Westside Reader November 2015

ighting in the jungles of Vietnam
might be a decades-old memory
from the other side of the globe,
but Santa Clarita resident and re-
Ftired Army Sgt. William Reynolds
BY JOSH PREMAKO • STAFF WRITER
is still on a mission. Over the last several
months, the Army veteran has been leading the
charge to raise support for a war memorial in
Santa Clarita, paying tribute to those local residents
who died in combat. It’s particularly
poignant for Reynolds, who was deployed to
Vietnam in the late 1960s.
“This is important to me as a combat veteran
because I experienced my buddies dying
See Mission, page 13
Laemmle arthouse
theater
12
From food
service to park
president
37 28
Thanksgiving
food, fun &
decor
Plus . . . Town Council coverage • Opinion • Schools • Columnists • Community Calendar • Features . . . and much more!

November 2015 THE Reader • 5

6 • THE Reader
Table of Contents
November 2015
The Mission Continues Cover
The City of Santa Clarita Looks into the Future with Vision 2020
• Wells will monitor groundwater for possible perchlorate •
City of Santa Clarita property values rank fifth in the county 5
West Ranch Town Council repairs for The Old Road south •
West Ranch Crime Blotter 8
Voting rights settlement is revised after state-law snag •
Valencia Crime Blotter 9
Road extension projects aim to ease valley traffic •
Saugus Crime Blotter 10
Santa Clarita City Council stamps out e-cigarettes •
The City of Santa Clarita kicks off 2015 holiday season •
Skating coming back to Town Center Drive 11
Laemmle art-house theater development not a done deal •
Newhall dad gets 50-to-life for beating death of 19-day-old
daughter • Newhall Crime Blotter 12
Castaic Town Council planning for mudslide caused
road closures • Castaic Crime Blotter 14
Reader Sports 15
Wm. S. Hart Union High School District candidate
statements & questions 16
Hart District college & career fair held •
Google Expeditions program comes to Valencia High School 17
The Historic (and Haunted) Mentryville 20
Congressman Steve Knight A Day in the Life: The Papal Visit •
Ray The Realtor Facing the Fears that Hold You Back 22
Reader Opinion: Cameron Smyth •
Reader Opinion: Dave Bossert 24
Reader Opinion: Assemblyman Scott Wilk 25
November Calendar 26
Restaurant Review: Elevated Comfort Food at JJ’s Bar & Grill 27
Thanksgiving Food, Fun and Decor 28
Festival of The Trees 30
Live Theater Offers Entertainment Over The Hill 32
What a Pair!: What causes a ‘red wine headache’? •
Garden Gates 35
Publisher
Richard Budman
Features & Entertainment Editor
Michele E. Buttelman
Staff Writers
Brandon Lowrey, Robb Fulcher, Patti Rasmussen, Lauren Budman, Beau Harrper,
Jim Walker, Jane Gates, Josh Premako, John Boston, Steve Pratt
Contributing Writers
Steve Knight, Cameron Smyth, Dave Bossert
Michelle Sathe, Ray Kutylo, Beth Heiserman, Dave Guenther, Scott Wilk
Advertising Account Executives
Michelle Earnhart, Chuck Christensen
Production & Prepress Manager
Chris Budman
Digital & Social Media
Lauren Budman
Production
David Perez, Carol Roper
The entire contents of the scv Reader & Westside Reader is copyrighted 2015 by BGL
Multimedia, Inc. All submitted letters and columns are strictly the opinions of the authors,
and not necessarily those of the publishers. All rights are reserved and no part of this publication
may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers.
For information, call 661-505-7180 e-mail: info @WestsideReader.com
Mail correspondence to: 25876 The Old Rd., Suite # 66, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381

November 2015 THE Reader • 7
state of the city luncheon
The city of Santa Clarita looks
into the future with Vision 2020
By Jim Walker
Staff Writer
The city of Santa Clarita celebrated its
recent accomplishments and promoted
its plans for the future at the annual
State of the City Luncheon this month,
held at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. Sharing
the optimistic afternoon (and spaghetti
lunch) with hundreds of supporters, members
of the city council took turns outlining a
variety of projects currently underway, or
soon to be, with the overall theme of “Vision
2020.” And this “looking into the future”
theme was quite timely, as the graphics,
music and video presentations all related to
the highly publicized “Back to the Future” Day
(relating to the movies of that title), which
had occurred the day before the luncheon.
The State of the City guide, passed out to
attendees of the luncheon, described Santa
Clarita 2020 (Vision 2020) as the latest plan
for the city’s future, representing “a culmination
of community surveys, master plans and
community input.” And the plans highlighted
in the guide and at the luncheon fall into six
sub-themes of: Public Safety, Building and
Creating Community, Enhancing Economic
Vitality, Community Beautification, Sustaining
Public Infrastructure, and Proactive
Transport and Responsive Government Services.
Each council member spoke at the podium
to introduce his or her own video presentation,
which then visually highlighted the topics
presented. And though some of the
upcoming or ongoing projects were touched
on by more than one member of the council,
each council member emphasized a different
area of progress overall.
Marsha McLean
Prior to lunch, Mayor Marsha McLean announced
that the city of Santa Clarita had,
once again, been chosen as a host city for the
Amgen bicycle tour. The 2016 Amgen Tour of
California will have its Stage 2 finish here. The
City of Santa Clarita
property values rank
fifth in the county
Santa Clarita’s property values have
landed the city in the number five spot
of highest-valued cities in the county,
according to the 2015 annual report released
by the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office.
Santa Clarita’s property values increased
more than 6 percent to $73.1 billion, according
to county Assessor Jeffrey Prang.
Total County assessed property values of
the 88 incorporated cities and the unincorporated
areas topped $1.2 trillion.
The cities with the highest total property
values were: Los Angeles, followed by Long
Beach, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Santa
Clarita.
Los Angeles County itself accounted for
the largest chunk of assessed values in the
state of California.
Included in the property tax rolls are single-family
homes, condominiums, apartment
buildings and commercial-industrial parks. R
Mayor Marsha McLean announced that the city of Santa Clarita had, once again, been chosen as a host city for
the Amgen bicycle tour. The 2016 Amgen Tour of California will have its Stage 2 finish here. The city of Santa
Clarita has hosted 11 previous Amgen stages, the most of any California city. PhoTo CourTeSy CiTy of SAnTA CLAriTA
city of Santa Clarita has hosted 11 previous
Amgen stages, the most of any California city.
When she took the podium after lunch,
McLean first discussed the new Senior Center
on Golden Valley Road. The 31,000 square
foot facility will be adjacent to a new YMCA
and a new senior housing development. She
also discussed the plan to bring a Laemmle
Theater to Old Town Newhall. She covered
road resurfacing and the Golden Valley Road
bridge expansion, a new library in Saugus, a
new Sheriff’s station in the city, a new Canyon
Country Community Center and a new
Newhall Post Office.
McLean discussed the formation of the
North Los Angeles County Community Protection
Association to ensure the California
High-Speed Rail Authority project (bullet
train) does not negatively impact our valley.
“The city council is adamantly opposed to any
surface alignment route in the High-Speed
Rail project, along the Antelope Valley line,”
she said.
Bob Kellar
After complimenting the spaghetti and
meatballs offered at the luncheon, Mayor Pro
Tem Bob Kellar emphasized the progress
made to prevent Cemex from mining in
Canyon Country. “We are well on our way to
finally ending this,” he said.
Kellar discussed programs to keep teens
off drugs, particularly marijuana. He also
lauded the new Mental Evaluation Teams,
which combine specially trained Sheriff’s
deputies and mental health clinicians to handle
mental health-related calls such as attempted
suicides and domestic violence.
Wells will monitor groundwater
for possible perchlorate presence
By robb fulcher
Staff Writer
Two new wells in Valencia will be used
to monitor any possible westward
spread of a groundwater contaminant
from the old Whittaker-Bermite munitions facility.
One of the wells was drilled in the parking
lot of the Westfield Valencia Town Center
mall, near the corner of McBean Parkway and
Valencia Boulevard. The second is scheduled
for completion by the end of the year, adjacent
to the Valencia Library, near the corner
of Valencia Boulevard and Magic Mountain
Parkway.
Both monitoring wells will be 1,200 feet
deep, with a manhole cover as the only portion
visible from the surface, said Brian J. Folsom,
engineering and operations manager for
the Castaic Lake Water Agency.
Monitors will take samples from the wells
to determine whether perchlorate, a byproduct
of fireworks, explosives and rocket motors,
is present in the groundwater. Perchlorate
from the former munitions site
previously forced water providers to close
some wells, but no contaminated water made
its way to consumers, Folsom said.
The EPA has determined that perchlorate
is harmful to the human thyroid gland.
The 996-acre site off western Soledad
Canyon Road was used since 1934 by companies
making and testing fireworks,
weapons and explosives. That work left behind
contaminants in the soil and groundwater,
as well as some unexploded ordnance,
according to the California Department of
Toxic Substances Control. An ongoing
cleanup is being paid for by the Whittaker
Corporation.
The hilly site is bounded by Bouquet
Canyon Road and Railroad Avenue to the
west, western Soledad Canyon Road to the
north, and Golden Valley Road to the east. R
Mayor Pro Tem Bob Kellar offers his thoughts on the
city's accomplishments. PhoTo By JiM WALKer
Kellar also further described the Golden
Valley Road bridge widening, including a
sidewalk on the north side and a dedicated
bike path on the south side.
Dante Acosta
Council Member Dante Acosta emphasized
the “unprecedented filming” in Santa Clarita
and the relocation of new businesses here,
such as Logix. “In just the last year, over 2,000
jobs were added to our city,” he said on his
video. He noted the Valencia Auto Center
growth and the sales tax it contributes to the
city, and lauded the Westfield Valencia Town
Center and its new restaurants. He also promoted
the Business Incubator and its nurturing
of new businesses. “Santa Clarita
remains one of the most business-friendly
cities in Los Angeles County,” he said.
Acosta said the Santa Clarita Film Incentive
program has been extended for another three
years, with the annual total incentive increased
to $75,000 per year. The program is
designed to attract locally based filming to
Santa Clarita and it offers refunds to film
companies for permits and other fees for
qualifying productions.
TimBen Boydston
Council Member TimBen Boydston first
thanked the taxpayers of Santa Clarita. “We
will try very hard to spend your money very
wisely,” he said. He also thanked the more
than 400 city employees. “You are the reason
this is a great city,” he said.
Boydston promoted the Thursdays@
Newhall series and the Newhall Farmers
Market, then also highlighted the new Senior
Center to come in Canyon Country. He endorsed
the Youth Grove at Central Park to
help raise awareness of safe driving for youth.
He also discussed the new Arts Master
Plan. “Our community has a strong desire to
see more cultural activities held locally...citizens
want to play an active role in the continued
development of Santa Clarita’s cultural
life.”
Laurene Weste
Council Member Laurene Weste also noted
the coming Saugus Library, as well as the expanding
parks and trails. “We have had a
wonderful time serving you, and we are
grateful for that opportunity,” she said.
During her video presentation, Weste said,
“We applaud the actions of the Bureau of
Land Management’s termination of Cemex’s
See State of the City, page 9

8 • THE Reader
November 2015
west ranch town council
Multiple jurisdictions complicate needed repairs for The Old Road south
By Jim Walker
Staff Writer
WrTC Members rick ryan (left) and James Zimmerman listen as Millie Jones discusses road repairs.
After favorable reports on the state of
things and upcoming events at the
Stevenson Ranch Library and Richard
Rioux Park, those in attendance at October’s
West Ranch Town Council meeting received a
reminder from Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin
Duxbury that people on the Westside (and
elsewhere) need to lock their cars — as there
has been a rash of petty thefts from unlocked
vehicles recently. Beyond that, most notable
from the evening were discussions of repairs
to The Old Road heading south from the
Westside, and one WRTC member announcing
his resignation.
Road Repairs
Concerns about the state of The Old Road,
south from Pico Canyon toward the City of
Los Angeles, had prompted the WRTC to examine
the issue, and to that end, three
spokespersons addressed the meeting on the
subject. First was Los Angeles County Road
Maintenance Supervisor Juvenal Arroyo, followed
by Millie Jones, field deputy for Los
Angeles City Councilman Mitchell Englander
of the Twelfth District, followed by Andre
Hollings, field representative for California
State Assemblyman Scott Wilk of the 38th
District.
As far as Los Angeles County was concerned,
Arroyo said, “As of this morning, the
county has no plans to do any repairs along
that stretch of road. We did resurface it about
two years ago, the portion from The Old Road
to Balboa Canyon.”
Millie Jones offered the City of Los Angeles’
point of view on the issue, noting that
“Some 20,000 commuter vehicles utilize The
Old Road, San Fernando Road and Balboa
(Boulevard) transportation corridor each
day. I’m one of those. . . . But the transportation
corridor is divided among three jurisdictions.
. . . If you are coming from the San
Fernando Valley and you are going out Balboa,
as you make the turn north onto San Fernando
Road, that portion of the area is in the
City of Los Angeles’ Council District Twelve.
Councilman Englander has jurisdiction there.
And that goes up just past the Sunshine
Canyon Landfill entrance. . . . At that point it
becomes Council District Seven jurisdiction,
Councilman Fuentes. That goes north past
Sierra Highway, about 700 feet. . . . At that
point...it becomes a county unincorporated
road on The Old Road, from there on in to
Stevenson Ranch and the Westridge area.”
Jones noted a number of improvements
that Council District Twelve has made and intends
to make to facilitate traffic flow in its
portion of the corridor. But she admitted that
the multiple jurisdictions in the corridor do
not facilitate synchronized repairs throughout
the corridor. She also noted that much of
the repair funding is based on state road
taxes, using a “rather antiquated formula,”
and that dollars available have gone down as
less money is generated from gas taxes.
For his part in the discussions, Hollings
noted that Caltrans’ reduced budget is part of
the problem, but that he can facilitate specific,
piecemeal repairs, such as pothole repairs,
when given exact information on the
need.
WRTC Member Dave Bossert summarized
the presentations by saying, he’d follow up
and, “We’ll try and tackle it one pothole at a
time.”
Council Member Zimmerman Resigns
At the end of the meeting, during the “public
comment” segment, West Ranch Town
Council Member (and treasurer) James Zimmerman
announced that this would have to
be his last appearance at a WRTC meeting, as
he was resigning from the town council because
of family commitments. “I just want to
say thank you for the last 13 years. I’m glad
to be considered a part of this and it’s near
and dear to my heart and I appreciate it,” he
said.
After Bossert thanked Zimmerman for his
service, to general applause, Rick Ryan noted
that the WRTC was in need of new volunteers
to become council members. R
c r i m e B l ot t e r
A burglary from vehicle occurred on the
25300 block of The Old Rd. Person(s) unknown
smashed the driver’s side window of
the victim’s vehicle and stole his Garmin
GPS which was attached to the windshield.
A petty theft from vehicle occurred on the
25700 block of Elliot Ct. Person(s) unknown
went into the victim’s unlocked vehicle
and stole her garage door opener, two
pair of sunglasses, credit cards, and gift
cards.
A petty theft occurred on the 26600 block
of Brooks Cir. A female adult stole $100.00
U.S. currency from the victim’s room while
she was babysitting the victim’s child. The
suspect was arrested for petty theft.
A petty theft occurred on the 25700 block
of The Old Rd. Person(s) unknown stole the
victim’s wallet containing her driver’s license,
social security card, and various
debit, credit, and gift cards which she lost in
the parking lot of the location.
A petty theft shoplifting occurred on the
25500 block of The Old Rd. A male adult
and a female adult exited the store with a
baby stroller they did not pay for. No arrest
was made.
A grand theft occurred on the 27000
block of Pebble Beach Dr. Person(s) unknown
gained access to the victim’s safe and
stole numerous silver bars worth $7,500.00.
A petty theft shoplifting occurred on the
25400 block of The Old Rd. A female adult
attempted to leave the location with several
make-up items she did not pay for. She was
arrested for petty theft.
A vehicle burglary occurred on the 24900
block of The Old Rd. Person(s) unknown
smashed the passenger window of his vehicle
and gained access to the trunk. The suspect
then stole a gym bag containing
miscellaneous school items.
An attempt robbery occurred on the
25800 block of The Old Rd. A female adult
attempted to leave the location with items
she did not pay for. When a store employee
attempted to stop her, the suspect pushed
her several times, then left the location in an
unknown vehicle. The suspect dropped the
items during the altercation, along with
$60.00 of her own money. R

November 2015 THE Reader • 9
State of the city
continued from page 7
two contracts for mining in Santa Clarita.”
And she used this to launch into a discussion
of other land preservation in the SCV and the
expansion of parks and trails. She also noted
that eight new tennis courts are coming to
Central Park.
“I want to encourage you to stay engaged
with all of these exciting new projects and facilities,
that will benefit our children and
grandchildren, well into Santa Clarita’s future,”
she said.
Exit video
Wrapping up the video presentations was
a sketch continuing the “Back to the Future”
theme, featuring a young “Dante Acosta” and
“TimBen Boydston” in “1985,” who are then
taken to the future (2015) by Marsha
McLean, who arrived through time in a short
Santa Clarita bus. The sketch also featured a
gun-totin’ Bob Kellar. The audience loved it. R
For more details on the city’s projects, visit
www.santaclarita2020.com.
c r i m e B l ot t e r
An armed robbery occurred near the
27700 block of McBean Parkway. An unknown
male black adult walked into the location
and demanded money from the
victim. The store clerk fearing for her safety
gave the suspect cash from the register. The
suspect is described as a male adult, last
seen wearing a gray Lakers hoodie and a
Lakers hat. The suspect left the location towards
Ralph’s super market.
A robbery occurred near the 24300 block
of Valencia Boulevard. A male white transient
walked up to the location and stole an
ice cream from the freezer which was located
at the front of the store. A store employee
walked outside to confront the
suspect, at which time he pushed her with
both hands causing her to fall back. The
suspect was able to retain an ice cream bar
and left the location prior to the deputies
arrival.
A battery occurred near the 22800 block
of Rio Chico Drive. A male suspect was arrested
from the location for attacking the
victim while he was exiting his car for no
reason. This incident took place late at
night.
A burglary occurred near the 28100
block of McBean Parkway. An unknown
suspect pried open the victim’s garage and
stole numerous items from inside the
garage.
A domestic violence occurred near the
23900 block of Del Monte Drive. A male
suspect was arrested from the location for
criminal threats and corporal injury to his
girlfriend. The suspect caused serious injury
to the victim and also caused her to
lose consciousness. The male suspect was
arrested without incident.
A burglary occurred near the 26400
block of Rockwell Canyon Road. An unknown
suspect (possibly female) entered
the woman’s locker room and stole numerous
items from nine different victims. Each
locker also had their locks stolen as well
and cash and other items
A grand theft occurred near the 24200
block of Valencia Boulevard. An unknown
suspect entered the store and stole 15 pairs
valencia
Voting rights settlement is revised after state-law snag
By robb fulcher
Staff Writer
Avoting rights lawsuit, claiming that minorities’
ballots are diluted in Santa
Clarita city elections, ended with a
whimper when state law forbade a remedy
that was agreed to by both parties.
“We would anticipate that it’s all over,” said
Santa Clarita City Attorney Joe Montes.
“We have done all we can do to satisfy the
lawsuit,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Pro Tem
Bob Keller.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not return
phone calls for comment.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of residents Jim
Soliz and Rosemarie Sanchez-Fraser, claimed
that at-large balloting — in which each voter
can cast votes for each seat up for election —
is unfair to minorities.
The city agreed to settle the lawsuit by
moving to cumulative balloting, which differs
from at-large balloting by allowing a voter to
concentrate all of his or her votes on a single
candidate. The city also agreed to move its
elections to November on even-numbered
years, aiming to encourage larger voter
turnouts by aligning with statewide elections,
and agreed to pay $600,000 in legal fees.
The result mirrored last year’s settlement
of another lawsuit by Soliz and Sanchez-
Fraser, which resulted in the Santa Clarita
Community College District moving to cumulative
voting, and paying $850,000 in legal
fees.
But the city’s settlement was modified
after the California secretary of state determined
that state law does not authorize cumulative
voting in cities such as Santa Clarita,
which does not have its own governing charter.
Santa Clarita is among 108 of California’s
478 cities that are governed under the state’s
“general law” for municipalities, rather than
by their own charters, according to the California
League of Cities.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla was “unable
to identify any express statutory authority for
the use of cumulative voting in California by a
general law city,” according to a letter he
wrote to Superior Court Judge Terry A. Green.
Green had previously approved the city’s
voting settlement. But after receiving
Padilla’s letter, Green nixed cumulative voting,
while leaving in place the attorneys’ fees
and the move of elections to November in
even-numbered years.
Vigorous defense
Keller vigorously defended the city’s handling
of voting.
“I have failed to see any lack of fairness in
our city of Santa Clarita. I absolutely do not
accept that there has been some form of unfairness
in our system of voting,” he said.
“This community has always been open to
anyone and everyone who has a desire to run
for office.”
He praised the “tremendous work” on the
of woman’s athletic pants.
A vehicle burglary occurred near the
23400 block of Via Barra. An unknown suspect
entered the victim’s vehicle and ransacked
the inside of the vehicle. Nothing
from inside the vehicle was stolen. Entry
was gained through the front passenger
side door by removing the weather stripping.
R
A voting rights lawsuit, claiming that minorities’ ballots are diluted in Santa Clarita city elections, ended
with a whimper when state law forbade a remedy that was agreed to by both parties. fiLe PhoTo
council of Dante Acosta, the body’s sole
Latino member, who was elected last year.
“It’s unfortunate that we were subjected to
this (the lawsuit),” Keller said. “It’s unfortunate
especially for the taxpayers.”
Council member TimBen Boydston also
said that minority voting rights are not hampered
in Santa Clarita.
“I don’t believe there is an issue in Santa
Clarita with the California Voting Rights Act.
I don’t believe that’s true,” he said. The option
of electing council members by district probably
would not increase minority representation
either, he added.
“I think because of the demographic
makeup of Santa Clarita, and how the minority
population is evenly distributed around
the city, it would be very difficult to draw a
district to accommodate that. Santa Clarita is
very integrated,” he said. R

