October 2006
Monthly Archive
Tue 31 Oct 2006
In a last minute addition to the West Ranch Town Council agenda, representative from College of the Canyons (COC) will be on hand to speak about Measure “Mâ€. They will give a brief overview of Measure “M†and the importance of getting this passed next Tuesday. Afterwards they will answer any questions that the council or attendees may have related to Measure “Mâ€.
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The COC speakers will be added to the agenda after the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce presentation.
Tue 31 Oct 2006
The West Ranch Town Council will be selecting a candidate to fill the vacant council seat at its Wednesday November 1st council meeting. There are two candidates vying for the council seat that was vacated when Paul Ash resigned in September.
At the October meeting there were three candidates that had turned in applications for the vacant seat. Two of the three were present, Don Fleming and Chuck O’Connell, at that meeting and had an impromptu opportunity to say a few words on why they would like to be selected for the open council seat. Since then, Mr. O’Connell has decided to withdraw his application for personal reasons.
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Gary Morgan, who was not at the October meeting, will be given an equal opportunity to speak for a few moments at the beginning of tomorrow nights council meeting. At a later point in the meeting the Council President will call for nominations and then the entire council will cast votes for those candidates that were nominated. The candidate that garners the most votes will be sworn in by Los angeles County, 5th District, Senior Deputy Bob Haueter immediately following the selection process.
Tue 31 Oct 2006
The West Ranch Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, November 1st at 6:30 PM in the Southern Oaks Community Center located on Southern Oaks Dr. The center is located in the Southern Oaks neighborhood off of Pico Canyon in Stevenson Ranch.
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Tomorrow nights meeting will feature an update on the Lyons Canyon/Warner Ranch project. Also on the agenda will be regular updates from the Sheriffs department, LA County, Parks and recreation. The special guest speakers are Chris Fall and Larry Mankin of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce.
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Mon 30 Oct 2006
We received another very nice note from Diane Van Hook, President of College of the Canyons, regarding her passion for Measure “Mâ€. After asking if we could post it to help the cause, Diane responded with a “No problem! I am glad to have you do so.â€
She writes, “as a product of a community college myself, I am very passionate about the community colleges and the impact they can have on the lives of individuals. I would not be in the place I am today if it were not for the chance afforded me by the California Community Colleges.
As the only really affordable option for anyone who chooses to further their abilities and potential, I am firm in my belief that the community colleges, and in particular, College of the Canyons, deserves the support of our community. As someone who is adamant about advising students and parents against taking out student loans until they absolutely have to, the community colleges, with an average class size of 27 (versus 250 at a public 4-year college) and a cost of $60 for a three unit transfer level course (versus $300 dollars -approximately) at a CSU or $230 at a UC (approximately), our college offers transferable coursework at quite an affordable option. And, we do so with people who are hired to teach, not to research or publish or send their research assistants to do their work for them. We also afford high school students an opportunity to get a jump start on their college educations at no cost. In doing so, if they are serious and conscientious about their endeavors, they have an opportunity to realize that, yes; they can succeed in college coursework. Nothing breeds confidence and success like success and a chance to do that which one fears they can not do.
All of the research shows that the single variable that contributes to a student’s success is someone taking an interest in him or her. Our faculty and staff do that day in and day out. Now, we just need more space to ensure that the students can get in and can have the chance to start to pursue their dreams, right here in the Santa Clarita Valley. Thank you for what you are doing and for helping us to create affordable access to higher education, right here in the Santa Clarita Valley.â€
Dianne Van Hook
Mon 30 Oct 2006
The Stevenson Ranch annual Fall Festival to be held on Tuesday, October 31st at the Dr. Richard Rioux Memorial Park in Stevenson Ranch with festivities beginning at 6:30. The event is hosted by the Golden Oaks Foursquare Church (formally the Stevenson Ranch Community Church) and Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation.
The event is designed to create a safe and fun place for children and families to go on Halloween night. There will be large bounces, various activities and games for the entire family.
