Kellar Expected to Take Over as Mayor Tuesday

City Councilman Bob Kellar is expected to be named mayor Tuesday when the council convenes for its annual reorganization.

It would be Kellar’s third stint as mayor, having held the title in 2004 and 2008.

Santa Clarita’s five-member City Council picks from among itself each December to fill the largely ceremonial, one-year post. The mayor presides as chairman of council meetings, signs certain official documents and usually appears at ribbon cuttings, but the mayor has no veto powers, and his or her vote counts exactly the same as that of the other four council members.

Kellar currently holds the title of mayor pro-tem, aka vice mayor. While the pro-tem doesn’t automatically ascend to the mayoralty, he or she usually does.

The council had an informal “mayoral rotation” in the early years but abandoned it in the 1990s when former councilwoman Jill Klajic was in line for the pro-tem position.

Last December, the selection of mayor pro-tem was steeped in controversy when Kellar’s supporters believed he was in line for the position. The council instead affirmed Frank Ferry’s self-nomination for pro-tem, and elevated Laurie Ender, the previous pro-tem, to mayor.

When Ender lost her City Council re-election bid in April, Ferry took over as mayor and the council named Kellar pro-tem.

This year there are no rumors of passing over Kellar as there were a year ago.

The council’s annual reorganization meeting starts Tuesday at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 23920 W. Valencia Blvd. The regular council meeting starts at 6 p.m.

Kellar’s bio from the city website follows.

 

Bob Kellar joined the City of Santa Clarita as a first-term Councilmember in April 2000, and served as Mayor in 2004 and again in 2008 when he was re-elected. He began his life of public service by enlisting in the United States Army from 1965 through 1967. This was followed by 25 years with the Los Angeles Police Department. Kellar retired from the LAPD in 1993, finishing up his career as the Supervisor in Charge of Reserve Officer Training at the Police Academy. Throughout his more than 32 years as a Santa Clarita resident, he has played an active role in the community, serving on several local non-profit boards and committees.

Kellar served as President of the Canyon Country Chamber of Commerce from 1993 through its incorporation with the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1995. He was instrumental in re-shaping the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce to include Canyon Country during this time.? In 2000, Kellar served as President of the Santa Clarita Division of the Southland Regional Association of Realtors and the Santa Clarita Valley Veteran’s Memorial Committee. From 2003 to 2007, Kellar served on the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Foundation. Today, Kellar serves on the Board of Directors for the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center Foundation.

Bob is proud to be a 20 year member of the Santa Clarita Valley Veterans Memorial Committee. He served as past president in 1993 and 1994, and currently serves as president of the Veterans Memorial Community. Bob feels very strong about supporting our local veterans community and our country.

As a former Chair of the City’s Planning Commission, Kellar stood strong to insure that new development follows a more sound and responsible approach to growth. As a City Councilmember, Kellar has worked hard to prevent the proposed Cemex mining operation from going through. Additionally, Kellar has been a driving force in bringing stake holders together to get the Whittaker Bermite site cleaned up and with a responsible development in place.

Kellar is proud of the work he has been able to accomplish on behalf of the citizens of Santa Clarita. His success has largely been the result of his ability to bring decision-makers together and put them on a common course.

Kellar considers one of his primary responsibilities to be his availability to our citizens and to do what he can to maintain a high level quality of life for all.

Kellar Expected to Take Over as Mayor Tuesday

Pedestrian Sent to Hospital After Car Hits Her

A 35-year-old woman who was hit by a car that jumped a curb Friday morning in Valencia was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Sheriff’s officials said.

“She’s going to survive. I talked to her at the hospital,” said Detective Travis Kelly, a traffic investigator with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

At 11 a.m., Fire and Sheriff’s Department personnel responded to a call after a car hit a pedestrian near the intersection of El Paseo Drive and El Monte Drive.

No charges are expected to be filed in the incident, Kelly said, but he’s asking anyone who might have information to contact the Sheriff’s Station at 661-255-1121.

Pedestrian Sent to Hospital After Car Hits Her

Dec. 19-21: Hear the Senior Sounds of Christmas

The SCV Senior Center’s music program is gearing up for several performances of holiday music this month, free and open to the community.

On Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 3 p.m., Maestro John Swinford will lead the Silvertone Singers in a selection of holiday songs at the Senior Center.

The Senior Center’s singers and musicians will also perform at the Newhall Community Center’s holiday celebration, Thursday, Dec. 20, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and will be accompanied by musicians from local elementary and junior high schools. Light refreshments will be available. The Community Center is located at 22421 Market St., adjacent to the Metrolink station.

On Friday, Dec. 21, head to the mall for some shopping and stay for the music. Or better yet, go for the music and maybe get some shopping done, too, when the members of the Senior Center’s music program perform at Westfield Valencia Town Center from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Conducted by Swinford, the Silvertone Singers, Silver Belles, Silver Beaux and Memory Makers will perform holiday songs in the courtyard area outside JCPenney.

For more information call (661) 259-9444.

Dec. 19-21: Hear the Senior Sounds of Christmas

Wesco Refinances Long-term Loan, Line of Credit

VALENCIA, Dec. 7 – Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive supply chain management services to the global aerospace industry, announced Friday that it has completed a refinancing of its senior secured credit facilities.

Transaction Overview: Wesco Aircraft engaged Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPFS) and Barclays Bank PLC as the joint lead arrangers for its new credit facilities, with MLPFS, Barclays, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, KeyBank National Association, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and Union Bank, N.A. acting as joint bookrunners for the new credit facilities. The new $825 million senior secured credit facilities are comprised of the following:

- a $200 million, 5-year revolving credit facility; and

- a $625 million, 5-year term loan facility.

Each of the revolving credit facility and the term loan facility will carry a variable rate of interest based on, at the option of the Company, either a base rate or the Eurocurrency rate plus, in each case, an applicable margin. The applicable margin for the revolving credit facility and the term loan facility is based on the consolidated total leverage ratio of the Company and its subsidiaries and ranges from, for base rate loans, 0.75% to 1.50% (1.25% initially), and for Eurocurrency rate loans, 1.75% to 2.50% (2.25% initially).

Proceeds from the new credit facilities will be used (i) to refinance approximately $626.0 million of existing first lien indebtedness, (ii) to pay fees and expenses related to the new credit facilities and (iii) for general corporate purposes. “The new credit facilities extend the maturity profile of the Company while enhancing liquidity and reducing our total interest expense,” said Greg Hann, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Wesco Aircraft.

 

About Wesco Aircraft

Wesco Aircraft is one of the world’s largest distributors and providers of comprehensive supply chain management services to the global aerospace industry. The Company’s services range from traditional distribution to the management of supplier relationships, quality assurance, kitting, just-in-time delivery and point-of-use inventory management. The Company believes it offers the world’s broadest inventory of aerospace parts, comprised of approximately 500,000 different stock keeping units, including hardware, bearings, tools, electronic components and machined parts. Wesco Aircraft has more than 1,200 employees across 43 locations in 12 countries.

Wesco Refinances Long-term Loan, Line of Credit

Foothill League Basketball Roundup

West Ranch Boys Basketball Team Knocks Off CIF State Champs

Friday, 12/07/2012

The West Ranch boys basketball team beat Alemany, 69-61, in the quarterfinals of the Santa Monica Tournament.

Ako Kaluna had a monsters game for West Ranch with 23 points and 24 rebounds. Kevin Harris scored 20 points with three 3-pointers in the second half and the Wildcats posted a signature win over the reigning CIF Division 3 state champions.