10 • THE Reader
November 2015
saugus
Road extension projects aim to ease valley traffic
By robb fulcher
Staff Writer
Two major road extension projects —
one recently completed and another
recently approved — aim to ease traffic
in the growing Santa Clarita Valley. Traffic
has begun flowing through the recently completed
Golden Valley Road extension, linking
Saugus to the Santa Clarita Valley. And officials
have approved an extension of Via
Princessa, grooming that roadway as a major
east-west thoroughfare for valley traffic.
The long-sought Golden Valley Road project,
built by the developer of the nearby Five
Knolls planned community, extends Golden
Valley from Newhall Ranch Road to Plum
Canyon Road. The developer, Brookfield Residential,
also built the new five-acre Golden
Valley Park, a public park with picnic areas, a
shaded playground, basketball half-court,
and big and small dog park.
On the Via Princessa front, the Santa
Clarita City Council has approved the layout
for a 1.2-mile, six-lane extension, and now
must find $38.4 million to complete the project.
Design and construction would cost an
estimated $50 million. The city has secured
$11.6 million in transportation grants for the
project, and officials said they will seek more
grants, and money from developers, in their
quest to build the extension.
Council member Dante Acosta, who lives in
the eastern part of the city, said the project is
needed to get kids to and from school, parents
to and from work, and ambulances to
and from the eastern portions. He said
Soledad Canyon Road, another east-west
thoroughfare, “turns into a parking lot” when
accidents on Highway 14 force motorists
onto the surface streets.
“This road will get built if I have anything
to do with it. . . . We need to get this road built
and get people moving throughout the valley,”
Acosta said.
“We have a growing population,” said
Mayor Pro Tem Bob Keller. “This is a badly
needed road.”
The long-sought Golden Valley road project, built by the developer of the nearby five Knolls planned community,
extends Golden Valley road from newhall ranch road to Plum Canyon road, linking Saugus to the Santa
Clarita Valley. A trip from the Plum Canyon/Bouquet road area once required taking Bouquet or Plum
Canyon/Whites Canyon just to get over the hill to Soledad. The old route options (inset) are 5 to 8 miles long.
The Santa Clarita City Council has approved a long-awaited connector for Via Princessa. The 1.2-mile, six-lane
extension will join both ends of Via Princessa, crossing Golden Valley road. The current route options (illustrated
above) are over 6 miles.
Council member TimBen Boydston said if
the arterial roadway “grid” is not built out,
“we’re going to become the San Fernando
Valley, and people will be sitting in traffic.”
Representatives of the local environmental
group SCOPE expressed concerns about
the proximity of the Via Princessa route to a
habitat area for the spadefoot toad, and facilities
of National Technical Systems, an engineering
and testing company. City officials
told the council that environmental concerns
would be addressed when they seek permits
for the project.
“God bless the toads, but I’m more concerned
about the people in this community,”
Acosta said.
The Via Princessa extension plan calls for
a six-lane highway with a 14-foot, raised and
landscaped median, a 10-foot sidewalk and
parkway on each side, and a 12-foot, twolane
bike path along the south side. R
c r i m e B l ot t e r
A robbery was reported from a grocery
store on Bouquet Canyon Road/Newhall
Ranch Road. In this incident the suspects
filled a shopping cart with groceries and exited
the store. A store employee attempted
to stop the thieves but one suspect pulled
out an ASP and swung it at the victim. The
suspects fled the location. This incident is
being investigated by sheriff’s detectives
A grand theft auto was reported from
Bouquet Canyon Road/Benz Road. The victims
2000 Ford Expedition was stolen from
the location. Deputies later located the vehicle
in Sylmar and arrested the car thief
and returned the vehicle to its owner.
A petty theft was reported from a business
on Seco Canyon Road. In this incident,
a male suspect used the employee bat room
at the location. A few hours later the victim
discovered that her wallet had been stolen
from the employee bathroom area. Several
of the victim’s credit cards had been used
after the theft.
There was a theft from an unlocked vehicle
reported from Rodgers Drive/Timothy
Drive. The victim left her vehicle unlocked
which allowed easy access to her vehicle.
The suspect stole a Magic Mountain jacket
and a riding helmet.
We have seen several theft from vehicles
in the last few weeks. Most of these incidents
could have been avoided if the victim
had locked their car doors and removed
valuable items from their vehicles. Please
remember to lock your car doors to avoid
becoming a victim of a property crime.
There was a grand theft auto was reported
from the 27400 block of Onlee Ave.
The victim’s 1997 green Toyota Corolla was
stolen from the location. The vehicle was
later recovered in the Devonshire area. R

November 2015 THE Reader • 11
city hall
City Council stamps out e-cigarettes
Electronic smoking
devices the same as
tobacco under ordinance
By Josh Premako
Staff Writer
Those who prefer to spark up an e-cigarette
in the city of Santa Clarita will
need to pay attention to where they do
so, after the City Council voted unanimously
recently to hold the devices to the same restrictions
as smoking. The ordinance was approved
at a second reading during the Oct. 13
council meeting, after the initial vote on Sept.
22, and will go into effect in November. The
item first came before the council last spring
and was tabled for more research.
The decision will hold “vapers” to the same
limits as tobacco smokers, prohibiting the use
of electronic smoking devices in all city facilities
and parks, restaurants and bars, as well
as public places such as trails and open
spaces. However, the ordinance still allows
the sampling of e-cigarettes and similar devices
in the stores where they are sold.
According to a city staff report prepared for
the ordinance, the city received six written
complaints and at least eleven verbal complaints
about the use of e-cigarettes, primarily
on public transit and in enclosed public
areas.
When it comes to vaping, there are three
main types of battery-powered devices: “cigalikes,”
which look very much like normal
cigarettes; eGos, which are larger than cigalikes
and usually have a removable tank that
can be refilled with liquid containing nicotine
and propylene glycol (a syrupy synthetic
chemical shown to be generally safe); and
modular e-cigarettes, or mods, which can be
customized in numerous ways.
The devices are used by inhaling the vapor
created by heating liquid in the devices, delivering
nicotine without the carcinogenic tar
that comes with smoking tobacco products.
According to a 2015 study by the California
Department of Health, the vapor emitted
by e-cigarettes contains chemicals including
acetaldehyde, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde,
isoprene, nicotine, N-nitrosonornicotine,
toluene, lead and nickel.
At the Oct. 13 meeting, prior to the second
reading of the ordinance — and the council’s
summary vote — several residents spoke
during the public comment period. Among
them was Santa Clarita resident and Marine
Corps veteran Dick Jeffrey, who said he helps
seven veterans who have quit smoking by
switching to vaping and reducing their nicotine
intake.
“I don’t want you to think that smoking and
vaping are the same thing. They’re not,” he
told the council. “When people say there is no
proof that it works, my veterans are my proof.
I don’t relish the idea of regulation for regulation’s
sake.”
Larry, a Valencia resident and local business
owner who asked that his last name not
be used, also took issue with the ordinance.
Holiday skating coming back
to Town Center Drive
Valencia Town Center
On Ice to open Nov. 7
By Jim Walker
Staff Writer
Regardless of what the weather is doing
this holiday season, you can be assured
that the “winter spirit” will be
found at the mall, when Valencia Town Center
On Ice returns to Town Center Drive near the
Pottery Barn. Scheduled to open on Saturday,
Nov. 7 and continue through Sunday, Jan. 10,
the outdoor ice skating rink will again bring
seasonal good times, this year under the
theme of “Unwrapping the Joy of the Holidays.”
Stacie House, marketing director for the
Westfield Valencia Town Center, said that approximately
20,000 skaters visited the ice
rink last year. “The community absolutely enjoyed
the rink. It was an opportunity to create
magical moments and embrace the holiday
spirit.”
House noted that anyone can get out on the
ice. With “walkers” available for stability, she
said, “All levels of skaters are welcome, children
and adults.”
Concessions will be available, as will the
sale of apparel such as gloves and scarves.
There will be several special events as well,
including movie nights, glow-stick under the
stars nights, and a grand opening party on
Nov. 14. “Of course, Santa will be in the general
vicinity, too,” House said.
“We are also available to host parties and
private events,” she added. “We are happy to
discuss renting out the rink for that.”
Though hours and prices may change, the
ice rink is scheduled to be open Monday
through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday
and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Two-hour admission
and skate rentals are $14 for adults,
$10 for children eight years old and under,
and children under three are free with an
adult. Visit http://towncenteronice.com. R
Santa Clarita City Council, from left: TimBen Boydston, Mayor Marsha McLean, Dante Acosta, Laurene
Weste and Mayor Pro Tem Bob Kellar. CourTeSy PhoTo
“I feel this is a case of our council looking
for a problem to solve that does not exist,” he
said in an interview. “We are a city of almost
a quarter-million people. Clearly there are
many other issues they should be focusing
on.”
Larry said he started using an e-cigarette
about four years ago, after smoking a pack of
cigarettes a day for about 20 years. He said he
has continually tapered down his nicotine intake,
and plans to be nicotine-free within a
year.
“I feel 100 percent better. I have had zero
relapses and haven’t smoked in four years,”
he said. “These (liquids) have been approved
by the FDA and are used in foods we eat.
old town newhall
The City of Santa Clarita, in partnership
with the Valencia Auto Center and
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, invites
residents to spend some time in Old Town
Newhall to kick off the holiday season. Beginning
on Saturday, November 21 and continuing
through December, Old Town
Newhall’s Main Street will offer the perfect
holiday setting.
In the spirit of the season, dozens of Old
Town Newhall merchants will host the Old
Town Newhall Sip N’ Shop block party on Saturday,
November 21 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00
p.m. Holiday shoppers can stroll up and
down Main Street and enjoy wine tastings,
appetizers, promotions and specials at popular
local retailers just in time for the holidays.
Participating merchants include Barn and
Charm, By Invitation Only (BIO), Ceramic
Artist Studio Inc. (CASI), Closet on Main, Daily
Harvest, Faking it Flawless, Honu Coffee, Lisa
Duncan Interiors, Luscious Soul, Ma Maison,
Pulchella Winery, Tribute Salon, Via Tucci,
White Fig and more. An updated list of participating
merchants can be found on Old-
TownNewhall.com.
The City’s annual Light Up Main Street
celebration in Old Town Newhall, happening
on Saturday, November 21, will begin at 6:00
p.m. with festive dance and music performances
from local groups, including William S.
Hart High School and Santa Clarita Master
Some flavoring is added in, sometimes nicotine,
and that is it.”
While e-cigarette users have pointed to the
nicotine-delivery devices as a helpful way to
stop smoking, opponents of vaping have
claimed the products are marketed toward
children. The estimated $3 billion global industry
is rapidly expanding and features
more than 450 brands and more than 7,700
flavors including bubble gum, cherry crush
and menthol, according to a study by Boston
University.
“Ask anyone vaping what flavor they are
using. It’s generally something flavored,”
Larry said. “My favorite flavor is ‘Catherine
the Grape.’” R
City of Santa Clarita kicks off 2015
holiday season in Old Town Newhall
Chorale. The Santa Clarita City Council will officially
turn on the lights around 7:00 p.m. to
transform Main Street into a winter wonderland.
The street will be adorned with thousands
of lights and a 23-foot Christmas tree
in front of the Old Town Newhall Library will
serve as an anchor to the festive street.
In addition to the stunning light display,
holiday enthusiasts can also enjoy food
trucks and the chance to take a commemorative
photo with Santa and Mrs. Clause.
This year, the American Cancer Society will
be providing the community an opportunity
to remember their loved ones by purchasing
a golden luminaria bag. Bags will be available
for a $15 donation, or a $10 donation when
accompanied by a canned food item. One
hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly
to the American Cancer Society. Volunteers
from the American Cancer Society will
line Main Street with the illuminated bags.
Free public parking for both the Old Town
Newhall Sip N’ Shop and the Light Up Main
Street celebration will be available at the Old
Town Newhall Library, the Metrolink Station
and at several public parking lots on and
around Main Street.
For more information on the holiday events
taking place in Old Town Newhall, please visit
OldTownNewhall.com, or contact the City’s
Communications Department at (661) 255-
4939.

12 • THE Reader
November 2015
newhall
Laemmle art-house theater, mixeduse
development not a ‘done deal’
By robb fulcher
Staff Writer
While his City Council colleagues eagerly
plan to revitalize Old Town
Newhall with mixed-use development
and a Laemmle art-house theater, Tim-
Ben Boydston thinks dinner and a show is
coming at too high a price.
“It’s terrible planning,” said Boydston, as he
prepared to unveil his “Critical Facilities
Plan,” an alternative investment of city money
on downtown parking, plus facilities for seniors,
law enforcement, library patrons and
others spread throughout town.
The project
Negotiations have begun with Laemmle
Theatres and Serrano Development Group
for a project that would cost the city some
$13 million, by preliminary estimates, to revitalize
an area that has been targeted for redevelopment
for more than a decade.
Preliminary plans call for a new Laemmle
theater with six or seven screens, a public
parking structure with as many as 400
spaces, and a development with stores and
restaurants on the ground floor, 46 residential
units above, plus a courtyard. The new
development, on two acres at Main Street and
Lyons Avenue, would stand no taller than the
55-foot high Old Town Newhall Library
across the street.
City officials were awaiting completion of
an economic impact study, but they said the
new development could bring a 20 percent
increase in sales to neighboring businesses,
and boost economic activity in the area by $4
million a year.
The pushback
Boydston, who has a background in commercial
property management, said the city
plans to lavish an unwise $4.5 million subsidy
upon Laemmle.
“I’ve got nothing against art films and nothing
against the Laemmle company. I’m a free
market guy. I don’t want the government subsidizing
a private company when we have so
many other needs,” Boydston said. “If
Laemmle would come out and buy the land, I
would be in favor of that. One reason Santa
Clarita is a fiscally responsible city is that we
do not fall into the trap that others have. We
don’t do those big giveaways to private industry.
We let the free market dictate who
will come in and place their product in Santa
Clarita.”
He said the city plans to spend about $9
million for a parking structure that would not
add enough parking spaces to meet the increased
demand.
“As the downtown becomes more desirable,
parking needs go up. You don’t want to
build a project that doesn’t meet the parking
needs, and makes the parking worse,” he said.
Artist’s conceptual rendering shows the street view on Main Street
He pointed out that the 2005 Old Town
Newhall Specific Plan called for two parking
structures with a total of 800 spaces.
Boydston said the new development
would be “incredibly dense, sort of out of
place in downtown Newhall, more like the
San Fernando Valley. They are not going to
supply even two spaces per condo…They’re
not going to have guest spaces, so (condo
guests) are going to park in spaces that are
supposed to be commercial, and spaces for
people who are going to the movies,” Boydston
said.
Alternate vision
Boydston wants to encourage the same
amount of commercial development as the
existing plan, without subsidizing a theater.
He wants $13.5 million — roughly the
amount earmarked under the current plan —
as follows:
• $2 million to the Santa Clarita Valley Senior
Center
• $2 million to the area homeless shelter to
“provide more services year-round for the
homeless” and to “make sure they’re not in
danger of camping in the wash”
• $1 million toward reopening an adult
daycare center in the area, “which is critically
needed” by working people with aging parents
See Laemmle, page 18
Newhall dad gets 50-
to-life for beating death
of 19-day-old daughter
ANewhall man was sentenced Tuesday
to 50 years to life in state prison for
the beating death of his 19-day-old
daughter.
Matthew Brendan Warner, 30, pleaded no
contest Sept. 2 to a first-degree murder
charge.
The body of his infant daughter, Ellorah
Rose Warner, was discovered Jan. 24 in the
front cab of a Nissan pickup truck in an
apartment complex parking lot in the 23600
block of Newhall Avenue.
Her parents had gone to the Santa Clarita
sheriff’s station about 9:30 the previous
night to report her missing, triggering an extensive
search by police dogs, deputies on
foot and helicopter crews in the area near
the unmarried couple’s condominium in the
southern end of Newhall.
At 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 24, Warner led investigators
to the older-model Nissan truck,
which was parked about a half-mile from the
condo, and the infant was pronounced dead
at the scene. Prosecutors said her body had
been wrapped in towels and placed inside
some bags.
According to the Los Angeles County District
Attorney’s Office, Warner beat the infant
to death while her mother was at work,
then hid the body and claimed the baby had
been kidnapped.
In addition to murder, Warner was originally
charged with assault, torture and sexrelated
charges involving the child. Those
charges were dismissed as a result of his
plea. R
c r i m e B l ot t e r
A vehicle burglary occurred near 16th St.,
& Newhall Ave., Newhall. Suspect(s) unknown
forced entry into the victim’s vehicle
by shattering the driver side window and
stole the victim’s purse.
A vehicle burglary occurred near the
24900 block of Costa Brava, Newhall. Suspect(s)
unknown forced entry into the victim’s
tool box located in the bed of his truck
and stole tools.
A residential burglary occurred near the
24200 block of Bamboo Dr., Newhall. Suspect(s)
unknown entered the victim’s residence
through unlocked bedroom window
and stole items.
A residential burglary occurred near the
24300 block of Peppermint Ln., Newhall.
Suspect(s) unknown entered the victim’s
residence via the locked front door and
stole numerous items.
A commercial burglary occurred near the
24500 block of Lyons Ave., Newhall. Suspect(s)
unknown shattered the front glass
door of the business, however, nothing appeared
to have been stolen.
A commercial burglary occurred near the
24500 block of Lyons Ave., Newhall. Suspect(s)
unknown shattered the front glass
of the business and entered.
A commercial burglary occurred near the
24700 block of Railroad Ave., Newhall. Suspect(s)
unknown forced entry into the business
by prying open the front door, however,
nothing appeared to have been stolen.
A grand theft occurred near Sierra Hwy.,
& Newhall Ave., Newhall. Suspect(s) unknown
stole the victim's vehicle. R

November 2015 THE Reader • 13
veterans
The mission continues
Local vet leads the charge
to add a memorial for SCV
residents killed in combat
By Josh Premako
Staff Writer
Fighting in the jungles of Vietnam might
be a decades-old memory from the
other side of the globe, but Santa Clarita
resident and retired Army Sgt. William
Reynolds is still on
a mission. Over
the last several
months, the Army
veteran has been
leading the charge
to raise support
for a war memorial
in Santa
“This is important to me as a
combat veteran because I
experienced my buddies dying
all around me. We never forget
the fallen. I’ve always thought
about those guys.”
Clarita, paying
tribute to those
local residents
who died in combat.
It’s particularly
poignant for
Reynolds, who was deployed to Vietnam in
the late 1960s.
“This is important to me as a combat veteran
because I experienced my buddies dying
all around me,” he said. “We never forget the
fallen. I’ve always thought about those guys.”
Born in Texas and raised in Reseda,
Reynolds was a part of the Army’s famed 9th
Infantry Charlie Company, profiled in Andrew
Weist’s book, “The Boys of ’67: Charlie Company’s
War in Vietnam.” The book inspired a
two-hour documentary that aired on the National
Geographic Channel last year, including
an interview with Reynolds.
This year, Reynolds said, he started doing
research on how many fallen service members
were from the Santa Clarita Valley, poring
through yellowed old newspaper archives
for information. To date, he’s found the names
of 20 from World War II, five from the Korean
War and 14 from the Vietnam conflict.
“There should be a war memorial honoring
the fallen from the Santa Clarita Valley,”
he said. “I don’t care what size and shape it is,
as long as it has everyone’s name on it.”
This summer, Reynolds — supported by a
number of other veterans and community
volunteers — spoke during a Santa Clarita
City Council meeting about the desire to see
a war memorial erected in the city. Following
that meeting, he and other members of the
local Veterans Memorial Committee have
been in contact with city officials about steps
moving forward. At this point, Reynolds said,
city officials want more information on a
funding plan for
the memorial,
which he said is
envisioned as
being at the Veterans
Historical
Plaza in Newhall.
With an estimated
cost of
under $50,000,
he said the intent
is to raise funds
for the project,
not use public
funds.
“I think we’re going to get good support
around the community,” he said.
However, Reynolds is not only focused on
those lost in combat. He makes a point of encouraging
younger veterans and has been
one of a number of veterans in discussions
with Habitat for Humanity for the early
stages of a veteran mentor program.
“I always try to encourage the younger
guys, ‘get busy with your life,’” he said. “You
have to pick up where you left off. You only
have one life. To dwell on the negativity . . . is
not going to bode well for your life.”
After returning from Vietnam, Reynolds
worked a variety of jobs, eventually becoming
the facilities manager of Lockheed Martin’s
famed “Skunk Works,” where a number
of advanced military aircraft were developed
and built. Reynolds said he and many other
Vietnam-era veterans have been encouraged
by veterans of current conflicts who “are
thankful for us making their lives easier.
retired Army Sgt. William reynolds (back row, second from left) with his squad in Vietnam. The 2nd Platoon
was part of the Army’s famed 9th infantry Charlie Company, profiled in Andrew Weist’s book, “The Boys of ’67:
Charlie Company’s War in Vietnam.” The book inspired a two-hour documentary that aired on the national Geographic
Channel last year, including an interview with reynolds. PhoTo CourTeSy BiLL reynoLDS
ents are served by COC, according to Renard
Thomas COC’s director of reentry programs
and veterans affairs.
“Veterans are a very diverse group, but
some of the more common challenges veterans
face when coming back to school, are
learning how to make informed choices about
education and high demand careers,” he said.
“Some other challenges vary from developing
strong student skills to re-adjustment issues.
Military culture can be a lot different from
civilian culture, so veterans will have to develop
the life skills to be productive in a civilian
society after military service.”
When we returned (from Vietnam) we were
treated horribly by the public. The public
now treats younger veterans with so much
respect.”
He also noted that the SCV community is
very supportive of its veteran population, by
some estimates around 10,000 individuals.
“I love this community for its respect and
the honor that it puts upon the military,” he
said. “Living here is awesome for veterans.”
Helping Veterans Adjust
In recent years, College of the Canyons has
seen continued increases in the number of
military veterans enrolling in classes. Currently,
about 900 veterans and their depend- See Veterans, page 19
over the last several months, retired Army Sgt.
William reynolds has been leading the charge to
raise support for a war memorial in Santa Clarita,
paying tribute to those local residents who died in
combat. The V design — siginfying valor — was the
first concept proposed to the city council. CourTeSy
BiLL reynoLDS
The triangle of land at the corner of newhall Avenue and Market Street in newhall is the site of the Veterans
historical Plaza. The park was built after an aggressive fundraising campaign that included support from the
city, then-Assemblyman George runner and late state Sen. William “Pete” Knight. With benches, a fountain
and plenty of trees and columns, the park features flags for all branches of u.S. military service, informational
plaques and hundreds of inscribed bricks laid in the ground as a memorial to those who served. Sgt. reynolds
is trying to get a a war memorial added, paying tribute to those local residents who died in combat. STAff PhoTo
Veterans Day:
A Brief Primer
At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, the
armistice went into effect that ended
World War I. One year later, Nov. 11,
1919, was proclaimed by President
Woodrow Wilson as the first commemoration
of Armistice Day. The original
concept for the celebration was a day of
parades and public meetings, and a brief
suspension of business at 11 a.m.
In 1938, Armistice Day was proclaimed
a legal holiday set aside to
honor veterans of World War I. In 1954,
at the urging of veterans service organizations,
Congress amended the 1938
act, changing the holiday’s name to Veterans
Day.
Regardless what day of the week on
which it falls, Veterans Day is always observed
Nov. 11. R
SOurCe: u.S. DepT. OF VeTerANS AFFAirS

