Canyon Country Magazine December 2022

Grandma Wins

Sonja Leahy, FNP-C Nurse Practitioner

A Month of Band Competitions

By Rylee Holwager and Trevor Morgan Signal Staff Writesr

November was a month of band competitions for Santa Clarita Valley high schools. It began with Hart High School’s Rampage on Nov. 5, followed by Valencia High School’s RAGNARÖK on Nov. 11 and ended with the 2022 Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association Championship.

More than 6,000 people attended Rampage, which was hosted by Hart High School at College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium.

All of the local high schools attended, with the exception of Saugus which had a previous engagement.

RAGNARÖK

RAGNARÖK is the battle of the bands competition that bands and colorguards come to as a chance to compete for a qualifying spot at championships. The theme and name are “a tip of the hat” to the Norse mythology’s Ragnarök (the end of the world) as well as to Valencia’s mascot the Vikings.

The Canyon High marching band walks to the competition area prior to its performance at Rampage. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

BAND

A Month of Band Competitions

By Rylee Holwager and Trevor Morgan Signal Staff Writesr

November was a month of band competitions for Santa Clarita Valley high schools. It began with Hart High School’s Rampage on Nov. 5, followed by Valencia High School’s RAGNARÖK on Nov. 11 and ended with the 2022 Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association Championship.

More than 6,000 people attended Rampage, which was hosted by Hart High School at College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium.

All of the local high schools attended, with the exception of Saugus which had a previous engagement.

RAGNARÖK

RAGNARÖK is the battle of the bands competition that bands and colorguards come to as a chance to compete for a qualifying spot at championships. The theme and name are “a tip of the hat” to the Norse mythology’s Ragnarök (the end of the world) as well as to Valencia’s mascot the Vikings.

The Canyon High marching band walks to the competition area prior to its performance at Rampage. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

BAND

Graham Named ‘Grandma’s Grand Holiday’ Champion

By Rylee Holwager Signal Staff Writer

After an appetizer, entrée and a dessert, local home chef Merry Graham took home the title of “Chopped” champion for the show’s “Grandma’s Grand Holiday” episode.

“Grandmas are the heart of the holidays,” said Graham on “Chopped.”

In Graham’s episode of “Chopped,” she competed against three other grandmas, all trying to win the $10,000 prize.

“Every one of these grandmas want to win,” said Graham on the show.

The first round was the appetizer dish and the competitors’ baskets featured cupcakes, glazed ham, pomelos and potato latkes.

Pulling out the glazed ham and pomelos had Graham’s mind going toward a Canadian bacon pineapple pizza direction, so she stuck with that.

Graham’s island pizza appetizer was met with minimal critiques and she secured her way into the second round.

The entrée basket contained a fruit cake, beef tenderloin, beets and egg nog.

Unlike her fellow competitors, Graham was the only one who decided to actually cook the beets and not just use the greens.

She knew that beets take a very long time to cook, but instead of falling under the pressure, she said, “I’m gonna stay merry.”

She showed her expertise and cooked the beets in the microwave, a move that impressed judges Amanda Freitag, Marc Murphy and Justin Sutherland.

Her final dish was a beef tenderloin topped with a blue cheese, pecan crumble, sauteed beets and accompanied by eggnog mushrooms.

Her hands were clenched tight with the hands of her competitors as they all awaited to see who would make it to the final round. Once again, she had made it to the next round.

The dessert basket had inside marshmallows, spritz cookies, cranberries and creamed honey.

Graham’s idea came quickly as she channeled fond memories with the ones that give her the title of “grandma” — her grandkids.

“The whole concept was very creative and it was very much my heart,” said Graham. “With my grandkids, during the summer, we have our annual camping trip, but now we are transferring it to Christmas.”

As Graham proceeded to make her Christmas cranberry s’more, the pressure of the win being so close appeared to be getting to her.

Her marshmallows were getting “too toasty” and her cookie wasn’t cooking properly.

“This is definitely the most concerned I’ve seen either one of them all day,” said Sutherland.

Graham pulled herself and her dish together. It was now time to let the judges decide.

Host Ted Allen lifted up the lid and revealed Graham’s dish was not on the chopping block. Her jaw dropped.

