SOUND METHOD — One of our dear pals and radio merry mischief maker Conrad Villegas has offered a way to unite and set the country on the right track. His note: (more…)

YAY AND YIPPEE COYOTE!! — It’s April and that means city o’SClarita’s Cowboy Festival. The world’s yuppies are going to see more gigantic white and grey moustaches assembled in one place than ever in recorded history. Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Dave Bourne, Dave Starney and dozens of other (and non-moustached performers like Cow Bop, Pony Express and Adrian) are just some of the many headliners. Das Fest itself starts Thursday April 19th and runs until Sunday. There’s also a few special events before that, too. Go visit cowboyfest.org for more info and DO order tix.. (more…)

IT’S A GAS-GAS-GAS — FOF’s (Folk on Facebook) like Bob Dixon were reminiscing about the good ol’ days of gas in Newhall at 28 cents a gallon. Bob’s young. Some of us remember it at 21 cents. Some at a dime in the 1930s. As of typing this, it’s average close to $4.30 in the SCV. Further, talk show god Rush Limbaugh has been noting there has never been a time in American history when gas has topped the $5 a gallon mark. We’re hoping El Rushbo is speaking of national averages. The tiny town of Gorda, in 2008, had the highest American price at $5.40. On February 28th, a Chevron station at Olympic & Figueroa was selling it for $5.69. (more…)

HEAVEN HAS ANOTHER ANGEL- As my alter ego of Count Sauguslavsky, I have been fencing with Clyde Smyth for about 40 years. It certainly isn’t any “noble opponent” match. We were never opponents. Come to think of it, I don’t think we were ever on opposite sides. Clyde was this dear soul and we both were lucky to have the same fencing school. What a gem of a fellow. How lucky was this Santa Clarita to have him. (more…)

REMEMBERING JERI — Much of the valley and beyond was shocked and saddened when Jeri Bronstrup, owner of the beloved Way Station coffee shop in Nehwall died last month of a heart attack. Jeri has been running this institution for 40 years and it has been a mainstay for soccer moms, movie stars, the rich, famous and plain hungry. It would be beyond nice and appropriate if the City of Santa Clarita provided something more than a certificate. (more…)

Sirhan-Sirhan, 1968: RFK’S ASSASSIN & THE SANTA CLARITA CONNECTION- Special thanks to John Boston for this exclusive Beacon report. Convicted murderer of Robert F. Kennedy, Sirhan Sirhan, is making international headlines again 43 years after he assassinated the Democratic presidential candidate in 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan, a Jordanian-born Christian-Arab and Palestinian, who was strongly anti-Israel, shot Kennedy twice in the back and once in the head. RFK died 26 hours later. (more…)

IT’S NOVEMBER. JUST A YEAR TO GO BEFORE THE ELECTIONS. — One of our spies sent this deliciously wicked illustration. It’s a discovery of the remains of the very first politician. (Note the positioning of the head.)  JUST AN ACCIDENT OR PRE-HALLOWEEN HIJINX? — Spotted on the northbound I-5 past Magic Mountain: a few hundred toilet paper rolls in the center divider. Hmmm. That’s ambitious. T-peeing Interstate 5. (more…)

HOWDY, GENE! — Former Newhall Land CEO Tom Lee, his bride Colleen and a small entourage of Newhall’s fab Who’s Who were honored guests at the recent Gene Autry Birthday gala down at his museum in Glendale on Oct. 1st. Autry had planned to build his epic museum in Placerita Canyon back in the 1960s. But, a big fire that destroyed more than 20,000 acres and almost leveled the movie studio and set gave him second thought. Plus, his wife didn’t like navigating amongst the thistles and wanted it closer to civilization. (more…)