14 • THE Reader
castaic town council
Planning for impact of mudslidecaused
road closures a concern
By Jim Walker
Staff Writer
There was a bit of everything discussed
at the Castaic Town Council meeting
this month — horse trails, illegally
parked trucks, super scoopers — but the
most dialogue regarded plans for handling
future road closures, as occurred during recent
mudslides, plus the continuing recall effort
concerning a council member from Val
Verde.
Concerns
Of concern to council member Lloyd
Carder II was the closing of horse trails in
Hasley Canyon (locked gate) during the construction
of a new fire station on Hasley
Canyon Road. It was decided he would contact
Rosalind Wayman, senior deputy to Supervisor
Michael D. Antonovich, directly on
the issue.
When California Highway Patrol Officer
Robert Byrod and Captain Edward Krusey
came to the podium, one of the issues focused
on was the increasing numbers of large
trucks parking illegally in the center of Castaic
Road — possibly exacerbated by increasing
numbers of food trucks nearby
giving the truckers reason to stop there. Focusing
on different maximum enforcement
times and possibly adding “no parking” signs
or painting that on the street there, were discussed
as potential fixes for the problem.
Among the topics discussed by Stephanie
English, community services liaison for the
Los Angeles County Fire Department, were
fires, floods and earthquakes, and the department’s
Ready, Set, Go! guide. She also
noted that sand bags would be available at
certain fire stations (call first) and that two
new super scoopers had been made available
for this brush fire season, for a total of four.
Road closures
Several area residents questioned the
Highway Patrol officers about what locals
are to do when Interstate 5 is closed on the
Grapevine, as it was recently because of
mudslides. With traffic backing up as it is
rerouted off the freeway in Castaic during
the Grapevine closures, it can be very difficult
for residents to reach, and get just beyond,
the closures to their homes, such as
those who live in Paradise Ranch, which is
north of the Templin Highway offramp from
Interstate 5.
Operation Snowflake was discussed, and
the officers handed out maps regarding that
— and though the Snowflake situation normally
regards snow closures of the
Grapevine, the procedures remain basically
the same for mudslide closures (depending
on where the closures are, of course).
As described in Operation Snowflake, residents
needing to get beyond the closures can
California highway Patrol Captain edward Krusey
discusses mudslide road closures while officer
robert Byrod looks on.
tell the officer manning the closure that they
are a resident living beyond it and, if safe to
do so, they will be allowed to proceed north,
as far as Templin Highway. To this end, the
possibility of residents obtaining official
passes or placards that indicate they are residents
was discussed.
Recall petition
Val Verde resident Abigail DeSesa continued
the effort announced at the September
council meeting, regarding the possible recall
of Castaic Town Council Member Greg
Kimura, one of two council members representing
Val Verde. DeSesa presented the
board with 209 voter signatures to be verified,
which could initiate a recall election to
replace Kimura.
After DeSesa spoke, Val Verde resident
November 2015
Margaret Whipple took the podium to voice
her distress at the recall effort and to commend
Kimura on his work for the council.
Among other comments, she said, “I think
Greg Kimura is a wonderful board member...I
think he has been unfairly presented to the
community.”
When Whipple finished, Council President
John Kunak noted that the board would not
have a say in the matter, that her Val Verde
neighbors would. However, Council Member
Flo Lawrence said he greatly appreciated
Whipple’s input and thanked her.
If needed, that recall election committee
will include Council Members Dawn
Faulconer, Sandia Ennis and Jessica Roussel
Chambers, as well as Matt Gill, who ran the
last council election. R
c r i m e B l ot t e r
A petty theft was reported from the
29000 block of San Remo Place. The victim
reported having a Fed-X delivery package
taken from her front porch. The crime occurred
on 10-10-15 between 2:45 PM and
5:00 PM.
Please remember to never leave valuables
in plain view in your vehicle, close and lock
your doors. 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.
An aggravated assault occurred near the
31500 block of Castaic Road. A husband
and wife got into a heated verbal argument
which quickly turned physical. The husband
struck the wife in the face causing
minor injury. The husband fled the scene
prior to Deputies arrival.
A residential burglary occurred near the
31900 block of Topaz Court. Person(s) unknown
entered the above residence by
means unknown and stole jewelry from
within.
A vehicle burglary occurred near the
30300 block of Marigold Circle. Person(s)
unknown made entry into the victim’s vehicle
by means unknown and stole a bag containing
makeup and a car stereo cord.
A domestic dispute was reported from
the 31000 block of The Old Road. The victim
received stitches from an object thrown
at them from their spouse. The crime occurred
on 6-6-15 during the early morning
hours.
An assault was reported from an unknown
address on San Martinez Avenue. A
dispute occurred between several known
associates over an arm wrestling competition.
All parties were uncooperative with
responding deputies. The incident is believed
to be gang related.
A residential burglary was reported from
the 29000 block of Cromwell Avenue. The
victim reported seeing a male suspect leaving
their garage. The suspect description
was the same as another theft related report
in the area. The burglary occurred days
after their garage door opened was stolen
from their vehicle. The crime occurred on
9-25-15.
A theft was reported from the 29000
block of Cromwell Avenue. The above mentioned
victim’s vehicle had several items
stolen from inside it while parked in the
driveway. The crime occurred on 9-21.
Among the items stolen were the garage
door opener. The vehicle was unlocked at
the time of the theft. R

November 2015
Reader Sports
THE Reader • 15
golden valley high
Golden Valley Foothill League
losing streak ends at 45 games
By Steve Pratt
Staff Writer
When Dan Kelley accepted Golden
Valley High School Principal Sal
Frias’ offer to become the head varsity
football coach at the Santa Clarita school,
he was fully aware of “The Streak.” Entering
his first season last fall, Kelley knew it had
been 38 straight defeats for the Grizzlies at
Golden Valley High Log
Record: 5-3, 1-2 in Foothill League
*-Denote Foothill League game
Aug. 28: Defeated Lancaster, 23-6
Sept. 4: Lost to Royal, 31-26
Sept. 10: Defeated La Crescenta, 39-20
Sept. 18: Defeated Agoura, 35-20
Sept. 24: Defeated Hawthorne, 43-14
Oct. 9*: Lost to Valencia, 37-0
Oct. 16*: Defeated Canyon, 35-6
Oct. 23*: Lost to Hart, 24-21 (2 OT)
Oct. 30*: vs. West Ranch (at COC), 7 p.m.
Nov. 6*: at Saugus (at Canyon), 7 p.m.
the hands of Foothill League opponents, consisting
of Valencia, Hart, Saugus, Canyon and
West Ranch. With a decisive 35-6 victory over
Canyon on Oct. 16, Kelley and Golden Valley
(5-3, 1-2 in league) finally put the streak to
rest after 45 consecutive Foothill League
losses spanning nine-plus seasons.
“It’s awesome,” said Kelley, who also calls
the plays as the offensive coordinator. “I’ve
been coaching for 21 years and have been
fortunate to be around a lot of great wins. But
that one Friday night was something special.”
He added, “Taking over a program that hasn’t
ever won a Foothill League game and losing
all our league games last year and three overall
was an eye-opener for me. I felt that we
had to redefine ourselves as a program and
so we went into the weight room, which I’ve
always done. And the kids bought in. That
was the key; the kids buying in.”
Just one week later, Golden Valley came
close to pulling off the biggest upset in
Foothill history as the Grizzlies fell to powerhouse
Hart, 24-21 in double overtime. Hart
entered the game ranked sixth in the CIF-
Southern Section West Valley Division poll.
When the scoreboard clock finally ticked
down to 0:00 and the game versus Canyon finally
had ended, bedlam ensued and the players
went wild, drenching Kelley with the
Golden Valley Principal Sal frias (with football) receives the game ball from GV coach Dan Kelley. PhoTo Cour-
TeSy of DreW LyTLe
obligatory ice shower and handing the game
ball to their ardent supporter, Principal Frias.
Golden Valley was led by Jesse Camacho,
who registered a game-high 178 yards on 30
carries and three touchdowns.
Kelley was able to share the special win
with a special mentor now serving as one of
his assistant coaches. Legendary CIF-City
Section coach Jeff Engilman coached Kelley
at Sylmar High from 1989-91. Kelley was an
assistant under Engilman, now 65, at Sylmar
from 1994 to 2003, and at Arleta, where Engilman
ran the program from 2006 to 2010.
Following Engilman’s retirement after 37
years, Kelley took the keys from Engilman
and guided Arleta as head man from 2011 to
2013 before moving over to Golden Valley,
and bringing Engilman with him.
“Sometimes I’ll question calls, but other
See Golden Valley Football, page 39
valencia high
Vikings Football seeks seventh
straight Foothill League title
By Steve Pratt
Staff Writer
Awesometown has been Titletown for
the Valencia High football team for six
years running. That’s how many
Foothill League titles in a row the Vikings
have won since 2009 under head coach Larry
Muir. At this writing (Oct. 22), Valencia is Valencia
is currently 5-3 and 3-0 in league. If
Muir and his Valencia team are going to make
it seven in a row, they will probably have to
defeat rival Hart and win at least one other of
their last three games.
Valencia High Log
Record: 5-3, 3-0 in Foothill League
*-Denote Foothill League game
Sept. 4: Lost to Palmdale, 32-26
Sept. 11: Lost to Chaminade, 43-38
Sept. 18: Def. Highland, 42-7
Sept. 25: Def. Santa Monica, 57-0
Oct. 2: Lost to Centennial, 59-7
Oct. 9: Def. Golden Valley, 37-0
Oct. 16: Def. Saugus, 21-7
Oct. 23: Def. West Ranch, 44-6
Oct. 30: at Canyon, 7 p.m.
Nov. 6: vs. Hart (at COC), 7:30 p.m.
“We don’t talk about that, the streak and
stuff like that,” said Muir, a former UCLA
player, who has an 90-40-1 record at Valencia
since becoming head coach in 2005. “I
think the pressure comes more from the expectations
that the players ahead of these
guys have put on the program. There’s a certain
expectation about how they work and
about how they go about their business and
about how they perform. Those are the expectations
they have to live up to. Because the
kids that came before them have done that.”
Valencia opened the Foothill League season
with wins over Golden Valley, Saugus and
West Ranch. But a league title is just the first
goal to the ultimate one of winning a CIF conference
championship. Valencia has been to
the finals four times since starting football
back in 1996, but has come up short each
time. In fact, in just under 20 years, the
Vikings have become a powerhouse in Southern
California. In 19 seasons the Vikings have
posted a losing record only once, missed the
playoffs only once, earned seven league
championships, and advanced to the semifinals
or beyond in the CIF playoffs 10 times.
Since taking over the program in 2005,
Muir has been to the CIF quarterfinals once,
the semifinals five times and the championship
game once. The finals appearance
came just two seasons ago and ended in a
See Valencia Football, page 39

16 • THE Reader
November 2015
canyon country
Incumbent Sturgeon, challenger Taban seeking Area 4 school board seat
The SCV reader invited the candidates for
the William S. Hart Union High School District
Board to answer questions and submit a
statement.
1. What do you see as the major challenges
of the William S. Hart Unified School
District in the next five years?
Steve Sturgeon: There are always challenges
facing school districts across the state.
The Hart District will likely be focusing on the
following topics for several years:
1. The state budget, from where we receive
most of our $200 million budget, is not in our
control, it is in the control of the state legislature
and, as a result, we are constantly working
with and around the rules and
restrictions placed on school districts — all
while continuing to deliver the quality education
expected by our students and their
families.
2. The implementation of Common Core
will be a challenge. We’re incorporating the
newest strategies for providing better ways
to prepare our students for education beyond
high school and future job preparedness. No
one can be certain about what jobs will be
needed in the future; student skills need to
be able to be applied across new pathways.
3. Career Pathways and Career Technical
Education is and always has been a means to
a future for many of our students. The District
will focus on flexible classrooms to meet
the challenges of different industries and the
potential for new curriculum or pathways
into higher learning institutions that help
them obtain better jobs and careers.
4. Facilities, modernization and new construction
are hot topics for the District now
and over the next few years. We have upwards
of up to $500 million in projects to be
reviewed, permitted, managed, funded and
completed including major projects like the
Performing Arts Centers at Canyon High
School and Saugus High School, along with
the construction of the building for Castaic
High School.
Andrew Taban: Within the next five years,
I see new challenges as well as ongoing challenges.
For example, what’s new is the looming
teacher shortage, and ongoing is the
construction of Castaic High School, a promise
made to the public thus far unfulfilled.
There’s a lack of parent and community involvement
which is unfortunate because
studies show that increased involvement
equates to greater academic and social performance
for students. I’d like to make a positive
impact on these and other challenges the
district faces.
2. How will you help the school district
plan for the growth that’s coming?
Steve Sturgeon: My experience with the
Hart District for the last 18 years, 16 with the
Board and 2 years with the La Mesa Jr. High
candidate statements
Site Council, has given me the working
knowledge to engage with the Superintendent,
staff and teachers as growth occurs in
different ways. Sometimes it is necessary to
add resources to assist teachers in new learning
strategies, other times it might be to assist
new teachers in learning the methods
and practices of the District. It might be to
find ways to provide extra help to students at
risk or with special needs. And, of course, we
need to make sure the tools and facilities that
our students and staff need to do their job are
up to date and working properly.
Andrew Taban: The board will need to
take a very careful look at where the growth
is occurring and the impact on the existing
school sites. Things to consider may include
re-reviewing school boundaries to optimize
the use of existing school sites. Completion of
the new Castaic High School will serve as a
key piece of the puzzle but we should look at
a variety of ways to address growth.
3. What is your vision for the education
in your district over the next five years?
How does it support the economy and quality
of life in the community?
Steve Sturgeon: This District served about
9,000 students when I was first elected and
has grown to its current population of about
23,000. The Santa Clarita Valley and the Hart
District are projected to grow twice as big in
population as they are today. The SCV is one
of the few areas where new housing and business
can still find places to be built. Industry
in biomedical sciences, entertainment, aerospace,
military, graphics and computer technologies,
and all of the supporting businesses,
will bring more families and more students.
We know that the schools we build need
to be able to serve the community, not just for
the next five years, but more likely for the
next 30 to 50 years. Our families come to this
valley because of the education the District
provides along with the safety of our valley
and the available housing, all of which creates
the quality of life we have come to expect and
appreciate.
Andrew Taban: My vision for our district
is to further reduce existing achievement
gaps and expand existing vocational training
programs to address the fact that not all students
are college-bound. I’d like to see better
matriculation coordination between the districts
to ensure students successfully transition
and arrive pre-pared for the next step of
their education.
4. What are your three overall education
priorities that, in a perfect world, you
would accomplish during your time in office?
How will you go about achieving
them? Why are these the most important?
See School board election, page 21
On November 3, you
have the opportunity
to vote for a Hart District
Board Member for Area
4. Your choice is between me,
Steve Sturgeon, or a recent
graduate of Canyon High.
I have succeeded in this position
for 16 years, providing
innovative educational guidance
and acting as a careful
steward of resources for
22,000 students across the
SCV. I ask for your vote so I
may continue to work on your
behalf to keep this District
strong as we grow.
Steve Sturgeon
The Hart District is responsible
for the largest local public
agency budget of $200 million taxpayer
dollars. My successful business background,
along with 20 years experience serving the
elementary and secondary school systems,
make me ideally suited to put these resources
to best, most efficient and forward-thinking
use for our children.
Our quality schools are the primary reasons
families move to our valley. The William
S. Hart District, during my tenure, has been
nationally recognized for our academics, fine
arts, athletics, special education, continuation
schools, charter programs and our middlecollege
campus. Quality schools benefit all of
us, even if we don’t have children enrolled.
Home prices drop when there is doubt about
the quality of education and solvency of districts.
There are several major issues facing the
District in coming years. Classroom technology
and Common Core strategies will teach
our students critical thinking, not just rote
memorization. Teachers need
resources and support to
make this ongoing transition
a successful one. Expanding
our Career Pathways and
providing more Career Technical
education to help our
students prepare for community
college, university or immediate
job placement after
graduation is also paramount
to maintain the school quality
SCVians demand and deserve.
I have served on the California
School Board Association
for 10 years as one of
250 delegates from school
districts across the state. I’m
a member of the District Audit & Finance
Committee as well as the Facilities & Construction
Management Committee, overseeing
the Bond and Developer funds of
approximately $500 million dollars. I will do
everything in my power to continue managing
these funds so that they can be best invested
in our children’s educational futures.
My family and I have been residents of the
SCV for 35 years. I am personally invested in
the successful growth of the SCV and its
schools.
My phone and email are always open to
anyone in our community. I will always do
what I can to help you, your family or your
student. Please vote Steve Sturgeon, Hart
Board Member Area 4!
PS: This is a small-area election, making it
so important that ALL REGISTERED VOTERS
TAKE THE TIME TO VOTE. Area 4 includes
most of Canyon Country and the east side of
Saugus.
My name is Andrew
Taban. I am running
for the Hart board,
in Area 4 and respectfully
ask for your vote.
I’ll serve to create effective
and affordable solutions to
the many challenges facing
the district such as: closing
the ongoing achievement gap,
completing the construction
of the delayed Castaic High
School, improving fiscal responsibility
and accountability
for bond and booster
funding, and ensuring the
safety and security of our students,
teachers, and staff. In Andrew Taban
these ways and others, the
district will benefit from the fresh perspective
and increased transparency and stakeholder
engagement I will bring to the board.
I’ve felt the disconnect between stakeholders
and the board over the past few
years, seeking to improve the climate in our
schools — one of the eight state priorities.
Students’ views, backed by state law, were
undervalued and dismissed — a missed opportunity
to achieve another state priority
— student engagement. I will bring the 21st
century student perspective that is currently
lacking.
Studies show parent engagement leads to
greater student achievement. We need to
make it easier for parents to be involved. I will
push for new ways to engage them without
requiring significant time away from family
and work. More convenient meeting times
and options leveraging educational technology
are achievable goals with big benefits.
I’ll push for policy requiring better fiscal
oversight of tax funded bond projects in-
cluding Castaic High School, to
ensure your tax dollars are
spent conservatively and efficiently.
We need proactive
tracking to avoid unnecessary
delays and cost overruns.
I support the arts and other
activities that enrich students’
education, increasing achievement.
Many of these programs
are available due to the generosity
of parents. We’ve seen
incidents that call into question
whether proper controls
exist for school fundraising. I
want to protect your tax dollars
from unnecessary risk and
ensure equal access for all students.
As a trustee, I’ll push for
greater transparency and controls.
I’m a product of the district and now study
at COC. I understand the current academic
demands and obstacles that students must be
prepared for, and the methods that best reach
them.
I’ve been active in nonprofit organizations
including Boys & Girls Club, PFLAG, Michael
Hoefflin Foundation, and equestrian therapy.
I’ve organized and led workshops and have
been to Sacramento to draft education legislation.
I’ve worked with special needs and
English language students, giving me handson
experience with the diverse array of students
our district serves.
I’ll serve you full-time as a trustee, with
student achievement and engagement, fiscal
responsibility, and campus safety as my
highest priorities. Please vote for me, Andrew
Taban, for the William S. Hart school
board, in Trustee Area 4.
Thank you for your consideration,
Andrew Taban — www.taban4hart.com

