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Today in S.C.V. History December 22
1905 - County buys property to build Newhall Jail (now next to city's Old Town Newhall Library) [story]
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1905 - County buys property to build Newhall Jail (now next to city's Old Town Newhall Library) [story]
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The city of Santa Clarita is seeking enthusiastic individuals with a passion for swimming, exceptional customer service and community engagement to join the lifeguard team.
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California State Parks is calling all outdoor enthusiasts to step into the new year with a breath of fresh air. On Wednesday, Jan. 1, State Parks will host its highly anticipated First Day Hikes, offering over 90 guided hikes at more than 70 of California’s most iconic and breathtaking parks.
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The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a residential No Burn Day Alert on Saturday, Dec. 21, for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the Santa Clarita Valley.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is urging residents to avoid consuming or feeding to their pets raw milk due to the ongoing spread of H5 bird flu in dairy cows.
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The Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is hosting a call for vendors for its return April 12 and 13, 2025.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reminding residents to remain vigilant as the holidays approach and to use the preventive tools available to protect the county’s most vulnerable populations from COVID-19.
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The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley will host a free Lifeforward workshop "All About Communication" on Saturday, Jan. 18, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Valencia United Methodist Church, 25718 McBean Parkway. Valencia, CA 91355.
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Start the new year off with a InfluenceHER Building Transformative Mutual Mentorship meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14 at Kindred Spirits, 24510 Town Center Drive Valencia, CA 91355.
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The Sundance Institute has unveiled the eagerly anticipated program for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, the country’s premier stage for independent cinema.
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Every year at my Foster Youth Holiday Party, it seems like the presents and kids’ smiles get bigger and bigger!
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Annett Davis, the head coach of both the women's volleyball team and the beach volleyball team at The Masters University, has decided to step down as the head coach of the women's indoor volleyball team.
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The William S. Hart Union High School District has announced Naomi Kim, a senior at West Ranch High School, has earned the Congressional Award’s highest award: The Gold Medal.
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As families prepare to celebrate the holidays, the California Highway Patrol reminds everyone to prioritize safety on the road. To keep travelers safe throughout the busy holiday season, the CHP is initiating the first of two statewide Maximum Enforcement Periods this month to reduce traffic incidents by targeting unsafe driving behaviors and assisting motorists.
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The city of Santa Clarita has announced that renovations are coming to the Santa Clarita Public Library Valencia Branch. The Valencia Branch will be temporarily closed from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, for a flooring renovation project.
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Matias Castro a graduate of Golden Valley High School, three-time participant in the William S. Hart Union High School District Honor Band and current first-year student at University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music has been named a 2025 YoungArts winner with distinction in Jazz Alto Saxophone, the highest honor of the organization.
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There was no gold, frankincense or the anointing oil myrrh, but the hot sausage, pancakes and special gifts offered at the recent “Breakfast with Santa” held in Valencia were treats for dozens of children and their parents. It was a reminder of the meaning of this special holiday season.
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1892 - Benjamin Harrison establishes 555,520-acre San Gabriel Timberland Reserve (Angeles National Forest). First forest reserve in California, second in U.S. [story]
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Yes I Can Unity Through Music & Education, a nonprofit organization that provides career-skills training and employment services to adults with disabilities, presented certificates of recognition to Remo Inc. and Migrate Sound for the commitment to creating career opportunities for neurodiverse talent.
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The MAIN and Outpost Media has announced the premiere of The Wolves, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, thru Sunday, Jan. 26, at the MAIN located at 24266 Main St., Santa Clarita, CA 91321.
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The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees, which oversees College of the Canyons, swore in recently elected board members, named its new officers, received recognitions for service and set its 2025 meeting schedule at the board’s business and organizational meeting held on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
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Reflecting on this past year, there are so many things to be thankful for. Whether it is our health, happiness or the ability to live in a community as special as ours, I believe many of our residents would agree that Santa Clarita is a place where wonderful memories have been made and a unique place to call home.
