CELEBRATE CUBA! PAGE 8
Canyon Country Native Premiered First FeatureLength Film in Beverly Hills
By Michael Picarella Signal Staff Writer
Upon finishing college in May 2020, Steven Nassif entered the job market just as the world was shutting down due to the COVID-19 outbreak. And so, with the goal of breaking into the entertainment business and with the unexpected free time he had on his hands, the young go-getter set out to make his first feature-length film.
“Homecoming,” which Nassif independently financed and made over the past four years, premiered July 20 at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills. The movie, Nassif said, is a coming-of-age narrative about the unexpected perils of growing up in an idyllic suburb like Santa Clarita.
“I have this theory that, like, you don’t really come of age when you leave,” Nassif told The Signal during a telephone interview. “You do it when you come back, when you’re able to compare how things used to be, and you notice the passage of time. You notice how things have kind of gone on without you there.”
Twenty-five-year-old Nassif grew up in Canyon
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Young filmmaker Steven Nassif’s debut film “Homecoming” focuses on life in the suburbs. PHOTO BY KATHERINE QUEZADA / THE SIGNAL See NASSIF, page 6
NASSIF
Continued from page 5
Country, but he moved to Los Angeles to study film at Loyola Marymount University. He’d come home for summers and, following graduation from LMU, he’d come home to live during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
But that wasn’t his original plan. He’d hoped to jump right into the business through a connection of his at Freeform, the cable channel owned by ABC Family Worldwide.
“It was a friend in high school whose parents were trying to help me out,” Nassif said. “They worked for Freeform, so they were trying to get me an internship there. I applied during the summer between junior and senior year, and I narrowly missed it. But there was that ‘come back next year’ kind of thing. That would’ve been 40 hours a week — full time. I would’ve been thrown right into it.”
Instead, Nassif came back to the Santa Clarita Valley, to a place that didn’t quite feel like home anymore. His family was still here, but the place was no doubt foreign to him, he said. Nassif had similar feelings the first summer he came home after beginning college. He felt like he didn’t belong anymore, like he was a different person. He wrote about it, “it” being the subject of his movie “Homecoming.”
“Homecoming” takes place over the course of 24 hours and tells the story of first-year college student Nelson, who plans to secretly move out of the stifling suburban neighborhood he grew up in, not telling any of his childhood friends about what he’s doing, only to get sucked into a very chaotic last day that’ll change his life forever.
The film isn’t autobiographical, Nassif told The Signal, but there are certainly elements of his life that he used in the film, emotions and feelings and people he knew, with an examination of the internal struggles so many youths face on their way to becoming adults.
“He (the main character in the film) goes from apathetic to learning how to express what he actually feels about it,” Nassif said. “Because the apathy is really just a defense mechanism — because he’s so sad about it — he kind of just bottles it up and pretends he doesn’t care. So, the journey’s about coming to terms with how he truly feels about leaving behind his childhood.”
In order to better tap into what the film is about, Nassif cast a character he knew very well, one he’d sparred with in his own life, that being his own neighborhood in Canyon Country, to star in about 80% of the film. Part of what Nassif wrestled with was the idyllic nature of the Santa Clarita Valley, and the effect it can have on some teens.
“I think there’s just something innate in human beings, especially young people, where you seek out conflict,” Nassif said. “Life without any conflicts is inherently uninteresting and boring. I’m sure if you grew up in Santa Clarita, it’s a very common thing. I’ve heard people say — young people especially — that it’s just very boring. So, they kind
of just seek to create the conflict themselves, and whether it’s getting into low-stakes trouble — or some people getting into even higher-stakes trouble — it’s all needless.”
Making “Homecoming” helped Nassif leave his own childhood behind — going back gave him the confidence to move forward. He first went into the movie with a director attached. That director cast the actors in film and shot just over six days of the 14-day shoot before someone on set came down with COVID and spread it to others.
