Canyon Country Magazine September 2024 by Signal

LORENA D’S YOUNG ARTIST

Civil Rights Activist Visits Golden Valley High School

By Katherine Quezada Signal Staff Writer

“Si se puede, si se puede!” became a chanting echo in the 1970s from the United Farm Workers of America when they fought for higher wages and Cesar Chavez was at the forefront of the fight.

Dolores Huerta, the woman behind the famous slogan “Si se puede!” and a labor leader fighting alongside Chavez, made a special visit to Golden Valley High School earlier this month. There she encouraged students to dream big, pursue higher education and advocate for issues they believe in.

Golden Valley High School World Language Department chair and Spanish teacher Erika Cedeño often boasts to her husband Eduardo Cedeño about how much she loves to work at the school.

Eduardo recently began working with the Dolores Huerta Foundation as the finance director and would

Labor leader Dolores Huerta watches historical footage of herself advocating for farm workers’ rights during the 1960s during her visit to Golden Valley High School. PHOTO BY KATHERINE QUEZADA / THE SIGNAL

HUERTA

from page 5

talk about his wife to Huerta and how much she loves her job and her Golden Valley High School community.

“My husband was talking about

my happiness here because I’m very happy. This is my happy place,” Erika said. “My husband was bragging about me, I was teacher of the year, and Dolores [asked], ‘Oh seriously? What is this school?’ and [he responded], ‘It’s Golden Valley,’ and

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she said, ‘I want to go.’”

Huerta was welcomed to the Golden Valley theater with special performances by the school’s band and ballet folklorico program and given the William S. Hart Union High School District One Hart Award for her courage during the labor movement.

“Education ... it’s really important that we encourage young people to try to go to college ... we have to really encourage young people to think something that you might want to do in the future, something that you love to do. Follow your heart,” Huerta said to the students, teachers and staff present. “To all the teachers, I want to say to you, you know our job is to encourage. When I was in high school, some of my teachers did not encourage us.”

She added: “We don’t want to discriminate against anybody, and we do not want to discriminate against anybody because of the color of their skin ... let’s stop the racism altogether.”

Huerta also advised students to become proactive in their communities and advocate for change if they are unhappy with the current circumstances.

Huerta’s efforts over the years have earned her awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award in 1998, and induction into the California Hall of Fame in 2013, among others.

Golden Valley Principal Sal Frias recalled a time when he was a young boy growing up in Northern California and how he was destined to be a field worker — a lot of similarities to Huerta’s upbringing — but with the encouragement of his mother, he paved his own way and pursued education and is now principal of the school.

“Humble beginnings,” he said. “I’m proud of who I am, I’m proud of where I came from. [Huerta] just reminds me of that. I’m not embarrassed or ashamed. It is what it is.”

“My priority has always been to give students in the minority groups here at Golden Valley role models to look up to. People that look like them, women, people in leadership roles, to be figures of inspiration and just an idea or a belief that they can do something,” Frias said.

Golden Valley has a total of 2,000 students, 60% of whom are Hispanic, 20% are Caucasian, 10% are Asian, and 10% are African American, he added.

“I think being a young Latina woman who’s in leadership, it means a lot to see the older generations and see what came before us as a way to kind of progress,” said Golden Valley senior Madison Castillo, who wears numerous hats in extracurricular programs at the school. “Someone like her, who’s a little bit older and still able to come here and speak about her ideas, her beliefs, and continued to be passed on.” 

Continued

(Left) Golden Valley High School students cling to every word of advice from Dolores Huerta, an American labor leader and civil rights activist. (Right) The Golden Valley High School Ballet Folklorico group gave Dolores Huerta and distinguished guests a special performance. PHOTOS BY KATHERINE QUEZADA / THE SIGNAL

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Construction Under Way on Vista Canyon Bridge

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he city of Santa Clarita is announcing the start of construction on the Vista Canyon Bridge and Road Improvements Project in Canyon Country. This project is an integral component of the Santa Clarita 2025 Strategic Plan, focused on building and creating community, according to a news release from the city.

