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

Gareth Smyth in Tehran reports for the Financial Times writes that “Having been ignored when he wrote to George W. Bush earlier this year, President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad of Iran sought to appeal over his head on Wednesday by releasing a “letter to the American people” asserting his criticism of US policies in the Middle East.”

 

Read it all here at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3ed9f438-7fdb-11db-a3be-0000779e2340.html

The West Ranch Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday December 6^th at 6:30 PM at the Southern Oaks community center located on Southern Oaks Drive in Stevenson Ranch. This will be the final meeting of 2006 and the Council will be supplying some Holiday refreshments.

Please note that the December guest speaker is Steve Sturgeon of the Hart School District. He will be speaking about the proposed new High School in Castaic and the importance of it being built on schedule. There is a potential for serious overcrowding at the West Ranch High School if the Castaic School is not built in time. You don’t want to miss this very thorough and important presentation.   

Agenda 

A. Call to Order 6:30PM- Welcome/ Holiday treats
B. Approval of November Minutes
C. Treasurers Report and Banking Update
D. County Updates
1. Doug Newell Parks and Rec.
2. Sheriff’s Liaison- Neighborhood Watch Presentation
3. CHP Liaison
4. Bob Haueter LA County
5. Newhall Land/ Lennar- Newhall Ranch Update

E.         1. Guest Speakers- Steve Sturgeon/ Hart School District Presentation- New Castaic High School and potential impacts on West Ranch High School if it is not built on schedule.
            
F.        1.  January- Scott Campbell- Brown Act Presentation
           2. Update on Town Hall meeting with Castaic TC, Aqua Dulce TC, and
                 Supervisor Antonovich. Date, time, location TBD
G. 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

H. Old Business
I.  Public Comment
J. Adjournment

Jeff at SCVTalk.com posted a very funny piece of satire in which he writes, “In an effort to increase residents’ interest in community affairs, City leaders announced Wednesday that they will host a talent show, chili cook-off, and American Idol style contest to determine two important leadership positions in the Santa Clarita Valley.” 

Read more of it at: http://scvtalk.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=303   
 

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Mayor Michael D. Antonovich’s plan to provide increased access for equestrians, hikers, and cyclists.

“Working with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Regional Planning, town councils in Acton, Agua Dulce, Castaic-Val Verde, and West Ranch and the City of Santa Clarita, we have a comprehensive plan to improve and expand our trail system that is supported by equestrians, hikers, trail enthusiasts and property-owners,” said Mayor Antonovich.

Antonovich also directed the County Department of Parks and Recreation and Regional Planning to work with trail users, equestrians, and property owners to ensure that all concerns are addressed. Final adoption of the plan is expected within 90 days.

Scheherazade Daneshkhu, Economics Correspondent for the Financial Times reports that the US housing downturn will provoke a “mild” but short-lived world economic slowdown next year, the Paris-based Organisation for Economic and Co-Operation said on Tuesday, as it downgraded its growth forecast for the world’s wealthiest nations.

In its twice-yearly Economic Outlook, the organisation charged with improving the economic prospects of its 30 member states, said it now expected growth of 2.5 per cent in the OECD area, down 0.4 percentage points from its May projection, but forecast a bounce back to 2.7 per cent in 2008.

Read the entire article at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0e0313bc-7eb9-11db-b193-0000779e2340.html 

The construction for the Magic Mountain Parkway / I-5 interchange improvements is progressing on schedule. The general contractor, Security Paving Construction, is continuing the construction of the rectangular shaped storm drain box, which is located west of The Old Road. The completion of the entire storm drain box and the outlet structure should take approximately 12 months with minimal utility conflicts.
Currently, construction of the retaining walls along the southbound I-5 on ramp at Magic Mountain Parkway is ongoing, with the anticipated completion date slated for the end of this year. Construction of the retaining walls for the southbound off ramp will take place the beginning of 2007. This work will be followed by the widening of portions of the southbound on and off ramps.
AT&T will be conducting underground utility work unrelated to this project. They will be closing some of the existing lanes for westbound Magic Mountain Parkway between Tourney Road and The Old Road. The work will entail three phases, which will begin in early December, 2006.
There are a total of 11 phases for these improvements. Currently, we are on Phase 2 of the construction and this phase alone will take approximately 12 to 15 months to complete. During this phase, existing ramps, at least one lane, and local roadways (Magic Mountain Parkway and The Old Road) will be open for vehicular traffic.
Please check the City of Santa Clarita’s website at www.santa-clarita.com or the project hotline (661) 290-2297, for any extended major lane closures, detours, or news associated with this project.
Thank you for your continued patience and support!