West Ranch moves on to the semifinals of the tournament against Chaminade tonight.

 

Canyon Boys Basketball Team Starts Own Tournament With Win Over Lancaster

Thursday, 12/06/2012

The Canyon boys basketball team won its first game in its own Canyon Classic Tournament, 63-48, over Lancaster.

Dean Hendrix-Davis scored 18 points and helped Canyon build an early lead in the game.

Canyon plays St. Genevieve tonight in the next round of the tournament.

The Saugus boys basketball team started the Canyon Classic on a winning note as well. The Centurions beat Eastside, 73-42, in their first game of the tournament.

Next up for Saugus is Lancaster tonight.

 

Hart Boys Basketball Team Rolls To 3-0 Start

Wednesday, 12/05/2012

The Hart boys basketball team improved to 3-0 with an 88-67 win over Flintridge Prep in the Crescenta Valley Tournament.

Lewis Stallworth scored 26 points and Myles Franklin added 19 points and 11 assists for Hart. Four players scored in double figures for the Indians.

Hart plays Westlake next in the tournament on Thursday.

Foothill League Basketball Roundup

County Economist Discusses Impact of Going Over Cliff

Robert Kleinhenz

Los Angeles County’s chief economist talked Friday about the potential impact of the fiscal cliff if the United States were to take the plunge, while discussing the state of the county’s economy.

The overall economic outlook is a positive one, said Robert Kleinhenz of the Kyser Center for Economic Research, especially compared to where the economy was situated three years ago.

While year-over-year gains are positive, the economy is certainly not out of the woods, yet, or exactly at a point where economists are comfortable touting growth, he said.

“Jobs have been added at a slightly higher rate than the rest of the nation, but the county is slightly behind the state,” Kleinhenz said. “Yes, we’re making progress, but we’re still at a rate that’s too close for comfort.”

Ultimately, the very nature of a trip off the “fiscal cliff” – a term coined by economists to describe lawmakers’ end-of-the-year conundrum involving the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts that are expected to be compounded by tax increases associated with the Affordable Health Care Act and the implementation of sweeping spending cuts – will unavoidably impact consumer spending, Kleinhenz explained.

“If we go over the cliff and we see those cuts, you’re going to see a pullback effect that’s going to affect a lot of residents,” he said.

“We should be prepared for a pullback in government spending, and whether or not (drastic cuts) come to pass depends on what Congress does over the next few weeks,” Kleinhenz said.

He added that some of the damage has already been done as he’s been hearing – anecdotally, from leaders in private industries in sectors heavily affected by government spending, such as the military – that the uncertainty has prompted them to make cuts and hold off on growth.

The construction sector has seen some gains, but it’s also an industry that could have a bit of a slog into 2013, Kleinhenz said.

“In terms of housing, and in terms of construction we’ve seen stronger activitiy on the non-residential side,” he said. “Looking at this report, we’re down marginally on a month-over-month and year-over-year basis. That section continues to be weak and has a long way to go.”

However, there are several positive signs, Kleinhenz said.

The durable and nondurable goods manufacturing  has increased in the United States, reversing a trend that has seen thousands of jobs head overseas. Among the more prominent gains, Apple announced it would be bringing more jobs to a new facility in California at a location yet to be announced.

Kleinhenz attributed these figures to several factors that favor American job growth.

“Changes in the exchange rate, and the fact that the cost of labor is rising in so many places, Asia and China, specifically, meaning the cost of producing in those countries has gone up as the cost of living and wages there have improved in those areas,” Kleinhenz said.

The auto industry, which has a big impact locally, has also seen some positive signs, he said.

“It’s noteworthy that we’ve seen some gains with auto dealers,” he said. “It’s one of the areas we expect to see very big gains by the end of 2012, probably beating the expectation for most auto analysts.”

County Economist Discusses Impact of Going Over Cliff

Feds Hiking Unemployment Taxes on Businesses

Due to California carrying outstanding loan balances on federal loans to pay regular state unemployment insurance benefits, the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) credit will decrease from 5.1 percent to 4.8 percent per the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor.

That amounts to an overall increase in the FUTA taxes employers pay.  Over the last two years that may increase amounts up to $42 more per employee.

The FUTA credit reduction is due on federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 940 by Jan. 31, 2013.

 

What is a credit reduction state?

A state is a credit reduction state if it has taken loans from the federal government to meet its state unemployment benefits liabilities and has not repaid the loans within the allowable time frame. A reduction in the usual credit against the full FUTA tax rate means that employers paying wages subject to UI tax in those states will owe a greater amount of tax.

The FUTA tax levies a federal tax on employers covered by a state’s UI program. The standard FUTA tax rate is 6.0% on the first $7,000 of wages subject to FUTA. The funds from the FUTA tax create the Federal Unemployment Trust Fund, administered by the United States Department of Labor (DOL).

Generally, employers may receive a credit of 5.4% when they file their Form 940 (PDF), Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, to result in a net FUTA tax rate of 0.6% (6.0% – 5.4% = 0.6%).

Some states take Federal Unemployment Trust Fund loans from the federal government if they lack the funds to pay UI benefits for residents of their states.

If a state has outstanding loan balances on January 1 for two consecutive years, and does not repay the full amount of its loans by November 10 of the second year, the FUTA credit rate for employers in that state will be reduced until the loan is repaid.

The reduction schedule is 0.3% for the first year the state is a credit reduction state, another 0.3% for the second year, and an additional 0.3% for each year thereafter that the state has not repaid its loan in full.  Additional offset credit reductions may apply to a state beginning with the third and fifth taxable years if a loan balance is still outstanding and certain criteria are not met.

DOL runs the loan program and announces any credit reduction states after the November 10 deadline each year. DOL has information about the credit reduction states and loan balances on the UI Statistics page of its Department of Labor website.

How does the credit reduction affect employment taxes?

The result of being an employer in a credit reduction state is a higher tax due on the Form 940.

For example, an employer in a state with a credit reduction of 0.3% would compute its FUTA tax by reducing the 6.0% FUTA tax rate by a FUTA credit of only 5.1% (the standard 5.4% credit minus the 0.3% credit reduction) for an effective FUTA tax rate of 0.9% for the year.

Any increased FUTA tax liability due to a credit reduction is considered incurred in the fourth quarter and is due by January 31 of the following year.

Employers who think they may be in a credit reduction state should plan accordingly for the lower credit. The IRS includes the credit reduction states, the applicable credit reduction rates, and an example in the Schedule A (Form 940) (PDF), Multi-State Employer and Credit Reduction Information. The Instructions for Form 940 (PDF) also has information about the credit reduction and deposit rules.

Reporting the credit reduction

Employers calculate the credit reduction using the Schedule A (Form 940). The schedule was revised in 2011 to allow for the growth in the number of credit reduction states and for the calculation of the increased FUTA tax liability.

On Schedule A (Form 940), every state has:

• A checkbox (to be checked if an employer paid state unemployment taxes to that state)
• A box for the FUTA taxable wages the employer paid in that state (to be filled in if the state is a credit reduction state and the employer paid wages subject to UI tax in the state).

The following employers use the Schedule A (Form 940):

• Employers that paid FUTA taxable wages and UI tax in more than one state
• Employers that paid FUTA taxable wages and UI tax in any credit reduction state, even if the employer is a single-state employer. These employers report the FUTA taxable wages and multiply by the credit reduction rate (0.3%, 0.6%, 0.9%, etc) to calculate the total credit reduction, which the employer carries forward to Form 940.

