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July 4

1932 - Robert Poore wins the greased pole climbing contest and $2.50 at Newhall's July 4th celebration [story]

What I Write

Now and Then in the SCV | Commentary by Darryl Manzer

Darryl Manzer | Friday, Jun 20, 2014

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I don’t know how many people read what I write here at SCVNews.com. I do know there was one time when I wrote on SCVNews.com and a whole town in Kentucky sent comments that were none too positive. Well, it wasn’t the whole town, but maybe 45 out of the total population of 2,500 or so.

I think they wanted to tar and feather me – plus run me and my RV into the Cumberland River.

There was another time when I was writing for The Signal and a member of the West Ranch Town Council wanted the sheriff to arrest me because I had supposedly made a threat against him and that Town Council in one of my commentaries.

Our county Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich got involved and sent a letter to The Signal about how I had said things that he and his Town Council in West Ranch considered threatening. I really enjoyed writing an open letter to him in rebuttal.

I do want to make a few things clear. I do not work for SCVNews.com or SCVTV. I am a guest. I had the same relationship with The Signal. I am not told what I can and can’t write. I am not a paid employee, because I am not any kind of employee of SCVTV.

Also, my commentaries have been in favor of some city items and against others. I don’t work for the city of Santa Clarita, either.

For not working for anyone, I seem to do a lot of work.

I’ve had the opportunity lately to read the entire 100 pages (roughly) of the billboard ordinance and the newest version of City Council Norms and Procedures. In the past, I got to read the trash collection contract.

I was back when, and still am, in favor of our open-space acquisition process. I do hate the red-light camera method of revenue generation.

Another unpopular opinion of mine is that I think we need our own police and fire departments. We’ve grown to the size that we should have them, too.

For a fiscally frugal city government, we seem to spend a lot on landscaping “entry ramps” off of Interstate 5 and Highway 14. Just my observation and opinion. Those areas look great.

Old Town Newhall seems to be working well. People are returning to the shops and restaurants there. I still prefer the name “Downtown Newhall” because that is what we said when I was a young ‘un here.

I like to watch the meetings of City Council and see how many times some council person can make the same point in the same speech. I think I saw the record set late last year at 20 times … same subject … same point to be made.

I miss Frank Ferry throwing tantrums and chairs. Anyone remember that? He did a lot of good for our city. I may eventually miss him, too – for real.

Visiting City Hall this week and wandering the halls, I’m beginning to think the building is getting a little small for our city. The same thing happened in Chesapeake, Va., when I lived there. To me, the Chesapeake City Hall now looks like a gigantic slot machine. Trust me, it looks weird.

You know, I’d love to see a time when every meeting of the City Council means that every parking place outside is filled and the council chamber is filled, too. The more people, the better – even if they are against the billboard ordinance.

I love it when people comment on what I write. Sometimes I get all personal and literally cry as I type the words. Other times I laugh out loud.

And remember, sometimes I write stuff just to stir the pot a little … or a lot.

You, dear readers, get to decide if a given day’s commentary is a time I’m stirring the pot or hoping it will boil over.

Plus, if we all agreed on all of the solutions to the problems of the world, we would have only a location status on Facebook. Now, that is boring.

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].

Comment On This Story

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9 Comments

Bill says:

Friday, Jun 20, 2014 at

Your Columns are great, Darryl, Keep up the the good work.
Although, the spelling of your name is kind of wierd

Reply
Sharon Ventrice says:

Friday, Jun 20, 2014 at

I disagree with having our own police and fire… Don’t think we could pay them a salary comensurate with our LA County Fire and Sheriff and they are some of the best in the nation. It would also mean having all our own equipment, training facility, etc. This was proposed when this area tried to form its own county. I think it would be a much bigger expense than folks realize.

Reply
Kat says:

Friday, Jun 20, 2014 at

I read all of your columns and I think you are funny, very smart, and very knowledgeable about the area. although I don’t always agree with you……

Reply
Sarah Avanessian says:

Friday, Jun 20, 2014 at

Great piece! I teach English at Hart High and my goal is to have students see writing as more than an academic task for a grade. I want them to see that writing can play a role in having a voice in our community, our state, our country, & our world. I want them to see that writing helps the writer explore feelings and ideas, make bold statements, declare love, share opinions, & incite change. I will be using your article next year to help drive these points home! So now you can add that your writing has been taught in the classroom!

Reply
Kevin Glasgow says:

Friday, Jun 20, 2014 at

I can’t get past the mugshot to ever read a story by this guy

Reply
- Lori Applegarth Barbour says:
  
  Friday, Jun 20, 2014 at
  
  Grow up Kevin Glasgow! You are too narrow minded to read Darryl’s articles anyways.
  
  Reply
- Kevin Glasgow says:
  
  Friday, Jun 20, 2014 at
  
  guilty as charged!
  
  Reply
Kim Sloan says:

Friday, Jun 20, 2014 at

A man who writes what he see’s, hears, and thinks, what a great idea! Isn’t it Darryl’s right as an American to do so! I like his articles much better than the “other guy” who seems to hate the SCV and praises his Boston roots relentlessly, while bashing Democrats and Liberals in his rantings. Our little town(s) now all incorporated (except for Stevenson Ranch I suppose), have grown in leaps and bounds since my parents bought their starter home in the late 1960’s. So many changes have been made to the lands in SCV, as well as growth of thousands of new homes, lots of new church’s, a mosque, three very tiny synagogues, a few new schools, a couple more fire stations, and still only one crappy Hospital and Police Station! We have C.O.C. and Master’s College along with Cal Arts. There is still not a whole lot for college kids to do out here except bowling, or the movies, or maybe a trip to the Tilted Kilt if they are over 21. Magic Mountain is still our main landmark, and the Saugus Swapmeet is all but deserted because of the building of our Westfield Mall, and internet shopping. The kids in High School only find their church’s to go socializing in, and the schools are very overcrowded, and teachers mostly burnt out, and showing up to get their paychecks, and benefits. The School Districts fighting to prevent an accelerated Einstein School from out-performing their inadequate teachings. While kids in High Schools are hanging out in clumps during nutrition and lunch based on their ethnicities by choice. Things in the SCV have and have not changed all that much in the 40+ years I have been living here. The people are judgmental, and mostly non violent, but drive like bats out of hell unless there is a red light camera, or cop sitting on their street corner, sometimes on a motorcycle on the sidewalk, with a laser pointed at drivers passing by. Newhall Land and Farm, is still the biggest threat to our environmental concerns, and still gets away with building more and more homes on land that houses endangered species of plants and animals, and natural flood control channels. They also are not afraid to point out how proud they are of this fact by trying to demonize the environmentalists from suing them to dissuade from over building on the area’s of the Santa Clara River. But at least Darryl is happy to write about everything, and seems to be shaken by the responses a bit as a real human being would be. Bless you Darryl, and Bless our great city of Trees the SCV!

Reply
John Steiner says:

Saturday, Jun 21, 2014 at

I don’t know, I just had the feeling I was listening to Andy Rooney ready this.. wish I could write like that..

Reply

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