Sunday Signal, May 12, 2019

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MAY 12, 2019

Local Gyms for Kids Page 6

Your News, Entertainment & Lifestyle Source

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SHARING WHY WE LOVE MOM

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ON SET, ALL OVER THE STATE

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TAKING CARE OF YOUR SKIN

PLUS : CITY NEWS | OPINION | SCHOOL | ENTERTAINMENT | CALENDAR | HEALTH & FITNESS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS FEATURES

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The real reason kids love their moms Fitness options for kids Cosplay in the SCV Veteran center has big plans for their future

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SCV sheriff ’s deputies respond to another bear sighting Symposium aims to inform on drug, school trends Dangers of street racing focus of talk at COC City reveals proposed 2019-20 budget Gang member receives 60 to life Rio Norte students unveil mural at mall Foundation donates mobile grooming trailer to Castaic shelter New speed limits take effect in the SCV Off-duty police officer pulls kids from overturned vehicle Steel tree sculpture proposed for new community center Lunches seen tossed from school bus

LOCAL NEWS

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SPORTS 15

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15 Peterson leads COC golf to title no. 25

MAYOR 16 16 Getting ready for Amgen Tour of California

TRAVEL 17 17 Famous film locations across the state

TIME RANGER 18 DINING GUIDE 19 ENTERTAINMENT 22 2 Prince tribute coming to Canyon Santa Clarita 2 23 ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘Long Shot’

CALENDAR 24 KIDS & FAMILY 25 5 2 26

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Family fun places to visit in Fresno … yes, Fresno Tips to guard against bites and burns this summer Five ways to make your graduate feel great Donna’s day: Surprise mom with Puff Pancake Minis

BEST OF BALLOT 28 DESIGN 32 32 Artwork and Accessories: The aesthetics of the puzzle

HOME IMPROVEMENT

33 When it’s time for a new gate

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PROFILE 34 34 Dr. Allan Pollack and the SCV historical society

BEAUTY & FASHION

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36 Where skin care can make a difference

HEALTH 37 37 It’s allergy season

PETS 38 38 Got pets? Get prepared!

SENIOR LIVING

39 Addressing the needs of caregivers helping our military

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M AY 12, 2019

Richard Budman Perry Smith Tim Whyte Doña Uhrig Karen Bennett • Abner Gutierrez

SignalSCV. com

Publisher Sunday Signal Editor Signal Editor Production Manager Graphic Designers

26330 Diamond Place, Suite 100 | Santa Clarita, CA 91350

661-259-1234 The entire contents of the Sunday Signal is copyrighted 2019 by Paladin Multi-Media Group, Inc. All submitted letters and columns are strictly the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. All rights are reserved and no part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 5

N E W S F E AT U R E

The real reason SCV kids love their moms

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

K

ids love moms simply because they’re their moms.

That’s what most would have you think, but the real reasons prove it’s the little things that matter most.

We asked kids at Meadows Elementary School in Newhall what makes their mom so great, and their answers are almost sure to either melt your heart or make you laugh.

Transitional-kindergarten twins Juliet and Charlotte Gray love their mommy because … “She’s special,” and she’s special because … “I got born in her tummy,” Juliet said. “I like to snuggle with her.” While Charlotte loves to hug her mommy and thinks her mommy is special because …

“She helps me get ready for school.”

“I love my mom because she always helps me with everything and if I have trouble she’s always there for me,” said fourth-grader Katie Bunning. “She always tucks me in at night, and that’s why I love her.” Her mom is special because … “My mom is a substitute teacher, and one time, she substituted our class.”

I love my mom because … “She’s always making food, and I love food,” said fourth-grader Dani Jones. “And she helps me with homework because sometimes I get really stuck.” Her mom is special because … “If a really good friend dies, she can help me, my brother and my dad get through that.”

First-grader Audrey Bowen loves her mom because … “She always does a lot of things for me like plays games with me when I have nothing else to do, and when I ask her if I can show her how good I can jump rope, she actually watches me.” Her mom is special because … “She’s different from all the other moms and she’s really nice.”

I love my mom because … “when I’m sad she helps me, because when I’m sad I’m actually really sad,” first-grader Remington French said, and his mom is special because …

“She reads me a book before bed time and we do eeny, meeny, miny, moe.”

Kindergartner Josh Carson loves his mom because … “She takes us to fun places like the Fun Factory.”

His mom is special because … “She always tries her best on everything.”

“I love my mom because she takes care of me,” kindergartener Ally Browning said, and she’s special because … “She always tries her best to take care of me.”

I love my mom because … “She helps me do my homework when I’m having trouble sometimes and she helps me with words that I can’t pronounce,” second-grader Aubri Cabunoc said, adding her mom is special because … “She does a lot of things for me and she tries her best.”

When asked why he loves his mom, second-grader Brodie Barnett said, “There’s a lot of different things and it’s hard to choose … she does my laundry, she helps me with homework and she also taught me how to ride my first bike.” His mom is special because … “She’s my mom.”

Third-grader Kaden d’Autremont loves his mom because … “She cares about me and cleans my room,” and his mom is special … “for loving me and taking care of me.”

I love my mom because … “She gave birth to me,” fifth-grader Micah Cross said, and she’s special because … “She’s always there for me, no matter what she cares about me.”

Fifth-grader Michael Verdi loves his mom because … “She’s really nice and she cares for me a lot.” His mom is special because … “She’s been there since birth and I have a special connection to her.”

I love my mom because … “She does nice things for me, she helps me when I need help,” said sixth-grader Kameron Werner. “My mom is special because she loves to do things for me and loves to make sure that I’m doing okay and that’s really special.”

Sixth-grader Vivian Vega loves her mom because … “She always takes good care of me and she sacrifices a lot. She’ll give up something so she can do it for me.” Her mom is special because … “She does so much for me and she does a lot for her family — family is always her first priority.”

Whatever the reason, moms make the world go round, so wherever you are, make sure your mom knows why you love her on Mother’s Day. 

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PHOTOS BY EMILY ALVARENGA / THE SIGNAL

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M AY 12, 2019

N E W S F E AT U R E

Fitness options for kids in the SCV Fun & Fit Gymnastics

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

W

hen most think of exercise, they imagine running on the treadmill, lifting weights or going to the gym.

For kids, exercise simply means playing and being active. Kids exercise during recess, when they ride bikes or play tag. And it’s important to ensure that they’re getting enough exercise.

The Santa Clarita Valley is home to a number of gyms, but there are also options specifically for kids. Here’s some of the gym options for kids, many of which offer unique ways to keep your kids active.

Gymboree play & music

Younger kids anywhere from 6 weeks old until they’re 3 can participate in a 45-minute “Play & Learn” class with their parents or any other caregivers.

This class focuses on a combination of physical, cognitive and social development by learning through play, according to Aynur Oghlan, gym owner.

While teachers facilitate activities, Gymboree believes parents are a child’s best teacher and role model, so parent participation makes learning more successful, Oghlan said.

Every two weeks, they reconfigure the play equipment, creating a whole different experience that keeps children challenged.

Gymboree also has art classes for kids starting at 18 months until 3, music from 6 months until 3 years old as well as school readiness programs for 2-5 year olds. These classes allow children to be creative while working on their fine motor skills, memory and language development, according to Oghlan.

They invite anyone to go try a free class for anyone who wants to preview some of the activities they offer.

Gymboree is located in the Westfield Valencia Town Center at 24201 Valencia Blvd Suite No. 3402.

My Gym

Like Gymboree, My Gym also offers parent-child classes for infants 6 weeks old until 13 months.

Then at 14 months, children tran-

Left: Kids practicing soccer with Coach Aaron Booth, owner of Fit2Play Kids, at a local park in Santa Clarita. PHOTO COURTESY AARON BOOTH

Right: Fun & Fit Gymnastics offer gymnastics and tumbling classes to children anywhere from 1 to 18 years old.

PHOTO COURTESY FUN & FIT GYMNASTICS

sition into their “Waddlers” class, which introduces balancing, tumbling, hanging and agility skills to kids.

When a child reaches almost 2 years old, not only has their attention span grown to where they can focus for longer periods of time, but they are also able to confidently run and jump. This means they can begin to learn gymnastics with equipment setups that change weekly to keep things fresh.

My Gym’s classes continue to progress until a child is 4 and a half years old and they reach the “Ninja Training,” which focuses on developing agility, strength and stamina with activities that include relays, games, obstacle courses and conditioning exercises. Kids can continue with this class until they are 9 and a half.

My Gym also offers parent’s night outs, summer camps and birthday parties.

My Gym is a children’s fitness center located at 28331 Constellation Road in Valencia.

Fit2Play Kids

Fit2Play is unique in that it doesn’t have a set location, instead, the program offers classes at schools and

local parks.

Lead coach and owner Aaron Booth offer kids age 2-12 sports and fitness classes. The younger children are taught the fundamentals, and the older they get, the more intricate and more advanced the classes get, Booth said.

“Kids have a lot of energy, so it gives them an opportunity to play and try out each sport,” Booth said.

They focus on one sport for five weeks, then kids have the option of either sticking with it or switching to a different one. By the end of the five weeks, they leave knowing the basics of that sport, Booth said.

Fit2Play is more than just a sports program, according to Booth. They focus not only on teaching kids how to listen, be disciplined and work well with each other but also healthy lifestyle choices like how to be active and eat right.

They offer various sports classes, all of which begin with warm ups, then basic drills and fun games pertaining to that sport and end with a discussion where the kids are allowed to ask questions.

More information can be found at fit2playkids.com.

Fun & Fit Gymnastics offer gymnastics and tumbling classes to children anywhere from 1 to 18 years old.

Their “Tumble Tots” program begins when a child first starts walking as a parent-child class for them to learn hand-eye coordination, eye-tracking and locomotor movements.

These classes are “child directed,” which means they are able to explore whatever apparatus excites them, according to Lahela Garner, marketing director.

Kids then move into actual gymnastics courses at 3 when they begin learning how to take turns and follow directions. As they progress, classes are structured by both age and ability level.

Fun & Fit also offers tumbling and trampoline classes for kids 6 and over as well as “Ninja Fit,” where kids are able to go through an obstacle course and complete challenges to get their heart rates up, Garner said.

Like My Gym, they too offer parent’s night outs, day camps, gymnastics or tumbling clinics and birthday parties.

Fun & Fit is a non-competitive gymnastics center located at 26620 Valley Center Drive in Saugus.