November 2015
Reader Education
THE Reader • 17
college Bound
College and career fair held
By Pattie rasmussen
Staff Writer
For many high school seniors, the arrival
of fall is a reminder that college applications
are being accepted. It’s time to
collect school transcripts, finalize SAT exams
and organize that list of extracurricular activities
they’ve been amassing throughout
high school.
Janis Flock, career and college counselor
for the William S. Hart Union High School District,
said the most important thing for students
to consider when selecting a college is
“major, major, major.”
“So many students and parents get caught
up in the prestige of a college name or the location,
but find that there is no major offering
that will lead them to their chosen career
path,” Flock said. “The Hart District is working
very hard to express to students to begin
with the end in mind when selecting a postsecondary
option.”
In September, the district held its annual
College and Career Fair at West Ranch High
School to give students of all grades an opportunity
to learn about the many options
available to them. Representatives from state
and national colleges, career technical
schools, financial workshops and apprenticeship
programs were available to explain and
encourage students to move toward their future.
Saugus senior Christina Stirwalk, 17, attended
the fair with her mother, Alicia. Stirwalk
was gathering information from many
of the presenters, but was interested in the
University of California at Santa Barbara.
“I really want to go to UCSB,” she said. “I like
science, the area is really nice, and it’s not too
far from home.”
For those who were looking to move a little
farther from home, out-of-state universities
were also in attendance to explain the options
available and financial aid assistance.
Army Staff Sergeant Derrick Alford spoke
to the students about military careers and educational
benefits. Many were interested in
serving their country, he said, but also finding
a way to pay for their college education.
“A lot of girls want to go into the nursing
field, for example,” he said. “It’s hard to get
into a school and expensive — (in the Army)
we pay you to get trained.”
Technical schools are an option for many
students who may struggle with grades or
who want to go directly into the workforce.
Michelle and Steven Perez, education coordinators
for the Association of Building and
Contractors, said many students were looking
for an opportunity to find a good-paying job.
“It’s also a great place for those who need
to be reeducated in another field,” Michelle
Perez said.
Many students also opt to begin at a community
college to earn their associate degree
and possibly continue into a four-year university.
According to Flock, more than 50 percent
of college-bound graduating seniors in
the Hart district opt for community college.
“The reason why most choose community
college initially is they are not sure what to
study,” she said. “The cost of attending a fouryear
college is another main reason. Some
students don’t get into the colleges they applied
to and others just aren’t ready to leave
Christina Stirwalk talks to an enrollment counselor at the uCSB table. PhoTo By PATTie rASMuSSen
home yet.”
Cost is a factor when looking at approximately
$8,500 a year for a state college and
more than $13,000 for a California university.
If your student needs help deciding on a
college or financial assistance, the best place
to start is their school counseling office, Flock
said. Every high school has a career coach on
campus who is trained to help students find
career paths that interest them, as well as
schools that will support that goal, she added.
Other helpful resources include the College
Board website, collegeboard.org; getmetocollege.org;
and other individual college sites
that have tips and resources that help students
prepare, pay for, and succeed in college.
The University of California system opened
its applications portal in August for students
to begin working on their essays. The window
to submit these applications will close
November 30. While these and other deadlines
are approaching for this year’s graduating
class, Flock advises that it’s never too
early to talk to your child about college.
“Parents should start early discussions
about a career pathway and not necessarily
college,” Flock said. “As early as seventh
grade, students should take appropriate
classes in junior and senior high school in a
career pathway that will allow them to explore
career fields before they make a postsecondary
decision.” R
Hart Distric ‘Speech Week’
coming in early November
The Santa Clarita Valley Business Group,
in partnership with the William S. Hart
Union High School District, will be
sponsoring the 2nd Annual "Speech Week"
Competition in early November. This competition
will involve approximately 100 8th
grade students from each of the Hart District's
junior high schools. The topic for each
student's three-minute speech will be, "Why
is my education indispensable to my future?"
The preliminary rounds begin at 6 pm on
Nov. 2 with La Mesa hosting Sierra Vista. On
Nov. 4, Arroyo Seco hosts Rio Norte, and on
Nov. 5, Placerita hosts Rancho Pico. The top
two students from each school's preliminary
round will advance to the championship
round hosted by Rancho Pico on Thursday,
Nov. 12 at 6 pm. The speeches will be judged
by over 30 business owners from the Santa
Clarita Valley Business Group. The overall top
three students will receive cash awards in the
amounts of $200, $100, and $50.
The Santa Clarita Valley Business Group
(SCVBG) is a professional networking group
founded in 2002 and is comprised of over 75
business owners who work and live in the
Santa Clarita community. The SCVBG is very
proud and privileged to be associated with
the Hart School District in such a rewarding
event benefitting local students. Interested
students should contact the main office of
their school for details.
Google Expeditions Pioneer Program
comes to Valencia High School
By Pattie rasmussen
Staff Writer
Students at Valencia High School had an
opportunity to visit some far away
places without ever leaving campus
when Google came to school on October 9
with Google Cardboard virtual reality headsets.
These headsets allow a 360-degree full
immersion experience to areas such as the
Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands and
Mt. Fuji.
Computer Science Teacher Jerry Ostrove
applied and was selected to be part of the
Google Expeditions Pioneer Program. There
are over 100 different field trips a teacher is
able to select for the classroom.
Principal John Costanzo attended one of
Valencia high School Computer Science Teacher
Jerry ostrove contacted Google and is responsible for
having Google expeditions come to Valencia high
School.
the field trips and said it was amazing.
“There is nothing like seeing something in
person and being right there,” he said. “The
box glasses allowed you to do just that by taking
over your senses and feeling like you are
having a real life experience as an active participant.”
Google selected Valencia High as one of the
few schools to take part in this program. R

18 • THE Reader
Laemmle
continued from page 12
• $2 million toward planning and design
for a new sheriff’s station “more central to
our population base.” Boydston said county
officials would share in the cost of a new station,
and the city “would share ownership.”
• $2 million toward the return of a transitional
care unit to help Santa Clarita Valley
hospital patients on their way to outpatient
status
• $2 million toward construction of a
Canyon Country community center
• $2 million toward construction of a
Saugus community space and library
• $500,000 for a 150-space parking lot, instead
of a parking structure, in downtown
Newhall
Fighting momentum
Boydston said he hopes the rest of the
council can be persuaded against the current
plan for Old Town Newhall, despite the plan’s
momentum. He said a city video shown at a
recent event described officials as “working
to bring Laemmle Theatres to Old Town
Newhall.”
“They make it sound like a done deal, but
it’s not a done deal until the City Council
votes to spend that money. They create a
groundswell of opinion, and leave the impression
in everybody’s mind that it’s a done
deal, it’s going to happen. Then it becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy,” he said. “It’s very
sexy, very wonderful,” Boydston said. “You
can say you brought this great thing here.”
No conflict
Boydston did not take part in the City
Council’s July 14 decision to begin the project
negotiations, on the advice of City Attorney
Joe Montes, who believed Boydston
might have had a conflict of interest as executive
director of the nearby Canyon Theatre
Guild. Montes had sought the advice of the
state Fair Political Practices Commission,
which did not come in time for the meeting.
Later, the FPPC responded that Boydston
need not have stood down.
‘Vibrant environment’
On July 14 Greg Laemmle, president of
Laemmle Theatres, told the City Council that
his theater would show movies throughout
the week, aiming to appeal to a wide range of
patrons. He said the development could draw
as many as 200,000 people to the area per
year.
“I think there is an opportunity here to
jumpstart the development of what will be a
vibrant and authentic urban environment for
Old Town Newhall,” Laemmle said.
Seventeen others addressed the council to
support the project, and Mayor Marsha
November 2015
Artist’s conceptual rendering shows the view from railroad Avenue toward Main Street. The entrance to the
proposed parking structure on railroad Avenue and 9th Street is at left.
McLean said the council received 16 written
comments, all in favor, as well. Supporters included
two arts commissioners, speaking as
individuals and not for the commission, the
president of the Santa Clarita Philharmonic,
and the CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber
of Commerce.
Alan Ferdman, chair of the Canyon Country
Advisory Committee, said he was “very interested”
to know how much the city would
spend on the revitalization, and what size
subsidy Laemmle would receive.
“I think we all deserve to know before we
go any farther,” Ferdman said.
Council Member Dante Acosta said he was
“very enthusiastic about the project moving
forward,” and cautioned there remains “a lot
of work to be done.” R

November 2015 THE Reader • 19
For more information on the veterans housing project, including
how to get involved or donate, visit www.humanityca.org.
A Place of Remembrance
Flash back about a decade, and the triangle of land at the
corner of Newhall Avenue and Market Street in Newhall was
empty and overgrown with weeds. You’d never know that
today, when you drive by what’s now the Veterans Historical
Plaza. The park was built after an aggressive fundraising campaign
that included support from the city, then-Assemblyman
George Runner and late state Sen. William “Pete” Knight.
With benches, a fountain and plenty of trees and columns,
the park features flags for all branches of U.S. military service,
informational plaques and hundreds of inscribed bricks laid
in the ground as a memorial to those who served.
On Veterans Day — Wed., Nov. 11 — at 11 a.m., the city will
host its annual Veterans Day Ceremony, including speakers and
performances, to pay tribute to veterans as well as those currently
serving in the military. The event is a partnership between
the city, the Veterans Historical Committee, SCV Chapter
91 of the Blue Star Moms, Blue Star Moms of the Canyons
Chapter 82, Prayer Angels for the Military and the Knights of
Columbus. For more information, call (661) 286-4018. R
Bill and Meg reynolds at the emmys, where a documentary inspired by
Andrew Weist’s book, “The Boys of ’67: Charlie Company’s War in Vietnam”
was nominated. The two-hour documentary, including an interview
with reynolds, aired on the national Geographic Channel last year.
PhoTo CourTeSy BiLL reynoLDS
Veterans
continued from page 13
The college’s veterans affairs department is a collaboration
between several COC departments, focused on helping military
service members, veterans and their dependents in utilizing
VA education benefits. Other services include academic
counseling and peer support groups.
While there are several veteran organizations in the SCV,
there is no Veterans Affairs office in the valley. Thomas said
his department partners with the Vet Center to provide readjustment
counseling to student veterans once a week in the
COC Veteran Resource Center.
An Iraq war veteran with 22 years of combined Army service,
Thomas said he also hopes to see an increased focus on
facilitating social services for veterans in the SCV.
“I used my GI Bill to earn my first degree and have worked
at the COC for the last 17 years helping veterans successfully
attend college after military service,” he said. “My experiences
have made me well suited for directing the veterans program
at COC, where I have the pleasure of making a difference in
the lives of veterans every day.”
A Home for Veterans
This was a landmark year for veteran families in the SCV,
when the first group of 26 homes home was available for
move-in in the so-called “Homes for Heroes” housing tract.
With a planned total of 78 homes to be built on 23 acres over
several years, the project is being carried out by the SCV/San
Fernando Valley chapter of Habitat for Humanity in partnership
with the state Department of Veterans Affairs. The homes
are located on Centre Pointe Parkway near Bowman High
School. Veterans’ families will pay a third of their income for
the volunteer-built homes, which are priced around $285,000.
As part of the project, each family has contributed 500 hours
of “sweat equity” time, much of it on the construction site.
A ceremony for the first group of families to move in was
held in July and attended by U.S. Rep. Steve Knight, Assemblyman
Scott Wilk, Assemblywoman Patty Lopez and Santa
Clarita Mayor Marsha McLean.
“Words can’t describe the feeling and emotion of finally seeing
this house come to life,” Marine Cpl. Juan Pablo Sirri, an
Iraq combat veteran, said during the July ceremony. “In California,
we wouldn’t be able to afford a house.”
Help us Build a Great
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20 • THE Reader
November 2015
local history
The Historic (and Haunted) Mentryville
By John Boston
Staff Writer
Just a stone’s throw away from Mentryville
is East Canyon. It’s still listed on some
older maps as Saugus-To-The-Sea, a phantasmagorical
pathway. In the 1920s, California
was going to extend the Mulholland
Highway, linking the Pacific with Santa Clarita
through either this ancient trail or the Mentryville
Road.
How different would the marvelous isolation
of Mentryville be had that happened?
Mentryville is a forgotten historical gem,
right in the West Side’s backyard. Sure.
There’s old No. 4 waiting — California’s first
commercial oil well that pumped black gold
for more than a century. It just celebrated it’s
139th birthday on Sept. 26th and it’s the
world’s longest-producing oil well, shutting
down production in 1990. But the true fortune
are the stories.
Young Frenchman Charles Alex Mentry
Author Bill Brown wrote an underground novel in
2001 about our long-forgotten road. it’s received a
5-star rating on Amazon.com. As the author wrote:
“it’s never a good thing when your world turns
weird and you're the only one who notices.”
was already a mighty veteran of the oil business
when he constructed the 617-foot-deep
well. Oil still bubbles out of the ground
throughout the area protected by the Santa
Susana Mountains Conservancy. Oil exploration
was so successful that just three-plus
years later, by 1880, there were 100 families
living in the community and even more single
male workers. Mentry had strict ethical
codes: no drinking and no swearing. He kept
a large glass “Cuss Jar” filled with fines whenever
he caught a worker cursing. Unskilled laborers
could make $2.50 a day and skilled
drillers $4. Mentry himself made $300-amonth
straight salary, not including bonuses
and his various side businesses.
Of course, he wasn’t the first person to discover
petroleum. For centuries, our Tataviam
Indians used the thick, black goo for everything
from waterproofing straw baskets to
designing little black balls as fashion accessories
for women’s grass skirts.
In the mid 1870s, a Pennsylvania oil tycoon,
Demetrius Scofield, visited Pico Springs
The 13-room Mentry house. While the date of this photo is unknown, the house was completed in 1889. note
the lack of trees then. CourTeSy of DArryL MAnZer
(as it was called then). He sent his young
wildcatter, Mentry, to make a fortune. Mentry
deepened the original well (dug by local
businessmen/gunfighters Henry Clay Wiley,
Wirt Jenkins — the fabled pariarch of one of
the West’s biggest range wars —and Sanford
Lyon — each colorful men with epic lives).
Every day, Mentry rode either horse or
horse and buggy from his 180-acre ranch in
Placerita Canyon to oversee operations. He
and his wife soon built the present-day 13-
room house in Mentryville. Today, it’s frequently
used for movie shoots.
Remember that the railroad came through
the SCV in 1876 and soon, rail tycoons were
gouging Mentry in shipping charges. He and
Scofield circumnavigated the problem by
building California’s first commercial oil refinery
and laying pipe directly from Mentryville
into Newhall. You can still see the
various pipelines there today.
The little red schoolhouse that’s there
today was built in 1885, primarily for Mentry’s
four kids, but also, the children of the
many oil families. Interestingly, when a wildcatter
moved out, he would literally take all
the boards, windows and doors from the
foundation and wagon them to their next
home site. There’s also remnants of the old
blacksmith shop/garage, bakery and evidence
of other buildings.
The garage and bakery were run by the
Cochem family, who placed boxes of coconut
macaroons and baked goodies twice daily on
the stage into Newhall to be sold.
A big quake hit Pico Canyon in 1893. A
mob of angry Newhallians marched up to
Mentryville, accusing the oil production as
being the cause of the quake.
The place was the first community to be lit
by natural gas. There was a dance floor and a
twice-daily stagecoach into Newhall, which
had, for a while, the 5-star Southern Hotel,
built by Henry Mayo Newhall.
An absolute treat is to hike, bike or horseback
ride up about a half-mile up the service
road. Johnson’s Park is still there and a great
place for a picnic or rest.
Alex Mentry, 1893. CourTeSy SCV hiSToriCAL SoCieTy
Mr. Mentry’s idyllic life ended in strange
fashion. He may have been killed by a local,
one plecia neaurotica, aka, the deadly “Assassin
Bug” or “Kissing Bug.” They’re still around
the SCV and bite people on the lips while they
sleep.
Carol Lagasse and her husband used to
manage Mentryville when it was owned by
Standard Oil. Carol was friends with Mr. Mentry’s
daughter-in-law, whom she called Aunt
Gladys. AG reported that poor Mentry kept
getting bit at night while he slept and each
time, he kept getting sicker and sicker. Finally,
he died in 1900 of kidney failure.
Strange way to go.
Even stranger, Mentry’s father, Peter, was
murdered while walking from Mentryville to
Newhall. Someone just shot him. For years,
there were stories of mournful, human howls,
attributed to Peter’s ghost.
Stranger still, there were Bigfoot sightings
and giant footprints spotted in the canyon
during the 1940s.
This SCV treasure is easy to get to. Just
drive west on Pico Canyon until the road ends
and bear left. R
John Boston is the SCV Historian and local
author. Another hat he wears is editor of the
new national humor, entertainment and
swashbuckling commentary website, FooF
Magazine.com.
Walton young was the
overseer of Mentryville
in the early 20th century.
it’s believed that’s
young and his family
scattered by their house
in this 1905 photo.
young was also the
school superintendent.
California had a law
stating that a school
district must have at
least 8 students to
legally be a school district.
in 1932, there
were four kids at the little
red schoolhouse. A
Canadian wildcatter
showed up one day,
looking for work. he
asked if the school was
open because he had 9
kids. he saved the felton
School and young’s
salary. Courtesy friends
of Mentryville

November 2015 THE Reader • 21
Thursdays@Newhall Winter
Series offers new indoor
events from Nov. to Feb.
The City of Santa Clarita’s Thursdays@
Newhall series, presented by Galpin
Subaru, will, for the first time ever,
offer winter events from November 2015 to
February 2016 in Old Town Newhall. As the
weather cools down, Thursdays@Newhall invites
residents to move inside for two new
performance events.
On the first Thursday of every month, beginning
November 5, Thursdays@Newhall
will host 10 by 10, a variety night where ten
selected artists will take the stage and perform
within a ten minute time limit. Performances
will include free form dance,
monologues, improv sketches and more, at
the Repertory East Playhouse, located at
24266 Main Street.
On the second Thursday of each month,
beginning November 12 through February
11, a singer and songwriter night, Note by
Note, will take place inside Newhall Refinery.
Note by Note will be an evening of original
songs, penned by both professional and aspiring
songwriters. Newhall Refinery is located
at 24258 Main Street.
On November 19, SCVTV Presents The
OutWest Concert Series with Adrian Buckaroogirl,
a young Folk, Country, Rock and
Western singer, beginning at 8:00 p.m. at the
Repertory East Playhouse. Tickets can be
purchased here.
The ARTree Speaker Series, presented in
partnership with the CalArts Community
Arts Partnership and the City of Santa Clarita,
will continue with free lectures on January
28 and February 25.
For more information about the City of
Santa Clarita’s Thursdays@Newhall events,
including applications for Note by Note or 10
by 10, visit ThursdaysAtNewhall or contact
the City’s Arts and Events Office at (661)
250-3787.
School board election
continued from page 16
Steve Sturgeon: It would be my goal to
raise our state per-pupil funding up to the top
five in the country; right now we are somewhere
between 43rd and 49th in the country
depending on what survey you read. Even
with the limitations this District has faced
during difficult financial times over the last
10 years, our teachers and classified employees
have never shirked their goal to deliver
the highest-quality education for our students.
They should be rewarded similarly to
what we would do in private business.
We have an ongoing need for facilities
maintenance and construction. I would like
to bring our outstanding maintenance and
construction projects to a position where we
can adequately service our sites, their staffs
and, of course, the students. We have buildings
to be built on more than one campus and
two Performing Arts Centers that are approved
and close to completion or ready to
move forward. Our Castaic High School campus
site was chosen in July 2010, grading
should be completed by early 2016 and construction
should proceed, as we planned in
2010 to get the school open as soon as possible.
These facilities are all approved and paid
for using your property tax dollars or approved
Bond funds. Our obligation is to use
them wisely and deliver the results taxpayers
intended with their votes.
We have excellent schools in the Santa
Clarita Valley, beginning with our four elementary
districts, our secondary William S.
Hart District and College of the Canyons,
which historically serves 60 percent of our
graduates. The goal for our educational systems
in this valley should be to provide a continuing
path for students to learn, explore,
expand and grow with their knowledge as
they “move” through the system. The Hart
District works together with the College and
the elementary districts to improve and enhance
the delivery methods to make transition
at each level more effective for students.
I will continue to promote the communication
and the teamwork as a means for ever
improving student experiences and results as
they prepare for their futures.
Andrew Taban: First, I would like to see
more meaningful engagement of all stakeholder
groups. Involved parents and community
members lead to better educational
outcomes.
Second, we need to shrink the achievement
gap in the district. Our teachers do a phe-
nomenal job and we can support them and
our students better by looking to other districts
that have succeeded in mak-ing strides
and identifying the best practices and tools
that got them there.
Lastly, I will support policies and methods
that will increase student achievement, aiding
the dis-trict in continuously exceeding the
county and state standards.
5. What is your view on merit pay for
teachers? Do you believe in using incentives
to attract highly effective teachers or
teachers in shortage fields such at math
and science?
Steve Sturgeon: I first became involved in
discussions about merit pay for teachers
back in 2004; perhaps even sooner. The
HDTA president at that time invited me to
participate in a conference on the subject
with District leaders and teachers from other
states where it had been implemented. I am
very open to working with the Union team in
our District to develop ways that reward
teachers — as long as we agree on the formula
to do so. The teachers are likely the
most knowledgeable about possible methods
and the Union, with District leadership, can
evaluate the impact on students, on budgets,
and on performance.
As a highly-regarded school district, we
have been fortunate thus far to attract highlyqualified
teachers and staff. As I noted previously,
people/families/business want to
put roots down in this valley and they want
their children to go to our schools, from elementary
to community college.
I would expect that the biggest obstacle for
bringing new teachers into the SCV is affordability,
the cost of housing and the cost of living.
At the moment, there appears to be a
disparity between the potential salaries that
can be earned and the cost of home ownership.
That is an area we need to address as a
community, not just from the District’s point
of view.
Andrew Taban: The top priority for the
district and parents should be the highest
quality education for our students. With a
teacher shortage looming, we should proactively
seek new ways to attract the best and
the brightest teachers to remain competitive.
Merit pay, bonus, and benefit incentives, and
many other options should be considered
carefully. Before implementing anything new,
a thorough review of the advantages and disadvantages
is critical and should include
stakeholder input to ensure the intended outcomes
will be achieved. R