Part of the Fifth Supervisorial District’s 2006 Competitive Trails and Cities grant programs, Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich has awarded nearly $2.5 million to 12 Fifth District cities, County Parks and nonprofit organizations to create, improve and expand recreational opportunity and improve our County’s trail systems and parkland. 
Below is a partial list of the grants focusing on the Santa Clarita valley including a $150,000 grant to the City of Santa Clarita as well as various projects in the unincorporated West Ranch area of the County.

Pico “Bakery” Canyon Waterfall Loop Trail Project                                    $98,626
Grantee:  Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA)
Scope:  Development of a new ½ mile loop trail off the main trail in Pico “Bakery” Canyon in Santa Clarita Woodlands Regional Park – including seating and a foot-bridge.
 Mentryville Trailhead Improvements & Connector Trail Project                $101,124
Grantee:  MRCA
Scope:  Development of a new trailhead and a new ¼ mile connector trail at Mentryville in Santa Clarita Woodlands Regional Park including seating, interpretive signs, native plantings, and installation of a restroom at the trailhead.
 

Staging Areas and Arenas Refurbishment Project                                   $130,000
Grantee:  Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation
Scope:  New hitching rails, nose troughs, split rail fencing, picnic benches, tree planting, parking lot alterations, painting, and refurbishment of reviewing stands and restrooms at various equestrian facilities in the Fifth Supervisorial District. 
 

Sand Canyon Multi-use Trails Project Phase II                                        $150,000
Grantee:  City of Santa Clarita
Scope:  An 8 to 12 foot-wide earthen multi-use trail with fencing on both sides to link the Sand Canyon Community to the 14.5 mile long Santa Clara River Trail.
 

Fifth District Trails Signage Project                                                           $120,000
Grantee:  Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation
Scope:  Replacement and upgrade of signage at all County staging areas, trailheads, equestrian arenas and trailways in the Fifth Supervisorial District.

Eoin Callan and Krishna Guha in Washington, Tony Tassell in  London and Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt of the Financial Times report that inflation slowed sharply in the US last month, new figures showed on Thursday, easing the pressure on the Federal Reserve and raising expectations of an interest rate cut next year.
The core consumer price index rose 0.1 per cent in October, its lowest monthly increase since inflation began to accelerate in the spring.
Read more at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/334443ee-7577-11db-aea1-0000779e2340.html

Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich issued testimony before the Board of Commissioners of Los Angeles World Airports in support of a Request for Proposals to secure a major airline to provide service to major hubs from the Palmdale Regional Airport: 

“The full operation of the Palmdale Municipal Airport is a vital step forward in the realization of a regional air transit system for Southern California.

In the 1960s, the Los Angeles City Airport Commission acquired the 17,000-acre Palmdale airport site, Ontario airport, and later contracted with the Air Force for plant 42’s runway and air terminal, for a regional airport network to meet the future population demands.

The immediate utilization of all the county’s regional airports is the only viable alternative to over-reliance on the dangerously congested air space and roadways at LAX.

Palmdale Airport is the future economic hub of the high desert in the heart of the fastest-growing area in California and will generate future development, interstate commerce, job creation and an estimated $65 million dollars in economic benefit to the community.”

The proposal was unanimously approved by the Board of Commissions 

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved graffiti removal contracts with Urban Graffiti Enterprises, Inc. and Superior Property Services, Inc. for the Antelope, Santa Clarita and San Gabriel Valleys.

“To enhance the County’s zero tolerance graffiti policy, this vital graffiti abatement service will assist in curtailing gang activities, protecting our neighborhoods and improving the quality of life in our County communities,” said Antonovich.

The County’s Department of Public Works operates a 24 hour hotline at (800)675-HELP that refers citizen reports of graffiti to the graffiti abatement providers for removal within 48 hours of notification on weekdays.

Judy O’Rourke, staff writer for the Daily News Santa Clarita edition reports that sixteen candidates applied by Monday’s deadline to be considered for appointment to a vacancy on the Santa Clarita City Council.

The council, due to name its choice Dec. 8, opted to appoint rather than call a special election to replace Councilman Cameron Smyth, elected earlier this month to the state Assembly.

City spokeswoman Gail Ortiz said this marks the first time the council has had to fill a vacancy of this kind and that officials are “thrilled” by the cross section of applicants.