YMCA

The YMCA offers swimming lessons to children anywhere from 6 months to 14 years of age featuring three phases, “Swim Starters,” “Swim Basics” and “Swim Strokes,” which are then broken into stages based on the child’s age and ability, according to Emily Larbaoui, healthy lifestyle counselor.

For those wanting to do it once a week, they offers lessons on Saturdays, and twice a week on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday.

The YMCA welcomes all skill levels, and even has a swim evaluation for those who don’t know what level their child would be at twice a week, Larbaoui said.

The Santa Clarita Valley Family YMCA is located at 26147 McBean Parkway in Valencia. 

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 7

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M AY 12, 2019

N E W S F E AT U R E

Cosplay in the SCV: caring, community and commerce

By Matt Fernandez Signal Staff Writer

M

ichael Gomes enjoys the convenience of modern society, but sometimes feels like he wants to rebel against the kind of uniformity his homeowners association demands, letting his imagination and creativity run free.

Feeling pent up by suburban constraint, every once in a while he enjoys the freedom and self-expression of transporting back to a long-past era with like-minded individuals.

Like how sports fans often want to go beyond watching the games and try playing themselves, Gomes sees cosplay as a way for pop culture fans to take their passion further. Assuming a different persona or contextual reality can be a transformative experience.

For fans who participate in cosplay, whether it’s a convention, a Renaissance fair or a re-enactment, social media feeds demonstrate the fun in the time-honored tradition of dressing up, suspending reality and letting one’s creativity and imagination run wild.

Whether it’s the most famous cosplay event there is, the annual ComicCon convention in San Diego, or a local “ren fair,” fans seem to understand the hesitation, but they also say it’s something that’s easy to love if you’re willing to give it a try.

“I first went to a Renaissance fair in 1975 and as a tiny kid, it blew my mind that there were thousands of adults playing, actually playing with me, which is something that adults didn’t typically do,” Gomes said. “Years later, I took my wife to a fair; and at first, she thought it was a nerd thing — but after she saw the shops and the dresses, she was quite hooked. Renaissance fairs and re-enactments are cosplay for old people like me.”

Gomes, who specializes in pirate and cowboy cosplay, credits playing “Dungeons and Dragons,” reading fantasy novels like “The Lord of the Rings” and attending 35 Renaissance fairs for instilling in him the imagination and love for escapism that inspired him to start putting on the costumes.

Welcoming community

With his wife on board, Gomes

Matt Denny participates in living history, also known as historical re-enactment. He dresses as a Revolutionary War redcoat.

PHOTO COURTESY MATT DENNY

decided to finally give cosplay a try and “jumped fully into the deep end,” and purchased high-quality pirate captain’s outfit complete with a fitted coat, replica weapons and captain’s hat.

He and his wife became so committed to the activity they decided their wedding would be pirate- themed, and everyone from the guests to the photographers came in costume.

Though his Renaissance fair cosplay community is limited to a few friends in Santa Clarita, he feels that having friends to go with and seeing other people in costume at the fairs is essential. Mainstream society is still just becoming accustomed to seeing adults dress up in costume outside of Halloween. Gomes said that in his experience inclusion, tolerance and respect are core values held by a vast majority of cosplayers he has met.

“A lot of us are misfits and nerds, but they’re all very chill, welcoming people and we will fly across the country to find that acceptance,” he said. “Safety and camaraderie are commodities that we needed even before we put on the costumes. As someone who grew up using the ‘Ren fairs’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ as an escape from a world that could be very rough at times, cosplay was just the next logical step.”

Living history

It wasn’t enough for accountant Matt Denny to passively study history. He wanted to become part of the action.

Denny participates in living history,

also known as historical re-enactment. He dresses up as a Revolutionary War redcoat and a World War I Bavarian infantryman and, along with other re-enactors, will participate in mock battles as a way to educate the public and also for fun.

He first discovered reenactment seven years ago after he attended a Renaissance fair with his daughter and discovered that some of the people he knew were there dressed as British redcoats.

As a Revolutionary War re-enactor, Denny helps put together a military camp and stages mock battles with a predetermined winning and losing side.

While reenactment may share similarities between cosplays and live-action role play (LARP), Denny said that the issue of historical accuracy is a big difference between the activities. While cosplayers seek to emulate fictional characters by wearing costumes, reenactors will whenever possible recreate their military attire using the period-accurate processes and materials.

“If you want to upset a reenactor, call what they’re wearing a costume,” Denny said. “It’s an ‘impression,’ and what we do in reenacting is come as close as possible to what these people wore and what they did.”

Over the years, Denny has been devoted hundreds of hours to making and tweaking his own tricorn hat, forage cap, marine coat, waistcoat and breeches. He has also collected

authentic war relics like his 1913 rifle and fork and spoon set that was actually used by a German soldier in WWI. The best part of reenactment for Denny is the opportunity to teach the public more about these periods of history and learning more from the other actors. He said that it is especially rewarding when he is able to spark enough interest in someone to join in the activity.

“When we do the drills or explain how a musket works to a kid, that’s really cool to me,” Denny said. “You can’t get that at a school.”

A hometown staple

Since 1983, A Chorus Line has been a go-to for Santa Claritans searching for costumes for dance recitals, school plays or parties. But according to manager Jana Einaudi, in recent years, the cosplay community has turned to the store to help with their craft.

“There’s nothing normal or typical about a costume so we get some really off-the-wall requests, and a lot of cosplay customers will have a really specific idea about the look they’re trying to create,” Einaudi said. “I think I noticed the cosplayers start coming in around 2010, and it has just grown from there. We used to have our best stock only during Halloween, but now that there’s a demand, we try to keep it all year-round.”

Though Halloween is typically the busiest time of year for costuming, See COSPLAY, page 30

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 9

N E W S F E AT U R E S

Santa Clarita’s Veteran Center has big plans for their future

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

T

he Santa Clarita Veterans Center was opened by the Veteran Services Collaborative in December 2017, and provides a place where local veterans can go for support, supplies or just somewhere they can spend time and talk with other veterans.

There are an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 veterans located just in the Santa Clarita Valley, according to David M. Jackson, retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and vice president of the collaborative.

“We hope this can become one central location in the city of Santa Clarita, where all veterans and their families can come collaborate, share ideas and share resources,” Jackson said.

The Veteran Services Collaborative was founded by Elliott and Judith Wolfe in 2015, and originally began at College of the Canyons as a way for University of Southern California social work students to assist in providing mental health and counseling services to veteran students at COC. “We originally started this program because knew there were no services in this community for the veterans,” said Elliott Wolfe, president of the collaborative.

It quickly expanded, and the collaborative, which is entirely volunteer-based, is now made up of local businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals who provide pro bono or discounted services to veterans in the community and together strive to better the lives of veterans and their families, according to Jackson.

“When a veteran comes in, we’re going to assist them with different avenues, whether they need housing, food or medical services and we’re trying to fulfill all those needs through the program,” said David Rosen, the collaborative’s social media manager.

The services provided by the collaborative include assistance with things like employment, housing, medical, dental, legal, finance and home care.

“They go and they serve and they come home and they’re still not get-

(From left) Elliott Wolfe, founder of the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative, Secretary Shannon Avazian, Vice President Dave Jackson, retired Army Lt. Col. and director of marketing, David Rosen discuss plans for a new location for the Santa Clarita Veteran Center in Newhall on Friday. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

ting the treatment they deserve,” said Shannon Avazian, secretary of the collaborative. “That needs to change.”

The center already has a food pantry, computers, library and resource table as well as a part-time veteran service officer (VSO) who can assist veterans in securing benefits from the government.

“This is a safe place where veterans can help other veterans,” Jackson said.

“They need someone they can relate

T

to who can talk to them about the challenges they’re encountering.”

“The goal is to have a permanent therapist at the center so veterans and their families can feel comfortable coming in and talking to someone they’re familiar with,” Jackson said.

Rosen concurred, “They need to establish that rapport and not keep changing providers, so they don’t have to start over each time.”

Jackson hopes this can help not

Backpack Walk to honor veterans

he collaborative is holding a Memorial Day weekend Backpack Walk to honor local veterans on Saturday, May 25, in Newhall.

“It’s going to be a fun day,” Wolfe said. “It’s on Memorial Day weekend so that we can honor the veterans that we service regularly at the center all year.”

The 3-mile walk will follow a wheelchair-friendly route, so anyone can participate, Wolfe said.

People are encouraged to bring backpacks to simulate the real backpack marches done by those in the service, and there will be prizes for various categories including heaviest backpack, etc., according to Jackson.

Registration is $30, and participants will receive a Tommy’s hamburger, ice cream from Augusta Financial and a gift bag upon com-

pletion.

Non-participants can also purchase a meal ticket for $12.

All of the proceeds from the walk will go toward expanding the services provided by the Veteran Services Collaborative and improving the Veteran Center, according to Jackson.

Registration for the Backpack Walk opens at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, and the walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the southeast corner of the Realty Executives’ parking lot on Lyons Avenue and Wiley Canyon Road in Newhall.

To learn more about the Backpack Walk or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.scv-vets.org/ or call 661-670-8680.

only the veterans but also their families in understanding and coping with things like post-traumatic stress disorder so they can figure out how to live with someone with PTSD. “There are a lot of kids that our acting out in schools because they don’t understand why their parents are acting this way,” Jackson said.

Avazian added, “They need a group where they can go and talk to someone about what’s going on with mom or dad.”

Jackson also plans to begin providing job placement assistance to veterans through which they can get assistance with job leads as well as building their resumes or LinkedIn profiles and translating their military service to the civilian world.

COC helped create a job-developer position for Jackson while he was attending classes at the college, which allowed him to help fellow veteran students, and he wants to bring those same services to the center.

While VSOs are typically paid, Joseph Sapien volunteers his time at the center so that the veterans of Santa Clarita don’t have to make the trek to the nearest VA center.

“What was happening was, three Saturdays a month we would have lines of people wanting to get services instead of driving down into L.A.,” Rosen said. Wolfe agreed, “They’d start lining up at 4 a.m.; it was amazing, but we were turning away more than we were helping.”

Sapien was the only VSO until he and Wolfe were able to secure three more volunteer VSOs to come and help out at the center, so now veterans can not only come to the center on the first, second and third Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to meet with a qualified VSO but also every Monday from 9 a.m. to noon.