22 • THE Reader
November 2015
a day i n t h e l i f e
the Papal visit
r ay t h e r e a lto r®
Buyers Buy: facing the
fears that hold you Back
by u.S. rep. Steve Knight
Contributing Writer
The sun is not yet up when my phone
alarm goes off. My wife, Lily, and I wake
up and get dressed. I put on a tan suit,
white shirt and a purple checkered tie.
Once we are ready, we make our way to the
lobby of our hotel. It is a cool, crisp morning
in Washington, D.C.
Normally this early in the morning, the city
is still waking up. Today it is already alive with
energy. That is because His Holiness, Pope
Francis, is paying his first visit to our nation’s
capital.
This is a pretty big deal for Lily and me. As
lifelong Catholics, it is a great honor to see the
leader of the Church in the flesh. The timing
could not have been better. After less than a
year of working in D.C., I am presented with
the opportunity to witness His Holiness up
close.
We hail a cab and it takes us toward the
White House, where Pope Francis will be
greeted by the President and embark on a
public procession around the city.
We were warned that traffic would be terrible
throughout the capital, and that we may
as well walk everywhere. I don’t know if we
beat the rush or it was over hyped, because
we quickly make our way through the city.
When we get out of the car, we are overwhelmed
by the size of the crowd. People are
already lining the streets in hopes of catching
a glimpse of the Holy Father as he rides past
in a couple hours. Fortunately, Lily and I have
reserved special places closer to where the
President and Pope will give their welcome
addresses. I typically turn down the more
frivolous perks of holding congressional office,
but this was one I could not say “no” to.
We make our way through the crowd and
to the entrance of the dignitary seating area.
I didn’t think it was possible, but it is even
more crowded than the street. Lily whispers
that maybe we should have set our alarm for
an hour earlier, and as tired as I am, I can’t disagree.
All the seats are taken so we stand in the
back and wait for the ceremony to start. Before
long, the President and the Pope take the
stage along with a few bishops, secret service
and other VIPs. A brass band plays for a few
moments, and the massive crowd cheers.
When the President takes the stage, an
eerie silence fills the air for a few seconds.
Then he gives the Holy Father a warm welcome,
and everyone listens respectfully. After
his address, the audience cheers again, but
when Pope Francis takes his place at the
podium it becomes even more silent than before.
He gives a slow, thoughtful speech in
English.
Lily and I are smiling ear to ear, and we feel
truly blessed. After the Pope’s speech there is
more cheering, more fanfare. We slowly make
our way back to the street and hail a cab,
which takes us back to my office on Capitol
Hill.
Once there, we catch up with my staff and
rest. A couple of my friends from California
are in town to see Pope Francis as well, and
they visit me at my office. Before long, Lily
and I must leave once again. This time we are
headed for The Catholic University of America
in northeastern D.C.
Specifically, we are making our way to the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception, the largest Roman Catholic
Church in the United States and North America,
and it is one of the 10 largest churches in
the world.
There, we witness the canonization of Father
Junipero Serra, conducted by none other
than Pope Francis himself. This is a very special
ceremony for me since not only is Father
Serra an important figure in California’s history,
but he also happens to be the namesake
of my home parish in Quartz Hill.
By the time the Canonization Mass is complete,
Lily and I are exhausted. It is early
evening, but we haven’t had much in the way
of sleep or nourishment. As we head back to
our hotel, I reflect on what an excellent day
I’ve had. I had the opportunity to hear His Holiness
speak not once, but twice. The next day
holds another special occasion where the
Pope will address Congress. I feel absolutely
blessed. R
Steve Knight is the u.S. representative of
California’s 25th District, which covers the
Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys as well as
portions of Simi Valley
Henry Mayo Newhall
Memorial Hospital
Home Tour set for
December 5th
Three beautiful Santa Clarita Valley
homes will be decked out in true holiday
splendor during Henry Mayo’s
35th annual Home Tour on Saturday, Dec. 5,
from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ticket cost is $30.
A Holiday Boutique with more than 30
vendors will be open to the public that same
day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pico Canyon Elementary
School, 25255 Pico Canyon Road,
Stevenson Ranch. Bring your friends a family
to view a wide selection of creative and
unique holiday items that will be for sale.
If you just can wait to see these dazzling
homes, there will be a Preview Gala on Friday,
Dec. 4, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. starting with a
festive buffet dinner at the Valencia Country
Club, Valencia, and a tour of the homes. Advance
tickets only. Cost is $125. For ticket information
and to purchase, please call (661)
200-1202 or visit henrymayogiving.com.
During the “Magic of the Season” themed
event, visitors will have an opportunity to
tour three homes decorated in unique
by ray the realtor® Kutylo
Contributing Writer
All home buyers have fear. It’s normal
and it’s natural. Buying a home is
likely one of the biggest decisions you
will ever make.
Let’s assume for a moment that you have
taken care of business in saving for a down
payment and have good and acceptable
credit, and have been planning to buy a home
for a while. What is holding you back now?
For most buyers, the fear of having a mortgage
payment that is too large to handle
ranks as the number one fear that keeps them
from buying a home. My answer to that is to
budget it in, and compare it to the costs of
renting. Homeownership costs don’t just include
the mortgage payment. Taxes and insurance,
homeowner’s association fees (if
any), special assessments like Mello Roos,
and maintenance costs should also be figured
into your budget. Ideally, you should make a
budget before you talk with a purchase loan
lender, since what you qualify for in a home
purchase loan may well be higher than you
are comfortable in paying with a realistic
budget. Crunch the numbers!
High up on the list of buyer fears is paying
more for a home than it is really worth. This
is a tricky one, since the market value of a
home is the intersection of the price a buyer
is willing to pay and a price the seller is willing
to sell. Before you make an offer to purchase,
which may or may not be the list price
of a property, hopefully you will be working
with a Realtor who will have educated you on
home value in the area(s) and price range you
are looking in. Part of that process is looking
at similar homes both on the market and a review
of recently sold comparable properties.
themes of festive holiday décor in the heart
of Santa Clarita Valley neighborhoods including
Newhall and Valencia. Graciously
opening their homes to the community are
Norma and Elio Gomez, Laura and Rob Hall,
and Susan and Michael Marin. The homeowners
are working with professional interior
designers on showcasing unique holiday
perspectives in each individual home.
The holiday Home Tour is hosted by the
If you see a lot of homes in your home search,
you will get a good sense of market value.
Uncertainty about the economy or one’s
own job and employment can be a major fear.
This is something you will have to decide for
yourself. Buyer sentiment either good or bad
will have a major role in the eventual decision.
When the time is right for you, take action.
Many buyers fear buying a home with
major flaws or maintenance issues, and it is
good to have this fear. A great Realtor will
point out both the good and the bad of any
property under consideration. Disclosures
from the seller and inspections with a good
home inspector will also address this concern.
My column for last month gave more detail to
the disclosure and inspection process.
Working with a great Realtor and a reputable
lender will help overcome the fears and
various issues that come up in the home buying
process. Every home buyer is different and
has specific and individual needs and desires.
Frankly, it’s a huge decision to even consider
buying a home, much less go through the
process. You need good professional representation
and guidance, whether it is your
first home purchase, or your tenth. R
ray the realtor® Kutylo grew up in Santa
Clarita, and is associated with the SCV Home
Team at Keller Williams Vip properties in Valencia.
each client is unique in their needs and
goals, and every property is different. The challenges
are what make this business awesome!
ray can be reached at 661-312-9461 or at
ray@SCVhometeam.com, or with the Mobile
app at www.mobile.SCVhometeam.com Cal-
Bre license number 00918855
Three beautiful
Santa Clarita
Valley homes
will be decked
out in true holiday
splendor
during henry
Mayo’s 35th
annual home
Tour on Saturday,
Dec. 5.
hospital’s Home Tour League. To date, Home
Tour events have raised more than $900,000
to benefit Henry Mayo’s Women’s Services.
The Home Tour is open to adults and children
over 12 years of age. For safety reasons,
guests are requested to wear flat shoes only.
No photography please. For more information
and locations of ticket sales outlets,
please visit henrymayogiving.com or call
(661) 200-1202.

24 • THE Reader
Opinion
November 2015
c a m e r o n s m y t h
new bills signed into law
Right to Die, Mandatory Vaccines,
Family Planning among new bills
dav e B o s s e r t
l.a. county Parks community
engagement Plan
by Cameron Smyth
Contributing Writer
by Dave Bossert
Contributing Writer
Well, it’s over, finally. After nearly
eight months, the California Legislative
Session came to an end
earlier this month (October) and the deadline
passed for Governor Brown to act on
the over 1,000 bills that ended up on his
desk. Like every year, a few of those bills
made the headlines as they were signed
into law.
SB 277 – Mandatory Vaccine
The bill mandates that parents enrolling
their children in California schools will be
allowed to opt them out of immunizations
only for medical reasons and may no
longer cite religious or personal belief exemptions
as reasons not to vaccinate. The
bill was signed into law earlier this year
amid major controversy. In fact, every
longtime Capitol-watcher I spoke to said
they had never seen a bill generate larger
crowds.
ABx2 15 – Right to Die
Equally as controversial and generating
national attention was California’s version
of a “right to die” bill. Passing after countless
hearings and moving testimony by legislators
on both sides of the issue, the
governor signed the bill into law. This bill
also had a local connection with Santa
Clarita Valley resident Christy O’Donnell,
who herself is facing terminal cancer diagnosis
and had filed a lawsuit against the
state and took an active role in support of
the bill.
As important as these bills are, many
more were signed by the governor, several
of which will further impact California’s
businesses, which are already overburdened
with regulations. Below are some
additional bills that should have been vetoed
but, unfortunately, will take effect on
January 1.
AB 1288 – Expanding the California
Air Resources Board
AB 1288 allows the Senate and Assembly
to add one member each to the allpowerful,
unaccountable California Air
Resources Board (CARB), which many
businesses cite as the agency most responsible
for their leaving California.
Adding more unelected, unaccountable
members does nothing to improve the
economy of our state.
SB 350 – Renewable Energy
This bill mandates that within 15 years,
50 percent of our energy will come from
“renewable” sources. Never mind that
under this mandate energy costs are estimated
to significantly increase for families
and businesses. It also mandates that all
commercial buildings become 50 percent
more energy efficient within 15 years.
While laudable, the reality is this bill will
do nothing but send more companies into
the waiting arms of other states.
SB 331 – Local Government Negotiations
Local governments have been adopting
Civic Openness in Negotiations (COIN),
which allows public employee union contract
negotiations to be held in public. In
response, unions pushed SB 331, which
enacts an onerous and virtually unattainable
set of requirements and costly time
delays on all local government contracts —
and applies only for those governments
who have implemented COIN. The goal is
to de-incentivize the spread of COIN, and
eliminate where it has been adopted.
SB 99 – Caltrans
This bill gives a seven percent pay hike
to Caltrans engineers and allows them to
quadruple the cash-out of unused vacation
time from 20 hours to 80 hours, despite
the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst recently
citing careless accounting and
poor/non-existent cost and budget tracking
in the agency. Not to be outdone, the
State Auditor reported that one Caltrans
engineer golfed 55 days while “on the
clock” and supervisors still signed his time
cards without being able to verify his time.
AB 775 – Family Planning
This law requires crisis pregnancy centers,
and other services that assist with
adoption and pro-life choices, to now post
in their clinics a bold statement advising
women of the availability of free abortions
at Planned Parenthood. Basically, organizations
that counsel women on the options
for keeping their baby, such as the SCV
Pregnancy Center, no longer have the right
to advocate their position without also advocating
for abortion services. Of course,
the reverse does not apply to Planned Parenthood.
AB 622 – Employee Interviews
This bill stops employers from using E-
verify during the application process to determine
an applicant’s eligibility for
employment. In other words, employers
are not allowed to know if an applicant is
an illegal immigrant. Enough said. R
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.
The Los Angeles County Department of
Parks and Recreation is engaging communities
countywide to get feedback
on local parks and community needs. This
engagement will be conducted by community-based
organizations. For the Westside,
the West Ranch Town Council will be handling
the one meeting that will contribute a
list of parks and park amenities that our community
wants.
The meeting, according to the community
engagement plan, must be held between
Dec. 1, 2015 and Feb. 15, 2016. The
date for this single meeting is currently
under review, but will likely fall into the
month of December. The meeting will only
be an hour and will likely be in the Community
Room of the Stevenson Ranch Public
Library.
This is one community meeting that
residents, who normally do not get involved,
should attend. It is an opportunity
for homeowners to give their input on
what they would like to see in the way of
amenities, such as tennis courts, horseshoe
pits, or even adding a dog park to the
community. Unless the residents give
input, it will be up to a few to decide what
the community may want to have added to
existing parks — or even where a new
park might be located.
Yes, there may be an opportunity to add
another park to the community. That park
could be passive or active. It could be a hybrid
of the two or a dedicated dog park.
This is a blank canvas and the image that
forms over the next several months could
very well be what the community ends up
with, without input, if community members
don’t come out to one single meeting,
which will last for maybe an hour.
Do you want a community pool? How
about the baseball diamond being removed
at Rioux Park and replaced with
badminton nets or pickle ball-only courts?
Maybe the Pico passive park should become
a dog park right below the homes in
Southern Oaks? It is truly up to the homeowners
to decide what they want. Choose
wisely!
If you attend this one meeting you will
have the opportunity to voice your opinion
and give your input into this L.A.
County Department of Parks and Recreation
survey. The results of this will determine
what changes and additions will be
made to our community parks in the years
to come. If you don’t voice your opinion, if
you are not engaged in this one simple
meeting, then don’t complain in the future
when decisions are made. The choices
made as a result of this meeting will resonate
into the future!
The meeting is scheduled to take place
on Monday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. in the Community
Room at the Stevenson Ranch Library.
I hope that enough residents show
up and give their input so that our parks
are further enhanced. R
Dave Bossert is a community volunteer
who serves on a number of boards and
councils. He is an award-winning artist,
filmmaker and author of several books. 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. Bossert writes a
weekly column at scvbeacon.com.
Help us Build a Great
Community News Magazine
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November 2015 THE Reader • 25
s c ot t w i l k
chloride saga shows need
for reform
by Assmemblyman Scott Wilk
Contributing Writer
The pundits complain about the lack of
voter participation, and I can understand
why. Citizens don’t feel like government
officials listen, and those officials do
not conduct themselves in a manner that is
transparent, nor are they held accountable.
People are frustrated. I share that frustration.
No better example of this exists than the
Santa Clarita Valley’s continuing efforts to
meet federal Clean Water Act standards as
they apply to chlorides.
In 2002, an unelected body called the Los
Angeles Regional Water Quality Control
Board (LARWQCB) determined that the
amount of chloride (salt) being discharged
into the Santa Clara River was too high.
Under federal law the water being discharged
into the riverbed has to have “beneficial
uses” to downstream users. The board
claimed the salt content in the water was too
high and harmful to avocado, strawberry and
nursery plants being grown in the Santa
Paula/Fillmore area. Never mind that no hard
scientific data exits to support the claim.
Never mind that Thousand Oaks has the
same kind of downstream users, but their
chloride level, set by the same board, is 50
percent higher than the SCV’s standards.
The original chloride studies were conducted
in 1975 and 1978. When I requested
those studies, they were in a backroom in a
three-ring binder! In response, last year I successfully
passed Assembly Bill 1707 that requires
future scientific studies to be posted
on the State Water Quality Control Board’s
website so all citizens have access to the information.
In 2003, the Los Angeles Regional Water
Quality Control Board fined the city of Santa
Clarita for being out of compliance and
threatened astronomical fines in the future if
a mitigation plan was not approved and implemented.
The Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District
(SCVSD), which provides wastewater management
for roughly 250,000 residents, conducts
their board meetings in the city of
Whitter. Whitter is over 50 miles from Santa
Clarita City Hall and is normally a 90-minute
drive each way. That makes it difficult for citizens
to monitor or provide input on policies
that affect them.
After several starts and stops, the SCVSD
Board chose Deep Well Injection (DWI) as the
method to dispose of chloride. The problem
was the plan wasn’t well thought out and
minimal community engagement had occurred.
During the final days of the Environmental
Impact Review (EIR) process, the
community finally discovered the district
planned to place a four-story drill on the 16th
hole of TPC Valencia and to shut down a lane
of The Old Road for at least a year. The district’s
plan was to inject brine into the ground
under Stevenson Ranch and Westridge for
the next 50 years!
The response from our community was
swift and fierce! Concerned citizens weighed
in with calls, letters, emails and community
meetings. In a very short time the SCVSD
Board reversed the decision to move forward
with DWI. Since then they have adopted a
plan, with proper community input, to crystallize
the brine and then transport it out of
the valley by truck. This concentrated salt
should require only six to ten trucks per day
to dispose of the waste.
Although I’m pleased with the Sanitation
District Board’s ultimate decision — time and
consternation could have been avoided if the
board had properly worked with its ratepayers.
That’s why I introduced Assembly Bill
951, which will require the SCVSD to hold
regular and special meetings within the SCV
when making decisions related to mitigating
compounds that are on the federal Clean
Water Act list. AB 951 passed the legislature
and was signed by Governor Jerry Brown.
The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2016.
There are nearly 300 compounds listed in
the federal Clean Water Act, so the sanitation
district board will be confronting mitigation
requirements in the future. The projected
cost to implement chloride mitigation is approximately
$130 million on infrastructure
and around $4.5 million annually in ongoing
operating expenses. Those types of decisions
need to be made with input from those citizens
affected.
This saga is far from complete and in my
view never should have happened, and it
cries out for reform. First, the Clean Water
Act needs to be amended to adopt standards
that are supported by sound science. Second,
unelected regional boards (air and
water) need to either be abolished so these
decisions are made by the state legislature
or these boards need to be converted into
elected offices so citizens can hold board
members accountable. Finally, decisions
need to be publicly discussed, debated and
voted upon within the jurisdiction of the affected
citizens. R
Assemblyman Wilk represents the 38th Assembly
District, which encompasses Simi Valley,
the northern 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
Reader endorsements for
November 3rd elections
There seems to be little interest
in the local election process
this year, however there are
still four very important seats that
will be determined by the November
3rd ballot.
The William S. Hart Union High
School District has two seats
open:
For Area 1 our recommendation is
incumbent Gloria Mercado-Fortine.
Gloria has been on the Hart Board
for 16 years and has kept her promises
of building the long awaited Castaic
High School and has a long
history of leadership.
For Area 4 our recommendation is
for Steve Sturgeon.
Steve has also been on the Board
for 16 years and has also been a
Hart School Board
4 Gloria Mercado-Fortine
4 Steve Sturgeon
strong supporter of building the Castaic
High School. That, along with his
40 years of business leadership,
makes Steve the right choice for Area
4.
Newhall County Water Board
Four candidates, including two incumbents,
are running for two seats.
We recommend returning Dan
Mortensen back to the Board he was
first elected to 8 years ago.
For the second seat we recommend
Jeff Ford who retired from the
Castaic Lake Water Agency. We don’t
believe the water board should be
used as a tool for stunting growth.
Jeff will use his seat for the betterment
of the district’s users rather
than as a platform for a no-growth
agenda.
Newhall County Water Board
4 Dan Mortensen
4 Jeff Ford