Mon 30 Oct 2006
Eric Rosenberg is a community volunteer in Stevenson Ranch and is a candidate for the Stevenson Ranch Community Association board of directors. He attends most of the community meetings in the West Ranch area and is an informed resident. Eric is a new to the West Ranch Beacon and is a guest commentator expressing his views on politics, local issues and the upcoming election. As with all columnists, these are his own views and don’t necessarily reflect those of the West Ranch Beacon.Â
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I spent the past two weekends reading every line of the various propositions that will be on the ballot November 7th, plus every word I could find on all the candidates running for office. Since I know many special interests have seriously confused the actual meaning of many of these propositions, and because very few people will actually take four days to read anything other than the short biased summaries for each proposition, and because not everyone has an extremely knowledgeable attorney as their spouse to whom they can pose legal questions, I’d like to offer my non-partisan advice on how to vote.
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I am not a member of either the Democratic or Republican Party; my philosophy is a combination of Libertarian and Green with a few handpicked positions from the two major parties. Basically, I’m an Independent beholden to no one who has the ability to make up my mind without worrying about how the “party faithful” will feel. I don’t get fooled by silly catchphrases like “stay the course,” “cut and run,” etc., nor bamboozled by people throwing out labels such as “liberal” and “conservative.” Talking points and repetition have absolutely no affect on me (other than to annoy me!), so no matter how many ads the oil companies run against Proposition 87, I’m still going to vote based on the actual text and meaning of the proposition!
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If you and your readers are now comfortable with me as a voter and agenda-less community participant, then let’s move on to my suggested positions for the coming election. (If you’re not comfortable, it’s probably because you don’t like people who question your group’s positions, regardless of which political party you belong to. If you’ve lost the ability to sincerely question your leaders, then you’ve lost the ability to stay informed and be objective. “You’re either with us or against us” is 3rd grade playground logic and should not be relied upon for your decision making. Don’t be held hostage and blindly follow the party line…that’s what Islamic terrorists do, not Americans.)Â
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Here are the candidates and propositions I recommend based on my research and fact-checking:Â
1) Governor – Arnold SchwarzenneggerÂ
2) Lieutenant Governor – Tom McClintockÂ
3) Secretary of State – Bruce McPhersonÂ
4) Controller – Tony StricklandÂ
5) Treasurer – Mehul M. ThakkerÂ
6) Attorney General – Kenneth A. WeissmanÂ
7) Insurance Commissioner – Dale F. OgdenÂ
State Board of Equalization (2nd District) – Bill LeonardÂ
9) State Senator – Dianne FeinsteinÂ
10) U.S. Representative (25th District) – Robert RodriguezÂ
11) Member of State Assembly (38th District) – Cameron SmythÂ
12) Castaic Lake Water Agency – (At Large) Isaac Lieberman / (Division 3) Carole LutnessÂ
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While I would have preferred to vote for Michael S. Wyman for Attorney General and Todd Chretien for Senator, I just cannot accept their errant positions on immigration which are so important to the fiscal future of our state. Sorry! (I would also have liked to find out some information on David W. Erickson for Congress, but he has no website, no e-mail contact, a single phone number that’s always busy, and almost no other public information that I could find! Maybe his only goal was to get on the ballot??)Â
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I also can’t support Howard “Buck” McKeon for U.S. Representative because of some very dubious decisions he’s made, like using campaign donations to pay family members $152,362 for working on his election (of which $74,462 went to his wife), for his inability to reverse California’s 12% deficit of Federal funding vs. what we pay in as taxpayers, for his weak refusal to debate his challengers in a public forum, and for his very slimy attempt to take credit for killing the Cemex mining expansion (which was NOT halted) by getting the City of Santa Clarita to pay for “Thank You, Buck” banners audaciously posted in the public right-of-way that made it sound like McKeon succeeded, when in fact he did nothing other than belatedly introduce a bill to Congress (HR 5471) that was dead on arrival.Â
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Now for the propositions:Â
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1A – YESÂ
1B – YESÂ
1C – NOÂ
1D – YESÂ
1E – NOÂ
83 – NOÂ
84 – YESÂ
85 – NOÂ
86 – YESÂ
87 – YESÂ
88 – NOÂ
89 – YESÂ
90 – NOÂ
M – YESÂ
