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

When Barack Obama met with TV anchors at a White House lunch last week, he assured them he likes being president. “And it turns out I’m very good at it,” he added. Well, not exactly. What Obama is actually very good at is campaigning. He did it for two years as a presidential candidate, and it’s pretty (more…)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a statewide drought emergency Friday, urging Californians to cut water use by 20% and easing the way for water sales from Northern California to Southern California cities and San Joaquin Valley farms. (more…)

California’s unemployment rate jumped to 10.1% in January, the highest since 1983, as employers in the nation’s most-populous state cut 79,000 jobs in the month. Meanwhile, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday declared a state of emergency to address California’s third-straight year of drought, ordering officials (more…)

Tickets are still available for the City of Santa Clarita’s excursion to see a live musical production of Grease on Saturday, March 14 at the Pantages Theater. Transportation is included in the ticket price and guests attending the event are asked to arrive (more…)

The following is from Assemblyman Cameron Smyth’s March Newsletter- Throughout my time in the Legislature, I have worked closely with my colleagues – both Republicans and Democrats – in an effort to stem the flow of runaway film production that takes so many jobs out of our community. (more…)

To prioritize rail safety and infrastructure upgrades, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) approved a motion by Directors Michael D. Antonovich, Don Knabe, Ara Najarian, Richard Katz, (more…)

This was a wild city once, a frontier of the Western imagination full of brawling, dueling, nakedly self-interested fortune-seekers and empire-builders – and The Rocky Mountain News carried their torch. (more…)

Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (CA-25) issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq: (more…)

A suspected bank robber is behind bars today.  The suspect was arrested just 27 hours after allegedly passing a note to a bank teller demanding money at the Bank of America in the 19000 block of Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country.  View initial story here: Bank Robbery.  (more…)

On Saturday, February 28, the Community Hiking Club will traverse Slide Mountain which is a 10-12 miles round trip on a steep trail. Adventure pass required for parking in the Angeles National Forest. Hikers interested should meet at the outside gate of Towsley Canyon at 8:15 for an 8:30 departure. There will be carpooling to the trailhead above Castaic on I-5. Bring lots of water, lunch, snacks, and hiking poles will be helpful. For more information contact Diane at Zuliebear@aol.com

To reduce animal cruelty and high taxpayer costs associated with the over-breeding of dogs at facilities commonly referred to as “puppy mills,” Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich wants more comprehensive laws to prevent irresponsible dog breeding in Los Angeles County. (more…)

The discovery of the molecule, an antibody known as CR6261, is good news for researchers who hope to design a flu vaccine that would give humans lifelong protection against a majority of influenza viruses. The antibody also has the potential to treat those who are unvaccinated and become infected with the flu. (more…)

The following is a roundup of political activity going on in Washington and across the nation. It’s courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available.  (more…)

The skinny is that my husband Eddie introduced me to wine over twenty years ago when I hadn’t thought beyond the wine-box, and still loves to remind and edit me.  After my first vertical tasting (oldest to newest, sometimes right from the barrel, of same variety from the same winery) I was hooked on learning more. (more…)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are wasting no time rallying support for a slate of special-election ballot measures they say will stabilize the state’s finances, even as they ask Californians to pay higher taxes in exchange for the safety net. (more…)

The economy at the end of last year contracted at a far faster rate than initially estimated, a government report released Friday said. The decline in the country’s gross domestic product – a measure of a country’s total output of (more…)

New US jobless claims unexpectedly spiked last week, reaching the highest level since 1982 as companies continued cutting jobs. (more…)

During the presidential ­campaign, John McCain, argued that imposing a ­deadline to remove combat troops from Iraq was tantamount to accepting defeat in the country. It is a measure of how much has changed over the past six months that (more…)