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Today in S.C.V. History November 23
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Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
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The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Awards + Installation event on Friday, Jan. 31 at the Hyatt Regency.
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The Valley Industry Assoction will host a Cocktails & Conversation event with Cameron Smyth on Thursday, Dec. 12, 5:30=7:30 p.m. at Margarita’s Mexican Grill, 23320 Valencia Blvd., Valencia, CA 91355.
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Following an extensive search, the Governing Board of the William S. Hart Union High School District has unanimously selected current Interim Superintendent Dr. Michael Vierra as the new Hart District Superintendent, filling the vacancy created when Mike Kuhlman resigned effective June 30.
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"Christmas Carol: The True Meaning of Christmas" will be performed on stage at the Canyon Theatre Guild on weekends beginning Friday, Nov. 29 thru Monday, Dec. 23 at 24242 Main St., Newhall, CA 91321.
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The California Air Resources Board has approved a $34.94 million incentives funding plan that will continue support ongoing efforts to increase access to medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission trucks, buses and equipment, with a focus on small businesses.
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Preparing to decorate for the holidays? If you come across broken string lights that are no longer usable, instead of tossing in the trash you can now drop them off for recycling at one of the SAFE collection centers
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The nonprofit Raising the Curtain Foundation will host a fundraising event, "Holidayland" with mid-century pop culture expert Charles Phoenix, on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3 p.m.
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The Santa Clarita City Council will hold its regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 26, beginning with a special closed meeting at 5 p.m., followed immediately with open session at 6 p.m.
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The American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Santa Clarita Valley will present its holiday boutique fundraiser, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at Santa Clarita United Methodist Church, 26640 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.
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California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation has announced it will begin accepting applications for the State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program at 8 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2025.
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Due to construction and weather delays, the closure of the exercise staircase at Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91350, will be extended through Nov. 28.
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Santa Clarita Ballet's 30th anniversary production of "The Nutcracker" will perform, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15 at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
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Registration is underway for the College of the Canyons winter 2025 session, which boasts more than 300 class sections.
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Christmas came early for The Master's University Men's Basketball Head Coach Kelvin Starr.
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Theatre in a Week and Off Book Theatre is back with its holiday one act comedy "Holiday Hijinx" Friday, Dec. 13- Sunday, Dec. 15 at The MAIN in Old Town Newhall.
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The Santa Clarita Master Chorale presents its Silver Bell Jubilee concert Sunday, Dec. 8, 4 p.m. at Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
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The holiday season is just around the corner and it’s one of the most magical times of the year.
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Celebrate this special time of year with the 29th annual Winter Magic Lighted Boat Parade and holiday event Saturday, Dec. 7 at Castaic Lake, Lower Lagoon.
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1967 - Local voters approve formation of community college and elect COC's first five-member board - Dr. William G. Bonelli Jr., Bruce Fortine, Sheila Dyer, Peter Huntsinger, Edward Muhl [story]
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You can make a difference in a child or teen’s life this holiday season through the Boys and Girls Club of the Santa Clarita Valley. You can volunteer at a club holiday event, host a toy drive, sponsor a club family or make a donation.
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Art, in whatever the medium, can communicate so much. It can inspire imagination, exude peace and calm, or tell the world the stories of a community and a culture or connect on an extremely personal level.
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The city of Santa Clarita invites community members to attend the unveiling of the newest inductees to the Walk of Western Stars.
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23 Comments
Interesting. I don’t live in Newhall. I live in Culver City. I love good movies and the best are usually to be found at Llaemmle Theater. They screen quality films that do not get screened anywhere else. The owner is also very community spirited. I would hate to live in a community where there was not a theater choice like Llaemmle brings. I hope your project is successful.
Perhaps you will be willing to send some money to Laemmle Theaters to make this private business venture successful in Newhall.
Kevin, very well said.
Where can we see the proposal that is being voted on by the council ?
Hey Petz, are you planning to yell and scream at the council again next week?
Yes, a theater like this would be great, but I am not so excited about the three-story parking lot that I have hear will go with it or the “small” $14million of tax payer dollars that I have heard it will cost to bring Laemmle here. What ever happened to businesses that don’t have to be subsidized by the public?
Don’t know if you’ve read the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan, but all of Main Street is 2, 3 and 4-story buildings.
I cannot speak to the parking structure. That will be a separate vote at the same meeting. I personally don’t have an opinion on that aspect of redevelopment because I have not had a problem parking in Old Town. As another poster pointed out, the Metro station has plenty of parking and it’s only 1 block away.
The small amount of public money that Kevin wants to spend is at least $4 million. That’s not exactly small in my universe. Kevin argues that parks, trails, city programs, traffic improvements, swimming pools, indoor-outdoor sports courts, skate and dog parks and beautification projects came fully or partially from general fund tax revenue. Exactly which of this litany of amenities represents a private business? If movie goers are so hot to have a Laemmle Theater in town, let them step forward with their money to fund this private business endeavor.