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It would take many paragraphs of analysis to explain the above votes, but I truly believe those positions are in the best interest of our state. The really smarmy part of these propositions is how many are worded to mean one thing but actually accomplish something else, plus the deceptive ads all over television that completely misrepresent what your YES or NO vote will accomplish.Â
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For example, 1C sounds like it’s a very charitable proposal to help battered women and low-income seniors find housing, when in fact 1C does nothing to make housing more affordable! Another example – Proposition 1E claims to protect California’s drinking water supply, but it doesn’t have any effective provisions to do this! Propositions 83 and 85 sound like good common-sense moral measures, yet both laws set legal precedents that would negatively impact many other areas of law and government, neither law actually achieves the main goals they claim, and both have failed legal and logistical tests in other states. And don’t even get me started on Prop 87! This is a very good measure for the state, but you’d never know that if you listened to the 30-40 grossly misleading ads per day that the oil industry pays for to try and scare people into voting “no.”Â
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So there you have it. All I can hope is that the electorate thinks for itself, does the necessary research to make informed decisions, and votes for the best solutions for our state’s and country’s problems. I sincerely believe the above recommendations fulfill that criteria, and I know that others will disagree for various reasons. But if those reasons are ignorance, “because my party told me to disagree,” apathy, or misguided hard-headedness, then it’s not a valid rebuttal and we should ignore their vacuous shouts. Vote for what is right, not because you’re “left” or “right.”Â
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Eric Rosenberg,Â
Guest CommentaryÂ
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Sat 28 Oct 2006
Posted by admin under
Media 1 Comment
Jeff over at SCVTalk.com has a very funny piece, complete with photos, of Darryl Manzer visiting historic Mentryville in the West Ranch area. Darryl was in town visiting from his home in Virginia and actually sent an invite to me, as well as others, to meet him over in Mentryville for a tour. Unfortunately my schedule at work was such that I couldn’t make this time and had to take a rain check.
I liked the picture of Darryl holding a sign that said “Hi Dave”, but was disappointed that he didn’t add an “XXOX, Darryl” at the bottom. The truth is, that Darryl and I have traded emails on a somewhat regular basis. I think that next time he comes out I’m going to organize a round table discussion with Darryl, Chris Austin, and myself. Who knows, maybe we’ll throw Frank Ferry into the mix as well! Jeff Wilson, Jack Murphy and few Sheriff Deputies can moderate!!
Check out the complete post at http://scvtalk.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=251
Fri 27 Oct 2006
The average age of the American soldier in the Middle East is 22. That means that for every warrior who is 24, there is one who is 20. This is an age where a family holiday traditions are still fresh in the habits of a person. In particular, when you are in Iraq or Afghanistan these days, a time designed for peace and understanding is especially hard to put together.
       I realized this recently at the Christ Lutheran Church in Valencia, as I was eating one of that church’s at-cost dinners it serves on Wednesday nights just to bring people of the community together
       It is this church’s members who package the boxes sent from anyone in Santa Clarita to the soldiers under fire in Iraq and Afghanistan. I had brought a bunch of new military magazines I had found at a magazine store in the K-Mart shopping center off San Fernando Road. As a “military brat†who grew up in and around bases in my childhood, I know how the many military-history books in base libraries somehow give soldiers the strength of a historic perspective. Others that evening gave whatever they thought could not be easily found in a war zone that much of the time doesn’t even have electric power.   Â
        I have enough years of being associated with military life to know many soldiers are finding a new family in their soldierly world. Their family backgrounds may range from extremely tightly knit to virtual estrangement. There are also many former foster children who find a guiding hand in the military after the state cuts off their foster family life at their high-school graduations. But let’s face it – we could all use a mom and dad to be there for us into our adult years, even as very close friends.
       Through the dedicated leadership of lay activist Karolle Blackson, the Christ Lutheran Church has filled in with some of the family-like support that soldiers overseas appreciate in a way that the rest of us in our easy lives cannot imagine. Every month go the packages and personal message from Santa Clarita to Iraq and Afghanistan.