Much of the cast and crew had been staying in Nassif’s childhood home during production. Nassif’s parents fully welcomed them and had even been providing meals for everyone during the course of the shoot.
“Obviously we shut the whole thing down immediately and sent the kids back home,” said Nassif’s mother, Michele Nassif.
And when it came time to start back up, the director had moved onto another project, as had the lead actor.
Discouraged at first, Nassif eventually took on the task of helming the project himself.
“My main thing was writing,” he said. “That was the thing I had the most confidence in.”
Calling all the shots on set, however, was something completely different in his eyes, daunting even, with lots of people to oversee and coordinate. Nassif’s parents knew he could do it, though.
His dad, Nicholas Nassif, said, “I told Steven, ‘You should be the director. You have the confidence to do it.’”
Nassif decided to better prepare himself for the task. He enrolled in a directing class at the UCLA Extension, got some directing experience, and then he recast the film and started over from scratch, leaving behind all the work the other di-
rector had shot.
“I think the guy was a more talented director in terms of using camera angles, injecting energy and good pacing, and just, you know, more polished in that sort of sense,” Nassif said.
But having written the film, Nassif ultimately felt good about directing the picture because he knew exactly what he wanted it to be.
“You know, I think for the most part, it’s better this time, because it’s more specifically my vision,” he said. “I guess it’s a subjective thing, but it feels a lot more like my movie now, which is a nice feeling.”
Nassif crowd-funded the film, but he also used personal savings to get it done. He’s happy with the finished product. And his parents, while they haven’t seen the movie yet, are proud of their son and confident about what he’ll learn once it’s out there for people and the industry to see.
His dad said, “We’re excited for him because he’s a smart kid. He’s got talent. He’s got great people skills, so if he can sell this movie and go to the industry, that’d be great.”
His mom added, “I think he’s using this as a test. Sometimes people think they have talent, but they want to know they have talent.”
But maybe Nassif doesn’t trust his parents, his mom said, because they’re his parents. Maybe, she suggested, her son just needs some assurance from the outside world — from outside his family and from outside his hometown — before he can move forward. However, as Nassif previously stated, he first had to go back.
“It was really important to me that the film took place in Santa Clarita and where I grew up,” he said. “It’s like the film is me saying goodbye to my own childhood.”
From left: Mother Michele Nassif, Steven Nassif and father Nicholas Nassif. PHOTO BY KATHERINE QUEZADA / THE SIGNAL
New Black Bear Diner Location Set for East Side
By Perry Smith Signal Senior Staff Writer
The city of Santa Clarita’s Planning Division officials confirmed a Northern California restaurant chain recently received the greenlight for a second location on the east side of the city.
Black Bear Diner is slated to be the newest addition to the Sand Canyon shopping center on Soledad Canyon Road.
Jason Crawford, director of community development for the city, expressed optimism about the growth of activity on the east side, particularly around the new center at Soledad and Sand canyon roads.
“It’s a second location for them,” Crawford said during a recent interview, highlighting some of the new east-side development.
The new location is part of a bit of activity in the area in the shopping center that’s also seeing a remodel
of the Starbuck’s location there, he added.
It’s the second location for the popular Redding-based restaurant, which opened in Valencia, next to the Barnes & Noble on Valencia Boulevard, to big crowds in May 2018.
The newest location has been approved for a spot that was previously listed as Coco’s, which served a similar style of meal.
Black Bear, which started in 1995, now has more than 150 locations in 13 states, stretching from California to Illinois.
The Canyon Country location was recently listed on the restaurant’s website.
A media information contact for the restaurant was not immediately available as of this story’s publication.
The new address for the restaurant is expected to be 16526 Soledad Canyon Road, according to city of Santa Clarita officials.
Candidates File for SCV School Board Seats
By Tyler Wainfeld Signal Staff Writer
The deadline for a candidate to file paperwork to be on the ballot for local school board elections has passed.
