CougarNews.com | Student sexually assaulted, another almost kidnapped Wednesday.

College of the Canyons released an e-mail on Thursday detailing two separate incidents of attempted kidnapping and sexual assault towards two separate students late Wednesday afternoon.

According to the e-mail from the Vice President of Communications for the school, a female student was walking towards CalArts along Rockwell Canyon Road at around 4:15 pm when she was approached by a blue Nissan Altima with tinted windows. as soon as this happened,  a separate man held on to her to force her into the car. The female student then kneed the man twice in the groin, followed by the man entering the car and speeding away on Rockwell Canyon Rd.

The suspect is described as an African-American male between ages 25 through 28, and was wearing a red t-shirt, a black sweater, jeans, and a black backpack as he drove away.

About four hours later, a different student was walking towards the upper parking lot from Aliso Hall when confronted by a man asking about College of the Canyons. He later asked if she was interested in taking pornographic pictures and followed her to her car. The man refused to take no for an answer and grabbed her buttocks before fleeing.

This man has been described as an Asian/Caucasian-mixed individual in his early twenties. The suspect was identified as having short black hair, an athletic build, and wearing a tan hoodie with blue jeans.

Any information on either cases should be directed to the Campus Safety Office at (661) 362-3229.

Cougar News will continually update this story as more information is released.

Student sexually assaulted, another almost kidnapped Wednesday.

CougarNews.com | Students, Parents Assemble To Support Terminated Coach

Video by Nick Culotta and Jesse Merrick

Saugus High School boys basketball head coach Derek Ballard has been fired by Saugus principal Bill Bolde. Students and parents assembled outside the school’s administration building to meet with Bolde in support of Ballard.

Students, Parents Assemble To Support Terminated Coach

Pentagon News: Guard Responds to East Coast Storm; All-American Bowl Preview; more

National Guardsmen respond to the winter storm, NATO tests rapid deployment abilities and the best high school marching band members in the U.S. get a pep talk ahead of the All-American Bowl.

Pentagon News: Guard Responds to East Coast Storm; All-American Bowl Preview; more http://scvtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/tpcnews010314-1024x576.jpg

Pair Pleads Not Guilty to Stealing Walker-Rodas Car Part

Jameson Witty / Instagram

[KHTS] – Two men accused of stealing car parts from the fatal crash of “Fast and the Furious” star Paul Walker and Always Evolving CEO Roger Rodas pleaded not guilty Friday.

Prosecutors filed criminal charges against two men accused of stealing the roof from the wrecked Porsche Carrera GT in which Walker and Rodas died,

Anthony Edward Janow, 25, of Phoenix, and Jameson Brooks Witty, 18, of Tujunga, are charged with one felony count of grand theft of personal property.

The charges were filed by Deputy District Attorney Sera Boyadjian of the San Fernando branch office, and Deputy District Attorney Bradley Lieberman is assigned to the case.

Instagram photos purportedly showing the roof of the Porsche | Click image to enlarge

Witty and Janow also are charged with two misdemeanor counts each of destroying evidence and resisting, obstructing and delaying a peace officer.

The suspects are both free on bail and expected back in court on Feb. 25, according to a District Attorney’s Office representative.

Prosecutors allege that on the evening of Nov. 30 the men stole a roof panel from a tow truck carrying the demolished vehicle that was stopped at a red light in Valencia.

The alleged theft occurred after Witty and Janow were told by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy they could not take any part of the vehicle, prosecutors said.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

If convicted as charged, Witty and Janow face a maximum sentence of four years, six months in county jail.

 

Pair Pleads Not Guilty to Stealing Walker-Rodas Car Part

Roundup: West Ranch Boys Face Chaminade Friday

[KHTS] – In a match-up of area basketball powerhouses, the West Ranch boys play Chaminade tonight at West Ranch High. West Ranch is 5-7 and coming off a 78-51 loss to Sacramento in the Holiday Hardwood Classic at Westlake High School.

Chaminade is 11-1 and won its own Christmas Classic Tournament over Eastside Catholic from Washington last week.

Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

Four basketball teams are playing in the Showcase at College of the Canyons on Saturday.

The Santa Clarita Christian boys start off the action against Marshall from Pasadena at 11 in the morning. The Cardinals are 6-3.

The Valencia boys take on Roosevelt from Fresno at 5 p.m. The Vikings are 9-4 and went 2-2 in the Chaminade Christmas Classic last week.

The Canyon boys play Morse from San Diego at 6:30. The Cowboys are 13-1 and won the Ventura Tournament last week.

The Hart boys play University from Los Angeles at 8. The Indians are 12-1, have an 11-game winning streak and won the Hart Holiday Classic last week.

In the NHL, the Kings are officially in a free fall. They lost to the St. Louis Blues, 5-0, and have a five-game losing streak.

The Kings are home for a game against the Vancouver Canucks at Staples Center on Saturday night.

Roundup: West Ranch Boys Face Chaminade Friday

Coroner: Walker-Rodas Car Doing 100mph When It Crashed

The 2005 Porsche Porsche Carrera GT prior to the crash. Photo posted by Always Evolving.

[KHTS] – The Porsche in a fatal crash that killed Fast and the Furious star Paul Walker and Valencia CEO Roger Rodas was traveling about 100 mph, according to a Coroner’s Office report.

The report contained noted from crash investigators, who noted the car was traveling about 100 mph at the time of the crash, around 3:25 p.m. on Nov. 30.

“(Roger Rodas) was driving a red Porsche Carrera GT at an unsafe speed, approximately 100+ mph, in the No. 1 eastbound lane on Hercules Street, approaching Constitution,” according to the Coroner’s Office report.

“For unknown reasons, the driver lost control of his vehicle, and the vehicle partially spun around, and began traveling in a southeast direction. The vehicle then struck a curb, and the driver’s side of the vehicle struck a tree and then a lightpost,” the report continued.

Paul Walker – Roger Rodas

The force of the collision then spun the car around again,  and the passenger’s side struck a tree and the vehicle burst into flames, according to notes from Deputy Kelly of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, who was among the first deputies on the scene.

Investigators with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s Traffic Unit are expected to meet with Porsche officials later this month to discuss evidence from the crash.

No foul play is suspected in the crash, according to the report.

The crash site has drawn thousands of people to the Valencia industrial park where the crash occurred, which is less than 100 yards from the corporate headquarters of a business owned by Roger Rodas, the Always Evolving performance car shop.

Walker and Rodas were friends and fellow car enthusiasts, and Rodas also raced Porsche cars, in addition to being a financial adviser.

Instagram photo purportedly showing the stolen roof panel from the Porsche | Click image to enlarge

Walker was in Santa Clarita for a toy drive to benefit a nonprofit he owned called Reach Out WorldWide.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials are still investigating a theft from the crash site, as two men pleaded not guilty in court Friday to stealing parts of the back of a Wolf’s Towing truck that carried evidence from the scene.

Prosecutors filed criminal charges against two men accused of stealing the roof from the wrecked Porsche Carrera GT in which Walker and Rodas died.

Anthony Edward Janow, 25, of Phoenix, and Jameson Brooks Witty, 18, of Tujunga, are charged with one felony count of grand theft of personal property.

The charges were filed by Deputy District Attorney Sera Boyadjian of the San Fernando branch office, and Deputy District Attorney Bradley Lieberman is assigned to the case.

Coroner: Walker-Rodas Car Doing 100mph When It Crashed

January 2, 2014

• The Santa Clarita theater community suffered a great loss over the New Year’s holiday.


• Jury selection is set to begin next week for the trial of three suspected gang members from Los Angeles. They stand accused of robbing a Canyon Country Bank of America branch in September 2012.


• New sound stages in Placerita Canyon move closer to construction.


• While many were out celebrating, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies kept busy on New Year’s Eve, with more than 150 incident responses.


• Warm weather is still lingering in the Santa Clarita Valley in the second day of 2014.