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24 Comments
The landfill has been there for over 40 years. Unless you moved in before 1972 you chose to move next to the dump. You still put your trash out front for collecting. Where do you think it goes? Like it or not waste needs to go somewhere. This is like moving next to LAX and complaining about the noise. SMH.
Steven — Many people who moved here after 1972, like our family that moved here 5 1/2 years ago, did with an understanding that there would be proper air monitoring, that the landfill would comply with all existing regulations (which it hasn’t) and that the landfill would close in 2019.
What is upsetting residents right now is that the landfill has violated various regulations by taking in materials it previously agreed to not take in (per its agreement with the community), not providing anything in regards to air monitoring and (this last one is the biggest issue) that the landfill is now seeking to expand, rather than close in 2019. They want to double their expansion, in fact.
Personally, as a member of the community of Val Verde who is working to see the landfill close, this experience has made me extremely mindful of my waste and I work hard to reduce my waste. I compost and take other measures to reduce my waste. Plus, much of the trash that the landfill takes in (and most of the trash that it will take in if it doubles its capacity) does not come from our tiny town of about 2,000 residents. It comes from elsewhere.
We understand that waste needs to go somewhere, but do not think that this fact makes it okay for the landfill to violate its original agreement by doubling its capacity rather than closing.
Just because we were aware of the dump, doesn’t mean we were aware of the dangers of living next to a landfill. I know I didn’t realize how close my house was until 6 months ago. The entrance is 4 miles away from me, but the borders are only 1.5 miles. Living within 2 miles of a landfill is dangerous according to studies in the National Institute of Health database. The fact remains, no corporation should be able to come in to an already established town and make it dangerous to live in. There are many families in Val Verde who have lived here since before the landfill existed. Chiquita has had violations on methane, taking toxic waste and Chiquita signed a contract with Val Verde to close no later than November 24, 2019. We expect that contract to be upheld. This landfill will be bigger than Disneyland if allowed to expand. Let that sink in for a moment.
We Barb Green and Steven Aune moved to the area with the understanding that the landfill was closing. That is what we were promised in writing, in a contract. We were also told it was an odorless landfill and that nothing unsafe was ever dumped there. These of course we have come to find out are all lies. We have every right to be angry about the landfill not keeping the promises it made to our community. And yes we have absolute proof that things have been dumped illegally as well as a copy of the contract with our community.
Furthermore it is one thing when you smell things quite another when 5 minutes after smelling the stench that you throat starts to get scratchy and sinus start to burn and you all of a sudden have a horrible headache. Did you know they were caught dumping sludge? Did you know there has been dirt sent here from Rockedyne? All we are asking them is to please honor your promises to our community. How is that asking to much???
Enough with the “SMH” and silly remarks that the landfill was there first. Just because there is a landfill next to your community does to mean it gets to be run in a manner that is a nuisance to the community, as well as accept toxic waste that another community does not want. We all know that until the United States adopts a better way of dealing with our waste than burying it in the ground, it will have to go somewhere. That does not mean that the landfill owners and operators in California get a free pass to cut corners. Plans were in place to close that landfill when people purchased or rented their home. If a city or county wants to change it up, they should take measures to protect the community, and/or compensate them. It is unfortunate that the citizens have to police the people that are said to be policing the landfills.
There used to be a lot of hog farms out here, but then the hog farmers decided to make more money buy building homes and attracting home buyers, so they got rid of the hogs. Newhall Land used to own a landfill (Chiquita), but then it decided it wanted to make more money by building more homes and attracting more home buyers, so it got rid of the landfill. (It sold it, with a written guarantee that it would close no later than November 2019.)