They all agree, what they need is a bigger location and permanent structure with paid staff so they can continue to help the veterans and provided much needed services to the Santa Clarita Valley.

The Veteran Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 23222 Lyons Avenue in Newhall. 

10 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

LOCALNEWS

SCV sheriff’s deputies respond to another bear sighting

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

S

anta Clarita Valley Sheriff ’s Station deputies investigated a return visit from a bear to a Valencia neighborhood late Tuesday evening.

Shortly after 11:30 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the 26000 block of Laguna Court in Valencia, after officials became aware of social media posts involving reports of a bear in the neighborhood, according to Deputy Christopher Tomlinson of the SCV Sheriff ’s Station.

After learning of reports about a bear in a tree, the watch commander “decided to send units into the area to ascertain the validity of the posts,” Tomlinson said.

Deputies did in fact find a bear, but the animal was in the tree and

A black bear peeks out from behind a tree on the 26000 block of Laguna Court in Valencia. PHOTO BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

not causing a disturbance as of about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, he added.

Officials with the Department of

Fish and Wildlife were contacted but did not respond, according to Sheriff ’s Station officials. Without any means to safely take the animal into custody, deputies on the scene maintained a perimeter to try to prevent an incident.

“He was acting peacefully at the time, he didn’t appear to be agitated, so we just kept our distance,” Tomlinson said. “‘Don’t poke the bear,’ as they say.”

At some point, the bear reportedly climbed down the tree and was in a backyard between Laguna Court and Via Catalina, not far from Valencia Valley Elementary School, around 1 a.m.

Deputies remained in the area to monitor the situation, as well as to advise residents to stay indoors, and make sure their pets were safely indoors, also.

The bear’s whereabouts were unknown during the daytime hours on Wednesday, sheriff ’s officials said.

“The goal is to protect them and help them make their way back to the wild,” said Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff ’s Station. “As a precaution, keep an eye on your small pets.”

This latest sighting is about a mile from where a bear was spotted Tuesday morning, around 6 a.m. at the Santa Fe Condominium complex, which is on the 23800 block of West Del Monte Drive.

Two other residents also reported seeing a bear Monday near Stevenson Ranch Elementary School.

Signal photographers Cory Rubin and Lorena Mejia contributed to this report. 

Symposium aims to inform on drug, school trends Create a healthy technology habit

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

P

arents, children and educators gathered Wednesday at City Hall to engage in an open dialogue about the dangers of drugs during the city of Santa Clarita’s ninth Parent Resource Symposium.

“As a community, we can work together to address safety concerns and learn about the dangers of drugs,” said Mayor Marsha McLean. “We must replace negative messages and peer pressure with encouragement to stay strong and have our children surround themselves with people who will create a new culture, free from the influence of outside substances.”

The Growing Together event, hosted by the city, gave attendees the opportunity to hear honest feedback from a panel of experts in health, counseling, education and law enforcement about drug and school trends, internet safety and issues affecting children interactions.

The panel consisted of Dr. Darrin Privett, emergency room doctor at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital; Renee Marshall, College of the Canyons chair of Early Childhood Education;

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station was one of the local agencies that shared resources available for attendees of the ninth annual Parent Resource Symposium, which aims to teach residents about the dangers of drugs. PHOTO BY TAMMY MURGA / THE SIGNAL

Brenda Tumasone, with the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center; and Detective William Velek with the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department.

Prior to the hour-long discussion, attendees interacted with local organizations and the resources they have to offer, such as the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, Family Promise of Santa Clarita Valley, College of the Canyons and Drug Free Youth in SCV. Here’s what panelists had to say:

Drug abuse is preventable

More than 24 million people ages 12 and up have used an illegal drug over the past year, according to a nationwide survey presented by Privett.

When considering the Santa Clarita youth population, about 10% will engage in substance abuse over the next month, he added.

“The good news is that drug abuse is a preventable behavior and drug addiction is a treatable disease,” said Privett.

“I believe that preventative medicine is the best type of medicine, and it starts with education and knowledge.”

In an era where smart devices are ubiquitous, it’s difficult to detach.

But Marshall said it’s important to establish a healthy, technological plan with one’s family to help address issues children are facing today such as depression, anxiety and self-harm.

Marshall’s own family plan consists of checking off a list of chores or activities like reading a book or playing outside before allowing any technology privileges. Her family also designates one room in the house for smart devices and game consoles.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Detective Velek said it’s not only important for families to know what resources are available to them, such as calling the SCV Sheriff ’s Station or the city, but also to not be afraid to ask for help.

“If there’s a problem in your home, don’t be embarrassed,” he said. “Your neighbors have the same problem.

It’s everywhere, and we have to pay attention to it.”

Another parent resource symposium is scheduled in September, according to Jennifer Thompson with the city’s Arts and Events division. 

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 11

Dangers of street racing focus of talk at COC

By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

O

fficers with the LAPD Street Racing Task Force shared one of their many videos with a college group that gathered Wednesday for a talk on the dangers of street racing.

Their videos were not the big-budget mass market type of film that glamorizes street racing.

The images they shared at the “Street Racing Kills” talk at College of the Canyons were gritty, real, head-turning scenes shot on cellphones of real “sideshows, takeovers and street races.”

One video clip showed a car speeding through a crowded city street, then slamming into onlookers sent sprawling bent-over onto the hood, propelled upward or knocked to the ground.

“We went to one (sideshow) last week where two people died,” said Officer Garcia of the Los Angeles Police Department Street Racing Task Force.

Sideshows are organized street events, commonly promoted on social media, during which streets are illegally blocked off to create an arena inside a hijacked intersection where drivers are allowed to perform stunts such as “burnouts” and “donuts.”

During such events — which, according to Garcia, happen regularly, if not weekly — onlookers form a ring around the intersection and unsuspecting motorists are stopped at the roadblock.

The task force officers were the guests of talk organizer Lili Trujillo, whose daughter was killed in a street-racing crash six years ago.

Dramatic presentation

Trujillo is the founder of Street Racing Kills, an organization devoted to educating people about the dangers of street racing. Although she routinely gives the talk at high schools, Wednesday was the first time Trujillo presented it on a college campus.

To make her point, COC actors recreated the night Trujillo was called to the hospital where her daughter, Valentina, had died from injuries suffered in a traffic collision

linked to street racing.

An actor ushered into the lecture hall at COC’s Boykin Hall in a wheelchair portrayed her daughter’s friend who survived the crash. Another actor played Lili Trujillo herself, collapsing to the floor at the news of her daughter’s death.

Asked by one of the handful of students who attended the talk why she launched the Street Racing Kills project, she said: “It’s the love you have for your child, the pain in losing them and the hope that you can make some sort of change.”

On Dec. 7, 2013, Trujillo’s daughter Valentina was the passenger in a car driven by a man challenged to a street race. The driver ran a red light and collided with an SUV. Trujillo’s daughter died on impact.

Wednesday’s talk was anchored with a giant poster of Trujillo’s deceased daughter.

Next to the poster was a smaller one of another young woman killed because of street racing. It was of Michelle Littlefield.

they go to them. They tell themselves, ‘I’m only putting my life in danger.’”

The task force videos depicted the street-racing crowd refusing orders to move from LAPD officers in cruisers responding to the event.

“We cited that guy,” Garcia said, pointing to the video image projected onto the wall of a young man wearing a baseball hat, laughing and refusing to get out of the way of responding LAPD officers.

The task force members said their patrol cars are regularly pelted with rocks and trash, fired on with fireworks rockets and gunfire.

“This doesn’t affect just a certain part of the city,” Garcia said. “This is all over the county.”

SCV sideshow

In June 2017, in a coordinated effort to rid the Santa Clarita Valley of illegal street racing, local sheriff ’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers arrested at least 109 people at an illegal street racing

LOCALNEWS

Lili Trujillo speaks about her daughter Valentina, right, who was killed during a street race in 2016. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

“sideshow” event in the Valencia Commerce Center near Castaic.

A total of 102 arrests were made for participating or simply watching the illegal speed event, CHP Capt.

Edward Krusey said at the time of the arrests. Seven people were arrested for organizing the illegal event or driving in it. 

Street racing fatals

On Feb. 27, 2016, Dealio Lockhart raced his Dodge Challenger with another driver on Interstate 5 in Commerce, causing a chain-reaction collision that killed Littlefield, 19, and Brian Lewandowski, 18, both of Valencia, and Scott Treadway, 52, a UPS truck driver from Mira Loma.

“Every day, we wake up and see her bedroom empty,” Michelle Littlefield’s mother, Gigi, told the small group.

“It is a very hard reality for us,” she said, referring to herself and her husband, Willie Littlefield.

“It crushed our hearts and destroyed our lives completely,” she said.

“I want to do something.”

Widespread problem

The three LAPD Street Racing Task Force officers described their ongoing efforts to stop illegal street racing as frustrating, never-ending and grinding.

“It is in every division of (Los Angeles),” Garcia said.

Reflecting on the scene of a car hitting spectators, he called it a common occurrence, noting he has videos too graphic to show publicly.

“They know it’s dangerous and still

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M AY 12, 2019

LOCALNEWS

City reveals proposed 2019-20 budget

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

S

anta Clarita City Manager Ken Striplin revealed Tuesday that the proposed overall budget for fiscal year 201920 is $225.8 million, an increase of more than 11% over the current budget.

“I am pleased to share that I am presenting a growing, balanced budget to the City Council and commissions,” Striplin said during a study session held at City Hall, the latest held since February.

The increase of about $22.9 million, he said, is primarily due to $7 million in capital improvement projects and

$5 million said to go toward the city’s pension funding. The recommended plan would also cover operations and maintenance, and personnel services.

All general fund revenues are projected to increase next fiscal year by nearly 3 %, due to property taxes in recent annexations, according to Striplin.

Figures presented in February under the general fund revenues and expenditures did not change significantly. Revenues are projected at $114 million, with sales tax — the city’s largest general revenue source — at 32 % and property tax at 33 %. Operating expenditures are recommended to total $113.6 million, with public

Gang member receives 60 to life

By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

A

Newhall gang member who shot and killed a rival gang member two years ago was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years to life in prison.

Nicholas Colletta, 22, of Saugus, appeared in San Fernando Superior Court, where he was sentenced to “60 years to life in state prison,” said Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

In November, a jury found Colletta guilty of first-degree murder in the July 2017 shooting death of Ivan Solis at Begonias Lane Park in Santa Clarita.