January 2, 2014 http://scvtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/illustrations-chicago-1024x629.jpg

Alan Wolfe

Learn all about Glen Oaks Escrow on Real Estate Beat.

Episode 7a

Hosts: Jason Renno & Gene Bleecker

Guest: Alan Wolfe

Taped: December 13, 2013

Televised:  January 6, 2013

Alan Wolfe http://scvtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/bleecker007a.jpg

Crime Blotter: Thefts in Castaic, Val Verde

Castaic and Val Verde, Zone 2

Public Safety and Crime Prevention Information

Snapshot 12/23/2013-12/29/2013

 

There were two Part-1 crimes in Zone 2 during the period indicated. One residential burglary was reported on San Martinez Road in Val Verde. The suspect entered the residence through a locked rear door. Two flat screen TV’s, and two PlayStation consoles were stolen.

A theft from a vehicle was reported in Castaic. Personal items were taken.

Please remember to close your garage doors, and never leave valuables in plain view in your vehicle. Minimize your risk and avoid being the victim of a crime of opportunity. If you see any suspicious activity, call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (661) 255-1121 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Zone 2 (Castaic or Val Verde), please feel free to email or call me directly.

 

Deputy Brian Rooney

bjrooney@lasd.org

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

661-255-1121

Twitter @SCVSheriff http://www.twitter.com/scvsheriff

SCV Station Homepage – http://www.santaclarita.lasd.orgFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/SantaClaritaValleySheriffsStation

Crime Blotter: Thefts in Castaic, Val Verde

Blotter: West Side Gets New Zone Leader

Stevenson Ranch / Westridge, Zone 3

Public Safety and Crime Prevention Info

Snapshot 12/23/2013 to 12/29/2013

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit

 

My name is Deputy Jeremy Carr and I will be the new zone leader for Zone 3 Stevenson Ranch. For the past two and a half years I was assigned as the zone leader for Zone 7 Canyon Country West. I am looking forward to serving the citizens of Stevenson Ranch and if I can be of any assistance to you at all, please do not hesitate to call or email me.

This past week in Zone 3, the following Part-1 Crimes occurred:

(1) Aggravated Assault, (1) Commercial Burglary, (1) Vehicle Burglary, (1) Theft From An Unlocked Vehicle, (1) Gym Locker Burglary, (3) Shoplift, (1) Grand Theft and (1) Petty Theft.

An aggravated assault (Domestic violence incident) occurred near the intersection of Pine Valley and Sycamore Meadow Drive. A male suspect used his vehicle as a weapon and attempted to run the victim off of the road. After a thorough investigation by responding deputies, the suspect was located and subsequently arrested. The case is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Station Detectives.

A commercial burglary occurred near the 25200 block of The Old Road. An unknown suspect forced open an outdoor patio door and pried open two cash registers. At the time of the report, it was undetermined if anything was taken.

A vehicle burglary occurred near the 25300 block of Chiquella Lane. An unknown suspect shattered the rear driver’s side passenger window in order to gain entry into the vehicle. Two purses were taken from the vehicle, one which was located on top of the rear seat and the other on the floorboard of the front passenger seat.

A theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred near the 24900 block of Pico Canyon Road. The suspect took the victim’s wallet and then used the victim’s debit cards at undisclosed businesses.

A gym locker burglary occurred at the L.A. Fitness located at 24945 Pico Canyon Road. An unknown suspect entered the men’s locker and pried open the victim’s locker, taking his backpack containing the victim’s wallet and additional miscellaneous items.

There were three incidents of shoplifting near the 25400 block of The Old Road. During the incidents, two suspects were arrested by responding deputies after being detained by loss prevention personnel.

A grand theft occurred near the 25500 block of The Old Road. An unknown suspect took the catalytic converter from underneath the victim’s vehicle. The vehicle was parked in the lot of a local hotel.

As always, please call me if you have any questions.