The Vista Canyon Bridge and Road Improvements Project includes the construction of a two-lane bridge approximately 780 feet in length, with one lane in each direction. The bridge will feature a striped median for emergency vehicles, highway safety lighting, concrete barriers and metal railing. Additionally, the project will incorporate a raised landscape planter, a shared-use sidewalk with a Class I bike lane and a new bike trail under the bridge, ensuring that the infrastructure supports various modes of transportation.

Complementing the bridge construction, road improvements will include the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Soledad Canyon Road and Vista Canyon Boulevard, formerly Lost Canyon Road. The improvements will also feature new exclusive eastbound left-turn

and right-turn lanes, an extension of the existing westbound left-turn lane and roadway enhancements along Vista Canyon Boulevard, north of the bridge. South of the bridge, a new roundabout and extension of Vista Canyon Boulevard will be constructed to provide access to the Vista Canyon Multi-Modal Transit Center.

The Vista Canyon Bridge and Road Improvements project will provide a secondary access point from Soledad Canyon Road to the Vista Canyon community and Metrolink station. This new connection will enhance traffic circulation and transit services for the development and neighboring communities, the city release said.

The bridge will also serve as an alternate emergency access route, offering an additional evacuation path for the Sand Canyon community.

At this time there is no impact to residents, the release said. However, in the spring of 2025, there will be construction along Soledad Canyon Road and residents will be notified of future lane closures. Construction is anticipated to be completed in spring of 2026.

For any questions about the Vista Canyon Bridge and Road Improvements Project, contact Jackie Lillio at jlillio@santaclarita.gov. 

News Release

PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF SANTA CLARITA

COC Canyon Country Campus Head Resigns

By Tyler Wainfeld Signal Staff Writer

Another change has been announced for College of the Canyons as the head of the college’s Canyon Country campus resigns.

Ryan Theule, assistant superintendent of the Canyon Country campus, institutional research and grants development, announced that he will be leaving the college after 17 years.

“It has been a privilege to spend 17 years at College of the Canyons, and I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with so many talented and dedicated colleagues,” Theule said in a prepared statement. “I am grateful for the impact our teams have had on shaping many collegewide projects and priorities over the years, including the development of COC’s Canyon Country campus into a full-service location focused on student support and success.”

The Canyon Country campus was opened in 2007 and is home to the Takeda Science Center and the annual Star Party. Theule had been in charge of the campus since May 2013.

He said in his statement that he is taking up an opportunity with his local church.

“I was recently approached with a compelling opportunity to work with my church, and this is a

wonderful fit for my faith and my ongoing commitment to serving others,” Theule said. “My COC colleagues have been tremendously kind and supportive of my decision, and I will remember with fondness the friendships, student outcomes and many satisfactions of participating in this uniquely American innovation in higher education. I look forward to continuing to cheer on the work of the college and plan to stay connected in many ways both now and ongoing during this exciting transition for my family.”

According to John Green, a spokesman for the college, the following changes will be made due to

Theule’s resignation:

Associate Vice President of Instruction Paul Wickline will oversee the Canyon Country campus and serve as the instructional liaison for the campus.

Jennifer Brezina will be reclassified to the role of associate vice president of instructional services, taking on Wickline’s former duties in addition to her current responsibilities.

Daylene Meuschke will oversee grants and the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative.

Rian Medlin will co-chair the College Policy Council.

These changes come after multiple high-ranking college officials have left in recent months.

Former Chancellor Dianne Van Hook was placed on administrative leave in July before announcing her retirement shortly after, with David Andrus, a former political science professor at the college and past president of the Academic Senate, replacing her as acting chancellor. His title was subsequently changed to interim superintendent upon Van Hook’s retirement.

Earlier it was announced that Diane Fiero and Sharlene Coleal would be retiring from their roles as deputy chancellor and assistant superintendent of business services, respectively. 

Vice President of the COC Canyon Country Campus

Ryan Theule (left) and COC Chancellor Dr. Dianne Van Hook (second from left). SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

Local Taekwondo Students Compete For Bragging Rights

By Katherine Quezada Signal Staff Writer

Nine-year-old Titus Hwang was overjoyed with his new trophy to add to his collection and showed it off to his friends and fellow competitors.