Colletta was found guilty of one count each of first-degree murder with the allegation that the crime was committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang, possession of a firearm by a felon with three priors, unlawful possession of ammunition and carrying a loaded firearm.

Jurors also found true that the defendant personally and intentionally discharged a handgun and caused great bodily injury.

Co-defendant, fellow gang member and ex-girlfriend Jacqueline Arreola, 26, of Newhall, pleaded no contest on April 3 to one count of being an accessory after the fact. She testified

as a witness in Colletta’s trial.

Deputy District Attorneys Adan Montalban and Brenda Lee of the Hardcore Gang Division prosecuted the case.

On July 11, 2017, Solis, 25, was shot to death at the park by Colletta after the defendant issued a gang challenge, prosecutors said. Following the shooting, both defendants fled the scene in a vehicle, prosecutors added.

At Colletta’s preliminary hearing in April 2018, Arreola testified that “Colletta took out the gun,” noting it was from the waistband of his pants.

She told the court that she was about 10 feet away from Colletta when the shots were fired.

She testified further that, “He pointed the gun at him and he shot four times.”

At that point, the victim, Solis, ran behind the restrooms at the park, she said at the preliminary hearing. Solis, according to Arreola, shouted: “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot.”

Instead, Arreola heard three more gunshots. When the shooting stopped, Colletta yelled Arreola’s name and ran toward her.

Sentencing for Arreola is scheduled on May 20 in Department F of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, San Fernando Branch.

The case was investigated by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff ’s Station. 

safety consuming the largest portion of the general fund budget at 24 %, or nearly $28 million.

“We pay a lot of attention to sales tax because it’s also a very early indicator of what’s happening with the economy,” said Striplin. “We saw our first decrease of quarterly sales tax revenue due to a decrease in off sales locally. We’re going to really pay attention to what’s happening with that.”

‘Subject to change’

The city manager said these estimates are based on information “we have now and are subject to change as new economic information comes in.”

The city’s budget priorities, under its Santa Clarita 2020 plan, include public safety, building and creating community, and sustaining public infrastructure.

Some areas covered during the study session under safety were an additional $250,000 in general funds for “strategic, data-driven overtime

(crime) operations;” a total of $1.5 million requested for landscape, maintenance and development reserve projects; and $2.5 million to replace four early-generation transit buses to near-zero-emission buses.

City Council members thanked the staff for their efforts in putting together the budget, while also raising some questions. Councilman Bill Miranda asked whether the city needed to do more about speeding enforcement. Striplin said the city has been working on educating motorists and creating infrastructure strategies to prevent vehicle collisions, as well as recently adding one motorcycle deputy to help with citations, which the city manager said have helped in decreasing speeds.

After a Planning Commission meeting and City Council public hearing in early- and mid-June, the City Council is expected to adopt the proposed budget at its June 25 regular meeting. 

Rio Norte students unveil mural at mall

By Ryan Mancini Signal Staff Writer

R

io Norte Junior High School students watched as their contribution to the Westfield Valencia Town Center, a 6-foot-by-20-foot mural displayed on the community wall, was unveiled to the public on Friday.

Located near the main building’s

entrance by The Shops at The Patios portion of the Town Center, each piece of artwork reflected different races and cultures, embodied in five portraits, including a masked person in the middle. For all of March and April, the students worked as a team to map out their ideas for the mural, under the guidance and direction of art teacher Daryl Bibicoff.

See MURAL, next page

Rio Norte Junior High art teacher Daryl Bibicoff, right, sits with his students in front of their mural at Westfield Valencia Town Center. PHOTO BY RYAN MANCINI / THE SIGNAL

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 13

LOCALNEWS

Foundation donates mobile grooming trailer to Castaic shelter

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

C

P, an 11-year-old shorthaired terrier mix, was surrendered to the Castaic Animal Care Center after her owner died this week.

The first step on her road to being adoption-ready was to be given a bath in the center’s new mobile grooming trailer, which was recently donated by the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation.

The trailer was unveiled on Tuesday morning at the center as CP was given the ceremonial “first bath.”

“There is nothing more important than the care of our animals,” said Santa Clarita City Councilwoman Laurene Weste, who is also an L.A. County Animal Care Foundation board member. “Here in L.A. County, we’re doing the best we can to give new life, new hope and joy to these animals. This is another major step in getting these animals into their forever homes.”

The trailer will help provide grooming, which may seem like a luxury, but can actually make a huge difference for the animals.

“People don’t realize how important grooming is for animals,” said Marcia Mayeda, director of the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control. “Sometimes we get them in so bad that you can’t even tell what they are with the matting.”

There are also often underlying medical conditions that the center doesn’t know about until the animal is bathed, according to Mayeda. After

MURAL

Continued from previous page

Haroon Reza, a seventh-grader in the class, said the task of contributing to the mural was scary. He and his peers decided to chose the theme of “unique,” and have the mural reflect that concept.

“All of us are different races, but then we just combined all these weird, different ideas and put them into one person,” Reza said. “All these different cultures — we wanted to see (what it looked like) mixing them.

CP gets dried off after being first dog bathed in the new mobile grooming trailer.

The Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation donated the trailer to the shelter.

CP was the recipient of the ceremonial “first bath.” PHOTO BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

they’re groomed, medical staff is then able to find out what’s going on and give them the medical care they need.

“Animals tend to suffer in silence,” Weste said. “Underneath the mats, filth, dirt and tangles, many times there are wounds or sores that you can’t see and need to be treated. This allows us to do immediate work right here at the shelter.”

Before the new addition, the center didn’t have a place on the property where they could bathe animals.

Now, they have a trailer that is fully equipped with washing tubs, dryers and grooming stands.

“When the animals come in, they are dull and depressed because they feel so horrible,” Mayeda said. “But after a couple hours of TLC, they are a completely transformed animal — it’s just night and day.”

If you look in the background there, you see different things. You can see Russian dolls, flowers, you see all these different things and we poured it into one person (in the middle).”

Bibicoff instructed his students to create a mural that needed to flow and be appropriate for public display.

The mural, however, was not named by the students or Bibicoff.

“There is no actual title,” Bibicoff said. “The reason for that is because the premise of the mural was team-building skills, artists having trust among their peers and creating a cohesive piece.” 

The grooming trailer is mobile to allow for convenient movement to different locations on the property as well as the opportunity to take it to the center’s homeless initiative work or in case of need during local natural

disasters like fires to clean ash-covered animals, Mayeda said.

The center will now begin training some of their volunteers to groom the animals, according to Karen Stepp, the center’s manager.

“We’ll be able to do a lot more with this (trailer),” Stepp said. “I’m just so proud of this place and what everyone is doing to help.”

CP and her “brother,” Freeway, who were surrendered together, are both available for adoption. The center is hoping to get them adopted together as they have never been apart.

For more information about the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation or to donate to the cause, visit lacountyanimals.org or call (562) 728-4610. The Castaic Animal Care Center is located at 31044 Charlie Canyon Road in Castaic. For more information on CP, Freeway or any of the other animals available for adoption, visit animalcare.lacounty.gov or call (661) 257-3191. 

New speed limits take effect in the SCV

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

S

anta Clarita officials are “in the process of replacing speed limit signs to reflect recent changes in limits,” according to a Facebook post from the city Thursday.

In February, city officials approved adjustments to the speed limits on 16 road segments, including portions of Newhall Ranch Road, Copper Hill Drive, Ruether Avenue and Via Princessa. The only street to change by 10 mph, from the posted 35 mph to 45 mph, is Lost Canyon Road from Via Princessa to Medley Ridge Drive, according to city officials.

The city advised residents of the following streets that will be seeing a lower speed limit: Copper Hill Drive, between Copperstone Drive and McBean Parkway, which is now 50 mph.

Creekside Road, between McBean Parkway and Auto Center Drive, is now 30 mph.

Hercules Street, between Kelly Johnson Parkway and Constellation Road, is now 40 mph.

Newhall Ranch Road, between Bouquet Canyon Road and Golden Valley Road, is now 50 mph.

Ruether Avenue, between Soledad Canyon Road and Santa Clara Street, is now 30 mph.

At the time of approval, officials noted the new speed limits would take effect once the signs are posted.

The city also established speed limits for two roadway segments that were once part of unincorporated Los Angeles County: Canyon Park Boulevard, from Jakes Way to Lost Canyon Road, will have a 45 mph limit, and Fahren Court, between Jakes Way and Sandy Drive, will have signs reading 25 mph.

Changes are recommended via a state-required engineering and traffic survey study, according to Mark Hunter, city transportation planning analyst, in a previous interview with The Signal. 

14 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

LOCALNEWS

Off-duty police officer pulls kids from overturned vehicle

By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

A

n off-duty police officer raced to the rescue of a woman and two children Monday after their SUV flipped onto its roof near Castaic, pulling the two children to safety, California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Greengard said.

The off-duty officer then helped firefighters free the woman, who remained trapped upside down inside the overturned Ford Explorer.

The woman and the two kids were taken to the hospital — the woman in one ambulance, kids in another.

The extent of the woman’s injuries was not known at this time. The children, however, suffered minor injuries, Greengard said.

At about 3:30 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to reports of a woman trapped inside an overturned SUV that left the northbound lanes of Interstate 5, near Lake Hughes Road, and went up an embankment, landing on its roof.

“Per the California Highway Patrol, we have one person still in the vehicle,” Brian Stevens, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said at 3:38 p.m.

The off-duty officer worked with firefighters to free the driver, Greengard said.

“The vehicle drove up the center divider dirt embankment, then came to rest after flipping on its roof,” he said. 

An off-duty police officer helped firefighters free a woman and two kids from an overturned Ford Explorer on Monday after the vehicle flipped onto its roof near Castaic. PHOTO BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

Steel tree sculpture proposed for new community center

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

T

he new Canyon Country Community Center is still being developed, but the city of Santa Clarita is already looking into public art installation possibilities for the locale.

On Thursday, the Santa Clarita Arts

Lunches seen tossed from school bus

By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

I

f your child returned from a school trip Tuesday without their lunchbox, it might be somewhere on the shoulder of Highway 14, near Sand Canyon, where school kids were seen tossing lunches and lunchboxes from a school bus window.

Shortly after 1:50 p.m., a motorist traveling on Highway 14 phoned the California Highway Patrol to report

seeing lunches and lunchboxes flying from school bus southbound on Highway 14.