 

Deputy Jeremy Carr

jmcarr@lasd.org

661-255-1121 EXT. 5158

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

Blotter: West Side Gets New Zone Leader

Jan. 10: Secure Your Password - Find Out How

Lunch & Learn
 
Friday, January 10, 2014, 11:45am

 

Hosted By:

Santa Clarita Web & IT

“Passwords Made Easy & Secure”

Have you ever forgotten a password so you resort to using an unsecure one?  This presentation will show you how to create secure and easy to remember passwords.

 

Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce

27451 Tourney Road, Suite 160, Santa Clarita, 91355

Lunch & Learn is FREE and lunch will be provided. To attend, please RSVP to Cheryl Ramirez at CRamirez@scvchamber.com  or call 661 702-6977

Jan. 10: Secure Your Password - Find Out How

Jan. 21: CLWA, State Water Execs to Talk Bay-Delta Plan

Dan Masnada

With California continuing to face water supply challenges, the Santa Clarita Valley business community will have a chance to hear the latest on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, at the next Valley Industry Association lunch, Jan. 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Valencia Country Club.

The SCV community depends on Sierra Nevada snow pack that flows through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. However, a century of human activity has caused land to subside behind weak and unstable levees. A single major earthquake could cause the levees to fail, drawing in salt water from the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is being developed as a 50-year habitat conservation plan aimed at restoring the delta’s ecosystem and securing California’s water supplies.

At the Jan. 21, luncheon, Terry Erlewine of the State Water Contractors and Dan Masnada of Castaic Lake Water Agency will discuss California’s existing water infrastructure and the plans to modernize it.

“Preserving our water supply continues to be a hot-button issue, and for good reason,” VIA President and CEO Kathy Norris said. “Without water, everything comes to a halt, and I believe the business community will benefit from hearing Terry and Dan’s analysis of current issues and the way forward.”

Reservations are required for the luncheon. Members who reserve by Jan. 9 pay $40, or $45 between Jan. 10-16. After Jan. 16, the cost is $50. The cost for non-members is $65. Please RSVP no later than Jan. 16. “No shows” or cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance will be billed. There is a $10 surcharge for attendees without a reservation. The Valencia Country Club is located at 27330 N. Tourney Road. The luncheon is sponsored by the City of Santa Clarita, Poole and Shaffery, L/B/W Insurance and Financial Services, Inc., Mellady Direct Marketing, SCVTV, KHTS AM-1220 and The Signal. Reservations can be made by visiting www.VIA.org/Calendar or calling the VIA office at (661) 294-8088.

The Valley Industry Association of Santa Clarita represents business interests throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, providing members the opportunity to network and collaborate on a broad range of business issues. More information about VIA is available at www.via.org.

Jan. 21: CLWA, State Water Execs to Talk Bay-Delta Plan

Coming Events | Santa Clarita Tourism Bureau

 

	Upcoming Events Check out what’s happening soon in Santa Clarita! Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center A Journey Through the World of Ballroom –January 18 Celtic Nights: A Journey of Hope – January 25 Peking Acrobats – February 1 Canyon Theatre Guild presents The Dixie Swim Club – January 31-March 1 Rep East Playhouse presents I Love You! You’re Perfect! Now Change! – January 18 – February 15 Santa Clarita Street Fair –January 25 & 26

	Ongoing Events & Attraction Hours   Six Flags Magic Mountain Open every day through January 5 (Also, open every weekend) Mountasia Family Fun Center & Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour – Open every day! William S. Hart Museum Free Guided Tours Wednesdays – Fridays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Saturdays – Sundays, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Visit Heritage Junction Historic Park – Tours every Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Placerita Nature Center Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday thru Sunday Family Nature Walk every Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Native Live Animal presentation at 1:00 p.m. JR’s Comedy Club – Every Friday and Saturday night. Fillmore Western Railway – Reservations required: call (805) 524-2546. Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark Museum – Docent-led tours on Saturdays

	Contact Us Santa Clarita Tourism 23920 Valencia Blvd., Suite 100 Santa Clarita CA 91355 (661) 286-4084 tourism@santa-clarita.com VisitSantaClarita.com

Coming Events | Santa Clarita Tourism Bureau

Vector Control District Has New Leader

New General Manager Truc Dever with former GM Ken Bayless.

