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April 24
1962 - SCV residents vote to connect to State Water Project, creating Castaic Lake Water Agency (now part of SCV Water) [story]
Castaic Lake


Hailu HeadshotBoys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley announces Hailu Waithaka as the 2022 Youth of the Year and Los Angeles County Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year. Boys & Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year program is designed to promote and recognize service to the Club and community, academic performance, and contributions to family/home life by honoring outstanding Club teens as Youth of the Year at their local Club. Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Club member can receive through the Boys & Girls Club.

A junior at Hart High School, Waithaka’s dream is to attain a law degree from Stanford. He balances his leadership role as the Club’s Keystone Vice President with practices and games for his travel soccer team and schoolwork. At 16 years old, Waithaka has a passion for helping others dealing with mental health challenges. He is concerned about the stigma of talking about mental health issues and how that is exasperating the mental health crisis young people are facing. He is particularly interested in shining a light on mental health struggles in sports and ensuring there are more resources for athletes to understand their emotions and how to seek support.

“The mental health crisis facing the Youth of America today is not being addressed with enough support and urgency,” Waithaka said. “Mental health issues are being dealt with by individuals through bad coping mechanisms like drug abuse and isolation because of either a lack of resources or hesitancy to ask for help because of the stigma. What matters to me is advocating for eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health in relation to athletes and ensuring mental health resources are widely available to all young people.”

Waithaka joined the Boys & Girls Club in 2017 shortly after moving to Santa Clarita from Kenya. He found the Club, just across the street from Placerita Junior High School, after his friends Gabe and Dylan were called in to finish their homework by Club staff one day.

“They invited me in, and I was in awe,” Waithaka said. “There was so much to do, and all the children were happy and busy with homework, friendship, and games. I went home that day and asked my mom to sign me up as a member.”

Hailu has attended the Club nearly every day since, learning the game of basketball, making new friends, getting help with homework, and taking on a leadership role amongst his peers. During the pandemic, he stayed connected with friends and staff thru the Club’s virtual program.

“We couldn’t be prouder of Hailu and all that he has accomplished,” said CEO Matthew Nelson. “Hailu is incredibly humble and kind. He has a generous heart and one of those smiles that lights up a room. We’re so proud of him. We are excited to see all the amazing things he will do with his life.”

Board President Matt Carpenter piled more praise on for the Club’s Youth of the Year, “Hailu is an exceptional human being. He is hard-working and exudes endless optimism. We had several teen members worthy of the award, but Hailu really stood out. I want to applaud our amazing Club staff for continuing to help develop and shape youth into the leaders of tomorrow- right here in our Santa Clarita Valley community.”

After receiving the award of Youth of the Year for Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley Waithaka immediately began preparing for the Los Angeles County round of the process. After two rounds of online interviews, was named L.A. County Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year. He then went on to the State level competition, serving as inspiration and a role model to his Club peers. While his journey ended there, he now has time to celebrate and embrace his role in public speaking engagements on behalf of the Boys & Girls Club.

Founded in 1968, the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley helps local youth reach their full potential by providing a second home, supporting academic success, and building leaders. Membership is just $60 a year for the first child and $45 for each additional sibling (scholarships available). To learn how to get involved in the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley visit the website at www.scvbgc.org.

Hailu w_Board Members

Hailu with board members Jenny Ketchepaw, Gloria Mercado-Fortine, Matt Carpenter.