“We did get the call. It came out as a yellow school bus,” CHP Officer Josh Greengard of the CHP Newhall Station said Tuesday. “Units got into position, but we never were able to locate the bus.

“Either the bus exited the freeway, or the bus was a lot further ahead of the actual location when it got called in,” he added. 

Commission is set to discuss the Artist Selection Committee’s proposed artist CJR Design and the suggested art project, titled “Communitree,” for the incoming community center, located near the intersection of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway.

The sculpture is a more-than25-foot-tall, stainless steel oak tree designed to be an “iconic ‘Gateway’ for Santa Clarita’s new community center that will light up at night. This unique, colorful oak tree will symbolize the strength of the community,” according to a description in artist C.J. Rench’s project proposal.

The tree’s steel and acrylic plexiglass leaves are said to have a kinetic effect, called “flutter,” to recreate the movement of leaves blowing in the wind, as well as its branches. Historical text included with the roots of the tree by laser-cut printing is also included in the concept.

The overall sculpture would use up to 30% recycled stainless and mild steel.

Rench, whose artwork spans from public to private collections around the world, said in his proposal that

The proposed sculpture for the new Canyon Country Community Center is more than 25 feet tall and is made out of stainless steel. PHOTO COURTESY CJR DESIGN

“‘Communitree’ will enhance the intersection and visually complement the new community center with literally hundreds of colorful leaves in the daylight and creating beautiful views … at night all without distracting drivers or creating any obstruction of view.”

The proposed budget for the art project is $121,500, according to the city staff report. The committee selected Rench’s project for consideration out of four finalists in a pool of 145 applications. 

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 15

SPORTS

Peterson leads COC golf to title no. 25

By Diego Marquez Signal Staff Writer

P

ulling off an impressive feat for the second time in 30 years, College of the Canyons men’s golf team recently captured its 10th straight Western State Conference Championship — for the second such decade-long run in the program’s history.

The team has been dominant over the WSC during COC head coach Gary Peterson’s tenure at the college, who’s led the team to all 25 of the program’s men’s golf titles. Peterson not only built a powerhouse program, but he’s established a long-lasting and widely recognizable brand for the Cougars.

“One of my golfers, from England, worked at a Pro Shop and we were Skype-ing one day and he said, ‘I have to show you something,’” Peterson recalled. “He took out a golf ball and held it up to his phone and it was the College of the Canyons’ golf logo

Gary Peterson has led the College of the Canyons men’s and women’s golf programs since 1979. This season, he led the men’s team to its 25th Western State Conference title. PHOTO COURTESY COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS

on this golf ball in England. That’s amazing. No. 1, it’s amazing that the ball made it all the way there and No. 2 it’s amazing that that kid found that ball and he had already committed to coming to College of the Canyons.”

Capturing the conference title with a roster primarily made up of fresh-

men plus two sophomores, this year, Peterson has built a skilled team filled with a variety of international golfers: From France, there’s Jules Lavigne and Anguerrand Voisin; from Japan, there’s Nobuhiko Wakaari; and Australian Tom Sims, joins Jack Greene of Simi Valley and Matthew Mansholt of Lancaster. Sims is the lone sophomore in the group.

“If I can have a kid come here and move on right away to a new school, great, because that only helps our program,” Peterson said. “At this point in my career, I just want to help the young men and young women advance on and have a successful golf career, get a great education and have fond memories of College of the Canyons.”

For the most recent championship, the squad finished the 36-hole event 6-under, with a total score of 714.

Canyons topped runner-up Santa Barbara City College by 14 strokes (730), in addition to besting Bakers-

field College (771), Glendale (776) and Ventura (783).

“I learned a long time ago that it’s really important to get good golfers,” Peterson said. “That’s what I spend a large percentage of my time on. From February to April I’m doing Skype calls every weekend. I mean, to two or three golfers each weekend.”

Creating a bond and brotherhood throughout the season, the team understood that they had something special a couple of weeks into the season.

With their play throughout the year, Lavigne, Sims and Voisin all earned All-WSC honors while Wakaari was named the WSC Player of the Year.

“Statistics and tournament play are a big factor when we get to postseason play, so when we picked the postseason team for conference finals it wasn’t a dilemma,” Peterson said.

“There were a lot of good kids and I went with my gut.” 

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M AY 12, 2019

F R O M T H E M AY O R

Getting ready for Amgen Tour of California

By Mayor Marsha McLean

T

he big race is coming back to Santa Clarita! Next Saturday, May 18, the City will host a stage of the Amgen Tour of California for the 14th time, making Santa Clarita first for hosting in the race’s history.

Each spring, the world’s best cyclists make their way to sunny California to compete in the Tour de Francestyle cycling competition that winds through California’s beautiful mountains and down its iconic coast. Our City is always delighted to be invited to host a stage of this world-class cycling event. This year, we will serve as the official start to the finish for both the men and women’s races.

The women will begin the last stage of the race at approximately 9:05 a.m., on Town Center Drive and travel through the City’s streets

before making their way to Pasadena for the grand finish. By the end of the race, the women will have covered 177.8 miles, the longest women’s race route in event history!

The men’s final stage will start at approximately 10:35 a.m., and follow the same route through town before concluding their 773-mile race.

It is always an exciting time for the City when the Amgen Tour comes to town. Our local businesses are treated to a surge in customers, and the City’s natural beauty and wide array of trails are showcased on national television for the world to see. The care the City and its residents take to preserve and protect our natural environment gets to shine during the race each time the City hosts a stage.

As the cyclists race through our streets and hillsides, they will be welcomed by the lingering greenery that has emerged after the recent rainy season. I cannot think of a better way to greet these international athletes than with Santa Clarita’s trademark

natural beauty.

I have a feeling that Santa Clarita’s vibrant cycling community is another reason the Amgen Tour. The City often collaborates with local bicycling groups, such as the Santa Clarita Valley Bicycle Coalition, and our resident to develop trails and programs that enhance the local biking experience.

In fact, residents can provide feedback for how the City can improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities through the Santa Clarita Pedestrian and Bike Master Plan Survey, available at BikeSantaClarita.com.

The City is also excited to have the Amgen Tour be a part of our annual Bike Week! Residents are invited to celebrate Bike Week with free events leading up to the Amgen Tour. On May 15, at 6:30 p.m., head over to BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse on Town Center Drive for an Amgen Tour Stage 4 viewing party. Finally, residents are encouraged to strap on their helmets and hop on their bikes for Bike to Work Day on Thursday,

May 16. For more information on how you can participate in Bike Week, visit BikeSantaClarita.com.

Santa Clarita prides itself on being able to provide a family-friendly atmosphere and activities for our residents to enjoy. Hosting a stage of the Amgen Tour of California is a unique opportunity for the City to treat residents to an up close view of one of the most prestigious sporting competitions in America.

The City is looking forward to hosting this exciting, world-class event once again. I urge residents to get outside and witness some of the world’s elite cyclists race through our very own streets on May 18! To learn more about the Amgen Tour of California coming to Santa Clarita, visit SantaClaritaTourOfCA.com.  Mayor Marsha McLean is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at mmclean@santaclarita.com.

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S U N D AYS I G N A L · 17

T R AV E L

Famous film locations across the state

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

I

t seems as if nearly every square inch of California has appeared somewhere, or at some time, on film. Los Angeles may have the longest resume of film and television appearances, but the entire state of California can be considered a Hollywood “backlot.”

When “talkies” first debuted in 1927 and until about 1960, Hollywood directors usually didn’t pack up and head off to Iceland or Croatia to shoot their latest “masterpiece.” It was California that saw the lion’s share of movie location work.

For film buffs, here is a “bucket list” of places you might want to visit, outside of Los Angeles.

Hotel del Coronado, Coronado Built in 1888 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1977, Coronado’s Hotel del Coronado has appeared in numerous films and television shows including: “Some Like it Hot,” “The Stunt Man,” “Wicked, Wicked,” “$,” “Loving Couples,” “K-9,” “My Blue Heaven,” “Space,” “Ghost Story,” “The Girl, the Gold Watch, and Everything,” “Captains and Kings,” “Rich Man, Poor Man,” “Hunter,” “Hart to Hart,” Simon & Simon” and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”

In 1995, the movie “Mr. Wrong” was filmed at the hotel, starring Ellen DeGeneres. Other television shows and movies include “Ladies on Sweet Street” with Helen Hayes, “Baywatch” (this two-part episode focused on the hotel’s ghost), “Garth Brooks Live” and “Silk Stalkings.”

The hotel looks much as it did back when Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis arrived with their all-girl band in 1959, but the history of the Hotel del Coronado in film reaches back to the late 1890s when short, simple, “documentaries” were produced by the Edison Moving Picture Company. These included “Dogs Playing in Surf ” and “Ferryboat Entering Coronado Slip.”

“Maiden and Men” is thought to be the first feature film shot at “The Del” sometime in the 1910s.

In 1916, director Harry Pollard, along with actress-wife Margarita Fischer, took a fancy to Coronado,

Hotel del Coronado. This historic landmark has appeared in “Some Like it Hot,” “Baywatch,” “Silk Stockings,” and too many movies and television shows to mention here. ©2018 AFAR MEDIA LLC

casting the hotel’s garden patio as a South Sea island in “Miss Jackie of the Navy.” That same year, the Pollards filmed “Pearl of Paradise” at The Del. In 1918, Rudolph Valentino starred in “The Married Virgin.” Available on DVD, this silent film showcases the hotel’s gardens and beaches.

Valentino and Gloria Swanson started in “Beyond the Rocks,” (1922) with Swanson returning to The Del to star in “The Coast of Folly.”

The hotel itself continues to be a popular subject for television programs including “The Today Show,” “Historic Hotels,” “America’s Castles,” “California and the Dream Seekers,” “Weddings of a Lifetime” and “True Mysteries.”

For a selfie related to “Some Like it Hot,” pose by the century-old Dragon Tree next to the resort entrance, which was the backdrop for one scene featuring Jack Lemmon in drag.

Bodega and Bodega Bay

Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1963 movie, “The Birds,” which starred Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor and thousands of murderous birds, was filmed in Bodega and Bodega Bay. Bodega Bay is a small fishing town along the Bodega Head peninsula in Northern California, located some two hours north of San Francisco.

