(My nephew-like substance Coastal Eddie is now a grown man and college graduate. He wrote me the other week, stating he wanted to be a writer. Part of me would like to talk him out of it. Part of me wishes him many home runs and ten thousand rowdy cheers. I wrote this essay 11 years ago, when Eduardo was but 12 years ago and still possessed a fetching speech mannerism akin to Elmer Fudd’s insights while stalking wabbits. Eddie is in Colorado right now, selling cigarettes on Indian reservations. Well cripes. Someone has to smoke them.) (Photo: Last known photo of my nephew-like substance, Coastal Eddie?)
“The highlight of my childhood was making my brother laugh so hard, food came through his nose.”- Garrison Keillor (more…)

Something morally viral seems infect too men these days. They are starting to turn into something very different from the kind of man defined by the Age of Chivalry and the classic Code of a Gentleman. This change seems to be almost as radical as the dinosaurs believed to be changed into birds. But what is happening to so many men these days is a lot worse than a dinosaur being turned into a bird. It is even worse than the men in the Odyssey who were said to be bewitched by Circe and changed into swine. (more…)

Our community is made up of a very diverse group of residents whose opinions are just as diverse. It is imperative that those individuals that wish to air their opinions and view points be allowed to do so without censorship, restriction or constraint. If not then we all jeopardize our freedoms! Amendment 1 of the U.S. Constitution states; “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Recently The Signal refused to publish, without reason or explanation, a guest commentary by local community activist Roger Gitlin; thereby attempting to squash his freedom of speech. He then distributed his commentary via email to his network of friends and a copy of that email was forwarded on to The Beacon. We contacted Roger to discuss the situation and ultimately agreed that his guest commentary would be published here on The West Ranch Beacon. (more…)

For the last several months I have sat back and watched the proposed City of Santa Clarita takeover of the local County Libraries unfold. The outcome was predictable from the first whiff that the City was eyeing the libraries and even before then with the controversy over the design of the new library slated for Newhall. This was a done deal from the moment it was couched. (more…)

Brad Roen, owner of the first wine bar/restaurant in Santa Clarita, talks to Beaconeers. 1. Brad Roen, that’s a name some people in this valley should remember. How did you put SCV on the (wine) map? In the late 90′s I opened a restaurant in Valencia called “Valencia Grille”. At the time I was building the place I really was not that into wine. But when I applied for my first alcohol license, I found the price to be outrageous and ended up with the lesser “Beer & Wine” permit. That was the start of my affair with wine. Thanks to some wonderful wine rep’s, who really took time teaching me the ropes, I became a wine lover. (more…)

“Avoid fruits and nuts. You are what you eat.”- the cartoon character, Garfield 

This is my own personal cry for help. A couple of weeks ago, I awoke in the morning with the clearest, most resonant question coming from a voice that was not mine. It asked: “Why do so many fruits start with the letter ‘P’?” Now my poor pea brain is the target of all manner of carnal suggestions. I once pondered: “Who would win in a fight – Superman, or, The Beatles?” A supermodel friend of mine, Sydney Stewart, was kind enough to straighten out the matter. (more…)

What a beautiful and picturesque city Zurich is in the summer! The weather has been spectacular here for the last several days. Last night I was taken to a wonderful restaurant called Chasalp which was up on top of a mountain overlooking Zurich. The specialty of the restaurant is fondue! Yes, fondue in which you dip pieces of bread and/or potato into hot melted cheese and wash it back with beer or wine. (more…)

Well, I am off on another adventure this time to Switzerland; we’re currently cruising at 35,000 feet and going about 625 miles per hour. That seems a tad faster than usual but the Captain was making up for the late departure from LAX. It seems that someone forgot to close one of the cargo doors completely! Fortunately just as we were at the end of the runway readying for take-off the Captain noticed the warning light and we taxied off the runway so that a mechanic could come out to the plane and properly close the hatch. It wouldn’t have been a good thing to have the cargo door blow off the plane at a high altitude!!! (more…)

A month ago I had my first Big Green Egg meal at All Corked Up. Sound strange? It wasn’t at all, it was the best BBQ I’ve had in my young…err….life. BBQ Galore sells the egg-shaped green-domed BBQ and All Corked Up had Jeff Marr, Area Manager, make Tri-Tips for partygoers that night. I snatched Jeff up for a private BBQ in my home a month later. Hey, he offered. (more…)