If an employer paid UI taxes to more than one state, it must check all of those states on Schedule A (Form 940), whether the states are credit reduction states or not. Additionally, for states that are credit reduction states, employers must enter the FUTA taxable wages the employer paid in that state, even if the employer paid wages in only one state. However, FUTA taxable wages that are excluded from UI are not subject to credit reduction. For more information, see the Instructions for Schedule A (Form 940) (PDF).

Feds Hiking Unemployment Taxes on Businesses

Today in SCV History (Dec. 7)

1921 – William S. Hart marries actress Winifred Westover [story]

Today in SCV History (Dec. 7)

Apartment Manager Expresses Regret, Puts Christmas Tree Back

Photo 12/6/2012 from JB Property Group

[JB Property] – Michael Gold, senior director of operations for JB Property Group, the management company for The Willows Senior Apartment Community, responded late Thursday to concerns raised by the residents related to the installation of holiday decorations in the community room of the Newhall, Calif. project.

“We apologize for any misunderstanding that may have arisen in regards to the installation of holiday trees and other holiday decorations in the community room of The Willows Senior Apartment Community,” said Gold. “It was never our intention to in any way inhibit the celebration of Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza or any other religious or cultural holiday which falls at or near year’s end. We have always been sensitive to the fact that our properties have a diverse tenant profile which needs to be considered when determining the most appropriate methods for recognizing and celebrating these holidays.

“With this in mind, we seriously regret the extent to which this has impacted the residents of The Willows, and understand and appreciate their concern about losing their traditional decorations. In light of this, we have authorized the re-installation of a tree, which has been decorated by the residents themselves.”

 

The company’s previous decision to ban religious displays in the common areas at the Willows garnered national attention. Read about it [here].

Apartment Manager Expresses Regret, Puts Christmas Tree Back

October Probation Sweeps: 132 Arrested, 56 Guns Confiscated

During the month of October, Los Angeles County D.I.S.A.R.M. officers arrested 132 probationers and confiscated 56 firearms and more than $7 million in illegal drugs and drug money, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich announced.

In conjunction with local law enforcement, 1308 searches were conducted of probationers who, as a condition of probation, are subject to unannounced searches targeting guns, drugs and other contraband.

Since its implementation in February of 2000, the D.I.S.A.R.M. program has seized over 8,800 weapons and more than $396 million in illegal drugs and drug money and resulted in nearly 18,000 arrests.  Nearly 10 percent of probationers searched in this program have been found to be out of compliance with the terms of their probation.

D.I.S.A.R.M was initiated by Supervisor Antonovich following the tragic August 1999 shootings at the North Valley Jewish Community Center and the murder of a postal worker by Buford Furrow, an armed felon on probation from Washington State.

October Probation Sweeps: 132 Arrested, 56 Guns Confiscated

Video: Update on Critically Injured Deputy in East L.A.

Sheriff’s Capt. Holly Perez describes the medical condition of Deputy Rudy Juarez, who was critically injured Dec. 1 in East Los Angeles. Perez is Juarez’ captain at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Transit Bureau, which polices the Metro system.

Video: Update on Critically Injured Deputy in East L.A.

SCV Man Accused of Stealing Money to Repay Stolen Money

A Santa Clarita man who stole from a local youth sports organization now stands accused of additional crimes that may be related to his original theft.

Harry Jose, 41, of Canyon Country, was sentenced to a year in jail and $100,000 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to embezzling more than a quarter-million dollars from a local Pee Wee football association.

Jose is now being held  at Men’s Central Jail on $1.1 million bail after he was accused of stealing an additional $90,000 to pay his restitution, according to a criminal complaint filed in a Van Nuys courthouse.

Jose was due in court Wednesday to make his first payment of half the restitution amount.

Jose had not paid, nor was he ready to pay any of the agreed upon restitution. Additionally, it was brought to the court’s attention that another grand theft case had been filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office at the Van Nuys Court.

The new charges stemmed from a complaint made to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department after Jose’s theft and plea bargain was uncovered by an executive at a Sun Valley business where Jose had been fired for theft in February.

The business had discovered nearly $90,000 had been stolen by Jose and reported their loss in September. It was their opinion that Jose had stolen the money from them to use the funds to pay restitution to CCAA.

In September 2009, the Canyon Country Athletic Association officials filed a report alleging an embezzlement of funds by Jose, the group’s former CCAA Treasurer, Harry Jose. The CCAA is a youth football league that promotes football and cheerleading in the Santa Clarita Valley.

After an investigation it was determined Jose had embezzled $256,880 from the CCAA over a period of four years and had forged numerous CCAA checks in the process, according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.

The monies stolen by Jose had come to the CCAA via club dues paid by hundreds of parents of youth football players and cheerleaders from all over the Santa Clarita Valley.

These dues allowed the club to purchase equipment for the players, pay the fees to reserve fields and other miscellaneous club costs. During this time, the club accrued a large amount of debt while their bills went unpaid.

The debt was later settled by parents who took over the organization after Jose stepped down.

Jose is due back in court Jan. 4 in San Fernando, according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.

SCV Man Accused of Stealing Money to Repay Stolen Money

SCV NewsBreak for Thursday, December 6, 2012

In this episode:
Seniors at the Willows adult apartment complex in Newhall are outraged after management told them to take down a Christmas tree: The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to make good on a promise of a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two men who attacked a piece officer; Scott Wilk announces his new team of staffers.

Also:
Vasquez Rocks County Park is moving closer to expanding by 31 acres; The Santa Clarita Shakespeare festival is bringing an original adaptation of a Dickens’ holiday classic to the SCV Senior Center Saturday morning; local weather.

Sports:
A look at the West Ranch Boys Basketball team.

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.

SCV NewsBreak for Thursday, December 6, 2012

News of Newhall Christmas Tree Ban Goes Viral

The latest salvo in the so-called “war on Christmas” comes not from Santa Monica – where nativity displays are banned at a public park – but from Valley Street in Newhall, where the managers of the Willows senior apartment complex ordered the removal of religious displays from common areas.

The 75 seniors who live in the complex are up in arms over the decision to remove their communal Christmas tree, according the Daily News of Los Angeles, which broke the news Wednesday.

By Wednesday morning the story had gone viral, and JB Partners Group, which purchased the property four years ago and manages it from its office in Tarzana, had pulled down its corporate website.

Rumors swirled Thursday that the company was buckling under all of the attention from bloggers and news commentators from coast to coast, but JB personnel weren’t answering their phones to confirm whether they’d given in.

“We’re all angry. We want that tree,” resident Fern Scheel told the Daily News “Where’s our freedom? This is ridiculous.”

U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, whose district includes the Newhall apartment complex, called the management company’s decision “an absolute outrage and another example of a sad, sad trend I see happening in America today.”

McKeon decried the restrictions placed on legislators, who are essentially barred from expressing holiday cheer for religiously affiliated events.

“In Congress, rules prohibit us from sending out any official form of communication to our constituents wishing them any sort of religious happy holiday greeting. We can’t say, Merry Christmas, we can’t say Happy Hanukkah, we can’t say anything that even alludes to a religious celebration or specific holiday greeting. We can’t even use the colors red and green,” McKeon said.

“On Monday night hundreds, of people gathered on the Capitol lawn as we lit the Capitol Christmas Tree, and tonight, millions will watch as the President lights our National Christmas Tree — a tradition of spirit and unity we have enjoyed for 90 years.  Are these great American holiday traditions next to go? I understand that freedom of religion is a founding principle of our democracy, and that part of that freedom is the freedom  to not believe in or practice a religious faith. But an abolition of every marker of the holiday season, no matter the religious affiliation, is an affront to our most sacred traditions and darkens what is supposed to be a time of thankfulness, giving, togetherness, peace, love, hope and reflection. These residents pay rent to a private entity and should have the freedom to practice the holiday traditions of their choice.”