In total, 15 seats across the six local districts will be voted upon on Nov. 5. According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office, there are 27 candidates who have submitted their paperwork to the county to be on the ballot.
The following specifically relates to Canyon Country.
College of the Canyons
Four seats for the Santa Clarita Community College District board of trustees, which oversees College of the Canyons, will be on the ballot in November, including one special election.
For Area 4, which represents parts of Canyon Country and Sand Canyon, there are two candidates: incumbent Jerry Danielsen and Sharlene Johnson.
Danielsen was appointed to the board in 2023 and graduated from Hart High and COC. He owns Busy Signal Studios, a Canyon Country-based recording studio, and is co-owner of Pantheon Media.
Johnson is a local real estate agent who previously applied for the seat in 2023 that eventually went to Danielsen. She is a member of the COC Foundation board and has collaborated with multiple non-
William S. Hart Union High School District
Two seats will be up for election for the Hart district, one representing the northwest section of the district and the other representing the eastern side. Running to fill the seat representing Area 4, which covers Canyon High School and Sierra Vista Junior High, are incumbent Erin Wilson and Eric Anderson.
Wilson was appointed to the board last year following the resignation of James Webb. She has taught in classrooms for nonprofits and has five
Celebrating Cuba
children who all graduated from the Hart district.
Anderson is a clinical specialist/respiratory therapist who has two children in the Sulphur Springs Union School District. He was in the running to be appointed to the board last year before Wilson was chosen.
Sulphur Springs Union School District
Only two candidates have filed their paperwork with the county, both incumbents.
Rochelle “Shelley” Weinstein is running unopposed for Trustee Area 1, while Denis Defigueiredo is running unopposed for Area 2.
City hosts new installment of ‘Celebrate’ series
The city of Santa
hosted another installment of its monthly “Celebrate” series at the Canyon Country Community Center July’s theme being Cuba. Hundreds of comunity members danced to various salsa and merengue songs performed live by the Susie Hansen Latin Band while children participated in various arts and crafts activities that taught them about Cuban culture. PHOTOS BY KATHERINE QUEZADA/THE SIGNAL
profits such as the SCV Boys & Girls Club and the WiSH Education Foundation.
Clarita
Court Rules: Canyon View Solar Panels Can Stay
By Perry Smith Signal Senior Staff Writer
Acity of Santa Clarita property owner claimed a win Tuesday in an appellate court’s ruling over his yearslong battle with the city, which sought to force the removal of the thousands of solar panels visible from Soledad Canyon Road that many considered a public nuisance.
This week, a three-judge panel in the 2nd District in the Court of Appeal of the State of California disagreed.
“The trial court’s judgment that the solar facility constitutes a nuisance is reversed as to the portion of the facility inside the mobile home park, but affirmed as to the solar panels installed on the adjacent property,” according to the ruling.
The opinion published Tuesday notes that only 0.02% of the more than 6,500 panels installed by the park are on the adjacent property.
“Because the landowners did not prove their equitable estoppel defense with respect to the solar panels on the adjacent property, the city does not have to compensate the landowners to compel removal. Each party to bear their own costs on appeal,” was
the second half of the judgment.
The city declined to comment on the opinion Tuesday.
Property owner Kerry Seidenglanz said in a phone interview Tuesday that he plans to seek out a permit from the city in order to have the other panels installed.
“Hey, solar is a great thing,” Seidenglanz said Tuesday, “for the world and for our electrical grid. And all the power is either being consumed in the community or it’s going back on the grid for other people to use it.”
When asked if the panels were generating a profit for the park owner, he said, “They’re generating power for my community.”
Seidenglanz also said Tuesday he has had six previous legal cases presided over by Superior Court Judge Stephen Pfahler, and each one ended the same way: He lost on the original ruling and then won on appeal.
Regardless of the outcome, the judgment comes with a hefty cost for both sides, since each was ordered to pay their own legal costs.
The city estimated its cost for the case at well over $1 million as of August 2023.