Dear Dave Bossert, Wanted to thank you and your wife Nancy for the lovely time at your 50th birthday party last weekend. And above that, Happy Birthday to someone with that special glint of mischief. Fifty. Foof. You are such a kid. I finally figured out what to get you. I was scrambling trying to figure out just what the heck I was doing a decade ago when I turned 50. It hit me. I winced. (more…)

A year ago I wrote a story for the Beacon titled “Los Angeles Needs the Rams back.” I was referring to the old Los Angeles Rams that went as far back in LA history as the halcyon days of halfback Crazy Legs Hirsch. I soon found that I wasn’t the only person around making a case for the kids of Los Angeles County to be inspired by the presence of a home NFL football team. Surely if there any kids in the world who really need inspiration from pro football, it is the kids of LA.  So in the meantime, I was happy to find out that that I was actually among an army of loudmouths here to cry into the media the need for LA pro football. (more…)

DiMaggio Washington, General Manager and Wine Educator at All Corked Up Santa Clarita, is offering the only WSET extensive sommelier training in the city and local environs to both beginners and wine aficionados. The world-renowned WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) classes were founded in 1969 to provide high quality education and training in wines and spirits. WSET classes are the foundation for anyone wishing to be a Sommelier. All students will receive a WSET Certification that is recognized worldwide. No wine training or prerequisite education is required before taking WSET. (more…)

A new video from Nota FerryFan appears to be in reaction to a comment by Jeff Wilson at SCVTalk. Apparently Mr. Wilson feels “the Signal should dump Roger Gitlin now” and “refuse to publish his columns”. Mr. Gitlin has been an outspoken community activist who is in favor of the current immigration laws being enforced. This video hi-lights some daily news reports on the illegal immigration problem that has become a hot button topic in politics today. You can view the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZHuZoD9Oa0

“Rock lobster – eeeeeeeee. Rock lobster – eeeeeeee. Rock lobster – eeeeeeee.” – lyrics from the B-52s song, “Rock Lobster”; I was pushing the shopping cart through Ralph’s – that would be the local grocery store, not the black and white TV sitcom bus driver from yesteryear. As I rolled through Ralph’s pristine fish department, my eyes bulged and I did a cartoon doubletake. Sitting there was a display of free school bus yellow pamphlets right by the lobster tank. They read: “How To Cook LIVE Lobster.” (more…)

After speaking with a very well respected local mover and shaker a week or so ago, I wanted to revisit a commentary that I wrote several years ago. This one titled “Modern Dating or the Caveman Approach?” had a great reaction when it was first published in 2004 and again when it was republished in 2006 and 2009. I wanted all our readers, old and new, to be able to read this piece again as it still resonates today. The City of Santa Clarita has been attempting annexations to get a toehold on the Westside of the freeway for years. More recently the City has started to move on a proposed annexation of the Tesoro del Valle development, north of its boundaries, against that communities desired timeline. This is another example in which the City of Santa Clarita is doing everything it can to expand without having to speak with the community leadership. (more…)

I met Count Audoin de Dampierre at a small tasting that Guy LeLarge held at The Oaks Grille in TPC Valencia a few years back. I was quite taken with the man and the Champagne. I’ve since enjoyed his Champagne, in fact it’s my favorite, at Valencia Wine Company’s annual Holiday Tasting, at Valencia Wine Company, and in my own home with special guests.  The Count recently e-mailed me to say hello, and I of course, was charmed to receive an e-mail from Champagne. Today I give you a taste: (more…)

“I should warn you that underneath these clothes I’m wearing boxer shorts. And I know how to use them.”-Robert Oren 

I’ve attended some of the best 6th grades in the nation and up until this day, I’ve always thought that the phrase, “Eat my shorts,” was not literal. One of my favorite underwear stories happened a while ago and involved a one certain 18-year-old Mr. David Zurfluh. Davey was pulled over by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for driving funny up in the Great White North. (more…)

We live in a time when just getting a personal job interview is so tough that when it happens, it is a cause for the kind of celebration actually being hired used to be like in prosperous times. For the millions of America’s long-term unemployed – at last count I have seen the figure mushroom to 4.9 million long-term jobless during this fantastic Obama presidency – I thought it might help for me to depict what a personal job interview is much like today. (more…)