News of Newhall Christmas Tree Ban Goes Viral

Blotter: Burglaries, Car Thefts on West Side

Stevenson Ranch / Westridge, Zone 3

Public Safety and Crime Prevention Info

Snapshot 11/26/2012 – 12/02/2012

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit

 

[LASD] – There was one reported residential burglary, 2 vehicle burglaries, 4 larcenies and 2 stolen vehicles this past week. A residential burglary occurred in the 25000 block of Silver Aspen Way. A telescope was stolen from the garage, no forced entry was determined. Two vehicle burglaries and a larceny occurred in the 25000 block of The Old Road. A catalytic converter was stolen from a vehicle while it was parked in a parking lot in the 25000 block of The Old Road. Shopliftings occurred at Wal-Mart and Old Navy.

A 2011 Carry-On trailer and a 2009 Kawasaki motorcycle were stolen from the 25000 block of The Old Road.

An arrest was made in connection with the shoplifting that occurred at Wal-Mart.

Holidays are a busy time of the year and we all have a lot on their mind. Criminals are looking to take advantage of you while you are at your busiest.

Stow your holiday purchases in the trunk of your vehicle. Avoid the temptation to put them in the backseat of your car and return to continue shopping. If your purchases are in plain view, you may return to find your car windows smashed and the items gone. Save your most expensive purchases for last, so you can head straight home. Never leave your purchases unattended, even for a few minutes.

If you see any suspicious activity either close to your home or while you are out shopping, call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (661) 255-1121 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. If you see any suspicious activity either close to your home or while you are out shopping, call the Sheriff’s station at (661) 255-1121 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.

For more tips on Holiday shipping and shopping safety click here: https://local.nixle.com/alert/4920383/

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Zone 3 (Stevenson Ranch), please feel free to email or call me directly.

 

Deputy Ana Rubalcava

avrubalc@lasd.org

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

661-255-1121 ext. 4283

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

SCV Station Homepage – http://www.santaclarita.lasd.org

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SantaClaritaValleySheriffsStation

Blotter: Burglaries, Car Thefts on West Side

Stabbing Death Tops the Blotter in Newhall

Newhall, Zone 6

Public Safety and Crime Prevention Information

Snapshot for 11/26/2012 through 12/02/2012

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit

 

[LASD] - Greetings from Newhall! I would like to thank the 419 people that have chosen to like us on the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Facebook page thus far. It’s great to see such community interaction in the short time since we have launched our new [Facebook page].

Between 11/26/2012 and 12/02/2012 Zone 6 (Newhall) had eleven reported Part-1 crimes. Here are some details on just a few of the reported crimes:

A homicide occurred on 12/02/2012 at approximately 2:21 a.m. For more information click here: https://local.nixle.com/alert/4923807/

A felony battery occurred on 12/02/2012 at approximately 5:20 p.m. in the 24000 block of Newhall Avenue. A male victim was transported to a local area hospital. No further information is available and this incident is still under investigation (ref -17095).

A residential burglary was reported on 11/27/2012 in the 22200 block of 4th Street in Newhall. An unknown suspect broke into the residence by prying open a kitchen window. Jewelry was stolen. (ref – 16764).

A vehicle burglary reportedly took place during the late night hours on 11/26/2012 in the 23600 block of Meadowridge Drive. A window to the vehicle was smashed and a purse, food stamps, and an EBT card were among the items that were stolen. The investigation into this incident is on-going (ref – 16664).

On Saturday, December 01, 2012 at approximately 2:15 a.m., a proactive deputy from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station located and arrested the man believed to have stolen a women’s purse from a Carl’s Jr in Newhall on 11/25/2012. Charges have been filed and the suspect remains in-custody at Twin Towers Correctional Facility on $133,000.00 bail. Read more about this incident by clicking here: https://local.nixle.com/alert/4923181/

Numerous other arrests were made in Newhall during the past week, as deputies continue to be proactive in Zone 6.

Remember to interact with your local sheriff’s station deputies by following us on Twitter, and liking our page on Facebook.

 

Deputy Joshua Dubin

jddubin@lasd.org

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

661-255-1121 ext. 4411

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

SCV Station Homepage – http://www.santaclarita.lasd.org

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SantaClaritaValleySheriffsStation

Stabbing Death Tops the Blotter in Newhall

Blotter: Thefts from Construction Sites in Saugus

Saugus, Zone 4 Update

Public Safety & Crime Prevention Information

Snapshot: 11/26/2012 – 12/02/2012

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit

 

[LASD] – Good afternoon Saugus. I hope this message finds you doing well. We again stayed at the average for Part-1 crimes for the year. The most concerning of all were thefts which occurred from several construction sites off Steel Lane. All of these thefts occurred over the Thanksgiving weekend. In one of the thefts a storage container was broken into and construction materials were taken. In the other incident construction material was taken off the job site. Detectives are actively working these incidents.

There was another theft which resembled the above mentioned incidents. Suspect(s) broke into a school, located along the 28000 block of Wellston Dr., and stole numerous construction items. This incident also occurred over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

‘Tis the season for potential theft of packages left by postal service providers. There was a package stolen from the front of a residence along the 27700 block of Abajo Drive on Friday, 11/30/2012. The delivery company left the package at the front door, along with a receipt of delivery. Suspect(s) unknown stole the package from the front door. Most delivery services offer an option for the need of a signature upon delivery. Please look into this option when ordering holiday items to your residence.

There was a shoplift burglary from a local business along the 27600 block of Bouquet Canyon Road on Saturday, 12/01/2012, at 6:20 PM. The suspect stole merchandise from the front counter when the teller attempted to retrieve more items for the suspect. The suspect then ran from the location.

There was an arrest made of four juveniles who were charged with attempt burglary of an elementary school and possession of marijuana on Saturday, 12/01/2012. The juveniles attempted to break into one of the classrooms. Deputies quickly responded to the location and arrested all four subjects without incident.

Over the past week a suspect was arrested for embezzling money from a local business along Carl Boyer Drive. The suspect had been taking money from the company over the past two months.

If you have any information regarding the above mentioned crimes please call the Santa Clarita Station at 661-255-1121.

To report graffiti in the city please call (661) 25-CLEAN (252-5326) or visit www.santa-clarita.com

 

Deputy Mark Manskar

mamanska@lasd.org

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

661-255-1121 ext. 5161

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

SCV Station Homepage – http://www.santaclarita.lasd.org

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SantaClaritaValleySheriffsStation

Blotter: Thefts from Construction Sites in Saugus

Blotter: Burglary Suspects Arrested in Castaic

Castaic and Val Verde, Zone 2

Public Safety and Crime Prevention Information

Snapshot 11/26/2012-12/02/2012.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit

 

[LASD] – There were five Part-1 crimes in Castaic/Val Verde this past week. There were two vehicle burglary reported. An RV was broken into at the Castaic Lake RV Park and a Chevy Camaro, parked on Hasley Canyon Road, had its convertible top removed and personal items stolen. Another vehicle owner reported that his gas was siphoned while he was parked in the 28000 block of Halsey Canyon Road. There were two reported burglaries. One victim reported that an Elvis doll collection and Marty Bell photos were stolen from their storage unit at Castaic Self Storage on The Old Road. A storage container at Warped Paintball was burglarized. Paintball rifles and equipment were stolen. Two suspects were arrested by responding deputies.