Missing Resident Found Dead in Angeles Forest
By Katherine Quezada Signal Staff Writer
Aman reported missing since Thursday who was found dead Sunday along Little Tujunga Canyon Road has been identified as 60-yearold Jack Kidd, a Canyon Country resident who served as the head grip for the CBS TV show, “The Bold and the Beautiful,” according to officials and published reports.
The CHP Newhall area office was notified by the Los Angeles Communications Center, the official CHP dispatch center, that a white Dodge Ram pickup truck was found over the side of a mountain on Little Tujunga Canyon Road near Mile Marker 5.24, California Highway Patrol Public
Information Officer Josh Greengard wrote in an email to The Signal.
No foul play is suspected and circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation and being handled by the Newhall area CHP office.
“Jack was involved in an accident in the Little Tujunga canyons ... We just left the site once Jack was brought up from the canyon,” stated a post on the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 33 Facebook group page. “I want to thank all the brothers and sisters who went out to search for Jack. Thank you to the search and rescue team who volunteered their time to carefully recover Jack, showing great respect for the family.”
Big Lots Set To Close Canyon Country Location
By Naveen Athrappully Contributing Writer
Discount chain Big Lots received approval to shut down hundreds of outlets, after the company expressed “substantial doubt” on continuing business operations.
The store closure approval is part of a recent amendment made to a 2022 credit agreement with lenders, the company said in an Aug. 2 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The agreement originally gave approval to close up to 150 outlets, and the amendment boosted it up to 315. In addition, a $900 million credit facility was reduced to $800 million and interest rates on borrowings have been raised by 50 basis points.
The Big Lots in Canyon Country located at 19331 Soledad canyon Road is among those being closed by the end of September.
Big Lots has 1,392 stores across the United States, according to a June SEC filing. The closure of 315 outlets would represent more than 22 percent of its total shops. The store count has already been reduced from last year’s 1,425 outlets.
The company also raised concerns about its ability to remain operational as it incurred net losses in 2022, 2023, and the first quarter of 2024, and was forced to use cash in its operating activities, the June filing said.
“Due to ongoing negative macroeconomic factors and their uncertain impacts on the company’s business, results of operations, and cash flows, the company expects to experience further operating losses,” according to the filing.
In June, Big Lots CEO Bruce Thorn said that the company missed its first quarter sales target this year due to “continued pullback in consumer spending by … core customers, particularly in high ticket discretionary items.” However, he vowed to transform the discount retailer.
Series of Store Closures
At the same time, several other retail chains have announced the shuttering of outlets this year.
Last month supermarket chain Stop & Shop said it will close 32 outlets on or before Nov. 2. The
company decided to “close underperforming stores to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand.”
The same month, furniture retailer Conn’s announced shutting down all its 553 retail stores nationwide and filed for bankruptcy after experiencing a slowdown in recent years that negatively affected the firm’s sales and liquidity.
Businesses are experiencing liquidity issues amid an environment of high interest rates that have made loans very expensive.
Federal fund rates have remained unchanged from a range of 5.25–5.5 percent for more than a year. As a result, businesses are forced to take loans at higher interest rates or are unable to secure debt at desired rates.
In June, Federal Reserve officials had suggested a potential hike in interest rates if inflation were to remain high. This would make financing even more expensive for businesses.
Faced with financial difficulties like high interest rate loans, companies struggling to keep their operations running may end up finding themselves
with no choice but to shut down.
Michael Hunter, vice president of bankruptcy data provider Epiq AACER, said he is expecting to see “a strong and steady rise in bankruptcy filings across the board, reflecting ongoing financial pressures faced by both businesses and individuals,” according to an Aug. 5 press release.
“Based on current trends and economic indicators, I expect bankruptcy filing volumes to continue this steady increase throughout the remainder of 2024 and into 2025.”
S&P Global pointed out that high interest rates and supply-chain issues have made it challenging for businesses to ensure enough cash flow to pay its debts and prevent loan defaults.
