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

The Community Hiking Club will be traversing Cooper Canyon to the falls and through the canyon to Cloudburst on Saturday, August 1,2009. It is an 11 miles with equal loss and gain of about a+1000 ft. Bring lunch and lots of water. Bring an Adventure Pass if you have one. You can purchase one at any ranger station in the area, REI or Sport Chalet. Meet outside the Towsley Canyon gate at 7:00 AM for a 7:15 AM carpool departure. For more information contact Dianne at Zuliebear@aol.com

The City of Santa Clarita launched a new and updated online trail map, now available at the City’s Trails website at www.santa-clarita.com/trails. Residents can view the map, which allows users to zoom and scroll throughout the City’s extensive trail system and print desired views. (more…)

This was published yesterday in the Flashreport.  Imagine serving your country overseas in the Armed Forces for months or years, in Afghanistan, Iraq, or anywhere around the world, away from family and surrendering yourself to your country for the protection of American freedoms and liberties.  Now imagine completing your term of service and pursuing the higher education that was promised to you under the GI Bill of Rights. (more…)

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday urged fellow Republicans to welcome outsiders into the party ranks, not scorn them, as the GOP rebuilds from defeats that left the White House and Congress in Democratic hands. (more…)

Health officials say a Sacramento-area cancer nurse’s death is the first among California health care workers related to swine flu. Mercy San Juan (more…)

As the climate warms in the coming decades, atmospheric scientists at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and their colleagues expect that the frequency of wildfires will increase in many regions. The spike in the number of fires could also adversely affect air quality due to the greater presence of smoke. (more…)

Thanks to one of our faithful readers for passing on a link to a YouTube video titled “We the People Stimulus Package”. This is an outstanding, must see video that sums up the anger that many of us are feeling towards the state of our country. This 6 ½ minute video is worth you time and has bee viewed by more than 7 million people. View it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYscnFpEyA

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…)

Special for Beaconeers, and all of you that hit this site from worlds beyond, is a sampling of some of the best wine events in and around Santa Clarita for the year.  They all have wine, some have charitable hearts, and they’re hand-picked by your loyal Wine 101er.  (Don’t see your event?  Send me an e-mail: ebushman@earthlink.net) (more…)

There were many years when California was the most desirable place to film, due to its availability of crew members, variety of landscapes and proximity to major studios. However in the last decade one major factor has become more important than all of those: money. (more…)

The US government’s $1bn “cash for clunkers” auto sales incentive program reached its funding limit unexpectedly after an avalanche of business exhausted its funds, an Obama administration official said late Thursday. (more…)

They came, they met, they drank. They did not apologize. The much-anticipated “beer summit” of President Obama, the Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., (more…)

According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the air quality will be unhealthy for sensitive individuals in the Santa Clarita Valley from tomorrow, Friday July 31, 2009, until further notice. Los Angeles County Health Officer (more…)

Los Angeles County’s new “LA Vitals System” received national recognition from the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks (NACRC) at its Annual Conference in Nashville, TN, this past weekend. (more…)

The City of Santa Clarita is currently conducting its annual Overlay and Slurry Seal project. The 2008-09 program, which began in early July and is expected to continue through October, provides for a smoother ride for traffic, enhances the appearance of roadways and surrounding area, and extends the life of local roadways. (more…)

President Obama’s ability to shape the debate on health care appears to be eroding as opponents aggressively portray his overhaul plan as a government takeover that could limit Americans’ ability to choose their doctors and course of treatment, (more…)

There is no evidence that organically produced foods are nutritionally superior to conventionally produced foodstuffs, according to a study published July 29 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Consumers appear willing to pay higher prices for organic foods based (more…)

The West Ranch Town Council will hold their regular monthly meeting next Wednesday, August 5, 2009, 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 (more…)