           As I observed at the outdoor dinner, the parents of the church were using this service opportunity as a teaching moment for their children. “What can we do to help our soldiers?†asked parents in a way that they made sure their children alongside then would remember that question. I couldn’t help but think that these scenes – showing people bonding to soldiers they have never met – recalls something that directors like Frank Capra used to celebrate in their movies, but which is too seldom observed today
           For the readers of this article, the answer to the question of “what can we do to help our soldiers?†can be found by calling the church right now at 661-259-0200 (they answer the phone during business hours), or simply bring something to send to the church at 25816 Tournament Road in Valencia. The deadline to give gifts for the holidays is November 7. The church members then take care of all the packaging. You might find me packaging, too. However, I promise leaders of my good church there is little danger of my changing my Christian membership so long as my church creates the kind of holiday support for our soldiers as I have seen at Christ Lutheran.
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- Chris Sharp
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Fri 27 Oct 2006
We received a very nice note from Diane Van Hook, President of College of the Canyons, thanking the Beacon for helping to spread the word on the importance of Measure “Mâ€. Here is what she had to say:
On behalf of “Citizens for College of the Canyons Yes on Measure M†Campaign, I want to personally thank you for your commitment to this campaign and for all of the extra effort you have invested to help us be successful on November 7th.
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As someone who values education, I know you understand:
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- Â The role the community college plays in opening that door for tens of thousands of individuals in our valley as well as thousands of local employees per year who are employed throughout our valley;
- The fact that we offer quality education at an extremely affordable cost ($20 per unit, $600 per full load per year versus $3000 at CSU and $6500 at UC, Plus room and board);
- That we will use the $160 million to add classrooms and labs and expand access to train more nurses, law enforcement professionals, prepare students to transfer, and provide technical training for highly skilled positions that exist in our valley but need people to fill them;
- That we will expand our capacity to accommodate the ever-increasing number of high school students (60%+) who come directly to COC and the eleven hundred that attend each semester while in high school (tuition –free) to get a jumpstart on their college educations and save their families money at the same time; and
- That Measure M is an investment in our community, our businesses, our families, and our college future.
Thank you for getting the word out. I appreciate your extra efforts. Your efforts are special to us and will make a difference.
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 Thank you!
 Dianne
Fri 27 Oct 2006
Posted by admin under
County of LA No Comments
SANTA CLARITA – The California Department of Transportation will close the southbound Antelope Valley Freeway (Route 14) between Escondido Canyon Road and Agua Dulce Canyon Road on Sunday, October 29, from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Northbound Route14 will be closed from Agua Dulce Canyon Road to Escondido Canyon Road from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Detours will be posted. The closure is in relation to a slope stabilization project above Route 14 between Soledad Canyon Road and Escondido Canyon Road.
The $12.6 million project involves cutting back the slope and installing retention systems using cable net or wire mesh. Estimated to complete in spring 2008, the project will increase hillside stability, protect the roadway and improve safety. Â
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Fri 27 Oct 2006
Posted by admin under
Media No Comments
Penguin Pundit over at the SoCal Pundit has posted some very interesting predictions about next months elections. Some are obvious no brainers and others are quite intuitive and very insightful. Here are just a couple: Â
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger will win the election for California Governor.
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2. In case anyone thinks the above prediction is not a prediction at all but rather common wisdom, I further predict he will win by a margin greater than 20%.
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3. Tom McClintock, Chuck Poochigian, Tony Strickland, Bruce McPherson, & Steve Poisner will win there respective state-wide races. All other state-wide Republican candidates will lose.
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To see the complete list go to www.socalpundit.com
Fri 27 Oct 2006
Posted by admin under
Jack Murphy No Comments
With only a couple of weeks left before the election, our local boy Cameron should win easily. Should we be happy? You bet! He is from here. Wants to be a national politician and is a true leader. He will stand up for us and our valley, he wont go on FOX news and say George Bush or Hillary Clinton or whomever, masterminded the 9/11 attacks for political gain. He is sane, rational and will be a great representative of our City; a good family man who has nothing but the best interests of his constituents at heart.
On the other had we have City Councilman Frank Ferry. What else can you say about Frank other then “Where’s Waldo?†I mean, since Frank regained his City Council seat he has since taken a job as principle of a school OUT of our City, taken away a coach on a local team to join him there and is quietly pursuing numerous teachers and other educators to come join him OUT of our City at his new school. Is this a man who has the best interests of OUR City at heart or the best interest of Frank at heart?