“I can’t believe I just won ‘Chopped’!” exclaimed Graham.

Graham sees her win as an opportunity to inspire her grandkids.

“I want to leave a legacy for my grandkids that they can do anything they want,” said Graham.

What Graham describes as her “ultimate goal” is to build an outdoor kitchen at her home and teach

other kids how to cook, and be their grandma because everyone needs Grandma.

“I personally think every child in the Santa Clarita community needs a grandma image,” said Graham. “They need Gamma’s (what her grandkids refer to her as) love and they need support and encouragement.

“I come to life when I’m around young kids.”

She hopes that with this outdoor kitchen, she can help future generations keep the tradition of cooking going. 

PHOTO COURTESY FOOD NETWORK

Canyon Soccer Downs Golden Valley, 5-1

By Justin Vigil-Zuniga Signal Sports Writer

Canyon boys’ soccer (2-0, 2-0) won its home league opener, 5-1, over Golden Valley (4-4-1, 1-2) on Thursday, Dec. 8.

The Cowboys were led again by senior Marlon Tadeo, who knocked in two goals for the

second straight game to start his varsity career.

Canyon has only played in two games this season to the Grizzlies’ nine matches, but the Cowboys are off to a great start with two five-goal outings already.

Golden Valley nearly struck first, with a quick shot on target from Chris Hernandez. Canyon keeper Roman Johnson made a quick stop and launched the ball back downfield to set up his team’s first score.

It only took a minute but Tadeo found the back of the net on the quick Canyon counter.

The Cowboys turned up the heat after every goal and showed relentless pressure. The Grizzlies were possessing the ball and still got shots on target. However, quick counters and saves from Johnson led to the overwhelming Canyon pressure.

Midfielder Gonzalo Carrera would find forward Marcus Toney for the second goal at the 12-minute mark. Toney has been one of the faster strikers in the Foothill League and has blown by backlines to set up big plays for the Cowboys.

“We’re feeling good but we can’t be too happy,” said Toney. “We still have strong competitors [to face] in the end.”

Jacob Bertran found the back of the net off a deflection in the box just before the halftime break to go up 3-0.

“We took it to them immediately and we got that early goal,” said Canyon Head Coach Robert Be-

Canyon’s Marlon Tadeo (22) controls the ball in the first half of the match.

navidez. “Then we just kept the momentum going and I think we frustrated them from what they wanted to do from an attacking standpoint.

Johnson had to make a quick exit toward the end of the half after overextending on a play and fouling Golden Valley’s Pedro Roldan.

Defender Joshua Arrellanes was forced to swap positions briefly and was sent in between the posts to stop a Grizzly free kick.

Arrellanes came through, saving Roldan’s shot, and made the quick swap back into the midfield.

Canyon maintained its momentum throughout the second half. The team’s pressure kept the ball in play on the Grizzlies’ side of the field and would inevitably lead to more scores.

Toney notched his fifth assist of the year with a pass to Tadeo, who knocked in his second of the day.

League Schedule

Dec. 15 Valencia 5 p.m.

Dec. 27 @ Hart 3:15 p.m.

Jan. 10 Saugus 5 p.m.

Jan. 12 West Ranch 5 p.m.

Jan. 19 @ Golden Valley 3:15 p.m.

Jan. 1/24 @ Valencia 5 p.m.

Jan. 1/31 Hart 5 p.m.

Feb/2 @ Saugus 3:15 p.m.

Canyon captain Aaron Ramos (3) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal in the second half of the match against Golden Valley. PHOTOS BY CHRIS TORRES / THE SIGNAL

Come the holiday season, perhaps no tradition evokes the warm and fuzzy “feels” more than a family outing to pick a Christmas tree. Whether it’s a trek to a live Christmas tree farm or a short drive to the nearest pre-cut tree lot, the process of selecting a tree that will serve as the crown jewel of the entire season is a great way to make lasting memories.

Christmas tree selection is as individual as the person, or family, making the selection. Many factors go into making a selection of the perfect Christmas tree — price, space, lifestyle and aesthetics.

Selecting a tree is a yearly ritual and each person has his or her set of criteria for what makes the ideal Christmas tree. These tips can help families find the right tree.

