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

The Board of Supervisors approved the allocation of $1 million for the purchase of 842 acres of open space at Elsmere Canyon, announced Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. “The acquisition of the 842 acres in Elsmere Canyon will provide vital connections for wildlife movement and trail networks between the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys,” said Antonovich. (more…)

The Board of Supervisors approved production of the 51st Annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration Program at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Christmas Eve, announced Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Since 1959, Los Angeles County families have made the Holiday Celebration a Christmastime tradition — both in person and on television. (more…)

(From Science Daily) In the first comprehensive global survey of temperature trends in major lakes, NASA researchers determined Earth’s largest lakes have warmed during the past 25 years in response to climate change. (more…)

The following is political activity for Tuesday, November 30, 2010, going on in Washington and across the nation. It is courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available. (more…)

It is already too late to get gifts for our overseas soldiers that are assured to reach them by the December holidays. But that’s okay. All of America is sending gifts to the troops during the December holidays. It is the other eleven months that we really need to worry about, beginning with gifts for the New Year. (more…)

The 111^th Lame Duck Congress is about to take up, again, the Dream Act. Harry Reid (D-Nevada), majority leader of the Senate is determined to ram through this putrid legislation down our throats, before January, 2011, when the New Congress is seated. (more…)

The City of Santa Clarita along with the Community Garden Management Committee, are proud to announce plans for Santa Clarita’s first community garden project are well underway, with a groundbreaking event slated for Friday, December 3, 2010 at 10 a.m. (more…)

(From the sacbee.com) Giving new life to a defeated bid to ban plastic grocery store bags, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged lawmakers Monday to reconsider the measure. The bill faced fierce opposition from chemical-company interests and died in the Senate this year. (more…)

(From the ft.com) The US should overhaul its corporate tax system to ignore all international transactions for tax purposes, two independent Washington think-tanks with close ties to the Obama administration will propose this week. (more…)

I would like to introduce you to the “Silver Chords,” an amazingly gifted and talented choral group that have been together for over twenty years.  The name Silver Chords came about because they are all over 55, and they are like a single beautiful note, and like a single silken thread in a cord, they complete each other. (more…)

The County Health Officer is issuing a Cold Weather Advisory for the desert, valley and mountain areas due to the National Weather Service’s forecast for low temperatures in the 20s and low 30s lasting through Wednesday. Temperatures for the greater Los Angeles area, including the coastal areas, are expected to be in the 40s through the 60s. (more…)

Thanks to one of our readers for flagging this piece on global warming. It certainly brings up some very valid points! (From the Globe and Mail) Maybe it was just a bad dream. Just a year ago, 15,000 of the world’s leaders, diplomats, and UN officials were gearing up to descend on Copenhagen to forge a global treaty that would save the planet. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Scientists believe they may have found a new target for treating triple negative breast cancer — one of the more difficult breast cancers to treat successfully and for which there is no targeted therapy at present. (more…)

The following is political activity for Monday, November 29, 2010, going on in Washington and across the nation. It is courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available. (more…)

It was 5 years ago this November that we started the West Ranch Beacon site. It wasn’t hard to do and I immediately put up several pieces that I had written for the local paper including the one that they won’t print. That, of course, was the very reason that the site started! (more…)

The public is invited to join Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich to officially kick off the holiday season in Los Angeles County with the annual lighting of the County Christmas Tree at 5:00 p.m. today, Monday, November 29, 2010, continuing a special tradition begun by late Supervisor Kenneth Hahn in honor of the County’s children. (more…)

(From the AP) The California Highway Patrol says the number of drunken driving arrests CHP officers have made so far during the holiday weekend is up, but fatalities are down. The CHP says since the start of its stepped-up holiday enforcement Wednesday evening, 1,419 drivers have been arrested on suspicion of DUI across the state through 6 a.m. Sunday. (more…)

(From the sfgate.com) A Canadian biotechnology company has asked the U.S. to approve a genetically modified apple that won’t brown soon after its sliced, saying the improvement could boost sales of apples for snacks, salads and other uses. (more…)

(From the nytimes.com) More Americans went shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend than in recent memory, and online shopping accounted for the highest percentage of the weekend’s sales yet. (more…)

(From the latimes.com) With commercial airliners more crowded and heightened security measures threatening long delays at airports, private charter jet companies and rental car agencies may be beneficiaries of the growing airport headaches. (more…)