Think you can’t get rid of your wrinkles without surgery? Think again! Dr. White from The Aesthetics Center gives Tami and Dave a Pelleve treatment in this episode. You won’t believe the results.
This Sunday is the annual Child and Family Center’s Taste of the Town. This marks the 25th year for this amazing event. Lois Bauccio joins us to tell us all about it.
We also have hot news stories and more!
1973 – Watergate figure H.R. “Bob” Haldeman, a CalArts board member, resigns from Nixon White House [timeline]
Santa Clarita will be well represented at the Sister Cities International art and essay competition in Washington, D.C., thanks to some talented youngsters from local schools.
Leaders of the Santa Clarita Valley International Program announced the winners Monday of the annual Young Artists and Young Authors Showcase at City Hall. Students aged 13 to 18 were tasked with creating an original work of art, essay or poem to capture the theme, “The Power of Exchange.”
A $100 cash prize and advancement to the national competition went to Cassidy Oliver of Cornerstone Christian School in Canyon Country for her art piece, “Colors,” showing five linked hands of different ethnicities.
The same went to the winners of the essay and poetry contests: Michael Salerno of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Newhall for his poem, “Exchanging Ideas”; and Ashley Choi of Valencia High School for her essay, “The Powerful Exchange of Love,” which explores her experience of helping to build a home in Mexico for a poor family.
Other entrants from Valencia High School included Jinny Lee , Eunenia Lee and Monica Payne. SCVi Charter school entrants included Sydney Hild, Clarissa Martin, Samantha Raskin, Tyler Jacob Goeckeritz, Jillian Brimigion, Crystal Rodriguez, Paige Guarino, Jennie Hernandez and William Diament. Matthew Salerno also entered for OLPH; Golden Valley High School sent Brendan Tinoco and Maria Huanosta, while Kyle Boyd represented Hart High and Keira Boyd represented Placerita Junior High.
On display were a work of art and an essay from contest winners in the Philippine city of Sariaya, one of Santa Clarita’s two sister cities. The other is Tena, Ecuador.
The SCV International Program is the local nonprofit organization that develops and promotes Santa Clarita’s sister city relationships, with the goal of strengthening cultural understanding. Projects include medical missions, youth ambassadorships, sister schools, education, arts and culture, and international travel.
Cassidy Oliver’s mom (center) accepts the award for her artwork, titled “Colors,” from Arts Commissioner John Dow and fellow contest judge Zony Gordon.
Michael Salerno’s brothers accept the prize for the OLPH student’s winning poem, from contest judge Kim Goldman of SCV Youth Project and Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Striplin.
William Diament of SCV Charter, with Arts Commissioner John Dow and contest judge Zony Gordon
Tyler Jacob Goeckeritz of SCVi Charter School
Samantha Raskin, SCVi Charter School
Kyle Boyd of Hart High, flanked by Arts Commissioners John Dow and Susan Shapiro.
Keira Boyd of Placerita Junior High, with Arts Commissioner John Dow (left) and Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Striplin.
Jillian Brimigion of SCVi Charter School with Arts Commissioner John Dow.
Jennie Hernandez of SCVi Charter School with Arts Commissioner John Dow.
Claudio Acosta-Junqueira, president of the SCV International Program, greets the crowd at Monday’s awards ceremony.
Winning artwork from a student in Santa Clarita’s sister city of Sariaya in The Philippines is on display.
Brad Feld
The Small Business Development Center at College of the Canyons will host a free virtual hangout with Brad Feld at the Advanced Technology Incubator on Friday, May 24 at the Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center.
Co-founder of Foundry Group and TechStars, Feld is a successful investor in companies such as FeedBurner (acquired by Google), NetGenesis (NTGX) and Zynga (ZNGA). In his virtual hangout, Feld will discuss startups, entrepreneurship and what it takes to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“We are very pleased to provide this opportunity for Brad Feld to talk with local businesses about what he sees as the critical components needed by early stage high-growth-potential companies to help them achieve success,” said Steve Tannehill, SBDC executive director. “Brad has developed incredible insights as an early investor in some highly successful startup companies, insights we look forward to having him share with local businesses.”
After Feld’s presentation, there will be a Q-and-A session, which will allow attendees to ask questions and interact with the Wall Street Journal best-selling author.
Sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank, “A Virtual Hangout with Brad Feld at the ATI” will allow attendees the opportunity to network with investors, startups and Silicon Valley Band representatives. The first 100 attendees to register and attend the hangout will receive a free copy Feld’s book “Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City.”
ATI is a program run by the SBDC to provide resources to help early stage potential high-growth companies take their businesses to the next level.
The SBDC hosted by College of the Canyons is part of the network of seven Small Business Development Centers serving businesses from Santa Barbara County, Ventura County and Los Angeles County.
“A Virtual Hangout with Brad Feld at ATI” will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center (Room 258) at the college’s Valencia campus.
To attend, register online at www.cocsbdc.org/calendar. Space is limited.
For more information about the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by College of the Canyons, visit www.cocsbdc.org or call 661-362-5900.
[CLWA] - Castaic Lake Water Agency expressed confidence today that its new wholesale rate structure is fair to all four local retailers and will withstand the legal challenge being mounted by one of them, the Newhall County Water District.
>> READ NCWD’s press release [here].
“It is unfortunate that NCWD is suing CLWA over the new rate structure; however, we strongly believe the courts will agree with us that the new structure is equitable, fair and reasonably allocates CLWA’s operating costs to the Santa Clarita Valley’s water retailers, including NCWD,” said CLWA Board President Tom Campbell. “The new structure promotes efficient management of our valley’s precious water resources, and fairly distributes the fixed costs of providing an imported water ‘safety net’ to the entire community.”
The CLWA Board of Directors approved the new structure on February 27th of this year. Under the new structure, scheduled to take effect July 1, the retailers would each pay a proportionate share of CLWA’s fixed operating costs based on their total combined water demand (groundwater plus imported water from CLWA) over the prior three-year period.
Under the previous structure, wholesale rates have been 100 percent variable — which means retailers have paid CLWA solely based on how much imported water they use. However, approximately 80 percent of CLWA operating costs are fixed — they don’t fluctuate based on volume, because CLWA incurs the same expenses regardless of how much water the retailers use.
“This new rate structure enables the four retailers to equitably shoulder their fair share of the fixed cost burden,” Campbell said. “The new rates are effectively revenue-neutral for CLWA’s wholesale water operations. It’s simply a matter of more fairly and reasonably distributing CLWA’s fixed operating costs among the retailers based on their total water needs. Regardless of the relative amounts of imported water and groundwater that an individual retailer chooses to deliver to its customers, CLWA water and infrastructure have been crucial since 1980 to the retailers’ ability to ensure that water flows each and every time their customers turn on their taps.”
In its February 20, 2013 report, Raftelis Consultants, Inc., the firm engaged by CLWA to prepare a financial model and develop the wholesale water rate structure, stated:
The rationale for this structure is that since all retail purveyors place burdens on the Agency’s water system and the water resources of the Santa Clarita Valley and also benefit from the Agency’s activities and water management programs, regardless of whether an individual retail purveyor chooses to fully utilize these resources, each retail purveyor needs to pay in proportion to the benefits received. History has shown that the imported water supply is an important standby water resource available to all retail purveyors and there is a strong nexus between groundwater availability and imported water use. Without the imported water supply, the retail purveyors cannot meet all their water demand with groundwater alone without overdrafting the groundwater basin.
“At CLWA we work very hard to promote conjunctive use of the valley’s imported and groundwater supplies,” Campbell said. “As a result of our diverse water supply portfolio, we’re better able than most communities to withstand fluctuations due to drought and other external factors. The new wholesale structure is consistent with this overall approach, and promotes revenue stability and fairness for the retailers and the customers they serve.”
CLWA is a public agency that serves as the local wholesaler of imported water from the State Water Project and other sources. It sells water to four local retailers who then deliver a blend of CLWA water and local groundwater to Santa Clarita Valley residents, businesses and other end users. The retailers are Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 36, NCWD, Santa Clarita Water Division and Valencia Water Company.
Despite the legal disagreement, Campbell said, CLWA will continue providing the same high level of service to NCWD that it has always provided to all four SCV retailers.