How much public money will private businesses such as Cheesecake Factory, Nordstrom, etc. be asking for if they are viewed as beneficial to our community? What part of public vs. private investment don’t proponents of this project understand?
Denny – This is not a public VS. private investment, but rather a public AND private investment working together in partnership. We do understand and feel it will bring other quality developers to OTN.
The city works hard to attract quality development, much it through the Economic Development Corp, which is funded by the city, county and private enterprise. Laemmle is simply one of MANY such targets.
Thank you for your wonderful article. I have been carbon dumping as I drive to NOHO, Encino, Pasadena, and other LA neighborhoods to see movies since graduating from CalArts in the 1980s. I understand why the community was content with just The Plaza and Mustang drive in back then, and how our evolution to the Man and Edwards theaters befitted latter times, but now in 2016 we need the kind of culture that a Leammle brings. Great societies have supported the arts and if we want a community that increases cultural awareness, objective thinking and higher levels of entertainment, the City Council must put this one through. As I approach retirement years, having a theater nearby like the leammle is important. If this community does not have one, other communities become more important. Besides, wouldn’t William Hart want it if he were alive?!!!
Water watcher…..It probably won’t be any taller than the library that is directly across the street. Communities such as Old Town Newhall, where the City has already put a considerable effort into revitalization, shouldn’t stop now. And if you were to take into consideration the amount of people that leave this valley for other parts to see quality movies, that currently do not come to this valley. Dining and shopping in the area will flourish. People will stay here. That’s a win-win. The tax revenue generated from this project should help to offset that bill. But, as Kevin said so well….If not this project, what then? I for one am in favor of this project, it will bring life back into our diamond in the rough, Old Town NEwhall …..
Thank you, Kevin, for the great history and summary of this project. I plan on sharing this on my Facebook page where all my friends that support this project will see it. I will also ask for their support at the City Council meeting on Feb. 9th where they can fill out a card to show their support. If they cannot attend the meeting, they can also email the City Council members to promote and endorse this exciting endeavor.
Hi Denny,
As I point out in my column millions of tax dollars have already been spent in Old Town Newhall but you didn’t hear much about it because it was done through the Redevelopment Agency. Much of that money bolstered businesses in the area.
The only thing that is different now is that instead of coming from money designated as part of a tax increment returned to the city from the state, it will come from the general fund. Intelligent people can disagree over that fact but I believe that as long as the city is simultaneously investing in all of the other needed city infrastructure and amenities, an investment in bringing an anchor business to Old Twon Newhall is appropriate. But again, you are free to disagree.
While the Laemmle Theater project seems to have some reasonable potential to improve a self created blighted area of Old Town Newhall, I think we need to address a couple of big elephants in the room. First off, what gives the City Council the right to single out this project and provide funding while other private businesses who’ve invested their resources and grown successful operation have received a dime of money from the City’s general fund? Secondly, is the Laemmle/Serrano project the best deal we can get for a project of this scope? Who will be there to guarantee the investment that our current City Council is considering if the bottom falls out of the Laemmle company 10 years down the road?
I live on a street that hasn’t received on lick of street maintenance with the exception of a monthly street sweeping for the past +21 years I’ve lived on it. How about giving me some local return on the property taxes I pay?
“have received a dime of money” – a lot of businesses have received much more than a dime. As one example, the grand ballroom at the Hyatt Valencia is called the “Santa Clarita” Conference Center for a reason.
David, countless businesses in Old Town Newhall received grants during redevelopment. Still more businesses throughout the city have received preferable tax arrangements and assistance with funding expansion.
I think this is the “best deal” not because it’s the only deal we can get but because it is exactly what has been sought. I invite you to go back through the column I wrote and click on the RFQP. In it you will see that the city asked for just this project and this is the project that was received.
Yes!
If there is a enough of surplus funds in the City’s general fund, the City Council should considering moving it into a budgeted item to increase the amount of street maintenance and contracting for more officers to enforce traffic laws among other important items. If they have money like this to throw around, and refuse to repair and maintain our infrastructure, they should return the money to the taxpayers.
This is bad precedence. Now any private business knows, all we have to do is buy some people off at the city, to get our projects funded. We can tell stories about all the economic reasons for giving us money.
The projections about this theater are unrealistic. They have projected over 200,000 movie customers a year. That is almost 1,000 customers a day. With the exception of top Hollywood hits, our local movie theaters are empty, especially during non weekend periods.
I have gone to our local movie theaters, on a weekend, to see a non popular movie, with a total of three people in an empty theater.
Have any city council members or supportors done this? I doubt it.
There is not a demand for this private venture here. A few local people may come, but not many from out of town. Laemmle/Serrano is assuming none of the risks. That is placed on the subsidy from taxpayers of Santa Clarita.
It’s not a precedent. It’s standard practice. Everywhere, not just here.