The applicants are former mayor and five-term City Councilman Carl Boyer; Planning Commissioners Diane Trautman and Bill Kennedy; Parks and Recreation Commission chairwoman Laurie Ender; Paul Strickland, on the board of the William S. Hart Union High School District; Dr. Gene Dorio; Timothy Ben Boydston, executive director of the Canyon Theatre Guild; Maria Gutzeit, president of the Newhall County Water District board; Michael Cruz and Mark Hershey, who ran unsuccessfully for the council in April; Robert Spierer, a retired Sheriff’s station commander; Wendy Hahn, a retired California Highway Patrol officer; Bill Bolde, principal of Saugus High School; former city employee Nancy Delange; businessman Michael Lyons; and Alan Favish.
 

Read the entire story here: http://www.dailynews.com/santaclarita/ci_4731952
 

 

Washington D.C.- Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) announced today the resignation of his long time District Director, Scott Wilk.

“Scott has been a tremendous asset to my team.  None have been better in helping me to keep in touch with the people of the 25^th Congressional District and while I am very happy that he will have the chance to pursue other opportunities, I am genuinely sorry to see him move on,” said McKeon.

Wilk announced his intention to resign in a letter dated from last week.  He will continue to serve as McKeon’s District Director until the end of the year, after which time he intends to begin his own  public affairs practice.

“During these years I’ve met so many great people and I will carry forward many of those friendships for life,” noted in his resignation letter.

Wilk served McKeon for 5 1/2 years and was based out of McKeon’s Santa Clarita office. 

Wilk thanked McKeon for his leadership in Congress noting, “You have been a tremendous role model displaying compassion, fairness and integrity.  Your example will serve me well in future endeavors,”

“Scott is off to a great new future.  In the nearly six years he worked for me he was an integral part not just of my staff, but of the 25^th District.  He is a community leader in his own right and I have no doubt that we will be seeing a lot more of him in the years to come,” added McKeon.

As yet, no replacement has been named to the District Director position.
 

Patricia Farrell Aidem, staff writer for the Daily News Santa Clarita edition writes that skyrocketing land prices in the Santa Clarita Valley are behind a plan to increase developer fees to pay for eight new fire stations.
The current fee of 38.77 cents per square foot of residential construction would more than double to 79.46 cents – $1,589 for a 2,000-square-foot home, according to a report from Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman to the Board of Supervisors.
The issue will go before supervisors Tuesday for a vote. The board meets at 9:30 a.m. in the county Hall of Administration.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.dailynews.com/santaclarita/ci_4722266

Eoin Callan and Demetri Sevastopulo of the Financial Times in Washington report that the Middle East is on the verge of three civil wars – in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories – King Abdullah of Jordan warned Sunday ahead of crisis talks with US President George W. Bush and the Iraqi prime minister.

The Jordanian king said that “something dramatic” needed to come out of the meeting between President Bush and Nourial-Maliki, prime minister,at the tripartite summit being hosted in Amman this week.

The warning of impending civil war adds to the intensifying pressure on the Bush administration to map out a fresh strategy for ending the war in Iraq, which today enters its 1,347th day.

Read the rest of the story here: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b88fbee8-7dbf-11db-9fa2-0000779e2340.html

West Ranch Beacon columnist Mike Cruz flagged this op-ed piece at the Washington Post to us. We thought our readers would be interested in reading a thoughtful article that tries to find middle ground on a hot button issue.

 

E. J. Dionne Jr. writes an op-ed piece in the Washington Post stating that if both parties combine wisdom with shrewdness, the election of a new congressional majority should open the way for a better approach to the abortion question.

 

The bitter political brawling of the past three decades has created an unproductive stalemate that leaves abortion opponents frustrated, abortion rights supporters in a constant state of worry and the many Americans who hold middle-ground positions feeling that there is no one who speaks for them.

 

But the politics of abortion began to change even before this month’s elections. In September, a group of 23 pro-choice and pro-life Democratic House members introduced what they called the Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act.

 

Read the entire story at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/20/AR2006112000964.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

The election is over. The call, by some Democrat leaders, to get out of Iraq within a few months has already begun. The political jockeying for advantage in the next election is underway. The effort to corner President Bush was hinted at within days after the election results were in. Nancy Pelosi reminded us – “He’s the President of the United States. I respect the office. It’s his call.” She, of course, was talking about Iraq. In other words, Bush, and Republicans, will be set up to take the blame if we are not out of Iraq soon.