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Now we check in with the West Ranch Town Council, the other prominent political body here in the Valley. At personal risk to my column here I have to take a stand on the up and coming vacancy on the Council. Here is where free speech is not only expressed on The Beacon but as you will see, is hopefully applauded by my editor much to his chagrin, I assume. He also happens to be the President of the West Ranch Town Council. So here goes……
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Don Fleming needs to be appointed to the open vacancy. Other then Don’s wife Cheri, there is no better person in this Valley. The Flemings have done so much for this Valley that 1000 words in a column could never cover a third of it. If Don is given an opportunity to now be a leader in this community just think of the possibilities. What a wonderful man and a great family we have in them. Now to move Don into the political landscape would be the best move the council would ever make. Just think of it when Don then goes to Sacramento or Washington by way of the West Ranch Town Council! WOW!
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Don has a passion for life, an honest desire to see the Valley be a great place to live and work and brings a great gift that no other candidate can possibly hope for; community respect. Don is a who’s who in the Valley. He is already respected by left and right. He will help the Town council in ways that we can only imagine and will bring needed attention and focus to our Sister “City” of West Ranch.
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So in summery, we have VOTE FOR CAMRON, Find Frank if you can and West Ranch, please choose Don Fleming. These are 3 positive moves for our Valley. Especially if anyone can’t find Frank!
Jack Murphy
Fri 27 Oct 2006
In recent weeks, residents of the Stevenson Ranch and Westridge communities have raised questions regarding the fuel surcharge that Waste Management instituted last year. As the price of fuel increased many companies pasted those costs onto customers in the form of a fuel surcharge that was added to regular service bills.
Now that fuel costs are coming down closer to 2005 levels; the question is being raised that these charges should be reduced and/or eliminated. The West Ranch Town Council extended an invitation to representatives of Waste Management to attend the November Council meeting to discuss the fuel surcharge issue. Waste Management officials have declined the invitation.
This appears to be a strategic mistake on the part of Waste Management as it has raised concerns that there is more to this story than meets the eye. As it turns out, only the unincorporated residents are being charged the fuel surcharge; city residents are not being charged this additional cost. That begs the question; are the unincorporated residents subsidizing the trash collection for the City of Santa Clarita residents?
Waste Management officials declined to speak about the fuel surcharge and would only direct inquiries to their website. The fuel surcharge was no where to be found on either the local or national web site. The matter will be discussed further at the Council meeting on November 1st.
Fri 27 Oct 2006
 The West Ranch Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday November 1st at the Southern Oaks community center starting at 6:30 PM. The community center is located on Southern Oaks Drive in the Southern Oaks community off of Pico Canyon in Stevenson Ranch. The following is the agenda for the November meeting:
A. Call to Order/Roll Call
B. Gary Morgan
C. Approval of October Minutes
D. Treasurers Report and Banking Update
E. County Updates
1. Doug Newell Parks and Rec.
2. Sheriff’s Liaison
3. CHP Liaison
4. Bob Haueter LA County
5. DRHorton- Lyons Canyon Presentation
F. Â Â Guest Speakers- Larry Mankin/Chris Fall SCV Chamber
G.  New Business and updates Â
1. Garbage Collection Fuel Sur-charge
2. Appointment to vacant council seat
3. Â December- Steve Sturgeon/ Hart School District
4. Update on Town Hall meeting with Castaic TC, Aqua Dulce TC, and SupervisorAntonovich. Date, time, location TBD
H. Committee Reports
1. Election 2008
2. Security/Public Safety
3. Governmental Relations
  a. Homeless Shelter Task Force
  b. Westridge HOA and TPC issues Update
4. Westridge and Southern Oaks Liaisons
5. Sunset Point Liaison
I. Old Business
J. Public Comment
K. Adjournment
Thu 26 Oct 2006
Unprecedented Convergence of Communities to Expose Unlawful and Dangerous CEMEX Activities
(Los Angeles, CA) – Reflecting mounting opposition by citizens’ groups and government agencies in at least five states across the nation, a number of local community organizations and city interests have formed a National Alliance to fight multinational giant CEMEX and its mining operations across the United States. This first of its kind national alliance is comprised of active citizens groups from Colorado, California, Ohio, Florida and Michigan that have had to form to fight unlawful or dangerous activities at CEMEX operations in their communities. CEMEX has a history of violating state and federal regulations across the United States. It has been cited for thousands of air and water violations in at least eight states – California, New Mexico, Colorado, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Tennessee – and has already paid $4.5 million dollars in state and federal environmental fines.