26 • THE Reader
November 2015
saturday, oct. 31
Third Annual Golden Years Expo and
Senior Health Fair, 10 a.m.– 4 p.m., Hyatt
Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center
Drive, Valencia 91355. Free. Event features
organizations and businesses offering information
and resources important to seniors,
those caring for seniors and those planning
for their senior years. Free health screenings
will be offered by Henry Mayo Hospital,
Facey Medical Group, and Audiology Associates.
A special drawing will offer more than
15 prizes worth $50 or more, plus one lucky
guest will win a Grand Prize of up to 500
Super Lotto Plus Quick Pick Plays. Visit
www.goldenyearsexpo.com or call Gary
Buterbaugh, 661-255-7063.
monday, nov. 2
Operation Gratitude Halloween Candy
Buyback, 3-6 p.m. Drs. Allen and Kelly
Smudde at Santa Clarita Advanced Dentistry
will be holding their 7th annual Operation
Gratitude Halloween Candy Buyback at
27450 Tourney Road, Suite 250, Valencia,
91355. Bring your Halloween candy and
we'll buy it for $1 per pound. Awards of
$500 and $250 respectively to the top two
schools that raise the most candy. Info: 661-
259-4474.
thursday, nov. 5
Free Flu Shot Clinic, 9-11 a.m., Santa
Clarita Valley Senior Center, 22900 Market
St., Newhall, 91321. Provided by Henry
Mayo Newhall Hospital. These are no cost
flu shots given to individuals who are 50
years of age or older and those who are considered
a "high-risk" due to chronic illness.
Contact the SCV Senior Center, 661-259-
9444 for information or questions.
friday, nov. 6
Zonta Celebrity Tribute Dinner, 6-10
p.m., Hyatt Regency Hotel, 24500 Town
Center Drive, Valencia 91355. Tickets are
$125 each. Zonta Club of SCV will host its
annual Celebrity Tribute Dinner with this
year's honoree is Elizabeth Hopp, Executive
Vice President, Chief Banking Officer for the
Bank of Santa Clarita. Info: The Zonta message
line at 661-252-9351, e-mail info@scvzonta.org
or visit www.scvzonta.org/
calendar/public events.php.
saturday, nov. 7
Empowering Hearts Gala Event, 5-7
p.m., Savia Community Center, 23780
Newhall Ave., Ste. 203, Newhall 91321. Cost:
$75. Empowering HeArts is an annual celebration
of women who have changed lives
and shaped their communities. Benefits Single
Mothers Outreach. Info: www.singlemothersoutreach.org.
Health and Fitness Expo, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center
Drive, Valencia, 91355. Free and open to the
public, with more than 30 exhibitor booths
featuring the latest from the health and fitness
industry. Booths, free prizes, running
gear and products for sale. Last chance to
register for all events (Marathon, Half-
Marathon, 5K, Mayors Walk and Kid K). For
more information, visit SCMarathon.org.
Evie Ybarra: Legendary Locals of Fillmore,
2 p.m. Newhall Library, 24500 Main
St., Newhall, 91321. Local author Evie
Ybarra will talk about her new book “Leg-
Best Bet: Festival of Trees
thursday-sunday nov. 19-22
The 13th Annual Festival of Trees to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita
Valley will be held Nov. 19, 3-9 p.m., Nov. 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov. 21 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and
Nov. 22, noon-6 p.m. Christmas trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses and holiday boutique.
Tickets $6 per person 15 and over; $3 per child 4-14, free age 3 and under and $4
per person seniors 65+ and veterans. Beautiful family fun event. Come celebrate the season
by viewing the decorated trees at the Santa Clarita Sports Complex, 20870 Centre
Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita. Volunteers and sponsors needed. Magic of the Lights Gala
will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 6:30-11 p.m. $75 per person. Info: www.scvbgc.org/festival-of-trees-2015/
or call 661- 254-2582.
endary Locals of Fillmore” (Arcadia Publishing).
This new local history book reveals
the intriguing characters and everyday citizens
who have made Fillmore’s history legendary.
Admission is free. Info: Alan
Pollack, 661-254-1275 or www.scvhs.org.
saturday and sunday,
nov. 7-8
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society Rose
Show, noon-4 p.m., William S. Hart Park,
24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall. Free. Rose
Show Entries on Saturday: 7-9 a.m. Hundreds
of cut rose specimens on display.
Winners are awarded cash prizes. Visit
www.santaclaritarose.org for complete details.
Visit Facebook at: https://www.face-
book.com/pages/Santa-Clarita-Valley-Rose-
Society/127658903531?ref=ts#. Contact
Kitty Belendez at rosextckb@aol.com.
sunday, nov. 8
Santa Clarita Marathon, 7 a.m. The
Santa Clarita Marathon, which is an official
qualifying race for the Boston Marathon,
will include a full marathon, a half
marathon, a 5K run, Mayor’s Walk, and a
Kid K run. All races will begin at 7:00 a.m.,
with the exception of the Kid K, which will
begin at 8:30 a.m. Info:
www.SCMarathon.org.
wednesday, nov. 11
Veterans Day Ceremony, 11 a.m., Veteran's
Historical Plaza Park, 24275 Newhall
Ave., Newhall, 91321. In honor of our veterans
and our currently-serving military and
their families, residents are invited to a ceremony
featuring musical performances,
speakers and a changing of the flags at the
Veterans Historical Plaza in Newhall.
thursday, nov. 12
SCV Jaycees 2015 40 Under Forty
Recognition Gala, 6 p.m., Hyatt Regency
Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia,
91355. Cost: $55. Tickets:
www.scv40underforty.com/tickets-are-onsale/
saturday, nov. 14
Castaic Library, 27971 Sloan Canyon
Road, Castaic, 91384, to host free flu vaccination
clinic. Noon-4:30 p.m. Vaccinations
will be provided by nurses from the County
of Los Angeles Dept. of Public Health. No
insurance is required. Vaccinations will be
administered either through the influenza
shot or nasal spray to anyone six months of
age or older. Minors will need to be accompanied
by their parent or guardian to receive
immunizations. Info:
www.colapublib.org.
Holiday Boutique for American Cancer
Society Relay for Life, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Santa
Clarita United Methodist Church - Fellowship
Hall, 26640 Bouquet Canyon Road,
Saugus, 91350. Unique shopping for everyone:
Hand-crafted cards, signs, sea glass
jewelry, quilts tables runners, scarves, hats,
homemade jams & jellies, toys and much
more. Info: Email to specialevents@scvrelay.org
or 661-755-4342.
The Ninth Annual Family Literacy Festival,
10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Old Town Newhall Library,
24500 Main St., Newhall, 91321. The
Ninth Annual Family Literacy Festival is a
free, fun, family event featuring activities,
programs, performances and crafts. The
theme for 2015 is Full STEAM Ahead which
highlights Science, Technology, Engineering,
Arts and Mathematics and Literacy. Free
books for children (while supplies last).
Info: www. SantaClaritaLibrary.com
Light The Night, 4-9 p.m., Bridgeport
Park, 23670 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia,
91355. Light The Night Walk is a fundraising
campaign of The Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society which brings together families and
communities to honor blood cancer survivors,
as well as those lost to the diseases,
and shine a light on the importance of finding
cures and providing access to treatments
for blood cancer patients. It does not
cost anyone to participate in the walk and
experience. The event is open to any donations.
Those who do raise $100 or more receive
a commemorative Light The Night
t-shirt, a wristband for refreshments at the
event and an exclusive illuminated lantern
to let your accomplishment shine brightly
throughout the Walk. For more information
and to register, visit http://www.lightthenight.org/calso.
The Third Annual Soup for the Soul
Fundraiser, 5-9 p.m. Savia, 23780 Newhall
Ave., Newhall, 91321. Cost: $50 per person.
Bridge to Home’s annual fundraiser to kick
off the opening of the shelter on Nov. 23,
www.btohome.com for tickets and other
info.
sunday, nov. 15
Temple Beth Ami Holiday Boutique,
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Temple Beth Ami,
23023 Hilse Lane, Santa Clarita, 91321.
Clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, and items for
Hanukkah.
saturday and sunday,
nov. 14-15
Fine Craft Show, Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Old Orchard Park,
25032 Avenida Rotella, Valencia, 91355. The
annual Fine Craft Show is a shopping tradition
for many Santa Clarita residents who
enjoy perusing the work of over 60 craft
artists presenting one-of-a-kind gifts and
unique hand-crafts items. This is outdoor
shopping event includes intricate and colorful
hand-crafted jewelry, vibrant paintings,
pottery, woodwork, and other items perfect
for the upcoming holiday season. Gourmet
Food Trucks in a festive outdoor park setting.
Contact: For more information about
the City of Santa Clarita’s Fine Craft Show,
visit santa-clarita.com/crafts or contact the
Arts and Events Office at 661-250-3787.
monday, nov. 16
SCV Senior Center NeedleCrafters Holiday
Boutique, 9 a.m.-noon, SCV Senior Center,
22900 Market St., Newhall, 91321.
Unique handmade items, blankets, scarves,
hats, decorations, and more. All proceeds
benefit the SCV Senior Center. Contact:
Robin Clough, 661-259-9444, email,
rclough@scv-seniorcenter.org.
thursday, nov. 19
An Evening with Adrian Buckaroogirl,
8 p.m. Repertory East Playhouse, 24266
Main St., Newhall. SCVTV Presents The Out-
West Concert Series. Cost: $20. Adrian —
aka —the Buckaroogirl is an exuberant, dynamic,
talented, singer/songwriter with an
infectious, positive attitude and a powerful
voice. Advance ticket sales: OutWest Hotline:
661-255-7087, or visit their
http://www.outwestmktg.com/events/livemusic.cfm
saturday, nov. 21
Light Up Main Street in Old Town
Newhall. 6 p.m. Help kick off the holiday
season at the official tree and Main Street
lighting event. Enjoy holiday entertainment,
a visit from Santa, food trucks, and other
free family-friendly activities.
thursday, dec. 3
Second Annual SCV Community Volunteer
Recognition Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. – 1
p.m. , Hyatt Regency Valencia , 24500 Town
Center Drive, Valencia , 91355. Cost: $45.
Info: 661-702-6977.
friday, dec. 4
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Holiday
Home Tour Preview Gala and Festive
Buffet Dinner, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Cost: $125
in advance, Valencia Country Club, 27330
Tourney Road, Valencia, 91355. Be the first
to preview the 2015 Home Tour homes. Call
661-200-1200 for more information.
saturday, dec. 5
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
Holiday Home Tour League Holiday
Boutique, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Pico Canyon Elementary
School, 25255 Pico Canyon Road,
Stevenson Ranch, 91381.
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital
Holiday Home Tour, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30
p.m. Cost: $30. Enjoy a tour of Santa
Clarita's finest homes, decked out for the
holidays. This event benefits Women's Services
at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.
Contact the Henry Mayo Newhall
Health Foundation for more information:
661-200-1200.
To add your event to the Westside reader
Calendar please email Michele@Westsidereader.com.

November 2015 THE Reader • 27
restaurant review
Elevated Comfort Food at JJ’s Bar & Grill
Owners want restaurant
to become the SCV’s
newest ‘Neighborhood
hangout.’
By Michele e. Buttelman
features and entertainment editor
JJ’s Bar and Grill wants to be your “neighborhood
hangout.”
Offering “elevated comfort food” co-owner
and executive chef Jeannie Wagner said her
passion is food. She not only bakes her own
bread, but also makes her own bread-andbutter
pickles for the restaurant.
“My food philosophy is that I only want to
serve top quality food made with top quality
ingredients,” she said. “If I wouldn’t serve the
food on my table at home, I won’t serve it
Crème brulee $9
Strawberry Spinach Salad $9.50
here at the restaurant.”
Wagner picks out her own produce, rather
than rely on what a supplier would send her.
“I can’t get the quality I want from a supplier,”
she said.
Wagner shops at farmer’s markets and supermarkets
known for having excellent produce.
Wagner is a self-taught chef who has
worked a many SCV-area restaurants before
starting her own catering company. She
moved to the SCV in 1991.
Co-owner Jeff Berry wants customers to
feel comfortable and welcome.
“We want to be known as the ‘Cheers’ of
the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Berry. “But
we’re not a sports bar, we consider ourselves
a restaurant with an accent on sports.”
When a group came into the restaurant on
a recent Presidential debate night, Berry said
the staff was quick to grant the group’s request
to switch one of the televisions over to
the debate.
Berry and Wagner opened JJ’s Bar and Grill
at the first of the year.
JJ’s replaces Mulligan’s, a fixture in the SCV
for decades.
“This location has been a restaurant for
more than 40 years,” said Wagner.
Wagner said the location was a perfect spot
for her to expand her catering business and
open a new restaurant.
“It is close to home and I ate at Mulligan’s
for 20 years, so when the opportunity came
up to take on this space, it was perfect,” she
said.
However, she
first wanted to
make sure the
space was spotless
and up to her
impeccable standards.
“I’m very particular
about the
kitchen,” said
Wagner. “It took
us almost eight
weeks to open because
of all the
scouring and
cleaning we had
to do. Now we
have one of the
highest scores
available from the
health department.”
JJ’s also offers a
banquet facility
for groups up to
76 people.
“We’ve done
high school reunions, wedding showers, baby
showers and many business luncheons,”
Wagner said.
The name, JJ’s, stands for Jeannie and Jeff.
Jeannie Wagner and Jeff Berry opened JJ’s Bar and Grill at the first of the year in the
Valencia restaurant space that previously housed Mulligan’s.
The Fun
JJ’s wants to be known for its food and its
fun. Nearly every night JJ’s has “something”
happening. On football Sundays nearly every
game is available on one of JJ’s numerous television
screens.
More fun is available on weeknights:
See Restaurant, page 36

30 • THE Reader
Festival of Trees will kick off
the holiday season in the SCV
By Michele e. Buttelman
entertainment and features editor
The 13th Annual Festival of Trees to
benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Santa
Clarita Valley will be held Nov. 19-22 at
the Santa Clarita Sports Complex.
Event coordinator Suzanne Benty said this
year's event will feature a host of new designers,
led by Petrina Sharp, Chairwomen of
the Big Trees, who will fashion 30 6 to 9-foot
trees which will be up for auction at the
event.
"This is a beautiful,
family-fun event," she
said. "We hope everyone
will visit our new
venue to kickoff the
holiday season."
Festival of Trees cochairs
are Gary and
Myrna Condie.
Gary Condie said
Festival of Trees will
also offer small tabletop
trees, holiday wreaths, a holiday boutique
and charming one-of-a-kind gingerbread
houses.
The large trees will complete with gifts, including
furniture, event tickets, wine, jewelry
and more.
Festival of Trees will be held Thursday Nov.
19, 3-9 p.m., Friday Nov. 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Saturday Nov. 21 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday
Nov. 22, noon-6 p.m.
Santa will be on hand 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday,
Nov 21 and noon to 5 p.m.on Sunday,
Nov. 22.
Tickets $6 per person 15 and over; $3 per
child 4-14, free age 3 and under and $4 per
person seniors 65+ and veterans.
Other events held in conjunction with Festival
of Trees include:
Jingle Jam Swing Dance, Thursday Nov. 19,
7-p.m. Cost: Regular Festival admission.
Holiday Hocus Pocus, an evening of magic,
Friday, Nov. 20, 6 p.m. For the fifth year, magic
returns to the Festival of Trees. Children, as
well as adults, will enjoy the magic and illusions
in the beautiful Festival of Trees setting.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for
an hour of close-up
magic acts, followed by a
family-friendly, professional-quality
stage
show featuring members
of the International
Brotherhood of Magicians
and the world famous
Magic Castle at 7
p.m. Both shows will feature
a series of magical
stories, intertwined with
the spirit of the season. The show’s finale will
produce a special guest. Cost: $10.
Magic of the Lights Gala, Saturday, Nov. 21,
6:30 p.m. Entertainment, a live auction of select
trees and vignettes, hors d’oeuvres,
dessert and a no-host bar. Hors d’oeuvres by:
Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Co. Tickets:
$75.
Volunteers and sponsors are needed.
Festival of Trees, Santa Clarita Sports Complex,
20870 Centre pointe parkway, Santa
Clarita. info: www.scvbgc.org/festival-of-trees-
2015/ or call 661- 254-2582.
November 2015
Paint-It-Forward program celebrates its 10th year
At ALLBRIGHT 1-800-PAINTING we believe
in a concept called ‘painting happiness’
– the idea that paint not only
transforms the home or workspace, but it
also transforms the spirits and the outlook of
those who live or work there. Based on this
concept, we started a program called Paint-
It-Forward ten years ago to offer deserving
families and non-profits a little painting happiness.
As we celebrate our 10th year, we are
calling on the residents of the Greater Los Angeles
area to help us find the next Paint-It-
Forward winner.
What Is Paint-It-Forward?
Paint-It-Forward is a charity program
specifically for the Greater Los Angeles Area.
In the first round of this program, community
members like you tell us about deserving
families or non-profits in our area who could
use painting services but cannot afford them.
In round two, the candidates are narrowed
down to finalists, and in round three people
vote for the winner.
The winner receives up to $10,000 in paint
and services by ALLBRIGHT painting.
Past Winners
ALLBRIGHT has been holding this event
since 1996. This year we are celebrating 10
years of the Paint-It-Forward program, which
has also expanded to other paint companies
across the nation. Taken together, more than
$1,000,000 in painting services have been
donated to deserving people and organizations
through the Paint-It-Forward program.
In the past our winners have included the
SVC food pantry, families battling cancer and
our most recent winner, Partners for Potential.
Help Us Find the Next Winner
Do you know of a deserving family or nonprofit
in the Greater Los Angeles area who
could use painting services? If so, please head
over to the Paint-It-Forward nomination page
and fill out the form on the left side. The company
will be accepting nominations starting
Oct. 1 to Dec. 11th 2015. Paint-It-Forward
brings painting happiness to all involved, and
we’d love your help in finding the next winner.
No need to travel to France to dine in a
country inn by the side of the road.
Le Chene invites you to enjoy traditional cuisine, including game, ostrich,
venison, boar & more, as well as the best wine list in California with 1150
selections of French and California wines.
25% OFF
HAPPY HOUR
Bar & Bar Menu
Sunday thru Friday 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Enjoy our countryside atmosphere with patio and the perfect garden setting
for garden weddings. We also offer a private banquet room that can
accommodate up to 300 guests.
Best Sunday Brunch
(661) 251- 4315
Open Every Night for Dinner & For Sunday Brunch
12625 Sierra Highway, Agua Dulce
www.lechene.com
Thank You for
Voting Us the
Ultimate Wine List
Four Years in a row!
15% OFF
Dinner Sunday through
Thursday
Excludes tax & gratuity. Not valid with other
offers or on holidays.

November 2015 THE Reader • 31
Must call before Nov. 30th!

32 • THE Reader
November 2015
Live Theatre Offers Entertainment
‘Over The Hill’
Jillian Butterfield and cast of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” which plays Nov. 13-22 at the
Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. photo by Matthew Murphy
See ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Carrie: The Musical’ and ‘Breaking Through’ on stage.
by Michele E. Buttelman • features and entertainment editor
Emily Lopez as Carrie White in
“Carrie: The Musical” now
playing at the Los Angeles
Theatre. photo by Jason Neidle
There’s nothing like an exceptional
live theater performance to thrill the
soul and celebrate the theatrical
arts. Live theater is a culturally enriching
activity. It also allows us to
share with other members of a live
audience an experience that is ours,
alone. No one will ever see the
“exact” performance we have witnessed.
A show is performed, and
then is gone, into the ether, never to
return in exactly that form.
In Southern California we are lucky
to have numerous venues in which
to celebrate the theatrical arts.
“Carrie The Killer
Musical Experience”
“Carrie” is probably my all
time favorite Stephen King
novel. I was surprised to
learn that it had been
turned into a musical in the
late 1980s.
This rebooted musical offers
an immersive staging
of “Carrie” which takes the
show off the stage and
puts the audience right in
the middle of the action, back in the rooms and hallways of high school and,
of course, with a prime seat at the prom.
“We can already see how proud people are of this effort,” said Harris.
The theater has added plants outside and cleaned up the surrounding area.
“We are trying to make it warm and welcoming,” he said.
Batman said the Los Angeles Theatre was reconfigured to house this production of
“Carrie.”
“We basically built a theater, inside of a theater,” he said.
“I don’t think you’ve been to a show with such illusion and magic,” Harris said. “I don’t
think you’ve ever been to a show where you feel so much a part of the production, as
with ‘Carrie.’ We watch as people start to identify with these high school characters.”
Batman said audiences should see the show because everyone has had the high
school experience.
“For some it is great, for others, not so great,” he said. “This show dredges stuff inside
of you that you never thought you’d remember of your own high school experience.
It is so interesting to see people after the show talking about their own experience.
They don’t want to leave the theater; they want to extend
the experience.”
Harris said many people return to see the show three or
four times so they can experience from different seating
areas.
One area of setting is actually mobile, the seats move
throughout the show. Harris estimated that people will
be moved in these “seating pods” almost 200 times during
the show.
Harris said the music is “beautiful” and the “staging is
gorgeous.”
Producers Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman said not only is the
show about bringing entertainment back to the downtown area, it is also
about improving the downtown economy.
“If we are as successful as we hope to be in this theater you are going to
see a lot of life downtown, a lot of businesses open up,” said Harris.
Harris and Batman said all of the staff and actors in the show are from the
Los Angeles area.
Alison Luff in rehearsals
for “Breaking Through”
which runs through
Nov. 22 at the
Pasadena Playhouse. photo
by Elias Feghali.
“Carrie” is the first full scale musical to play the Los Angeles
Theatre in its 84-year history. The historic Los Angeles
Theatre at 615 South Broadway, was opened in
January 1931, and was the last and most extravagant of
the ornate movie palaces built on Broadway in downtown
Los Angeles.
Designed by architect S. Charles Lee with a French
Baroque-inspired décor, its majestic six-story main lobby

November 2015
THE Reader • 33
and an auditorium of carved plaster ornamentation, mirrors, and cove-lit murals recall the
glamorous days of 1930s Hollywood. The opening of the theater was planned to coincide with
the world premiere of Charlie Chaplin's latest film, “City Lights.” To ensure that the theater
would open in time, Chaplin ended up investing some of his own money into the project. Listed
on the National Register of Historic Places, the Los Angeles Theatre is a proud participant of
the Bringing Back Broadway to downtown Los Angeles.
“Carrie The Killer Musical Experience”
Now through Nov. 22. Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8 p.m., Saturdays Nov. 7 and Nov.
21 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Saturday Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6:30
p.m. Tickets start at $40. Los Angeles Theater, 615 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014. Tickets
available online at ExperienceCarrie.com or by calling 888-596-1027.
“Breaking Through”
The Pasadena Playhouse will present “Breaking Through,” a world premiere musical, with
book by Kirsten Guenther, and music and lyrics by Cliff Downs and Katie Kahanovitz now
through Nov. 22.
“Breaking Through” is told through the eyes of a young, talented singer/songwriter, as she tries
to navigate the treacherous shark-filled waters of the music business.
The musical is based on the life of Katie Kahanovitz who made her professional debut in Hamlet
with the Royal Shakespeare Company at the age of 8, followed by two roles at the Kennedy
Center. At 10, she made her Broadway debut in “Annie Get Your Gun.” Under the name Katie
Neil, she wrote and recorded her first pop CD at age 13. Less than a year later, she was touring
the Northeast with her own rock band.
“This show has been five years in the making,” said Kahanovitz. “It’s been a very fun journey.”
Kahanovitz said this show is really about “listening to your gut and being true to yourself.”
“We want to inspire people to be true to your authentic self,” she said.
Kahanovitz said the show is a fun experience with pop/rock music and features the story of a
young girl trying to “navigate her way through the music industry, with all the trials and tribulations
that go along with that life.”
This is Kahnaovitz’s first musical.
“This has been such a super-rewarding experience,” she
said. “I’ve been able to work with a wonderful, creative
and collaborative team.”
“Breaking Through”
Now through Nov. 22, Tuesday through Friday evenings
at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2
p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets: $25 to $87 plus premium seating
at $125. The Pasadena Playhouse, 39 South El
Molino Ave., Pasadena CA 91101. Online sales and information:
PasadenaPlayhouse.org or call 626-356-7529.
“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”
Recommended for all ages. In consideration of audiences,
no one under 3 admitted to the theatre. All patrons
must have a ticket.
“Disney’s Beauty and The Beast” features the animated
film’s Academy Award-winning score with music by Alan
Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with additional
songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by
Tim Rice. It is the classic story of Belle, a young woman
in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young
prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the
Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end
and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is
running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon,
he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.
Ryan Everett Wood as
Beast and Jillian
Butterfield as Belle in
“Disney’s Beauty and the
Beast” which plays
Nov. 13-22 at the Pantages
Theatre in Hollywood
photo by Matthew Murphy
“Disney’s Beauty and The Beast” has become an international sensation that has played to
over 35 million people worldwide in 21 countries.
“Disney’s Beauty and The Beast”
Nov.13 – 22, Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays
at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35 to $150, Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90028. Online at
http://hollywoodpantages.com or call 800-982-2787.