The small village of Bodega is located inland, off the Bodega Highway, about 30 minutes from Bodega Bay. While much of the area was re-cre-

ated for filming in a studio, a few physical locations remain. In Bodega, for instance, you can see the two-story Potter Schoolhouse, where the birds first menaced the town’s children (though you can see it only from the outside, it’s now a private residence). To get inside a location from the movie, book a table at The Tides Wharf Restaurant, part of Bodega Bay’s The Inn at the Tides.

Many other films and television programs have filmed in Bodega Bay including “The Goonies,” “The Fog,” “Hart to Hart,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Bandits,” “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” and “Finian’s Rainbow.”

The Bay Area and San Francisco

San Francisco, like Los Angeles, is a mecca for film and television productions. How many times have we seen the iconic Golden Gate Bridge destroyed?

San Francisco has starred in more films and television show than can be listed. Some of the appearances include “San Andreas,” “Blue Jasmine,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Dirty Harry,” “Bullitt,” “Escape from Alcatraz,” “The Princess Diaries,” “The Joy Luck Club,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Basic Instinct,” “About a Boy,” “Hulk,” “Ant-Man,” “Big Eyes,” “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” and “‘The Wedding Planner.” San Francisco has also appeared in many popular tele-

vision shows including: “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Monk,” “Alcatraz” and “Nash Bridges.”

“Mrs. Doubtfire,” 2640 Steiner St., San Francisco, was filmed at this picturesque Victorian. It was the Doubtfire family home in the 1993 film.

The Bay Area also includes some very famous cinematic appearances.

“Vertigo,” Fort Point, San Francisco is one location. Alfred Hitchcock had a soft spot for Bay Area filming locations. The 1958 Jimmy Stewart/ Kim Novak thriller, “Vertigo,” used Fort Point for one of its most famous scenes. Novak’s character attempted suicide by jumping off a casement.

To experience other locations of the film, stroll through the cemetery at Mission Dolores, which figures prominently in the movie, or stay at the Hotel Vertigo (called the Empire when it was used for the film), where “Vertigo” plays endlessly on the lobby ceiling.

Humboldt County

Fern Canyon, a canyon in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County, has a prehistoric ambiance that led to the canyon being used as a filming location for “Jurassic Park, The Lost World,” BBC’s “Walking with Dinosaurs” and IMAX’s “Dinosaurs Alive.”

It offers an easy hike where visitors can see the beautiful scenery that doubled as a tropical island in film.

For a map showing where film and television shows have been shot, visit http://filmhumboldtdelnorte.org/ mapofthemovies.

Jamestown

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown has many claims to fame, but perhaps the most nostalgic is the Sierra No. 3 locomotive that still steams past the “Petticoat Junction” (1963-70, CBS) water tower.

There is also a movie prop gallery, and outdoor exhibits include several photo-op spots, so you, too, can play Bobbie Jo, Betty Jo or Billie Jo, petticoats and all.

Take a Walk of Fame stroll from Rocca Park to Railtown. Some 30 brass medallions are embedded in the sidewalk along the way, each one commemorating a movie or series See FILM, page 41

18 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

TIMERANGER

Signal asks: Gasoline Replaces Sex in SCV?

A

mid-May warm and Western howdy to you, Santa Clarita saddlepals.

We’ve a most interesting trek ahead. There’s the pants-down capture of this valley’s most notorious outlaw. There’s a Newhall judge who freed the slaves, bootleggers, bears and the yuppies’ lament — a bagel-less SCV. C’mon, you bunk huggers and mooncalf poets. Out of those condos and McMansions. Hop up in the saddle with me and let’s go explore the halcyon climes of SCV yesteryear …

WAY BACK WHEN & THEN SOME

• Tibby meets his end It was up in the Hollywood Hills, back on May 14, 1874, when one of California’s most infamous bad men was captured, literally, with his pants down.

The womanizing bandito had been, “visiting” the wife of one of his men when a sheriff ’s posse surrounded the house. The road agent caught a round of buckshot in the rear end after he exited the bedroom window. Interesting, the lady he was visiting earned the pseudonym of “La Coneja.” En Inglés, “The Rabbit.” Couldn’t offer a single theory on how she earned such an enthusiastic nickname …

MAY 12, 1919

• The judge sells out Big game hunter, war hero and the SCV’s most famous judge, John Powell, sold his Dry Canyon ranch. The 136-acre spread went to an oil company. Powell had nearly 4,000 fruit trees on his spread. Powell had led Union troops in seven major Civil War battles and once teamed up with famed American journalist Henry Morton Stanley (of Stanley & Livingstone fame) to free some 700 slaves in Africa.

• For a service well done Young Jess Doty returned from World War I. Jess had sold his Ford dealership and White Star Garage to Frank Liebhart.

In appreciation for Doty’s fighting for democracy, Liebhart sold the business back to Doty on his return.

• Hart’s last film Several local cowboys pulled up stakes to move to Victorville. The boys got a job driving prairie schooners for Wm. S. Hart, who was filming his epic Western, “Tumbleweeds.”

• Mixing it up While Hart was out

truck, he noticed there was a large black bear in the passenger seat.

Owner of the truck said he and the bear went town to town and put on wrestling matches. The bear was as tame as a kitten.

of town, Tom Mix was in town with 400 extras, filming a Western in Placerita Canyon.

MAY 12, 1929

• The SCV: SoCal’s moonshining capital Prohibition was still law of the land but that didn’t stop moonshiners from constructing a state-of-the-art distilling operation on the outskirts of Newhall near the Lasalle Ranch, near what would be The Old Road today.

The chem lab was heavily camouflaged in a cave (if any of you old moonshiners can give an exact location on this cave, give me a jingle) and housed twenty 800-gallon mash vats.

The stills were only discovered after one exploded and started a small forest fire. A small look-out cottage had been built and between the cave and cottage was a field that was constantly being plowed to erase tire tracks.

Estimated cost of damage was $10,000 and local gendarmes could find no trace of anyone working the lab.

• Dad & the talkies We’ve come so far in motion picture special effects. But listen to Signal Editor Dad Thatcher’s comments about the movies of his day: “About the funniest thing in a ‘talkie’ is to hear the word about a half second before the picture shows the motion of the speaker’s lips. Or to hear the voice come from the center of the stage when the speaker is at one side.”

MAY 12, 1939

• Kill to have a copy A group of Lebec citizens started a weekly newspaper called The Ridge Route Rambler. Would love to tell you more, but I’ve never seen a single issue.

• Bears repeating Garage owner George Bjornstad had an unusual customer pull up to his filling station.

As George was filling up the pickup

• Pre-Cesar Chavez Newhall Land & Farming Co., with the help of the local sheriff, fired 20 employees on this date. Nope. ’Tweren’t Gary Cusumano at the top of the hit list. The 20 were braceros who were picketing for higher wages.

MAY 12, 1949

• Credit where credit’s due On this date, for the first time, Hart High became accredited.

• Buy high, sell low Millionaire rancher “Big” Bill Bonelli flew up to Wyoming to buy a prize Hereford bull for $30,000. Problem? The creature was sexually shy. Bonelli sold the reticent stud at auction for $3,740. A guy could go broke …

• No versateller machines yet Bank of America opened their brand new $100,000 building on the northeast corner of 9th Street and San Fernando Road on this date. The old B of A (which started as the Bank of Italy here in Newhall) used to sit smack dab across the street.

MAY 12, 1959

• That’d be a couple hundred bucks today J.J. Duell, head of the state farm bureau in Sacramento, was in town on business. Duell kept his receipts for his day here and noted that he dined out for all three of his meals here, spending $1.04 for breakfast, $1.30 for lunch and $1.64 for dinner. Duell, who owned 200 laying hens, figured that at 27 cents per dozen eggs, he lost 4 cents on the day. And that’s not counting the gasoline to get here.

MAY 12, 1969

• Buggy for bagels Cosmopolitan types newly transplanted to Santa Clarita were complaining about what they called a staple of life. Seems there was no place in town where one could buy a bagel.

• Tragic A bus accident in Castaic ended with the death of three Girl Scouts. The bus had hit wet pavement, swerved out of control and went over the edge of a cliff. There were 20 girls aboard, plus chaperones.

Six were seriously injured.

MAY 12, 1979

• Mohawks go extinct locally Two Mohawk gas stations closed on this date, increasing the gas crunch. Folks had to buy gasoline on odd or even days, depending on their ending license plate numbers. Gas prices were rising so fast, folks were filling up sometimes daily. The lines were sometimes a half-mile long and one day, a statuesque 21-year-old beauty used her time in line to strip down to her bathing suit, climb on her hood and sunbathe. One of those infamous front-page editorials (“Back To Unleaded Sex”) by Scott Newhall stated: “Gasoline has now replaced sex as the primeval object of man’s affection.”

One thing. It caused some locals to choose other means of transportation — literally from roller skates to bicycles.

• Dodgers vs. old folk It’s a matter of priorities. On this date, 20 years back, more than 4,500 local residents attended SCV Dodger Night, which fell on a Thursday. Same night, same time, they held a most important meeting with a rather boring handle: the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission meeting. The meeting was to decide how much of the state sales tax the SCV would get for roads, bridges and highway improvements. How many people showed up for the LACTC affair?

Two. Albert and Helene Klein spoke for 40 minutes on the need for senior citizen transportation needs. Must have been Angels fans …

Thanks for the company, dear Santa Clarita neighbors. See you with another exciting Time Ranger next week. Post Cinco de Mayo — La vida puede no ser la fiesta que esperamos, pero mientras estamos aqui podemos bailar y vayan con Dios … (Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here, we should dance.

And ride with God.) Yup. That’ll be on the final …  John Boston has been writing about SCV history for more than 40 years.

Read his historical tome, “Images of America: The Santa Clarita Valley” on Amazon.com. Check out his History of The Mighty Signal series on Saturdays on A1.