Hailu Basketball

Hailu Board Game

Hailu Air Hockey

Hailu Homework Help

Hailu Pool

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Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025
Time is running out for tickets and sponsorships for this year's Silver Spur celebration, which will honor Marlee Lauffer with the 2025 Silver Spur Community Service Award in recognition of her longtime support of College of the Canyons and her philanthropic contributions to the Santa Clarita Valley.
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025
Ticketing will be closing April 24 for the 2025 Santa Clarita Valley Man & Woman of the Year Gala Event, which will be held on Friday, May 2. Seating is limited and tickets have sold out for the last two years, so buy now to guarantee your seat at the table.
Friday, Apr 18, 2025
The Placerita Canyon Nature Center invites the community to a free Open House on Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Thursday, Apr 17, 2025
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital will recognize and celebrate its dedicated volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 20-26.
Thursday, Apr 17, 2025
The Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library are having a Spring Bag Sale Saturday, April 26 - Sunday, May 4.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1962 - SCV residents vote to connect to State Water Project, creating Castaic Lake Water Agency (now part of SCV Water) [story]
Castaic Lake
The Valley Industry Association will host the annual VIA BASH with this year's theme of The Mad Hatter's Ball on Oct. 24.
Oct. 24: Via Bash Returns with ‘The Mad Hatter’s Ball’
The Music Center has announced 14 rising stars from across Southern California as the Grand Prize winners in its 37th Annual Spotlight program. Elina Ghosh, 15,  a 10th-grade student from West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch has been named a Grand Prize winner in Non-Classical Voice.
West Ranch High Student Wins Spotlight Performing Arts Grand Prize
With housing costs taking up as much as 50% of the median income in some states, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the States Where People Spend the Most & Least on Housing to highlight where owning a home is unaffordable for the average person.
WalletHub: California Residents Spend the Second Highest Percentage of Income on Housing
In response to the growing public health emergency at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill fire, Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth), and 30 members of the State Legislature sent a formal letter to Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, April 23, requesting immediate support for residents impacted by toxic emissions from the landfill.
Schiavo, Members of Legislature Call on State to Take Action on Landfill
1986 - COC board votes to allow Argentine cliff swallows to nest forever on sides of buildings [story]
swallows
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station 40th Annual All Schools Dance will be held Friday, May 2, 7:30-11 p.m. at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
May 2: 40th Annual All Schools Dance at Magic Mountain
The William S Hart Pony Baseball Complex will be the site of a fun, nostalgic and free photo shoot on Sunday, May 4, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Local high school baseball players from the graduating class of 2025 are encouraged to attend in their high school home uniforms and pose for group photos.
May 4: SCV Class of 2025 Senior Baseball Photo Shoot
The Summer Academic Program for Elementary School Students is accepting applications for summer 2025. The five-week program, divided into different weekly themes, gives elementary students in grades one through five, an opportunity to be in a creative learning environment
CSUN Offers Summer Academic Program for Elementary School Students
The city of Santa Clarita Film Office has released the list of 11 productions filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, April 21 to Saturday, April 26.
April 21-26: 11 Productions Filming in SCV
For the second year in a row, The Master's University men's volleyball team will be the No. 1 seed at the NAIA National Championships. The competition will run April 29 to May 3 at Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
TMU Men’s Volleyball Earns No. 1 Seed at NAIA Championship
Time is running out for tickets and sponsorships for this year's Silver Spur celebration, which will honor Marlee Lauffer with the 2025 Silver Spur Community Service Award in recognition of her longtime support of College of the Canyons and her philanthropic contributions to the Santa Clarita Valley.
Reserve Your Spot for the Silver Spur Celebration Honoring Marlee Lauffer
Ticketing will be closing April 24 for the 2025 Santa Clarita Valley Man & Woman of the Year Gala Event, which will be held on Friday, May 2. Seating is limited and tickets have sold out for the last two years, so buy now to guarantee your seat at the table.
April 24: Last Day to Purchase Man & Woman of the Year Gala Tickets
College of the Canyons track and field compiled some early points and saw a slew of strong performances during the opening meet of the two-day Western State Conference Prelims & Championships, hosted by Ventura College April 18.
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1974 - Gov. Ronald Reagan speaks at dedication of COC's first permanent building, the William G. Bonelli Instructional Resource Center [story]
Ronald Reagan
SCVTV will debut a new public access series of video fitness shorts, "Training Tuesdays with M" on Tuesday, April 22. The shorts, two-to-four-minute videos, will air between regular programming at 8:24 a.m., 1:25 p.m., 4:24 p.m. and 4:55 p.m.
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As gardening season blooms across California, officials with the California Department of Food and Agriculture are urging residents to take action to prevent the introduction of invasive fruit flies and other pests, which can threaten backyard gardens and the state’s robust agricultural landscape.
CDFA Urging Residents to Take Precautions During Spring Gardening Season
Legacy Christian Academy, will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a special celebration dinner and fundraiser, 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, April 25 at the Hyatt Regency Valencia.
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Activated Events, the premier independent live events company, has announced the lineup for the return of Boots In The Park to Santa Clarita, noon- 10 p.m. Saturday, May 10 at Central Park.
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The prestigious Bryan Clay Invitational yielded records upon records for The Master's University track and field teams April 16-18. Multiple school records went down including the women's 5000m, men's shot put and the men's 800m.
Record-Breaking Day for TMU Track at Bryan Clay
California State University, Northridge’s Institute of Sustainability will host “Jam in the G.A.R.D.E.N,” Wednesday, April 23 at 12:30-2:30 p.m.
April 23: CSUN Garden Combines Nature, Music for Earth Day
For just the third time in 23 matches, The Master's University men's volleyball team went five sets in a match. And for the third time in 23 matches, the team won, only this time it was for the GSAC Tournament Championship.
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The Master's University men's and women's golf teams completed the final round of the GSAC Championship Tournament at Antelope Hills Golf Course North Wednesday afternoon, April 16.
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Businesses defined as food generators are invited to an Edible Food Recovery Networking event Friday, April 25, from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library, 18601 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, 91351, CA.
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SCVNews.com