It expects rate relief to be “months away,” due to which many companies could seek reorganization bankruptcy in which firms undergo a reorganization of assets and liabilities under court supervision. This could provide businesses with the time necessary to stabilize their financial situation, S&P stated.
PHOTO COURTESY BIG LOTS
Former Detective Charged in International Extortion Case
By Perry Smith Signal Senior Staff Writer
Federal prosecutors alleged a now-retired homicide detective from Sand Canyon was part of a group hired to bully an Irvine man into signing away his multimillion-dollar interest in a company he shared with a Chinese national accused of financing the raid.
A group of four ex-law enforcement and ex-military officers charged Monday, Aug. 12, in the “alleged sham raid” included Steven Arthur Lankford, a 68-year-old retired detective who also has been recognized for his work on cold cases.
Unusual Suspects
The Department of Justice has alleged that Lankford and three others “acted as a sham law enforcement team that entered an Irvine man’s home and threatened him and his family with violence and deportation unless he turned over nearly $37 million and signed away his rights in a business,” according to the release.
“The defendants in this case allegedly believed they could carry out vigilante justice by using official police powers to enter the home of vulnerable victims and extorting them out of millions of dollars,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will not tolerate civil rights violations by anyone who takes the law into their own hands for personal gain or otherwise.”
Named as Lankford’s accomplices in the federal indictment were: Glen Louis Cozart, 63, of Upland; Max Samuel Bennett Turbett, 39, of Australia, a United Kingdom citizen and former member of the British military who owns an Australia-based private investigation and asset recovery business; and Matthew Phillip Hart, 41, of Australia, an Australian citizen and former member of the Australian military who owns an Australia-based risk management services business
Legal Dispute
The alleged victim, an Irvine businessman whose identity has not been released, had an ongoing business dispute with an unindicted co-con-
spirator, a wealthy Chinese national, regarding their respective ownership interests in Jiangsu Sinorgchem Technology Co. Ltd., a China-based rubber chemical manufacturer, according to the federal indictment.
Their dispute led to at least three lawsuits in China and one in Atlanta, and in October 2013 the Chinese national alleged in a civil court filing that China had issued a “red notice” for Victim 1, which Victim 1 understood was linked to his business dispute with the unindicted co-conspirator.
A “red notice,” according to Interpol, is essentially an international alert for a person who is wanted, but it’s not the same as an arrest warrant.
“In December 2018, the unindicted co-conspirator allegedly contacted Turbett to help locate and recover assets from the victim,” according to the DOJ, which claims the woman said “long and costly litigation had not been ‘the smart way’ to handle her dispute.”
The unindicted co-conspirator, identified only as a woman, asked Turbett to find a different “solution to finish the problem” that would make them both rich, according to the DOJ.
Alleged Revenge Plot
In June 2019, a settlement agreement was drafted that called for the victim to transfer assets, including nearly $37 million in cash and shares in Jiangsu Sinorgchem, to the unindicted co-conspirator.
Federal investigators believed Turbett hired Cozart to assemble a team to find the victim and obtain his signature on the settlement agreements.
Cozart, in turn, hired Lankford, then an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department deputy, who tracked down the victim’s name and date of birth in the National Crime Information Center database using his Justice Data Interface Controller terminal at LASD, in violation of LASD policy that law enforcement databases only be used for law enforcement purposes and not for personal use, according to the release.
“Turbett and Hart flew from Australia to Los Angeles, where they met with Cozart and Lankford to discuss plans for the sham raid,” according to the news release.
“On June 17, 2019, Lankford – in violation of LASD policy – drove an unmarked LASD vehicle to Victim 1’s
home with Cozart, Hart and Turbett,” the superseding indictment alleges.