Steven Aune the landfill contract says they will close down. Are you saying contracts should not be honored. 20% of this landfill is from Santa Clarita Valley. Do you think all the hazardous waste, toxic waste, and other harmful chemicals should be allowed? Also violations of the contract. Trash is coming from hundreds of miles, they pass many landfills to get here. They have to pass the other landfills, because they will not take the dangers on those trucks. So, you are saying poison your neighbors,maybe even Santa Clarita itself, due to dangers carried on the wind, as long as you have a place for your trash.
I don’t get it, you moved to a location that has a dump, you knew it was there and bought anyways? Just like those who move by the airports and then want the planes to stop flying.
Barb – Please also see the comment above that I shared with Steven.
I can’t tell if the people who made the airport analogies are just stupid, paid shills for the landfill, or both. The airport may annoy people but it doesn’t poison them, and it isn’t expanding far beyond what was originally agreed on, and it isn’t engaging dangerous prohibited activities. The dump is doing all of this.
If this is your best argument for letting thelandfill do what it wants perhaps you should rethink the whole thing because you aren’t making sense. Comparing apples to oranges rarely does
Barb, we are fighting an expansion. It is in most of our closing papers. There will be no more expansions. 42 years is enough burden for a neighborhood. It was the contract that the landfill did 19 years ago. If you let us do 19 years more, than we will not expand anymore. We are asking them to keep their contract. Barb are contracts to be honored? I do not get how a contract is not to be honored. I still make my house payment, and in 27 more years I will make no more. That is the contract. Should they change it on year 26?
Thanks for the write up Steve. To those who say you should’ve known better. When I moved to Val Verde in ’97 I was told by the landfill, my realtor and the community board that the landfill was closing down then, (but they expanded fortunately with a contract to close in 2019) I did my research, I was also told that the landfill was a great neighbor helping the community and there were no problems, no odors, no cause for concern. So I bought my house poured every cent I had and borrowed more to move here. Then I learned the truth Steve talks about. Now I am stuck in a house and can’t afford to move I thought I could just hold on til 2019 when they would close for good and now they aren’t. What if you bought a house near LAX and they changed a flight pattern to take off right over your house after you were promised that would never happen you live in a “protected area”? Would you be upset?
As pointed out by Steve, the landfill signed a contract that said it was to close by 2019 or when it reaches the agreed upon capacity. Steve also points out that the landfill has been accepting toxic and contaminated substances that aren’t permitted. The landfill wants to expand over 13 stories higher. Currently, the landfill can’t control odors at the level and rate they are operating at. Do you want 400 extra trucks and cars per hour going through the area? Does it make sense to expand, so CCL can take in trash from all over LA or should the landfill be held to their agreement? Do we really want one of the country’s largest landfills to continue to operate for the next 30 years in this area or is the $$$ that important?
Actually I did not know I bought a house next to a dump. After I found out, I thought the dump would end according to plan, so I thought I could live with it, given it would be over pretty soon. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I started going door to door over by Lincoln Avenue taking a health survey. I had to quit after two hours, because the smell was making me sick, and almost everyone I interviewed had health problems. Just because we moved next to a dump doesn’t mean that we haven’t done our time or that we have to like it forever. Let’s trade places. It’s time for another neighborhood to take the trash. How about the desert?
You guys aren’t racist at all…
When some idiot says “You knew it was there when you bought your home” I shouldn’t have to explain that I bought my home in 87′ with the knowledge that the landfill would be closing in 97′. I figured I could live with it until it closed which was supposed to 15 years ago.
Steve, I see you still have your stalker!