34 • THE Reader
Artists Association Art Classic
The Santa Clarita Artists Association 26th
Annual Art Classic fine arts competition was
held Saturday, Oct. 17 in Newhall at Hart Hall.
This year’s art was exceptional. As “art is in
the eye of the beholder” I think my favorite
piece was “The Hollywood Dream” by Jane
Mick. I am a sucker for “mixed media” artwork.
There was a delightful little sculpture
that caught my eye as well, “Market Day” by
Barbara Eisenman.
The theme of this year’s event was “Passport
to the World of Art” and the table centerpieces
were cute artistic “travel bags”
representing the world of travel. The Ian Vo
Jazz Trio entertained and nearly 80 artists exo
u t & a B o u t i n t h e scv
from (a)rtists to (w)ine
in the santa clarita
valley
November 2015
Spring used to be my favorite season, but
I think Fall might have the edge. I love
the fall colors of soft yellow, glowing orange
and the earth tones that shimmer in the
changing fall light. I am also looking forward
to the return to standard time at 2 a.m. Sunday,
Nov. 1. Who wants to “spring forward”
when they can “fall back?” I love that extra
hour of sleep!
Evening Under the Stars
Can it really be that it has been 22 years
since the first Evening Under the Stars to benefit
the Michael Hoefflin Foundation for Children’s
Cancer? This year’s event was held
again on the beautiful golf course at Robinson
Ranch. Among those seen at the event
were Janet and Apo Yessayan, Dennis
Poore, TimBen and Ingrid Boydston,
Daniel Sterkel, Tim and Jenny Ketchepaw
and Brenda Nielson.
Cocktails on the Roof
Kudos to Marlee Lauffer and Eve Bushman
for the extremely successful “Cocktails
On the Roof” fundraiser to benefit the WiSH
Education Foundation. The event offered up
Santa Clarita Valley restaurants serving food
tasting paired with signature cocktails. It was
an innovative idea
and very well received.
Among those
“seen” at the event
were Janet and Apo
Yessayan, Steve
and Julie Sturgeon,
Tracy Hauser, Gloria
Mercado-Fortine
and Bruce
Fortine, Kirsten
Quinn and Perry
Smith, Joyce Carson
and Doren
Schleifer, Sue
Tweddell, Sandi
Naba, Pam Ingram,
Richard Soto and
Jane E. Bettencourt-Soto,
Rose
and Steve Chegwin,
Geri Jacobs, Ken
and Patrice Rifkind, Jeannie and Chris
Carpenter and Paul and Paul De La Cerda
and Andrea Nelson-De La Cerda.
by Michele e. Buttelman
features & entertainment editor
TimBen and ingrid Boydston at the 22nd Annual
Michael hoefflin foundation for Children’s Cancer
evening under the Stars. PhoToS By MiCheLe BuTTeL-
MAn
Steve and Julie Sturgeon with Janet and Apo yessayan at the inaugural Cocktails on
the roof to benefit the William S. hart education foundation.
hibited work at the event. A few of the familiar
faces seen at the event included Steve
Sturgeon, Laurene Weste and James Mc-
Carthy, Marsha McLean and Michael Millar.
For more information about the Santa Clarita
Artists Association visit www.santa
claritaartists.org or call 661-252-7639.
The Wine Affair
The Eighth Annual The Wine Affair, Sip,
Stroll and Savor the Sounds found more than
500 attendees visiting 13 vendors along
Town Center Drive in Valencia on Sunday, Oct.
18. Kudos to co-chairs Pam Ingram and Lisa
Odom for a well organized and fun event.
Also… a shout out to Myles McNamara, of
Comfort Keepers In-Home Care, for stepping
up for the fourth year to be the event’s title
sponsor. Another shout out to John Geraci,
of Old Republic Title Company, who has been
Willy Arroyo and Cheri fleming at one of the ViP
venues at the eighth Annual The Wine Affair, Sip,
Stroll and Savor the Sounds.
The eighth Annual “The Wine Affair” co-chairs
Lisa odom and Pam ingram flank event Title
Sponsor Myles Mcnamara, of Comfort Keepers inhome
Care.
an event sponsor since the beginning. A tip of
the hat to Salt Creek Grille and Valencia Wine
Co., venue locations since the first event.
Among those spotted supporting The Wine
Affair were Ray and Janey Tippet, Marlee
Lauffer, Chris and Jeannie Carpenter and
Paul De La Cerda and Andrea Nelson-De
La Cerda. The food and drink this year was
amazing, with my vote for best food going to
Robinson Ranch. How can you go wrong with
pork belly? The wine “shooter” was equally
amazing.
Upcoming in the SCV
Up until Thanksgiving the nonprofit scene
in the SCV looks to be extremely busy. Just in
the next week there is the Zonta Celebrity
Tribute Dinner, on Friday, Nov. 6, 6-10 p.m.,
Hyatt Regency Hotel, 24500 Town Center
exhibiting artists at the Santa Clarita Artists Association
26th Annual Art Classic, Zony Gordon,
norma Worden and naomi young.
Jeannie and Chris Carpenter take a break to enjoy
wine served at The Vines restaurant, one of the
venues of the eighth Annual The Wine Affair .
ray and Janey Tippet enjoy the Soroptimist international
of Greater Santa Clarita Valley eighth Annual
The Wine Affair in Valencia.
Drive, Valencia 91355. Tickets are $125 each.
The Zonta Club of SCV will honor Elizabeth
Hopp, Executive Vice President, Chief Banking
Officer for the Bank of Santa Clarita. Info:
The Zonta message line at 661-252-9351, e-
mail info@scvzonta.org or visit scvzonta.org/
calendar/public events.php.
On Saturday, Nov. 7 the Empowering
Hearts Gala Event will be held 5-7 p.m., Savia
Community Center, 23780 Newhall Ave., Ste.
203, Newhall 91321. Cost is $75. Empowering
HeArts is an annual celebration of women
who have changed lives and shaped their
communities and benefits Single Mothers
Outreach. Info: www.singlemothersout
reach.org.
One of my favorite events, the Santa Clarita
Valley Rose Society Rose Show will be held
noon-4 p.m., William S. Hart Park, 24151
Newhall Ave., Newhall. This free event will
offer hundreds of cut rose specimens on display.
Visit www.santaclaritarose.org for complete
details. R
Michele e. Buttelman is the features and entertainment
editor of The Westside reader. She
can be reached by email at Michele@
Westsidereader.com.
Co-chairs of the Santa Clarita Artists Association
26th Annual Art Classic Cathy King and Dody rogers.

November 2015 THE Reader • 35
w h at a Pa i r!
is your Beverage vegan?
With more emphasis on organic and vegan
options winemakers are changing the way
they make wine.
g a r d e n g at e s
dressing up the holiday
landscape
by Beth P. heiserman
Contributing Writer
by Jane Gates
Staff Writer
What do you know about your
wine? Is it vegan? How can you
find out?
Winemakers, brew masters and distillers
may include animal by-products directly in
their products, or use them during processing
and filtration.
In the course of processing the product
sometimes dairy, honey and other items are
added.
During filtration, which happens just
prior to bottling, products like isinglass
(from fish bladder,) gelatin, egg whites and
other materials are used. These products
hold onto the impurities and make it easier
to grasp them in the filters.
Winemakers that make vegan wines don’t
use these types of products when filtering;
instead the wine is filtered several times.
However, customers will find that there
can be a slight amount of sediment when not
using any of the conventional filtering aids.
Sediments can be sulfides, proteins, or
other various minerals. Eliminating as much
sediment as possible enhances the clarity of
the finished product.
During filtering, other products that can
be added such as gelatin and egg albumen.
In ancient times in the Mediterranean area,
bull’s blood was used.
As a substitute to animal products, bentonite,
which is a clay mineral, can be used
during filtering.
Animal-derived ingredients are considered
“natural,” but can pose difficulties for those
seeking to live a pure, vegan lifestyle. Some
organic farmers may use bone meal, instead
of chemical fertilizers, as well as any processing
aids that are used in the wine itself.
For individuals living a vegan lifestyle it
can be difficult to find out which products
are truly vegan and which are not.
As I researched this subject I found that
there are websites that include some wine,
beer and other beverages as “vegan
friendly,” but are not updated as often as I
would like.
I have found, from personal experience,
that inquiring about the vegan status of beer
or wine can produce mixed and ill-informed
results.
I was having lunch a few weeks ago at a
small chain restaurant in Valencia and inquired
about the beer. I asked if they had any
vegan options. The server asked me, “isn’t all
beer vegan?” (complete with eyeroll). I explained,
that, “no, beer isn’t naturally vegan.”
The server asked the manager and was
told “all the beer is vegan and there is also a
vegan and gluten-free option.” However, that
beer was made with honey, therefore, not
vegan. I called the restaurant’s corporate office
and was told, that in fact, they had no
vegan beer options.
I have also asked many other Santa Clarita
Valley restaurants the same question, broadening
the inquiry to other alcoholic beverages.
I have found that most servers and
bartenders do not realize that alcoholic beverages
may not be vegan.
I even had one bartender yell at me and
ask me to leave, just for asking such a question.
He said I was “disturbing the customers.”
For the record, Reyes Winery, is a “natural
winery” and produces vegan wines.
I have learned that many wineries in California
have converted to this way of wine
production.
Reyes 2011 Muscat Quinoa Salad
This is a great gluten free and vegan option.
For three years we have been doing events at
the vineyard offering vegan and vegetarian
options, so that everyone can enjoy food and
wine pairings together. Quinoa can be enjoyed
at any meal, from breakfast to dessert
You can serve this salad either warm or cold.
This salad is high in protein and fiber.
Salad ingredients
11/4 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup Reyes 2011 Muscat
1 cup quinoa
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes
or grape tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, chopped into 1-inch chunks
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt, kosher
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. parsley, dried
Vinaigrette ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Reyes 2011 Muscat
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 cloves of garlic
Directions
In medium sauce pan, sauté red onions,
garlic with olive oil. Sprinkle half the salt and
pepper on the onions. This will help to sweat
the onions.
Combine broccoli, broth, 2011 Reyes Muscat
and quinoa in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, place a cover
on the saucepan, and cook at a simmer until
the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa
is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
While quinoa is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette.
In a blender add vinaigrette ingredients
and blend.
Stir in tomatoes, parsley and the vinaigrette
into the quinoa, replace the lid, 2 to 3
minutes; season with remaining red pepper
flakes, salt and pepper.
Serve. R
Beth p. Heiserman is the sales and marketing
director for reyes Winery in Agua Dulce.
She is also the event director for the Sierra
pelona Valley Wine Festival. Heiserman has
spent her life in a “food and wine” family and
working in restaurants and in the sale of
“spirits.”
I’m taking a break from the
previous series of landscaping
articles for the
‘New Climate” to take on the
holidays. This is a time of year
that is fraught with stress and
fun, expenses and surprises
— both good and bad. Your
garden, too, can contribute a
lot to your state of mind —
again, good or bad.
The garden is a wonderful
place to unwind from all the
demands of the holiday season.
It is also a place to ply
your skills in decoration. The
challenge is to keep things interesting,
organized and
make sure you don’t become
overwhelmed. Since your
landscape can be both friend
and foe, here are some ideas
that might help keep it your
ally.
Look at decorating your
landscape as a project —
something for yourself or
something for you to enjoy
with family or friends. It isn’t
about doing anything perfectly
or better than anyone
else. It’s simply a chance to
‘dress up’ your house and create something
fun.
Like doing a landscape design, your odds
of success are far greater if you plan things
out. Decide what you want to do where. And
be conscious about your budget. Money is at
the top of the list of stressors in our lives.
There are two ways you can go. One, you can
buy ready-made décor for reasonable prices.
(Items that used to cost hundreds of dollars
are available for a fraction of the price as
computer chips have miniaturized and LED
lighting technology has evolved.) Or you can
do-it-yourself using your own talents and
reuse all those odds and ends around your
house and yard to create something artistic.
Or, of course, you can do a little of both.
If you want to do things yourself, check out
your garden for interesting dried flowers,
seed pods, pine cones, branches and other
materials to cobble together, paint or tie with
colorful string, ribbons and bows. Home
grown pumpkins, squashes, gourds, dried
corn (and stalks) are all showy when set in
piles, heaped artistically on a step ladder or
table, spilling out of old garden pots, stacked
in a wheel barrow or scattered around a bale
of hay. Set out pots or pails of chrysanthemums
or succulents or weave the latter into
a wreath for your front door. Build your own
scarecrow or tole paint turkeys or Christmas
elves. There is no limit to the possibilities for
dressing up your front yard for the holidays.
And it needn’t cost much.
If you plan on decorating the front of your
home for the holidays, keep safety in mind.
Use electricity with GFI plugs and hide cords
from children, pets and where they won’t trip
unwary feet. Avoid toxic materials. Set décor
where it will be able to handle rain or wind,
both very possible at this time of year.
The garden can also help you handle
stress. Take time to relax in a quiet spot. Do a
little reading or just allow your mind to wander
as you watch nature at work during the
change of seasons. Even a few minutes of
peace in the garden can make a drastic
change in your blood pressure levels and
allow you to clear your mind.
Enjoy dressing up your landscape for the
holidays. Do only as much as you can afford
— in both time and money. And look at this
as a chance for exercise, sunshine (natural vitamin
D) and play. You’ll have plenty of other
things to worry about this season. This year,
decide to use your landscape as a partner to
make the holidays less stressful and more fun
than ever. R
You can find Jane locally at Gates & Croft
Horticultural Design where she does garden
consultations and offers sketched and formal
landscape plans (www.gatesandcroft.com)
specializing in the ‘New Climate’. A professional
artist and writer, she is the author of “All
the Garden’s a Stage” (Schiffer Books, available
in bookstores and on the internet) and
“Design a Theme Garden” (Amazon.com). She
is a licensed contractor and a member of the
Association of professional Landscape Designers,
Garden Writers Association and Great Garden
Speakers. Jane is a resident and avid
gardener here in Santa Clarita.

36 • THE Reader
Restaurant review
continued from page 27
Monday: Half price JJ’s martinis; Tuesday:
Trivia Night and half off cocktails that start
with “T”; Wednesday: Wind down with halfpriced
bottles and Thursday: Buck Wild
Country Night, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., offers line dancing,
$5 Belvedere Vodka drinks and beer
pong.
The Food
The food is tasty and satisfying. It is comfort
food “elevated.”
JJ’s Bar & Grille is housed in the former location of Mulligan’s restaurant in Valencia.
I recommend the Strawberry Spinach
Salad ($9.50). I’ve had much inferior salads
at twice the price. This salad is a delightful
blend of sliced fresh strawberries served over
baby spinach, bacon and crispy onion straws
served with honey balsamic vinaigrette.
The surprise in this salad is the crumbled
onion straws which give the salad a delightful
crunch.
The Stuffed
Hamburger is a
h a l f - p o u n d
is my personal pet peeve with most restaurant
burgers.
Wagner said she tested several buns before
deciding on the brioche bun.
For dessert do not pass up the crème
brulee. Seriously, leave room for this wondrous
creation made with Madagascar
prime beef vanilla beans. This crème brulee has no
patty stuffed wimpy torched sugar crust; this is the real
with caramelized
deal, made to perfection, ($9).
grilled “To make the crème brulee I have to order
onion and the vanilla beans from a special company,”
cheddar cheese
on a toasted
Wagner said. “We hand scrape the beans and
soak them in the crème.”
brioche bun The menu is diverse, yet not over-complicated.
with bacon
aioli ($11). Add
avocado for $1.
If you like real food, made with care, quality
and concern and respect for the ingredients
I was impressed
you’ll like JJ’s Bar and Grill.
that Starters include: Mozzarella cheese
the bun did not
fall apart after
wedges ($7.25); Party wings ($9); Irish Nachos,
seasoned waffle fries loaded with
The Stuffed hamburger $11
one bite of house-made Tailgate Chili, melted cheese and
burger, which sour cream ($9.25); Buffalo-style cauliflower
November 2015
florets ($8); French Fries Done Right, which
means hand-cut fries with a choice of dipping
sauces… ketchup, ranch, chipotle aioli, mustard
or BBQ ($5.50); Ooh La La Chicken strips
($8) and house-made Beer Battered Onion
Rings ($6).
When strawberries become hard to find for
the Strawberry Spinach Salad Wagner said
she might substitute other berries, or have to
put the item on hold for a few weeks.
However, there are other salad options including
the classic “Wedge” ($8.95); the Harvest
Salad with gourmet field greens tossed
with cranberries, walnuts and gorgonzola
cheese crumbles in a balsamic vinaigrette
($8.95); JJ’s Caesar Salad ($8.95) and the
Farm Fresh Salad with candied bacon, hardboiled
egg, blue cheese and diced avocado
served over a bed of mixed greens ($9.50).
All of JJ’s “signature burgers” … including
The Stuffed Burger, as well as JJ’s Special Dogs
and More Than Just a Sandwich selections are
served with a choice of hand cut house fries,
waffle fries or a house salad.
Burgers are served with lettuce, tomatoes
and pickles. For a $1 extra you can add bacon,
egg or avocado to any burger.
Other burgers include the Off the Hook
Burger which is a rib and prime beef blend
with Monterey Jack cheese, bacon and a garlic
aioli ($12); Portobello Burger, Balsamic
grilled Portobello mushroom topped with
Gruyere cheese with chipotle mayo, ($10);
Avocado Bacon Burger ($11); JJ’s Beer-cheese
Burger which is topped with beer-cheese and
onion rings ($12) and a vegetarian option of
a black bean burger.
JJ’s Special Dogs include: Not Your Average
Dog, all beef frank wrapped in bacon (and
yes, everything IS better with bacon) and
topped with BBQ pulled pork and onion
straws ($13); Dirty Dog, bacon-wrapped beef
frank laid upon thick avocado slices in a
toasted pretzel bun topped with pico de gallo
and avocado crème sauce ($11); Tailgate Chili
Dog ($11) and Have it Your Way Dog ($13).
House-made soups and Tailgate chili
($6.25) are offered. Soup and half a sandwich
is $9.95. The soup menu rotates on regular
basis and can include tomato, Navy bean,
tomatillo chicken and other selections.
Sandwiches include JJ’s Turkey Club ($10);
Grilled Cheese ($9); Pulled Pork ($11); JJ’s
Perfect Pastrami ($11) and Sweet-n-Savory
Ham and Swiss, which includes house made
bread and butter pickles, ($11).
Other sandwiches include: Grandpa Jack's
Flank Steak Sandwich with marinated thin
sliced flank steak sandwich served open faced
with caramelized onions and melted Muenster
cheese, ($11); Classic BLT Sandwich ($9)
and Caprese Sandwich ($8).
After 5 p.m. you can order “hot off the grill”
favorites which are served with a choice of
two of the following: Rice, mashed potatoes,
garlic bread, hand cut fries, macaroni and
cheese, salt and vinegar chips, seasonal mixed
vegetables (sautéed in garlic butter), or a
house salad.
Entrees include: Pesto Mac and Cheese
($13); Lobster Mac and Cheese ($13); Surf
and Turf JJ’s Way, which includes a rib eye
steak served with jumbo shrimp grilled in
garlic butter ($17) and grilled chicken breast
($12).
For dessert, in addition to the crème
brulee, JJ’s offers beignets ($8).
“I always enjoy watching the guests try the
beignets, and then order more for the entire
table,” Wagner said. R
JJ’s Bar and Grill, 25848 Tournament road,
Valencia, 91355. 661-799-7557. Open daily
11:30 a.m. Daily Happy Hour 3:30-7 p.m. Like
JJ’s Bar and Grill on Facebook.

