Westside Reader June 16

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Summer with the Santa 

Clarita libraries 

11 

Drug Free Youth in Town 

program 

21 

Farm-to-Table in the 

Santa Clarita Valley 

28 

Celebrate Memorial Day 

in the SCV 

Plus . . . Town Council coverage • Opinion • Schools • Columnists • Community Calendar • Features . . . and much more! 

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June 2016 THE Reader • 3


4 • THE Reader 

14210 Everglades, Canyon Country $659,000 

This Stonecrest home will sell itself. Absolutely 

beautiful turnkey, open floor plan home, vaulted 

ceilings, 4+3; 3255 sq. ft. home,large approx., 

12x25 bonus room, that could be an additional 

bedroom. Bedroom and full bath downstairs, 

large kitchen boosts an island, 5-burner cooktop, granite counter tops, open 

space views, a pantry and is open to the family room w/ brick fireplace. Formal 

LR w/ fireplace and formal dining room. Extra wide doors down stairs 

and ceiling fans throughout, upstairs master showcases a custom built balcony, 

views of the national forest. Tastefully decorated, serene covered patio 

w/ above ground spa, upgraded landscape w/ drought tolerant shrubs, 

plants and walkways, 3-car garage w/ built in cabinets and work area. Close 

to freeway, schools, shopping and entertainment. 

Contact Bob Kellar for information 661-510-0987 

24743 Walnut St., Newhall $550,000 

Charming one-story custom home. New carpet 

and paint throughout with quality upgrades and 

remodeled kitchen. Awesome large lot w/ample 

shade trees and possibilities. Lovely floor plan 

and curb appeal. Walking distance to jr. and sr. 

high schools, parks and more! Easy freeway access to both the I-5 and 14 

freeways. Don't miss this this fabulous opportunity to get into a single family 

residence at an amazing price. Standard sale! 

Contact Bobbe Higby for information 661 -212-3771 

26373 Oak Plain Dr., Newhall $369,000 

A gate-guarded age-restricted community (55 or 

older) featuring swimming, golf courses, hobby 

rooms, and many other features. Upgraded kitchen 

w/ tile floor, slick white cabinets for easy maintenance, 

granite countertops (hard surface made from ground granite and a 

binder), ceiling fan, and recessed lighting, dual pane windows, dual pane sliders 

(3) attic insulation is one year old, copper re-pipe. Crown molding has been 

added to rooms, the ceiling is scraped and re-textured, all corners have been 

rounded. For ease of maintenance, floors in the kitchen, dining area, entry, hall 

secondary bedroom and both baths are ceramic tile. The master bath has been 

remodeled with a quartz countertop, large tile shower with glass enclosure. The 

hall bath is a tiled tub/shower combination with tile floor and pedestal sink,two 

patios and a fenced area which encloses the two garden areas around the patio. 

Contact Jim Frank for information 661 -713-5761 

16670 Soledad 

Canyon Road 

Canyon Country, 91387 

661-299-5570 

CalBRE #01290507 

26364 Sierra Highway 

Suite C 

Newhall, 91321 

661-252-3942 

19319 Avenue of The 

Oaks, Suite C 

Friendly Valley, 91321 

661-252.9000 

Call Kellar-Davis at any of 

the numbers above 

Or visit: www.kellardavis.com 

June 2016 

Table of Contents 

Election Day June 7th Cover 

Newhall auditorium opens 6 

Castaic High School project continues moving ahead 5 

State Of The County meeting held in Santa Clarita 6 

Cameron Smyth announces bid for Santa Clarita City Council 6 

Valencia Marketplace sold for $72.2 million 6 

Officials eye $219 million budget for 2016-17 8 

City sets restrictions on Old Town Newhall business 8 

Helipad location, other changes approved for Henry Mayo Hospital 8 

Camp Clarita offers variety of activities for SCV youth 8 

City adopts arts master plan 10 

Summer with the Santa Clarita libraries 11 

Mr. SCV: The SCV’s Forgotten Canyon Country 12 

3,000-sq ft Community Center proposal moves to City Council 12 

Ray The Realtor: Why We Love the Santa Clarita Valley! 13 

Whyte’s World: Choices, Choices, Choices: Men, Women, or…? 13 

LA County Board of Supervisors, District 5 Candidates: 

Kathryn Barger, Bob Huff, Mitch Englander, Ara Najarian 14-15 

California State Assembly, District 38 Candidates: 

Dante Acosta, Jarrod Degonia, Tyler Izen, Christy Smith 16-17 

California State Senate, District 21 Candidates: 

Star Moffatt, Scott Wilk 18 

People Profile: Dr. Dianne Van Hook 20 

Reader Education: Teacher Tribute honors more than 50 SCV educators 21 

COC student success rates among best in state 21 

Drug Free Youth program credited with reducing drugs 21 

U.S. House of Representatives, District 25 Candidates: 

Bryan Caforio, Steve Knight, Jeff Moffatt, Lou Vince 22-23 

Reader Opinion: Our View: Reader Endorsements for June 2016 24 

Dave Bossert: The Importance of the June Primary to our Valley 24 

Cameron Smyth, A few suggestions as you head into the voting booth 25 

Assemblyman Scott Wilk, California needs 21st Century Cyber Protection 25 

Restaurant Review: Lazy Dog Cafe: Sit, Stay, Play 26 

Farm-To-Table in the Santa Clarita Valley 28 

Celebrate Memorial Day in the SCV 30 

Michele Buttelman: Out & About in the SCV 34 

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, Tim Whyte, Pearl Obispo, 

Tammy Marashlian 

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


June 2016 THE Reader • 5 

Castaic High School project continues moving ahead 

By Josh Premako 

For the Reader 

Castaic continues moving closer to finally 

having its own high school, with 

construction expected to begin this 

summer. 

While the William S. Hart Union High 

School District is still deciding on the delivery 

method for construction of the longawaited 

Castaic-area high school, the 

construction manager expects work to begin 

very soon. 

Valencia-based Lundgren Management, 

which has been working with the district on 

general oversight of site development, was 

selected last month as the construction manager 

for the project. Shawn Fonder, Lundgren’s 

vice president of program and client 

services, said Lundgren’s involvement will 

stretch over a total of 34 months. That includes 

three months of pre-construction 

services, 28 months of construction-related 

service, and three months of project closeout. 

Among Lundgren’s duties, he said, will 

be to ensure a streamlined construction 

process. 

At its May 4 meeting, the Hart district’s 

governing board examined three possible delivery 

methods for construction of the Castaic-area 

high school, which is being funded 

by Measure SA, a $300 million bond voters 

approved in 2008. While the school was initially 

slated to open to students in 2015, that 

opening date has been pushed back. Students 

will come primarily from Castaic Middle 

School, which currently feeds West Ranch 

and Valencia high schools. 

Currently, all grading and drainage for the 

site is essentially complete and the access 

roads are under construction, said developer 

Larry Rasmussen, of Romero Canyon LLC. 

The access road required 900,000 cubic 

yards of grading, over hilly terrain, to reach 

the 58-acre location of the future campus, 

which is part of a 198-acre total project. 

“You won’t see buildings going up (this 

summer), but there will be a lot of work going 

on,” he said. 

Fonder added that the site’s storm drain 

system is substantially complete, on- and offsite 

slope stabilization is nearly complete, installation 

of the site’s water tank will be 

completed by late summer and the primary 

access and utilities are 80 percent complete. 

Key to the process of moving this type of 

project forward, Rasmussen said, is ensuring 

multiple parties’ interests are satisfied. The 

client — in this case a school district — wants 

to be sure they are receiving a quality product; 

multiple government agencies need to 

have regulations met; environmental concerns 

need to be addressed; and ultimately 

the developer also needs to ensure they are 

satisfied. 

During last month’s meeting, the Hart district 

board focused on three possible delivery 

methods for the project. 

CM Multiple Prime: The project scopes and 

schedule are developed and controlled by the 

construction manager, and all prime contracts 

are held by the district; 

Design-Bid-Build: A more traditional 

model using a general contractor; 

Developer-Built: A developer-built 

method, which would mean site developer 

Romero Canyon LLC would deliver a finished 

school to the district. 

The district is also conferring with legal 

counsel regarding the outcome of current 

court cases in California to determine if a 

This aerial photo shows the graded project site for the Castaic high school being built by the William S. Hart Union High School District. 

fourth method to consider will be leaseleaseback, 

which has been a popular delivery 

method for California school construction. 

Under lease-leaseback, a school district 

procures property and leases the project site 

to a developer who provides a guaranteed 

maximum price. When the construction is 

complete, the district then leases the site 

from the developer and at the end of the lease 

owns the property. Advantages of the method 

have included a streamlined process that engages 

contractors and architects at early 

stages to avoid costly change orders later on. 

In a recent statement, Hart district board 

president Robert Hall said that once a delivery 

method is selected the project timeline 

will be much clearer. 

When finally complete, the school will 

cover a quarter-million square-feet and include 

several classroom buildings, a library, 

performing arts building, administrative 

building and a 5,000-seat stadium plus athletic 

courts and fields. 

“We all have a common goal, to deliver on 

a promise that was made,” Fonder said. “It’s 

important.” 

At this point, there is no front-runner for a 

delivery method, district spokesman Dave 

Caldwell said. Additionally, while as recently 

as last fall district officials said they hoped for 

a 2017 opening of the school, and Rasmussen 

said he expects project completion by sometime 

in 2018, Caldwell said nothing is yet set 

in stone. 

“No one can anticipate delays or what 

types of problems may arise,” he said. “The 

objective is to open up for ninth-graders in 

the first year and add a year every year thereafter. 

What is most important to the Hart district 

is to have a school that is safe and 

functional for the students and staff.” R


6 • SCV/Westside Reader 

state of the county 

Warm reminiscence marks final 

address by Supervisor Antonovich 

By Robb Fulcher 

Staff Writer 

Rather than deliver 

a speech 

at his final 

State of the County 

address, Supervisor 

Michael D. 

Antonovich sat and 

chatted with longtime 

friend and former 

Congressman Barry Goldwater Jr., 

reminiscing on a 36-year tenure representing 

the Santa Clarita Valley and north county. 

The two men joked amiably during the 

luncheon event at the Hyatt Regency Valencia 

hotel. After describing Antonovich as compassionate, 

hard-working and honest, Goldwater 

said, “He’s a man who gets up at 6 o’clock, no 

matter what time it is.” 

Goldwater credited Antonovich with building 

the Castaic Sports Complex and Aquatic 

Center and the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area 

Park Interpretive Center, opening libraries and 

the Santa Clarita Valley Mental Health Center 

in Valencia, upgrading parks, and securing 

land for open space around the valley. 

Antonovich said he is proud of his efforts 

to make government more efficient, reform 

civil service rules, and raise awareness of the 

need to mentor and foster youth, including 

emancipated minors. 

“Without mentors they end up either in 

Eternal Valley or one of the other cemeteries, 

or one of our local jails,” he said. 

Antonovich looked back at his early inspirations, 

including an encouraging grade school 

teacher and the sights and sounds of the televised 

political conventions of 1952. 

He reminisced upon his service on the Los 

Angeles Community College District board 

and the state Assembly, where he rose to become 

the GOP whip, before serving nine terms 

as a county supervisor. 

Antonovich said he is guided by a willingness 

to compromise in strategies, but never on 

principles. 

Antonovich, who is forced by term limits to 

leave his supervisor’s post, is attempting to 

reenter statewide politics with a run for the 

25th California Senate seat. 

Eight candidates vying to replace 

Antonovich on the Board of Supervisors include 

his chief of staff Kathryn Barger, gang 

prosecutor Elan Carr, Los Angeles City Council 

member Mitchell Englander, Republican 

state Sen. Bob Huff of San Dimas, Glendale 

Mayor Ara James Najarian, Altadena Town 

Council member Billy Malone, real estate investor 

Rajpal Kahlon, and Darrell Park, an educator 

and budget analyst. 

Asked for closing thoughts at his final State 

of the County appearance, Antonovich credited 

his successes to his supervisorial staff, and 

thanked Goldwater for his kind words. 

“It’s nice to get the eulogy when you’re still 

alive,” Antonovich said. R 

By Beau Harper 

Staff Writer 

InvenTrust Properties, a national real estate 

investment trust, purchased the 

Stevenson Ranch Plaza last month for 

$72.5 million. 

The properties at 24917 to 24931 Pico 

Canyon Road are almost completely occupied, 

with only one building that isn’t 100 

percent leased, according to CoStar. The 

buildings span 187,000 square feet in a center 

anchored by a Ralphs grocery store. The 

26 tenants include a handful of restaurants, 

an L.A. Fitness and a FedEx Kinkos. 

An InvenTrust spokesperson said they 

November 2015 

InvenTrust Properties, a national real estate investment trust, purchased the Stevenson Ranch Plaza last month 

for $72.5 million. 

Stevenson Ranch Plaza sold for for $72.5M 

don’t have any major redevelopment plans 

for its latest acquisition. 

The seller was DSB Properties, a Westlake 

investment firm. 

Based in Oak Brook, Illinois, InvenTrust 

owns 128 multi-tenant retail spaces in 24 

states. The Stevenson Ranch Plaza marks its 

fifth property in Southern California. In addition 

to retail properties, InvenTrust also operates 

a student housing arm called 

University House Communities. R 

Cameron Smyth to run 

for Santa Clarita City 

Council election 

By Beau Harper 

Staff Writer 

Cameron Smyth, a former California 

State Assemblyman and Santa Clarita 

Mayor and council member announced 

his candidacy for the Santa Clarita City Council 

in November. 

Smyth represented Santa Clarita in the California 

State Assembly’s 38th District from 

2006 thru 2012 

Smyth also served as a member of the 

Santa Clarita City Council from 2000 to 2006 

serving as mayor in 2005 and 2003. 

Smyth retired from political life four years 

ago for a variety of reasons. 

“I left four years ago not because I was 

done serving, but the combination of term 

limits and, the impact on my family that the 

job had. We made a decision to step away for 

awhile, but we always were open to what may 

or may not come. I never lost my desire to 

serve” 

After receiving many requests from community 

leaders friends and family Smyth decided 

to run for City Council. 

“I was brought up to always believe in service 

and giving back to our community,” Smyth 

said. 

Smyth, who grew up in the Santa Clarita 

Valley and is the son of former City Councilman 

Clyde Smyth, said he was “going to run 

to make sure Santa Clarita is a place where 

my kids want to raise their kids.” He said he 

had no aspirations for higher office other 

than City Council. 

“Santa Clarita City Council is the right 

place, and now is the right time.” 

Smyth is married with three children ages 

five, 10 and 12. R


November 2015 SCV/Westside Reader • 7



city Budget 

Officials eye $219M 

budget for 2016-17 


Staff Writer 

Santa Clarita city officials are working to 

put together a budget estimated at 

$219 million for the coming fiscal year, 

reporting slight growth in some areas of the 

local economy. 

Looking ahead, a five-year economic forecast 

predicts continued stability. 

A preliminary look at the 2016-17 budget, 

which the City Council is scheduled to finalize 

in late June, shows operations and maintenance 

receiving almost half of the outlay, and 

capital projects receiving almost one quarter. 

Among the numerous capital projects in 

the budget is a $15.2 million, 400-space 

parking structure across from the Old Town 

Newhall Library, where an art-house movie 

theater and two mixed-use buildings are also 

planned. 

Other capital expenses include $3 million 

toward a 12-mile extension of the Via 

Princessa roadway, and $3.2 million toward 

the Metrolink-related Vista Canyon Regional 

Transit Center. 

The budget is estimated to spend about a 

Santa Clarita city officials are working to put together a budget estimated at $219 million for the coming fiscal 

year, reporting slight growth in some areas of the local economy. 

quarter of its general fund outlay on police, 

fire and other public safety programs, and 

about the same amount on parks, recreation 

City sets restrictions on Old 

Town Newhall business 


Staff Writer 

The Santa Clarita City Council set temporary 

restrictions on the types of 

business that can open in the Old Town 

Newhall arts and entertainment district. 

City officials said the 45-day moratorium 

was put in place to ensure that the area continues 

to develop with the focus on arts and 

entertainment. At the end of the period, in 

June, the council could extend the moratorium, 

or set more permanent restrictions on 

types of businesses in the area. 

Businesses not affected by the moratorium 

include restaurants, microbreweries, bars, 

taverns and nightclubs, florists, and stores 

selling antiques, collectibles, clothing, art, 

books, sporting goods, music, jewelry, hobby 

goods, stationery and toys. 

The moratorium was approved on a 4-0 

council vote, with Councilman TimBen Boydston 

recused from the matter. 

State officials had advised the city that 

Boydston and colleague Laurene Weste 

might have conflicts of interest that would 

prevent them from casting a vote on the matter. 

Boydston is executive director of the 

Canyon Theatre Guild in Old Town Newhall, 

and Weste owns nearby property. 

Because four votes were needed to put the 

moratorium in place immediately, either 

Boydston or Weste had to stand aside. On the 

advice of the state officials, the two cut cards. 

Weste won, and Boydston sat out the council’s 

discussion and the vote. 

A city report cited improvements to Old 

Town Newhall including construction of the 

Old Town Newhall Library, a “streetscape” 

themed refurbishing of Main Street, and the 

addition of a roundabout to the corner of 

Main Street and Newhall Avenue. 

“New restaurants have located to Main 

The Santa Clarita Planning Commission approved a 

number of modifications at Henry Mayo Newhall 

Hospital, prompted largely by changes in the state’s 

building code. 

Street, and commercial vacancies on Main 

Street remain low, demonstrating a strong 

customer demand in the area. The Newhall 

renaissance continues, and the city is making 

progress on establishing a vibrant arts and 

entertainment district,” the report states. 

“As the area has revitalized, the Main Street 

area has become more attractive to all types 

of uses, including retail uses that do not support 

the arts and entertainment vision,” the 

report states. 

The City Council recently approved a plan 

to build a Laemmle art-house theater, two 

new mixed-use buildings and a $15 million 

parking structure on a vacant block across 

from the library. The new additions could 

open in 2018. R 

and community services. 

The operating reserve for the general fund 

will be about $17 million. R 

planning commission 

Helipad location, other 

changes approved for 

Henry Mayo Hospital 


Staff Writer 

The Santa Clarita Planning Commission 

approved a number of modifications 

at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, 

prompted largely by changes in the state’s 

building code. 

The most noticeable change would move 

the hospital’s helipad to the northwest corner 

of the inpatient building, to comply with 

FAA requirements that were enacted after 

the hospital’s master plan was approved in 

2008. 

The changes, approved by the Planning 

Commission and passed along to the City 

Council, include a roughly 4 percent increase 

in the size of the hospital campus, beefing up 

the inpatient building, redistributing the hospital’s 

368 beds, and building an additional 

caesarian section operating room. 

“It’s basically the same hospital,” said Planning 

Commission Chair Dennis Ostrom. 

The helipad would relocate from the 

southeast corner of the inpatient building's 

roof to the northwest corner, 100 feet away. 

That change would allow the direct transport 

of patients from the helipad to the emergency 

room, according to a city report. 

One Valencia Summit resident told the 

commission she was concerned about the relocation 

of the helipad. 

The helipad would remain more than 240 

feet from the nearest home, a limit specified 

in the environmental impact report for the 

hospital, according to the city report. R 

camp clarita 


Camp Clarita offers 

variety of activities 

for SCV youth 

The City of Santa Clarita’s Camp Clarita 

is currently accepting registration for 

the 2016 summer program. Online 

and walk-in registration for programs from 

June 13 through August 5, 2016 is now 

being accepted. 

Camp Clarita is a day camp experience 

that provides recreational fun and creative 

learning opportunities for the youth of 

Santa Clarita. The camps include activities 

such as games, crafts, drama, swimming, 

field trips and more for children ages 3-15. 

Wee Folks and Little Folks camps are halfday 

programs for 3-5 year olds, featuring a 

variety of activities such as arts, crafts, 

games, storytelling, music, dance and water 

play at Canyon Country and Valencia Glen 

parks. All campers must be potty trained to 

participate. Program fees range in price 

from $33 to $57 per week. 

Junior Adventures Camp is an 8:00 a.m. to 

5:00 p.m. camp for 4-5 year olds at Newhall 

Park, which features age appropriate events 

including crafts, games, music, sensory activities, 

dramatic play and a special Friday 

event each week. The Monday through Friday 

programs cost $105 per week. 

Ranger and Explorer day camps are offered 

for children ages 5-8 and 8-12, respectively. 

These programs are available 

from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through 

Friday. In addition to daily fun-filled activities 

and swimming, Ranger and Explorer 

campers participate in weekly fieldtrips 

each Wednesday to a variety of locations 

throughout Southern California including 

Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Hurricane 

Harbor and more. Available enrollment options 

are Monday – Friday, Monday/ 

Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday. 

Program costs range from $78 to $169 per 

week dependent on program days. 

Voyager Camp is offered for youth ages 

11-15, and provides young teens with the 

opportunity to visit local hot spots each day 

including Disneyland, Universal Studios, 

horseback riding and more. Available enrollment 

options are Monday – Friday, 

Monday/Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/ 

Thursday. The cost forVoyager Camp ranges 

from $127 to $230 per week depending on 

the number of days enrolled. 

The deadline to enroll is by 5:00 p.m. on 

the Wednesday prior to the week the program 

begins and will be based on availability. 

Walk-in registration is available at The 

Centre, located at 20880 Centre Pointe 

Parkway. 

For more information, including program 

details and registration forms, please contact 

the Camp Clarita office at (661) 284-1465 or 

campclarita@santa-clarita.com or visit 

CampClarita.com.


June 2016 THE Reader • 9




ARTS 

City adopts Arts Master Plan 

By Tammy Marashlian 

Staff Writer 

With the recent approval of an Arts 

Master Plan for the city of Santa 

Clarita, the Arts Commission is 

now strategizing on how to prioritize and implement 

dozens of recommendations for integrating 

the arts into the city over the next 

decade. 

“I think it’s a huge step,” Phil Lantis, arts 

and events administrator, said of the master 

plan approval. “It gives us all guiding documents 

and a way to move forward together 

so the Arts Commission, staff, City Council, 

and community are all working together in 

the same direction. That’s always better. It’s 

been really unifying.” 

The plan is described as a 10-year plan 

with recommendations that will likely continue 

beyond the decade. 

The Santa Clarita City Council adopted the 

Arts Master Plan during its March 8 meeting. 

The move comes after more than a year of 

work in envisioning the arts community 

within the city. The city’s last arts plan was 

completed in the late 1990s. 

The plan includes three themes and 10 

focus areas, which were created following 

months of community input, drafts and presentations. 

The themes are: enhancing cultural 

vitality, strengthening cultural support 

systems, and fostering greater diversity and 

inclusion. With that, the plan has a total of 41 

recommendations. They range from identifying 

public arts projects for Santa Clarita 

communities to even exploring the idea of a 

museum in Old Town Newhall, according to 

the plan. 

“Personally I am excited about the creative 

economy aspect and creating a bridge between 

the arts community and business 

community,” Lantis said. “The arts are newer 

to the scene and I think building that bridge 

is an opportunity to have the arts really grow 

from a grassroots level.” 

The latest plan began in 2014-15 when the 

city hired consultants to examine public art, 

art funding, the Newhall Arts and Entertainment 

District, arts facilities, and the creative 

economy. Over time, the five aspects grew to 

10 based on community input, Lantis said. A 

stakeholder meeting that involved the community 

was held in January followed by the 

Arts Commission meeting on Feb. 11, in 

which the plan was approved. 