The one who took the video was the acting president of the VVCAC. A personal friend of the landfill representative. Was the board stacked against Val Verde? Who knows. While she was acting president she belittled all who attended if they disagreed with the landfill. She showed up at Castaic Town Council meetings and shouted out during some of the residents 3 minute shares. She laughed at us,and yet we went on. The entire time she said she was neutral, as she took surnames on this site to call people names, only those opposed to the landfill. Some members of the Castaic Town Council for four months said, “Same tired faces.” We still grew in numbers at each consecutive meeting. The president would constantly interrupt the 3 minute shares, so the 3 minutes were basically taken away. You have to talk fast to get in all the information.That day we had buses lined up to take those without cars. The Castaic Town Council sent word that the landfill was not on the agenda at all. We cancelled all buses, but a good 27 of us went. Well I went because I did not trust the town council. I was right, the entire night was basically the agreement with the landfill. The president said, “your people should have shown up, where are they.” Knowing that they sent out word for them not to come. Madam president of the last VVCAC board I hope they post the video here once again. It shows the anger of a community fighting for all the communities within the stench of the landfill.
We were lied to by the Landfill (and Realtor by the way), and I did do research when buying our home in 1999. We were assured by the Chiquita that there were no adverse effects from the landfill and that it would be closed by 2019 or possibly before that if it ran over capacity. Now they want to break the contract they agreed to and expand while it has become more and more evident that there are indeed adverse effects on Val Verde residents. A plethora of health related issues as well as bad odors that I don’t recall smelling years ago. But, we sure do now! In my household alone we’ve two adults that have been diagnosed with Autoimmune as well as Pulmonary disease just years after having moved here. Coincidence? I don’t think so… We were lied to, plain and simple. No doubt about it. I don’t care how many “free dump days” we’re offered or sports team uniforms or bicycles, or any bribes in monies offered, etc… by the landfill. Health concerns are of the utmost importance. In the meantime, our property values will also plummet… The landfill needs to put persons over profit!
If the management of the landfill was being honorable, there would be very little to argue about, however that isn’t the case. Here are some facts for everyone here to consider:
1. Contract with Val Verde says no sludge can be brought in.
2. County operating permit says no sludge can be brought in.
3. Management of the landfill bid on numerous sludge contracts.
4. Management of the landfill signed a contract to accept sludge and took it in.
5. The only reason they stopped taking it in was due to a resident who found the information on her own.
6. The landfill management continued to deny the sludge issue, until proof that we knew about it was presented to them.
7. Even after the proof was presented, the managers tried to downgrade it by calling it another name.
8. The federal government, state government, county government and the landfill’s own website say that that junk they took in was sludge.
9. The landfill managers denied using green waste anywhere in the landfill.
10. The residents smelled a horrible odor last month and lo and behold it was from green waste.
11. When one of the managers was confronted by this information, he denied that they said they don’t use green waste.
12. The original denial was at a meeting and has been confirmed.
13. The landfill is required to hold a community dump day 4X per year, per the contract with Val Verde and their use permit.
14. At the last dump day event, they unilaterally added a new requirement – residents had to meet with landfill reps and management to discuss the landfill expansion.
15. Some of the residents don’t speak English, so they were tricked into signing a landfill expansion approval card.
16. When this was brought to the attention of the landfill management, the community asked for them to destroy the cards, due the the deceptive manner they were obtained.
17. At the last VVCAC meeting, I asked the manager of the landfill to destroy the cards and to give the residents a formal apology.
18. Instead, the landfill manager stated that they intend to send the cards to the county to show that the residents support the expansion.
There is a lot of fear in our community, regarding the operation of the landfill. The landfill has hidden too much from us and we have no idea how bad things really are. There are many residents who have symptoms similar to toxic poisoning – the same toxins which come from landfills. The residents who live closest to the landfill have the highest incidence of illness. The landfill managers told the residents that the odors are not coming from the landfill, but are from their neighbors trash can, septic tank, dead animals, a local ranch and even from a flower. On only one occasion can I remember the landfill admitting fault and that was when they received a Notice of Violation. I am pleased that they did, but the question remains; how can the residents of Val Verde trust what the managers of the landfill tell us?
I think Bonnie hit the nail on the head with this comment..”Living within 2 miles of a landfill is dangerous according to studies in the National Institute of Health database. The fact remains, no corporation should be able to come in to an already established town and make it dangerous to live in.” What more is there to say?