“I’m going to put it with my other trophies,” he said when asked about where he would place the new award, adding, that he hopes to participate in Taekwondo “forever.”

Like Hwang, approximately 200 students as young as three years old tested their physical and mental strength and simultaneously showed off their newest skills in Taekwondo to their friends and families.

The ONE TaeKwonDo hosted its sixth in-house competition at La Mesa Junior High, and the competition was a “positive Taekwondo experience for our students, where they get to compete amongst their own,” said master of ceremonies Kyra Kim.

But for Hwang it wasn’t just to gain more confidence and test his athleticism, said his mother Sarah Hwang. It was also to form a connection to his culture and heritage.

Sarah is a second-generation South Korean and sometimes it can be difficult to teach her kids about South Korean culture, she said. Her younger child, Abigail Hwang, 7, was also competing during the daylong event.

“Being able to have a piece of that

culture here, particularly in the sport, it makes me happy and appreciated,” she said. “They’re able to learn simple things like counting in Korean … a lot of the terminology that we use here [in Taekwondo] is Korean so when their grandparents hear them using some of it, [they say], ‘Oh my goodness you know that word.’”

For Titus, the experience has been super beneficial ever since he joined four years ago. Known to be a shy kid, he has blossomed into a more confident person, Sarah said, adding that even when he may not have a skill fully correct, he continues to keep trying with the help of his uplifting coaches.

“You could see it spill over into his academics,” she said, referring to having confidence in accomplishing milestones even if it may include a few setbacks. “But [it’s] also [teaching him] in respecting those who are there to teach and respecting his peers.”

The athletes competed in forms, breaking boards and sparring for a chance to win in the categories of outstanding, superior and commendable performances, added Kim. Many of the youth beginning their training recently as early as two months ago and some have participated for up to eight years.

“It’s martial arts, they are going to be displaying and showcasing the skills that they have learned over the years. This is really the time to really

13-year old Nalina Franco, (right) doesn’t back down during her sparring competition against her opponent.

put those skills to the test and showcase them to their family and friends,” she added.

U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia, R- Santa Clarita, was in attendance and shared a few words with the athletes.

“Hopefully, what you are learning from these experiences are not just the forms and how to spar and how to fight and how to become stronger physically, but how to become stronger mentally, and how to not only sometimes lose with pride and with grace, but also win with pride and grace,” he said.

Representatives of South Korea’s Sangji University’s demo team, considered to be one of the best in the world, traveled across the globe to participate during the tournament as judges and delivered a highly skilled performance that included sparring, board breaking and backflips.

Nalina Franco, 13, beat her opponent during the sparring section, 3-0, which earned her loud cheers from her family that echoed through the gymnasium and turned heads from nearby attendees.

Her proud father, Jesus Franco, made sure he filmed every moment he could during her sparring moment. He couldn’t contain his excitement and lost his voice with his loud cheering.

“It makes me feel like I put my training to use after all these years,” she said after she beat her opponent. She began training in Taekwondo six years ago, adding that Jesus helps her with training.

“All odds were against her,” Jesus said adding that her sparring opponent was much older than her. “We got the whole family here [supporting her],” he said. 

(Left) The ONE TaeKwonDo hosted its sixth in-house competition at La Mesa Junior High. Students as young as three tested their physical and mental strengths. (Right) Nine-year-old Titus Hwang added a new trophy to his growing collection. PHOTOS BY KATHERINE QUEZADA/THE SIGNAL

City Moves to Clean Up Another Canyon Country Home

By Trisha Anas and Perry Smith Signal Staff Writers

The Santa Clarita City Council authorized city staff to commence a nuisance abatement action against a Canyon Country home, its third such effort this year.

The tenant for the nearly 1,600square-foot single-family residence at 27101 Maben Ave., drew the attention of the City Council after repeated attempts by city staff to address problems with the property, according to officials.

The so-called “nuisance properties” are brought to the city’s attention through neighbor complaints and calls, according to Tracy Sullivan, city community preservation manager.

The nuisance abatement process involves the city identifying a court-approved receiver for a problematic property and asking for the court’s permission to have the receiver take over and refurbish the property, with that amount being added to a lien on

the property.

If the work is not paid for, the home is sold to cover the costs.