Notable Arrests: Castaic patrol units, responding to a call, arrested a Castaic resident and a Saugus resident on suspicion of Burglary. Both suspects were found in the area of a recent burglary with numerous unaccounted for items in their vehicle. Detectives handling the case are checking several recently reported thefts for possible links.

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 ext. 4283

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

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

Blotter: Burglary Suspects Arrested in Castaic

Crime Blotter for Canyon Country-West

Canyon Country West, Zone 7

Public Safety and Crime Prevention Information

Snapshot for 11-26-2012 to 12-02-2012

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit

 

[LASD] – This past week in Zone 7, the following Part-1 crimes occurred:

(1) Aggravated Assault, (1) Vehicle Burglary, (1) Theft from an unlocked vehicle, (3) Petty Thefts and (3) GTAs (grand theft auto).

A domestic assault occurred near the 26200 block of Ridgevale Dr. on Saturday, December 12th 2012. The case is still under investigation.

A vehicle burglary occurred near the 19200 block of Soledad Canyon Rd. The victim left the passenger window of his vehicle partially open and the suspect was able to force the window down, allowing him access inside the vehicle. The suspect took the victim’s cell phone.

A theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred near the 26900 block of Sierra Hwy. The victim left her purse on the backseat of her unlocked vehicle when she left for work. When the victim walked out of the location, she saw the suspect (male Hispanic/20-25 years old) in the back seat of her car. The suspect fled to an awaiting dark colored 4-door vehicle. Also in the vehicle was a Hispanic female in her 20’s and a white female approximately 20-25 years of age.

On Monday, November 11th 2012, a gray 1997 Honda Civic was taken near Oaks Crossing Rd./Sierra Estates Dr. The vehicle was recovered on Sunday, December 2nd 2012. Taken from the same area on Friday, November 11th 2012, was a red 1993 Nissan Sentra. The vehicle was taken near the 19100 block of Friendly Valley Pkwy. The vehicle is still outstanding.

A green 1996 Honda Accord was taken from the 18700 block of Via Princessa. The vehicle is still outstanding.

Several arrests were made by Santa Clarita Valley Station Deputies last week. The arrests included narcotics, shoplifting and trespassing.

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

 

Deputy Jeremy Carr

Zone 7 – Canyon Country West – Zone Leader

661-255-1121 Ext. 5158 jmcarr@lasd.org

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

661-255-1121 ext. 4411

Crime Blotter for Canyon Country-West

CalArts Students Reinterpret Tennessee Williams

[CalArts] – In PARADISE, multiple cameras intensify actors’ emotions on screens throughout the theater—meshing today’s media-obsessed world with playwright Tennessee Williams’ timeless emotional landscapes. Performances begin Thursday, Dec. 13, on CalArts’ campus in Valencia.

Created as a workshop performance at California Institute of the Arts, PARADISE originated in an innovative class led by Academy Award-nominated actor and visiting faculty James Franco, and Deborah LaVine, Co-Director of CalArts’ Fim Directing Program.  In the class, One Act to Cinematic Event, film directing students collaborated with student actors, designers, musicians and dancers to develop contemporary multimedia interpretations of Williams’ iconic one-acts. The result is PARADISE’s nine short plays performed over 90 minutes.

The plays explored in PARADISE were once praised by Eli Wallach, one of Williams’ foremost interpreters, for expressing their author’s “courage, his sensitivity to the outsiders of life, his wicked sense of humor, and most of all his compassion.” Many of these one-acts were not produced in Williams’ lifetime—allowing PARADISE’s directors to freely adapt his material and offer fresh perspectives.

The goal of One Act to Cinematic Event is to create a collaborative synthesis of live performance and media.  The addition of media in PARADISE heightens the tension implicit in Williams’ theatrical universe and brings his astute observations of human psychology into the current moment.

One Act to Cinematic Event was developed by Deborah LaVine at CalArts and James Franco, founder of Rabbit Bandini Productions.

 

Dates and times

8 pm, Thursday, December 13 and Friday, December 14

3 pm, Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16

 

Location

California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)

24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia CA 91355

Steven Spielberg Studio, BB3

 

Price: Free of charge. Space is limited.

 

 

CalArts Students Reinterpret Tennessee Williams

The Fiscal Cliff: Where I Stand | Commentary by Rep. Buck McKeon

U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon

Our nation is in a serious fiscal crisis. Unemployment has been above 7 percent since February 2009 and in September of this year our national debt surpassed $16 trillion. In the last 3 years alone, we have added $5.4 trillion to our unsustainable debt. Operating on huge deficit spending has become the norm in Washington, and our most important social safety net programs, like Medicare, are threatened by imminent bankruptcy.

You can’t turn on the news lately without hearing about the threat that the United States is in jeopardy of falling off the “fiscal cliff.” The fiscal cliff has become the buzz term for the many fiscal issues our government must resolve before the end of this year, like tax cuts that are set to expire, new taxes that are set to take effect, fiscal provisions that are set to sunset and deep automatic spending cuts that are set to take place.

It is my sincere hope that Republicans and Democrats can come together to find a balanced and bi-partisan solution to these problems. Partisan gridlock in Washington is posing a grave threat to our future and our economy, and I believe that our hardworking taxpayers and small businesses deserve more.

It’s time that we work together to solve the looming tax hikes that will hurt our already struggling middle class families and businesses, the skyrocketing national debt that is threatening our prosperity, and the automatic deep spending cuts that will devastate our armed forces and national security.

Below I have provided you with an outline of some of the serious situations involved in the fiscal cliff. I hope that it will help you get a deeper understanding of the fiscal cliff and where I stand on the issues.

 

What is the fiscal cliff?

The “fiscal cliff” has become the popular shorthand term used to describe the conundrum that the U.S. government will face at the end of 2012, when the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA) are scheduled to go into effect and the terms of last year’s tax deal are set to sunset. If you remember, the BCA was a law that was put in place last year to solve the debate over raising the debt ceiling, and last December Congress struck a deal with the Senate and the Administration allowing the Bush Tax Cuts to be extended for one year. Basically, the fiscal cliff is a combination of implementation of the terms of the BCA and the expiration of the one-year tax deal from last December.

 

When is the deadline to avert the fiscal cliff?

January 1st is the deadline to avert the tax hikes and spending cuts that are set to take effect.

 

What problems does Washington need to resolve to avert the fiscal cliff?

Among the laws set to change at midnight on December 31, 2012, are:

* The end of last year’s temporary payroll tax cuts (resulting in a 2 percent tax increase for workers)

* The end of certain tax breaks for businesses

* Shifts in the alternative minimum tax

* The end of the tax cuts from 2001-2003 (“Bush Tax Cuts”)

* The beginning of taxes related to President Obama’s health care law

* The expansive spending cuts, known as Sequestration, agreed upon as part of the debt ceiling deal of 2011 will begin to go into effect. Over 1,000 government programs – including the defense budget and Medicare are in line for “deep, automatic cuts”

* Under Sequestration, the defense budget would be cut an additional $55 billion per year from the levels established in Budget Control Act. That would mean an additional $492 billion in cuts on top of the $487 billion already being implemented. In total, over $1 trillion from the base budget would be cut over the next ten years.

 

What is the current status and where do I stand?

Last week, the President released his plan for fixing the fiscal cliff issues. Unfortunately, this plan included no real serious spending cuts but rather plans to raise taxes by $1.6 trillion over a decade and more than a $100 billion in fresh stimulus spending. The Obama Administration has yet to address our unsustainable spending, deficits, and debt.

