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Today in S.C.V. History December 4
1962- Actress and future Soledad Canyon big-cat rescuer Tippi Hedren, "Hitchcock's New Grace Kelly," makes cover of Look magazine for upcoming thriller, "The Birds" [story]
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The city of Santa Clarita will present its latest art exhibition, “Let Go,” by Dani Samson, on view now through Feb. 4, at the Canyon Country Community Center.
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College of the Canyons celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement program on Tuesday, Nov. 25, with an event held in the Aliso Hall courtyard.
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Kaiser Permanente joined the Saugus Union School District recently to honor its outstanding achievement in health education; all 15 SUSD district schools earned America’s Healthiest Schools All-Star Recognition from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
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JCI Santa Clarita is seeking volunteers to support its annual Santa’s Helpers program, a beloved community tradition that brings holiday joy to children and families in need throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.
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"Fatherless No More" is a new faith-based documentary that has been officially accepted for an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run at the Laemmle Theater in Old Town Newhall.
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The Master's University will present "Alleluia! TMU Come Christmas Sing" on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in The Master’s University Music Recital Hall on the college campus is Placerita Canyon.
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The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency Water Resources and Watershed Committee will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 1 p.m.
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College of the Canyons cross country had a combined 10 student-athletes earn All-Western State Conference honors for the 2025 season, with all seven members of the women's team earning recognition.
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College of the Canyons had eight players earn Southern California Football Association (SCFA) All-League awards, with three players recognized as First-Team selections.
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College of the Canyons women's volleyball was recognized with six players named to the all-conference team, with freshman Katelyn Nelson and sophomore Morgan Dumlao both taking home All-Western State Conference, South Division First-Team awards.
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College of the Canyons women's soccer capped its conference championship season by seeing 12 players earn all-conference honors, headlined by sophomore forward Bailey Williamson, who was named the Western State Conference, South Division Offensive Player of the Year.
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1962- Actress and future Soledad Canyon big-cat rescuer Tippi Hedren, "Hitchcock's New Grace Kelly," makes cover of Look magazine for upcoming thriller, "The Birds" [story]
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Nearly 1000 kids are looking for their Christmas toys through Northeast Valley Health Center's Holiday Toy Drive.
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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.
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Volunteers in the Santa Clarita Valley will be hosting a Toys for Tots toy drive on Saturday, Dec. 6, noon-2 p.m. at 5 Below in Stevenson Ranch.
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Join the Valley Industry Association as they welcome the 2026 board of Directors on Dec. 19, from 11:45 a.m to 1:30 p.m.
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The Santa Clarita International Film Festival has announced that Casas De Arte, a national touring art gallery based in Houston, Texas, will present a curated selection of exclusive artwork from international artists at this year’s festival.
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic first upended our lives in 2020, the concept of the hybrid workspace has evolved.
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As California continues to see increased safety on its roadways, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the state’s continued commitment to new and innovative investments in transportation safety, education and enforcement programs.
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The small shells found by researchers that include California State University, Northridge anthropologist Hélène Rougier at La Roche-à-Pierrot, a prehistoric archaeological site in Saint-Césaire, France, date back more than 42,000 years, providing evidence of the oldest workshops for the manufacture of shell ornaments in that area.
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California Credit Union announced today that it has been named a Culture Innovator in the 2025 Best Culture Awards presented by Kudos®, a leading employee recognition, rewards and workplace culture platform.
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The California Department of Motor Vehicles announces the release of revised proposed regulations that would allow autonomous vehicle companies to apply for permits to test and deploy heavy-duty technology on California roads and new requirements for light-duty autonomous vehicles.
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1887 - Prohibitionist Henry Needham purchases land in Newhall, attempts to establish "dry" colony [story]
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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted an informational hearing of the Statewide Literacy Task Force on Monday, Dec. 1 at the California Department of Education in Sacramento.
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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.