The action is one the city considers significant and is only taken as a last resort after all other measures have failed to achieve compliance, she added in an email.

“The city’s goal is always to work with property owners to achieve (compliance) voluntarily,” Sullivan wrote, referring to the city’s administrative process. “However, if those efforts fail and compliance is not obtained, the city turns to legal action as a final step.”

She added the process was not only important for the preservation of the beauty and property values of the city’s neighborhoods, but also the safety of its neighbors and the general public.

The property is associated with the Gerard Cartier Trust, with the listed contact as Daniel R. Mortensen, a local tax attorney who is managing the property.

Everett Mortensen, who works at the firm, confirmed that his father

also has been trying to achieve compliance with the tenant for some time, with efforts that have included providing large roll-off trash bins for disposal, but the cooperation has not been there.

The city also offers the bins for nuisance properties to get trash cleaned up, but those efforts do not appear to have worked as of Wednesday, Sept. 11.

Trash could be seen piled high from nearby yards and over a fence and surrounding a pair of recreational vehicles in the home’s driveway, one of which had a registration tag from 2002 on its plate.

A neighbor on Maben Avenue, who asked not to be identified over safety concerns, called the measure “extreme,” but also lamented that the nearby property “has gone through varying degrees of being really awful, to cleaned up a little, to where it’s at.”

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies have been to the home at least a couple of times in the past year to assist the city in code-enforce-

ment actions, according to station spokesman Deputy Robert Jensen.

He said he was not aware of any significant police action at the residence in recent months.

The other two properties that the City Council has authorized action on this year were also both in Canyon Country.

In an April closed session meeting, the City Council unanimously approved a nuisance abatement proceeding against the owner of the property at 27952 Oakgale Ave.

The other property that has exhausted all of its potential remedies in the city’s administrative process, and is now headed to court, is a home on Plumwood Avenue.

In February, Carl Pruett, who lives at 27442 Plumwood Ave., had a lengthy standoff with local law enforcement officers that ultimately was ended by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Special Enforcement Bureau — the LASD’s SWAT team.

In June, the City Council authorized an abatement on the property. 

Federal Agents Raid Canyon Country Home

By Perry Smith Signal Senior Staff Writer

Federal officials announced a Canyon Country man was central to a 46-count grand jury indictment unsealed Wednesday, alleging he facilitated a “crime tourism theft group” that came from South America, stole throughout the country and then laundered millions in illicit proceeds.

He and his significant other are also accused of conspiring with others in order to obtain more than a quarter-million dollars through fraudulent COVID-19-related business-relief loans.

According to the indictment, Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, aka “Parcero,” of Canyon Country, and his live-in girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, aka “Parcera,” controlled and operated defendant Driver Power Rentals, or DPR, a Van Nuys-based car rental or dealership business.

Arriagada was DPR’s registered owner.

Federal agents with FBI and Homeland Security Investigations could be seen the morning of Aug. 28 going in and out of a home in the 27300 block of Sand Canyon Road listed on the federal complaint shared by Department of Justice officials.

From at least January 2018 to July 2024, Tho-

United States to commit thefts, including shoplifting goods from stores, burglarizing residences and commer-

cial businesses, and stealing victims’ credit cards and debit cards, according to the DOJ release. Federal officials declined to comment regarding

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Federal officials raid a home on Sand Canyon Road on Wednesday in relation to an investigation of an organized “crime tourism theft group” originating in South America. PHOTO BY HABEBA MOSTAFA / THE SIGNAL

their presence on the rural property in the quiet equestrian community. On Aug. 28 the home was surrounded by vehicles with two vans near entrances to two buildings on the property.

A federal agent referred questions to media relations in the Los Angeles field office, which confirmed the agents were serving a search warrant connected to the unsealed indictment.

A teen and a woman leaving the property that afternoon declined to comment.

Thola-Duran and Arriagada used DPR to provide vehicles for his associates to drive throughout the country and commit burglaries and thefts, according to the DOJ release.

In order to make the car rentals appear legitimate and maintain anonymity, law enforcement officials believe the pair required their co-conspirators to use false identification when renting a vehicle for DPR’s records.