Despite speaking with both Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner says he’s “disappointed where we are — disappointed what’s happened over the last two weeks.” Speaker Boehner went on to say that, “the president’s tax increase would be another crippling blow for small businesses, while doing little to nothing to solve the bigger problem of debt.”

I agree with Speaker Boehner. We cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity. Any balanced plan to avert the devastating effects of the fiscal cliff early next year must include significant cuts in spending and substantive entitlement reform, and House Republicans remain the only ones in Washington who have put forth a plan which includes both. Republicans are open to discussing ways to obtain new revenue, while democrats continue to rule out any sensible spending cuts. Democrats continue to advocate for tax increases on small businesses in lieu of the spending cuts that are needed to close our deficit—a position that would cost American jobs.

Republicans have made a new offer in the fiscal cliff negotiations, a balanced approach of significant spending cuts and new revenues from tax reform with fewer loopholes and lower tax rates. This is another attempt to jumpstart substantive, good faith negotiations toward a bipartisan solution that can be enacted soon, a stark contrast to the unserious proposal the White House put forward last week.

We must do everything possible to avert the fiscal cliff and ensure that 2013 is the year we actually solve our nation’s debt problem through tax reform and entitlement reform. A balanced approach to solve the fiscal cliff is essential to our economic growth.

 

U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, represents California’s 25th congressional district. He is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

The Fiscal Cliff: Where I Stand | Commentary by Rep. Buck McKeon

CSU Application Period for Fall 2013 Closed; Nursing Still Open

Despite early concerns about state trigger cuts and potential enrollment reductions, the fall 2013 application cycle set a CSU record for submissions through CSU Mentor.  This year’s record confirms the continued high demand for a CSU education.

Through Nov. 30, potential freshmen, transfer, credential and graduate students submitted 763,517 applications for fall 2013 – an increase of 12 percent from last year.  Potential students typically submit applications to multiple CSU campuses.  The total fall 2013 submissions came from 294,926 individual applicants – an increase of 10 percent from fall 2012.

Individual first-time freshmen applicants rose to 173,985 from 166,028.  Partially due to CSU’s closing of the spring 2013 application cycle to all but a very limited number of students, transfer applicants surged to 108,726 from 92,806.  Graduate and credential applicants also increased to 12,215 from 9,849, even though many campuses continue to accept these submissions past Nov. 30.

Every CSU campus received more applications from first time freshmen and transfer applicants than last year.  The increases across all 23 campuses combine for a fourth straight year of record high systemwide applications.  This demonstrates a continuing demographic and economic trend toward higher education.

The CSU also continues a trend of attracting a diverse group of students.  Based on self-reported statistical data, no ethnic or racial group forms a majority among CSU undergraduate applicants.  The share of Latino applicants continues to increase.  A snapshot as of Nov. 30 shows 99,558 undergraduate applicants who self-identify Hispanic or Latino – up from 86,147 at this point last year.  The number of applicants self-identifying as African American, American Indian, Asian or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander also increased from fall 2012 to fall 2013 ­– with a relatively constant share of the total.

“The CSU reflects the diversity of California because we have made it our mission to educate all communities in the state,” said Nathan Evans, director of CSU Enrollment Management Services.  “The public demand for higher education has never been greater, yet the university struggles to meet that demand in a climate of unreliable state funding.”

The system held applications from new students pending the outcome of Proposition 30, which threatened a direct impact on funded enrollment targets due to the potential for $250 million in trigger cuts.  Having avoided those cuts, campuses are currently processing applications.

However, Proposition 30 itself does not provide funds necessary to meet current and future enrollment demand.  This led the CSU Board of Trustees in November to approve a budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year that calls for state reinvestment in the CSU.

“The ability of the CSU to educate California’s workforce depends on a positive commitment from the state,” said Robert Turnage, assistant vice chancellor for budget.  “The CSU proposal balances continuing state fiscal challenges with the right of current and future students to receive a quality university education.”

 

Doctor of Nursing Practice, other programs, continue taking applications

Even though most campuses completed their fall 2013 application period for undergraduates, opportunities to apply to graduate programs are still available.  These include the Doctor of Education and Doctor of Physical Therapy programs.

The CSU Fullerton-Long Beach-Los Angeles and Fresno State-San José State joint Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs also remain open.  Learn more about the DNP programs.

Check out a complete list of open campuses and programs at the graduate and undergraduate level on [CSU Mentor].  Please review the linked notices related to your campus of choice.

 

About the California State University

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 427,000 students and 44,000 faculty and staff. The CSU awards over 95,000 degrees annually and since its creation in 1961 has conferred nearly 2.6 million.

CSU Application Period for Fall 2013 Closed; Nursing Still Open

Wilk Announces Senior Staff; Lambourne is District Director

Linda Lambourne (left) will represent Assemblyman Scott Wilk (right) in the district. Photo: Facebook/Vanessa Wilk

Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R- Santa Clarita, has hired Julie Hegyi as chief of staff and Linda Lambourne as district director.

Hegyi most recently served as Capitol Director for Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R- Corona. She will manage and direct all activities and staff for the Capitol and District offices.

Prior to working for Assemblyman Miller, Hegyi worked as Legislative Director for both Assemblyman Martin Garrick, R- Carlsbad and Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R- Folsom.

“Julie’s knowledge and extensive experience in the Capitol made her the clear choice to serve as my Chief of Staff. I am very confident in her abilities and I look forward to working with her,” said Wilk.

Wilk and Lambourne have a substantial and long-standing working relationship. They began working together when Wilk served as District Director for U.S. Representative Howard P. “Buck” McKeon. She quickly became his chief assistant in the District Office. Lambourne will direct all activities and staff in Assemblyman Wilk’s district offices.

“Linda’s work ethic combined with her extensive community connections and government experience made her the obvious choice to run my district operations,” Wilk said.

The 38th Assembly District encompasses Simi Valley, the northwestern communities of the San Fernando Valley, and most of the Santa Clarita Valley.

Wilk Announces Senior Staff; Lambourne is District Director

Today in SCV History (Dec. 6)

1864 – Actor William S. Hart born in Newburgh, New York [Hart Index]

Today in SCV History (Dec. 6)

SCV Today December 6, 2012

On today’s show:

Mike Bjorkman tells us why right now is the time to buy or sell real estate in the SCV.

Victor Gill from the Burbank Bob Hope lets us in all the great things about choosing their airport as a resident of the SCV.

Augestine Prieto from California Bakery & Cafe has brought the most amazing tamales ever!

Arif Halaby from Total Financial Solutions educates on what we need to do for a strong financial future.

SCV Today December 6, 2012

TMC Volleyball Finishes with No. 11 Ranking

SCV NewsBreak for Wednesday, December 5, 2012

$25K Reward Going to Witness Who ID'd SCV Deputy's Attacker

Vasquez Rocks Park Expansion Moving Forward

UCLA Anderson Forecast Predicts Growth in GDP, Housing, Jobs

Boxer Bill Would Cut Long Lines on Election Day

Dec. 21: DUI Checkpoint Inside City Limits

Reminder: Kids Under Age 8 Need Car Seat

Dec. 12: City Event to Help Artists 'Get It Together'

American Legion Riders Selling Lapel Pins to Support Vets

TMC Volleyball's Samantha Dougherty Named All-American

Mustangs Take Quick Lead Over CalTech, Never Look Back

TMC Women's Basketball No. 14 in Nation

CLWA, Landscaping Firm Reward Water Saving

McKeon Chief of Staff Retiring; Joining PR Firm

Today in SCV History (Dec. 5)

Fair Oaks Kids Produce Live Daily Newscast (Video)

By way of  a closed-circuit, campus-wide television network, nearly 1,000 students and teachers tune in to a daily student-produced newscast each morning at Fair Oaks Ranch Community School.