Retired detective James Lankford, right, shown above working alongside Deputy Sheriff Joel Anzures during a death investigation in 2018. Lankford has been accused by federal prosecutors of taking part in an “alleged sham raid” along with three other former law enforcement and military officials. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO
LANKFORD
Continued from page 11
The Allegations
Lankford and Cozart then approached the victim outside his home, according to the federal release. Lankford allegedly identified himself as a police officer and showed his badge, while Cozart falsely identified himself as an “Immigration” officer, the complaint alleges.
While pretending to be law enforcement officials, Lankford and Cozart allegedly entered the home, where they forced the victim, his wife and their two children into a room, took their phones and prevented them from leaving for hours.
The homeowner was slammed against a wall and choked, the superseding indictment states. Defendants allegedly also threatened to deport the man and his wife and permanently separate them from their 4-year-old son unless the victim complied with their demands to sign the paperwork.
“Fearing for his and his family’s safety, the superseding indictment alleges that (the victim) ultimately signed the documents, thereby relinquishing his multimillion-dollar interest in Jiangsu Sinorgchem,” according to the news release. Aftermath
ed the incident, the victim immediately contacted the Irvine Police Department after the defendants left his home, according to DOJ officials.
When contacted by the Irvine Police Department, Lankford lied, according to the DOJ complaint, and “falsely claimed that he had been at (victim’s) home for a legitimate law enforcement purpose, that (the victim) consented to all parties being in his home, and no force was used.”
The statement from federal prosecutors also notes that by November 2019, “all the defendants had been paid for their efforts,” and the to-date unindicted co-conspirator paid Turbett’s company approximately $419,813 for services rendered.
The indictment was filed Monday, Aug. 12. The suspects’ next court date was not immediately available in federal records online.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each extortion-related count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each deprivation of rights-related count, according to the DOJ.
Local News
Prior to the allegations, Lankford was one of two detectives recognized for his work in a cold-case unit that previously re-investigated unsolved mur-
ders from the county’s past.
Detective John Paillet was awarded a Sheriff’s Star Scroll, while Lankford was awarded a Quality of Service Award, in a ceremony inside the office of then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell.
The detectives were acknowledged for their roles in solving the 1978 robbery, kidnapping, rape and murder case of victim Leslie Long, a 20-year-old woman who worked at a Palmdale gas station.
In January 2021, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station received a report that a man — later identified as Juan Luis Barahona-Ortega — had crashed a red Toyota Tacoma truck through the perimeter of the gated community of MacMillan Ranch.
Initial reports indicated that Barahona-Ortega had a gun, and neighbors immediately alerted Lankford and his son-in-law, who lived nearby. Lankford shot Barahona-Ortega twice in the chest, but he survived his injuries. Officials have not said why the man was on the property.
No charges were filed against Barahona-Ortega or Lankford in the shooting, according to the DA’s office.
Lankford also runs a Santa Clarita process-service company, Apollo Process Server.
I want to share my experience with the Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts. My daughter, Michela, is 12 years old. She found an announcement for the Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts Fashion Show at Macy’s and begged me to apply. We live in Washington, DC, so I thought she was joking at first. Flying out to California for a fashion show? Then I got a call from the owner of SCSOPA, Mike. His enthusiasm and passion for his school was so evident that he inspired us to take the plunge and book a flight. Mike allowed Michela to take several free classes when we visited. From learning how to walk in a fashion show from a real pageant winner, to Improv and Acting classes, she threw herself in and everyone made her feel at home. It is clear that the Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts is a family with everyone rooting for each other. It is a true melting pot with actors of all shapes, sizes, ages, ethnicities, colors and creeds. We signed up for their unlimited package so she can take as many classes as she wants. Best of all, whenever she has an audition, we are able to work with the school and arrange for a fantastic acting coach to run lines with her and give her feedback. The very first audition we worked on, she booked! The staff is super responsive, professional and a joy to work with. Thank you, Mike and SCSOPA, for helping launch Michela’s career! – SCSOPA 23502 Lyons Ave Suite 105, Santa Clarita, CA 91321 (661) 222-7910
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Deadline Passed for City Council Filing
By Perry Smith Signal Senior Staff Writer
Santa Clarita’s historic move to district-based City Council elections will be on November’s ballot for the first time, but the change is probably not going to seem that different for those who live in District No. 3, if they notice at all.