The Alliance’s first action was to send the attached letter to the Mexico-based multinational conglomerate to urge the company to abide by all state and federal air, water and environmental standards, and to work more openly and honestly with communities where they operate or are buying plants. They will coordinate efforts and resources to communicate with broader media, shareholders and political leaders about the questionable activities of CEMEX in communities across America.
COLORADO – “The track record of operating violations at CEMEX demonstrates a disregard for the well-being of this community. After examining the compliance history for CEMEX, compiled by the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division, we are appalled at the dire conditions depicted. They have back-to-back Notices of Violation, and a Compliance Order that includes penalties for poor air pollution control practices and a penalty for the absence of pollution controls that the company asserted that it had as a condition of its permit. Instead of cleaning up their act or being shut down, they negotiate down the amount of the fines and continue operating, and even intend to expand their operation to include burning tires. We do not trust this company to protect the health and environment of the residents in our community,†said Anne George, Steering Committee, St. Vrain Valley Community Watchdogs, Colorado.
OHIO – “In March, 2005 the USEPA cited CEMEX for violations of the Prevention of Significant Deterioration in Part C of the Clean Air Act, dating back to 1997. The Notice of Violation and Finding of Violation stand as unresolved at this time. Also, in July, 2006, the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency (RAPCA) issued a Warning Letter to CEMEX for installing an access door on the preheater tower without a permit. Fairborn Citizens must obey the law. Why Doesn’t CEMEX? CEMEX has also requested an exemption from the permitting process to do a 42-day trial burn using old tires. How can they be trusted?†said Dawn Falleur, Green Environmental Coalition, Yellow Springs, Ohio.
CA – “CEMEX clearly has a track record of averting local community control, and going against the wishes of the communities where they operate. We must work together to protect local control, and the health, safety, and quality of life of our residents,†said Mayor Laurene Weste, Santa Clarita, California.
FLORIDA – “In spite of two previous denials by the Manatee County Commission, CEMEX continued to press for approval to construct a concrete ready mix plant in close proximity to several residential communities and schools. Hundreds of neighbors representing several nearby communities vigorously expressed their strong objections to allowing this proposed plant to be built. Seeing this concerted opposition, while anticipating long delays in the continued pursuit of the approval process, CEMEX recently agreed to work with Manatee County officials in an attempt to identify a mutually acceptable alternate site. Only time will tell to help us determine the legitimacy of CEMEX’s recent actions,†said Clint Miller, Chairman of the East Manatee County Coalition, Florida.
MICHIGAN – “WATCH had good communications with the management team at CEMEX during the time they owned the cement plant in Charlevoix but little results from our efforts. CEMEX was out of compliance most of the time with stack emissions. They had problems with dust control around the plant. They made no effort to control noise. CEMEX had a serious fuel oil spill that was not detected for months. Several thousand gallons of fuel oil leaked into the ground beneath the plant resulting in a clean-up that lasted for years. The difference between CEMEX and the current owner, St. Mary’s Cement, is like night and day. St. Mary’s has been doing a clean-up of the physical plant, they have installed a new bag house facility which has them in compliance with a dramatic drop in particulate emissions, they have vastly improved blasting techniques, they have employed noise and lighting control measures, they have installed a “green” berm around the quarry and they have been completely open and accessible about everything,†said Bill Henny, President of The Water and Air Team for Charlevoix (WATCH), Michigan.
