Westside Reader October 2015

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24 • Westside Reader Westside Opinion October 2015 C a M E R o n S M y t h Memo to gop Time to make some cuts daV E B o S S E R t the Stevenson Ranch landscape horror by Cameron Smyth Contributing Writer by Dave Bossert Contributing Writer With two debates (really four if you count the JV schedule) down, one thing is perfectly clear—the GOP needs to start making cuts and vastly reduce the number of candidates on the debate stage. It’s time to provide the leading candidates the necessary air time beyond a 30-second sound bite to actually explain their position on the numerous issues our nation faces. I actually forgot poor Mike Huckabee was on stage in the last debate, as he wasn’t even brought into it until nearly 30 minutes had passed. It’s time to move away from the 11-candidate scrum, and here is my take, based on the most recent debate, of who should make the cut. the outsiders Donald Trump As much of a “loose cannon” as he seems to be, Mr. Trump stayed relatively quiet in the debate and continued to follow what has been working: no real specifics, a few juvenile jabs and no real understanding of how to solve the issues he identifies. It’s truly a candidate’s dream as he continues to dominate the field as well as the narrative — IN. Ben Carson Carson is still second in the polls and he did nothing in the debate to change that. If anything, he offered a few more specifics and handled the increased attention that comes with his place in the polls well. If he can translate his standing into the financial support necessary to truly compete in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, he could provide a legitimate alternative to Trump — IN. Carly Fiorina In my opinion, Fiorina was the clear winner last night. She demonstrated solid foreign policy knowledge when discussing Putin and Syria, had a “highlight moment” when tackling the issue of Planned Parenthood, and made Trump look truly foolish when responding to Trump’s vile comment on her looks. She can clearly compete on the varsity level and will continue her upward trend — IN. the governors Jeb Bush Bush definitely wins “Most Improved” from the first debate . . . which I am sure he will gladly take. While still not seeming totally comfortable, he exposed Donald on the issue of casino gambling in Florida, had the biggest applause of the night in defense of his brother, and showed some personality on a few issues, such as his use of marijuana and his secret service code name. With $100 million raised, he has the ability to see this race to the end — IN. John Kasich Kasich is still my sleeper-pick to make an impact in 2016. While benefiting from a hometown crowd in the first debate, Kasich remained above the pettiness that sometimes entered in the debate and relied on his strong record in both Congress and Ohio. His mature approach is resonating as polls in both Iowa and New Hampshire indicate — IN. Chris Christie Also much improved from the first debate, Gov. Christie changed himself from a candidate who is trying to sell himself to the voters to one who gets the frustration of the American people and has the experience to facilitate the change. If he doesn’t start gaining traction nationally or in the early states, his time on the main stage will be jeopardized — Bubble. Scott Walker Governor Walker needed a big night at the debate and sadly it didn't happen. I remain surprised that his record didn't quite resonated with the voters and his polling never improved. The first casualty of the season, he made the best decision in dropping out. Mike Huckabee While Huckabee had good responses on gay marriage and Iran, his time has truly passed and if his poll numbers don’t dramatically change, he should no longer be part of the discussion — Out. the Senators Marco Rubio If not for Fiorina, Sen. Rubio would have been the clear winner. Going in, Rubio needed a big night and unquestionably delivered. He crushed a response on immigration and the value of speaking to Latino voters directly in Spanish, and made Trump look like a neophyte on foreign policy when discussing Syria. In the past, Democrats have said they fear Rubio the most, and he showed the public why — IN. Ted Cruz Senator Cruz is clearly one of the smartest candidates, with a compelling personal story. He is an excellent speaker and could benefit significantly from a smaller debate field. He was almost forgotten at times during the debate and post coverage almost ignored him completely. It appears that Halloween has arrived early in the form of a landscape horror story in the Stevenson Ranch community. If you drive along Stevenson Ranch Parkway you will immediately notice the visual terror that has descended upon this once beautiful roadway; the landscape is dead and overgrown. But the story goes beyond that if you start to look around at the slopes and other common areas within Stevenson Ranch which are suppose to be maintained by the L.A. County Landscape Maintenance District (LMD). Yes, we are in a drought and watering has been cut back leaving grass to brown and die around the community. Yet, if you drive across the freeway into the City of Santa Clarita you will see center mediums that have brown, dry grass as well, but which are also well groomed. On the mediums along Stevenson Ranch Parkway there are patches of dirt, weeds, and overgrown spots of grass; unkempt and looking more abandoned than anything else. The LMD has been working on the center mediums for months removing much of the irrigation and replacing just enough sprinkler heads to water the trees. This work is moving along at a snail’s pace and in the meantime the community is suffering on a number of levels. At the very least, the LMD could rip out all the weeds and dead grass leaving only dirt. That would at least appear much better then what is currently there, which looks more like neglect than a work in progress. Several residents have complained to me asking what is going on and all I can tell them is that LMD is a bloated bureaucracy For example, in the two recap stories in the LA Times, he is the only candidate from either debate not mentioned once — Bubble. Rand Paul Poor Sen. Paul . . . his first foray into the debate came from Donald Trump, who said he should not even be on stage because of his low poll numbers. While classless and unnecessary to mention — it’s true. Sen. Paul’s time has come to an end. I expect he will be the first candidate cut from the main stage — OUT. Cameron Smyth is a lifelong resident of the Santa Clarita Valley who served six years on the Santa Clarita City Council before being elected to represent the Valley in the State Legislature. After leaving the Assembly in 2012, Cameron returned to the private sector and continues to reside in Newhall with his wife and three children. that uses at least 40% of the money we pay in for administrative expenses. The LMD is just not working at an acceptable pace nor doing the job that they were created to handle. But that is no solace for those that are trying to sell their homes or who are having guests come to visit for the first time. The curb appeal of our community has slid into complete embarrassment; Stevenson Ranch looks visually terrible and it is having