Now with the council’s approval comes the 

implementation of the plan. Lantis encouraged 

the community to take part in the work 

plan, which is the commission’s approach to 

examining 41 recommendations and prioritizing 

them to see how they can be accomplished. 

Each year the commission will 

review the work plan to determine the 

progress on the recommendations and what 

remains to be completed. 

“It’s an annual process to hold accountability 

and to hold focus,” Lantis said. R



reading fun for everyone 

Summer with the Santa 

Clarita Libraries 

By Jim Walker 

Staff Writer 

Your Santa Clarita Public Libraries, located 

in Old Town Newhall, Valencia 

and Canyon Country, will be the focal 

points of numerous educational and entertaining 

activities this summer — and there is 

something for every age group. These activities 

feature reading and the promotion of it, 

for the most part, but some are just good fun. 

Read for the Win 

One of the highlights of the library’s summer 

schedule will be the Summer Reading 

2016, Read for the Win program, which runs 

from June 13 to July 30. The Read for the Win 

program, presented in partnership with the 

Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library, encourages 

residents of all ages to celebrate 

sports and achievement with a variety of 

summer programming, including speciallythemed 

storytimes, sport-themed DIY crafts, 

dance and fitness classes, gaming and comic 

book-themed workshops, family-friendly 

events, musical performances and more. 

After registering online on the Summer 

Reading website or at one of the library 

branches, participants can set missions to 

read books or complete gaming challenges. 

Participants will use the Summer Reading 

website to track their progress online or to 

share book reviews. Each registered player 

will be able to earn “digital badges” and win 

prizes and rewards. Stacy Schlesinger, the 

Santa Clarita Library public relations and 

marketing coordinator, noted that adult participants 

can play the Summer Bingo game 

for opportunities to qualify for prizes and 

special drawings. And she said that all information 

about the Read for the Win program 

can be found at SCVSummerReading.com, 

starting June 13. 

“The Santa Clarita Public Library team has 

been hard at work on Summer Reading 2016, 

Read for the Win, and we can’t wait to share 

it with the community,” she said. 

ademic year. We are very pleased to offer storytimes 

during the summertime as well,” 

Schlesinger said. “Beginning the week of June 

13 and continuing through the week of July 

25, the library will hold a full complement of 

storytimes: Baby and Toddler, Just 2s and 3s, 

School Readiness, and Bilingual as well as 

special Dance Party events and Tinkerlabs for 

2-5 year olds. A complete list of days and 

times at each of our branches can be found 

on the Santa Clarita Public Library online calendar 

at SantaClaritaLibrary.com.” 

There will also be special activity programs 

for grades K-6. And, among other events, 

teens will be able to participate in Fandom 

Jeopardy, a Developmental Lab and movie 

showings. Family Events will be hosted on 

Fridays in July, such as G and PG movies, 

chess games, board games, Bingo and puzzles. 

Shows 

“Each year, we invite the community to at- 

The Old Town Newhall Library 

Beginning the week of June 13 and continuing through the week of July 25, the library will hold a full complement 

of storytimes: Baby and Toddler, Just 2s and 3s, School Readiness, and Bilingual as well as special Dance 

Party events and Tinkerlabs for 2-5 year olds. 

tend free events showcasing some very exciting 

performers, Schlesinger said. “This 

summer we are thrilled to bring back library 

favorites, Abbit the Average (magic show), 

Wacko (magic show) and Swazzle (puppet 

show). All three of these professional shows 

are absolutely free to the public. Be sure to 

visit the online calendar at SCVSummer- 

Reading.com for dates, times and locations.” 

Birthday Celebration 

Schlesinger noted that, “Since July 1, 2011, 

the three library branches, Canyon Country 

Jo Anne Darcy Library, Old Town Newhall Library, 

and Valencia Library, have been providing 

visitors with free innovative resources 

and educational programming; constantly 

enhancing services to address the growing 

needs of the community. The Santa Clarita 

Public Library celebrates five years of service 

and stories beginning June 1 and will conclude 

with free birthday party events to be 

held at all three library branches on July 1. 

Free activities will be hosted at each library 

branch to celebrate the milestone. For more 

information about the Library’s five year celebration, 

visit facebook.com/SCPLTurns5.” R 

For more information on the library’s summer 

programs check out the online Seasons 

booklet (pages 9-12) at Seasons or visit SantaClaritaLibrary.com. 

You can also contact 

Stacy Schlesinger at sschesinger@santaclarita 

library.com. 

Five Book Challenge 

If the Read for the Win program isn’t 

enough to motivate you, know that the libraries 

will be participating in the Five Book 

Summer Challenge. This is a statewide initiative 

that challenges readers of all ages to commit 

to reading five books during the summer. 

Schlesinger said studies have shown that 

reading just five books can help prevent summer 

learning loss for children and teens. 

The program concludes with a Field Day 

Finale to celebrate reading accomplishments. 

“This year, our Field Day Finale is going to 

knock it out of the park — Newhall Park!” 

Schlesinger added. “Our talented and creative 

library staff has been busy organizing a day 

filled with good, old-fashioned fun in the 

park. In addition to sports-theme activities 

and craft booths, attendees will enjoy a musical 

performance by Twinkle Time. Twinkle 

and Friends make learning fun by fusing education, 

language and arts with music.” 

Programs by Age Group 

“The Santa Clarita Public Library offers storytimes 

for children of all ages during the ac-




m r. sa n ta c l a r i ta va l l e y 

the scv’s forgotten canyon 

county (or, the high price to pay 

for a thrown piece of fruit…) 

by John Boston 

Reader Columnist 

This November 2016 

election may be the 

most historic and 

certainly most unusual certainly 

in my lifetime. Who 

knows. It could be the most 

important in American history. 

I feel we are at a turning 

point in both our 

country and culture. 

But, it was 40 years ago 

when, on a much smaller 

level, we had another historic 

election. That’s when 

Los Angeles County voters 

went to the polls (the first 

time) to decide whether the 

Santa Clarita Valley could decide its own fate 

by becoming its own county. 

Canyon County. 

In case you haven’t noticed, Canyon County 

lost. 

It was a wild and crazy adventure. For 

years, the SCV had been a dumping ground 

for L.A. County projects, from hazardous 

waste dumps to prisons. Twice local movers 

and shakers attempted to break away from 

Los Angeles. Both times, the measure lost at 

a 2:1 ratio in the county election (it was favored 

the nearly the same ratio in the SCV 

though). In 1978, the movement was defeated 

a second time, with tabloid flair. 

County agencies released reports riddled 

with lies, misinformation and distortions, 

from crime rates to proposed budget shortfalls. 

On the other hand, the most voting citizens 

favored breaking away from the elephantine 

and unresponsive government in Downtown 

L.A. The strangest thing — it was probably a 

poker game in the early 1960s that started 

the ball of local governance rolling. A few 

dozen of the top SCV citizens were having an 

innocent poker game at the American Legion 

Hall on Saturday night to raise funds for a 

charity. The vice squad drove all the way up 

here to raid the event, confiscating chips, tables 

and cash and even arresting a couple of 

movers & shakers. This was the final insult in 

a century-long line of slights and manipulations 

from the county and locals were asking: 

“Was the rest of Los Angeles so quiet on a Saturday 

night that the vice squad had nothing 

better to do than kick in the doors of a charity 

poker game up in sleepy 

little Newhall?” 

As the SCV grew, the glaring 

assaults and lack of attention 

from L.A. increased. 

Oddly enough, corpses were 

a galvanizing factor in trying 

to form Canyon County. 

After a particularly horrendous 

accident on 126, 

bodies were strewn on the 

side of the road in the hot 

sun for more than eight 

hours. Why? Because the L.A. 

county coroner was too busy 

to fetch them. Another case 

— a convicted rapist had 

stolen a local man’s car and totaled it. He was 

caught and faced an L.A. judge — who let him 

off with a misdemeanor ticket for joyriding. 

Canyon County was an ambitious project. 

If formed, it would stretch from Gorman, to 

Lake Hughes, Palmdale to the Ventura County 

line and over Sierra Highway to the San Fernando 

Valley. Half of it would rest within the 

national forest. 

Canyon County would be broken into five 

districts, with each having about 13,400 residents. 

That’s a little more manageable ratio 

than the several million each L.A. supe represented. 

Adding insult to injury, our own eccentric 

representative, former TV newscaster Baxter 

Ward, was publicly against the idea. 

The name “Canyon County” wasn’t etched 

in stone. Some on the formation committee 

thought we should call ourselves Nesaval 

County. The “Ne” came from “Newhall.” The 

“sa” was from “Saugus.” And the final syllable 

was the first three letters of “Valencia.” 

Canyon County was defeated that second 

time at the ballot box. But it didn’t stop the 

local government formation movement. Nine 

years later, from the mistakes learned from 

those first two attempts, the City of Santa 

Clarita was formed in Dec. of 1987. But not 

without controversy again. 

One of the major players in the anti-SCV 

movement was Ruth Bennell. She chaired 

LAFCO. That stands for Local Agency Formation 

Commission. It’s a state agency that 

mandates functions and formations for cities, 

agencies and special districts and was nearly 

omnipotent in touting or killing a project. For 

some odd reason, LAFCO 40 

years back appeared to have 

some holy bug wiggling where 

the moon don’t shine and was 

vehemently against the formation 

of Canyon County. It was 

even more adamant in stopping 

the new proposed city. 

Actively and publicly, Ruth 

Bennell threw one monkey 

In the last 40 years, there have been 

seven attempts to form new counties 

in California. Twice, Canyon County 

attempted to be the state’s 59th.) 

canyon country 

3,000-square-foot Community Center 

proposal moves to City Council 

By Tammy Marashlian 

Staff Writer 

The Santa Clarita City Council in late 

June is expected to get a look at the 

proposed Canyon Country Community 

Center, which would create a much bigger 

public space for families on Santa Clarita’s 

east side. 

The current 3,000-square-foot community 

center on Sierra Highway opened about three 

and a half years ago and is home to recreational 

activities and workshops for youth. 

The center was always meant to be a temporary 

site until a permanent location could be 

built, said Rick Gould, director of parks, 

Recreation, and Community Services for the 

city of Santa Clarita. 

“It’s very full and very active,” Gould said. 

“It’s too small for all of our needs at this 

point.” 

Most recently during its May 5 meeting, 

the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services 

Commission reviewed the city’s proposal 

for the center and signed off on sending it to 

the council. 

The anticipated proposal before the City 

Council comes after years of public outreach 

and planning to get a sense of what the community 

wants in its center. In that time, the 

city has received solid feedback about what 

people in the community would like in the 

permanent center. 

“We have a pretty good idea of what people 

want,” Gould said. 

One theme, Gould said, is for the center to 

be “multi use” with flexible rooms that can 

house everything from classes to fitness 

training to even cooking lessons. A gymnasium 

is also part of the plan. 

The idea is for the space to have a quiet 

area to host homework help programs while 

another part of the center would be for active 

classes, like dance and fitness programs. 

wrench after another to stop California’s 

59th county from forming. I always wondered 

why the personal animus. Clearly, legendary 

newspaper publisher and editorialist 

Scott Newhall was a big part. You think Donald 

Trump could be insulting. Scott was the 

Bruce Lee of editorial writers and wrote soulbreaking 

and painful descriptions of Bennell’s 

face, figure, character and ability. 

That did not help. 

But this was only AFTER Bennell seemed 

to take such joy at killing the unborn city. 

I always wondered about that much passion 

coming from an aging paper pusher. 

Then, one day, while rifling through some old 

files, I found the answer. 

In the early ’60s, locals had the fire in their 

belly to create a city — Newhall-Saugus. They 

held information meetings at the Hart Auditorium 

and invited various SoCal politicians 

and staff to speak on the pros and cons. The 

young and newly elected vice-mayor of Pico 

Rivera stood and gave a rather condescending 

opinion of the idea and the Santa Clarita 

Valley in general. We, of course, being the 

Santa Clarita and not responsible for our actions 

or emotions, the audience started booing. 

In the midst of her diatribe, a farmer 

stood and tossed a piece of fruit at the 

woman, hitting her. 

The woman? 

The city estimates the new center would 

be about 20,000 to 21,000 square feet, he 

said. 

“It’s a big difference,” Gould said, adding 

that some of that square footage will be devoted 

to necessities like bathrooms and staff 

workspace. In comparison, the Newhall center 

is 17,000 square feet. 

In September 2014, the city purchased 6.3 

acres of vacant land on the northeast corner 

of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway 

for the center. 

“Once that happened, we realized in the 

middle of the public outreach process that it 

went from a conceptual project to something 

with more momentum now that we had a location,” 

Gould said. 

The city has then gone through background 

work on the land to explore technical 

issues and examine traffic patterns. The city 

has also been in communication with neighboring 

property and business owners to 

gather their input, Gould said. 

“We want it to fit in and complement 

what’s going on out there,” he said. 

A public meeting was held April 28 where 

the city presented the proposed community 

center at the Sierra and Soledad location. 

“They were enthusiastic about the project 

and where we’re heading,” Gould said. 

Pending the council’s approval, the city will 

then begin additional background work on 

the site to explore environmental and civil 

engineering needs, he said. An opening date 

for the new site has yet to be officially set. 

“It’s a moving target,” he said. “We would 

love to be open in late 2019 into early 2020.” 

Overall, the center plays into the city’s 

greater vision of having community spaces 

for all the Santa Clarita communities. The 

hope is the Canyon Country location will be a 

focal point for the community that becomes a 

natural gathering point for kids and families, 

Gould said. R 

Ruth Bennell, future LAFCO commissioner. 

My friend from a previous life, Lord Talleyrand, 

once said: “La vengeance est un met 

que l'on doit manger froid.” 

Or, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” 

I think that mean old Ruth Bennell had 

herself an entire wooly mammoth of a feast. 

Three days before the city formation election, 

she cut the proposed borders in half and 

basically told locals to suck eggs if they didn’t 

like it. Despite the machinations of the 

doughty paper shuffler, the City of Santa 

Clarita was born. 

And at 28 years old, it’s a rather fetching 

and interesting creature. 

We’re not done with Canyon County, by 

the way. Next issue, I’ll report on my trek to 

the other Canyon County — the one in Idaho 

(right next door to the county named after 

Hawaii). R 

John Boston has been named Best Serious 

and Best Humorous newspaper columnist in 

California, Los Angeles, and America, several 

times, to go with 100-plus major writing 

awards, including The Will Rogers Humanitarian 

Lifetime Achievement Award. Read his 

‘America’s Humorist’ essays thrice-weekly at 

The John Boston Chronicles — www.john 

bostonchronicles.comAnd, you can Tweet him 

at THEJohnBoston.



r ay t h e r e a lto r® 

Why We love the santa 

clarita valley! 

W h y t e’s W o r l d 

choices, choices, choices: 

men, Women, or…? 

by Ray the Realtor® Kutylo 

Contributing Writer 

by Tim Whyte 

Reader Columnist 

Realtors® sell homes, but often, we are 

also selling the SCV. So many of our 

buyers are refugees from Los Angeles 

and the San Fernando Valley, tired of the 

smog, traffic and congestion, victimized by 

crime and high prices and poorly rated 

schools. Indeed, our little valley is an oasis of 

sanity in an increasingly mad world. Other 

buyers relocate here for job opportunity or 

for the weather in sunny California. 

Santa Clarita is often mentioned as one of 

the best places to live of its size class in the 

nation, and recently named the Number 1 

place to live for retirees in Southern California. 

In addition, we are regularly named as 

one of the safest cities of our size according to 

FBI crime stats. In Los Angeles County, the 

City of Santa Clarita is noted as the most business-friendly 

city around. 

Our schools from primary to high school 

are highly rated both academically and athletically, 

and our students go on to colleges 

across the nation well-prepared to meet the 

challenges there. Our local community college, 

along with its innovative University Center, 

is a model for many institutions across 

the state and the nation. Our private schools 

and the Masters College are well-regarded, 

and the homeschooled children (of which 

there are many in the SCV!) also are often examples 

of high achievement. 

Local government, whether within the City 

of Santa Clarita or in the unincorporated 

areas under the authority of the County of 

Los Angeles, is fairly responsive to the citizenry, 

especially at the staff level. The streets 

are pretty clean, with any graffiti that shows 

up getting removed quickly, the infrastructure 

including roads work well except perhaps 

at the rush hours, and there are parks 

identify the artwork from 

one of the advertisements 

in this publication and be 

entered into a drawing to 

win $100 cash. email the 

name of the advertiser, 

your town and the page 

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and festivals and events, and from my general 

assessment, people are generally happy, industrious 

and for the most part, prosperous. 

Charities and voluntary associations for 

this, that, and every cause one could imagine 

seem to thrive in our still small town environment. 

From arts associations and local 

theater to animal rescues, sports teams, 

dance and cheer, and recreation galore, to addressing 

hunger and homelessness with senior 

meals on wheels, food pantries and 

sheltering; if you’ve got a passion for a cause 

or just want to enrich your own and your 

children’s lives, all you have to do is look 

around and raise your hand. 

Are there problems and issues? Sure. We 

are human after all. And sometimes wherever 

we came from to try and escape problems 

and issues we just have hauled them 

along with us here to our new location. 

There’s crime and drugs and broken people 

and broken souls, like everywhere. Not 

everyone you meet will be ‘nice’. Some days 

are hot. People drive too fast and don’t pay 

attention. People get lonely and sad. Families 

break up. Life happens, and sometimes it gets 

really challenging. Just never quit and keep 

moving forward!. 

Overall it’s a great place to live and put 

down roots. We Love the SCV! R 

Ray the Realtor® Kutylo is associated with 

the SCV Home Team at Keller Williams VIP 

Properties in Santa Clarita. My team and I 

Love the SCV. Moving here or moving out? Call 

us. 

Call or text us at 661-312-9461 or email at 

RKutylo@gmail.com . Our Mobile App is at 

www.mobile.SCVhometeam.com CalBRE license 

number 00918855 

Life used to be much simpler. You could 

choose Coke, or Pepsi. Hot dogs, or 

hamburgers. Republican, or Democrat. 

Wait. That last one — those apparently are 

still the only two choices. 

Drat. 

But you get the idea. Choices were along 

pretty clear-cut lines. Not so many variables 

like we have today. For example, when you’re 

in a public place, it used to be you were presented 

with two bathroom choices: 

One door, with a silhouette of someone 

wearing pants. 

Another door, with a silhouette of someone 

wearing a dress. 

Most folks pretty much knew where to go. 

And, if you were fortunate enough to be in a 

place with personality, they’d customize 

those labels. Tiki bar? The doors would say, 

“Kane,” and “Wahine.” Cowboy bar? “Cowboys” 

and “Cowgirls.” Cantina? “Hombres” 

and “Señoritas.” The list goes on. 

Cripes. Why is it that all my points of reference 

are bars? 

Anyway. Back in the old days – you know, 

up until last February or so – most American 

public places offered one bathroom for those 

with external plumbing and one for those 

with the internal variety. For the most part, it 

was a comfortable arrangement. 

But it wasn’t comfortable for everyone, and 

I understand that. While they are a small percentage 

of the population (a low single-digit 

percentage, by most estimates), transgender 

individuals face an outsized percentage of social 

challenges, ranging from acceptance by 

their own families to struggling to feel safe 

and accepted when they enter the restroom 

that most reflects the gender with which they 

identify, regardless of what the plumbing says. 

They deserve to feel comfortable and accepted. 

But at the same time, the new rules — or, 

lack of them — being advocated on behalf of 

transgender individuals are being put forth 

with a total lack of regard for the “comfort” of 

a large percentage of the population. Namely, 

parents, aka, “just about everyone else.” 

As an adult, I don’t care who I share a bathroom 

with. The presence of a transgender 

person in the next stall over doesn’t bother 

me a bit. But as a parent, I’d absolutely care 

who’s in there with my kids, if I am not in 

there myself. That’s what parents do. We 

worry. We protect. 

It’s not the sincere transgender individuals 

who concern me. Someone who was born 

male but has identified as female and is sincerely 

living life as a “she” instead of a “he,” 

along with all of the struggles for acceptance 

that such a life entails, is no threat to me or 

my children. God bless her. It can be a tough 

life. 

However, it’s the truly cynical and criminal 

among us who would capitalize on the “new 

rules” who worry me. 

I guess I’m fortunate that my own kids are 

old enough now that this is less of a day-today 

concern. But I think back to a few short 

years ago, when my daughter was too old to 

be brought into the men’s room with Daddy. If 

we were in a public place and it was just me 

and her, I might have no choice but to send 

her into the women’s room alone. I’d stand 

outside the door, paranoid as hell, and holler 

in at her every 30 seconds to make sure she 

was OK. 

“Daughter’s Embarrassing Moments with 

Dad, No. 138.” 

Would I be worried about a transgender 

person in there? Nope. I’d be worried about 

the predators who see an opportunity to capitalize 

on the “new” rules. 

“Wait. All I have to do is ‘self-identify’ as female, 

throw on some mascara, lipstick and a 

little black dress, and I’m entitled to hang out 

in the ladies room? Excellent!” says the child 

molester. 

I know. The statistics make such a scenario 

unlikely. The advocates of Bathroom Rules 2.0 

would say I’m being paranoid and silly – or, 

worse, a bigot. But when it comes to predators, 

it just takes one to ruin your kid’s life. 

In recent years I’ve increasingly found it 

ironic: There are those among us (ahem, the 

political extreme left) who preach tolerance 

and acceptance — so long as you agree with 

them 100 percent of the time on 100 percent 

of the issues. The moment you offer even a 

slightly different take, you are painted with 

the broadest of brushes, and branded as a 

hateful bigot. They advocate free speech, so 

long as you don’t have a viewpoint different 

from their own. Ironically, the anti-bullies become 

bullies themselves. How hypocritical is 

that? 

Just as transgender individuals have a right 

to feel comfortable and safe in a public restroom, 

don’t the rest of us have that same 

right, too? Shouldn’t this issue be guided by 

mutual understanding and acceptance, as opposed 

to a unilateral demand for change, opposing 

concerns be damned? 

Where we go to the bathroom is only one 

small part of our increasingly complicated 

world. Perhaps it demands a simple solution. 

Maybe it’ll take a European-style approach, 

which would render all restrooms unisex so 

we don’t have to worry about whether we’re 

an hombre, a señorita or “los otros.” Dads 

could amble right into the public restrooms 

along with their daughters, and make sure it’s 

safe in there. 

At least we’d all know where we stand. Or 

sit. 

Whatever we do as a society, situations like 

this call for mutual respect – not just one side 

mindlessly kowtowing to another for fear of 

being shouted down, shamed and accused of 

bigotry. 

What we don’t need? Hypocrisy and bullying. 

From either side. 

Tim Whyte is a public relations consultant, a 

member of the award-winning team at Mellady 

Direct Marketing, and a part-time faculty 

member in the Journalism Department at California 

State University, Northridge. Find him 

on Twitter @TimWhyte.




Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District 5 

Four among those vying for seat vacated by Mike Antonovich 

Kathryn Barger is running 

for Supervisor for 

Los Angeles County’s 

Fifth District on the June 7thprimary 

ballot. 