Choose your species

Do some homework on the type of tree you want prior to buying the tree. Balsam fir and Fraser fir

are popular Christmas tree varieties, but there are many others, such as noble fir and Norway spruce. Balsams are known for having the most fragrant smell, but Frasers tend to keep their needles the longest.

For those who prefer a Douglas fir, keep in mind that they sometimes drop their needles prematurely due to foliar diseases like needle-cast fungus.

For a primer on different types of Christmas trees, visit realchristmastrees.org/dnn/Education/ Tree-Varieties.

Space for ornaments

In addition to aroma and needle longevity, look for trees that have a desirable shape and allow for adequate space between branches, advises the home and garden resource The Spruce.

Trees groomed to be lush and full will look beautiful unadorned, but once ornaments are added, full branches may cause those ornaments to hang low or even fall off. Trees with sparse branches al-

Canyon Wins League Opener 64 - 17

By Justin Vigil-Zuniga Signal Sports Writer

Canyon girls’ basketball (4-0, 1-0) ran wild in its league-opener 64-17 win against the hosting West Ranch Wildcats (1-3, 0-1) on Nov. 29 at West Ranch.

The Cowboys were led by reigning Foothill League Player of the Year Aaliyah Garcia. The point guard poured in 22 points while adding six steals and a block on defense.

Canyon jumped to a big lead and started both opening quarters with 8-0 runs. The Wildcats struggled to break through the full-court press and handed Canyon layup after layup under the basket.

The Cowboys were still able to run a half-court offense frequently and moved the ball well in their fourth straight win.

The team’s start “feels good,” said Garcia. “I think we just have to keep the momentum going and keep playing hard every game.”

The ball movement helped the team outscore West Ranch 29-6 in the second quarter, going into the halftime break up 44-9.

“Defense is my forte. It’s something that I pride myself on,” said Canyon head coach Jessica Haayer. “It’s something we work on every day. Our press was nice, a lot of easy looks came out of it. They just do well, they play physical, they play hard and aggressive.”

West Ranch Wildcats guard Alanna Topete (24) contests a jump shot from Canyon Cowboys guard Aaliyah Garcia (2).

Canyon Cowboys guard Jade Sims (11) pulls up for a jump shot. PHOTOS BY CHRIS TORRES/THE SIGNAL

CANYON GIRLS

The Wildcats were forcing plenty of Canyon tough passes early with a full-court press of their own. West Ranch dialed it back in the second quarter, when the Cowboys did their most damage at the rim.

Canyon junior Josie Regez matched the Cats’ points with 17 of her own along with five rebounds and two steals. Senior guard Jade Sims finished with 14 points, four boards and five steals.

The matchup was the first of likely many between Haayer and her former player Daisy Cardenas.

“[My former players] are my kids,” said Haayer. “They come and play often with us at Canyon and we regularly talked about this game happening months ago. They’re my girls and it’s always fun. It’s fun seeing them in action, seeing them do what they love. I’m sure I’ll see them again down the road somewhere but I’m proud of them.”

Cardenas is readying her team for a marathon of a season, but with a handful of veteran players the Wildcat season is in good hands.

“What I’ve liked so far about the team is they’re willing to work,” said Cardenas. “It’s just a matter of continuing the work process. At practice, they are open to learning new things, and they’re very open minded, but it’s just getting it to translate into the game. So they’re very open minded. They’re very eager to learn.”

Senior point guard Alana Topete battled through-

out the game and led the Cats with six points.

The night still belonged to her opposite, Garcia, who has already sparked her campaign to repeat as Player of the Year with a bang.

“It’s a work in progress,” said Cardenas. “Everything is a learning opportunity for me and the girls. For me, it’s a lot of execution. What we work on in practice needs to be executed in games. But other than that, everything’s going fine. In practice, we compete with each other. But are we competing enough to help us win games or are we just competing enough to get us through practice?” 

Schedule

Jan. 3 Castaic 5 p.m.

Jan. 6 Hart 5 p.m.

Jan. 10 at Saugus 5 p.m.

Jan. 13 West Ranch 5 p.m.

Jan. 20 at Golden Valley 5 p.m.