November 2015
Reader People
THE Reader • 37
Profile: Bonnie sherman weBer
From Food Service to Park President
Five years after taking charge of Six Flags Magic Mountain
and Hurricane Harbor Weber finds her job is still a thrill.
By Michele e. Buttelman
features and entertainment editor
Bonnie Sherman Weber (formerly
known as Bonnie Rabjohn) recently
celebrated her fifth anniversary as
President of Six Flags Magic Mountain and
Hurricane Harbor.
“The last five years seem to have passed in
a blink when I think about it,” she said.
Weber is the first woman to run the Valencia
theme park, and one of only a handful of
women nationwide to hold such a position.
She is unquestionably one of the Santa
Clarita Valley’s most powerful women.
Employing nearly 3,000 seasonal and fulltime
workers and attracting millions of visitors,
Magic Mountain is an economic
powerhouse in the SCV.
“I am so fortunate to have passion in my
life, to wake up on Monday mornings and to
love to go to work,” Weber said. “I shouldn’t
say on Monday mornings because this job is
really 24/7.”
Weber, ever humble and modest, credits
her team — everyone from the park’s directors
to seasonal workers — with her success.
Bonnie Sherman Weber stands in front of the Batman
ride at Six flags Magic Mountain.
“I am privileged to work with an amazing
group of people and a team that I’ve worked
with forever,” she said. “We’re a family.”
The Beginning
Weber began her career at the park while
she was in high school, working a cash register
in a food-service location.
“I worked my way up in food service and I
managed half the park when I was going to
college full time,” she said.
After she graduated from California State
Bonnie Sherman Weber at the new Steampunk District that opened in May.
University, Northridge with a business degree
in marketing, she took a job at an ad
agency, soon followed by a position in the
public-relations department at Magic Mountain.
Weber worked eight years in Magic Mountain’s
PR department until 1998, when she
left for a short stint at Disney.
Six Flags Magic Mountain
After Disney, her career arc brought her
back to Magic Mountain for another nine
years as director of marketing and sales.
In 2007, Weber left Six Flags for her selfdescribed
“three year sabbatical at Warner
Bros.” before she returned as Magic Mountain’s
new president.
Weber said working at a theme park “gets
in your blood.”
“I am a marketer by trade, and to me, marketing
fun and thrilling entertainment is
making people happy — and making guests
smile is really what it is all about,” she said.
“Once it gets in your blood, it is such a passion,
so deep, so true, that I can’t even describe
it. When you’re not a part of it, you
miss it desperately.”
Weber said her experience at Warner Bros.
was a great opportunity to expand her skill
set.
“I learned the intricacies of Warner Bros.
and the business of licensing and branding,”
she said. “It made me a completely different
person coming back to Six Flags.”
Family
Weber was born in Northridge, in the San
Fernando Valley and graduated from
Granada Hills High School.
Her parents gave her an idyllic childhood,
“I call it ‘Happy Days,’” she said.
Weber moved to the SCV in the early
1990s to raise a family.
She has two daughters, Kaylee and Sydnee.
Her older daughter is working on a Masters
Degree and her younger daughter is a college
undergrad working on a degree in business.
“Growing up in the San Fernando Valley,
when you have your own family, you want to
move to an area like the SCV,” she said. “The
SCV was like the SFV when my parents
moved there from Los Angeles.”
Weber said the SCV is a great place to live
and work.
“The SCV is a beautiful valley with a wonderful
community,” she said. “How could you
go wrong raising your children in such a
beautiful place?”
Mentoring
Weber said she doesn’t feel being a woman
has been an issue in her business.
“I don’t look at myself as a female park
president; I look at myself as a park president,”
she said. “I’m just thrilled to be able to
do what I love to do.”
Weber said she gives young women the
same advice she would give to young men.
“I tell them the most important thing in life
is to find your passion, find what you love to
do, day-in and day-out, and do it,” she said. “I
am so fortunate to have found what I love to
do. When I wake up I feel blessed because
this is what I was born to do.”
Weber said it is important in life to be dedicated.
“You have one time to go around, make it
count,” she said. “I say give it your all, have
passion and be dedicated. That’s all it takes.”
All About “The Team”
Weber’s personal values celebrate the concept
of teamwork.
“I don’t know who said it, but it is true,
there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team,’” she said. “One of the
most important things to know about me is
that I’m 100 percent focused on the team.”
Weber said every individual working at the
park is important to its success.
“We are a group working together for a
common goal, and if you surround yourself
with the very best people only good and epic
things come from that,” she said.
Favorite Rides
“I love the rides; I don’t know how you do
this business without loving the rides,” she
said.
Weber listed Full Throttle, Twisted Colossus,
Tatsu and Superman: Escape from Krypton,
as her favorite rides at Magic Mountain.
“Full Throttle is all about acceleration with
a unique triple launch and the over the top
loop,” she said. “And Twisted Colossus is an
example where wood coasters have evolved
able to twist and turn and with the dual track
it's like riding twice, it’s just pure accelerating
fun.”
Giving Back
“Six Flags is a great place to work for young
people,” Weber said. “It’s a great environment
for young people; obviously you can grow up
and be the park president.”
Weber said the park encourages a family
atmosphere among employees by having numerous
events, parties and social functions.
“We also have many mature employees
who interact with the younger employees
and are very mentoring,” she said.
The park also has a special relationship
with the Boys & Girls Club of the SCV.
“The Boys & Girls Club has grown to be
personal passion for me,” Weber said. “There
are so many great organizations in the SCV,
but the Boys & Girls Club really aligns with
what Six Flags stands for — it’s all about
youth and youth education.”
Five Years Later
Weber became Park President on Aug. 24,
2010, and the past five years has seen many
changes at the park. Among the new rides
and attractions built at the Valencia theme
park under Weber’s reign:
2011 – Green Lantern / new DC Universe,
Superman Escape From Krypton (backwards),
Road Runner Express (family
coaster).
2012 – Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom.
2013 – Full Throttle, including new Full
Throttle Sports Bar.
2014 – New Bugs Bunny World, Speedy
Gonzalez Hot Rod Racers (kid coaster) and
Bonzai Pipelines in Hurricane Harbor.
See Bonnie Sherman Weber, page 38

38 • THE Reader
Singer Davey Muise speaks his message
at West Ranch HS for ‘Dude, Be Nice’
west ranch high school
November 2015
West Ranch juniors found BuildOn Chapter
The entire student body of West ranch high School turned out in two separate assemblies Tuesday to listen to
Davey Muise, lead singer for the Boston-based alternative rock band VAnnA, during “Dude, Be nice” week at
the campus.
The entire student body of West Ranch
High School turned out in two separate
assemblies Tuesday to listen to Davey
Muise, lead singer for the Boston-based alternative
rock band VANNA, during “Dude, Be
Nice” week at the campus.
Muise shared his life that started as the
abandoned baby of drug addicts, through his
years of depression and rejection, only to
learn to overcome his adversities by using
those difficult times as inspiration to achieve
his dreams.
“When I was in high school, I wish there
was someone to tell me that I wasn’t alone in
my problems and that with a little bit of work
towards a dream and goal that that dream can
essentially overcome your problems,” Muise
said. “Through music and the band, youth
and kids have opened up my eyes, and I’ve
met so many amazing kids who have used
music and the arts to overcome problems in
their own lives.”
Dude, Be Nice is a campus-wide effort cre-
See Dude, page 39
Tomorrow over 90 million kids will
wake up and not be able to write their
own name. Tomorrow over 90 million
kids will wake up and not know how to read
a book. Global Illiteracy drives extreme
poverty, undermines democracy and fuels
terrorism. But what can we do? We can
change this number and provide these individuals
with a more satisfactory life.
“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day,
teach a man how to fish and feed him for a
lifetime.” Schools throughout our nation are
forming clubs and societies to provide individuals
of less fortunate countries with food,
clothing and other simple commodities. But
how long will these items last? While continuously
providing such materials will only
temporarily help individuals, the gift of education
can establish long lasting reinforcement.
Knowledge is what makes the world
go round; why must the innovative spirit of
the human be halted by one’s economic status?
Breaking the cycle of illiteracy is the true
mission of our club: BuildOn.
Our names are Athreya Anand and Nickolas
Merritt, and we are the founders of the
BuildOn Chapter at West Ranch High School
and are currently juniors. Our BuildOn family
at West Ranch is fighting the education crisis
around the world by helping those who need
it most — children and adults living in
poverty — engage in their future educational
endeavors. Obtaining this asset would allow
individuals to escape from the reins that their
economic situation has provided them with
and strive in the real world by gaining jobs
and providing their families with commodities
attained from their own incomes. The organization
has built more than 700 schools
in seven countries that have historically
lacked adequate educational support: Burk-
See BuildOn, page 39
Bonnie Sherman Weber and her Six flags team celebrate the opening of Twisted Colossus in May.
Bonnie Sherman Weber
continued from page 37
2015 – Twisted Colossus / Screampunk
District.
In addition to the ever growing Fright Fest
attraction (which closes after Halloween)
Magic Mountain will offer a holiday-themed
spectacular, Holiday in the Park, beginning
the day after Thanksgiving.
“This is the second year that we will offer
Holiday in the Park,” said Weber. “We
launched it to rave reviews last year. It is a
tremendous product for families to enjoy. It
is beautifully done, there are four theme
zones with different lightening, it snows. It is
quite magical.”
Weber said the last five years has seen her
grow, along with the park, both personally
and professionally.
“The last five years have been probably the
best five years of my life,” she said. “It was a
tremendous honor to come back and work
with such an amazing team here at Six Flags
and really help drive a lot of positive change
for the park. We’ve done a lot of things that
we’re really proud of.”
Weber said 2016 will see a new Revolution
ride and three new slides at Hurricane Harbor,
as well as continued improvements to
Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park.
Proudest Moments
Weber said among her proudest accomplishments
at the park is “building up” the
annual Magic Mountain Fright Fest to be
among the best in Southern California.
“In the last five years we’ve made a significant
investment in the Fright Fest product
and we’ve emerged to be up there with the
biggest and baddest,” she said. “This Fright
Fest at Six Flags is hands down the new gold
standard for southern California.”
Weber’s comments were validated when
USA Today readers voted Six Flags Magic
Mountain’s Fright Fest the Best Theme Park
Halloween Event in the country. The honor
was announced on Oct. 16 after four weeks
of online voting.
Despite the national accolades, Weber always
comes back to praising her Six Flag
team.
“I am really proud of the team and how
collaborative and close knit the team is and
how well we work together,” she said. “It’s
been really rewarding to see people grow
and excel.” R

November 2015 THE Reader • 39
Hart Update
Saugus Update
It always helps to have a nationally recognized
kicker in your offensive-minded
program like Hart High does this season.
The offensive juggernaut Indians (7-1, 3-0
in Foothill League) coached by Mike Herrington
scored no less than 29 points in their first
six games with their only loss coming to powerhouse
St. Bonaventure on the road by four
points.
Place-kicking star Andrew Nielsen was
nominated as one of the Kohl’s Kicking National
Players of the Week for booming a 51-
yarder and going seven-for-seven on extra
points in a 52-28 win over Canyon. Although
he was edged out in the final voting this year,
Nielsen won this honor last October after
blasting a school-record 54-yard field goal in
a game against Santiago of Corona.
Nielsen’s father is Hart High Principal Collyn
Nielsen.
Against Golden Valley, defensive back A.J.
Stanley recorded a school-record five interceptions
for the Indians. R
— Steve pratt
Saugus opened Foothill League play with
a 42-7 win over West Ranch, then lost
to Valencia, 21-7. Saugus is 3-4, 1-1 in
league under head coach Jason Bornn, who is
in his 13th season at Saugus. R
— Steve pratt
Saugus High Log
Record: 3-4, 1-1 in Foothill League
*-Denote Foothill League game
Aug. 28: Defeated Simi Valley, 37-21
Sept. 4: Lost to Newbury Park, 26-14
Sept. 11: Lost to Buena, 21-9
Sept. 18: Lost to Ventura, 20-0
Sept. 25: Defeated Agoura, 35-14
Oct. 9*: Defeated West Ranch, 42-7
Oct. 16*: Lost to Valencia, 21-7
Oct. 23*: Defeated Canyon, 31-21
Oct. 30*: vs. Hart (at COC), 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 6*: vs. Golden Valley (at Canyon), 7 p.m.
Valencia high School varsity football team and staff
Golden Valley Football
continued from page 15
than that, I’m here to help him,” Engilman
told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year.
Engilman is the only coach in City Section history
to lead three different teams to city
championships (he won five total), and finished
with 243 career victories.
Kelley’s other assistants include Eric Harris,
George Fields, Tony Brown, James Magee
and Fred Grimes. Both Grimes (North Hollywood)
and Harris (St. Genevieve) were former
head coaches, bringing the total of
assistants who have served as head coaches
to three.
The week before the Canyon game, Golden
Valley was shut out by Valencia, 37-0. “They
were a very tough team to play,” Kelley said.
“They have a long history, but that’s what motivates
us. We want to be like them. We want
to be at the top of the Foothill League.”
Kelley was careful not to take too much
credit for the victory. “I don’t want to take
credit for what happened on Friday night,” he
said. “I want to give it all to the kids, because
they are the ones that played the game. We
just pointed them in the right direction.”
Kelley tells his team every game is a playoff
game, especially in the tough Foothill
League. “I expect to win every game I coach,”
Dude
continued from page 38
ated by West Ranch ASB Director Todd Arrowsmith
to show kindness between students,
the staff and the community. It is
making students aware that simply being
nice to someone can change their whole
world.
“I feel like in today’s society we focus on
downfalls so much and I’m really here to lift
these kids up,” Muise said. “Downfalls don’t
win games, they don’t win anything. It doesn’t
necessarily matter to me what grades they
get, it’s how they treat each other and how
they treat themselves. That’s really what I’m
here for.”
“Amazing response,” Arrowsmith said
when asked what the reaction to Davey
Muise has been on campus. “Kids are already
asking when we can get him back to speak to
us.”
he said. “I don’t care who we are playing. If
you don’t expect to win then you’re not going
to coach or play at full speed. You cannot pick
and choose who you are going to play your
best game against. You have to compete every
week.”
Most of Kelley’s players probably have Oct.
30 circled on their calendars. That’s the night
they face West Ranch at Canyon High at 7 p.m.
Last year, the Grizzlies were oh-so-close to
nabbing that first league win, only to lose in
overtime. It was a game Kelley called, “One of
the most devastating losses I’ve ever been a
part of.”
Rich Gutierrez’s Canyon team, which had
once upon a time administered a 90-point
victory over Golden Valley during their first
season of play, continued on hard times,
falling to 1-7, with their only win coming on
the third week of the season against Eastside
in Lancaster. R
BuildOn
continued from page 38
ina Faso, Haiti, Mali, Malawi, Nepal, Nicaragua
and Senegal. Our goal at West Ranch is to contribute
our members to enact BuildOn’s mission.
Without your support our mission would
become significantly more tedious. An entire
school costs merely 30,000 dollars. For every
2,000 raised we can send a student abroad to
contribute to the construction of a school. If
we are able to raise all 30,000 dollars we can
send an entire team of fifteen kids from West
Ranch to build a school. With your help we
can be the first group in the Santa Clarita valley
to go abroad and establish a school in a
third-world country. Help us change the
world one school at a time; help us “BuildOn.”To
donate or for more information go
to:
https://act.buildon.org/fundraise?fcid=39
5741
or you can mail a check made out to “West
Ranch Buildon” to 26474 Kipling Pl, Stevenson
Ranch, CA 91381.
Valencia Football
continued from page 15
devastating 28-21 loss to rival Hart.
Muir said he doesn’t like to look back at
that 2013 contest, but is pressed about what
he may have done differently. “Any time you
get to the championship and it’s close, and
you lose to one of your rivals . . . it makes it
even harder. Especially when you beat them
in the regular season,” Muir said. “We approached
it the right way. When I look back;
we had some controversy because we had a
player who had been ejected the game before
and couldn’t play and that had an impact because
he was a two-way starter. It’s tough because
that group at the end of the year had
fought all the way through and really overcame
a lot. So you wish they would have had
the opportunity to win a CIF championship.
It’s just a lost opportunity for that group. So
you just look back and kind of wish they
Valencia in CIF
championship games:
1999 Lost to Hart
2001 Lost to Hart
2004 Lost to Mission Viejo
2013 Lost to Hart
*since 1999
would have had that.”
Muir said this year’s team doesn’t have a
true star player, but that everyone contributes.
Against Saugus, Jahmar Berkley ran
for 148 yards on 11 carries and scored two of
Valencia’s three touchdowns. Against West
Ranch, it was quarterback Cole Parkinson
who provided the offensive spark as he threw
for 213 yards with two touchdowns, completing
13-for-18 passing and no interceptions.
R
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40 • THE Reader
November 2015
feline PoPulation control
Cats benefit from early spay/neuter
procedure not only prevents unwanted offspring
but also stops many annoying behaviors.
Photo and story courtesy of Best friends
Animal Society
Spaying or neutering is one of the greatest
gifts you can provide your pet and
your family. These routine medical procedures
not only help control pet overpopulation,
but they may also prevent medical and
behavioral problems from developing, allowing
your cat to lead a longer, healthier and
happier life.
What is spaying? What is neutering?
Spaying is the surgical removal of a female
cat’s ovaries and uterus, while neutering is
the removal of a male cat’s testicles. While
both operations are conducted routinely
with few complications, only licensed veterinarians
are allowed to perform them.
Prior to surgery, your veterinarian may
carry out a complete physical examination of
your cat or draw a sample of his blood for
analysis. To minimize pain and discomfort,
both spaying and neutering are conducted
while your cat is under general anesthesia.
Following surgery, your veterinarian will
instruct you on how to care for your cat while
it recovers. Most cats are back to normal
within a few days. The surgery site usually
heals within two weeks and any skin stitches
are removed at a follow-up appointment
with your vet.
Why should I spay or neuter my cat?
Spaying or neutering your cat prevents unwanted
births, which helps reduce overpopulation
in shelters. Millions of unwanted
animals end up in shelters or on the streets
each year. Only a lucky few are adopted; the
rest are either euthanized or die from
trauma, exposure, starvation or disease. By
spaying or neutering your cat, you do your
part to prevent this tragedy.
Another benefit is that spaying or neutering
reduces or eliminates sexual behaviors in
cats that people generally consider a nuisance.
In most male cats, regardless of their
age when neutered, neutering reduces roaming,
urine spraying, and fights with neighborhood
cats. The plaintive howling of
female cats in heat is eliminated. Overall, cats
who are sexually intact are at greater risk of
being relinquished to a shelter.
Will my cat’s personality change?
Other than the previously mentioned behavior
changes, spaying or neutering your
Cats as young as eight weeks of age can be spayed
or neutered safely. Studies have shown that cats altered
at less than six months of age do not have an
increased risk of physical or behavioral problems, as
compared to those that undergo surgery later.
cat is unlikely to change his or her basic personality,
though male cats may become more
docile following neutering. Cats’ playfulness
and general levels of activity, excitement, and
vocalization do not typically change following
spay/neuter surgery.
Will my cat gain weight after surgery?
Both neutered males and spayed females
have a tendency to gain weight due to a decrease
in roaming and other sexual behavior.
However, weight gain can be prevented
through proper dietary management and exercise.
Physically, male cats neutered prior to
puberty do not develop the large head and
thick skin of intact males.
When should I spay/neuter my cat?
Cats as young as eight weeks of age can be
spayed or neutered safely. Studies have
shown that cats altered at less than six
months of age do not have an increased risk
of physical or behavioral problems, as compared
to those that undergo surgery later.
Early-age spaying and neutering may prevent
problem behaviors before they occur. If it
hasn’t already been done, spaying or neutering
should be considered for any pet with a
behavior problem, regardless of age. For certain
behaviors, surgery may reduce or eliminate
the problem, even in older cats. Consult
with your veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist
for further information. R
For more information, visit www.fixatfour.com.
Both neutered males and
spayed females have a
tendency to gain weight
due to a decrease in
roaming and other sexual
behavior. however,
weight gain can be prevented
through proper
dietary management
and exercise.