The West Ranch Beacon – News & Commentary for the Santa Clarita Valley

Less than two months after Stevenson Ranch resident Sgt. Ian Gelig was killed in action in Afghanistan, the community has lost another brave son. Marine Private 1st Class Jake W. Suter, a graduate of West Ranch High School and resident of Stevenson Ranch was killed in action on Friday, May 28, 2010 in Afghanistan. He had only arrived for duty in that country on Wednesday, May 26. His remains were flown back today, Memorial Day, to Dover Air Force Base in Maryland. The remembrance/vigil is currently being planned for this week. Please check back as more information becomes available.

It is quite appropriate that on Memorial Day we honored those that have fought and died defending our Country and our freedoms.  One of those freedoms, the freedom of speech, is a right that many have died for throughout history and is one that is a cherished founding principle of our Nation and Constitution. Santa Clarita City Councilman Frank Ferry is attempting to squash that right! (more…)

Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), Ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement honoring the brave men and women of our nation’s Armed Forces for Memorial Day: “Since 1775, and across the world today, our Armed Forces and veterans symbolize all that is best in us as Americans. This Memorial Day, we take time to honor all of the men and women of our nation’s Armed Forces who have given their lives protecting our great country. (more…)

(From the wsj.com) The U.S. military didn’t always bring home its dead. In the Seminole Indian Wars in the early 1800s, most of the troops were buried near where they fell. The remains of some dead officers were collected and sent back to their families, but only if the men’s relatives paid all of the costs. Families had to buy and ship a leaded coffin to a designated military quartermaster, and after the body had been disinterred, they had to cover the costs of bringing the coffin home. (more…)

(From the sacbee.com) In poll after poll, California voters from both major parties have made it clear they see the recession, the state’s budget mess and taxes as their top priorities this election year. On the airwaves, however, the Republican candidates for governor are talking about anything but that trio of issues. (more…)

(From the latimes.com) California Highway Patrol investigators are increasing their efforts to find a sniper who has been shattering car windows in the Inland Empire, apparently with a pellet gun. No injuries have been reported as a result of the attacks. Many of the shootings have been on the 10, 15 and 215 freeways. KTLA reported that 45 vehicles have been damaged in recent weeks, with a dozen motorists reporting incidents Friday. Officers have asked anyone with information about the alleged sniper to contact the Inland highway patrol office at (909) 388-8000.

(From the sacbee.com) As he stares into the abyss of a $19.1 billion state budget shortfall, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg is urging Californians to consider an earth-shifting governmental move. To help social services such as child welfare and elder care avoid massive cuts, he wants to transfer more responsibility for those programs from the state to counties. (more…)

As the Memorial Day holiday approaches, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health would like to highlight the importance of safe swimming practices. The week before Memorial Day (May 24-30, 2010) has been designated as National Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week. This year’s theme is the prevention of injuries associated with pool and spa chemicals. (more…)

(From the Signal) The Castaic Area Town Council has endorsed the Romero Canyon site as a location for the future Castaic high school. Romero Canyon, owned by developer Larry Rasmussen, is one of two sites being considered by the William S. Hart Union High School for the long-promised school, which has been planned for some 10 years but still lacks a location. (more…)

(From the latimes.com) This weekend’s scheduled debut of a new family roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain has been postponed until 2011 because of construction delays, according to amusement park officials. Mr. Six’s DanceCoaster, themed to the frenetically dancing senior citizen who serves as a spokes-character for the amusement park chain, would have been the Valencia park’s 17th coaster. (more…)

(From the AP) A new poll shows that former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman has stopped her plunge in recent polls to again take a large lead in the Republican race for California governor, and former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina has become the clear front-runner in the race to take on Barbara Boxer for her U.S. Senate seat. (more…)

(From the AP) The U.S. Geological Survey says the 3.0-temblor struck at shortly before midnight Saturday and was centered about 17 miles southeast of San Francisco near San Leandro. The USGS recorded hundreds of responses on its website from people saying they felt the quake. But San Francisco police operations center said three hours after it hit that there hadn’t been any calls from the public about the quake.

Facebook drew back the curtain Wednesday on new privacy settings designed to keep users’ personal information more secure, but consumer advocates say the social networking site’s update will still leave some information vulnerable. Because that data remain at risk, users should take caution with the information they post on Facebook, these advocates say. (more…)

(From the latimes.com) Dennis Hopper, the maverick director and costar of the landmark 1969 counterculture film classic “Easy Rider” whose drug- and alcohol-fueled reputation as a Hollywood bad boy preceded his return to sobriety and a career resurgence in the films “Hoosiers” and “Blue Velvet,” died Saturday. He was 74. A longtime resident of Venice who also was known as a photographer, artist and collector of modern art, Hopper died at his home of complications from prostate cancer, said Alex Hitz, a friend of the family. (more…)

Local videographer and political documentarian Nota Ferryfan, who has been on somewhat of break since the City Council election, has just posted a new video showcasing Councilman Frank Ferry’s feeble attempt at squashing free speech. As described by the filmmaker; “Just days prior to Memorial Day, Mayor Dud disrespects all those brave souls who fought and died to preserve our freedoms by calling on our citizens to be sued for expressing their point view.  Despicable!” This is a must see video of the City’s favorite donut wielding Councilman. (more…)

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich released figures from the Department of Public Social Services showing that in April 2010, $52 million in welfare benefits ($22 million CalWORKs + $30 million in Food Stamps) were issued to parents who reside in the United States illegally and collect benefits for their native-born children in Los Angeles County.  This amounts to approximately 23% of all CalWORKs and Food Stamp issuances in the County. (more…)

The Board of Supervisors will consider a motion by Supervisors Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky to boycott the State of Arizona at its next meeting on Tuesday, June 1.  In response to the motion, Supervisor Don Knabe issued the following statement today. (more…)

(From the nytimes.com) Representative Luis V. Gutierrez was all set to be a friend of the Obama administration, a point man for the White House among Latinos. A nine-term Democrat, he had cut his political teeth in the wards of Chicago, just as Barack Obama did, and the two knew each other from their parallel early careers in Illinois. (more…)

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County concludes its 2010 Sustainable Sunday’s season with a fun-filled day of interactive workshops and activities designed to teach visitors of all ages about our local wildlife this Sunday, May 30, 2010, from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. The U.N. declared 2010 the year of biodiversity, but what does that mean? Sustainable Sunday’s participants will find out, and gain a deeper understanding of the amazing biodiversity in Southern California. (more…)

By a vote of 282-131, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a measure offered by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) to block the transfer into the United States of 9-11 co-conspirator Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other detainees housed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  The motion also expanded an investigation into allegations that GITMO detainee lawyers affiliated with the John Adams project have violated US law. (more…)