Kathryn Barger is the only 

candidate for County Supervisor 

who was born, raised, and 

is a lifelong resident of the 

Fifth District. For the past 15 

years, Kathryn has been Chief 

Deputy Supervisor for Supervisor 

Mike Antonovich where 

she manages the Supervisor’s 

Office and serves as the official 

liaison with the community, 

local businesses, and 

local government. Kathryn is 

also an expert on healthcare, 

mental health and children’s issues because 

of her work with Supervisor Antonovich. He 

has encouraged her to run and endorsed her 

candidacy for Supervisor. 

As Chief Deputy Supervisor, Kathryn 

strives to make government more efficient by 

reducing burdensome bureaucracy and regulation. 

She will continue the tradition of fiscally 

responsible county government, holding 

down spending and taxes while investing in 

critical services like public safety, economic 

development, and transportation. 

Kathryn is committed to keeping our 

neighborhoods and communities safe. She 

helped implement Megan’s Law to ensure all 

residents have information about sex offenders 

in their neighborhoods. The wife of a retired 

Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff, her 

anti-crime platform, which advocates for 

more local patrols and body cameras for officers, 

has earned her the endorsement of the 

Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, 

the Los Angeles County Firefighters and the 

support of three former LA District Attorneys 

– Gil Garcetti, Steve Cooley and Bob Philibosian. 

Kathryn Barger is a recognized problem 

solver. Her record of service has won her bipartisan 

support from leaders throughout 

the Fifth District and Los Angeles County, including 

Republican Supervisor Antonovich 

and Democratic Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. 

Kathryn Barger is uniquely prepared to 

serve the Fifth District and you. 

[The Reader invited the candidates to answer 

questions and submit a statement.] 

1. Polls show most voters don't think 

government works. What would you do to 

FIX the underlying structures and systems 

that seem to be broken? 

It's clear that based on the voter turnout 

over the last few years,which has been consistently 

low, that people are not engaged in 

the electoral process. My campaign has been 

centered around engaging communities 

throughout the Fifth District and helping 

them understand the importance of this election. 

Moving forward as County Supervisor, I 

will be active in all communities throughout 

the Fifth District, not only working with city 

and town councils, but also with community 

groups in order to receive feedback, but also 

to engage organizations and individuals. I believe 

that there is a perception that government 

does not work, but I want to show the 

people that the facts do not support that, understanding 

that perception becomes reality 

Kathryn Barger 

for people. As Chief Deputy 

Supervisor, I have worked 

with all our local communities 

and I know the challenges 

facing each 

community. The Fifth Supervisoral 

District is my home 

and has been all my life. 

2. Do you think eliminating 

obsolete laws, regulations 

and bureaucracies 

would help to reduce the 

County budget by cutting 

waste and saving time? 

And if so, how would you do 

it? 

Rules and regulations are 

always evolving and you 

need to ensure that they are predictable, consistently 

applied and reflect the needs of the 

community. I recently worked with my colleagues 

to merge the departments of Health, 

Mental Health, and Public Health into one 

agency to streamline services to better serve 

the residents of the county. I am also spearheading 

the effort to consolidate the departments 

of Regional Planning, Public Works, 

Fire Prevention, and Environmental Health 

into one regional one-stop development center. 

Currently, these departments are located 

in different cities around the County and applicants 

are forced to make multiple trips 

when processing development plans or obtaining 

permits for a new business or construction. 

Collocating these departments will 

not only expedite the permit process, but will 

increase dialogue between departments involved 

in the permit process to further avoid 

delays. 

3. What do you see as the most important 

issue facing the LA County? 

It is difficult to choose one issue because 

the county oversees so many issues effecting 

over ten million residents. For example, there 

is a growing homeless population throughout 

the County, which is impacting communities 

as well as quality of life. My priority is 

ensuring that we work with all 88 cities coordinating 

our support services, as well as 

working to identify affordable housing to 

deal with this serious situation. Another priority 

of equal importance would be public 

safety. With the passing of Proposition 47 

(Define prop 47) as well as AB 109 which 

transferred prisoners from the state facilities 

to the county level as part of a cost saving 

measure by the state have created an increase 

in crime throughout the district. It is 

critical that we provide law enforcement 

with the resources necessary to address this 

problem. 

4. What are your 3 main goals? 

1. Integrated Approach to Public Safety, 

providing necessary resources to our Sheriffs, 

healthcare workers, and social service 

providers; drug abuse, mental illness, and 

homelessness are contributing to increased 

crime; 

2. The Environment and water: we must 

work hard to reduce the county carbon footprint, 

address storm water run-off, and conserve 

and store water to county future 

Bob coauthored new 

laws that helped boost 

the Southland economy 

by $1 billion, keeping 

good middle class film and 

TV jobs in our district and 

bringing 6,500 new aerospace 

related jobs to our 

County. 

Bob’s efforts to improve 

the local jobs climate earned 

him 100% ratings from the 

California Manufacturers and 

Technology Association and 

the National Federation of Independent 

Business. 

Bob’s efforts to keep taxes Bob Huff 

down on working families 

and small businesses earned him 100% legislative 

vote ratings from the California Taxpayers 

Association and the Howard Jarvis 

Taxpayers Association. 

In the Senate, Bob helped kick three corrupt 

officials out of office and supports prosecuting 

them to the full extent of the law. 

He led efforts to forge a bipartisan coalition 

that passed a statewide water bond that 

will ensure more reliable water supplies and 

clean up polluted ground water in Los Angeles 

County. 

He also was part of a bipartisan coalition 

that increased funding for Santa Clarita Valley 

Schools. 

Bob wrote the nationally recognized “Parent 

Trigger Act,” expanded school choice for 

parents and students and provided more 

funding for public charter schools. 

Huff also provided critical leadership in 

protecting seniors, disabled and our most 

vulnerable from health care cuts and worked 

across party lines to increase funding for Los 

Angeles County schools. 

To keep families safe, Bob led successful efforts 

to keep 10,000 dangerous felons in 

prison and out of our neighborhoods. 

As Supervisor, Bob will: 

• Oppose all tax increases not directly approved 

by Los Angeles County voters. 

• Continue leading efforts to find longterm 

solutions to our water crisis. 

• Reduce traffic congestion and commute 

times by using transportation dollars more 

wisely. 

• Use performance based budgeting to cut 

fraud waste and abuse. 

• Put more deputies on patrol to keep 

neighborhoods safe. 

Above all, Bob will keep an open door and 

always remember that county government is 

here to serve the people. He will work hard 

to get more from our tax dollars because he 

believes the people of Santa Clarita deserve 

better service and more value from what we 

are already paying. 

For additional information, please visit: 

www.supervisorbobhuff.com. 







I have received thousands of complaints 

regarding challenges that constituents were 

having with DMV or the Employment Devel- 

opment Department or some 

other state agency and it was 

my job to work to help them 

achieve a resolution. 

Even at the local level, many 

voters have negative experiences 

when they have to interact 

with local government 

agencies. Often, these agencies 

can develop a bureaucratic 

mindset that can lead to a culture 

of poor customer service 

or they may function under 

policies and procedures that 

fail to serve the public well. 

As Supervisor, I will work to 

establish and maintain a high 

level of customer service and 

responsiveness by articulating 

clear standards and expectations to department 

leadership, staff and then follow up to 

ensure compliance. 

According to the County of Los Angeles’ 

Strategic Plan on the first page under the 

heading of Strategic Plan Goals they list, “Operational 

Effectiveness/Fiscal Sustainability:” 

which articulates the stated goal to: 

“Maximize the effectiveness of processes, 

structure, operations, and strong fiscal management 

to support timely delivery of customer-oriented 

and efficient public service. 

The Strategic Plan also expresses that one of 

the County’s key values is: “Customer Orientation 

— We place the highest priority on 

meeting our customers’ needs with accessible, 

responsive quality services, and treating 

them with respect and dignity.” These represent 

good stated standards, but they must 

be rigorously reinforced throughout county 

operations. Policies and procedures that fail 

to meet the highest quality of customer service 

standards must be identified and reworked. 

2. Do you think eliminating obsolete 

laws, regulations and bureaucracies 

would help to reduce the County budget by 

cutting waste and saving time? And if so, 

how would you do it? 

Obsolete laws, regulations and dysfunctional 

bureaucracies are a major impediment 

to effectively serving the public and absolutely 

represent a waste of taxpayer dollars. 

As Supervisor, I will continue to listed to 

residents and incorporate their feedback, 

both positive and negative, to make the 

county run more efficiently. I’ll save tax dollars 

by reinstating immigration control enforcement 

in county jails to more easily 

deport violent criminals who are here illegally. 

I’ll use performance based budgeting 

to make government more accountable and I 

will advocate for regular audits of agencies 

and procedures to ensure that we are getting 

the most for our taxpayers. 



I believe the most important issue facing 

LA County presently is the need to significantly 

improve transportation infrastructure. 

Traffic congestion and commute times significantly 

impact quality of life and they also 

have a direct and negative impact on eco- 

See Barger, page 19 See Huff, page 19



Candidate Statements and Q & A 

As a City Councilmember, 

Reserve LAPD Officer, 

and community 

non-profit leader, I have spent 

my adult life working to make 

meaningful and real improvements 

in the lives of people 

throughout the region. I am 

deeply committed to the future 

of my community, our 

County, and the region, and 

have dedicated my life to it. 

I was inspired to enter public 

service by many of the experiences 

I’ve had throughout 

my life. Raised by a single 

mother in a working class 

household, we struggled to 

pay the bills. Despite working 

three jobs, the financial pressures were too 

much to handle, and I was sent to live with 

my uncle at a young age while my brother entered 

the foster system. Later in life, two significant 

events profoundly shaped my life, the 

loss of my sister and uncle. My sister suffered 

from severe asthma due to the smog that was 

so prevalent in 1970s and 1980s Los Angeles. 

While suffering a severe asthma attack, 

she was rushed to the emergency room only 

to find the doors closed due to overcrowding. 

She suffered from severe brain damage and, 

after caring for her nearly 10 years, she later 

passed away as a result. At that same time, 

my uncle, who was a mentor and father figure 

to me, was innocently killed as a result of 

gang violence for simply being in the wrong 

place at the wrong time. 

These experiences are what inspired me to 

enter public service and motivate me to work 

to build a better future for everyone. 

As a Los Angeles City Councilmember, 

Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Reserve 

LAPD Officer, non-profit leader, homeowner 

association president, former small business 

owner, and native of the district, I bring a 

unique mix of experience, perspective, and 

track record of delivering results for my community 

that is unmatched. 

On the City Council, I have built a reputation 

as an effective coalition builder and 

problem solver. I have been elected by my 

Democratic peers as President Pro-Tempore 

of the Council despite being the lone Republican 

member, because policing and potholes 

are not partisan issues. As a member of the 

Executive Employee Relations Committee, I 

played a key role in several successful contract 

negotiations. As Vice Chair of the Budget 

and Finance Committee, I helped lead our 

City during difficult economic times, protecting 

vital services while helping to erase a projected 

1 billion dollar budget deficit and 

making investments in our communities. 

My commitment to serving our communities 

goes beyond my work as a City Councilmember. 

As a sworn public safety officer, I 

still regularly patrol our neighborhoods in 

uniform. I have also served on the board of 

numerous community organizations including 

the North Valley Family YMCA, American 

Diabetes Association, San Fernando Valley 

Jaycees, West Valley Boys and Girls Club, The 

Jewish Home for the Aging, Valley Leadership 

Institute, Devonshire Police Activities League 

(PALS), New Directions For Youth, New Horizons, 

and Supporters of Law Enforcement in 

Devonshire (SOLID) and more. 



Mitch Englander 

1. Polls show most voters 

don't think government 

works. What would you do 

to FIX the underlying structures 

and systems that 

seem to be broken? 

People don’t think government 

works because they 

have lost faith in their elected 

leaders and they don’t feel 

like they really have a voice 

in what happens to their 

communities or how their 

tax dollars are spent. Since I 

have worked in government 

I have seen that government 

works best when people feel 

listened to, respected and 

have ownership in the outcomes for the issues 

that are most important to them. That 

is why I think it’s critical to engage the public 

in decision making and to empower neighborhoods 

to make decisions that impact their 

quality of life. 

I have championed transparent, open and 

accessible government through creating Performance-Based 

Budgeting so that outcomes 

are budgeted — and measured. This is the 

only way that policy makers and residents 

can be assured that their government is really 

working for them. I have also championed 

open data and would continue to do so 

— everyone should be able to easily access 

information that is important to them. I also 

strongly believe that there are no “sacred 

cows.” I would not hesitate to eliminate funding 

for contracts or programs that the data 

shows have been ineffective. I would also increase 

resources for waste, fraud and abuse 

reporting and investigation — by appointing 

an Inspector General so that county taxpayers 

could feel that their tax dollars are well 

protected. 






So much of government administration, 

unfortunately, is taking what came before 

and adding on – be it new laws, budgeting or 

policies. I believe in starting from zero. Identify 

all the mandates (the stuff you have to 

do), and incorporating residents’ input with 

respect to their priorities. By starting from 

zero, each program needs to be evaluated for 

its effectiveness. A performance-based approach 

will show how well the county is 

budgeting to its mandated and preferred outcomes. 

I also believe that grants and funding 

needs to be regularly reassessed to see if it is 

truly a benefit to the county, or if accepting it 

comes with requirements for staffing, or 

matching funds that are no longer reasonable 

or desirable. Additionally, I would be 

looking to streamline process whenever possible 

by continually looking at best practices 

models from other counties. Every one of 

these things will make county tax dollars go 

further. 



The biggest issue is twofold. There is so 

much that the county is responsible for and 

See Englander, page 19 

My name is Ara Najarian, 

and I have just 

concluded my third 

term as the Mayor of Glendale. 

I have served on the 

Glendale City council for 12 

years. I previously served as 

an elected board member to 

our local Community College. 

I am a graduate of USC Law 

School, I have served as a 

Judge Pro Tem for the local 

courts and I am also a practicing 

attorney. I currently 

serve the Santa Clarita Valley 

and Antelope Valley as your 

elected representative to the 

Ara Najarian 

MTA Board of Directors. I also 

represent this region on the Metrolink Board. 

I served as Chairman of the San Fernando 

Valley Council of Governments and I made 

sure that the City of Santa Clarita had a seat at 

that agency. 

The things that are important to me, and 

that I will prioritize as a county supervisor 

are the following: 

Public safety- We must maintain public 

safety against the rising tide of early prisoner 

releases from our jails. The probationers are 

committing an incredible amount of theft 

crimes, and home burglaries and they must 

be stopped. I have helped maintain Glendale 

as one of the safest cities in California, just 

like Santa Clarita. 

Economic Development- The One Valley 

One Vision Plan is a good roadmap for the 

growth of the Santa Clarita Valley. I will pay 

special attention to the job creation in Biomedical, 

entertainment, aerospace and technology 

fields. We must continue to create 

good jobs for our residents. I am pro-business 

and last year Glendale was awarded the 

Most Business Friendly City in L.A. County 

award. I will reduce red tape and eliminate 

the bureaucracy often times experienced by 

those companies who wish to locate and expand 

in the region. I was able to crate over 

3000 jobs in Glendale in the past 5 years. 

Transportation- No other candidate knows 

transportation or has fought harder for the 

Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys to receive 

their fair share of transportation funding 

than I have. I have brought tens of millions of 

transportation dollars into the region, for 

projects such as thee 14 carpool lanes, the I- 

5 expansion, the cross valley collector, the 

Golden road park and ride, just to name a few. 

I have improved Metrolink service and lowered 

the fares for all riders on the Antelope 

Valley line. 

I am proud to be endorsed by the L.A. 

times, the League of Conservation Voters. But 

I am most proud of Former L..A. County Supervisor 

Zev Yaroslavsky’s words, “ He (Ara 

Najarian) is one of the most important transportation 

figures in the history of our region. 

Ara Najarian is the kind of leader and statesman 

who only comes along once in a generation. 

He has earned my endorsement and 

your vote for L.A. County Supervisor.” 





works. What would you do to 

FIX the underlying structures 

and systems that seem to be 

broken? 

The reason that voters do 

not believe that government 

works is because they feel too 

disconnected from the elected 

leaders. A supervisor must always 

be in constant contact 

with his constituents and 

never feel that he or she 

“knows what they want”. Too 

often elected leaders become 

complacent in their position 

and never have the sense of urgency 

to serve the public. As county supervisor 

I will make sure that I am always aware of 

what my constituents demand, not just the 

vocal minority, but also all of the residents 

who too often do not have the time to attend 

meetings or contact their the supervisor. In 

my role as Mayor of Glendale I have worked 

hard to learn what my residents want and try 

my very best to deliver the services that they 

ask for. I will do the same as Supervisor. 






The county bureaucracy must absolutely 

be streamlined. Unneeded offices and employees 

must be placed in those departments 

that are short staffed. The county government 

is so huge and at times so unscrutinized 

that a close audit of all departments for 

waste and mismanagement will surely reduce 

budget expenses in the county. 



The county’s primary challenge currently 

is to maintain a high level of public safety in 

the face of increasing demands of law enforcement 

placed on the county by the State 

of California. There is a huge increase in 

property crimes, like residential burglary, 

which have occurred because of the unsupervised 

release of thousands of felony prisoners 

into our community. 


My three main goals are to protect public 

safety, create good jobs through economic 

development and to improve our transportation 

network in the county. 

5. As a representative of the 25th District, 

what can you do for Santa Clarita? 

Actually, I am currently representing the 

needs of Santa Clarita residents in my role as 

your representative on the MTA and 

Metrolink I have worked hard to determine 

what your transportation needs are and to 

bring the funding and get the projects built 

that you deem most important. As your supervisor, 

I will make sure that all the resources 

of the county are fairly and equitably 

devoted to the Santa Clarita Valley.

WR June 16_Layout 1 5/29/16 12:25 PM Page 16 

16 • THE Reader 

California State Assembly District 38 

Four vie for seat vacated by Scott Wilk 

California is facing serious 

challenges and families 

are feeling the 

pressure. Years of recession, 

government over-spending, 

jobs and businesses moving 

out of the state, and water 

shortages have caused California 

to lose some of its former 

Golden State shine. 

There are many in Sacramento 

who want to see our 

taxes raised to pay for failing 

projects like the high-speed 

rail and change Proposition 

13 to raise property taxes. But 

we can't tax our way out of 

this. We need to focus our efforts 

on job creation, freeing 

Dante Acosta 

up our economy, rebuilding critical infrastructure 

like water storage, and cut wasteful 

government spending. 

That's why my unique history of being on 

both sides of the public and private sectors 

makes me uniquely qualified to provide the 

best representation for the 38th Assembly 

District. 

Prior to public service, I dealt firsthand as 

a financial advisor with the ups and downs of 

the private sector. This led me to develop a 

keen sense of what hard work, determination, 

and self-reliance can do and that is I will 

give to you, the tax-payer. 

In 2011, my eldest son, Army Specialist 

Rudy Acosta, was killed in action in 

Afghanistan. My search for answers and 

meaning led me to become deeply involved 

in the community and create the Rudy A. 

Acosta Memorial Foundation as well as become 

a member of the fundraising committee 

for the Portraits of the Fallen Memorial, a 

project that honors California's fallen heroes 

from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. 

So after spending much of my time volunteering 

with Circle of Hope, William S. Hart 

Museum, Santa Clarita Valley Rotary Club, 

Old Town Newhall Association, and coaching 

little league, I ran and won a seat in the Santa 

Clarita City Council. 

Now as Mayor Pro Tem of Santa Clarita, I 

serve on the Economic Development Committee, 

Film and Tourism Committee, and as 

Santa Clarita’s representative to the Southern 

California Association of Governments 

(SCAG). 

I have worked diligently to improve economic 

development in Santa Clarita, join with 

law enforcement to strengthen public safety, 

and provide an open line of communication 

between myself and residents to stay engaged 

with our community. 

Help me make California the Golden State 

once again. As always, email me with any 

questions at dante@danteacosta.com. 

I respectfully ask for your vote June 7th. 



1. Polls show that most voters don’t think 


fix the underlying structures and systems 


If we want to stay competitive as a state we 

MUST reign in any wasteful spending and get 

control of our budget! We need to examine 

spending priorities and look into which state 

agencies and departments are obsolete or 

duplicative. 

Government's ability to 

govern properly begins and 

ends with how much it regulates 

your life. Unlike many 

in Sacramento, I favor more 

freedom and less regulation 

of our lives and businesses 

because bigger government 

isn't better government. It 

means more bureaucracy 

and higher taxes, which is 

especially damaging here in 

California. Most businesses 

in California are small businesses. 

In Sacramento, I vow 

to actively fight to limit the 

burdensome regulations and 

unnecessary regulatory 

agencies that constantly hamstring these 

small businesses and hurt our economic 

growth. I will continue to work closely with 

our local business leaders to ensure I am 

doing everything I can to make the government 

work for the people, not the other way 

around. 



would help to reduce the State budget by 

cutting waste and saving time? If so, how 

would you do it? 

Yes. How do you walk 1000 miles? One step 

at a time. There is no quick fix or easy solution, 

but it has to be done. For example last 

year, the non-partisan Legislative Analyst's 

Office stated that in the California Department 

of Transportation (Caltrans), there are 

3500 redundant positions alone costing taxpayers 

an additional $550,000,000 per year. 

I will bring common sense to Sacramento - 

something that clearly isn't very common 

with the current majority. I'll be looking at 

agencies that have the greatest impact on 

business, impose costly mandates on citizens 

and business owners, and build coalitions so 

I can have a seat at the table to create change. 


issue facing the 38th district? 

There are several important issues facing 

the 38th Assembly District; CEMEX, Aliso 

Canyon, Whittaker-Bermite and Santa Susana. 

These are important issues in various corners 

of the Assembly District. Addressing 

them requires someone who understands 

them, the impact they have on their communities, 

and a commitment to those communities. 

I will continue the work I have started 

as both a City Council Member and as District 

Representative for Congressman Steve 

Knight with our local, state and federal partners 

to ensure that the ongoing issues are resolved. 

This include ensuring the massive 

CEMEX mine doesn’t open; the Aliso Canyon 

gas leak is permanently sealed and the residents 

are safe and secure in their homes; and 

that Santa Susana and Whittaker Bermite 

cleanup projects are continuously monitored 

and the communities assured that the sites 

are clean and safe. 

These are all serious issues and I will continue 

in the footsteps of Assemblyman Scott 

Wilk and Congressman Steve Knight who 

See Acosta, page 19 

Iam proud of my service in 

the 38th. My campaign is 

not supported by special 

interests or career politicians, 

but by the hardworking 

business owners and 

constituents of the 38th Assembly 

District. No other 

candidate has as many individual 

donors, community 

endorsements, 

or 

groundswell support as I 

have been lucky enough to 

earn throughout this district. 

When it comes to business, 

I have earned the endorsement 

of ANY business organization 

that has done its due 

diligence in interviewing all of the candidates. 

It is through this extremely competitive 

process that I was thrilled to earn the 

endorsement of the California Small Business 

Association, showing that my policy decision, 

judgement, and ability to represent are superior 

to any of the other candidates in this 

race. 

I have served on numerous non-profit 

boards in the district and have done a great 

deal to help people who need my help. I have 

dedicated thousands of hours in volunteer 

service. I have never asked for recognition or 

acknowledgement of this service. My reward 

is in the knowledge that I am helping the people 

who need help the most. I want to take 

this same love of service to Sacramento, to 

represent you. 