Here is how this will play out and why we, as voters, need to make every politician accountable in 2008.

The Democrats will propose a plan to get out of Iraq that President Bush will not accept. It will be based upon recommendations from the Independent Study Commission, a commission endorsed by President Bush. Democrats will try to force the President into a veto, a veto that Democrats do not have enough votes to over-ride. Thus, the President and the GOP will be to blame going into 2008 elections.

Democrats will continue to vote in favor of funds to continue the war in Iraq because they “support the troops but not the war”. Many Republicans will vote with them based on that mantra.

Democrats will propose a national hike in the minimum wage, taking away State’s Rights, trying to force another veto by the President.

Democrats will propose a change in tax law, punishing the so-called “rich” in favor of the so-called “middle class” in spite of the fact that the richest people pay 85% of the Federal Income Tax income that goes into the Federal Budget. “Take from the rich and give to the middle class” will be the Democrat mantra. This likely will be vetoed by the President as well. This is a twist on the John Edwards mantra.

Democrats will propose to strip big oil of federal tax breaks. This could pass and could be the one veto that is overridden because most Americans believe we are being gouged at the gas pumps. Of course, this ignores the need for big oil to invest in finding new sources of oil and building greater refinery capacity. One needs to be a CPA to figure this one out so Democrats will simply play to the emotional triggers in each of us.

Democrats will propose a rewrite of the Prescription Drug legislation that brought much cheaper drugs to Seniors. They will attempt to impose a “negotiation clause”, that is, negotiate with the Pharms over the cost of drugs. Sounds good. Plays to our emotions and personal budgets. Fact is, short of price controls, which never work (remember Nixon?), the Pharms are giving the current discounts voluntarily.

My list is getting too long, isn’t it? You already have figured out much of this, haven’t you? Am I a Republican? Democrat? Independent? My answer is – I am a voter. I vote on a candidate-by-candidate basis, regardless of party affiliation.

Election 2006 was about voter disenchantment with Congress. For me, and a huge majority of Americans, Election 2006 was not just about Iraq or Immigration or Energy, etc. Pollsters, across the board, in every poll, found that Congress had a less-than-30% approval rating. This is 10-to-15 points below the President’s rating.

Where did this leave us? As pointed out in an article on my blog, we had to choose between the “Lesser of Two Evils”. It’s unfortunate that the political process is rigged to favor two political parties.

We need an Independent Party of equal power in both Primary and General Elections. Perhaps, as Joe Lieberman proved, a person with a true desire to be a “public servant” can be elected as an Independent candidate.

I am hopeful that young voters reading this will be energized into action and help form a true Independent Party. That they will bring about a change in our antiquated political process. That they will weed out the “politicians” and elect “public servants” in the future. That some of them will pursue a career in government or politics to create a government that is truly – “by the people and for the people” as our Constitution promises.

By Jim DeSantis

Jim DeSantis is a journalist with 15 years in investigative reporting and writing. For writing tips see “Self Help Resources” at Jim’s blog at OnLine Tribune Front Page. This article is from articlecube.com.

Judy O’Rourke of the Daily News Santa Clarita edition writes that Councilwoman Marsha McLean, who was passed over for the role of mayor in 2004, likely will be named to the post by fellow council members next month.
“I think Marsha’s done a good job, the voters agree,” said outgoing Councilman Cameron Smyth, who was elected to the state Assembly and will resign from the council effective Dec. 4. “I fully expect Marsha will be elected mayor and if I were still on the council I would vote for her as well.”

Read the entire story at the Daily News web site at: http://www.dailynews.com/santaclarita/cl_4717920

Guy Dinmore of the Financial Times writes an interesting piece about Fred Iklé, a Nixon-era arms control veteran and mentor to the current generation of nuclear “hawks”, has an apocalyptic vision of the future.

However, as a contrarian who confounds his neo-conservative admirers, he is also highly critical of the Bush administration’s handling of threats to the US, and calls the “global war on terror” a serious mistake.

Hopefully for mankind, Annihilation from Within: The Ultimate Threat to Nations, his latest book, will not become another classic to follow his 1971 Every War Must End, credited in 1991 by General Colin Powell, then chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, with inspiring him to bring to closure the first Gulf war. What he calls the “sad message” of his latest work is that the accelerating advance of technology far outpaces the zig-zag development of social and political frameworks that act as controls and brakes.

Read the rest of the story at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/42f85512-7b23-11db-bf9b-0000779e2340.html