Jan. 24 at Valencia 5 p.m.

Jan. 27 at Castaic 5 p.m.

Jan. 31 Hart 5 p.m.

Feb. 3 Saugus 4:45 p.m.

West Ranch Wildcats guard Aubrey Molina and Alissa Saradin dive for the ball with Canyon Cowboys guard Josie Regez..

low for ornaments to hang straight.

Measure your space

Trees in the field or in a lot may look much smaller than they do when brought into the living room. Don’t make the mistake of selecting a tree that is too large for your home.

The agricultural firm Ragan & Masey says to measure the room from floor to ceiling and subtract the height of the tree stand and tree topper. It’s equally important to measure the width of the area where the tree will stand and allow for ample space for foot traffic around the tree.

Perform a needle check

Every tree will drop some needles, and most evergreens hold their foliage. Modest needle loss is not an indicator of a poor tree. However, Decker’s Nursery in Greenlawn, New York, says if 50% of the needles are lost when you swipe your hand down three to five different branches around the tree, the tree likely is not a good choice. In addition, avoid a tree that has glaring defects in the trunk as it can impede water flow through the tree.

Heavier is better

A heavy pre-cut tree means it is full of water and has been cut more recently. A healthy, fresh tree is

going to require an effort to lift. Older, dried out trees will not be heavy.

Upon arriving home, make a fresh cut off the tree trunk and get it in water as soon as possible — even if that’s a bucket until the tree stand can be set up.

Where to buy your tree

There are several choices for Santa Clarita Valley families to purchase trees.

The holidays are a busy time for many families. However, the Christmas tree may be your most important holiday purchase. Take time to make Christmas tree selection a family affair.

Bennett’s Best Christmas Trees 27000 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus Info bennettsbest.net; (661) 481-1569

24910 Valencia Blvd., Valencia Info (661) 481-6960

Doug Bennett has been in the Christmas tree industry since he was 15, when he began working on local lots. He turned his passion into a business in 1997 when he and his wife opened up four pumpkin and Christmas tree lots.

Freshness is important to the Bennetts and they do everything possible to make sure that their trees are as fresh as possible. They do this by purchasing from small farmers who harvest their trees as close to the shipping date as possible, according to Bennett’s.

Frosty’s Forest Christmas Tree Farm 25235 Orchard Village Road, Valencia Info greennurseryscv.com/cut-your-own-christmas-tree; (661) 259-6450

Frosty’s Forest Christmas Tree Farm is one of the last cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in Southern California. Take your family and roam through a four-acre forest to find and cut your own perfect tree. Frosty’s also sells a variety of containerized living Christmas trees such as Blue Spruce, Monterey Pine, Cedar Deodar and Eldarica Pine. Pre-cut Noble and Nordmann firs are also available. Enjoy Christmas holiday music, free hot chocolate on cold nights, giant inflatables and Christmas decorations throughout the farm, and free candy cane treats.

Green Thumb Nursery 23734 Newhall Ave., Santa Clarita Info greenthumb.com

Green Thumb is a family-owned local lot that prides itself on being a “full-service operation.”

The company has been helping Santa Clarita Valley families find a tree for nearly 50 years, and in addition to a wealth of experience, the lot offers Douglas, Noble and Nordmann firs, which come fresh from the Pacific Northwest.

Green Thumb will offer help picking the tree, taking it down, “netting” the tree to make it easier to transport and then loading it on top of the family station wagon. (MC) 

“We felt that the dramatic name was fitting for a battle of the bands competition,” said Kevin Flores, director of instrumental music at Valencia.

Finally getting the programs to be able to perform their pieces at Valencia was a nine-monthlong process, taking hundreds of collective hours and the work of many Valencia community members.

This competition plays its role as such, but also serves as a fundraiser for Valencia’s program to keep it alive and thriving. All proceeds from RAGNARÖK went toward the Valencia High School Band and Color Guard program.

Valencia High School was unable to compete under one of the four divisions due to the school hosting the competition, but the Vikings still performed their 2022 piece, “The Raven.”

“The Raven” was based off of the poem, with the same name, by Edgar Allan Poe.