I am proud of my over two decades of experience 

with the excellent elected officials 

who have represented our area throughout 

all levels of government. For the last decade I 

have served as the District Director to Former 

Assemblymember, Cameron Smyth, as well 

as for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael 

D. Antonovich. This experience makes me unquestionably 

the most qualified candidate in 

the race, head and shoulders above all the 

other candidates combined. It is with this experience 

that I am prepared to represent the 

38th in Sacramento, day one. There is no 

learning curve, no training wheels needed 

when it comes to my representation. I look 

forward to earning your vote on June 7th! 







Voters have a distrust of government because 

of Government’s continual failures to 

perform their responsibilities. Is there a single 

thing that government does effectively? 

Ronald Reagan once said, “As Government 

expands, liberty contracts.” The size of government 

only magnifies the incompetence 

and ineffectiveness of it. 

As a representative in the California State 

Assembly, I will seek ways to reduce the size 

and overreach of intrusive government. 

When contracts are offered on state business, 

legislation should be put in place that incentivizes 

on-time and on budget completions. 

Duplicitous regulations and enforcement devices 

should be eliminated. When a state 

agency proves to be ineffective, the administrators 

should be called before committees to 

Jarrod Degonia 


answer for their mismanagement. 

Safeguards need to be 

in place to ensure the proper 

execution of government responsibilities 

so people can restore 

confidence in it. 





State budget by cutting 

waste and saving time? If so, 


I believe a great deal of the 

money that is wasted from the 

budget is to fulfill pension liabilities 

for public employee 

workers. Public employees enjoy some of the 

highest pay and best benefits of any full-time 

workers in the country. While it is understandable 

that the State wants to be competitive 

in its employment practices to attract 

good employees, this must not be done at the 

expense of mortgaging our children’s futures. 

Currently, the pension liability for the State is 

approaching a half a trillion dollars. 

I will make sure that pension reform is a 

priority in Sacramento. We should transition 

public employees to privately held retirement 

accounts. Public employees should not 

enjoy benefits that the taxpayers presumably 

do not. Pension reform is one of my highest 

priorities. 



Here in the 38th, ensuring our small businesses 

grow and thrive is the most important 

issue. We need to get government out of the 

way of job creators and allow them to do 

what they do best: Create Jobs. 


As mentioned above, first and foremost I 

want to allow business to grow by getting 

government out of the way of successful job 

creators. 

Second, I want to ensure the continued 

success of 38th district schools. I want to reward 

success in education and not punish it 

with cuts. Every district should have the control 

to best educate the children in their 

stewardship. 

Lastly, I want to eliminate dangerous legislation 

like AB 109 that has released hundreds 

of dangerous criminals onto our 

streets. In the 38th, Matthew Warner, an AB 

109 early releasee, assaulted and murdered 

his 19-day-old daughter. We need to ensure 

these things DO NOT happen in our District 

and do not happen in California. 

5. As a representative of the 38th Assembly 

District, what can you do for Santa 

Clarita? 

I am the only candidate in the race with 

over 20 decades of experience working in 

and representing the 38th District. My 

knowledge and experience are unparalleled, 

and I would gladly put my experience up 

against any of the other candidates. In Santa 

Clarita, the city faces a huge issue when it 

comes to chlorides and must have a fair and 

reasonable standard to which they are held. 

In Sacramento, I will codify a standard that 

unelected boards won’t be able to change or 

supersede.




Tyler Izen settled in the 

San Fernando Valley 

over 50 years ago. After 

working as a licensed insurance 

salesperson, and pension 

consultant Tyler realized his 

dream when he joined the Los 

Angeles Police Department in 

1985. 

Tyler served the Los Angeles 

Police Department with 

distinction for over 30 years. 

He retired after serving as 

President of the Los Angeles 

Police Protective League, representing 

nearly 10,000 

sworn members. 

Tyler Izen 

He was a member of the LA 

2020 Commission; he serves on the Board of 

Directors (and is a past Chairman) of the Los 

Angeles Police Federal Credit Union. He also 

served as a Director with the Los Angeles Police 

Museum, as the Chairperson of the North 

Valley YMCA Healthy Lifestyles Committee, 

and is a past President of the El Oro Way PTA. 

Tyler has lived in Granada Hills for 28 years. 

He and his wife Becky have been married since 

1989. They have a son, two daughters, and two 

granddaughters. 

Tyler Izen has devoted his life’s work to the 

service of his community. A career police officer 

and detective, president of the second 

largest police association in the country and 

dedicated community advocate, he is just the 

voice we need in Sacramento. We know we can 

count on Tyler to work tirelessly in our State 

Assembly to ensure the safety and prosperity 

of our citizens, families and neighborhoods. 

In Tyler’s Words 

“My passion to serve others drove my 30 

year career with the LAPD. Now I am ready to 

take that passion and serve our citizens in a 

different way – to fulfill the need for leadership 

in our State Assembly.” 

Tyler Izen 

Candidate, CA State Assembly 38th District 

The “State” of our State 

Tyler’s philosophy is simple — our state 

government has a duty to its citizens to be fiscally 

responsible, efficient, less intrusive and 

more productive. An accomplished problem 

solver and dedicated community leader, he is 

ready to roll up his sleeves and tackle these issues 

and more for the residents of the 38th 

State Assembly District. 







I believe Government doesn’t work because 

our representatives are more concerned with 

getting elected than working to serve the people. 

The taxpayers of The State of California, 

and more specifically the 38th District deserve 

clearly understood, definable and recognizable 

laws. I will use my experience in bringing 

groups of differing backgrounds together to 

assist me bridging the gaps in the Capital to 

create and support smart, sustainable legislation 

that will serve our people for generations. 

As the old axiom goes, it is amazing what you 

can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the 

credit. 

2. Do you think eliminating obsolete laws, 

regulations and bureaucracies would help 

to reduce the State budget by 

cutting waste and saving 

time? If so, how would you 

do it? 

Yes. We are just as responsible 

for uncluttering as we 

are for legislating. Cleaning up 

the mechanisms associated 

with our state government is 

a necessary part of running 

our state. Creating a more efficient, 

streamlined government 

is a key to reducing 

legislative gridlock. I will instruct 

my staff to constantly 

be aware of our goal in creating 

current, sustainable and 

clearly defined law. To always be looking to 

clean up existing law which may be outdated, 

broken or no longer relevant. 



The greatest issues facing the 38th District 

are quality of life issues. The success of our 

district is dependent upon sustainable growth, 

which requires infrastructure investment for 

public safety, water, and roadway construction. 


My three main goals: Public Safety. Due to 

growth, budget constraints, and impacts outside 

of our control (Prop 47, AB109) we are 

just seeing the beginnings of increasing crime, 

increased criminals on the streets, and decreasing 

funding to combat this. I will use my 

experience in law enforcement, and in working 

in Sacramento to build cross aisle relationships 

to identify funding for additional 

resources at the local level while working to 

create permanent change on the impacts bad 

laws can have on us. 

Growth Plan for the 38th. As we drive 

growth we need to ensure we have a comprehensive, 

well thought out, strategic plan to 

provide for the infrastructure, roadways, 

water, clear space plans, parks, and schools 

needed to support the growth. As your Assemblyman 

I will make sure that funding support 

from the State comes to the district to 

assist us. 

Water. Another of my key goals is ensuring 

that we have enough water to allow for the 

housing and business growth currently slated 

for future development. This means working 

with the County of Los Angeles, the MWD, and 

the State of California. Additionally, I will be 

working to challenge the Chloride ppm requirement 

in our downstream water. 



Clarita? 

As your representative I will fight for the 

needs of our district with integrity, honor and 

compassion. I will be available and transparent 

in my representation of our district. We 

will make sure that Santa Clarita maintains its 

ranking as one of the safest cities in United 

States despite the current legislative and initiative 

efforts that have led to an increase in 

crime. As to my actions on your behalf, I will 

use my experience of over 30 years in law enforcement 

to help guide how I represent you. 

While the Assembly is made up of 80 individuals, 

I will use my previous experience working 

with the State Senate and Assembly to 

create bridges of communication which will 

enable me to pass effective legislation and create 

positive change and opportunity for the 

Santa Clarita Valley. 

My name is Christy 

Smith, I am a candidate 

for the 38th 

Assembly seat and a twoterm 

Governing Board 

Member of the highly successful 

Newhall School District. 

I am a 34-year 

resident of Santa Clarita and 

a dedicated public servant. 

A graduate of Hart High 

School, I attended College of 

the Canyons and graduated 

with honors from UCLA 

with a B.A. in Political Science 

in 1993. I currently 

live in Santa Clarita with my 

husband of 26 years, Phil and Christy Smith 

our two girls. 

In my early career, I worked as an analyst 

at the U.S. Department of Education. Since 

returning to California to raise my family I 

have served my community in various capacities 

in both volunteer and elected service. 

I was elected to the Newhall School Board 

in 2009, I currently serve as the Board Clerk. 

I am active in education advocacy locally 

and state-wide, serving as the Legislative 

Vice President of the Santa Clarita Valley 

Trustees Association and having served as a 

delegate to the California School Boards Association. 

Through my extensive advocacy 

work, I have been engaged in public policy issues 

impacting California families including, 

economic security, sound public budgeting, 

health and welfare, and private-public partnerships. 

I chaired Newhall’s very successful 

Measure E bond campaign and have been 

proud to serve as our district as it continues 

to stay ahead of the curve in facilities and instruction. 

If elected I am committed to evidencebased 

sound public policy, effective government 

and responsible, transparent fiscal 

policy. To learn more visit: www.christy 

smithforassembly.com. 



1. Polls show that most voters don’t 

think government works. What would you 

do to fix the underlying structures and systems 


I think there are several factors that impact 

voter’s assessment of government effectiveness. 

One of my first priorities will be legislation 

that mandates routinely scheduled 

audits of state agencies for savings and effectiveness. 

Very often agencies become entrenched 

bureaucracies which fail to serve 

the public as well as they could be if leadership 

was routinely called upon to present evidence 

of effective customer service and 

responsible use of funds. Second, the huge 

and corrupting influence of special interest 

money in our political process, leads voters 

to the conclusion that their vote has less 

value in the process. I support 

continued efforts aimed at 

limiting the amount and 

sources of money in our political 

process and would support 

legislation to curb abuses 

and provide transparency. Finally, 

voters are dis-satisfied 

when officials aren’t available 

to them. If elected, I am committed 

to an open office door, 

frequent town hall meetings 

and round table panels of local 

constituents to help guide my 

work in Sacramento. 




would help to reduce the State budget by 

cutting waste and saving time? If so, how 


Yes, as mentioned in question one, not only 

do I think there are savings to be had by routine 

audits of state agencies and related regulatory 

review, it is a legislative priority for 

me. 



The most pressing issue for the 38th is 

managing growth, economically and in terms 

of population. We can do more to accommodate 

economic growth and must couple that 

effort with strategic focus on resource protection 

and infrastructure support. 


I plan to make sure government works 

with business to create jobs and grow the 

economy. I am committed to protecting our 

environment and working toward a clean energy 

economy and modernized water infrastructure. 

Finally, I will fight to get 

California’s public schools on a path to being 

nationally competitive in funding and academic 

excellence. 



Clarita? 

As the only candidate running as a member 

of the majority party, I am well positioned 

to go to Sacramento to achieve legislative 

success on all of the priorities I have detailed 

here. My first priority will always be to the 

voters of the 38th and our community’s success. 

Specific to the SCV, I will work to secure 

state water infrastructure funding to insure 

compliance with the chloride mandate and I 

will be a tireless advocate for our schools and 

families. I plan to pursue legislation to protect 

seniors from rising housing and medical 

costs, and to support family friendly policies 

and programs in our businesses and communities.



California State Senate District 21 

Three vie for seat vacated by Sharon Runner 


[The Reader invited the 

candidates to answer questions 

and submit a statement.] 







One solution for fixing “underlying 

structures and systems 

that seem to be broken” 

California must reorganize itself 

by providing: Honest 

Services, to California American 

Citizen’s. 

Corporate America, Special Star Moffatt 

Interest Groups and Lobbyist 

must thwart being able to buy political seats 

through elected politicians. 

The selling of political seats causes an abhorrent 

conflict of interest that undermines 

the “underlying structures” of our Golden 

State. Once Corporate America… is thwarted 

from buying political seats and politicians, 

only then will underlying structures and systems 

be restored. 

For example, any time you have a career 

politician like my SCV opponent who recently 

decided to forego his 38th Assembly District 

seat, to now run for State Senate as a Registered 

Lobbyist, his only interest will be for 

Corporate America, Special Interest Groups 

and other lobbyist. http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=74 

294 


laws, regulations and bureaucracies would 

help to reduce the State budget by cutting 

waste and saving time? And if so, how 


Yes I do agree “eliminating obsolete laws, 

regulations and bureaucracies would help reduce 

the State budget by cutting waste and 

saving time.” My plan is to introduce “Zerobase 

budgeting” legislation in order to cut 

wasteful “Pork Barrel Spending.” 


issue facing the 21st District? 

Water and Food Security. 


Jobs: Retention of Jobs, creation 

of jobs. Senatorial education 

to legislate 

entrepreneurship by eliminating 

the mentality that one 

must always seek a job, when 

one can create their own job 

and learn how to provide jobs. 

Senatorial education to employers, 

how to take advantage 

of the wonderful California 

Employment Training Panel 

program , that “provides funding 

to employers”… see 

www.etp.ca.gov 

Education: Convert our public 

educational system to K-14 

from K-12, which will allow 

students to graduate with both 

a high school diploma and college degree 

(AA). Under a K-14 public school system, the 

first two years of college costs will be free to 

high school students and their parents. 

Taxation: 

• Introduce Legislation to Stop Hidden 

“FUTA” Taxation against all business, because 

Hidden FUTA Taxation is a Job Killer; 

• Introduce legislation — Eliminate State 

Income Taxes — to prevent retiree and business 

leakage to other states. 

• Introduce Emergency Legislation to 

“Stop Hidden Property Taxation” against 

commercial and residential property owners 

by restoring taxation transparency. Close-up 

the parcel tax loop holes that allow the issuance 

of Certificates of Participation Bonds 

without landowner voter approval. 

5. As a representative of the 21st Senate 

District, what can you do for Santa Clarita? 

Provide representation to all residents and 

businesses. Establish an open door policy 

from Monday through Saturday. Provide Senate 

Live-Chat hours. 

Public Safety is paramount to SCV and as 

such it is important to identifying additional 

funding sources to increase public safety. 

Constantly work towards identifying the 

needs of SCV, so that my voice will be the 

voice for Santa Clarita. Establish a Senate 

Community Forum, where issues can be 

identified, heard and discussed for solutions 

that benefit all SCV residents, Young Adults 

and Youth Community! 

Over the last 4 years, I've 

had the honor of serving 

the Santa Clarita 

Valley in the California State 

Assembly. By building relationships 

and trust with my 

colleagues in Sacramento, I’ve 

been able to deliver for my 

constituents. 

TV and film production has 

increased 24% thanks to AB 

1839, the California Film and 

Television Retention and Promotion 

Act. The new film tax 

credit was increased to $330 

million a year and replaced a 

lottery system with a more Scott Wilk 

competitive, accountable system 

that has brought jobs and investment 

back into our state. As principal co-author of 

the measure, I’m very pleased that more of 

my constituents come home to their family at 

night instead of filming out of state. 

With aerospace being an important employment 

sector in our region, I co-authored 

AB 2389 - a $420 million tax incentive that 

helped land a $60 billion federal aerospace 

contract. This contract is expected to create 

6,500 new high paying jobs. 

California's drought has been made worse 

by the inaction of Sacramento policy makers. 

So I co-authored Proposition 1, the Water 

Bond. The $7.5 billion bond takes an “all of 

the above” approach to addressing our water 

resources. The most important aspect of the 

Water Bond is the $2.7 billion dedicated to 

the capture, storage and conveyance of water. 

Having a safe, reliable water system is paramount 

for continued economic growth and 

prosperity. 

California’s hard working families save for 

a rainy day, and so should Sacramento. That's 

why I co-authored Proposition 2, the Rainy 

Day fund, which sets aside revenue during 

the good times that will soften the blow to 

schools, police, and other necessary programs 

when the next economic downturn 

strikes. 

In Sacramento, I've been fighting hard to 

ensure that the California we leave our children 

is better off than the one we started 

with. As your Senator I will continue to oppose 

new taxes, work to improve the business 

climate, oppose boondoggle spending 

such as the Bullet Train, and fight for the local 

issues like opposing the CEMEX mega mine. I 

believe my past performance shows that I’m 

the most qualified candidate for the 21st Senate 

District. 

I would be honored to have your vote. 

[The Reader invited the 

candidates to answer questions 

and submit a statement.] 







I’ve been a strong advocate 

for greater transparency 

in the state capitol. I've supported 

proposals requiring 

the state budget and all legislation 

to be in print for 

three days in order to be 

transparent to the public. I believe the more 

light is shined on the legislative process, the 

better the public policy. If elected, I'll continue 

to advocate for common sense government 

oversight, accountability, and 

transparency. 



help to reduce the State budget by cutting 

waste and saving time? And if so, how 


The best way to reduce waste and abuse in 

state government is for the Legislature to 

take two steps. First, do a better job in the execution 

of its duty to provide oversight of the 

administration; and two, move to performance-based 

budgeting so bureaucrats have to 

justify their programs and spending every 

year. 


issue facing the 21st District? 

Too many people living in the 21st Senate 

district are forced to commute. We need local 

job creation that will generate wealth within 

our district and in return greatly enhance our 

citizens’ quality of life by allowing them live, 

work, and play in their hometown. 


My three main goals are to hold the line on 

new taxes, improve the business climate 

through workers compensation and tort reform, 

and invest and reform public education. 

5. As a representative of the 21st Senate 

District, what can you do for Santa Clarita? 

Continue to fight against the Bullet Train 

and work with the City of Santa Clarita and 

Rep.Steve Knight to stop the CEMEX megamine. 

Vote June 7th




Huff 

Barger 

Englander 

Acosta 

continued from page 14 



continued from page 16 

nomic development and recovery of our region. 


What I hear time and again from the public 

is that their chief concerns center on reducing 

traffic congestion, lifting obstacles to 

job creation and addressing public safety 

concerns. 

We must have quality transportation infrastructure 

for our region. Traffic congestion 

negatively affects quality of life in our region 

and is also a barrier to job creation and economic 

recovery. As the founding chairman of 

the Alameda Corridor East project, I have the 

experience to tackle our traffic congestions 

and transportation issues. In 2005 I was recognized 

nationally by the American Public 

Transportation Association (APTA) with the 

Local Distinguished Service Award in Transportation 

in recognition of my leadership in 

transportation issues. 

LA County must also have a safe, reliable 

water supply. I served as lead negotiator for 

the statewide water bond to build two new 

water storage facilities and clean up contaminated 

drinking water in the San Fernando 

and San Gabriel Valleys’ underground 

aquifers. 

Many of our communities have experienced 

an increase in crimes and other public 

safety issues as a result of AB 109 and Prop. 

47, which I opposed. We need to build a new 

jail. We need to make sure we have enough 

probation officers to keep an eye on the 

felons that have been let out. We need to support 

reform in our educational system so we 

have fewer dropouts, more job opportunities, 

and fewer people turning to crime. 



As County Supervisor, I will stand up to the 

Westside liberals and downtown L.A. crowd 

to get Santa Clarita the county transportation 

dollars and services we deserve. Specifically, 

I’ll work to reduce congestion on I-5. 

As a small business owner myself I know 

how critical good jobs are to a local economy. 

I was proud to co-write a measure that kept 

thousands of good middle class TV and film 

jobs in this region. I will continue to work to 

enhance Santa Clarita’s economy and create 

job opportunities. 

droughts in LA County; 

3. Economic growth, jobs, and sound fiscal 

management: the county must work hard to 

attract business, keep them here, and create 

jobs; managing the county budget and keeping 

lower fees and taxes are important to 

business owners and taxpayers in LA County. 

5. As a representative of the LA County, 


First and foremost, I recognize that 

whether you live inside the City of Santa 

Clarita boundaries or outside of them in unincorporated 

LA County, you are all our constituents. 

So I will continue the commitments 

I have already made and the ground work 

that I've already laid: to partner with the City 

of Santa Clarita to build a new Sheriff's station 

and commit $3 million for a new senior 

center; to continue annual funding for the 

Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development 

Corporation, which has already brought 

thousands of jobs to our valley; and to ensure 

that we have adequate funding for deputies 

and patrols to keep this valley one of the 

safest places to live in America. 

I will continue my commitments to realize 

a seamless valley, with efficient movement of 

goods and traffic, improved transit, the planning 

of beautiful and responsible neighborhoods, 

and to continue acquiring land for 

open space and integration of our unincorporated 

and city trail networks. 

Finally, I will continue on a legacy of strong 

support for our local non-profits, which are 

the foundation of the Santa Clarita Valley. 

the need keeps expanding. There will never 

be enough resources to align with the true 

need relative to all the services that the 

county is tasked with providing. That said, 

there needs to be an equitable distribution so 

that cities and unincorporated areas that are 

the most remote from the county urban center 

are receiving their fair share of county 

dollars, services and resources. 


1. Increasing Public Safety — which includes 

not only cracking down on the spike 

in crime, but preventing it from happening in 

the first place. That means expanding intervention 

and prevention programs and partnerships 

with local non-profits like the Boys 

and Girls Clubs, YMCA’s, New Directions for 

Youth and others. Further, the reformation of 

our jail systems working with Sheriff Mc- 

Donnell to change the culture of the department 

and restoring trust to the department 

is critical. 

2. Protecting and preserving our quality of 

life — this is the cornerstone of local government. 

We must improve traffic and mobility, 

fix and maintain our infrastructure, and provide 

responsive services to every community. 

Quality of life also means protecting open 

space, natural resources, the character of 

neighborhoods and protecting our environment. 

3. Tackling the homelessness issues countywide 

— with the largest number of families, 

children and veterans living on our 

streets, under freeways, in bushes, and on 

sidewalks, we must provide access to housing, 

and rapid rehousing that includes mental 

health, drug and alcohol treatment, and job 

training. 



I have the experience of currently representing 

the area of Los Angeles that is the furthest 

from City Hall. I understand what it 

means to feel like you are not getting your fair 

share of services and resources. In fact, I led 

the Valley Secession Campaign to fight for the 

Valley’s fair share of resources from the City 

of Los Angeles. I have a track record of not 

only getting a fair share for my district, but 

also increasing access to basic services by 

setting up Community Service Centers and 

bring departments and resources into our 

local areas. I fought for Santa Clarita to be included 

in the San Fernando Valley Council of 

Governments to ensure that your community 

has a voice on transportation issues which directly 

affect all of us. As Supervisor, I want to 

be a part of Santa Clarita’s future and the realization 

of the “Vision 2020” plan. My experience 

effectively representing a unique area 

of Northwest San Fernando Valley has given 

me the skills to continue to fight for Santa 

Clarita. 

have fought tirelessly to ensure the health, 

safety and welfare of our residents. 


I have one objective: to make sure the California 

we leave our children is better off than 

the California we inherited. Unfortunately, 

California is facing many serious challenges 

today that have to be addressed. 

My first step in achieving that goal will be 

reigning in spending and opposing new taxes 

and over reaching and costly regulations. California 

needs to stay competitive in business, 

and as a state, we must reign in wasteful 

spending and get control of our budget - not 

just keep raising taxes to pay for more spending. 