About the Castaic Lake Water Agency
The Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) is the Santa Clarita Valley’s public water wholesaler. CLWA is one of 29 State Water Project contractors and receives water imported from northern California and Kern County through the California Aqueduct. CLWA operates two large treatment plants, three major pump stations, three water storage facilities and over 45 miles of large diameter transmission pipelines delivering water to four local water retailers. Our mission is to provide reliable, quality water at a reasonable cost to the Santa Clarita Valley. www.clwa.org
State of the County Luncheon
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Time: 11:30am
Location: Hyatt Regency Valencia
24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, 91355
MLB – Major League Business Men
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Time: 11:45am
Location: Salt Creek Grille
24415 Town Center Drive #115, Valencia, 91355
Women’s Professional Network
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Time: 5:00pm
Location: Vines Restaurant & Bar
24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, 91355
Get Acquainted / Reacquainted
Breakfast Meeting
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Time: 8:00am
Location: Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce
27451 Tourney Road Suite #160, Santa Clarita, 91355
Micro Enterprise Committee Meeting
Friday, May 3, 2013
Time: 8:00am
Location: Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce
27451 Tourney Road Suite #160, Santa Clarita, 91355
Lunch & Learn – The Secret to Tax Free Retirement by Transamerica Financial Advisors
Friday, May 3, 2013
Time: 11:45am
Location: Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce
27451 Tourney Road, Suite #160, Santa Clarita, 91355
To RSVP contact Cheryl Ramirez at cramirez@scvchamber.com or 661-702-6977
For More Information on These
Or any other Chamber Events, please feel free to
contact the Chamber at 661.702.6977 or scvchamber.com.
 |
As a way to introduce yourself and your company, free Lunch & Learns are available for members to present an educational seminar to the membership and the public. For more information and to reserve a date, please contact Cheryl Ramirez at 661-702-6977 or CRamirez@scvchamber.com.
Raffle prizes! Another great way to market your business is to donate a raffle prize for our Breakfast or Mixer. If you would like to donate something please contact Cheryl Ramirez at 661-702-6977 or CRamirez@scvchamber.com.
This weekend marked the end and the beginning of a journey for several high school students.
The end of this year’s Nissan of Valencia Car Giveaway was signaled by a semiprivate ceremony in the dealership’s lobby, where each winner received their prize.
“We definitely try to give back to all parts of the community that has relations with the schools,” said Daniel Sterkel, general manager at Nissan of Valencia.
“We give out scholarships, and that’s a great thing,” Sterkel said.
Crista Wyatt, a Canyon High School junior, won a new 2013 Nissan Versa S during the initial ceremony Tuesday evening.
“It means a lot to me,” she said. “I’ll be using the money that I have saved to buy a car to use towards college. It helps me out with my education.”
“She’s done well in school ever since elementary school and to get a reward like this is awesome for her,” said her father, Chris Wyatt.
Because the car increases her range of travel, the Canyon High student has widened her array of college choices to include schools farther away from the Santa Clarita Valley.
“We never in a million years thought this would happen, and here we are,” said Cristina Wyatt, Crista’s mother.
“I’m really glad I don’t have to worry about my first car anymore,” Crista Wyatt said.
“It’s really helping us financially because we don’t have to worry about the cost of a vehicle,” Christina said. “This is a step forward for us.”
Wyatt’s first destination in her new car? The post office to get her passport.
“We have to run an errand first, but then we will show grandma and grandpa,” Christina said.
The dealership doesn’t focus primarily on giving away cars as they contribute to various high school and junior high school athletic programs.
“We give donations to tennis clubs, baseball clubs, football clubs, to the boosters — whatever it takes,” he said. “We’re always here and glad to help.”
“Seeing Crista’s key start the car was fantastic,” Sterkel said. “And the three girls whose keys didn’t start the car won $1,000 scholarships and are extremely happy.”
For the second consecutive year, Hart High School’s drumline took home a $1,000 cash prize to benefit the school’s music program.
“I talked to everyone individually and they all said the $500 will go a long way and with Hart’s $1,000 dollars,” Sterkel said.
“Ten people came up to me and told me the young lady who won the $2,500 scholarship was just as happy as Crista was with the new car,” Sterkel said.
When asked if he could give a message to other Santa Clarita-based businesses who are thinking of becoming active in our community, Sterkel replied with a smile and without hesitation.
“You should do it. Small, medium or large, give back to our kids and give back to our schools,” he said.