After more than six years at the helm of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, General Manager Ken Bayless has permanently traded in his briefcase for a set of golf clubs.

Ken retired from the District at the end of December after a successful tenure leading one of the largest vector control districts in California. His leadership brought positive change to the District, positioning it as one of the most well-respected vector control agencies in the State.  Highlights of his administration include overseeing a District re-organization, implementation of a performance-based budget, and serving as a member of the Executive Board and as President of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC). The GLACVCD staff and Trustees wish Ken a very happy retirement.

Taking up the mantle is GLACVCD’s former Director of Community Affairs, Truc Dever. After a competitive selection process conducted by a committee of Trustees, Truc was selected as the District’s new General Manager.

Truc began her vector control career serving as GLACVCD’s Public Information Officer. She was quickly promoted to the Director position where she was involved in nearly every major administrative and operational project at the District.  Truc holds a master’s degree in public administration and has been an active member of the Public Relations Committee for both the MVCAC and the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA).

Truc looks forward to working with staff, Trustees, and community members in her new capacity as General Manager.

Vector Control District Has New Leader

Pentagon News: Gitmo Detainees Moved to Slovakia; Air Ops End in Central Africa; more

Detainees are transfered from Guanatamo, air operations end in the Central African Republic and overcoming hurdles to teach Afghan medics.

Pentagon News: Gitmo Detainees Moved to Slovakia; Air Ops End in Central Africa; more http://scvtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/tpcnews010214-1024x576.jpg

Stalin Leads Mustangs to Victory in Phoenix

Zach Stalin

Cutting down an oak tree in Placerita Canyon, home of The Master’s College, demands a permit.

Cutting down the Oaks of Menlo Tuesday evening in Phoenix wasn’t as demanding as the Mustangs employed a balanced attack and never trailed in a 72-46 whipping of Menlo on the second and final day of the Embassy Suites Classic at Arizona Christian University.

Beating the Oaks for the second time in a month (a 77-73 decision on November 30), the Mustangs extended their winning streak to eight games and moved to 11-2 on the season.

Their path to victory was paved by a trio of first-half runs, mirroring the Mustangs’ method of victory the night before in a 67-46 beating of Mt. Marty.

It started with a 6-0 burst in the game’s first six minutes, keyed by a pair of Zach Stalin (Bellingham, WA) free throws and finished off by a Jason Logan (Spartanburg, SC) jumper for an 8-2 lead with 14:38 left in the opening half.

A little over a minute later, the Mustangs were at it again, ripping off nine straight points in a 2:47 span to extend their advantage to 17-6.  Derrick Fain (Dallas, TX) ignited the skein with a three-point play and fellow Texan Chris Patureau (Houston, TX) capped it off with a layup, giving the Mustangs a 17-6 lead at the 10:42 mark.

The Mustangs had another 9-0 run left in their saddle and this one essentially put the game away, although there were still more than five minutes left in the first stanza when it was over.  Fain was the initiator once again, hitting a jumper with 10:12 showing on the clock, Patureau converted back-to-back layups, and Reid Shackelford (Murrieta, TX) drained a three-pointer, handing the Mustangs a 26-8 lead with 5:29 left in the half.

The margin reached 20 points for the first time less than four minutes later (1:39) when Bernard Ireland (Victorville, CA) scored on a layup before the Oaks reeled off four straight points, reducing the Mustang lead to 35-19 at the break.

Over the opening 20 minutes, the Mustangs, paced by Patureau’s eight points, shot a solid 48% (15-31) from the field while limiting the Oaks to 33% accuracy.

The Mustangs didn’t enjoy another 20-point lead until the game’s final five minutes but the Oaks couldn’t get any closer than 13 points (37-24 at the 18:10 mark of the second half) as the Mustangs had an answer for every Menlo surge, never really letting the Oaks get in sight of a comeback.