a negative impact on home prices. So what can be done to rectify this situation; get rid of the LMD. It is time for the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) to step up and manage the landscaping of the community better. Many years ago there was a Landscape Committee that helped to keep the LMD on point and doing their job but that appears to be nonexistent at this time. Other communities in the County and here in the Santa Clarita Valley have taken over their LMDs and are getting much better value for the fees that residents are paying. The HOA should be looking into the option of getting rid of the LMD now and not waiting for the landscape to deteriorate any further especially with the holidays fast approaching. Sadly, the process takes more time than it should. At this point, the landscaping around the community is so bad that when the El Nino rains come there very well be more problems with unstable hillsides giving way because of the lack of vegetation to hold the soil in place. That will create more expenses and more unsightly problem areas within the community. This is not what residents bargained for when they moved into Stevenson Ranch. If you live in Stevenson Ranch and are fed up with how awful our community has been looking lately then you need to either attend the HOA meeting or contact the management company and demand that they get this situation under control. The Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) meets on the third Tuesday of the month at the IHOP on Pico Canyon. That is the place to have your voice heard and to ask that the HOA board do a better job managing the common area landscaping for residents. Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. He is an award winning artist, filmmaker and author. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of The Westside Reader. Dave writes a regular weekly column online at www.thescvebeacon.com
October 2015 Westside Reader • 25 S C ot t w i l k honoring Connie worden-Roberts’ legacy by Assmemblyman Scott Wilk Contributing Writer On Aug. 12, 2014, the Santa Clarita Valley lost a piece of its heart with the passing of community leader Connie Worden-Roberts. To honor her memory and contributions to our community, I authored, and Senator Sharon Runner coauthored, ACR 89, a measure designating the Golden Valley Road Bridge over California State Route 14 as the Connie Worden-Roberts Memorial Bridge. Connie spent over 40 years putting others first and she never stopped thinking of ways to improve the quality of life for valley residents. I had the privilege of working with Connie on various projects and she poured her wisdom into many younger, emerging leaders such as former Assemblyman Cameron Smyth and Santa Clarita Councilwoman Laurene Weste. Her passion and dedication to the community was contagious. Connie grew up in Minnesota and graduated with a B.A. in English from San Jose State College before moving to the Los Angeles area. Her legacy began in 1970 when she started working with programs for gifted children at CSUN as well as various civic and volunteer organizations in the Santa Clarita Valley. In 1974, she became one of the first women elected to the Boys & Girls Club governing board and the following year was elected to the board of the Newhall- Saugus-Valencia Chamber of Commerce. Also in the ’70s, she was elected to the Hart High School District Board of Trustees, the North County Citizens Planning Council, the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital speaker’s bureau, and the Placerita Canyon Nature Center Association. While working for the chamber she became heavily involved in transportation issues and was put in charge of the chamber’s Transportation Committee. It was here she developed a passion for improving transportation in the Santa Clarita Valley. In 1975 she was named Santa Clarita Valley Woman of the Year. Connie also played an influential role as a leader in the establishment of the city of Santa Clarita, where she served on the original Planning Commission. In 1980 she worked as a special assistant to the president of HR Textron, and then as a deputy to Assemblywoman Marian La Follette, which is when I first met Connie as I was serving as a field representative to State Senator Ed Davis. Along with Carl Boyer, Connie was an active leader in the Canyon County Formation Committee, which was formed in an effort to separate the Santa Clarita Valley from Los Angeles County. Later in 1987 she played a major role in the campaign that led to the incorporation of the city of Santa Clarita. She also found time to serve as chair of the League of Women Voters. Connie also spent time on special programs for children at Wiley Canyon Elementary School. In 1990 Connie continued her work in the transportation industry and started her own business, the Transportation Management Association. She was appointed by Supervisor Michael Antonovich to the North County Transportation Coalition. She has been active as a board member in the Valley Industrial Association and served as the cochair of the SCV Transportation Alliance. In the early days of cityhood, the California Department of Transportation offered to spend $100 million to build a freeway around the city that would connect the 14 Freeway to I-5. But the city council, led by then Mayor Buck McKeon, turned the state down. That ended up being a very expensive mistake. As Santa Clarita Valley’s growth exploded it was clear that a thoroughfare connecting the 14 Freeway to the I-5 was needed. Connie earned the nickname of “road warrior” as she championed the project that would become known as the Cross Valley Connector. The project took 15 years to complete, at a cost of $245 million. The funding came from the federal, state and local governments, as well as private sources. Connie’s tireless leadership brought the Cross Valley Connector from a dream to a reality. It’s an honor to acknowledge Connie for her enduring legacy and I am privileged to play a part in naming the Golden Valley Road Bridge as the Connie Worden-Roberts Memorial Bridge. Connie Worden-Robert’s life touched us all and her presence is still greatly felt in our community. Her contributions to our community will never be forgotten. Thank you, Connie. Assemblyman Wilk represents the 38th Assembly District, which encompasses Simi Valley, the northwestern section of the San Fernando Valley and most of the Santa Clarita Valley. l E t t E R S Readers are encouraged to submit their views, reviews and questions as letters to the editor for publication in the Westside Reader. Submissions may be sent by mail or email. Letters are subject to being edited due to space constraints. Letters to the editor must include the author’s name, town and phone number for verification. Email: Info @westsidereader.com Mail To: 25876 The Old Road, Suite 66 Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381 win $100 Cash identify the artwork below from one of the advertisements in this publication and be entered into a drawing to win $100 Cash. Email the name of the advertiser, the page number the ad is on, and your city. to: info@westsidereader.com
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Westside Reader October 2015

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