“The audience is taken into the narrator’s chamber as we follow his mental state while he longs for his lost love, Lenore,” said Jeff Hagkull, communication director for Pride of the Vikings.

Every detail of the poem was taken into consideration, from the color representation of the flags to the music changes.

“The dissonance of the ending of our third movement resonates with me the most regarding the madness we feel as we live through the inability to forget a lost loved one,” said Adani Ahmad, drum major for Valencia. “However, performing our show taught me to not lose myself as he did during the progress.”

The local high schools that competed in the competition were: Castaic High School Marching Band and Colorguard, Golden Valley High School Marching Band, Canyon High School Gold Star Brigade, Saugus Marching Centurions and West Ranch Wildcat Marching Band. A total

of 15 bands competed.

Castaic High School placed first in Division 1A. In division 2A, Golden Valley placed second and Canyon placed fourth. Saugus placed first in Division 4A. West Ranch won first place in division 5A and took home the sweepstakes with their field show, “Reflections.”

The band took sweepstakes in music performance, music effect, visual effect, visual performance, color guard and overall band.

“This weekend was a huge achievement for our program,” said Kevin Alterman, band teacher of Golden Valley. “We’ve been working hard since August to get our show up to a competitive level and this weekend was our last shot to score high enough to qualify for championships.”

Golden Valley achieved its goal and qualified for championships, where they placed 4th in Division 2A. 

made it 5-0 for Canyon.

Benavidez knows, in a tough Foothill League, you’ll only get so many opportunities to capitalize on. He couldn’t be prouder of how his entire team has started with so many contributors.

“The beauty is, so far, everyone’s contributed from the first player to the 21st player,” said Benavidez.

“Everyone has contributed one way or another, whether it’s been in our two matches or when it’s been in training sessions to help our team improve as indi-

vidual players. As a unit, that’s what you need.”

It’s easy to get dejected with such a large deficit but Golden Valley never quit.

Forward Chris Hernandez sent a nearly perfect cross into play in front of the net. Junior Alex Risdon was just inches away from heading in the Grizzlies’ first score, but Johnson extended enough to catch the ball and end the attack.

Hernandez would get on the board eventually with a free-kick goal for the Grizzlies’ only goal of the night.

Golden Valley has talented players all over the field but just had one of those days where the goal seems to have a lid. The Grizzlies are still in solid shape to make a run this season but now drop to 0-4 when they score one or fewer goals.

Marlon Tadeo (22) pushes the ball upfield in the first half of the game.

Generation of Journalists at Golden Valley

By Rylee Holwager Signal Staff Writer

Abigail Maimone completed her very first year of teaching at Golden Valley High School before she saw a crucial part missing to the high school’s campus — a student-run newspaper.

Maimone, a graduate of the University of Delaware, came to Santa Clarita last year to teach English at Golden Valley High School, her first year of teaching.

“I just truly could not have asked for a better school to just get my footing for learning how to be a teacher,” said Maimone.

Before the year ended, Golden Valley Principal Sal Frias had expressed that he wanted to launch a student newspaper at the high school. Maimone jumped on the chance and was named the teacher and advisor for The Grizzly Gazette, despite having no prior journalism experience.

“It’s been a learning curve for me alongside the kids,” said Maimone. She worked the entire 2022 summer creating the curriculum for the class. She sought help from her roommate, who is a journalist, to ensure she was going to teach all the fundamentals of journalism so the students could operate as a newsroom.

The class is available as an elective for juniors, and for seniors it can be counted for their English credit.

The Grizzly Gazette debuted in the 2022 school year, in August. It is broken down into four news teams: campus, community, sports and media arts and culture. There are two managing editors for each news team. One junior and one senior are chosen to be the editors-in-chief.

“I enjoy being part of the team because it feels like a family,” said staff writer Arthur Betancourt. “Everyone is focused and set on what they want to do. It’s refreshing to learn in a setting (that) has set clear goals.”

Although Maimone is the advisor for the class, she has always wanted to

work with the students to make The Grizzly Gazette into what they want it to be.

“I think that has also gotten them so excited about it, to be able to build something, from scratch, that’ll hopefully last for years to come,” said Maimone.

The students are given the opportunity to write about what they choose, as long as it is approved by their editors and Maimone.