Another Ireland basket with 13:33 left to play extended the advantage to 47-28 and when the Oaks scored four straight points, the Mustangs responded in like manner with a Patureau jumper and a Korey Anderson (Clovis, CA) layup.

Closing out the contest in dominating fashion, the Mustangs outscored the Oaks 15-5 over the final 5:53, producing the largest lead and the final score in the process.  Part of that surge was a 10-0 skein sparked by an Ireland layup and capped off by a Stalin trifecta.  In the middle, Travis Divita (Canyon Country, CA) sank a three-pointer and Patureau added a layup.

Stalin wound up with a game-high 14 points, ten of those coming in the second half, while Patureau and Lanier scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.  Four more Mustangs registered at least six points as a balanced attack led to 53% (17-32) shooting in the second half and 51% for the game.

Riding their eight-game winning streak, the Mustangs return to Southern California where, in the middle of their 2013-14 schedule, they’ll play an exhibition at UC Santa Barbara this Saturday before returning to regular-season action at Cal State San Marcos on January 7.

Stalin Leads Mustangs to Victory in Phoenix

County Ready to Award Contract for Animal Shelter Expansion

Dogs and cats aren’t the only rescues at the animal shelter.

The Castaic Animal Shelter is in line to get a new spay-neuter clinic and administration building, and the county supervisors will consider awarding the construction contract Tuesday.

The expansion of the shelter at 31044 Charlie Canyon Road has formally been in the works since February 2012 when the supervisors approved the project and budgeted $1.86 million for it.

Design work started, but then soils testing found that the ground would be too susceptible to liquefaction in an earthquake. That added about $1 million to the price tag.

The supervisors approved a revised $2.9 million total budget in July 2013 and the county put the approximately $1.8 million construction part of the project to bid.

There were 18 bidders. The low bidder didn’t file all of the necessary paperwork, so county Administrator William Fujioka is asking the supervisors Tuesday to approve a $1.848 million construction contract with the second-lowest bidder, Woodcliff Corp., a general contractor in West L.A., and a total project budget of $3.17 million.

If all goes according to plan, construction would start next month and the new buildings would open in June 2015.

County Ready to Award Contract for Animal Shelter Expansion

Disney Placerita Studios Up for More Approvals

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors certified the environmental impact report last August for The Walt Disney Co.’s planned development of either eight or 12 new sound stages east of the 14 Freeway at Placerita Canyon Road.

Now, on Tuesday, the supervisors will consider approving all of the various permits that the company would need before it can actually go forth and build.

The company apparently hasn’t yet settled on eight or 12 sound stages because it’s seeking approval of two alternative tract maps -  one with 510,000 square feet of indoor studio facilities including eight sound stages and an office building; and another with 555,950 square feet of indoor studio facilities including 12 sound stages.

Part of the planned construction site along Placerita Canyon Road at SR-14.

The construction would occur on 44 acres (plus another 14 for parking) of the 890-acre Golden Oak Ranch, which Disney has been operating since the late 1950s.

Because the company filed its plans prior to the county’s adoption in 2012 of the One Valley, One Vision city-county general plan, the studio project falls under the county’s old 1990 SCV Area Plan, which will need to be amended. That’s part of Tuesday’s planned action, along with a zone change from heavy agricultural to commercial.

Also up for consideration is an oak tree permit, because the studio project calls for the removal of 158 oaks, including 16 heritage oaks, and encroachment into the protected zone of another 83 oak trees elsewhere on the property, as identified in the EIR.

There’s also a needed parking permit, to allow for tandem (stacked) parking, possibly within an LADWP easement.

Under a requested conditional use permit, building height would be limited to 60 feet within the development area, and the CUP would authorize and regulate certain things on the rest of the property including the “relocation of a caretaker mobile home, construction of a water tank, exemption from the county’s Outdoor Lighting District hours of operation, on-site filming activities, and the continued operation and maintenance of existing outdoor motion picture sets and the filming ranch on 195 acres. The remaining 637 acres of the Ranch will be used as a buffer area and filming backdrop.”

Studio construction would occur in phases.