[NCWD] – The Newhall County Water District announced Monday that it has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court to stop a harmful and costly water rate increase that would directly impact more than 44,000 residents that it serves.
The lawsuit challenges a controversial new rate adopted by Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA), a wholesale agency responsible for selling imported water to Santa Clarita Valley’s four retail water agencies, including NCWD.
NCWD’s lawsuit alleges a violation of Proposition 26, enacted by California voters in November of 2010, which requires governmental charges to bear a fair or reasonable relationship to benefits provided. To view a copy of NCWD’s lawsuit, please click here http://www.ncwd.org/OB/Petition.pdf.
If fully implemented, CLWA’s plan would cost NCWD’s customers more than $850,000 per year in increased rates, at a time when all businesses and residents have had to cut back.
“We are standing up on behalf of our customers in opposition to this unfair, unprecedented rate increase,” said NCWD Board of Directors President Maria Gutzeit. “It’s very disappointing that Castaic Lake Water Agency has chosen to ignore the concerns of our District’s residents and businesses and move forward with this rate increase, which we will vigorously fight in court.”
Unprecedented and Unfair Rate Changes
For more than a decade, CLWA has implemented a “variable rate” structure for imported water, which means it charged Newhall and the other three water retailers only for the water each needed. This “pay as you go” formula provided the greatest amount of certainty and fairness for the local water agencies.
However, on February 27, 2013, CLWA’s board of directors voted 10-1 to impose a new fee that recovers 80 percent of CLWA’s budget from a “fixed rate” — or flat fee — that it plans to charge the local water retailers for imported water, regardless of the amount of imported water each local water retailer needs.
This fixed rate will redistribute costs for all water imported by CLWA effectively penalizing NCWD, which has historically relied on a higher percentage of local groundwater than the other retailers. NCWD continues to rely on local groundwater at the same levels it has historically over its 60 year existence.
CLWA is the only wholesale water agency in southern California that has imposed a rate structure that recovers such a large percentage of its costs on a fixed fee basis. By doing so, it discourages use of local resources and encourages use of CLWA’s more expensive imported water that comes via the environmentally sensitive Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Given the state legislature’s mandate that all California water retailers reduce water consumption by 20 percent by 2020 and spare the Delta as much as possible, these rates are not consistent with current public policy.
“We’ve done our part to innovate and become more efficient, but now NCWD and its customers are being punished by this rate increase,” said NCWD General Manager Steve Cole. “To not account for the use of our historic groundwater rights is just not right, and our Board took the necessary action to protect our customers.”
CLWA’s fixed rates will also include salaries, retirement benefits, public relations and other administrative overhead eliminating the need to consider more cost effective solutions. Additionally, as a wholesale water agency with no direct customers except its four member agencies, CLWA was not required to conduct a transparent public process to adopt the rates under Proposition 218, the state law that requires public notifications and, hearings before imposing water rate increases. See the table below which illustrates the impact of the new rate structure on NCWD customers.
Acre-foot Purchased | Estimated Annual Cost In Dollars | NCWD Cost Per Acre-foot of Imported Water | |
| Current Rate | 2,650 | $1,343,500 | $507 |
| New Rate | 2,650 | $2,231,000 | $842 |
Trend of Controversy for CLWA
This is the second controversial policy implemented by CLWA in recent months. The wholesale water agency is also being investigated by the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for the claimed illegal acquisition of the Valencia Water Company, a private retail water agency. NCWD believes this acquisition is a clear violation of the state law which expressly prohibits CLWA from serving as a retail agency in Valencia Water Company’s service area. This case is under investigation by the PUC with a local hearing scheduled for May 16, 2013.
About Newhall County Water District
Newhall County Water District traces its roots back to 1913 and is the Santa Clarita Valley’s first public water utility, currently providing service to more than 44,400 residents in portions of the City of Santa Clarita and unincorporated Los Angeles County communities, including Newhall, Canyon Country, Valencia and Castaic.
Deputy David W. March
E.O.W. 4/29/2002
Eleven years after a Saugus resident and deputy for the Temple Sheriff’s Station was shot and killed while making a traffic stop, officers continue their yearly tradition of a 24-hour vigil.
Deputy David March stopped a vehicle driven by Armando “Chato” Garcia, of Mexico, in Irwindale at 10:30 a.m. April 29, 2002.