OHIO – “As parents we have great cause for concern — we hold some of the most sensitive individuals to air pollution, our children, under our care. We dedicate ourselves to raising healthy children, feeding them natural food, avoiding toxic products and then must send them out to play in some of the most polluted air in the country. What else can we do as parents but stand up to protect our children from corporations like CEMEX, who pollute without care for our children’s health and welfare,” said Aimee Lunde Maruyama, Parents Against Burning Tires.More information about CEMEX activities in specific states and communities can be found at: www.coloradocitizens.org ; www.greenlink.org ; www.stopCEMEXMegaMine.com ; www.cleanairohio.org; www.stvrainwatchdogs.org; www.watch@core.com Â
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Thu 26 Oct 2006
Judy O’Rourke writes in the Daily News Santa Clarita edition that Governor Schwarzenegger’s “staff has advised Santa Clarita officials he is not meeting directly with mining giant CEMEX on his upcoming trade mission to Mexico, but on Wednesday his spokeswoman said company officials might be present at a larger business gathering on the itinerary.â€
“The city has spent about $7 million on many fronts battling the 56.1 million-ton sand and gravel mine planned on the outskirts of town and is urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to shun CEMEX’s pitch. City officials will make their own before he departs.â€
You can read the entire article here: http://www.dailynews.com/santaclarita/ci_4550217Â Â
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Commentary
I wonder when residents of the City are going to start questioning City officials about the $7-$8 Million dollars that has been spent battling CEMEX. Let’s face, the City has thrown that money down a rat hole and has nothing meaningful to show for it. Further, the City has blown virtually any opportunity to sit down with officials from CEMEX to work out a plan that would be palatable to the Valley.
Congressman McKeon’s bill couldn’t help and the courts continue to rule in favor of the CEMEX and the Bureau of Land Management. When all legal options are exhausted the City will have blown nearly $10 million dollars and CEMEX will have no reason to sit with the city at that point to come up with any kind of compromise.
Tactically, the City has not played the CEMEX situation very well and the Valley has been hurt by that ineptitude. Once again the City Council has displayed its lack of skill in coming to the table and trying to work out a win/win for both sides. Instead, the Valley as a whole loses; except for the Lawyers of course!
 -Dave Bossert
Wed 25 Oct 2006
Every election year seem to be similar in that blossoms start appearing all over town about a month before Election Day. These are not your standard flower blossoms that would be visually delightful, but rather the kind of visual pollution that shows up at highly visibility intersections and streets anytime there is an election approaching.
The scientific name for these blossoms that appear on fences and lawns is “Signage Politicoâ€; or more commonly known as the Political Sign. These political signs are not affiliated to just one party but are attributable to all political parties and organizations. The signs thrive in all matter of climate or as the horticulturists like to say any “zone†with in North America. They also come in a wide array of colors, shapes and sizes.
Although lately, there are non-political signs popping up frequently throughout the year and not just the weed like realty signs that sprout every weekend. I guess it is part of the entitlement mentality that has permeated the Santa Clarita Valley over the last decade or so. You know, the folks that think because they live in an affluent neighborhood they can do whatever they want regardless of the laws, community rules, or just plain old common courtesy.
That is what’s happening with these political signs that are being placed on every fence, intersection, greenbelt, post, pole and anywhere else they can be affixed. Essentially it appears that the persons posting are entitled to put up those signs anywhere they please.
The political candidates and their disciples are actually disregarding the County General Regulations, Chapter 22.52 -22.52.990 Prohibited signs designated code which states clearly; “Any notice, placard, bill, card, poster, sticker, banner, sign, advertising or other device calculated to attract the attention of the public which any person posts, prints, sticks, stamps, tacks or otherwise affixes, or causes the same to be done to or upon any street, right-of-way, public sidewalk, crosswalk, curb, lamppost, hydrant, tree, telephone pole or lighting system, or upon any fixture of the police or fire alarm system of the county, with the exception of public transportation signs specifically permitted by this Part 10.†The candidates are breaking the law!
That states it very clear and many of those signs are being removed by County employees who are being paid with our tax dollars. A number of these signs that have been cut down on some of the fences along Pico Canyon have been replaced in the same spot just days later. In essence, these political workers are thumbing their noses at the County code and the candidates they work for seem to be looking the other way.
Of course, the politicians will deny any knowledge of this and will claim that it was done without their permission. They’ll immediately demand that their signs be “taken down wherever they have been illegally placed and pledge to never to allow this to happen again!â€
Wouldn’t it be nice if the effort was made to actually comply with the rules and regulations in our community? If people want to put up some signage maybe the regulations can be modified and certain areas could be designated to accommodate these signs during certain periods, like elections or on weekends. It is just a shame that political candidates display such hypocrisy when it comes to being a law abiding citizen.
I’m Dave Bossert and I approved this message!
Wed 25 Oct 2006
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