That’s because there’s only one candidate who filed for the seat: Councilman Jason Gibbs, whom city officials said is not an incumbent due to the city’s change in electoral formats.
All previous elections in the city’s history have been at large, meaning anyone anywhere can vote for either their top two or top three candidates depending on how many seats are on the ballot.
Under the new system, only those living in District Nos. 1 or 3 will be eligible to vote Nov. 5.
But it could just be District No. 1 on the ballot, depending on the council’s decision at a special meeting expected to be scheduled soon.
The city is considering a special meeting 5 p.m. Aug. 19 to discuss the situation and whether it needs to bear the six-figure bill for putting Gibbs on an uncontested ballot, according to city officials.
That would be one choice, according to city officials. The other would be to appoint Gibbs to the seat as the only qualifying candidate who filed the required paperwork.
The new electoral map creates five districts: It splits Valencia between district Nos. 2 and 3, with No. 2 on the west side of that; whereas Saugus is somewhat split between district Nos. 3 and 4. District No. 5 is largely Canyon Country, with the exception
a single district with a Latino majority, is a little more wide-open race.
In that race, three candidates completed all their paperwork: city planning commissioners Patsy Ayala and Tim Burkhart, along with Bryce Jepsen, a board member of a local nonprofit.
of a carveout of several neighborhoods that were added to District No. 1 to make it the Latino-majority district with Newhall.
The deadline for all candidates to file was Aug. 9, according to City Clerk Mary Cusick, because there were no eligible incumbents for any of the district seats.
Since Gibbs is currently the only name that’s on the ballot for District 3, the City Council could vote to appoint him to the seat and save the six-figure expense of putting a single name on the ballot.
District No. 1, which is largely Newhall with a portion of western Canyon Country that was added to create
Mayor Cameron Smyth, the other council incumbent whose current term ends in December, knew he would not be eligible to run for reelection based on the geography of the districts that council members approved.
Knowing this when he took the gavel as mayor for his final year on the council back in December, he called the move a “bittersweet” one as he reflected on his previous one-year rotations as mayor, which included 2003, 2005, 2017 and 2020.
A copy of the city’s new district-based map, which is certified through the 2030 election, is available here: santaclarita.gov/district-elections.
CHS Grad Serves As Navy Training Instructor
By Alvin Plexico Navy Office of Community Outreach
GREAT LAKES, Illinois – Every enlisted sailor starts their Navy journey at boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, where Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Krolicki, a native of Santa Clarita, is currently stationed as an instructor with Naval Education and Training Command.
Krolicki graduated from Canyon High School in 2017 and joined the Navy seven years ago.
“I joined the Navy to gain experience that would better myself with future career paths,” said Krolicki. “My grandfather was also a sailor, so I wanted to serve my country as he did and participate in events of global significance.”
“Growing up, I learned that taking care of the people around you will help you in the future,” said Krolicki. “You need to invest in people to see their full potential.”
During the 10 weeks at RTC Great Lakes, sailors learn five warfighting competencies – firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watchstanding, and small arms marksmanship.
NSGL is the Navy’s largest training installation and the home of the Navy’s only boot camp. Located on over 1,600 acres overlooking Lake Michigan, the installation includes 1,153 buildings with 39
on the National Register of Historic Places. NSGL supports more than 50 tenant commands and elements as well as more than 20,000 sailors, Marines, soldiers, and Department of Defense civilians who live and work on the installation.
“I enjoyed the people I worked with; every sailor that I had the opportunity to serve with came from a different walk of life,” said Krolicki. “Collectively, we never looked at a problem the same way and that is what helped us become so successful. We taught and pushed each other to become great. I enjoy seeing the transition from a basically trained sailor that graduated boot camp, to a mission-capable graduate from my schoolhouse that is ready to support the Navy out in the fleet.”