“Although designed to be a unified project,” the documentation states, “it is intended that the phasing will be done in such a way to allow infrastructure, access, and priority sound stages to be developed first in the event that the later phases require delayed development.”

The project proponent is Golden Oak Ranch Properties, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co.

 

Filming will continue at the company’s “Business District” set, which is outside of the new project area.

Disney Placerita Studios Up for More Approvals

Nonprofit Org. to Build Tot Lots in Castaic, Littlerock

Cudahy River Park before and after North East Trees rehabilitated it.

If the county supervisors say OK Tuesday, an L.A.-area nonprofit organization that benefits underprivileged children will built tot lots (play areas for kids 5 and under) at the Castaic Sports Complex and Jackie Robinson Park in Littlerock, at a combined value in excess of half a million dollars – at no cost to the county.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich is asking his colleagues to accept the gift from North East Trees, aka NET, which received the project funding from First 5 L.A.

NET was founded in 1989 by Scott Wilson, a retired L.A. Unified schoolteacher who was also a licensed landscape architect. According to the organization’s website, Wilson’s “pledge to plant 5 trees a day for the rest of his life, and his parallel commitment to helping at-risk youth find meaningful employment in the green industry, have resulted in a nonprofit organization delivering effective training and environmental restoration programs to underserved communities in the greater Los Angeles area.”

With a staff of licensed professional arborists, landscape architects, landscape designers and environmental scientists, NET designs and builds parks that “provide passive recreation opportunities and serve as gateways to bike paths, pedestrian and equestrian trails.”

Antonovich’s motion would direct the county Parks Department to enter into a license agreement with NET to construct the tot lots “in a manner satisfactory to the (parks) director.”

Nonprofit Org. to Build Tot Lots in Castaic, Littlerock

Supes to Consider Restoring Cross to County Seal

2004 version

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider restoring a Christian cross to the county seal at their meeting Tuesday.

The cross was removed from the old seal when it was totally redesigned in 2004. At that time the central allegorical figure of the goddess Pomona was replaced with something that’s supposed to represent a native American woman – although no native American woman in California at the time of Spanish conquest wore anything close to the Roman toga that the figure on the 2004 seal is wearing – and a cross-less version of the Mission San Gabriel was added to the seal.

At the time, the cross was missing from the actual San Gabriel Mission because it was undergoing renovation. Now the cross is back on the actual mission building, and Supervisors Mike Antonovich and Don Knabe want it added to the depiction of the mission in order to make the seal “historically correct.” (So far no word on fixing the central figure, though.)

Their motion reads as follows:

Pre-2004 county seal

“The San Gabriel Mission is arguably the birthplace of the Los Angeles County region. The Mission, also known as the “Pride of the California Missions”, is the historic center for culture and art for this entire area. For hundreds of years the Mission has been an influence on the expansion and development of Los Angeles County. It was the site of the area’s first hospital and the birthplace of the last Spanish governor of Alta California, Pio Pico. Moreover, the U.S. National Park Service recognizes the Mission as the core of the community that was forming in Southern California in the mid-1800s.

“In order to commemorate the significant role of the San Gabriel Mission in the historical and cultural development of Los Angeles County, its image is on the County seal along with a Native American woman holding a basket, engineering instruments, the Spanish galleon San Salvador, a tuna, a cow, the Hollywood Bowl, and two stars representing the County’s motion picture and television industries.

“The current rendering of the Mission on the seal is artistically and architecturally inaccurate. At the time that the seal was redesigned in 2004, the cross had been missing from the top of the Mission since 1989 when it was taken down to retrofit the structure after damage from the Whittier Narrows earthquake. The cross was returned to the top of the Mission in 2009 after being lost for decades.

“WE, THEREFORE, MOVE that the Board of Supervisors direct the Chief Executive Officer to make the County seal artistically, aesthetically and architecturally correct by placing the cross on top of the San Gabriel Mission in order to accurately reflect the cultural and historical role that the Mission played in the development of the Los Angeles County region.”

Supes to Consider Restoring Cross to County Seal