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

Countdown to the Closure: Plan Ahead, Avoid The Area, Or Stay Home. That’s the message public safety officials are sending to the public in anticipation of a planned 10-mile, 53-hour closure of the I-405 freeway between the U.S. 101 and I-10 on the weekend of July 16-17, 2011 for planned demolition work on the Mulholland Bridge, part of a major I-405 improvement project. (more…)

(From Science Daily) The magnitude 9 earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 were like a one-two punch — first violently shaking, then swamping the islands — causing tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. Now Stanford researchers have discovered the catastrophe was caused by a sequence of unusual geologic events never before seen so clearly. (more…)

The following is political activity for Tuesday, May 31, 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…)

It was my pleasure to be interviewed last April 29 by host Joe Messina on Radio KHTS AM-1220′s “The Real Side,” which now airs for three hours on Friday afternoons. The subject was my new critique of local schools, “Dangerous Learning: The New Schooling in California,” the book being distributed by AmazonBooks and BarnesandNoble.com. Of course, Joe Messina is also an elected trustee on the William S, Hart School District, and he is one of the most interested people in schools in Southern California. (more…)

(From a local report) A Canyon High School teacher was arrested Saturday in Ventura County for allegedly transporting and possessing drugs, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department officials said. The Camarillo Special Enforcement Detail launched an investigation over the weekend into illegal drug transactions via the Internet, according to a statement from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. (more…)

When real estate developer Joe Sitt went hunting for his latest property, he looked not to New York or London – two cities where his company, Thor Equities, owns upmarket retail spaces – but to Bellevue, Washington, a fast-growing Seattle suburb containing a workforce of more than 130,000 people. (more…)

The West Ranch Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting Wednesday, June 1, 2011, at the Tournament Player Club in West Ranch located at 26550 Heritage View Lane in the Westridge neighborhood at 6:30 PM. The meeting will include regular updates from Los Angeles County, the CHP and the Sheriff’s Department. The agenda here: (more…)

In El Paso, while president Obama was practicing his stand-up comedy routine joking about “moats and alligators” in the Rio Grande, across State in Houston, Texas police officer Eric Will, 38, husband /father of two (and another on the way), was ( allegedly) murdered by illegal alien drunk driver Johan Rodriguez. Illegal alien Rodriguez, 26, also was in possession of 3 grams of cocaine. (more…)

Jeff Sutphen, TV Personality (BrainSurge, 101 Ways To Leave A Game Show) and his Actress/Writer wife Stacy Sutphen, along with members of Soldiers Against Child Abuse (LA), will come together for the first annual Child Abuse Awareness Walk. Jeff and Stacy Sutphen have created a powerful campaign called STOP ABUSING YOUR CHILDREN (SAYC), endorsed by Senator Runner of CA, to raise child abuse awareness across the nation and to raise money to help children who have been abused & neglected; especially those in the Foster Care system. The campaign and walk is in honor of three year old Amanda Lynn Runyon, who miraculously survived horrific child abuse, and in memory of Nizxmary Brown, Kyle Smith, Elisa Izquierdo, Lisa Steinberg, and all the innocent children who have passed away brutally and viciously at the hands of the people they were supposed to trust. (more…)

President and CEO Roger Seaver of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital (HMNMH) in a recent local editorial described the hospital’s leadership as a “three-legged stool” of Administrators, Board members, and Medical Staff.  Seemingly, the Administration has seized influence over the Board of Directors to “break the Medical Staff leg” attempting to eliminate their participation in patient care decisions at our hospital. (more…)

As many of our readers may know, my brother Phil Bossert Jr. retired last year from the U.S. Air Force as a decorated Colonel after serving our country for more than 32 years. Not long after retiring he was hired as a consultant to the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense to formulate and implement a leadership training program for Afghan Military officers. The following is an update from Phil and his assessment of our involvement in the longest running war in U.S. history: (more…)

Why waste your time flipping through a paper looking for coupons when you can go online and get the coupons you want instantly. This is a terrific article if you are looking to save money on a regular basis. (From smartmoney.com) While deal-hunters have oodles of online coupons and promotions to choose from these days, finding the real discounts just keeps getting tougher. (more…)

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. (more…)

Several months ago I asked the question is it “safe” for the City to buy and develop the Whittaker-Bermite property from a public health and liability point of view? I had sited the former Secretary of Defense Donlad Rumsfeld’s now famous quote; “there are known knowns; there are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don’t know.” (more…)

On this Memorial Day, the Los Angeles Times pays tribute to the California service members who have died in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq by publishing a selection of com­ments posted over the last year by those who knew and loved them. Hundreds more can be read on The Times’ database, California’s War Dead. (more…)

Local Veteran Bill Reynolds received some well deserved coverage in the Sacramento Bee for his website www.9thinfantrydivision.com. The site helps to connect Vietnam Veterans that served in the 9^th Infantry Division living in Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and the San Fernando Valley. Here is what the sacbee.com article had to say: (more…)

It happens every day. Drunk drivers get on the roads, endangering our friends and loved ones. Sometimes, we witness these drivers on the road, weaving in and out of lanes or traveling down a highway going the wrong direction. Quite often, responsible citizens are left asking themselves—what do I do? (more…)

The Valencia Auto Dealers has the largest selection of new cars and used cars in the Santa Clarita Valley and are selling lots of cars this holiday weekend. With 16 dealers offering 23 brands you’ll find exceptional selection and value with so many dealers in one location. The Santa Clarita Valley Auto Dealers Association offers the highest quality service and convenience with great deals especially this Memorial Day Weekend. Treat yourself to a new or used car…..you deserve it!!! Check out the Valencia Auto Dealers Center online here: http://www.valenciaautocenter.com/

 Remember, Shop Local, Save Local, and help our local SCV economy prosper!

(From khts) With thousands of flags placed on graves by local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall will be the gathering place for the 23rd annual Memorial Day Ceremony celebrating, honoring and remembering those who have served our country in the military. (more…)

(From latimes.com) Strong winds with gusts up to 60 miles per hour are expected across parts of Southern California Saturday night and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The highest winds will blow through the mountains of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties as well as the Antelope Valley and the south coast of Santa Barbara. Mountain areas in Los Angeles County also will also be affected, although the winds will not be as strong in the Santa Monica Mountains. (more…)