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Month In Review – March 2020

by | Feb 25, 2020 | Community

A reflection on our communities past month’s achievements, community development and awesomeness!

SoCal Fire Fighters Returning Home
After spending nearly a month assisting the Victoria Rural Fire Service with wildfire suppression, 20 local firefighters returned home to the Southland from Australia, according to Angeles National Forest officials. After arriving at Los Angeles International Airport, firefighters will be transported to Los Angeles Fire Department Station 5, where some family members will reunite with their loved ones.

Pico Canyon Development Might
Get the Green Light
For the past, several month developers of the 37-home Pico Canyon Project have been working to get the ok to begin construction. With the required environmental impact reports completed, the county Department of Regional Planning staff recommends that the Commission give final approval to the developers with a few conditions such as the “mitigated negative declaration, “which states the applicants, Pico Canyon, LLC are to look out for and protect any paleontological or cultural artifacts that may be unearthed in the process.

Home and Condo Prices Set Record Highs
Realtors in the Santa Clarita Valley assisted 2,347 single-family home sales during 2019, an increase of 4.5 percent over the prior year, while prices hit new highs and the inventory plunged, the Southland Regional Association of Realtors reported Tuesday. It was the first annual increase in home sales after two consecutive years of declining sales. However, condominium sales of 926 units for the year were down 6.4 percent from 2018, primarily due to a lack of inventory. The home and condominium annual sales totals negotiated by realtors generated $1.9 billion for the local economy, not including the added impact of related transactions that typically follow many transactions, such as landscaping, home improvement projects, and home furnishing purchases.

Homeless Task Force Preparing with
New Game Plan
The 2020 Santa Clarita count of its homeless population is underway, and the special task force dedicated to carrying out this mission began preparation with a new game plan; in an effort to get a more accurate count in our community. With the help of UCLA graduate students, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) concluded that individuals are missed due to the geographical and visibility challenges that the volunteers face during the nighttime operation. To remedy this issue, they devised a morning group consisting of LAHSA members, city staff and LA County Sheriffs that target open spaces and washes.

Castaic High School Teacher Awarded
Sarah Avanessian, a Castaic High School English teacher and past teacher of the Year from the William S. Hart Union High School District, was presented the Beth Dalton Memorial Literacy Leadership Award by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) at the Literacy Lifts Conference. In presenting the award, Ms. Avanessian was noted as “a literacy warrior who has impacted the lives of students, families and colleagues for 17 years. In 2017, she was named L.A. County Teacher of the Year and one of Santa Clarita’s 50 most influential people.” The award’s namesake, Beth Dalton, was a middle school English teacher with Azusa Unified School District before becoming a literacy consultant with LACOE from 1999-2011.

SCV’s Strong Opinions on the Proposed
Ban of Flavored Tobacco
Senate Bill 793 proposes that flavored tobacco products should be banned from stores. Supposedly the allure of candy-like flavors and pleasant aromas are stealthy attracting youth and teens to partake in unhealthy and potentially fatal habits. Santa Clarita government officials and the Sheriff’s Department stated that if the bill is passed, they would have to comply with enforcing it. Local store owners are in opposition and suggest that rather banning at local markets to ban the sources where teens are getting the product through online stores. Many of these products are purchased via the internet where there is little to no regulation on who is and can purchase these products.

Recycle Hero Campaign Spotlight Local Heroes
To encourage residents to join in the movement to recycle better, the City of Santa Clarita launched the ‘Recycle Hero’ Campaign. This interactive awareness campaign helps people understand what should and should not go into the recycling bin while break down the myths associated to recycling. Through this campaign, The City of Santa Clarita aims to reinforce the importance of recycling right so that waste can be re-purposed, and resources can be conserved. Are you a Recycle Hero too? You could be featured in the next Recycle Hero advertisement, social media post or even on the cover of Seasons Magazine.

Local Radio Station Owner’s Returned to the U.S.
Many have been hearing the scary news on the coronavirus. And many have been following the story of Santa Clarita’s own: Jeri and Carl Goldman, owners of the local radio station KHTS. For the past several days the couple have been quarantined on a cruise ship and not allowed to leave their rooms because several people had become infected with the virus aboard the cruise ship they were on. The SCV has been following the live posts of Jeri Goldman as she accounted for some of her experiences while on the ship. Recently, the couple have been brought back to the U.S and due to a possible positive diagnosis, they are now being quarantined in a remote location in Nebraska. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Goldman’s and we wish them a speedy recovery and a safe trip home.

Reno 911! Reminds SCV of the #9PMRoutine
The cast of Comedy Central’s popular television show Reno 911! has taken time out of their busy schedules to remind Santa Clarita residents to perform the #9PMRoutine nightly. In the public service announcement video, each “officer” highlights the routine’s crucial steps in their own humorous and banter-filled way, guaranteeing a lasting impression. To help spread the word, Santa Clarita residents are asked to share the video with their community and to encourage friends, family and neighbors to partake in the #9PMRoutine. The #9PMRoutine continues to be one of the best ways to thwart crime and maintain safety in our Santa Clarita community.

SCV Water Responding to Water Chemical Findings
SCV Water will voluntarily remove a number of its groundwater wells from service in the coming months, following the State Water Resources Control Board – Division of Drinking Water’s decision to lower its response level guidelines for two chemicals found in low concentrations in drinking water across the state. Under the new guidelines, as many as 18 of the agency’s 44 wells could be impacted. On February 6, DDW lowered its response levels to 10 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 40 parts per trillion for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), two chemicals in a family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

COC Receives Grant for Mental Health Services
College of the Canyons received a $400,000 grant for mental health services. The grant came from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office so that COC can expand and enhance mental health services and awareness to students and the campus community by increasing the clinical hours and funding off a mental health coordinator. The Student Health and Wellness Center plans to host educational seminars for students and staff that are related to mindfulness training and stress reduction, human trafficking training, resiliency training, SAFE zone training, drug use and mental health, autism awareness, LatinX mental health issues and suicide prevention and response.

House of Representatives Passes Act to Preserve Open Space
Last month the House of Representatives passed the Rim of the Valley that preserves nearly 200,000 acres of land to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area which includes land in the Santa Clarita Valley. The land stretches from the Simi Hills and Santa Susanas to the Verdugos and on to the San Gabriel Mountains with a portion that lies in the southern section of the Santa Clarita Valley. The stretch of land is a breeding ground and migration area for several species. By conserving the area our community will be encouraged to get out there and experience it, stay healthy and have cleaner air for years to come.

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Arnold Bryant

Arnold Bryant