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

(From the AP/Yahoo news) One year after J.D. Salinger’s death, we know little more about him than we did in his lifetime. That has not kept outsiders from trying, or insiders from resisting. Rumors of completed, unpublished manuscripts remain rumors; no one is talking. (more…)

The Community Hiking Club will be traversing Sullivan/Rustic Canyon on Saturday, January 28, 2011. This is a moderately paced 8 mile hike with an 800 ft elevation gain; it’s a fascinating hike in Sullivan and Rustic Canyons. See the remnants of structures of a WWII Nazi camp and then later an Artist’s colony. Lush ferns, large oaks, sycamores and maples cover the canyon floor, creating a tropical prehistoric feel. (more…)

(From the wsj.com) Shoppers looking for the cheapest airfare can learn something from stand-up comedians: It’s all about timing. Ticket prices are highest on weekends, on average, according to online travel agencies, fare trackers and airline pricing executives. (more…)

(From Science Daily) A new study takes a close look at the brain of the migratory monarch butterfly to better understand how these remarkable insects use an internal compass and skylight cues to navigate from eastern North America to Mexico each fall. The research, published by Cell Press in the January 27 issue of the journal Neuron, provides key insights into how ambiguous sensory signals can be integrated in the brain to guide complex navigation. (more…)

The following is political activity for Friday, January 28, 2011, 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.(US Flag by Jasper Johns). (more…)

At my first trip to the newly opened SAKE Bistro in Bridgeport, I was struck by more than the eclectic menu: the bar caught my eye. And, in quick succession, one of the bartenders that was doing a little training. Diego Lara has been keeping bar in Santa Clarita for many years. He succumbed to both a video (link) and this interview for Beaconeers: (more…)

(From cnbc.com) The U.S. economy gathered speed in the fourth quarter, though a touch below expectations, with the biggest gain in consumer spending in more than four years and strong exports offering the clearest signals yet that a sustainable recovery is under way. (more…)

(From the sacbee.com) A Southern California lawmaker proposed legislation this week to prohibit any California governor from pardoning an offender or commuting a prison sentence in the final 30 days of the officeholder’s term. (more…)

(From the latimes.com) A small earthquake was reported Thursday evening off the coast of Newport Beach. The 2.3 temblor hit at 10:10 p.m. off the Orange County coast in the Santa Catalina Channel, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was centered 15 miles southwest of Newport Beach and about 45 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. It’s unclear if the quake was felt on land.

(From the ft.com) As the father of three children who followed in his footsteps to become longshoremen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Mark Jurisic can attest to the effect of the global economic downturn on life around the San Pedro Bay in southern California. (more…)

(From the nytimes.com) The marine patrol officers and fish and wildlife agents made an onshore visit Thursday to the home of one Nick Harrington, 16, to deliver an ultimatum: Remove the grand piano from Biscayne Bay within 24 hours or face felony charges, a $5,000 fine or, perhaps, worse. (more…)

The City of Santa Clarita is scheduled to start street maintenance construction on January 26, 2011 at the intersection of Lyons Avenue and the I-5 freeway over a two day period. This work will be accomplished both at night and during the day in order to reduce the inconvenience to the traveling public. The first night of work is scheduled to run from January 26 from 9:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., with the day work starting on January 27 at 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Work will continue that evening from 9:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. (more…)

Should the City buy a very large very contaminated site is the question every taxpayer in the City of Santa Clarita should be asking themselves. If you missed it that was exactly what the Santa Clarita City Council voted for when they approved Lewis Operating Corporation and Shapell Industries as prospective business partners for the Whittaker Bermite property at Tuesday nights council meeting. (more…)

The County of Los Angeles is sponsoring six free seminars during January-June to assist property owners who feel their taxes should be lowered due to a decline in the value of their property. (more…)

(From the wsj.com) A surprising number of people on Wall Street will tell you not to worry too much about inflation. After all, they’ll say, just look at the numbers. The inflation picture is incredibly benign. In the past 12 months the Consumer Price Index has risen just 1.5%—a remarkably low rate. And when you strip out volatile food and energy costs, they’ll say, it’s even lower—a meager 0.8%. (more…)