WE ALWAYS KNEW IT. WE’RE THE NAVEL OF THE UNIVERSE — The Science Channel aired a documentary last month about how our very own Lake Elizabeth was the scene of very strange doings about a century ago. Seems the place has a Jekyll & Hyde character. Not only was it named Rabbit Lake, but also, Diablo Lagoon, or Home of the Devil’s Pet. The show recalled how locals, including community leader, Addi Lyon, witnessed a creature that looked like a pterodactyl flying not only around Lake Elizabeth in the late 1890s, but that it actually flew into it, sending huge waves and steam into the air and almost overturning some fishermen in a boat. The L.A. Times did a couple of stories about this around that time. The TV show speculated that this was actually a ship using the lake as a gateway between dimensions. (more…)

Here is your monthly dose of SCV gossip from Count Sauguslavsky as only he can dish it up around town!! AFTER A CENTURY, THAT CORNER FINALLY LOOKS GOOD — Drove by Magic Mountain Parkway and whatever the H•E•DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS that cross street is (Main? San Fernando Road? Newhall Avenue? Acme Yuppie Cul-de-Sac?). They’ve put in a nursery there. All those trees, shrubs and flowers sure beats a thousand years of used cars and cheap giant inflatable dolls. Kudos. (more…)

FROM THE YOU’LL NEVER WORK IN THIS TOWN AGAIN DEPT. — One of Earth’s most beautiful women ever, Elizabeth Taylor died recently. One of our transplanted spies sent along a Life Magazine article about her early movie days. Universal Pictures General Manager Ed Muhl, who ran the mega-studio fired Taylor in the 1950s, noted that she couldn’t act, sing or dance. Ed Muhl passed away about 10 years ago. Since 1948, he owned a large ranch up Bouquet Canyon and lived there full-time since the 1960s. Besides being a top Hollywood mogul, he was Mr. SCV’s father-in-law. (more…)

DOUBLE HISTORICAL HIT — Drat and double darn drat. The Valley SClarita took two big shots recently. Pat Saletore, the lovable and most capable curator and Mae West of the SCV Historical Society is stepping down. Hubbie got a job in Nevada. Pat flipped a coin and is evidentially going with him. And quadruple drat, her daughter, Ayesha, is leaving her post as Administrator of the Hart Museum. SHE’s going to work for the county in History Department of the Natural History Museum. Two, wonderful, wonderful gals. They will be sorely missed. (more…)

THE DARNDEST GOSSIP- One of the most famous scenes in filmdom is a short clip of a girl washing a car to excite a chaingang in the classic Paul Newman flick, “Cool Hand Luke.” The girl was actress Joy Harmon (pictured), who is a dear and attends a local church. Joy was also the lady with Groucho Marx on “You Bet Your Life.” AND, she’s the Joy of Aunt Joy’s Cakes. She was divorced when her children were little and made extra money baking cakes, then driving them to restaurants in the middle of the night or baking cakes for special ocassions at the studios. When her kids were older, they suggested she market them. (more…)

IT’S A GAS, GAS, GAS — If you were alive and driving in the ‘60s — the NINETEEN-sixties — you remember buying gas for about 21 cents a gallon here in the SCV. Tain’t so anymore. Plain, low-test regular gas topped the $4 a gallon mark at most service stations. Of course, that beats many of those ice cube/socialist countries that like Obama so much. Here’s some comparisons world-wide, from Gas Buddy: (more…)

LOCAL LEGEND HAS RUN-IN WITH WOLVES — Some of you oldtimers will remember Clint McKinney, one of the greatest football players to come out of the SCV. About 40 years ago, at COC, the former Hart star broke O.J. Simpson’s single game college rushing record. Clint rushed for 413 yards in 41 carries — with a 70-yard run called back. It still is the most yards gained on any level of collegiate rushing. Anywho. Clint is up in Idaho now, working on a logging contract (Yup. In the dead of winter.) He was out by himself working when he looked up and saw a pack of wolves just a few feet away from him. At 60, the guy could probably still outrun the canines. Despite all the myths, wolves never bother humans. (more…)