The number 36.6 for how many miles you can ride on the Santa Clarita Transit Beach Bus, if you catch it at Canyon Country Park and ride it to the Santa Monica Pier. The Beach Bus is a fantastic way to beat our summer heat without having to battle the traffic and search for a parking space. The bus will get you to the shore Saturdays and Sundays starting June 3, just $3 per person! For more information, please visit SantaClaritaTransit.com.

The City of Santa Clarita’s 30th birthday! By now you probably know that it is a big year for our City. We are pulling out all the stops to celebrate all the things cityhood has brought to our community! Be on the lookout for the massive birthday card that you get to sign at different City events and facilities throughout the year. Have you found Sammy Clarita yet? The adorable little pint-sized pony has been galloping around the City and has made many friends already. If you want Sammy for your own furever friend, follow the City on Instagram @CityofSantaClarita to find out where he’ll be hiding next!

How about the eight City pools which are open for your swimming and splashing fun this summer? Check out the Summer Seasons for all the locations, and find a time to jump into the excitement at the Aquatic Center. You can take part in the World’s Largest Swim Lesson on June 22, take in a movie at the Dive-In Movie night, learn how to synchronize swim, dive, play underwater hockey and so much more! For more information, please visit santa-clarita.com/Seasons.

Slow down out there – we now have six motor deputies patrolling the streets making sure that drivers are obeying the rules of the road. You probably have seen the sheriff’s deputies on their motorcycles issuing citations for drivers who are speeding, not stopping for pedestrians or driving distracted. Put those cell phones down! For more information on staying safe behind the wheel, please visit santa-clarita.com/DriveFocusLive.

At our three Santa Clarita Public Library branches, children, teens and adults can compete in the 5 Book Summer Reading Challenge. By reading over the summer, children can help maintain the skills they have been building all year and have an easier transition back to class in the fall. Whatever your age, we urge you to stay sharp over the summer and READ 5 as part of the statewide 5 Book Summer Reading Challenge. Simply select the books you want to read (and remember audiobooks and eBooks count too) and log them online when you’ve finished for a chance to win prizes. Need inspiration or help deciding on that next great beach book to explore? You can find suggestions and more information on the program at SCVSummerReading.com.

How about being #1, as in the City of Santa Clarita’s arts website? SantaClaritaArts.com won first place for best website for the California Association of Public Information Officers annual Award of Excellence! The honor was bestowed thanks to the newly redesigned website’s calendar functionality, creative directory, local galleries page, and use of a visual content program that automatically populates images from Instagram onto the site. If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure to check out the site to find out what is happening in the creative community here in Santa Clarita!

We encourage all of our 225,512 residents to get out and explore this summer! We have 34 parks, 85 miles of off-street trails, nearly 9,000 acres of preserved open space, three Metrolink stations, three libraries, two community centers and hundreds of sports and recreation programs for you to enjoy! Have ONE fantastic summer!

Sincerely,
Cameron Smyth

Mayor Smyth is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at csmyth@santa-clarita.com.