My second most important goal will be 

tackling transportation and infrastructure. 

Right now, Sacramento and Governor Brown 

are dumping billions into a doomed highspeed 

rail project, which is running massively 

late and over budget, yet are not concerned 

with the freeways we use daily or the water 

infrastructure we desperately need. We can 

no longer allow road funds to be hijacked for 

other uses nor can we sit back and watch the 

drought worsen due to government inaction. 

And my third main goal will be to fight 

against the politically correct attitudes of 

Sacramento to ensure that dangerous criminals 

stay locked up, and that we put the safety 

of our communities and families ahead of 

their feel-good policies. Early release through 

AB 109 and the reduction of many serious 

crimes from felonies to misdemeanors 

through Prop. 47 put responsible, hard working 

citizens in harm's way and has caused 

crime to rise throughout the state. I look forward 

to fighting for legislation meant to ensure 

our businesses and neighborhoods are 

not put in jeopardy by Sacramento. 



Clarita? 

I have a unique history of not only being 

raised in the 38th Assembly District, but 

being in both the private and public sectors. 

Before entering public service, I had a successful 

career for over 20 years as a financial 

advisor helping businesses and individuals 

achieving their financial goals. 

As Mayor Pro Tem of Santa Clarita, I have 

worked to improve economic development, 

public safety, and the quality of life we all 

enjoy. 

As a Councilmember, I helped balance the 

budget, build new parks and roads to improve 

quality of life and foster in a new wave 

of economic revitalization and economic development 

projects in the older sections of 

the city. The 38th Assembly District is my 

home and I will continue to protect and serve 

our great communities in Sacramento as your 

Assemblyman. 

Dante Acosta, Republican 

Occupation: Mayor Pro Tem City of Santa 

Clarita




dr. dianne van hook 

Architect of Possibilities 

By Jim Walker 

Staff Writer 

The name Dianne Van Hook should be 

familiar to anyone who has resided in 

the Santa Clarita Valley for more than 

a month or two. And even those who only 

drive through our valley on Interstate 5 can 

see her name prominently displayed on the 

Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center at 

College of the Canyons. Deserving of that tribute, 

as a driving force behind the creation of 

the University Center and so many other advancements 

at COC, Van Hook has been at the 

helm of the college since 1988 — when, at the 

age of 37, she was the youngest person ever 

appointed as a California community college 

chief executive officer. And now, as California’s 

current longest-serving community college 

CEO, she is renowned for her vision, 

commitment, leadership and partnerships. 

Over the decades Van Hook has guided 

COC from 60 full time faculty to over 200, 

from 27 degree programs to 90, from under 

200,000 square feet of space to almost a million, 

from an $8 million budget to a $235 million 

budget, and from 4,000 students to 

20,000 students a semester. 

“It makes me really proud, but it’s not anything 

we could have done without having talented 

people around us,” she said modestly. 

Private Life 

Dianne Van Hook and her husband of 44 

years, Roger Van Hook, live in the Santa 

Clarita Valley, having moved here when she 

began her tenure at COC in 1988. Of course, it 

isn’t all work for Van Hook — though to hear 

her describe her play can also take your 

breath away. When asked how she relaxes, 

she said, “Right now I don’t.” But she quickly 

ran down a list of activities she enjoys: “I like 

the out of doors. In the winter I cross country 

ski. I love to hike and take photographs at the 

same time . . . I enjoy kayaking. I have four 

kayaks. I walk a lot and I’m pretty committed 

to yoga. I like to travel to places where I get to 

see the landscape . . . I like to see the countryside. 

I have a lot of hobbies, and my husband 

and I have always worked on the homes we 

own.” 

Opportunity 

Van Hook’s coming to College of the 

Canyons in 1988 was no coincidence. She had 

been seeking a prominent position at COC for 

some time. In 1983 she was working at Santa 

Ana Community College in Orange County 

Dr. Dianne Van Hook has been at the helm of the College 

of the Canyons since 1988. 

when she applied for the presidency of COC. 

“I had never officially been an administrator,” 

she said. “I applied and got an interview.” She 

added that the ruralness of the Santa Clarita 

Valley reminded her of where she had grown 

up in Minnesota. “What I saw was opportunity.” 

Van Hook didn’t get the COC job, but later 

applied for the COC dean of instruction position. 

“I came in number two,” she said of that. 

When the COC presidency came open 

again in 1988, Van Hook applied — and this 

time got it. “I wanted to come to this community 

. . . I worked hard to get here,” she 

said. “And I still can sit in my office at the University 

Center and look out at this valley and 

see immense opportunity . . . The things that 

drew me to this community in 1988 are the 

things that have kept me here.” 

Influences 

“I became a teacher because my grandmother 

was a teacher, in a one-room schoolhouse 

in rural Minnesota,” Van Hook said. 

“She was a huge influence on me. She was a 

tough cookie . . . She became a principal in 

1906 . . . She was a spirited, tenacious individual. 

She worked really hard.” And Van 

Hook added, “She didn’t tolerate any whining 

. . . If there was a challenge, she expected 

“I like the out of doors. In the winter I cross country ski. I love to hike and take photographs at the same time . 

. . I enjoy kayaking. I have four kayaks. I walk a lot and I’m pretty committed to yoga. I like to travel to places 

where I get to see the landscape.” Some of Van Hook’s landscape photography hangs in her office. PHOTOS COUR- 

TESy OF DIANNE VAN HOOK 

you to resolve it. She might have been my 

greatest early influence.” 

However, Van Hook said that, in junior high 

school, she really wanted to be an architect. 

But back then girls couldn’t take those kinds 

of classes. “There were few choices for 

women when I graduated high school . . . so I 

chose teaching. I didn’t intend to become a 

college president when I became a teacher, 

because in those days women didn’t have 

those jobs,” she said. “I started out as a middle 

school teacher and shortly thereafter became 

a community college counselor. But 

what I realized was . . . I wanted to be able to 

envision what I wanted to happen and then 

work to make it happen. I wanted to be able 

to influence and shape change.” 

“I have always wanted to design things . . . 

programs and partnerships and possibilities 

and places, to develop people . . . I got to do 

what I really wanted to do, but in a different 

way,” she said. 

Possibilities 

Van Hook said that one of the greatest 

strengths of COC when she started was it was 

young, only 19 years old. “Morphing into the 

future, rather than living in the past, was still 

a possibility,” she said. “I saw the possibilities 

for curriculum development, partnerships 

and programs were fairly unlimited . . . The 

breadth wasn’t there but what was done was 

done very well and well thought out.” 

“I guess I saw the needs as strengths as 

well,” she added. There was a need for the 

college to relate more to the community, to 

become more involved with other entities, to 

become more involved with the school districts, 

to become a provider of a trained work 

force for the growing economic base of the 

Santa Clarita Valley. 

“It’s a lot easier to develop something that 

hasn’t existed before, than to change something 

that doesn’t work,” she said. 

“I liked the simplicity of the district (which 

she said still exists, despite it’s growth). 

There was one city . . . one county, one high 

school district, two chambers. It was easier 

to do business here, unlike Orange County. 

“This was a streamlined path to be able to 

get to what I thought was the result of multiple 

and varied partnerships that would 

strengthen, not only our college, but the partners, 

themselves, and the overall community 

in which we live,” she said. 

Changes 

“The need to remain responsive to the 

needs of the community is ever-present. It 

should always remain a priority for any community 

college,” Van Hook said. But she noted 

that the workforce is changing. “Technology 

and information transfer are operating at an 

accelerated pace. Now things change within 

the course of a day. You have to have really 

well-soled running shoes to be able to keep 

up with the changes.” 

“Right now our challenge is space,” she 

said. We are really, really full, turning away 

4,000 students every semester. “It’s challenging 

for us to teach careers of the future 

for stuff that we don’t know what will be, in 

Roger and Dianne Van 

Hook have been married 

44 years and enjoy 

spending time outdoors. See Van Hook, page 33



Reader Education 

Recipients of the 2016 Teacher Tribute from Castaic Union School District. Left to right: Claudia DiMonte, Jennifer 

Flores, Ed Zippay, Karen Cowell. PHOTO COURTESy OF SANTA CLARITA VALLEy EDUCATION FOUNDATION 

32nd annual teacher triBute 

Tribute honors more than 50 SCV educators 

By Pearl Obispo 

Staff Writer 

Teachers are arguably the unsung heroes 

of everyday life. But that wasn’t 

the case at the 32nd Annual Teacher 

Tribute sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley 

Education Foundation. 

The western-themed event was recently 

held at College of the Canyons Performing 

Arts Center and honored more than 50 teachers 

from each school district throughout the 

SCV. 

“The ‘Best of the West’ theme event was a 

perfect way to highlight the quality of education 

that is provided here in the Santa Clarita 

Valley,” said Jackie Hartmann, executive director 

of the foundation. “We were able to 

The California Community Colleges 

Chancellor’s Office has unveiled its 

most recent Student Success Scorecard, 

with College of the Canyons ranking 

near the top of the state in several key categories. 

This year’s report, which is based on data 

collected during the 2014-15 academic year, 

included several encouraging statistics related 

to the levels of success that students experience 

at College of the Canyons. 

Statistics show that first time COC students 

who graduated high school as "college 

prepared" and were eligible to enroll in degree 

applicable math and English courses, 

posted a combined completion rate (defined 

as earning an associate degree, certificate or 

achieving "transfer prepared" status) of 80 

percent — 10 percent higher than the 

statewide average of approximately 70 percent. 

Overall, that mark ranked second among 

the state’s 113 community colleges. 

179,000 in 2012 to roughly 185,00 in 2015. 

Shirley Miller, public information officer 

for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s 

Santa Clarita station, said the proof of 

the program’s success is in the numbers. 

“We do attribute the drop in arrests to 

having this resource available to our local 

students,” Miller said. “The program has had 

a strong presence in our schools — having a 

positive ‘ripple effect’ among teens when it 

comes to promoting a drug-free lifestyle.” 

While local officials are pleased to see a decrease 

in juvenile drug arrests, those statishonor 

54 teachers — one from each public 

school — in front of their peers, administrators 

and families.” 

The SCV Education Foundation is a nonprofit 

organization that provides support, 

programs and scholarships to benefit K-12 

public schools in Santa Clarita. 

The evening was not only limited to recognizing 

educators. The foundation also 

awarded $10,000 in scholarships to four local 

students who plan on pursuing degrees in 

education. 

The recipients of the Teacher Tribute 

award were nominated and voted on by their 

peers in each of their respective schools. One 

See Teacher Tribute, page 32 

COC student success rates among best in state 

Similarly, COC posted the highest completion 

rates for all three categories (prepared, 

unprepared and overall) among all community 

colleges in Los Angeles County. 

The 51.5 percent completion rate for COC 

"unprepared" student groups was the fifth 

highest in the state, and again outpaced the 

statewide average by 10 percent. 

The college’s overall completion rate for 

all students (prepared and unprepared) 

ranked 10th in the state at 57 percent, and 

was again 10 percentage points ahead of the 

statewide average. 

“These results speak to the quality of education 

at College of the Canyons, and the 

commitment made by our faculty, classified 

staff, and administration to invest in the success 

of our students,” said College of the 

Canyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne Van Hook. 

Student Success Scorecard results for all 

113 California Community Colleges can be 

found here: 

http://scorecard.cccco.edu/scorecard.aspx. 

By Pearl Obispo 

Staff Writer 

Alocal school program designed to educate 

teens on the benefits of living a 

healthy and drug-free lifestyle has had 

such a profound and positive effect in the 

community that law enforcement officials 

have credited the recent decline in juvenile 

drug arrests to its success. 

Since its launch in 2012, Drug Free Youth 

in Town, or DFYIT, has triggered a 53 percent 

drop in juvenile drug arrests from 155 to 73 

— this despite a population increase in the 

Santa Clarita Valley from approximately 

Trusted and referred since 1978 

PHOTO COURTESy OF CITy OF SANTA CLARITA 

drug free youth in toWn 

Program credited with reducing drug arrests 

See Drug Free Youth, page 32 

661.294.2221 • CBCFirst.com 

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U.S. House of Representatives District 25 

Incumbent Knight faces three challengers in Caforio, Moffett, Vince 


Dysfunction in Washington 

is hurting real people 

and we need a 

change. I’m running for Congress 

because it’s time to build 

an economy that works for 

everyone, not just the wealthy 

few. It’s time to provide a firstclass 

education to our children, 

create good middle-class 

jobs, and strengthen and secure 

Social Security and 

Medicare for seniors. We deserve 

a progressive leader in 

Congress who will fight for 

our community instead of giving 

handouts to the biggest 

Bryan Caforio 

banks and the wealthiest corporations. 

My parents were school teachers and they 

taught me the value of hard work and the opportunities 

that come from a great public education. 

I worked hard and was able to attend 

UCLA, work for a United States judge, and 

take on some of the biggest banks in the 

world. 

But today, it’s tougher to get ahead. Too 

many people are struggling to get by because 

Washington Republicans have stacked the 

deck against them. Public school funding is 

getting slashed, and people are working 

longer hours for less money. At the same 

time, billion-dollar companies take tax 

breaks for exporting jobs overseas at the expense 

of middle class taxpayers. That’s 

wrong, and I won’t stand for it. 

I’ve made a career out of taking on big corporations 

and winning. I’m proud to have the 

support of Nurses, School Employees, and 

Planned Parenthood, and I look forward to 

standing up for the people in our community 

to help families get ahead. 

I hope to earn your vote. 







Far to often, career politicians say one 

thing, and then vote another way. When Congressman 

Steve Knight says he thinks that 

“social security was a bad idea” and supports 

privatizing the program, but then one day 

later says he is a fan of Social 

Security, it really upsets people. 

You can read my plan on 

WWW.BRYANCAFORIO.COM 

and see how I plan to address 

challenges facing our 

community. 





Federal budget deficit by 

cutting waste and saving 

time? And if so, how would 

you do it? 

Yes. It is important that we 

remove regulations, which 

often harm small businesses, the backbone of 

our economy. We need to expand the Small 

Business Administration loan program to 

allow growing businesses the opportunity to 

access capital. We also need to fully staff, fund 

and expand the Small Business Development 

Centers in our district, which provide essential 

services to beginning companies and 

small businesses. 

3. What do you see at the most important 

issue facing the 25th District? 

We have to create and keep good paying 

middle-class jobs. We have to invest in clean 

energy infrastructure, and provide expanded 

STEM and Vocational training, so that we can 

create and keep 21st century jobs here in the 

25th District. 


1. Protect Social Security and Medicare 

2. Guarantee Equal Pay for Women 

3. Raise the National Minimum Wage 



Throughout my career, seen a system in 

which far too many banks and corporations 

take advantage of the customers they’re supposed 

to serve – either because they know 

they won’t get caught, or, even worse, because 

career politicians have written the 

rules to let the corporate special interests get 

richer at the expense of the middle class. In 

Congress I will fight against those extreme 

special interests and stand up for hardworking 

people in our community. 

Vote 

June 7th 

My career has been 

characterized by my 

dedication to personal 

integrity and public 

service. Upon graduating 

from high school, I served in 

the U.S. Army, where I was 

stationed overseas — returning 

home to embark on a career 

with the Los Angeles 

Police Department. I proudly 

wore a law enforcement uniform 

for 18 years, working to 

keep local families and neighborhoods 

safe, before retiring 

honorably to serve in the 

State Assembly. 

Like my father before me, I 

have worked to halt government overreach, 

stand up for the taxpayers and small business 

owners of my district, and keep our communities 

free from crime. As your Assemblyman, 

I fought to stop tax increases and job-killing 

regulations. As your State Senator, it was my 

pleasure to work hard and craft commonsense 

policies that rewarded small businesses 

for hiring local workers, streamlining 

property tax exemptions for disabled veterans, 

and providing tax credits for Californiabased 

aerospace projects. Today, I have the 

honor of serving as your voice in Congress – 

speaking for local working families, small 

business owners, and residents. 

In my first year in Congress, I authored H.R. 

1390, the Small Business Joint Venturing Act, 

which gives American small businesses a fair 

shot at competing for federal contracts. This 

bill garnered overwhelming bipartisan support 

and was signed into law by the President 

last year. Additionally, I have been vocal in my 

support for federal drought relief for California’s 

struggling farmers and ranchers, and 

have stood by my support for the aerospace 

companies across the Antelope Valley. 

I am proud to represent the 25th Congressional 

District, and the communities that 

make up the Antelope, Santa Clarita, and Simi 

Valleys. We’ve accomplished a lot, and I want 

to continue working for you in Washington, 

D.C. I ask for your support, so we can continue 

to improve our quality of life. 



1. Polls show most voters don't think government 

works. What would you do to FIX 

the underlying structures and systems that 


It’s critical that residents feel that their 

government exists to serve them – not the 

other way around. Increasing voter efficacy 

starts with their elected leaders. Too many of 

our representatives fail to put their constituents’ 

priorities first; voters must feel that 

their voices are heard in Congress. I’m proud 

to fight for my constituents every day – crafting 

policies that help keep our local communities 

safe, create local jobs, and rebuild our 

middle class in California. 



help to reduce the Federal budget deficit 

by cutting waste and saving time? And if so, 


There is no doubt that our country, and 

state, are bogged down by the weight of over- 

Rep. Steve Knight 

regulation. Arbitrary, restrictive 

laws choke employers as 

well as new jobs in red tape — 

and this affects small businesses 

the most. Small businesses 

provide job 

opportunities for over half of 

all American workers, and yet 

these businesses continue to 

be subjected to endless fees, 

tax increases, and an un-navigable 

regulatory system. If 

California doesn’t start supporting 

its small businesses, 

the backbone of its community, 

California’s economy will 

crumble. 



Increasing job opportunities and economic 

growth for the residents of the 25th 

District is one of the most important things I 

can fight for in Washington. California mires 

local employers in regulations, and Sacramento 

continually levies new taxes on job 

creators every year. We need to ensure that 

there are new jobs available for residents and 

new companies to create new jobs; let’s 

make our region competitive for years to 

come. This, in turn, will ensure the local tax 

base is broadened each year and critical 

services — including fire, police, and medical 

services — receive the proper funding to 

keep us safe. 


1. National Security: The primary responsibility 

of our federal government is national 

defense. We must ensure our leadership in 

the global community by showing our allies 

that we are with them and our enemies that 

we our capable. 

2. Debt & Deficit: If allowed to grow at its 

current rate, our budget shortfall will soon 

cripple our economy and jeopardize our nation’s 

future. Congress must embrace fiscal 

responsibility and discipline by eliminating 

the deficit and starting to pay down our debt 

within this decade. 

3. Jobs & the Economy: Overregulation, 

ever-increasing taxes, and government overreach 

have stifled job creation over the last 8 

years, causing our middle class to suffer. I engaged 

with the businesses in our community, 

large and small, to create an environment in 

which they can create jobs and restore our 

economy. 



I have represented the residents of Santa 

Clarita as a State Senator, and I continue to 

do so as their Congressman. My dedication 

to the region and its families has not, and will 

not change. I am the most qualified and dedicated 

person for the job and will never stop 

providing a voice for our communities. 

Over the last two years in Washington, I’ve 

made our local issues a priority. I have introduced 

legislation to create a monument for 

St. Francis Dam, helped to advance longstanding 

efforts to clean the Eastern Santa 

Clara River Basin and provide fresh water to 

the Santa Clarita Valley, and worked extensively 

to ensure that Cemex's mining contracts 

were cancelled.




IJeffrey Moffatt, am the only 

real Republican running 

for office. My opponent 

has made Republican promises, 

which put him in office. 

He then promptly broke those 

promises; I was asked to run 

for Office because of those 

broken promises. 

My immigration platform is 

articulated at the website 

www.NumbersUSA.com, 

where I am listed as a Reformer, 

and my opponent 

rated a D+. I am pro second 

amendment, and have been 

rated by NRA with an A. My Jeff Moffatt 

tax policy will give me a very 

high rating with Howard Jarvis as well: I am 

for a flat tax of 15%, which will reduce many 

tax positions of the middle class, and it will 

stop Corporations from dodging their fair 

share. 

I am against the Trans Pacific Partnership, 

and will also challenge NAFTA. These plans 

have assisted other countries, but have destroyed 

our manufacturing base, as well as 

options for employment. I recall kids coming 

out of High School having real options for employment, 

if they learned technical skills, 

rather than attending University classes. 

NAFTA has had an impact by removing manufacturing, 

using exactly the same equipment 

that was previously located in the United 

States, across the border. 

Jobs paying $25 to $60 an hour, to U.S. Citizens, 

are being offered to others for less than 

$10 per day. The smog and environmental 

situation in North America has not changed, 

the only thing that has changed was the decimation 

of entire communities. 

I will also work to eliminate unnecessary 

EPA havens for non-native species, such as 

the Smelt fish, aka a non native bait fish, and 

the Arroyo Toad, a non-native Frog. These 

two non-native species have been used by environmentalists 

to stop water reclamation in 

Southern California. These two nonnative 

species have been used to deprive Southern 

California from access to Trillions of gallons 

of Water. As your next Congressman, I will 

move to have these non-native species eliminated 

from the endangered species list. 

I think that my work in removing the non 

native species from the endangered species 

list will be so popular that we can offer, as 

local dishes fried Smelt fish, and fried Arroyo 

Toad Legs. The commercial use will preserve 

the species as well as remove California from 

being held hostage to those two nonnative 

species. 

Corruption is rampant in the United States. 

Unfortunately, some in power have used their 

connections to obtain favors from the Federal 

Government, while also using those powers 

to criminalize others. The Takeover of FNMA 

is such an example. Trillions of dollars were 

controlled by improper claims of the Federal 

Government. The theft was used to bail out 

friends. This theft needs to be addressed by 

Congress. 

Vote for Jeff Moffatt 







Presently, we have a system that allows 

corporations to funnel unlimited 

money into campaigns. 

We also have a 

system that allows government 

employees to work for 

entities that they used to regulate. 

This crossing from the 

public to private sector 

breeds a system where regulators 

might not fully enforce 

rules, especially to future 

employers. Presently there 

also seems to be an acceptable 

quid pro quo, between 

payments from corporations 

and votes. 

I would remove the unlimited 

contributions from corporations. 

I would also make it illegal to have 

quid pro quo votes for politicians when receiving 

payment, I would also prohibit the 

revolving door between the public sector to 

the private sector; a gap of 5 years between 

public and private service would be enough 

to shut down the inbreeding which currently 

exists. 



would help to reduce the Federal budget 

deficit by cutting waste and saving time? 

And if so, how would you do it? 

Some would say the Constitution is obsolete. 

As such, I can’t follow this argument 

100%. If a law has not been enforced in 20 

years, it might make sense to remove it from 

the books. 



Jeff Moffet: We have generational politicians 

that seem to look out for their donors 

more than they do the constituents. This became 

apparent in the Gas leak situation 

where the incumbent didn’t address the 

issue for 2 months, and then created a plan 

to let the gas company determine what was 

the best policy. 

We have local entities issuing bonds, both 

at the city level, as well as college level, without 

voter approval; these bonds are known 

as certificates of Deposit. A glaring example 

of fraud and abuse can be seen in the 

shenanigans with Palmdale School District; 

$43 million was found, and more still needs 

to be accounted for, when the same entity 

was claiming it was broke. Taxes were increased 

as a result of this fraud. The entity 

bought out the past Superintendent at a premium 

rate, and agreed to close the books 

from prosecution. This sort of thing has happened 

at Palmdale Water where $16 million 

in bonds were issued to deal with a toad 

issue, and the money was misspent; the director 

was fired, and subsequently rehired. 

