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

The MTA Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve studying the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line Infrastructure Improvement Strategic Plan introduced by Los Angeles County Mayor and MTA 2nd Vice Chairman Michael D. Antonovich.”The goal is to reduce travel time to downtown Los Angeles down to 60 minutes for Antelope Valley residents and 30 minutes for Santa Clarita Valley residents,” said Antonovich. (more…)

Personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Risk Management Bureau’s Traffic Services Detail, will be conducting a DUI Checkpoint on Friday, April 29, 2011 from 6 PM until approximately 2 AM. The checkpoint will be conducted in the City of Santa Clarita. (more…)

The Beatunes (www.TheBeatunes.com), an LA-based Beatles tribute band that plays and sings “record-accurate” Beatles songs will perform in Santa Clarita at 7 PM on Saturday evening, May 7. The two-hour concert, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalists of Santa Clarita, will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 24901 Orchard Village Road in Valencia. (more…)

Santa Clarita Deputies Eagar and Reantaso responded to a call of a house fire in the 23600 block of White Oak Court in Newhall, during the morning hours of Thursday, May 28, 2011. Apparently the owner of the residence had just returned home from dropping her children off at school and found her clothes dryer on fire in an upstairs room. She immediately placed a call to the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station who placed her in contact with the Fire Department and started deputy personnel responding. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Scientists from NASA and other organizations are on a mission to unlock the mysteries of why certain clouds produce copious amounts of rain. In a field mission that is now under way, aircraft are carrying instruments above and into rain clouds. Meanwhile scientists are also getting rainfall measurements on the ground. (more…)

The following is political activity for Thursday, April 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 Flags by Jasper Johns) (more…)

First. Shameless plug. Nope. It’s not the name of Ken Pulskamp’s horse. Which I believe is Skippy Dog Food. It surely is not too late to one of Western Civilization’s biggest events and we ain’t talking about that sissy English wedding. The City o’ SClarita’s 19th annual Cowboy Fest is starting long about now and the open-to-the-public part is this weekend. You can still attend by showing up and buying tickets at the gate, which that big parking lot at 13th and San Fernando (Main Street? Newhall Ave.?). (more…)

(From cnbc.com) U.S. economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter as higher food and gasoline prices dampened consumer spending, and sent a broad measure of inflation rising at its fastest pace in 2-1/2 years.
But the pull back in output, which was also the result of harsh winter weather, a widening trade gap as well as weak government spending, will probably be fleeting given a firming labor market. (more…)

“To alleviate congestion, encourage carpooling, improve air quality, reduce noise, and reduce traffic, this vital $57.8 million project will provide a High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction along the I-5 Golden State Freeway between SR-134 and Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, a total distance of 5.4 miles — 2.7 miles in each direction,” said Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich. (more…)

(From the AP) Mercedes-Benz is opening its first driving school in Los Angeles aimed at better preparing teenagers for today’s driving environment. (more…)

(From the nytimes.com) The death toll in five Southern states rose sharply Thursday morning to 173 after devastating storms ripped through the region, spawning a deadly tornado in downtown Tuscaloosa, Ala., and leaving a trail of flattened homes and buildings in an area already battered by storms. (more…)

In a motion by Supervisors Don Knabe and Mark Ridley-Thomas, the Board of Supervisors will request that the First 5 Los Angeles Commission consider an annual allotment of funding to address the challenges facing low-income families with children with autism, aged five and younger. (more…)

The LASD Stop Hate and Respect Everyone (S.H.A.R.E.) Tolerance Program has won the “Excellence and Innovation” Award from the Peace Officers Assn. of Los Angeles County. The S.H.A.R.E. Tolerance Program was developed by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Region I (northern L.A. County) personnel in an effort to positively impact the estimated 8,000 hate crimes occurring annually within Los Angeles County. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Research shows that a walk in the park is more than just a nice way to spend an afternoon. It’s an essential component for good health, according to University of Illinois environment and behavior researcher Frances “Ming” Kuo. (more…)

The following is political activity for Wednesday, April 27, 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. (more…)