Falcon Television Network, FTN, is in its tenth year, said program adviser and sixth-grade teacher Ken Newton.

“It really started with just the lunch menu,” Newton said.

Today the show has grown to a 10- to 15-minute  “quality” program that is enjoyed by more than 900 students each morning, Newton said.

This year, FTN is run by a group of nearly 80 students, mostly fourth- through sixth-graders with a couple of first-graders, too. Each day a different crew is responsible for producing the morning program which includes news, entertainment, games, weather, sports, birthdays, trivia and of course, the lunch menu.

“Our program gets the day going on the right foot and on a positive note for the entire school,” Newton said.

On Mondays, the group meets at lunchtime to discuss the show content for each day that week.

The program is made up of different segments each day including the daily lunch menu. Weather is featured three times a week. Green Bay Packers fan Vanessa Felix and sixth grader Joey Herand write and produce their own sports reports on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sixth grade student body president Jimmy Warshawsky writes and hosts his own segment “60 Seconds with the President” each Wednesday.

“I’ve always loved performing but I’ve never done this before because I don’t like to get up early,” Warshawsky said. “I started FTN this year and it’s been really fun.”

FTN is an extra curricular activity that requires the students show up to school 30 minutes early to rehearse the show, and reserve lunchtime on Mondays for the weekly meeting.

“It’s responsibility,” Newton said. “ They sign a contract and it’s a year long commitment.”

In addition to gaining public speaking experience and boosting confidence level in students, FTN increases students writing skills and computer literacy.

“Mr. Newton gives us constructive criticism to make out show better,” said sixth-grade student producer Chelsea King.

“The 21st-century student really has to be proficient in computers and technology, and they get that here, too,” Newton said.

SCV NewsBreak for Tuesday, December 4, 2012

In this episode: A familiar face returns to City Hall; Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff deputies involved in two separate collisions;

Also: Elementary school media class celebrates ten-year milestone; Hart District ROP opens spring registration; Local weather outlook.

Sports: SCV athletes win big in Pacific Youth Football League.

Finally: SCV Sheriff’s Station kicks off annual toy drive.

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.

COC Small Business Development Center Training Schedule (12-4-12)

How to Successfully Start Your New Business

This hands-on workshop will help you get started quickly as you learn the steps necessary to successfully launch your new business. Learn to prepare a written plan you can use to build and grow a profitable business. Learn the best way to structure your business as you identify and focus on the key marketing, sales and financial issues of your business and how to bring it all together. This powerful event has helped many entrepreneurs just like you achieve success.

Date:  Tuesday, December 4

Time: 9 am - 11 am

Cost: $30 + $2 parking fee (kiosk located in lot 14)

Location: University Center at College of the Canyons, Room 223

                26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita,  91355

HR Law for Supervisors & Managers – NEW!

Supervisors and managers are the first line of defense in complying with Human Resources laws.  Adequate knowledge of and training in this area is essential to legal compliance and in preventing complaints, charges, and lawsuits. Topics covered include how to legally and effectively interview and hire, performance manage, coach, counsel, discipline, and terminate. Also covers federal and California laws and regulations in discrimination and harassment, wrongful termination and discrimination, leaves of absence, wage hour laws, and labor relations.

Date:  Wednesday, December 5

Time: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm

Cost: $35 + $2 parking fee (kiosk located in lot 14)

Location: University Center at College of the Canyons, Room 223

                26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita,  91355

Access to Capital – Finding Funding for Your Business – Evening Class! If you want/need a loan to start or build your business, or if you need some financial help to survive this recession, this workshop is for you. Learn the 5 C’s of credit so you will know what lenders are looking for when considering lending you money. You will receive information about available small business loan programs designed to assist businesses during a recession. Lastly, you will learn about the importance of having a well thought out business plan when asking for credit loan consideration from a bank or other lenders.  Date: Thursday, December 6 Time: 5 pm - 7 pm Cost: $30 + $2 parking fee (kiosk located in lot 14) Location: University Center at College of the Canyons, Room 222                 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita,  91355

Essential Steps for Writing a Business Plan

A business plan is a necessity for the success of your business! This workshop will cover all aspects of creating a business plan, as well as emphasize the importance of goals and outline methods to achieve these goals. Critical topics such as business development, marketing plans, advertising strategies, financial analysis & budgeting will be covered. Attendees may bring a laptop o work on their business plan during the training.

Date:  Friday, December 7

Time: 10 am - 1:00 pm

Cost: FREE

Location: University of Antelope Valley

                44055 North Sierra Highway, Lancaster  93534

Essential Steps for Writing a Business Plan

A business plan is a necessity for the success of your business! This workshop will cover all aspects of creating a business plan, as well as emphasize the importance of goals and outline methods to achieve these goals. Critical topics such as business development, marketing plans, advertising strategies, financial analysis & budgeting will be covered. Attendees may bring a laptop o work on their business plan during the training.

Date:  Tuesday, December 11

Time: 9 am - 12:00 pm

Cost: $35 + $2 parking fee (kiosk located in lot 14)

Location: University Center at College of the Canyons, Room 325

                26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita,  91355

Create a Business Website Using New Google Tools Small businesses across California are getting online through a free program from Google. Join us for an exciting hands-on workshop, in a computer lab, where you will create an easy-to-build Intuit website, get a free customized domain name, get free web hosting for one year, learn about free online tools and training. You will actually create a functioning website in this class, so come prepared with a Gmail account (available free from Google) and a flash drive with any photos or information such as bios, “about us”, or product information that you may want to upload to your new website. Limited Seating, preregistration required.  No walk-ins. Register online at: http://tinyurl.com/Create-Business-Website-121112   Date: Thursday, December 11 Time:  4:30 pm - 7:30 pm Cost: FREE Location: University of Antelope Valley           44055 North Sierra Highway, Lancaster  93534

Effective Marketing

Come prepared to listen, learn and discuss how Marketing is like washing dishes!  This energetic workshop will help you review what you have been doing; analyze what is working and what has not and what to do about it.  Learn proven ways to grow your business with low cost, targeted advertising and marketing that works from a marketing and sales expert with more than 35 years of successful business experience.  We begin with a presentation of how to create and execute a marketing and selling program and then it is your turn – you ask the questions about your business situation and get answers that are customized to your business situation.  Ideal for both existing business owners and those just getting started.

Date:  Thursday, December 13

Time: 10 am - 1:00 pm

Cost: $35

Location: Premier America Credit Union, 1st Floor Training Room

 19867 Prairie St., Chatsworth  91311

New Client Orientation This orientation will give insight into starting and running a successful small business.  You will learn all about what the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has to offer and how we can assist you in establishing or maintaining your small business through one-on-one consultation and training seminars. We offer the New Client Orientation free of charge to all new clients. Date:  Friday, December 14 Time: 10 am - 11:00 am Cost: FREE + $2 parking fee (kiosk located in lot 14) Location: University Center at College of the Canyons, Room 325                 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita,  91355

The SBDC offices will be closed from 12/17/12 – 1/1/13.

COC Small Business Development Center Training Schedule (12-4-12)

West Ranch Band, Colorguard Brave the Rain to Win Gold

The Wildcat Marching Band earned its third Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Championship Gold Medal in program history on Saturday, winning the 4A Division at Warren High School.