The College of the Canyons is asking for $250 

million in Series E bonds, and yet has failed to 

convey that they have issued out hundreds of 

millions of bonds since 2006 in the Certificate 

of Deposit format, without voter approval. 

Lancaster had $5 million dedicated for the 

Cedar Center in 1994, but misspent the 

money, and had to get another $5 million in 

2010 to finally satisfy a 16 year old commitment. 

Removing the exception for local agencies 

to issue Certificates of deposit, thus increas- 

Iam currently a Police 

Lieutenant with the Los 

Angeles Police Department, 

where I have worked 

for the past 21 years. Before 

that, I served in the US Marine 

Corps Reserves. I have 

also served as a Level I Reserve 

Deputy for the Los Angeles 

County Sheriff. I have 

dedicated my entire life to 

public service and want to 

continue to serve our country 

in Congress. I was born in 

California and have lived in 

Agua Dulce for over a decade, 

where I am currently serving 

my third term on the Agua Lou Vince 

Dulce Town Council. I live 

there with my wife Stacey and our four kids. 

Two of our kids we fostered and adopted 

from the Los Angeles County Department of 

Children and Family Services because we 

know kids need strong support and guidance 

in order to succeed. I decided to get into politics 

because I see problems around the district 

and nationwide that I want to help solve. 

I want to leave a better world for my children 

and everyone’s children. With my experience 

in conflict resolution and the fact I am trained 

to run towards problems, not away from 

them, I feel I can succeed in Congress and 

help resolve some of the gridlock in Congress. 

I have also served on the Acton-Agua Dulce 

Unified School District Citizens’ Bond Oversight 

Commission, where I was able to ensure 

that taxpayer money was spent responsibly 

and we deliver the best possible product in 

the form of Vasquez High School. I have the 

experience to ensure that the 25th District’s 

representative fights for the district in Congress. 







I think we need to take a hard look at the 

budget and seriously talk about what spending 

levels can be reduced. Often times, Congress 

appropriates more money than agency 

directors or military command request for 

certain programs. Our commanders and directors 

know best what their departments 

need and we should not be allocating more 

money simply as pork. We need to make sure 

we adequately ensure that the appropriation 

process takes long-term spending concerns 

into consideration. We also need a constitutional 

amendment to overturn Citizens’ 

United and get big money out of politics. If we 

lessen the influence of money on politicians, 

we will be have a more responsive and representative 

government. 



would help to reduce the Federal budget 

deficit by cutting waste and saving time? 

And if so, how would you do it? 

I think this would help tremendously. I 

would support the creation of a bipartisan 

commission to take a look at the budget to do 

this very thing. If we can get a strong bipartisan 

consensus to do this, it will free up more 

money to put our country on a strong fiscal 

footing. 

3. What do you see at the most impor- 

tant issue facing the 25th 

District? 

Lou Vince: We have many 

issues facing the 25th District 

whether it be the numerous 

environmental disasters that 

have occurred, the excessive 

development, the growth of income 

inequality or irresponsive 

government. I believe we 

need to stand up and protect 

vital programs like Social Security, 

ensure that CEMEX is finally 

legislated out of 

existence, and pass a comprehensive 

infrastructure funding 

bill to tackle the region’s gridlock 

and improve quality of life. 

These are measures that have bipartisan appeal 

across the district. 


I have three main goals: standing up for 

the local environment, protecting and expanding 

the middle class, and fighting for justice. 

I want to stand up for the local 

environment and advocate against bad decisions 

like the Chiquita Canyon Landfill Expansion 

which will site the largest dump in 

the country here in the Santa Clarita Valley. I 

also want to protect and expand the middle 

class by passing a comprehensive infrastructure 

bill to help tackle our region’s crippling 

commute. Finally, I want to fight for justice by 

ensuring police resources are focused on addressing 

crime, not using resources due to 

our country’s broken mental health system. 



Establishment of a national infrastructure 

bank to offer low interest loans to municipalities, 

including Santa Clarita, enabling 

them to leverage low tax dollars with the full 

backing of the credit of the United States. 

This would enable key infrastructure projects 

to be completed to enhance transportation, 

commerce, technology, and more, 

without overburdening city resources. 

Support development of a local publiclyowned 

bank to reduce foreclosures and support 

small businesses with low interest rates 

Work to restore the Glass-Steagall Act to 

rein in Wall Street, reducing conflicts of interest 

and high risk activity which led to the 

mortgage crisis that significantly impacted 

our local property values and economy so 

that we are not in a constant loop of financial 

disaster and recovery. 

Partner with federal, state and local partners 

to utilize federal resources to tackle the 

drought using creative solutions to create a 

sustainable model for the future 

Pursue legislative solutions to prevent the 

Cemex mine from operating and to ensure 

that other environmental threats are 

promptly and effectively prevented or mitigated. 

Examples of such threats that require 

action include the proposed expansion of the 

Chiquita Canyon Landfill, the cleanup of 

Whittaker Bermite site and its impact on 

local soil and water wells/supplies, and 

more. 

Introduce legislation that prohibits passing 

new unfunded mandates which overburden 

local and state government agencies, and 

requires a plan for funding existing mandates 

they have failed to fulfill. We should only be 

See Moffatt, page 33 See Vince, page 25



Reader Opinion 

o u r v i e W 

state senate, 21st district: 

scott Wilk 

There was a time when you could have said 

Scott Wilk was a rising political star in our 

community. Now, it’s fair to say the star has 

risen. 

Building upon his career as a legislative 

aide and a successful public affairs consultant, 

Wilk was first elected to public office in 

2007 as a member of the College of the 

Canyons board of trustees. He has continued 

to be a strong advocate for quality education 

during his nearly four years representing the 

38th Assembly District. 

And, when highly respected state Sen. 

Sharon Runner announced she would not 

seek re-election, Wilk quickly emerged as her 

logical successor. 

Wilk is a common-sense advocate for economic 

development, and has become one of 

the top legislators battling against ill-advised 

state spending, such as the $68 billion highspeed 

rail line. He has worked diligently to attract 

and keep key industries in California, 

including aerospace and entertainment production, 

and has authored and supported numerous 

bills designed to improve public 

education. 

To say we’re proud of this home-grown 

leader is an understatement. We wholeheartedly 

endorse Scott Wilk for the state 

Senate. 

www.wilkforca.com 

state assembly, 38th district: 

dante acosta 

As Scott Wilk seeks to move into the state 

Senate, there’s of course a bit of a political 

chain reaction, so as Wilk became the logical 

successor to Sharon Runner, thus was created 

the need for a logical successor to replace 

Wilk in the Assembly. 

That’s where Mayor Pro Tem Dante Acosta 

comes in. 

With a career background in the auto industry 

and financial services, Acosta was first 

elected to the Santa Clarita City Council in 

2014. Since then, he has become respected as 

an advocate for fiscal responsibility, public 

safety, and issues affecting youth and seniors. 

He’s also continued to advocate for issues 

affecting members of the military and their 

families — something that’s close to his 

heart, as his eldest son, Army Spec. Rudy 

Acosta, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 

2011. 

Acosta’s message to voters: “I will fight to 

restore our beautiful state by reducing regulations, 

securing our borders, keeping criminals 

in prison where they belong, 

incentivizing businesses to return to California 

and bringing more jobs to the state.” 

It seems we have another rising star in our 

midst. We hope you’ll join us and vote for 

Dante Acosta. 

www.danteacosta.com 

l.a. county supervisor, 5th district: 

kathryn Barger 

For the first time since 1980, Michael 

Antonovich will not be on the ballot for elecreader 

endorsements for June 2016 

There are a wide variety of important issues 

and elected offices on the June 7 

California primary ballot, from the national 

level to the local one. As Santa Clarita 

Valley voters prepare to head to the polls, the 

Reader proudly offers the following endorsements 

in races of local interest: 

college of the canyons 

measure e: yes 

Over the past several decades, College of 

the Canyons has done a tremendous job of 

meeting the Santa Clarita Valley’s ever-growing 

needs, providing high-quality, affordable 

college education to a student body that has 

grown to 20,000 strong. 

That number is projected to grow by half 

in the next decade or so, as the community 

grows and COC continues to fill its role as the 

first college of choice for approximately 

three-quarters of the SCV’s graduating high 

school seniors. 

To not only accommodate that growth but 

also to prepare for it, the COC board of 

trustees has placed Measure E on the ballot. 

The $230 million bond initiative would provide 

much-needed classroom and laboratory 

space to equip our community’s college to 

continue building on its track record of excellence. 

If approved, Measure E will fund four new 

buildings totaling 172,000 square feet at the 

Canyon Country campus. On the Valencia 

campus, the measure would fund 1,000 new 

parking spaces and renovation of 350,000 

square feet of learning space, much of which 

is more than 40 years old. 

COC provides top-notch education at a cost 

that’s less than 10 percent that of attending a 

California State University campus. Measure 

E will equip COC to continue meeting our 

community’s growing needs for many years 

to come. We strongly encourage a “Yes” vote. 

www.yesoneforcoc.com 

u.s. congress, 25th district: 

steve knight 

The Santa Clarita Valley is fortunate to have 

Steve Knight take the reins as successor to 

our longtime congressman, Howard “Buck” 

McKeon. In his freshman term in Congress, 

Knight has been a strong advocate for fiscal 

responsibility, and has responded to the SCV’s 

need for aggressive representation on issues 

that affect our community, including the proposed 

CEMEX sand and gravel mine in 

Soledad Canyon. 

Knight, an Army veteran and an 18-year 

member of the Los Angeles Police Department, 

places a great deal of emphasis on job 

creation and public safety, just as he did during 

his previous tenures on the Palmdale City 

Council and in the state Senate and Assembly. 

His positions on the major issues are in 

step with the majority of Santa Clarita Valley 

residents, and he’s been an influential advocate 

for measures that would facilitate 

drought relief for California. 

Rep. Knight has earned a second term in 

Congress, and we hope he’s earned your vote. 

www.steveknight.org 

by Dave Bossert 


tion as the supervisor representing the 

county’s 5th District. Antonovich, who was 

elected prior to the creation of term limits for 

the Board of Supervisors, is being termed out 

of office and running for a state Senate district 

representing San Gabriel Valley foothill 

communities. 

That leaves an important vacancy to be 

filled, and there’s no one better equipped to 

handle the task than Antonovich’s 15-year 

chief deputy supervisor, Kathryn Barger. 

Barger is a highly respected problemsolver 

who has won bipartisan praise for her 

ability to make government more efficient, 

reducing bureaucracy and cutting through 

red tape. She’s a committed supporter of 

dav e B o s s e r t 


the importance of the June 

primary to our valley 

communities 

It is an understatement to say that this 

year’s election is anything but ordinary. 

As many have experienced thus far, this 

election “season” has been in full swing for 

the last six months and most are fatigued by 

the political circus that has been playing out 

across the media on a daily basis. But don’t 

let that distract you from the importance of 

the election on a local level. 

After thirty-six years, Supervisor Michael 

D. Antonovich terms out of office this November. 

In my view this is a glaring example of all 

that is wrong with term limits. Antonovich 

has done a superior job supervising the fifth 

district of Los Angeles County for more than 

three decades. He and his staff have done a 

tremendous amount for the West Ranch communities 

and the Santa Clarita Valley at large 

over the years, always stepping up to the plate 

by listening to the community, serving the 

community’s wants and needs. 

The deep well brine injection well was the 

most recent example of help that our community 

received from the Supervisor and his staff. 

Taking the lead on that issue was Kathryn 

Barger, the chief of staff for Supervisor 

Antonovich. From the moment that the West 

Ranch Town Council and others in the community 

contacted the Supervisor’s office vehemently 

opposed to the injection well, 

Kathryn Barger took the lead with other 

county staff. They not only listened to our concerns 

but they acted quickly and decisively in 

stopping the proposed brine injection well, not 

only in the West Ranch area but valley wide. 

There have been many other issues over 

the years that required the support and action 

of the Supervisor office from roadways and 

traffic signals to parks and libraries. The one 

constant has been that Supervisor Antonovich 

and his staff has been there in lockstep with 

our West Ranch and Valley communities. 

This is why it is so important for the continuity 

to continue after the November election. 

Kathryn Barger is one of eight contenders 

vying to be Supervisor of the fifth district and 

it is no surprise that she is the leading candidate. 

She is intelligent and has the ability to 

reach across the aisle and bring both sides together 

for the good of the communities. “I am 

running to be your County Supervisor because 

I care about our community and understand 

firsthand how important county 

government is to the lives of those living in the 

Fifth District,” she stated in her campaign. 

The other candidates will need on-the-job 

training and that training will come at the 

detriment of our communities. The other 

thing that I find disturbing is that some of the 

other candidates are ethically challenged, one 

taking free ads on electronic billboards in a 

potential quid pro-quo arrangement. Voters 

are tired of those types of politicians as evidenced 

by the backlash in this election cycle. 

But let’s we can’t through the baby out with 

the bathwater as they say. There are very 

good and dedicated public servants and 

Kathryn Barger is one of them. 

Barger was born and raised in the fifth district 

and has worked her entire adult life in 

the county. She has the depth and breadth of 

knowledge of how the county works and how 

to get things done. That is so important to 

being able to get anything done in government; 

knowing how the process, the machine, 

works. But knowing the process is just the beginning, 

she is also a qualified, strong and experienced 

leader that has been working with 

Supervisor Antonovich for years. In other 

words, Barger is qualified to do the job right 

now and with step right into the role without 

interruption and the Fifth District will better 

off for it. 

More than ever, voters should be scrutinizing 

candidates running for all positions and 

ask the simple question; will this person truly 

represent the best interests of our community. 

Does the person have a track record for 

doing the right thing, for being ethical, dealing 

with the tough issues even handedly and 

with a moral compass. If you believe that they 

will, than that is the person that you should 

vote for. That is why I am supporting and voting 

for Kathryn Barger for Supervisor of the 

Fifth District of Los Angeles County. 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. 

His commentaries represent his own 

opinions and not necessarily the views of any 

organization he may be affiliated with or 

those of the Westside Reader. Dave writes a 

regular weekly column online at 

www.thescvebeacon.com 

public safety and was a key figure in L.A. 

County’s implementation of Megan’s Law to 

protect children from sexual predators. 

Born and raised in the 5th District — and 

the only candidate who can make that claim 

— Barger holds a communications degree 

from Ohio Wesleyan University. She briefly 

pursued a private sector career before being 

drawn to her true passion in public service. 

Kathryn Barger will continue building 

upon Antonovich’s legacy of fiscal responsibility, 

public safety and responsiveness to the 

needs of the communities in the 5th District, 

including the Santa Clarita Valley. She deserves 

your vote on June 7. 

www.kathrynbarger.com R



c a m e r o n s m y t h 

a few suggestions as you 

head into the voting 

booth… 

s c ot t W i l k 

california needs 21st 

century cyber protection 

by Cameron Smyth 


by Assmemblyman Scott Wilk 


Finally! Election Day is closing in and 

some votes have already been cast by 

those who vote by mail. Although the 

Republican presidential nomination process 

is wrapped up, Bernie Sanders continues to 

push Hillary Clinton, which guarantees some 

action on the Democrat side. We also have an 

open U.S. Senate seat for the first time since 

the 1990s with over 30 candidates on the ballot. 

But the presidential race is just a small part 

of the election process here in Santa Clarita. 

With no incumbent in both state Senate seats, 

the local state Assembly seat, and county supervisor, 

candidates are pushing hard to secure 

a spot in the general election on Nov. 8. 

National Democrats are also targeting Congressman 

Steve Knight. However, they must 

decide on their own candidate first. Also important 

to the Santa Clarita Valley is Measure 

E. 

For what it’s worth, here are my recommendations: 

U.S. Senate: Tom Del Bacarro. I have known 

Tom for a decade and although most pundits 

feel two Democrats will emerge, I think it’s 

important both parties are represented in 

general elections and I think Tom is the best 

Republican option. 

Congress: Steve Knight. Congressman 

Knight has done a great job for the SCV in his 

first term, specifically around his efforts to 

bring the CEMEX issue to its conclusion. 

State Senate (27th District): Steve Fazio. 

Former law enforcement officer and now successful 

businessman, Steve has a great resume 

and frankly is the only candidate I have 

seen visit the Santa Clarita Valley. 

State Senate (21st District): Scott Wilk. 

Easy choice. He will be the first SCV resident 

to serve in the state Senate in decades. 

State Assembly: Both Santa Clarita Mayor 

Pro Tem Dante Acosta and Mike Antonovich 

Deputy Jarrod Degonia are both solid choices 

who will work hard to represent the SCV in 

Sacramento. 

L.A. County Supervisor: Los Angeles Councilman 

Mitch Englander is my top choice 

here. He worked closely with Santa Clarita 

leaders to defeat the Las Lomas project in the 

past and knows our valley and its issues well. 

Republican Central Committee: Central 

committees are important party positions 

because they are charged with organizing 

voter registration, voter information, candidate 

recruiting, and getting out the Republican 

vote in their respective Assembly district. 

I support: John Dortch, Patty Kelly, Mark Hershey, 

Andre Hollings, Michael Hildebrand, Joe 

Messina and John Musella. 

Measure E: A $15 property assessment 

(per $100,000 of value) will generate muchneeded 

funds for construction at the Canyon 

Country campus of College of the Canyons, 

along with modernization and a 1,000-space 

parking structure on the Valencia campus. 

Thousands of kids are on the waitlist and 

these improvements will allow more SCV students 

access to a quality, affordable education 

in a reasonable timeframe. Vote YES on Measure 

E! 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. 

o u r r e c o m m e n dat i o n s 

U.S. Congress – 25th District 

4 Steve Knight 

LA County Board of Supervisors – 5th District 

4 Kathryn Barger 

California State Senate – 21st District 

4 Scott Wilk 

California State Assembly – 38th District 

4 Dante Acosta 

On February 5, a hospital in Hollywood 

was forced to make a choice: pay a 

ransom of $17,000 or put their patients’ 

lives in danger. 

CEO of Hollywood Presbyterian Medical 

Center Allen Stefanek explained, "The quickest 

and most efficient way to restore our systems 

and administrative functions was to pay 

the ransom and obtain the decryption key. In 

the best interest of restoring normal operations, 

we did this." 

The hospital was the victim of what is 

called 'ransomware.' Essentially, ransomware 

is a computer virus where malevolent hackers 

threaten to tamper or outright destroy 

computer systems within days or even hours, 

if a ransom is not paid. 

Ten days after the initial attack and 

$17,000 later, the medical center networks 

were decrypted and resumed operating normally. 

Ransomware kits like the ones these hackers 

used are cheap, easy to use, and efficient. 

Cisco’s Talos — the cybersecurity arm of 

Cisco — recently commented on attacks like 

this: “We cannot say it loud and often enough, 

ransomware has become the black plague of 

the internet, spread by highly sophisticated 

exploit kits and countless spam campaigns.” 

But ransomware is simply one more tool 

cyber-criminals are using to extort and steal. 

Juniper Research recently projected the total 

cost of all data breaches and cyberattacks will 

cost $2.1 trillion globally by 2019. 

In light of this reality, the Assembly Privacy 

and Consumer Protection Committee and Assembly 

Select Committee on Cybersecurity 

held a joint oversight hearing on February 24 

— Addressing California’s Cybersecurity 

Strategy: Is the State Prepared to Defend Itself 

Against 21st Century Attacks? 

The hearing revealed that in a 2014 security 

standards self-audit, 73 of the 77 reporting 

California state departments and entities 

had yet to achieve full compliance with SAM 

cyber security standards. 

Not to mention a significant number of entities 

— for example constitutional and judicial 

offices — are not subject to the security 

standards at all. 

Just like the Presbyterian Medical Center 

example, Californians rely on the safety and 

security of the Franchise Tax Board when we 

pay our taxes. We rely on the security of the 

Department of Motor Vehicles when we 

renew our drivers’ license or vehicle registration. 

The operations of state government 

owe it to you and every Californian to ensure 

that sensitive information is kept safe and secure. 

There have been a few attempts at getting 

California into the 21st Century, but they casually 

include ‘more security checks,’ a report, 

or simply involve a Band-Aid approach 

rather than a long-term solution. 

For example, Governor Brown’s executive 

order in January to create the “California Cybersecurity 

Integration Center” is fine for rearranging 

the cybersecurity prevention 

efforts we already have, but it is misses the 

mark on how we invest to prevent future attacks. 

But a much bigger problem for California, 

and government in general, is losing talented 

employees to the private sector. 

The House of Representatives Security 

Committee Chairman Mike McCaul confirmed 

this problem at the beginning of the 

year stating, “The NSA, Air Force, and DHS 

are trying to maintain this talent when the 

private sector can draw them at a much 

higher salary.” 

When Silicon Valley is less than two hours 

away from Sacramento and can pull more 

people at significantly better pay, it’s understandable 

to see where California’s cybersecurity 

talent is going. 

To address this issue, I introduced AB 

1956 which seeks to make public service 

more attractive by adding flexibility to the 

state’s hiring process for IT professionals. 

This small change could help bring highly 

qualified individuals to help maintain our 

state’s cybersecurity. 

Of course, working for the state is a 

lifestyle choice, so California shouldn’t be expected 

to truly contest Silicon Valley in terms 

of outright pay. But with more and more dangerous 

threats like those that are now coming 

from ransomware, it’s more important 

than ever to focus on finding ways to attract 

and incentivize talented people who are interested 

in serving the public. 

In order to stay ahead, we have to put resources 

into cyber prevention programs. California 

is home to millions of people who rely 

on our state’s critical infrastructure to live 

their everyday lives. And as technology advances, 

hacking and cyberattacks evolve as 

well — because it’s not a matter of “if” but 

“when.” R 

Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, represents the 

38th Assembly District encompassing Simi Valley, 

the northwestern section of the San Fernando 

Valley and most of the Santa Clarita 

Valley. 

Vince 


passing mandates which have a dedicated 

funding source. For example, we need to fully 

fund the promised allotment toward special 

education services; currently the promised 

amount is only partially funded and the impact 

on our local school districts is significant 

and puts stress on our limited resources, negatively 

impacting students and their families. 

These unfunded mandates need to end.




restaurant revieW 

Lazy Dog Café: Sit, Stay, Play 

Casual, fresh food with 

consistent quality and 

excellent service 

By Michele E. Buttelman 

Features and Entertainment Editor 

Lazy Dog Café opened on the Patios at 

the Westfield Valencia Town Center in 

2009. While other restaurants have 

come and gone throughout the Santa Clarita 

Valley during the ensuing years, Lazy Dog remains 

one of the most popular eateries in the 

SCV. 

The small chain, with only four locations 

when it opened in the SCV, now has nearly 20 

restaurants, not only in Southern California, 

but also in Las Vegas and Texas. 

Lazy Dog was founded by Chris Simms 

whose father and grandfather founded 

Mimi's Café. Simms grew up in SoCal but 

spent many summers in the area around 

Jackson Hole, Wy. 

