or didn’t happen in an election.

I just read one of those about why the Democrats didn’t win one of the top two slots in the 25th Congressional District in the recent primary election.

After all I read, it comes down to one simple reason: The leading Democrat didn’t get enough votes to be on the ballot in the general election.

And why didn’t he get enough votes?

1) People didn’t vote for him.

2) Folks didn’t like what he said and didn’t vote for him.

3) He is a Democrat, and some folks will vote only along party lines.

4) His supporters thought he had a chance and – he didn’t get enough votes.

End of story.

I don’t agree with the folks who want to block the electronic billboards, but it does appear they are attempting to do a little better job of policing comments on Facebook. Please keep it fair out there. Cuss and discuss the merits of the billboards, but keep personalities out of it. So thanks, CABB, for trying to keep the debate civil.

A rather large business at the northeast end of our little valley that sits on the Santa Clara River is having a lot of problems getting permits to repair existing facilities. The California Department of Fish and Game and the water quality folks, along with Los Angeles County and the federal EPA, are taking forever.

It would be really great if there were a clearing house for the process. As it stands, at least two of the permits are administered in Riverside. Can’t apply electronically, so the company folks have to go to Riverside to get the permits … and another longstanding business considers if it wants to stay here in the Golden State.

I look at all kinds of other stuff sitting in the bed of our river, and I’ll bet that not one of those wells, mine tailings, tunnels from 1925 or roads of the same era had all of that to contend with when they were built or when they were used.

I once wrote a column about the environmental impact report that wasn’t needed when Gen. Portola first visited our valley in 1769. So true when I wrote that, and it holds a few years later. Give a person too much red tape, and that person will go someplace where there isn’t any red tape, or at least a lot less of it.

Having lived in Virginia and Kentucky for a number of years prior to ending my service with the Navy, I had forgotten how warm it stays at night in those states – along with the humidity, too. I love our evenings in Southern California. Cool but not cold, and last night and tonight the moon will be full and all of the crazy folks are out. Send them back to Sacramento, please.

I’m proud of my great nephew, Owen. He graduated from sixth grade yesterday and earned the citizenship award. Just like his grandmother Alyce did way, way, way back when.

We all used to love to compete for awards like that. We had time actually to study and not spend days testing to standards set in Washington, D.C. Common Core wasn’t even a dream. Now it is a nightmare for us all, especially our children and grandchildren.

While I think of it, why do kids study local history so young? I give tours in Mentryville, and the kids usually want only to watch a lizard or snake. They could care less about the history of the place. Maybe it should be an eighth grade requirement. That would have a certain level of irony. Most of the men who created the oil field may have had only an eighth-grade education.

The question of the week for me: “Do they close the park at Mentryville just before or after sunset?” The sign says “Sunset.” I’m sure the rangers watch the Weather Channel to get the actual time of sunset so they can keep it open as long as possible.

Now I’ve gone and written away a perfectly good evening. Thank you, for I do so love doing it.

Doing it is so much fun.

“Say goodnight, Darryl.”

Goodnight, Darryl.

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, published on Tuesdays and Sundays, are archived at DManzer.com. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].