Competing against the 12 highest scoring bands in the 4A Division, the Wildcats earned a score of 88.33, finishing 1.5 points ahead of second place South Hills High School, the previous 4A Champion. Besides winning overall Gold, the band also won Awards for High Music, High General Effect, and High Percussion with a score of 95.

Earning championship gold was a perfect way to end a stellar season that included  the inaugural Valencia HS Field Show in October, where the Wildcats took Tournament Sweepstakes, High Music, High General Effect, High Visual, and both Percussion and Auxiliary (Colorguard) Awards. That was followed by an outstanding performance in November at Hart Rampage, earning the Wildcats another Tournament Sweepstakes Award, as well as High General Effect, High Visual, and Percussion Caption Awards, and also Division 4A First Place for Auxiliary.

Other awards this season included second place, Division 4A, and second place Auxiliary, at the Moorpark High School Field Show, while a trip to San Francisco for the Logan High School Field Show netted the Wildcats another second place award in Division 4A, as well as awards for High Music, High General Effect, and High Percussion.

“It has been a  wonderful year for the marching band and what a great way to finish,” band director Jason Marshall said.

For additional information, contact Jason Marshall, WRHS Director of Instrumental Music, (661) 222-1220 x646, jmarshall@hartdistrict.org, or visit www.westranchmusic.com.

West Ranch Band, Colorguard Brave the Rain to Win Gold

SCV Deputies Involved in 2 Separate Collisions

Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s deputies were involved in two separate collisions Monday night.

A patrol car responding to a 9-1-1 call collided with a civilian vehicle at the intersection of Valencia Boulevard and Creekside Road at approximately 10:15 p.m., said Lt. John Rush of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Station. Both deputies in the patrol vehicle were slightly injured.

A second traffic collision involving a Sheriff’s patrol car was also reported at Soledad Canyon and Bouquet Canyon Road Monday night. No injuries were reported.

December 4

In today’s all new episode of SCV Today we are all about giving back to the community.

To start things off we have Jessica Eynon and Labak the Magician here to talk about “The Magic in a Smile” event coming this weekend to raise funds for The Foundation for Children’s Dental Health.

We also have Lota Hadley, Adrian Paul, Mark Ryan, Greg Amsler, and Ethan Dettenmaier joining us to talk about this Saturday’s “Breakfast with Santa” benefiting Family Promise and Toys for Tots.

December 4

Community Celebrates Tree Lighting Ceremony

The switch was thrown and the tree was lit during a holiday tree lighting ceremony that took place Sunday night in Valencia. Tami and Dave take part in the festivities as Santa and Mrs. Claus pull the switch to power the long-time holiday tradition.

Community Celebrates Tree Lighting Ceremony

SCV NewsBreak for Monday, December 3, 2012

In this episode: A holiday tradition draws hundreds to a local hospital; Detectives have identified a Newhall man who was stabbed to death early Sunday morning.

Also: Community groups offer a better understanding of the literary arts; Local weather outlook.

Sports: High school basketball; All-CIF teams.

Finally: California Legislature welcomed a host of new faces; Freeway lane closures.

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.

Wilk Named Vice Chair of Assembly Rules Committee

Assemblyman Scott Wilk, who was sworn in Monday to his first term in California’s Legislature, found out the same day  he would be named vice chair of the Assembly’s Rules Committee.

There are also plans in the work for a bill to help higher education, which has been a cause that the former member of COC’s governing board has long championed.

[Click here] to listen to Wilk discuss the bill in detail, as well as his first hours in office.

Wilk Named Vice Chair of Assembly Rules Committee

Antonovich Sworn In for 9th Time on Board of Supervisors

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich was sworn in Monday for his ninth term as a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors by the Honorable John A. Arguelles, Justice, California Supreme Court (Ret.).  Among the other dignitaries present were Archbishop Jose Gomez, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who delivered the Invocation, Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan, and George Cheung, actor, who emceed the event.

Among the nearly 700 guests at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration were Consulate Generals of 10 foreign nations, numerous city and town council members and community leaders.

Antonovich Sworn In for 9th Time on Board of Supervisors

Saugus Streets Getting New Slurry Seal

Street maintenance resurfacing work, also known as slurry seal application, is scheduled to take place in two Saugus neighborhoods this week beginning Wednesday, Dec. 5.

The first project area is south of Plum Canyon Road, including Lisa Gail Drive and adjacent streets, beginning Wednesday and continuing through Friday, Dec. 7.

The second project area is south of Wiley Canyon Road/Via Princessa, including Rolling Green Way and Oak Ridge Drive and adjacent streets in the Circle J area, beginning Thursday, Dec. 6 and continuing through Monday, Dec. 10.

Affected residents have already been notified and “no parking/driving” signs are posted.

The slurry seal projects are part of the City’s ongoing capital improvements and will include crack fill to improve roadway conditions. Drivers are encouraged to commute slowly and cautiously throughout the areas as there may be road closures, workers, and loose sand until the slurry seal is cured and the work is complete.

For more information, please visit the City of Santa Clarita’s website [here] or call the Public Works Department at 661-290-2293.

Saugus Streets Getting New Slurry Seal

This Week at the SCV Chamber (12-3-12)

This Week at the SCV Chamber (12-3-12)

Newhall Murder Victim Identified

Detectives released the identification of a man who was stabbed to death outside of his Newhall home, according to law enforcement officials.

Franco Olea, 28, was believed to be responding to a car alarm outside of his home when he confronted the man who stabbed him, according to officials.

Olea was suspected of being a member of Newhall 13, a local gang, but officials are still not certain whether that was a factor in his murder, according to Lt. John Corina of the Homicide Bureau.

“We’re still not sure of a motive, as far as if it was just a robbery or if it was a gangbanger,” Corina said. There is no suspect at this time, he added.

Initial report:

A man died at the hospital after being stabbed at 2:21 a.m. Sunday morning.

“The Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau detectives have responded to the 22800 block on 15th Street in Newhall to investigate the circumstances surrounding the stabbing death of a male adult,’ said Sgt. Rich Pena Sheriff’s Department.

“The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead,” according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

Detectives have learned that deputies responded to the above location regarding a “possible burglary” 9-1-1 call. Upon their arrival, Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station deputies discovered the victim, a 28-year-old Hispanic man, lying on the driveway suffering from what appeared to be a stab wound.

The victim was transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia where he was pronounced dead.

Witnesses stated that they heard a car’s alarm activate on the street, according to Lt. Corina of the Homicide Bureau. When they went outside, the witnesses saw the victim fighting with another Hispanic male in the driveway of the residence. The suspect appeared to stab the victim and then left the location in an unknown direction.

The victim’s identity has not been released pending the notification of next of kin, according to coroner’s officials.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call 323-890-5500 and speak with or leave a message for Lt. John Corina.

Newhall Murder Victim Identified

Today in SCV History (Dec. 3)

1887 – Prohibitionist Henry Needham purchases land in Newhall, attempts to establish “dry” colony [story]

Today in SCV History (Dec. 3)

Man Stabbed to Death in Newhall Early Sunday

A man died at the hospital after being stabbed early Sunday.

The stabbing occured at 2:21 a.m. in the 22800 block of 15th Street in Newhall.

The victim’s identity has not been released. He was described only as a male Hispanic adult.

“The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead,” according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

Man Stabbed to Death in Newhall Early Sunday

Today in SCV History (Dec. 2)

1972 – Five wounded in Vagos biker gang shooting at Curtis & JoAnne Darcy’s Acton ’49er Saloon [story]

Today in SCV History (Dec. 2)

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