During the traffic stop, Garcia shot March and fled to Mexico shortly afterward.
“Each year at the site where the incident occurred, we have a 24-hour vigil where two deputies stand guard over the area,” said Sgt. John Carter. “And that started at midnight this morning, and it’ll continue until midnight tonight.”
Carter was stationed at Temple then, and remembers working alongside March. He’s still stationed there and, on Monday, was serving as watch commander at the station.
“Basically, they stand watch over his memorial where the shooting occurred,” Carter said. “He was a great guy a great deputy, and we all miss him.”
Deputies at the Temple station also where their long-sleeve class-A, formal uniform in remembrance, Carter said.
On Feb. 23, 2006, Garcia was arrested in Mexico by U.S. Marshals and Mexican federal agents following a joint investigation.
Garcia was extradited back to California, and on March 2, 2007, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
March had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for seven years. He was survived by his wife, Teri, and one stepdaughter.
Today two public memorials serve as enduring reminders of the man who gave his life to protect the citizens of Los Angeles County. A freeway interchange near the murder scene in Irwindale was renamed the Deputy David W. March Memorial Interchange; and a county (now city) park near his former home in Saugus is named David March Park.
John March
David father, John March, works with the Sheriff’s Department as director of operations for the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation.
The Sheriff’s Youth Foundation conducts several outreach programs in the Santa Clarita Valley out of its Val Verde facility.
Here’s an interview with John and his wife, Barbara March, conducted two years after the murder.
Here’s an interview with Teri March, his widow, from about the same time.
There was full house at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center as 55 teachers from the Santa Clarita Valley were honored at the 29th annual Teacher Tribute.
The SCV Education Foundation’s ceremony is the Academy Awards for teachers. Movie clips are shown and rewards are handed out. It is the one night to honor the best teachers in the Hart School district. Out of the 2100 teachers, one teacher from each of the 55 schools in the district is selected.
Congratulations to all the honorees and to all the teachers for all their hard work and dedication.
Deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station captured two burglary suspects with the help of a concerned citizen, an official said this week.
Deputies believe Patrick Howard, 20, of Anaheim, broke into a locked vehicle and began to remove a stereo and Farrah Andrews, 36, also of Anaheim, served as the lookout, according to Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
“A witness called and asked for deputies to respond to a vehicle burglary where someone was acting as a lookout,” Dubin said.
“Deputies responded and found a vehicle that was broken into and the witness provided a deputy there with a description of the two people,” he said.
The pair were found by deputies a couple of blocks away from where the car window was smashed, walking in opposite directions, at the 25300 block of The Old Road in Stevenson Ranch.
The arrest was the second felony arrest announced Friday that was made with help of the public, Dubin said.
“An alert citizen called in what looked like a vehicle burglary, and deputies responded to the scene after receiving a description of the suspects,” he added.
After the witness was able to positively identify the suspects, they were both charged with vehicular burglary, he said.
Sheriff’s Station officials also announced the arrest of two suspects who are thought to be involved in a series of break-ins at several local schools over spring break.
Gonzalo Ortiz, 20, of Newhall, was arrested early Friday morning last week, as well as a teenager, Dubin said.
“We will not tolerate criminals victimizing our schools and disrupting the educational process,” said Capt. Paul Becker of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Otiz is being held in lieu of an $85,000 bail. He is not allowed to make bail because there is an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement hold on his record.
Those arrests were also made with the help of alert citizens who contacted the Sheriff’s Station, Dubin said.
“When the public we serve works as a community partner with local law enforcement, we’re able to send a message to criminals – not in Santa Clarita,” Dubin said.
KHTS AM-1220’s Santa Clarita Home and Garden Show and Emergency Expo drew crowds to the Hyatt Regency Valencia hotel Saturday and Sunday.
The Emergency Expo showcased first responders and their equipment, and included demonstrations on how to evacuate a building in the case of a disaster, courtesy of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.
A number of restored and restorations-in-progress antique/vintage emergency vehicles were displayed, as well.
At the Home and Garden Show, guests had the opportunity to visit 112 vendor booths and enjoy special drawings and raffle prizes. Several local musical groups performed, and a kids’ zone included a bounce house, face painting and crafts.
Sunday’s festivities included “Plant Mania,” presented by local nurseries. Plants were available at clearance prices, with special offers on future purchases.