The indictment charges seven defendants with multiple felony offenses, including wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and structuring transactions to avoid federal financial reporting requirements.

Thola-Duran and Arriagada directed the co-conspirators who stole credit or debit cards to immediately go to stores such as Target, Best Buy, The Home Depot and others to max out the stolen cards by purchasing electronics, gift cards, designer purses and other high-end luxury goods before the stolen cards could be frozen or cancelled, according to the release.

Federal prosecutors believe Thola-Duran then arranged for the thieves to deliver stolen or fraudulently obtained goods to associates at DPR or to mail them to other co-conspirators, including defendant Miguel Angel Barajas, 57, of Northridge, or to other conspirators at a FedEx store in Sherman Oaks.

The DOJ statement claims defendants Barajas, John Carlo Thola, 33, of Canoga Park, and others picked up the parcels and then delivered them to Thola-Duran and other conspirators, at Thola-Duran’s direction.

Thola-Duran then acted as a “fence” to buy the goods — at a frac-

tion of their retail value — and pay the thieves a percentage of the items’ value, according to the DOJ release.

He then sold the stolen goods to other buyers for approximately $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy, including approximately $5.1 million sent to various bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators, according to the DOJ release.

“The defendants allegedly used their ill-gotten gains to purchase and maintain assets, including real estate and horses, and structured cash withdrawals to avoid triggering the requirement that banks report transactions exceeding $10,000 to the U.S. Treasury Department,” according to the release.

The indictment further alleges that Thola-Duran, Arriagada, and others from May 2020 to June 2021 conspired to fraudulently obtain $274,998 in COVID-19 business relief loans.

The DOJ identified crime tourism theft groups as individuals often originating from outside of the United States, including from South America and elsewhere, who engage in burglaries, thefts and other crimes throughout the United States.

“As part of the modus operandi of crime tourism theft groups, individuals would enter the United States and engage in theft crime sprees. The fruits of the thefts were often shared with facilitators and co-conspirators who assisted the crime tourists in the commission of their crimes, as well as others, both inside and outside the United States,” according to the Aug. 28 federal release.

The concerns surrounding the group are not unfamiliar to local law enforcement officials, with SCV Sheriff’s Station Capt. Justin Diez fielding a question about such thefts during a recent Sheriff’s Foundation fundraiser event.

He said the crews often target homes that are near golf courses due to their access, and he also said recent changes to laws regarding how thefts are prosecuted have made it difficult to hold perpetrators accountable when they are caught, mentioning bail reform and policy changes by District Attorney George Gascón.

“Crime tourism is a major problem

impacting not just Southern California, but our entire nation,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in the release. “These defendants facilitated and directed crime tourists who committed hundreds of robberies across the country — in essence, they acted as quarterbacks for a team of thieves. We will continue to work with our local partners to hold accountable those who would come to our country and take advantage of our liberties to steal from the American people.”

“Today, we dismantled a non-traditional facilitator of organized crime, and now we have a blueprint for future investigations,” Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said in the release. “We hope these arrests will discourage future businesses from conducting similar operations, thus reducing the number of thefts and burglaries in our communities.”

The DA’s office for both Orange and Ventura counties issued state-

ments in cooperation with the federal government: “Driver Power Rentals provided cars that were allegedly used to take high-end merchandise and jewelry from Ventura County homeowners,” Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a release. “Taking down a key operator who fueled crime tourism is essential to neighborhood safety, and I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Estrada and his team for aggressively prosecuting this network.”

If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud- and money laundering-related count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each structuring count, and up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate count.

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and the L.A. County DA’s office were not among the organizations that participated in the operation, according to the release. 

11-Year-Old Paints Mural for Local Restaurant

By Trisha Anas Signal Staff Writer

It’s not every day that 11-year-olds can say they have painted a mural in an iconic neighborhood restaurant. But for Lily Diaz, this is not the case.

Lorena D’s has been a staple for Diaz and her family for years. So, when the restaurant’s owner Lorena Delgado asked her to paint a mural on the walls, Diaz was ecstatic to take the offer.

“I feel like it was a big opportunity, and I’m definitely getting more like, what’s the word? More recognized for my art now that I painted on a famous restaurant,” Diaz said.