"I learned how to fly fish, ride horses and 

most importantly, wait tables and cook," he 

Try this starter: A trio of hummus dips, walnut-pesto, 

sundried tomato and traditional hummus served 

with garlic flatbread, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes 

($9.25) with the Strawberry Citrus Soda ($3.25) 

which is a refreshing non-alcoholic drink made with 

strawberries, fresh squeezed lemon, orange and lime 

juices with mint leaves and soda water. 

said. "While washing dishes and cleaning 

calamari weren’t the most glamorous jobs in 

town, they gave me the opportunity to be 

around my two loves, food and people." 

As Simms worked his way up the ladder in 

various restaurants he said he "learned the 

value of small-town hospitality; actually caring 

about your guest and their experience, 

and then doing everything possible to make 

them happy." 

In the nearly seven years that Lazy Dog has 

been serving great food in the SCV, and the 

dozens of times I have eaten at the restaurant, 

I can honestly say I've never been disappointed 

by the food or the service. 

Every restaurant has "down days" but I've 

been impressed with the consistency evident 

at Lazy Dog. 

Perhaps my biggest complaint about Lazy 

Dog is that they've replaced the lovely iceberg 

lettuce wraps on the Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

starter ($10.25) with Romaine lettuce. The 

wraps, made with ground chicken breast, 

water chestnuts, peanuts, carrots and green 

onions and served with sweet sesame soy 

sauce and Japanese cucumber salad was always 

my favorite meal at Lazy Dog, even 

though it is on the "starter" menu. But Ro- 

Lazy Dog Café on the Patios at Westfield Valencia 

Town Center is great place to "sit, stay, play." 

maine lettuce just doesn't work for me, so 

that menu item is no longer on my list of 

"must haves." 

However, showing what a classy operation 

Lazy Dog truly is, when I was presented with 

the offending Romaine my server was able to 

convince the chef to scrounge up some iceberg 

lettuce for me. I was warned, however, 

that they could not guarantee the substitution 

would be available in the future. 

Burgers 

What I really admire about Lazy Dog is the 

extensive menu that offers a little something 

for everyone. 

I also really like the reasonable prices. 

Want burgers? Lazy Dog has a burger for 

every palate. 

Are you a purist? Try the All-American 

Burger with two charbroiled quarter-pound 

beef patties layered with melted American 

cheese and topped with shredded lettuce, 

tomato, red onion, pickles and housemade 

Bark + Bite sauce ($11.25) or the Cheeseburger 

with a charbroiled half-pound beef 

patty topped with your choice of cheese, lettuce, 

tomato, pickle and red onion on a 

brioche-style bun ($10.25). 

If you like a "fancy" burger try one of these: 

Avocado & Swiss Turkey Burger with a handformed 

lean ground turkey patty, Swiss 

cheese, avocado, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, 

pickle, red onion and Dijon mustard on a 

grilled multigrain whole wheat bun ($10.75); 

Black & Bleu Burger with a charbroiled halfpound 

beef patty seasoned with Cajun spices, 

topped with bleu cheese, hickory-smoked 

bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle, red onion and 

bleu cheese dressing on a brioche-style bun 

($11.50); BBQ Ranch Bacon Cheeseburger 

with a charbroiled half-pound beef patty 

topped with hickory-smoked bacon, cheddar 

cheese, chipotle ranch, lettuce, tomato, pickle 

and red onion on a brioche-style bun 

($11.25); Asian Ahi Tuna Burger with seared 

Ahi Tuna, served medium-rare with Asian 

slaw and wasabi dressing on a brioche-style 

bun ($11.95) or the Baja California Burger 

with a charbroiled half-pound beef patty 

topped with guacamole, mild hatch chilies, 

Maggie's Snake River is a sinful salad with hickory-smoked bacon, Laura Chenel goat cheese, dried cranberries, 

tomatoes, candied walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette ($9.75). 

jack cheese, a roasted jalapeno-lime aioli, lettuce, 

tomato, pickle and red onion on a 

brioche-style bun ($11.50). 

Sandwiches 

Want a sandwich? All sandwiches and 

burgers come with your choice of coleslaw, 

sweet corn salad or French fries. 

My favorite is the Walnut Chicken Salad 

Sandwich made with chopped chicken 

breast, walnuts, dried cranberries, red onion, 

lettuce, tomato, celery and light curry mayo 

on multigrain whole wheat bread ($9.95). 

Also on the sandwich menu are: Veggie 

Lavash Sandwich with soft lavash filled with 

layers of havarti cheese, sundried tomato 

hummus, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, 

spinach, red onions, avocado and sliced 

radish, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette 

($9.50) and the new Roasted Chicken & 

Havarti sandwich with in-house roasted 

chicken breast, sliced and layered with 

havarti cheese, field greens, tomato, red 

onion and mayo between warm focaccia, 

drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette ($11.25). 

Another of my sandwich favorites is the 

Pot Roast Beef Dip with tender braised, 

shredded pot roast served on a toasted 

French baguette with melted mozzarella, 

caramelized onions, horseradish cream sauce 

and au jus on the side for dipping ($11.25) 

and a decadent Grilled Cheese made with 

Cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella and jack cheeses 

melted between Parmesan sourdough 

($9.50). 

Also new on the menu is The House Club 

with in-house roasted chicken breast, sliced 

and stacked with smoked bacon, avocado, lettuce, 

tomato and mayo between toasted sourdough 

($11.50). 

Two other sandwich favorites are the Carolina 

Pulled Pork Sandwich with house 

braised pork shoulder, tossed in housemade 

BBQ sauce topped with bleu cheese coleslaw 

and Cajun onion straws on a brioche-style 

bun ($10.95) and the Sriracha Chicken Sandwich 

which is a Lazy Dog version of a banh 

mi sandwich that features grilled chicken 

breast, crispy bacon, sriracha herb aioli sauce 

and a cooling cucumber salad on a toasted 

French baguette ($9.95). 

Pizza and Pasta 

Do you feel like pizza? Or do you prefer 

pasta? 

The "Pizza Oven" offers the new seasonal 

Roasted Asparagus and Bacon Pizza ($14.25) 

with roasted asparagus, bacon, creamy 

housemade pesto, pine nuts, sweety drop 

peppers, caramelized onions, feta and moz- 

A decadent Grilled Cheese made with Cheddar, Swiss, 

mozzarella and jack cheeses melted between Parmesan 

sourdough ($9.50). 

zarella cheeses joins the regular pizza menu 

that includes: Margherita & Wild Arugula 

Foldover ($12.95), housemade Pomodoro 

tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh basil, 

baked in a brick oven and topped with a pile 

of Wild Baby Arugula tossed in a light olive 

oil and lemon vinaigrette; Housemade Fennel 

Sausage ($12.95), housemade Pomodoro 

tomato sauce, mozzarella, fennel sausage, 

mushrooms, roasted red peppers, goat 

cheese and fresh basil; Pepperoni, Red Onion 

& Black Olives ($12.75), housemade Pomodoro 

tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella, 

cup and char pepperonis, black olives 

and red onions; Three Cheese & Basil 

($10.75, add pepperoni for an additional $2), 

Parmesan, Romano and mozzarella cheeses, 

housemade Pomodoro tomato sauce and 

basil and Black And Bleu ($13.25) with Cajun 

chicken breast, hickory-smoked bacon, mozzarella 

cheese, caramelized onions, blue 

cheese crumbles, fresh tomatoes and green 

onions. 

Pasta offerings include Spiral Pasta & Meat 

Sauce ($13.95) with housemade meat sauce 

with a touch of alfredo sauce; Fettuccine Alfredo 

($10.75) tossed in parmesan cream 

sauce, topped with parsley, add sautéed 

chicken for $3.95 or add sautéed shrimp for 

$4.50; Lemon-Caper Chicken ($11.75) features 

sautéed chicken breast, vegetable ratatouille, 

fresh spinach and spiral pasta all 

tossed in our lemon-caper sauce, topped with 

Romano cheese; Carbonara, ($14.25) pasta 

tossed with bacon, sweet peas, garlic, Romano 

cheese with chardonnay cream sauce, 

topped with a poached egg and Sundried 

Tomato Pesto Pasta ($14.25) with chicken 

breast, mushrooms, broccoli and onions 

tossed with spiral pasta in a sundried tomato 

walnut-pesto cream sauce. 

Comfort Food 

Check out the Meat, Chicken, Fish Menu for



a large variety of comfort food favorites. 

The only words that can describe the heavenly 

experience that is the wonderfully satisfying 

Campfire Pot Roast are "comfort food 

supreme." Served with mashed potatoes, 

sautéed baby spinach and housemade Burgundy 

wine sauce ($15.50), this is a meal 

you'll return for time and again. 

I also highly recommend the BBQ Baby 

Back Pork Ribs. These are tender baby back 

ribs grilled to order and brushed with a 

sweet molasses BBQ sauce. The ribs are 

served with mashed potatoes and chilled 

sweet corn and black bean succotash salad 

($21.95, smaller portion, $17.25). 

Have I mentioned the soups and chili, salads, 

desserts and starters yet? 

You can't have an authentic Lazy Dog Café 

experience without trying the starter trio of 

hummus dips, a trio of walnut-pesto, sundried 

tomato and traditional hummus served 

with garlic flatbread, sliced cucumbers and 

tomatoes ($9.25) or the restaurant's signature 

"inside-out quesadilla" starter served 

with cheddar and jack cheeses, guacamole, 

sour cream and fresh salsa ($8.95). 

Other starters I like include the Ahi Poke 

with Sashimi grade Ahi Tuna tossed with 

sesame peanut vinaigrette and green onions 

served on crispy wontons with avocado, 

wasabi dressing and a sesame seed garnish 

($10.25) and the Brick Oven Spinach & Sundried 

Tomato Cheese Dip, housemade with 

jack, parmesan and Swiss cheeses, served 

with hand-cut corn tortilla chips ($8.75). 

Both exceeded my expectations for taste and 

quantity. 

The bar has numerous brands of beer on 

tap and makes a fine, fine Mojito. 

I also enjoy Lazy Dog's all natural lemonades 

and sodas. My favorite is the Strawberry 

Lemon-Caper Chicken ($11.75). 

Citrus Soda ($3.25) which is a refreshing nonalcoholic 

drink made with strawberries, fresh 

squeezed lemon, orange and lime juices with 

mint leaves and soda water. 

Dessert 

Don't leave without dessert. I adore the 

Salted Caramel Crème Brulee ($5.25) This 

version of the classic crème brulee is infused 

with real vanilla bean and housemade sea 

salt caramel. Other offerings include: Butter 

Cake, homemade butter cake topped with a 

minted strawberry compote and vanilla bean 

ice cream, garnished with sweet balsamic 

($5.95); White Chocolate Chip Brownie, this 

signature brownie recipe features white 

chocolate chips in a moist and rich chocolate 

treat, served with chocolate fudge and vanilla 

bean ice cream ($5.75); Cinnamon & Sugar 

Pizza with pizza dough basted with cinnamon-sugar 

butter and baked in a brick oven, 

served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream 

($5.25); Berry Crumble with strawberries, 

blueberries and rhubarb, topped with a 

brown sugar and oat crumble, baked until 

golden brown and served with a big scoop of 

vanilla bean ice cream ($6.25); Root Beer 

Float with vanilla bean ice cream handscooped 

into a chilled mason jar and served 

with a cold bottle of IBC Root Beer ($4.25) 

and Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake is a seasonal 

favorite made from scratch, topped 

with fresh raspberries and housemade 

whipped cream ($5.95). 

So Much More 

The menu is so extensive I was only able to 

scratch the service (there is soup, salad, wokfired 

entrees, small plates, "nutritious and de- 

Lazy6: A decadent Grilled Cheese made with Cheddar, 

Swiss, mozzarella and jack cheeses melted between 

Parmesan sourdough ($9.50). 

licious" and more). You need to check out the 

menu for yourself, online at www.lazydogrestaurants.com/menu. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention at 

least one salad on the extensive menu. Maggie's 

Snake River salad is a sinful concoction 

of hickory-smoked bacon, Laura Chenel goat 

cheese, dried cranberries, tomatoes, candied 

walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette ($9.75). 

The Lazy Dog Happy Hour alone is worthy 

of its own review! 

Lazy Dog is the result of a family with three 

generations of restaurant experience. I think 

they may know what they're doing. It certainly 

tastes like it. 

"We focus on fresh ingredients," Simms 

said. "We want every restaurant to have its 

own identity. We take the food very seriously. 

We don't want to be a ‘chain.'" 

The restaurant's motto is "sit, stay and 

play." I've taken it to heart and haven't been 

disappointed (well, except for that Romaine 

lettuce thing) and the parking, which is horrendous, 

(but that's hardly the fault of Lazy 

Dog). The decor and ambiance is dog-centric. 

Dogs are welcome on the patio at Lazy Dog 

and they have their own menu. You can ask 

for a complimentary bowl of water or treat 

your dog to their own "entree," either a 

grilled hamburger patty and brown rice, or a 

grilled chicken breast and brown rice ($4.95). 

A bowl of just plain brown rice is $1.95. R 

Lazy Dog Café, on the Patios at Westfield 

Valencia Town Center, 24201 Valencia Blvd., 

Valencia CA 91355, 661-253-9996, www.lazydog 

restaurants.com. Hours: Open seven days, 

Sunday 10 a.m. -11 p.m., Monday through 

Wednesday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Thursday and 

Friday 11 a.m. - midnight and Saturday 10 

a.m. - midnight.


farm-to-table 

Farm-to-Table in the Santa Clarita Valley 

Buying locally grown food is becoming increasingly popular 

by Michele E. Buttelman • features and entertainment editor 

Farmers Market held on Saturdays at the Newhall Community 

Center and the Ventura County Certified Farmer’s Market 

held Sundays at College of the Canyons Parking Lot 5, 

offer the opportunity for SCV residents to purchase food 

directly from farmers. 

California Certified Farmer’s Markets were established in 

1978, when then-governor Jerry Brown signed legislation 

known as the Direct Marketing Act. This enabled California 

farmers to sell their own produce directly to consumers at 

locations designated by the Department of Agriculture. 

Only California grown agricultural products may be sold in 

the Certified Farmer’s Market, and all such agricultural 

products must be grown by the farmer selling them. Each 

farmer must be inspected and obtain a Producer’s Certificate 

before they can sell at a Certified Farmers’ Market. 

Watkins Cattle and Livestock offers locally 

sourced beef and pork products at local 

farmer’s markets. 

Underwood Family Farms offers a large variety of produce at 

local farmer’s markets. 

The term “farm-to-table” refers to an emphasis on freshness, 

seasonality, local availability, and simple preparations. 

Farm-to-table is in itself a movement devoted to producing 

food locally and delivering that food to local consumers. 

Among the first vocal and influential farm-to-table advocates 

was Alice Waters who founded Chez Panisse restaurant 

in Berkeley nearly 40 years ago, followed by The 

Herbfarm in Washington and The Kitchen in Boulder, Colo. 

In the Santa Clarita Valley, farm-to-table is practiced in area 

restaurants and in the kitchens of residents. 

What is farm-to-table? 

Farm-to-table doesn’t necessarily mean “organic,” 

which refers to food grown under 

strict laws regulating pesticide use and other 

“non natural” processes. 

It is a philosophy where consumers seek to 

find and eat fresh food grown locally. People 

are increasingly concerned about where 

their food comes from, and how it is grown. 

The rule of thumb for locally grown food is 

anything that is raised within 100 miles of 

where it is purchased, or consumed. However, 

some advocates stretch that rule to 

200 miles. 

Farmer’s markets 

“Farmer’s markets now offer more than just strawberries and zucchini,” said Karen Wetzel Schott, operations 

manager of the Ventura County Certified Farmer's Market. Offerings now include everything from fresh seafood 

to eggs to beef and pork, as well as nearly every fruit and vegetable that can be grown locally, or in a greenhouse. 

“The farm-to-fork movement is teaching people to eat seasonally,” said Schott. 

“It connects people directly to farming. We are one, two or three generations 

sometimes from having a farmer in the family.” 

Schott said more and more people are embracing the farm-to-table philosophy 

and farmer’s markets help educate people about seasonality. 

“People need to be aware that in summer the melons come out, or in fall the 

tree fruit is ripe, you are not supposed to be eating a peach in February,” she 

said. 

In addition, Schott said the proliferation of cooking shows on television have 

helped people become familiar with cooking fresh, or uncommon ingredients. 

There are many aspects in the farm-to-table philosophy which appeal to consumers, 

said Schott. 

“Farm-to-table means that you’re not only buying 

farm fresh and local, but you are also concerned 

about food safety,” she said. “To be in a 

farmer’s market you have to be certified that 

you are growing in California. We have about 

seven regulatory agencies that we respond to. 

Not only organic food, but if it is being grown 

conventionally it has to be grown to certain 

standards.” 

Leafy greens are now in 

season at local farmer’s 

markets. 

Schott said just about everything you need to prepare a healthy meal can be purchased 

at a farmer’s market. 

“In Southern California dairy, goat’s milk or cow’s milk, is about the only item 

lacking, however you can get cheese, meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts and honey 

and cage-free eggs, as well as fresh flowers for the table top,” she said. 

Locally grown food can be found seasonally 

throughout the SCV, as well as on short 

jaunts along Highway 126 and up through the 

Antelope Valley. 

Two farmer’s markets, the Old Town Newhall 

Timber Canyon Ranches in Santa Paula and Ojai sells 

citrus and avocados at Ventura County Certified 

Farmer's Market. 

Schott also said that consumers should know that a farmer’s market “is not a 

swap meet.” 

“The costs of farming in California are high and the products offered at a 

farmer’s market are high quality,” she said. “People often think they can barter 

or find things cheaper at a farmer’s market and that’s not necessarily the case.”


Fresh tomatoes are a popular item found at local farmer’s markets. 

Schott said most prices at a farmer’s market can be comparable to a supermarket, or may 

be less depending on the seasonality. 

“Some stores offer produce as a loss-leader to get people into the market,” she said. “So 

sometimes the prices might be higher at a farmer’s market.” 

Locally sourced honey is available at 

stands along Highway 126 and at local 

farmer’s markets. 

What a farmer’s market offers consumers is 

extremely fresh food and the comfort of 

knowing where your food is grown. 

“Most of our farmers are very small scale so 

they pick items the day of, or the day before, 

the item is sold to the consumer,” said 

Schott. “In addition, nearly all of our growers 

are within 100 miles of where the food is 

sold.” 

Schott encourages consumers to talk to the 

farmers or representatives at the farmer’s 

market. 

“Since these people have been working with 

these products for a long time you can find some great recipes and also have them explain 

how to use the product,” she said. “You can learn first-hand how to store the produce and 

tips on how to keep it fresh. That’s what makes farmer’s markets special… the relationship 

consumers can develop with their farmer.” 

A chef 

Executive Chef Peyton Poulsen of The Oaks Grille 

at Tournament Players Club in Stevenson Ranch 

is among the SCV’s leading chefs working to give 

diners an authentic farm-to-table experience. 

“I work with my produce provider to obtain as 

much local produce as possible,” Poulsen said. 

“This helps the local community of which we are 

all a part.” 

Underwood Farms, in Somis, is among the farms 

that Poulsen sources his produce. 

“Underwood is among the largest farms we 

source from,” he said. 

Poulsen tries to use nearly all of his produce from 

local sources including greens, vegetables and 

fruits. 

Peyton Poulsen, executive chef of 

The Oaks Grille at Tournament 

Players Club, works with his 

produce provider to offer only locally 

sourced produce on his menu. 

“We create seasonal 

menus using local products 

and we are working at not using produce that comes from out 

of the country,” he said. 

Consumers and diners are increasingly concerned that food grown 

in other countries does not adhere to the strict safety standards 

that growers are governed by in the United States. 

“Farm-to-table allows diners to enjoy the freshest ingredients,” 

Poulsen said. “You want to put the best things available into your 

bodies, not food that comes from out of country or food that is 

shelved for months at a time. You want to know how your food is 

grown and what they are doing to it before it gets to you.” 

Among the items that Poulsen is most excited to offer diners this 

spring will be squash blossoms. 

Laura Beylik, of Beylik Family Farms in Fillmore, grows 

hydroponic vegetables sold at the Ventura County Certified 

Farmer's Market at College of the Canyons on Sundays. 

“In the coming months 

squash blossoms are coming 

into season, but the 

blossoms will probably be 

more of a special on the 

menu rather than a regular 

menu item,” he said. “It 

is hard to get fresh squash 

blossoms on a consistent 

basis.” 

A farmer 

Mike Shore, owner of Timber 

Canyon Ranches, offers 

Ventura County 

Certified Farmer’s Market consumers citrus and avocados grown in the Santa Paula and Ojai 

areas. Shore is a Ventura County native and has been growing produce in the region for more 

than 30 years. In 1978, he realized there was a lack of limes in the area and began producing 

citrus on the land where he currently lives in Santa Paula. Shore works 100 acres split between 

Ojai and Santa Paula and has grown a variety of crops such as avocados, tomatoes, olives, 

52 weeks a year. 

apricots, row crops and a wide variety of citrus, including 10 different 

kinds of tangerines. 

“Our clientele tends to be loyal and comes back week after 

week,” Shore said. “Our customers know it is local and fresh.” 

Shore said citrus is a year-round crop and his Timber Canyon 

Ranches sell at farmer’s markets 

“Tangerines start around Christmas and are just winding up now, 

Navel oranges are available in the fall, winter and spring, they are 

in their prime now, and Valencia oranges are available in the 

spring, summer and fall, so we have year round oranges,” he said. 

Shore said he also sells avocados “of some kind” year round. 

Lemons are another “year-round crop.” 

Spinach and strawberry salad crafted by Executive Chef 

Peyton Poulsen of The Oaks Grille at the Tournament 

Players Club. 

Fruit and vegetable stands are plentiful along highway 

126 to Ventura. 

Chefs sometimes shop at farmer’s markets, said Shore. 

“We have a chef with a vegetarian restaurant in Ventura that 

comes to us because she knows our product is fresh and the 

quality is good,” he said. 

“Farming is not without challenges,” said Shore. 

His current challenges include the ongoing drought in California 

and disease. 

“We haven’t had enough rain and the citrus greening disease is 

a current challenge for local citrus growers,” Shore said. 

“There’s always something, that’s farming.” 

Rodriquez Family Farms 

sell fresh, seasonal 

strawberries from 

Ventura County at the 

Ventura County Certified 

Farmer's Market in 

Valencia. 

Shore recommends consumers shop at a Certified Farmer’s Market because the markets are 

tightly regulated. 

“You want to make sure it is a well run market,” he said. “You don’t want to be buying from 

someone who is just reselling what they just bought at the L.A. produce market. At a certified 

farmer’s market all the growers are required to only sell what they grow. Farms are inspected 

and you know the product has been raised by the person you are buying from and the product 

is local.” 

Where to go In the SCV, consumers can find fresh, local products at: 

Old Town Newhall Farmers Market, Saturdays 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Newhall Community 

Center, 22421 Market St., Newhall, 91321. California farmers and specialty food purveyors come 

together each Saturday, rain or shine, to bring you the finest in fresh and seasonal fruits and 

vegetables, including organic, baked goods, flowers, herbs, cheeses and prepared foods. Info: 

www.SantaClaritaArts.com 

Ventura County Certified Farmer's Market, Sundays 8:30 a.m. – noon. College of the Canyons 

Parking Lot 5, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Valencia, 91355. The Ventura County Certified 

Farmers’ Market in Santa Clarita takes place year-round every Sunday, rain or shine. Fresh 

from the fields to the table, the Certified California Farmers bring the freshest fruits, vegetables, 

free range ranch eggs, nuts, honey, potted plants and freshly-cut flowers, all at the peak 

of the season. See $2 off coupon in ad in today’s publication. Info: 805-529-6266. Visit the 

website at http://vccfarmersmarkets.com/santa-clarita/ 

In Canyon Country, Valencia, Newhall and Saugus consumers can receive a small or large box 

of organically grown produce weekly. Sign up at www.abundantharvestorganics.com/ 

Nearby, drive down Highway 126 toward Ventura for daily access to fruit and vegetable stands.