In this episode:
Two suspects are in custody in connection to several school burglaries that happened during spring break; L.A. County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan is urging the County Board of Supervisors to shoot down a request from every school board in the Santa Clarita Valley – and the Newhall County Water Board – to move their elections to even years.
Also:
A new HR chief will be joining the Saugus Union School District in June; Former COC student and Cal State Northridge KCSN radio host Jonathan Gonzalez has won the Edward R. Murrow Award for “Use of Sound” in his radio feature, the “Positive Effects of Video Games”; local weather.
Finally:
Dads incarcerated at Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic were reunited with their kids Friday.
SCV NewsBreak is a co-presentation of KHTS AM-1220 and SCVTV. It can be viewed on both organizations’ websites – HomeTownStation.com, SCVTV.com and SCVNews.com.
Television viewers can catch it on SCVTV at the top of every hour from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., repeating the following morning at 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. SCVTV runs on Time Warner Cable Channel 20 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, and streaming on SCVTV.com.
Santa Clarita community members are invited to join Mayor Bob Kellar for a free community bike ride beginning at 8:30 a.m. happening this Saturday, April 27, at the Iron Horse Trailhead, located off of Magic Mountain Parkway near Tourney Road.
The 6-mile ride led by Mayor Bob Kellar and other City representatives, will take place on the City’s trail system and is good for rider of any level. No registration is required, and the race will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Participants are encouraged to arrive at 8:30 a.m. for a meet and greet with Mayor Bob Kellar.
The Mayor’s Ride will kick off a series of events surrounding the 2013 Amen Tour of California professional cycling race, which is set to ride through Santa Clarita on Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15.
Many cycling events will surround this years Amgen Tour of California, including:
* The Santa Clarita Mayor’s Ride – Saturday, April 27, at Iron Horse Trailhead.
* Chuck Pontius Memorial Ride – Sunday, May 12.
* 2013 Amgen Tour of California Viewing Party – Monday, May 13, at Salt Creek Grille.
* Bike to Work Day – Thursday, May 16.
* Senses “Rock the Bike” Block Party – Thursday, May 16, on Main Street in Old Town Newhall.
For more information on events, volunteering and traffic impacts, visit SantaClaritaTourOfCA.com or call the City’s Arts and Events Division at (661) 250-3787.
One of the largest volunteer forces in the Santa Clarita Valley are the men and women in blue.
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s army of more than 300 volunteers performed more than 52,000 hours of service last year alone.
On Thursday they were honored at the Hyatt Valencia with an annual volunteer recognition luncheon that included entertainment, raffle prizes and awards for their hours of service.
“Volunteers really do so much in our community,” said hospital CEO Roger Seaver. “At Henry Mayo they’re simply a lifeblood. They really keep the connection to the families, to the community and to us through their giving of time. It’s wonderful.”
Among the honorees at the “Wizard of Oz”-themed luncheon were Judy Peterson, for her 22,000 volunteer hours; Joanne Timmerman for 22,500 hours; and Margery Link, who has racked up 53,000 hours of service over the years.
Volunteer extraordinaires Linda Palacios and Warren Bell were honored with the Auxiliary’s Honorary Life Member award for their hard work and dedication.
Henry Mayo’s four-legged superstars from the pet therapy program also took home goodie bags for their work in lifting patients’ spirits with their character and charm.
Nearly 50 male inmates from the Pitchess Detention Center South Facility in Castaic were united with their children Friday afternoon in a family oriented, carnival style atmosphere that included food, music and games for the kids. The Returning Hearts Celebration was created as a way to bring incarcerated fathers closer to their children and to help break the cycle of crime and separation from families. This was the fifth year the annual event was held at the jail.
Inmates selected to take part in the celebration had previously chosen to enroll in the 12-week Malachi Dads Spiritual Growth Program that teaches participants the positive fundamentals of fatherhood. This program is offered to inmates as part of the Maximizing Education Reaching Individual Transformation (MERIT) Program, which is administered by the Department’s Education Based Incarceration Bureau (EBI). The MERIT Program promotes personal growth, accountability and decision making.
The one-day festival was once again organized and sponsored by the Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita. They paid for all expenses and provided the nearly 200 volunteers necessary to serve food, staff games and provide musical entertainment. The festivities were held on an open compound that is isolated from other inmates.