Diaz said that she’d only been painting for three years, but fell in love with the activity as soon as she started. She enthusiastically added that she hopes to be an artist when she grows up.

“I love painting because it’s like my therapy, kind of,” Diaz said.

To Delgado, most of her customers feel more like family and she tries to make the restaurant feel like a home. The shelves of the walls are decorated with house plants and colorful Talavera vases.

Delgado said she had known Diaz and her mom

Marlee for years. Marlee Diaz had been right around Lily’s age when she first started coming to the restaurant, which was then called Betito’s Mexican Restaurant, nearly 30 years ago.

“[Lorena] knew Lily since she was in my belly,” Marlee Diaz said. “Lily would just doodle while waiting for food and once [Lorena] reopened the restaurant, she asked Lily to paint.”

Delgado worked as a server there for 27 years, before the owners died and she took over the now 40-year-old restaurant.

Lily Diaz painted the restaurant’s logo, which features a woman in a traditional Mexican dress holding up a drink. Lily said it took her about three days to finish it and is already getting more commission requests from family and family friends.

Marlee Diaz said she could not be prouder of her daughter.

“All I do is brag about it and show everybody who comes in,” Marlee Diaz said. “All our friends, everybody in town comes to this restaurant and it means so much. It feels so good that my friends notice that and praise [Lily] for it. It’s amazing.”

11-year-old Lily Diaz and her painting at Lorena D’s.

PHOTO BY TRISHA ANAS/THE SIGNAL

The Signal to Host Free Candidate Forums

By Signal Staff

The Signal is hosting a pair of free candidate forums on Sept. 27 and Oct. 10 to provide the community an opportunity to meet the candidates for Santa Clarita City Council, state legislative seats and U.S. Congress.

“We’ve invited all of the candidates in local elections to participate, and we are hosting these forums for free in order to give the entire community an opportunity to see and hear the candidates discuss their positions on issues affecting the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Signal Owner/Publisher Richard Budman.

Both forums will be held at Grace

Baptist Church, 22833 Copper Hill Drive, Santa Clarita, and will be livestreamed on The Signal’s Facebook page.

The schedule for the events is as follows:

Friday, Sept. 27

6-7:15 p.m. Debate, candidates for William S. Hart Union High School District governing board.

7:30-9 p.m. Debate, candidates for College of the Canyons governing board.

Thursday, Oct. 10

6-7:15 p.m. Debate, candidates for Santa Clarita City Council.

7:30-8:30 p.m. Meet and greet, can-

Builder Eyeing Apartments, Commercial Space

Near Canyon Country Community Center

By Perry Smith Signal Staff Writer

AGlendale-based family builder is looking to make its first foray into the Santa Clarita development scene with a mixed-use Canyon Country project currently seeking approvals.

The property being proposed for housing and some retail space sits just north of Soledad Canyon Road and west of Sierra Highway, barely 100 yards from the bustling intersection.

“It’s right in front of the city’s (Canyon Country) Community Center, which is a great location,” said George Yapundjian, a member of the family proposing the project, adding the property represents a great opportunity for its tenants and residents.

There are 16 residential units to-

tal being proposed for roughly 3,000 square feet of construction, he said in a phone interview Wednesday, adding they’re still working with the city on the approval process.

The project as proposed would have three floors: The first floor was being planned for commercial/retail space, the second and third floors would be residential. Two of the 16 units were being set aside for low-income housing.

“We’re kind of in the beginning stages of working with the city,” Yapundjian said, referring to the onestop application filed July 25. The applicants are listed as: Yapundjian; his father, Vahe; and his mother, Aza.

He was excited to work on the project, he said, adding his father has vast experience with commercial and residential projects, dating back to a

George Yapundjian also said there was no tenant in mind for the commercial space yet; they are planning to complete the approval process first.

City officials previously have described a one-stop review application as “a preliminary design review of a

plan concept,” calling

There

Pioneer Chicken.

Taylor Leads Canyon in Sweep Over Golden Valley

By Justin Vigil-Zuniga Signal Sports Writer

Canyon Cowboys girls’ volleyball has broken tradition early in the 2024 season. The Cowboys have looked revitalized as a program with strong defense, serving and pin hitting fueling the hot start to the season.

