Community

Thousands of cyclists will pedal their way into Santa Clarita on Saturday, February 24 amid bustling excitement and fun activities for spectators of all ages.  Santa Clarita is one of 12 host cities for the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race being staged across California’s scenic roads taking off from San Francisco on February 18.  “The City of Santa Clarita is proud to host the finish of Stage 6 of the Tour of California,” Santa Clarita mayor, Marsha McLean said of the final 105 mile stretch from Santa Barbara to the SCV.

The glory of victory lives on for the Canyon High School Cowboy football team and it’s fans.  After a stunning 27-13 win late last year over the heavily favored number one team in the country, Concord De La Salle, the Cowboys reign as the CIF Division I State Champions for the first time in nearly 80 years.  In a recently released film, We Are Marshall, a coach played by Matthew McConaughey delivers a heart-wrenching pep speech to his team players.

The Valencia High Band and Color Guard Boosters will host the first edition of Hold’em and Roll’em Sweetheart Poker and Bunko Tournament at The Plaza, 23710 Lyons Avenue in Newhall, on Saturday, February 17 from 5 to 11 p.m.  Guests will enjoy dinner, raffles and a friendly night of competition as participants compete for cash and prizes.

Move over Laverne and Shirley, take a break Lenny and Squigy, the SCV-Newhall Optimist Club is calling for enthusiastic bowlers.  So, mark the date, it’s February 17th to slide into your bowling shoes and onto the lanes in the first annual Bowl-A-Thon to be held at the Santa Clarita Lanes in Saugus. Money raised at the Bowl-A-Thon will benefit the Heads Up therapy horse riding program, a Saugus ranch that helps disabled children improve balance, muscle tone, hand-and-eye coordination and self-confidence.

Engraved bricks honoring the living and the dead who have served our country are filling in and filling up the Veterans Historical Plaza in Santa Clarita. Pam Hogan, Chairman of the Veterans Historical Memorial Committee is proud of the historical walk of bricks that memorial visitors can see upon visiting the site located in Old Town Newhall. “More than 700 bricks have already been purchased.  The plaza is full of stories of grandfathers, fathers and sons who have all served and have bricks with their names on them,” says Hogan.

Andrew Ossa, Canyon Country wanted to learn more about the military and become a leader.  He is 12-years-old.  With a strong will, a sense of adventure and a commitment to physical and mental alertness, he is in the middle of the 1st class of Santa Clarita Valley Young Marines. The national program designed for 8-18 years of age is headed by Scott Derderian, commanding officer of the program who served in the Marine Corps himself, is an 8-day Saturday program that teaches the recruits the customs and courtesies of the military.

The Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce named Keyes Lexus of Valencia, Bill McClendon , General Manager and his team, the Medium Business of the Year during the Chamber’s 84th Annual Installation and Recognition Dinner gala held at the Hyatt Valencia Grand Ballroom on January 19.  Keyes Lexus of Valencia General Manager Bill McClendon, thanked his staff and the community for their support of the dealership, which opened in 2000, providing its customers with a world-class ownership experience.

If you appreciate the look of our clean city buses, your gratitude should be two-fold.  Not only does Santa Clarita’s Transit Maintenance Facility serve as a place to maintain and clean the city’s fleet of buses, it is a recognized facility for being environmentally responsible, as well. A “Gold” rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System was recently awarded to the city because of measurable high standards at the facility. 

A Canyon Country graphic artist will be communing with a bear after receiving a $3,000 award from the City of Santa Clarita.  Seriously, it’s not what you think.  Frank Rock was one of the finalists in the competition to select a creative artist to paint a five-by-nine-by-four foot tall fiberglass bear to be showcased at the Amgen Tour of California festivities on February 24 at the Westfield Valencia Town Center.

On March 24,the local AAUW (American Association of University Women) branch will sponsor, its annual math/science conference.  It will take place on a Saturday morning, at Valencia High School, and will enable the first 200 enrollees from the 7th and 8th grades of our Junior Highs to attend hands-on workshops presented by women in a broad variety of professions that involve math and science.  Girls will be able to attend three different presentations with these exciting role models in non-traditional women’s professions.

The kindness of strangers is always a welcome virtue and the residents of the Santa Clarita Valley pulled through last year by collecting nearly 100,000 books for elementary schools in Houma, Louisiana, an area devastated by Hurricane Rita.  The positive efforts driven by ongoing work done by the Santa Clarita Valley Disaster Coalition (SCVDC) are now being recognized with one of the top awards from the Emergency Preparedness Commission.

The 50-voice Santa Clarita Master Chorale will present Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio, Elijah, accompanied by a professional orchestra, on Sunday afternoon, March 18, at 3:30 p.m. at the College of the Canyons Performing Arts Center, Santa Clarita. Elijah presents several key, dramatic incidents in the life of the prophet, including his warning that the terrible drought signaled God’s wrath, his resurrection of the widow’s son, his defeat of the priests of Baal and the coming of rain, his suffering under King Ahab, his vision of God on Mount Horeb and his ascent into heaven. 

At the December meeting, Zonta awarded four Virginia Wrage Memorial Grants to deserving women who will use the funds to assist them as they strive to further their education.  Rowena Tilton’s 48 year-old husband died of cardiac arrest earlier this year; her goal is to obtain her nursing degree and become a Registered Nurse.  The funds will be used for tuition, books, supplies and transportation needs.

Hello Readers!  Have you got something to say about The Magazine of Santa Clarita?  If you do, this is your space for it!  Write, write and write to your hearts content about our content.  We will print your thoughts depending on space available each month.  E-mail your letters to editorial@santaclaritamagazine.com.  Thank you.

It’s not too late to reserve a seat for you and your loved one at what promises to be one of the most-elegant and exciting events on Valentines Night in the Santa Clarita Valley…the “Have a Heart Sweetheart Gala”. The red carpet event will kick-off with cocktails and the sounds of Robert Korda’s five strolling musicians followed by a gourmet dinner.  Sweep your loved one off their feet and onto the dance floor to the musical melodies of “Art Deco and His Society Orchestra,” a 10-piece orchestra with a female lead singer.

Do you still have the urge to win money?  Would you like your winning to be linked to a good cause?  We have the answer.  Send in a $10 donation to the Magazine of Santa Clarita Magathon contest.  Every time you enter, ninety percent of the money will be donated to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.  So, how do you win?  The remaining ten percent of the donations will be pooled and given to the winning entry.

Who needs an Oscar for best actor in a feature film when you can garner a triple win at the Celebrity Waiter Event on Friday, February 23rd?  Win for having the generosity to buy a platinum table of seats, win a great evening of fun and entertainment and win as you realize the money from the event goes toward the worthy cause of supporting the Respite Adult Day Care program at the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Citizen Center.

In our safe bubble of Santa Clarita, it is difficult to imagine children being mistreated to the degree they are reported to be in other parts of the world.  The good-will efforts of the Sanctuary Church, Canyon Country, have put Tammy Morrell and fifteen other volunteers on a trip to Thailand this month for 14 days to save children who have been or are at risk of being sold into prostitution or slavery.