“All you need is confidence and something interesting to you and there you have the perfect story,” said staff writer Haylie Adame.

The Grizzly Gazette has covered topics including student athletes, Apple, workshops for FAFSA, Broadway’s longest running show coming to an end and school spirit on campus.

Maimone hopes that what she is teaching conveys the importance of journalism and why these stories matter.

“I think it’s important that they see a purpose and a passion in being involved in their community, and knowing what’s going on and making their voices heard, but also finding the voices that aren’t heard and being able to shine a light on that,” said Maimone. “It matters to me that they are stubborn about the things that matter and that they are open minded, that they go out into the world and, be good people.”

Her students’ testimonies say she did just that.

“Student journalists have a strong voice in their communities and what they say can both inform and even make change in the country as a whole,” said staff writer Genesis Perez.

“I feel that I have gained a lot of people skills more than anything throughout my time as a journalist student this year,” said Isela Fisk, managing editor for student submissions. “As someone who struggles with social anxiety and just a general fear of communication and confrontation, I feel that journalism has sort

of forced me to be more outgoing and approachable in the sense that I am gathering intel and setting up interviews with people that I normally wouldn’t talk to.”

“For my up-and-coming articles, I’ve gotten to talk to some entrepreneurs, indie filmmakers, community leaders, law enforcement and hurricane survivors all in the span of the last month and a half,” Fisk added. “Normally this would be a very difficult thing for me to take on, as I am normally very reserved socially, but I feel that it is easier for me to connect

with people on this professional level as I am inspired by the idea that I am talking to these people in order to write an article and writing is something I’m passionate about.”

Maimone has provided her students with all of the foundational skills of being a journalist, and now they stay true to their title as a student-run newsroom.

“I ask and expect a lot of them, I hold them to very high standards, but they meet them and they exceed them all the time,” said Maimone.

Grizzly Gazette staff writers Diego Rosas, Giovanni Becerril and Haylie Adame, discuss a news story. PHOTO BY CHRIS TORRES / THE SIGNAL

CALENDAR

Canyon Country Community Center

Monday

January 2023 February 2023

FARMERS MARKET

OPEN GYM AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER

Open gym activities are available to people of all skill levels. GYM FEES Junior (12-17) Adult Senior Day Use FREE $3 $2 15-Visit Pass $34 $12 CCCC Holiday

After-School Program 2022-2023 — Session 2 January - June 2023 Ages: 5-12 Monday-Friday 2:30 - 6 p.m. This program is for youth ages 5-12. It includes Homework assistance, enrichment activities, arts and crafts, games, and more!

Teen Program 2022 - 23 August 2022 - June 2023 Ages 13 - 17 Monday - Friday 3 - 6 p.m. Visit santa-clarita.com/seasons. Click on the “Browse Activities and Register” icon to view and sign up for various programs and offerings at the Canyon Country Community Center and throughout the City.

Club 50 CCCC Senior Programming Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays 9:30 - 11 a.m. Mahjong is Mondays 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This structured program offers mature adults with new experiences and opportunities that support social interaction, arts and culture, physical fitness and more. Includes Bingo, Pokeno, Walking Club, Makers Club and Mahjong.

CANYON COUNTRY LIBRARY PROGRAMS

December 18

1 p.m. Gaming Meetup (Adults 18+)

December 23-26 CLOSED

December 28

1 p.m. Connections Art Exhibit & Reception December 30 CLOSED AT 1 PM December 3-JANUARY 2 CLOSED

January 5

6:30 p.m. Club de Mujeres Latinas en Literatura

January 11

4:30 p.m. New Year, New You (Adults, Seniors)

January 13

4 p.m Teen Crafts & Stuff. Cookie Decorating Contest

January 14

10 a.m. Sit and Stitch

January 15

1 p.m. Gaming Meetup (Adults 18+)

January 25

4:30 p.m. Glass Stein Etching

Canyon Country Community Center

18410 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita 91350 (661) 290-2266 | santa-clarita.com/CCCC

January 10

3:30 p.m. Winter Fest. A Frozen-themed party (Family, School Age)

January 28

10 a.m. Sit and Stitch