Canyon swept Golden Valley 25-17, 25-20, 25-22, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at home, with all three of those aspects and outside hitter Parys Taylor shining bright.

Taylor was ready for Golden Valley (6-3, 2-1) and showed it from the jump. The outside hitter fired down eight straight kills on as many attempts, showcasing efficiency from her big swing. The junior credits the win to her team’s high-energy play.

“I think our energy is good,” Taylor said. “If we’re down a couple points, we go, ‘OK, let’s go,’ and our energy is back up.”

Taylor finished the day with 21 kills, more than the entire Grizzlies team, while also adding steady serving and passing for Canyon (12-6, 2-2).

“When (Taylor’s) on, she’s on, and she can find that fire,” said Cowboys coach Samantha Holcombe. “There’s not really an off button, so when she does, it’s pretty exciting to watch … You feed her the ball, and you got a pretty good chance of her getting a kill, so we like to do that. Obviously, if we’re going against a good block, you have to move the ball around, but she found a lot of the court today, even for the back row.”

Both teams entered Tuesday’s Foothill League battle coming off historic wins over the Hart Hawks. Canyon beat Hart for the first time in 17 seasons while Golden Valley earned the program’s first-ever win over the Hawks.

The Grizzlies were ready for another go-around with the Cowboys but got off to a slow start. Canyon’s offense fired away with big kills from Taylor and captain Layla Tejeda, but little mistakes from the Cowboys kept Golden Valley in the game.

Tejeda got off to a slow start in the second set but was pivotal in helping Canyon pull away. The outside hitter added her first kill of the set to earn a 16-16 tie before a solo block gave the Cowboys the lead on the next play.

She later hit an ace off the tape of the net to give Canyon set point.

Tejeda finished the night with 10 kills and two aces.

Taylor was close to ending the set but was stuffed by a solid Grizzly block. However, the junior got her revenge quickly, after winning the second game on a block with middle Olivia Turner.

Canyon was in full control of the match but stumbled in the third.

Golden Valley capitalized on some sloppy serve receive and jumped out to a 5-0 lead.

The Cowboys were forced to play from behind for most of the set. Canyon libero Mary Audish hit back-toback aces to swing momentum before a Taylor kill gave the Cowboys their first lead, 10-9, in the third.

Golden Valley setter Naomi Smith kept her team afloat with some solid serving and added three aces in the final set. Smith’s twin sister, Sophie, led the Grizzlies with seven kills.

A Grizzly service error set up match point before senior Jorgia Horwedel closed out the night with her third ace, giving Canyon its first win over Golden Valley in two seasons.

“It was close and we had to work for it. (The Grizzlies are) a smart volleyball team,” Holcombe said. “They find the open area, so our defense had to figure that out, and once we adjusted, it worked out.”

Taylor missed a big chunk of 2023 with an injury. The outside hitter didn’t look like she missed any time at all and is continuing to improve as one of the premier hitters in the Foothill League.

“I did miss six weeks to eight weeks, but now coming back, I feel better and stronger for sure,” Taylor said. 

Canyon’s Parys Taylor (2) and Olivia MacDonald (28) go up for a block against Golden Valley’s Lanaia Jones (5) during their game at Canyon High School on Tuesday, SEPT 10. PHOTOS BY HABEBA MOSTAFA / THE SIGNAL

Golden Valley’s Sophia Petrillo (8) bumps the ball against Canyon.

CALENDAR

Canyon Country Community Center Holiday Gym Schedule

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Monday, Oct. 14

Activity: Table Tennis

Veterans Day

Monday, Nov. 11

Activity: Table Tennis

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

Canyon Country Community Center Open Gym Schedule

Open gym activities are available to people of all skill levels.

Gym Fees Day Use

Juniors (12-17) Free

Adult $3

Senior $2

15 Visit Pass

Adult

$34

Senior $12

Basketball

Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Bring your own ball or check one out with a student I.D./Government issued I.D.

Pickleball

Friday, 9:45 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Bring your own paddles

Table Tennis

Monday and Wednesday, 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

September 21

cardiovascular fitness. $130

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.