SCVNews.com | Opinion/Commentary: What I Write

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside

Weather

Calendar

Today in
S.C.V. History

December 17

1839 - Judge John F. Powell born in Galway, Ireland [story]

What I Write

Now and Then in the SCV | Commentary by Darryl Manzer

Darryl Manzer | Friday, Jun 20, 2014

Click Here to Get Our 'SCV This Morning' Newsletter

Tweet This

Facebook

Digg This

Bookmark

Stumble

RSS

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

COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

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

Click here to cancel reply.

Opinion Section Policy

All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.

Select Keeping Up with Kathryn Barger | Home For the Holidays

Wednesday, Dec 10, 2025

I'm overjoyed to share that as of this week, several Altadena residents have moved back into their newly-rebuilt homes in time for the holidays.

Brittany Barlrog | Wrapping up 2025 for JCI

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025

As we wrap up this incredible year with JCI Santa Clarita, my heart is truly overflowing with gratitude. This chapter has shown up in such wonderful ways, and I’m so proud of everything we’ve created together.

Ken Striplin | Happy Birthday, Santa Clarita

Tuesday, Dec 2, 2025

It’s hard to believe that our city will turn 38-years-old as of Monday, Dec. 15.

Bill Miranda | Honored to Serve

Tuesday, Dec 2, 2025

As we wrap up another year, I find myself reflecting on how extraordinary and eventful 2025 has been for our city.

Kathryn Barger | Keeping Up with Kathryn

Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025

Today, my team and I set out to four different sites across the Fifth District for our 8th Annual Day of Giving.

Mitchell Coleman | Tejon Ranch Conservancy

Tuesday, Nov 25, 2025

One of the things I love most about the Tejon Ranch Conservancy is that there truly is something here for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com


DMV Finds Tesla Violated California State Law With “Autopilot” Terms The California Department of Motor Vehicles today issued its decision in the Tesla administrative case, adopting the administrative law judge’s proposed decision	Santa Clarita Transit Launches Fare Capping Beginning January 2026 Starting January 1, 2026, Santa Clarita Transit is launching Fare Capping, meaning once riders hit the daily or weekly cap, the rest of their local rides are free.	CSUN University Library Announces Completion of Jewish Community Archives Processing (1921–2000) The University Library at California State University, Northridge has completed the processing and cataloging of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation Community Relations Committee (CRC) Archives, spanning from 1921 to 2000, providing researchers and the public access to one of the most comprehensive archives documenting the Jewish community’s role in combating antisemitism, fascism and discrimination in Southern California and beyond.	Today in SCV History (Dec. 17) 1839 - Judge John F. Powell born in Galway, Ireland [story]	Chamber Opens Nominations for SCV Business Choice Awards The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce Awards + Installation 2026 will be hosted this year at California Institute of the Arts on Friday, Feb. 13.	Dec. 17: COC Board Holds Annual Organizational Meeting The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees will host its annual organizational and business meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Looney Tunes Land to Debut at Six Flags Magic Mountain by Summer 2026 Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia has announced major changes to its kids area, which will be reimagined as Looney Tunes Land	SCAA Gallery 2026 Calendar of Art Exhibits Released The Santa Clarita Artists Association has announced the 2026 exhibition schedule for the SCAA Gallery in Old Town Newhall.	Jan. 20-22: Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Still Needs Volunteers The Greater Lost Angeles Homeless Count (Jan. 20-22) is still in need of volunteers.	Dec. 22: SBDC Webinar on Ecommerce The Small Business Development Center hosted by College of the Canyons will offer a free webinar, "Ecommerce 2026 Trends: The New Rules of Winning Online," on Monday, Dec. 22 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.	TMU Swim Sweeps Bethel in Dual Meet The Master's University swimming teams turned in a strong all-around performance Saturday, Dec. 13, sweeping both the men's and women's dual meets against Bethel University of Indiana.	Cougars Win 80-73 at Solano College, Streak Moves to Three Canyons men's basketball (6-4) remains unbeaten on its current road trip with wins over College of the Desert and L.A. City College preceding a victory over Solano (3-8) on Dec. 13.
Today in SCV History (Dec. 16) 1902 - Hi Jolly (Hadji Ali), Gen. E.F. Beale's Syrian camel driver, dies at Quartzsite, Ariz. [story]	Dec. 16: Organizational Meeting of Castaic Board of Trustees The Regular/Organizational Meeting of the Castaic Union School District Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m.	Dec. 16: Saugus Union School District Board Organizational Meeting The Saugus Union School District Governing Board of Trustees will hold its annual organizational meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Saugus District Education Center.	Nationwide Search Underway for New President The Santa Clarita Community College District has officially begun a nationwide search for its next Superintendent-President.	CSUN Renames Academic Building to Honor $10 Million Gift Ronni and Shepard Goodman met as students at California State University, Northridge in the 1960s and in the years since, they committed to supporting CSUN and empowering first-generation students to reach their highest aspirations.	Henry Mayo Hospital Employees Support Local Families Every holiday season, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital employees provide support to local families through the William S. Hart Union High School District Annual Helping Families Program.
LASD Response to Australian Terrorist Attack on Hanukkah The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has issued a statement regarding the Terrorist Attack in Australia on the first night of Hanukkah.	Dec. 15-19: I-405 Lane Reductions in Sepulveda Pass Caltrans has announced overnight lane reductions along Interstate 405 (I-405) through the Sepulveda Pass for median barrier work. The work will start after 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15 and will end by 6 a.m. each morning to Friday, Dec. 19.	Lady Mustangs Stay Undefeated in Conference Play Allie Miller scored a career-high 23 points and Bella Forker added a career-high 20 as The Master's University women's basketball team defeated the Life Pacific Warriors 72-42 Saturday, Dec. 13 in The MacArthur Center.	Mustangs Use Strong First Half to Top LPU The Master's University men's basketball team stayed undefeated in GSAC play with a 92-82 home win over Life Pacific on Saturday, Dec. 13 in The MacArthur Center.	Dec. 15-21: Four Productions Filming in SCV The city of Santa Clarita Film Office has released the list of four productions filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, Dec. 15 to Sunday, Dec. 21.	Today in SCV History (Dec. 15) 1987 - Incorporation: Santa Clarita officially becomes a city [story]