“Serving in the Navy is a very fulfilling and rewarding experience,” said Krolicki. “I serve for my family and everyone who joined before me. I am a patriot, and it is an honor to represent our flag and our great country.”
Krolicki is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents, Halina Fox and John Krolicki,” added Krolicki. “Without them, I don’t think I would have joined the Navy on my own. They were there to support me every step of the way throughout my career so far. I also want to thank my fiancée, Taylor Summers. She has been there for me throughout my entire career, and I
couldn’t have been here and made it as far as I have without her.”
Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Krolicki, a native of Santa Clarita, serves as an instructor with Naval Education and Training Command. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Green. COURTESY PHOTO
CALENDAR
Friday, Sept. 13
6-9 p.m.
Celebrate highlights different cultures, customs and culinary wonders featuring music, dance, food, art and educational experiences.
Every Wednesday, Year-round 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
S.C.O.R.E. Scholarship Program
For youth who do not have the financial means to participate in fee-based recreational programs and activities. Call (661) 250-3700
Community Center After School Programs
Registration Begins August 8 and Programs begin August 20
Canyon Country Community Center
Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Friday, 9:45 a.m. - 2 p.m. Bring your own paddles
CCCC AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
The Canyon Country Community Center After School Program is a structured program for the schoolyear. It offers children ages 5-11 an opportunity to participate in homework help, reading time, enrichment activities, arts and crafts, games, outdoor and indoor sports and much more.
The program runs from 2:30- 6 p.m. from August 12 to December 20.
Registration is open now. Visit bit.ly/3SYzqbP to learn about the new process.
CONTRACT CLASS COMMUNITY CENTER
Essential Oils (18+)
Sept. 28 11 a.m. - noon. Learn about the use of essential oils while making your choice of any two blends. $20
Hand Knitting with Chunky Yarn (13+)
Oct. 4 - 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Use chunky yarn to make a blanket. No experience necessary. $60 + $35 material fee.
Low Impact Aerobics (18+)
Sept. 11 - Dec. 13 (W/F) 8:45 - 9:45 a.m. This “go at your own pace” makes you feel great while getting cardiovascular fitness. $130
August 24
Tai Chi (18+)
Sept. 9 - Dec. 2 (Mon) 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Studies show Tai Chi improves balance, muscle and bone strength, mental function and relaxation. $99
Jewelry Making (18+)
Learn how to make one-of-a-kind pieces of beaded jewelry. Projects include necklaces, earrings and bracelets using beads and more. Please bring hand tools including wire cutter, needle-nose pliers and round-nose pliers. $90 + + $35 material fee.
Hello
September
CANYON COUNTRY LIBRARY PROGRAMS
10 a.m. Sit and Stitch for adults and seniors
September 1 CLOSED LABOR DAY
September 3 CLOSED STAFF DAY
September 5
6:30 p.m. Club de Mujeres Latinas en Literatura
September 9
6 p.m. Worlds of Whimsy
September 14
10 a.m. Sit and Stitch for adults and seniors
September 16
1 p.m. Little Explorers
September 17
9:30 a.m. Storytime
3:30 p.m. LEGO Block Party
September 18
9:30 a.m. Cuenta Cuentos
September 19
9:30 Storytime
noon Homeschool Room Resource Support
3:30 p.m. Teen Crafts and Stuff: Paper Quill Crafts
September 21
2 p.m. Create Your Own Puzzle
September 23
1 p.m. Little Explorers
September 24
9:30 a.m. Storytime
11 a.m. Fall Sensory Room
3:30 p.m. Crafternoon
September 25
9:30 a.m. Cuenta Cuentos
3:30 p.m. Toddler Dance Party
Canyon Country Community Center 18410 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita 91350 (661) 290-2266
Celebrate Garmany Canyon Country Community Center