M AY 12, 2019

AMERICAN Backwoods Inn 17846 W. Sierra Highway, Canyon Country 661-252-5522 The Backyard Grub n’ Brews 26509 Golden Valley Road, Santa Clarita 661-286-1165 Bergie’s 16404 Delone Street, Canyon Country 661-251-3133 Black Angus 27007 McBean Parkway, Valencia 661-288-2000 The Cheesecake Factory 24250 Town Center Dr #110, Valencia, CA 91355 661-286-1232

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 19

Salt Creek Grille 24415 Town Center Drive, Valencia 661-222-9999 Stonefire Grill 23300 Cinema Drive, Valencia 661-799-8282 The Old Town Junction 24275 Main Street Newhall (661) 702-4888 Thelma’s Cafe 22876 Copperhill Drive, Saugus 661-263-8283

BBQ Black Bear Diner 23626 Valencia Blvd, Valencia 661-799-4820

Claim Jumper 25740 The Old Road, Valencia 661-254-2628

Dickeys Barbecue Pit 18742 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 661-251-0840

Crazy Otto’s Diner 25373 Wayne Mills Place, Valencia 661-291-1733

L&L Hawaiian BBQ 18727 Via Princessa, Canyon Country 661-251-8333

The Daily Harvest Cafe & Juicery 22722 Lyons Ave #6, Newhall 661-383-9387

Lucille’s Bar-B-Que 24201 West Valencia Blvd, Valencia 661-255-1227

Eat Real Cafe 23414 Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-254-2237

Q&Q Hawaiian BBQ 27530 Newhall Ranch Road #101, Santa Clarita 661-383-9098

27530 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-254-2237 Iconic Eats 23460 Cinema Dr, Valencia 661-481-9404 Lazy Dog Cafe 24201 Valencia Blvd., Valencia 661-253-9996 Mama’s Table 23340 Cinema Dr, Santa Clarita 661-284-5988 Marston’s Restaurant 24011 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-253-9910 Nealie’s Skillet 25858 Tournament Road, Valencia 661-678-0031 Newhall Refinery 24258 Main St, Newhall 661-388-4477 Red Robin 27063 McBean Parkway, Valencia 661-260-2411 Saddle Ranch Chop House 24201 Valencia Blvd., Valencia 661-383-0173

Rattler’s BBQ 26495 Golden Valley Road, Canyon Country 661-251-4195 Smokehouse on Main 24255 Main St, Old Town Newhall 661-888-4585 Wood Ranch Bar-B-Que & Grill 25580 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch 661-222-9494

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH Casa Canela 27647 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 661-523-7282 Crazy Otto’s Diner 25373 Wayne Mills Place, Valencia 661-291-1733 Egg Plantation 24415 Walnut Street, Newhall 661-255-8222 Eggs N Things 27560 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-702-8664 See DINING GUIDE, next page

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20 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

DINING GUIDE

Rustic Eatery 25343 Wayne Mills Place, Valencia 661-254-8100

Continued from previous page

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH Halfway House 15564 W. Sierra Highway, Saugus 661-251-0102 Mama’s Table 23340 Cinema Dr, Santa Clarita 661-284-5988 Marston’s Restaurant 24011 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-253-9910 Mimi’s Cafe 24201 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia 661-255-5520 The Old Town Junction 24257 Main Street, Newhall 661-702-4888 Saugus Cafe 25861 Railroad Avenue, Saugus 661-259-7886 Way Station Coffee Shop 24377 Main Street, Newhall 661-255-0222

BREWERIES Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co. 18810 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-252-7883 Pocock Brewing Company 24907 Avenue Tibbits, Valencia 661-775-4899

BURGERS/SANDWICHES Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Co. 27746 N. McBean Parkway, Valencia 661-263-9653 Bricks 23820 Lyons Ave, Newhall 661-286-1091

Burgerim 23740 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita 661-670-8939

Submarina California Subs 26517 Carl Boyer Drive, Canyon Country 661-259-4782

Corner Bakery 24290 Valencia Boulevard, Valencia 661-259-2813

Tiny’s Submarine Sandwiches 27251 Camp Plenty Road, Canyon Country 661-251-5885

Cousins Burgers 19318 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-298-4200

CHINESE China Express 19417 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-251-8783

Everest Burgers 18645 Soledad Canyon Road Santa Clarita, CA 91351 (661) 252-3412

Genghis Khan 24506 W. Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-254-0351

Final Score 23754 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita 661-254-6557

Golden Wok Restaurant 16668 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-424-0888

Firehouse Subs 23630 Valencia Blvd. Valencia 661-255-3473 Five Guys 24201 W, Valencia Blvd #3672, Valencia 661-255-0981

Grand Panda 23802 Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-253-1898

The Habit 25948 N. McBean Parkway, Valencia 661-291-1575

27924 Seco Canyon Road, Saugus 661-297-9868

Jimmy Dean’s 22941 Lyons Ave, Newhall 661-255-6315

Mandarin Wong Chinese Restaurant 23758 Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-259-5823

JJ’s Bar and Grill 25848 Tournament Road, Valencia 661-799-7557

Moon Wok 23460 Cinema Drive Suite H, Valencia 661-288-1898

Panini Palace 23120 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita 661-678-0552

New Moon 28281 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-257-4321

Pita Pit 28253 Newhall Ranch Road 661-702-9977

Pei Wei Asian Diner 24250 Valencia Boulevard, Valencia 661-600-0132

Route 66 Classic Grill 18730 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-298-1494

Brother’s Burgers 20655 Soledad Canyon 661-299-9278

WaBa Grill 19120 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-367-7297

Rustic Burger 24025 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-254-1300

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Wok’s Cookin’ Chinese Restaurant 31565 Castaic Road, Castaic 661-257-2890

CUBAN

Hidden Havana Cuban Cafe 23548 Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-254-4460

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Bob’s Country Meats 19012 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-251-5995 Cathy’s Delicatessen 23120 W. Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-288-2217 Maria’s Italian-American Deli 22620 W. Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-259-6261 Mariciano’s Chicago Style Deli 18635 Soledad Canyon Road 661-299-1100 Piccola Trattoria Italian Deli 18302 W. Sierra Hwy, Canyon Country 661-299-6952 The Sandwich Shop 25530 W. Avenue Stanford, Valencia 661-257-4811

FRENCH Le Chene French Cuisine 12625 Sierra Highway, Agua Dulce 661-251-4315

GREEK Gyromania 20655 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 661-252-4976

INDIAN An Indian Affaire 23360 W. Valencia Boulevard, Valencia 661-288-1200 Karma Restaurant, Bar & Lounge 23460 Cinema Drive, Valencia 661-288-0080

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ITALIAN

Bella Cucina Ristorante Italiano 27911 Seco Canyon Road, Saugus 661-263-1414 Buca di Beppo 26940 Theater Drive, Valencia 661-253-1900

Italia Panetteria & Deli 27674 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-294-9069 Maria’s Italian-American Deli 22620 Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-259-6261 Numero Uno Pizza 26111 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 661-252-5011 Olive Garden 27003 McBean Parkway, Valencia 661-799-8161 Piccola Trattoria 18302 Sierra Highway, Canyon Country 661-299-6952 Presto Pasta 24375 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia 661-284-7737 Spumoni Restaurant 24917 W. Pico Canyon Road, Stevenson Ranch 661-799-0360

JAPANESE & SUSHI Achita Sushi 22913 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 661-476-5522 Asako Sushi 27540 Sierra Hwy, Canyon Country 661-251-6010 Bonsai Garden 19358 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-251-9008 Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining 27025 McBean Pkwy, Valencia 661-254-2355 Hibiki Restaurant 27625 Shangri La Dr., Canyon Country 661-298-0273 Kabuki 24045 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-799-8655 Kisho Japanese Teppan Grill & Revolving Sushi Bar 23430 Valencia Boulevard, Valencia 661-284-3856 My Hot Pot 26238 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 661-288-1998 Sushi Song Japanese Restaurant 22896 Copper Hill Dr, Santa Clarita 661-297-5659 Xevichez Sushi Bar 24250 Town Center Dr #180, Santa Clarita 661-288-1477

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 21 Flame & Skewers 25870 McBean Parkway, Valencia 661- 661-799-7538

JAPANESE & SUSHI Yamato Restaurant 24947 Pico Canyon Road, Stevenson Ranch 661-799-0707

KOREAN & MONGOLIAN Charcoal Korean BBQ Restaurant 19158 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-251-9292

Kogiya 2 Korean BBQ 23410 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita 661-678-0999 Lee’s Korean BBQ & Tofu House 23360 West Valencia Boulevard, Valencia 661-254-2307 ZingGa Grill 26910 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita 661-250-7592

Cafe O 20655 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-424-0401

Grill Kabob 27653 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus 661-263-7445 Kebab House 24201 Valencia Blvd, Valencia 661-799-5844

Gogi House 26524 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus 661-263-0048

MEDITERRANEAN

Dario’s Mexican Restaurant 24523 Newhall Avenue, Newhall 661-255-6868

Olive Terrace Cafe 28261 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-257-7860 Zankou Chicken 24463 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia 661-705-7265

MEXICAN Azul Tequila 25387 Wayne Mills Place, Valencia 661-254-5500 Cabo Cabana Restaurant 25710 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch 661-222-7022 Casa Pasilla 27674 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia 661-295-1989

Tomato Joes Pizza Express 27732 McBean Pkwy.Valencia 661-263-8646

PIZZA Ameci Pizza & Pasta 28013 Seco Canyon, Santa Clarita 661-296-6131

El Trocadero Steak House 24274 Main Street, Newhall (661) 284-6615

Toppers Pizza 23710 Valencia Boulevard, Santa Clarita 805-385-4444

Chi Chi’s Pizza 27117 Sierra Highway, Canyon Country 661-252-4405

La Cocina Bar & Grill 28022 Seco Canyon Road, Saugus 661-297-4546

POLISH Pierogi Spot 26511 Golden Valley Rd, Santa Clarita 661-254-4850

23043 Soledad Canyon Road, Saugus 661-259-4040

La Charrita Restaurant 24225 Main St, Newhall 661-288-1204

THAI

Magic Pizza SCV 26870 The Old Rd, Stevenson Ranch 661-291-1921

Las Rocas Mexican Grill 27923 Sloan Canyon Rd Castaic, CA 91384 661-257-6905

Mama Mia Pizza 25708 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch 661-286-9183

Medrano’s Mexican Restaurant 19319 Soledad Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita 661-367-4945

Numero Uno Pizza 26111 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus 661-259-3895

Rosarito Grill 19425 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-251-2732

Pizza Rev 24341 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia 661-260-1257

Solita Tacos & Margaritas 24201 Valencia Blvd., Suite 3470, Santa Clarita 661-291-1399

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22 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Prince tribute coming to Canyon Santa Clarita

By Perry Smith Sunday Signal Editor

A

little over three years ago, the music world lost another one of its treasures seemingly before its time, with the death of Prince, a genre-defying artist whose eccentricity, unique­ness and passion earned him a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

While his fans long for the unique stage presence and sound of the artist who only needed one name and, for a time, just a symbol, there’s a venue where fans of the his sound can catch the next best thing: Canyon Santa Clarita.