Since the celebration is devoted to uniting children with their dads, no other family members were in attendance. The children were chaperoned throughout the day by volunteers from the Awana Lifeline Ministries. Numerous deputies and jail staff were also present.
“The Returning Hearts” program is a great way for the fathers to reconnect with their children. We are extremely proud to be a small part of this outstanding effort,” said EBI Captain Mike Bornman.
Visits that include personal contact between parents and children are very unusual in the county jail system and only take place under controlled conditions such as this special event.
The Department’s Religious and Volunteer Services Unit, which is overseen by EBI, coordinates all religious activity within the county jails and ensures that inmates have access to ministers, spiritual advisors and moral rehabilitation programs of their choice.
The Education Based Incarceration Bureau is responsible for managing the 67 inmate educational and vocational programs within the seven Los Angeles County jails. There are approximately 18,000 inmates in the County jail system. Within that population, there are currently more than 7,000 inmates participating in the diverse programs.
Valencia, Zone 5
Zone 5-Valencia reported 20 Part-1 Crimes during the past week. The criminal incidents included a grand theft, residential burglary, vehicle burglaries, and shoplifting from local businesses.
A grand theft occurred in the 23800 block of Grandview Drive between Wednesday, April 17, at 6:00 p.m. and Thursday, April 18, at 7:00 a.m. Two light poles were stolen from the garden area in front of the location.
A residential burglary occurred in the 23800 block of Via Jacara on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Entry/exit was made via a bedroom window. A baseball bat was found at the location and booked into evidence. The items stolen were a flat screen television and a money clip. A possible suspect has been named in connection with this incident.
Two vehicle burglaries occurred in the 23800 block of McBean Parkway between Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 7:00 a.m. and Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. Entry/exit was made by smashing the rear passenger windows. Items stolen were a laptop computer, purse, wallet and US currency. The vehicles were parked in a the structure at the location with the items visible from outside the vehicles.
Do not become a victim! Please do not leave valuables unattended or visible in your vehicles. Secure items in locked trunks or take personal belongings with you when you leave your vehicle. If possible, park in well-lit areas. If you see any suspicious activity or vehicles in your neighborhood, please call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station immediately at 661-255-1121.
There were sixteen arrests made by proactive Santa Clarita Deputies working the Valencia area last week. Arrests included possession of narcotics, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, drunk in public, warrants and shoplifting from local businesses.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Valencia (Zone 5), please feel free to contact me at 661-799-5164 or email me at rmyost@lasd.org. It is my goal to keep the residents of Valencia informed and educated on current crime trends and concerns.
Remember, by continuing to work together we will send a “Not in Santa Clarita” message.
Deputy Regina Yost
rmyost@lasd.org
661-255-1121, EXT. 5164
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Twitter @SCVSheriff http://www.twitter.com/scvsheriff
Twitter @jdLASD http://www.twitter.com/jdLASD
SCV Station Homepage – http://www.santaclarita.lasd.org
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SantaClaritaValleySheriffsStation
The College of the Canyons Welding Technology department will host an interactive Open House event at the college’s state-of-the-art welding laboratory on Tuesday, May 21.
“It is very exciting to open our doors to the community so they can tour our metal fabrication lab and showcase the exciting new technologies our program has to offer,” said Tim Baber, department chair of Welding Technology at the college.
At the event, attendees will have the opportunity to watch live demonstrations of robotic welding, laser welding and computer numerical controlled (CNC) plasma cutting equipment that allows for improved speed and precision.
“Welding is fast becoming the preeminent metal joining process of choice and our students have the advantage of being trained with the latest technology available,” said Baber.
The COC Welding Technology program is a Career Technical Education (CTE) program, which provides workforce training to prepare students for entry into welding and metal fabrication related fields. Aligned with the American Welding Society’s Schools Excelling through National Skill Standards Education (SENSE) program, the college’s welding course can be completed in less than 18 months. Upon completion of the program, students are well prepared to enter the workforce.
The open house will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. in Towsley Hall, Room 128 on the college’s Valencia campus.
Food and refreshments will be served.
To attend, please contact Brenda Kealing to RSVP at brenda.kealing@canyons.edu or call (661) 362-3272.
For more information about the college’s Welding Technology department, visit www.canyons.edu.