The meat is always the star at any 

Memorial Day barbecue. 

Celebrate Memorial Day in the Santa Clarita Valley 

Join your neighbors in remembering our fallen heroes before your picnic or barbecue 

by Michele E. Buttelman • features and entertainment editor 

Memorial Day! Yay, it's a three day weekend! 

However, Memorial Day is also a time to remember the soldiers and heroes who have made 

the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. 

The Memorial Day holiday is celebrated on the last Monday in May and is often considered 

the start of the summer vacation season. 

The holiday originated as Decoration Day after the Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army 

of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans founded in Illinois, established it as a 

time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. 

Eventually, competing Union and Confederate holiday traditions merged, and Memorial Day 

was extended to honor all Americans who died in military service, not just in the Civil War. 

Memorial Day Ceremony 

The annual Santa Clarita Valley Memorial Day 

Celebration will be held at Eternal Valley 

Memorial Park in Newhall. 

Harte, who died in November, 

joined the Navy in 1967 and then 

served in the Naval Reserves, retiring 

from the Navy in 1990 as a senior chief petty officer. 

In the Santa Clarita Valley, the 

SCV Veterans Memorial, Inc. and 

Eternal Valley Memorial Park 

will present SCV's annual Memorial 

Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. 

Monday, May 30 at Eternal Valley 

Memorial Park Mortuary. 

This year's event will remember 

Vietnam and will also honor late 

longtime SCV volunteer Duane 

Harte. 

There will be a Remembrance 

Room with displays and memorabilia 

for both Vietnam and Harte. 

Among his many volunteer activities, Harte was president of the SCV Veterans Memorial 

Committee, SCV Historical Society, SCV Chamber of Commerce, SCV Committee on Aging, 

and the Newhall Redevelopment Committee. He was named SCV Man of the Year in 2003. 

Dressed in his Navy "dress whites" or "dress blues," Harte often served as emcee of the Memorial 

Day Ceremony and other veteran's events. 

Parking is free throughout the cemetery at Eternal Valley and shuttles will transport guests 

to the ceremony. Seating is available (but wear a hat and sunscreen). 

Eternal Valley Memorial Park Mortuary, 23287 Sierra Highway, Newhall CA 91321. For more 

information call 661-259-0800. 

After the Ceremony 

After the Memorial Day Ceremony, it is time to enjoy a day off from the grind with a Memorial 

Day barbecue. 

The star of any Memorial Day barbecue is always the meat. My husband makes the best 

smoked BBQ pork ribs I've ever tasted. It is important to start early in the day on this recipe 

and cook 'em low and slow! If you don't have a smoker setup for your barbecue, you can always 

improvise by turning your gas or charcoal barbecue into a temporary smoker. There 

are dozens of YouTube videos and websites showing you exactly how to do this, and it is extremely 

easy. I like using hickory wood chips. 

BBQ Pork Ribs 

Ingredients: 

3 pounds baby back pork ribs 

Your favorite spice rub 

1/2 gallon of apple juice 

Hickory wood chips 

Your favorite barbecue sauce 

Let the ribs reach room temperature, rinse off in cold water and remove the silver membrane 

from the back. To remove the membrane, lay the ribs on a flat surface meat side down. Take 

a sharp knife and begin peeling the membrane from one corner near the bone, pull off membrane. 

Rinse again. 

Rub front and back of ribs with your favorite spice rub. There are dozens of recipes online,


The holiday originated as Decoration Day after the Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army of the 

Republic, an organization of Union veterans founded in Illinois, established it as a time for the 

nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. 

so pick the ingredients that work for you. Some like it spicy, some sweet and some like a 

heavy dose of garlic. 

After you rub the ribs and have your smoker set up, place the ribs on the grill. Get a low, 

shallow metal pan and fill with about 1/2 gallon of apple juice. Place the pan on the grill. The 

steam will keep your ribs moist and the apple juice steam also adds flavor to the ribs. 

Bring your grill to about 225 degrees, close the lid and let it smoke for about three to four 

hours. Check for doneness by pulling on a bone and seeing how loose it feels. When done, 

slather on some barbecue sauce and cook for another 15 minutes. Depending on your cut 

of meat, it might take as long as four hours to get a perfectly cooked rack of ribs. Embrace 

low and slow, don't get impatient! This meat will be the star of your barbecue. 

My best friend from high school taught me how to make a wonderful creamy coleslaw. I use 

Splenda to create a sugar-free version of this summertime classic. The measurements for 

dressing are estimates, I usually taste, then add more of this and that until I get the taste I 

desire. I serve the dressing on the side so everyone can have as much, or as little dressing 

as they like. I usually have dressing left over. This recipe feeds at least a dozen or more, so 

feel free to cut it down to "family-size" if you wish. 

Chris Dougherty's Creamy Coleslaw 

Ingredients: 

1 large cabbage, shredded 

1 8 oz. bag of shredded carrots 

Sometimes, when I'm feeling ambitious, I will add 

diced apples and/or shredded canned pineapple to 

taste, but those ingredients aren't necessary. 

Dressing: 

1 cup mayonnaise 

1 cup sour cream 

1 tablespoon vinegar 

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

1 tablespoon sugar (or Splenda) 

1 teaspoon celery seed 

1 teaspoon Morton's Nature Seasoning 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Mix together. 

This last recipe is one of those nostalgic recipes that 

most of us remember. I remember my aunt making this tasty treat, but I had never made it 

myself until last summer. It is the perfect cool dessert for kicking off summer fun. 

Strawberry Pretzel Salad 

Ingredients: 

Strawberry pretzel salad is a cool 

Memorial Day dessert. 

Creamy coleslaw is perfect for a 

Memorial Day barbecue. 

2 2/3 cups crushed pretzels 

3/4 cups melted butter or margarine 

12 oz. cream cheese 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

1 large package frozen strawberries 

About 1/2 of a large container frozen nondairy topping, 

thawed 

1 large package strawberry gelatin 

2 cups pineapple juice, heated 

Combine cream cheese and sugar; set aside. Mix 

pretzels and margarine and press into 9x13 dish. 

Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Cool. Spread cream 

cheese mixture over pretzels. Spread the frozen 

nondairy topping over cream cheese. Chill about 

30 minutes. Dissolve strawberry gelatin in hot 

pineapple juice. Add frozen strawberries; chill until 

partially set. Carefully pour over all; refrigerate several hours. 

The biggest tip I can give you about making this dessert is to make sure you seal the edges 

of your cream cheese layer well. Make sure the cream cheese is tight against the edges of 

your pan, otherwise when you pour the strawberry gelatin layer it will seep down between 

the layers and make a goopy mess. 

More BBQ Favorites 

You can also just grill up a few steaks, hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken drumsticks or kebabs 

for your Memorial Day Celebration. Grilled corn on the cob and grilled veggies are great 

side dishes. 

Make sure everyone is wearing sunscreen and stays hydrated if it turns out to be a hot 

weekend. 

More Weekend Fun 

There are many activities that can be enjoyed during the long three day Memorial weekend including 

a visit to the beach, a drive to the mountains or any of the festivals and attractions below: 

Memorial Day The annual Memorial Day Celebration will remember the late Duane 

Harte who often emceed veteran's events in the Santa Clarita Valley. 

The 43rd Annual Topanga Days Country Fair. A new-age hippy hillbilly jamboree including 

multiple stages of entertainment, fine arts and crafts fair, and healing. Gates open at 10 a.m. 

and close at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. General Admission: $25 per day. Military 

free on Monday. Children 6-12 and seniors, 65+, $15 per day. Music, food, crafts, kids activities 

and 8:30 a.m. Memorial Day Parade on Monday. 1440 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 

90290. 310-455-1980. info@topangacommunityclub.com. Visit topangadays.com for more 

information. 

Memorial Day is Monday, May 30. 

Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music 

Festival. A full schedule of 

Cajun, Zydeco Blues and Roots 

music interspersed with dance 

lessons, demonstrations, kids 

area, dog team demonstrations. 

Held Memorial Day Weekend, 

Saturday and Sunday at 

Rancho Santa Susana Community 

Park, 5005 Los Angeles 

Ave., Simi Valley, CA 93063. 

Info: http://simicajun.org. 

The 43rd annual St. Nicholas 

Valley Greek Festival. Live 

Greek music, social dancing 

and costumed youth performances, 

Greek imports and 

other vendors, church tours 

and tons of amazing Greek 

food. Memorial Day Weekend, 

USS Iowa Military Appreciation 

Day. In addition to active military 

members and veterans getting in 

free, there will be carnival games, 

food trucks and live entertainment. 

Memorial Day Monday, 10 

a.m. - noon, USS Iowa, 250 S. Harbor 

Blvd. , San Pedro, CA 90731 . 

Cost: Free for military and veterans. 

Regular $19.95 adults, $16.95 

Seniors 62+, $11.95 youth 6-11. $2 

off online. Discount tickets 

Adult/Youth $11, Seniors $7 are 

available at www.AM870.info . For 

more information, visit www.pacificbattleship.com. 

Your barbecue can include grilled 

veggies, corn, steaks, kabobs and 

other great grilled food. 

Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 1-9 p.m. 9501 Balboa Blvd., Northridge, CA 91325. Admission: 

$3. Info: www.valleygreekfestival.com, 818-886-4040.



Teacher Tribute 


such teacher recognized was Katie Labrador 

from Mountainview Elementary. 

Labrador, who has been teaching since 

2004, said she was surprised and humbled by 

the recognition. 

“With all the amazing and hard-working 

teachers at Mountainview, I didn’t expect to 

receive this honor,” Labrador said. “Furthermore, 

since the award is based on the voting 

of my colleagues, it made me feel even more 

honored. The teachers and staff at Mountainview 

feel like a big family and to earn their respect 

as a teacher is very meaningful.” 

Labrador, who currently teaches a combination 

class of 5th and 6th graders, has not 

only gained the respect of her colleagues, but 

also her students. 

Marisa Momary, a 6th grader at Mountainview, 

was in Labrador’s class last year and 

said having her as a teacher was “awesome.” 

“I loved Mrs. Labrador because she was 

nice and always made subjects and concepts 

I didn’t understand easier, fun and cool,” Momary 

said. “She wasn’t just our teacher. I think 

she was more of a friend.” 

And that’s the kind of impact Labrador said 

is the reason why she loves her job. 

“Seeing students grow educationally, gain 

self-confidence, and attain goals is why we all 

get into the profession,” Labrador said. 

“THOSE are the awards that keep us working.” 

R 

For more information about the foundation, 

visit www.scveducationfoundation.org 

Drug Free Youth 



tics are not the only criteria for a successful 

program. It also includes the number of students 

who pledge to be drug-free. 

“The program’s success is also based on 

DFYIT activities and efforts that have a larger 

impact on campuses, such as creating a drugfree 

culture and making healthy choices,” said 

Kasey Norton, communications specialist for 

the city of Santa Clarita. “The program continues 

to see a rise in membership. As that 

number grows and our partners continue 

their efforts as well, we hope to see a further 

decline in juvenile drug arrests.” 

Currently the program, which the city 

launched in partnership with the Sheriff’s 

Department, 5th Supervisorial District and 

William S. Hart Union High School District, 

has more than 2,600 students enrolled. It has 

clubs in 15 public junior high and high 

schools throughout the SCV. 

Activities include “lifeline assemblies,” 

which are offered to every 6th-grade student 

prior to entering junior high, as well as parent 

education workshops and resource fairs. 

The program is a club run by students, for 

students and they are involved in almost 

every aspect. 

One such student is Domenica Lyznick, a 

7th grader at Arroyo Seco Junior High School. 

She said being involved in DFYIT is something 

she will never forget. 

“This program is great,” Lyznick said. “It 

really is a life-changing experience.” R 

For more information on DFYIT, contact Janine 

Prado in the city’s Community Services Division 

at (661) 250-3716. You may also visit 

www.dfyitscv.com



Van Hook 

Moffatt 



the next four to 10 years, in space that was 

built four and a half decades ago. We have a 

lot of great new spaces, but we have a lot of 

antiquey spaces as well that could use more 

than a facelift.” 

Responsibility of Vision 

“I think my responsibility is to imagine 

what the people who work here and are associated 

with the college can do to better 

meet the needs of the community,” Van Hook 

said. “I was hired to have a vision what the 

college would be like down the road. I was 

hired to put planning processes in place. I 

was hired to get money . . . to make those programs 

happen. I was hired to build partnerships 

and relate to other entities. And I was 

hired to build a really strong team of professionals 

that could take this college to places 

that would otherwise not be possible, to the 

benefit of the students that we serve. That 

was my job then and that is my job today.” 

“Up until about 1998 we only generated 

about a half million dollars a year in grants. 

Last year we generated about $10 million in 

grants and this year we are on our way to $20 

million,” she said. 

“I think we have achieved expectations and 

gone beyond what most people think a community 

college can do. That’s because of the 

capable people that we have here that work 

together in amazing ways to turn dreams into 

reality.” 

Esteem 

Van Hook’s benefit to COC and the SCV, and 

her work ethic, were lauded by prominent 

colleagues from the College of the Canyons 

Board of Trustees. Bruce Fortine, the current 

board president, said, “Dianne Van Hook is, 

without question, the finest college chancellor 

in the State of California in terms of making 

things better for students. Of course, that 

applies to faculty, staff and community as 

well! Sixteen hour days are commonplace for 

Dianne when she is working to make the college 

better.” 

Board member Michele Jenkins, who was 

the board president when Van Hook was 

hired in 1988, and is the only member of that 

board who has served continuously for 31 

and a half years, felt likewise. “Dr. Van Hook 

has been the very best chancellor in California 

since she began. Her vision and courage 

to take judicious risk, as well as her stable 

leadership, have led the college to be the innovative, 

community-involved institution it 

is today.” And she added, “I often say that my 

influence/choice of Dianne Van Hook is one 

of the achievements I am most proud of in my 

life.” 

The Best Place there Is 

Van Hook said she was grateful to have 

worked where many, many milestones have 

been achieved, but where there is still so 

much potential. And when asked how long 

she intends to stay in the trenches, she said: 

“I always told myself I’d work as long as I 

liked it, as long as it was enjoyable for me and 

as long as I felt I could add value and make a 

difference . . . I love to work. I work a lot of 

hours every day. I’m a developer of people 

and places and possibilities and partnerships 

and programs and potential . . .Clearly I enjoy 

it. I have no idea what I would do instead.” 

And she added, “When you have had a 

chance to shape and build a place, to work 

with such great people in a great community, 

as I have . . . I don’t think you can find that 

anywhere else . . . College of the Canyons is . . 

. the very best place there is.” R 

ing tax rates for property owners would go a 

long way towards holding local entities accountable. 

Prop 13 was designed to remove 

these shenanigans, but in the last 3 decades 

local entities have worked around prop 13 to 

the detriment of the community. I want to 

end these government end around actions, 

such that if a local entity wants funds, they 

must properly be voted on by a majority of 

the citizens. 


End the Federal excessive reach of power. 

The BLM, has taken private property. FNMA 

and Freddie Mac have been improperly nationalized 

taking away private property. The 

federal Government needs to reverse course, 

and have only the power the Constitution 

provided it; all other power not directly 

vested goes to the States and individuals. In 

short, supporting the 10th Amendment is my 

first goal. 

Presently the U.S. government gives 

money to all but a handful of countries. 

Presently we have found that we have been financially 

supporting both sides of the Syrian 

Conflict, as well as groups in Libya, and Egypt 

that are less than friendly to the U.S. It makes 

sense to no longer bundle grants and packages 

to all the countries together, since aid 

may go for incorrect purposes. I would work 

to remove the way funds are distributed to 

foreign entities. 

Several years back, my father was diagnosed 

with Cancer. He had been self employed 

for years. He found it amazing that his 

medical bills were for the full amount, while 

medical coverage was handed to prisoners, 

without any repayment. It seems to make 

sense to modify medical costs, such that 

those incarcerated are billed for their medical 

services. 

I would move to remove NAFTA, and TPPP. 

These two programs remove jobs from the 

United States. 



Given that I am not paid by the Gas Company, 

you can bet I will not allow the gas company 

to dictated policy for Santa Clarita. My 

competitor cannot say this. 

NewHall water and Santa Clarita water 

have entered into a merger. I have spoken 

about this publicly, especially regarding how 

a large entity often absorbs smaller entities, 

with better debt structures, so the larger entity 

can defray its own costs. Valencia water 

is an example of where a public entity was 

absorbed, and the rates increased by 17% 

overnight. The Courts have said that with the 

absorption of a public entity, by a private entity, 

the price controls normally associated 

with a public entity are not binding. I will 

work to protect the water quality, as well as 

water pricing. 

Cemex has been given a pass from a Federal 

Judge on OSHA not applying nor EPA, because 

of the Mexican ownership of Cemex, 

and the application of NAFTA. I will work to 

remove NAFTA, such that federal and State 

rules apply. If those rules apply, it is likely 

that CEMEX will not move forward.




o u t & a B o u t i n t h e scv 

Jim lentini and lois Bauccio 

named 2016 scv man and 

Woman of the year 

Boys & Girls Club of SCV 

Chief Executive Officer, 

David Z. Menchaca and 

Benefit Auction co-chair 

Ann-Marie Bjorkman 

address guests at the VIP 

Auction Preview held at 

the Sand Canyon home 

of Richard and Marian 

Sandnes. 

It has been a social whirlwind in the SCV 

the last few weeks: Fourth Annual Charity 

Chili Cookoff, 28th Annual Taste of the 

Town, Eighth Annual How the West Was Won 

Trap Shoot, Zonta Club of SCV 32nd Women 

in Service Celebration and Second Annual 

Awards Night and the 2016 SCV Man and 

Woman of the Year banquet. 

Kudos to Lentini and Bauccio 

Jim Lentini, nominated by the Rotary Club 

of Santa Clarita Valley and Lois Bauccio, nominated 

by the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley 

were named the 2016 Santa Clarita Valley 

Man and Woman of the Year at a dinner banquet 

held Friday, May 6. 

A record number of Santa Clarita Valley 

volunteers were nominated for the 2016 SCV 

Man and Woman of the Year honor. In addition 

to Lentini and Bauccio the honorees and 

nominating organizations included: 

Cynthia Beals, Friends of Hart Park and 

Museum; Marianne Cederlind, Carousel 

Ranch; William Cooper, Child & Family Center 

Foundation; Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel, 

Community Hiking Club, Linda Hafizi, Santa 

by Michele E. Buttelman 

Features & Entertainment Editor 

Lois Bauccio and Jim Lentini, 2016 winner of SCV 

Woman and Man of the year are congratulated by 

U.S. Representative Steve Knight. 

Clarita Valley Senior Center; Moe Hafizi, 

Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center; Tom 

Hough, Boy Scouts of America and SCV Youth 

Project; Pam Ingram, Soroptimist International 

of Greater SCV; Taylor Kellstrom, Children’s 

Hospital L.A. and Circle of Hope; 

Dennis Koontz, SCV Fourth of July Parade 

Committee; Jonathan Kraut, Domestic Violence 

Center of SCV; Jessica Lee, SCV Search & 

Rescue; Mitzi Like, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital 

Foundation; Bill Lyons, Boys & Girls 

Club of Santa Clarita Valley; Darleen Lyons, 

Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley; 

Cathy Martin, Santa Clarita Valley Historical 

Society; Ed Masterson, WiSH Education 

Foundation; Laina McFerren, Child & Family 

Center Foundation; Randy Moberg, College of 

the Canyons Foundation; Lorraine Murphy, 

Rotary Club of Santa Clarita Valley; Alan Pollack, 

M.D., Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society; 

Susan Reynolds, Boy Scouts of America 

and Domestic Violence Center of SCV; Deborah 

Rocha, SRD~Straightening Reins; Diana 

Sevanian, American Cancer Society; Nancy 

Starczyk, SCV Youth Project; Linda Storli, SCV 

Fourth of July Parade Committee; Eric Stroh, 

Carousel Ranch; Jeff Wheat, Friends of Hart 

Park and Museum and Doris Marie Zimmer, 

College of the Canyons Foundation. 

Boys & Girls Club 45th Benefit Auction 

Don’t miss the Boys and Girls Club of SCV 

Janet and Apo yessayan man the 

"Diamond Drop" booth at Taste of 

the Town. 

45th annual Benefit Auction. The event will 

be held Saturday, June 4 at the Hyatt Regency 

in Valencia. Highlights of the live auction include 

L.A. Rams VIP training camp passes, a 

Princess Cruises vacation package, Maui vacation, 

jewelry, Coldplay tickets and signed 

guitar. A VIP auction preview event was held 

April 19 at the Sand Canyon home of Richard 

and Marian Sandnes. Auction co-chairs are 

Mike and Ann-Marie Bjorkman. For tickets 

and information visit www.scvbgc.org/benefit-auction. 

Jill Bondy named Carmen Sarro Award 

Jill Bondy was named the winner of the 

Carmen Sarro Community Service Award by 

the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley on April 

9 at the annual Women in Service Celebration 

held at Robinson Ranch. 

Bondy, immediate past president of Circle 

of Hope Inc., was presented the award by 

Christine Sexton, a Zonta member and 

daughter of the late Carmen Sarro. 

The Zonta Club of SCV held its Second Annual 

Awards Night on May 11 at Embassy 

Suites in Valencia. A record total of $21,000 

was presented during the evening. In addition 

to individual scholarships and grants the 

service club presented Community Grants to 

Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc., 

Single Mothers Outreach, American Association 

of University Women and Carousel Therapeutic 

Riding Ranch. 

Fourth Annual Charity Chili Cookoff 

The 4th Annual SCV Chili Cook Off drew a 

sold-out crowd of more than 2,200 Santa 

Clarita Valley chili fans to Wolf Creek Brewery 

in Valencia on April 19 to benefit Single 

Mothers Outreach, the SCV Food Pantry and 

Straightening Reins. The event netted 

$39,700. Event chairwomen Nicole Stinson 

and Phillis Stacy-Brooks presented the 

checks during a special party held at Wolf 

Creek Brewery . 

Taste of the Town 

Who didn't I see at Taste of the Town? Don 

and Cheri Fleming, Steve and Julie Sturgeon, 

Mitzi Like and Randy Moberg, Jennifer Gerard, 

Marshall Hann and Kathy Ayl and hundreds 

of other SCV residents turned out to 

support the Santa Clarita Valley Child & Family 

Center . It was a wonderfully "tasty" day 

with my top food bites awarded to Tamra 

Levine from Salt Creek Grille Catering for her 

amazing Rosemary Goat Cheese Bread Pudding 

with Praline Bacon, Kokolita's with 

bringing so much quality food and so much 

variety and to Rita's Italian Ice, well, because 

I love Rita's! R 

Michele E. Buttelman is the features and entertainment 

editor of the SCV/Westside 

Reader and can be reached at Michele@WestsideReader.com.

Westside Reader June 16

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