With Erotic City: A Tribute to the Music of Prince, Julian Stefoni — who walks the Prince walk and talks the Prince talk as well as anyone

— makes the sounds of the musical legend live on, and you can enjoy the live show here.

The Portland, Oregon-based Stefoni and his band, which describe their genre as funk/dance/rock, play the classics from a catalogue that covers four decades of a storied career. Joining Stefoni, who handles lead vocals, lead guitar and keyboard, on stage, is: French Lover Chris, who handles bass

guitar and backup vocals; Camille Denny on the drums; and Jeff the Ripper on keyboards, backup vocals.  Canyon Santa Clarita is located on the ground floor of Westfield Valencia Town Center. Get tickets at the box office 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. MondaySaturday, call (888) 645-5006, or visit TicketMaster.com. For more info, visit WheremusicmeetstheSoul.com.

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 23

‘Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘Long Shot’

By Dianne White Crawford Signal Contributing Writer

“Avengers: Endgame” (General Release) In what was originally titled “Avengers: Infinity War Part 2,” we get the much-anticipated conclusion to the most recent 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films … specifically Phase 3. Regardless if you are a deep-rooted fan or a casual viewer, you likely know the questions heading into this finale:

• Can the Avengers defeat Thanos?

• What role will Captain Marvel (and her pixie haircut) play?

• Will those who died in “Avengers: Infinity War” be brought back to life?

• Will Tony Stark/Iron Man make it back from drifting in space?

• Who will survive this final battle?

We knew this one had to be big, and in fact, it’s colossal/humongous/ monumental … whatever your preferred adjective might be. And you can rest easy knowing that all of the above questions are answered quite clearly in this 3-hour epic from co-director brothers Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. Marvel has excelled over the past decade by combining interesting characters, understandable story lines, visually stunning effects and clever humor. This finale offers all of that and more. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine a more perfect ending to this galactic odyssey … and I don’t offer that praise lightly.

From the use of Traffic’s classic

“Dear Mr. Fantasy” and a gut-wrenching opening scene that yanks us right back into that feeling of dread provided by “Infinity War,” we know we are in for a ride that is quite a bit more somber, and even more emotional, than what we’ve come to expect.

The fallout from the Thanos snap is clear as we catch up with Black Widow, Captain America, Thor and Hulk.

Each is dealing on their own terms, and while the Banner-Hulk merger is quite something to behold, trust me when I say, you’ve never imagined seeing Thor in his current state.

This marks Chris Evans’ 10th film as Captain America, and he is front and center through much of the film — as is, in a bit of a surprise, Karen Gillan as Nebula. It makes sense given her tie to Thanos, and Gillan holds up quite well in the spotlight.

Since the previous speculation has been on time travel and the Quantum Realm, brace yourself for a bit of convoluted talk about how that works, but that’s the closest thing to a negative I have to offer – and even that is offset by numerous punchlines at the expense of “Back To The Future” and most every other time-travel movie ever made.

The theatre was packed with fans, and there was a significant amount of cheering, applauding and more than a few sniffles. Yes, this one will take you on an emotional journey as well as a visual one. It has a tough/emotional beginning and a tough/emotional ending. These are characters we’ve gotten to know over multiple films … and you should know just about every major or mid-major character from every Marvel film makes an appearance, as do numerous minor ones. It’s quite a remarkable reunion. And yes, the brilliance of Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One more than offsets the Pepper Potts scenes.

Creator Stan Lee does get his final posthumous cameo (good for more applause), and there is a “women’s movement” moment that seems to be Marvel’s “we hear you” statement.

Much of what we see is “inevitable,” but as the Avengers assemble this last time, we are there to laugh, cry and gasp. This is what happens when “over-the-top” is “just right.”

Long Shot (General Release)

Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen in “Long Shot” (2019). PHOTOS COURTESY IMDB

Romantic comedies and political parodies are staples in the film industry, and have been for many decades. The combination of them — a political romantic comedy — is a bit rarer, though we have seen it in such films as “Dave” (1993), “The American President” and “Love Actually” (2003). This latest from director Jonathan Levine has elements of those well-known movies, while incorporating a very high level of raunchiness in a gender-reversed “Pretty Woman” (1990).

We first meet Fred Flarsky (played

by Seth Rogen) at a neo-Nazi/white supremacist gathering. He’s actually a left-wing journalist for an alt-weekly publication, and he’s so intent on getting the story that he’s willing to get a swastika tattoo and leap out of a second-story window. Standing firm on his idealism, Fred quits his job when informed that his magazine has been bought out by Wembley Media … a right-wing organization in the vein of Fox News. It’s an odd opening for the film, but sets the stage for Flarsky to be reunited with his one-time babysitter Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), who is now the U.S. secretary of state.

When President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk) summons Field for an Oval Office meeting, we get our first glimpse of the filmmakers’ parody of the actual current office holder.

Chambers is a former TV star with a Golden-Globe nomination for acting like a president on his show, and he now wants to capitalize on

E N T E R TA I N M E N T his popularity by transitioning to a more prestigious career … movies.

He’s willing to endorse Field for the nation’s highest office in the next election, and she’s all in.

Field’s reconnection with Flarsky leads her to hire him to “punch up” her speeches with some humor. Testing has shown that she scores high in most categories with voters — but not for her sense of humor. Despite the protests of her staff, Flarsky comes on board and quickly works his way into Field’s favor — to say the least.

Yes, on top of the political jabs and typical Rogen-stoner humor, there is an inherent comedic element placing glamorous Charlize Theron and untidy Seth Rogen in a blossoming romance … together. The idealism of their characters plays a role in the story (she truly believes in her environmental initiative), and the supporting cast is terrific, but this is mostly a show for Theron and Rogen to go full-force comedy. We have seen this from him many times, but the real gem here is Oscar-winner Theron, who is likely the only actress who could pull off such diverse films as “Monster” (2003), “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), “Tully” (2018), as well as this crowd-pleasing political raunch-fest with a political bent.

Additional supporting work is provided by Lisa Kudrow and Alexander Skarsgard (who excels as the awkwardly funny Canadian prime minister, in a direct spoof on Justin Trudeau). There also is an unrecognizable Andy Serkis as a frumpy Steve Bannon type, and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube’s son) is a standout as Flarsky’s best friend … one with some terrific one-liners and a secret that nearly crushes Flarsky’s idealism. The campaign travels the world (though the film barely takes advantage), and the script serves up a clever Jennifer Aniston joke, a sight gag to rival “There’s Something about Mary,” and enough lewd-sex comedy that the political satire sometimes fades (but never for long). It’s meant to be a crowd-pleaser and it seems to succeed on that; although its greatest strength may be in showcasing another side from the immensely talented Charlize Theron. 

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M AY 12, 2019

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR

= Family Friendly Event

and Douglas Adams’“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Cavort Theatre is an award-winning UK company, the creator of the 5 Star Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Fringe and London Horror festival “The Devil Without.” Cost of admission will be $15. The MAIN, 24266 Main St., Newhall. Info: To purchase tickets, go to atthemain.org/tickets/.

Thursday, May 16, 7-9 a.m. As a friendly competition among businesses in the City of Santa Clarita, the Bike to Work Day Challenge is a way for each employer to see if they can get the most employees to bike to work. Each lead rider is required to submit a list of cyclists who rides or pledge each rider online. These names will be entered into the City’s raffle for prizes, which include KHS bicycles, gift certificates, quality cycling gear, movie tickets and more. The City has teamed up with Bicycle Johns, Valley Bicycles and Performance Cyclery to host citywide bicycle pit stops, including at City Hall, Bouquet Junction, South Fork Trail City Public Works Yard and Campy Plenty. Info: Submit cyclists’ names to Laura Jardine at (661) 255-4376 or at ljardine@santa-clarita.org.

Thursday, May 16, 9-10:30 a.m. Meet with local female business owners in a mastermind-type meeting on accountability for goal setting. Women in Touch is a group of women who personally and psychologically support fellow women. Mimi’s Cafe, 24201 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia. Info: Jennifer Ramos at (661) 755-2545.

Thursday, May 16, 6:30 p.m. Another unique event brought to you by the WiSH Education Foundation and Eve Bushman, Wine On the Roof … Dine On the Roof is an opportunity to taste brand new wines curated specifically for the event by local

wine connoisseur Steve Lemley. This promises to be an evening worth remembering as Wednesdays, 8 a.m. Developed by you join us for a multi course, sit down meal Kaufman Foundation and based on the notion provided by your local favorite chefs. Tickets that entrepreneurs discover solutions and enare on sale for $125 per guest, guests must gage with their communities over a million cups be 21 years old or older. Westfield Valencia of coffee, the free weekly 1 Million Cups event Town Center, Macy’s parking garage 24201 is designed to educate, engage and inspire West Valencia Blvd, Valencia. Info: For tickets entrepreneurs around the country. American and more information, visit wisheducationFamily Funding, 28368 Constellation Rd., No. foundation.org.

398. Info: 1millioncups.com/santaclarita Thursday, May 16, 7-10 p.m. Come see Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Drop in to Pocock the free art exhibit reception for “Unstill Brewery weekly trivia night with Trivia Life” by Ralph Massey, who has been with Budds, which The includes a rotating creating art for more than six decades. His selection of food trucks. Pocock Brewing art has been featured in over 200 exhibitions Company, 24907 Ave. Tibbitts, Ste. B, Santa and galleries including LACMA, Petersen Clarita. Info: triviawithbudds.com/triviaAutomotive Museum, Phyllis Stein Gallery, locations SOHO Gallery, O’Brien Gallery, Los Angeles Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Art Association Gallery, San Francisco Museum of Art, and many others. The MAIN 24266 Grab the young’uns and mosey on Main St., Newhall. Info: atthemain.org. up to the William S. Hart Museum, where you can not only take a free guided Friday, May 17, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Join the tour, but your young ones can have some free Silvertone Singers for a musical “Trip to craftin’ fun! Set up right outside the manthe Zoo.” Guests will hear renditions of such sion’s back door, is the new free Crafterday perennial favorites as “At the Zoo,”“Big Blue craft table. The young ones can try their Frog,”“Abba-Dabba Honeymoon,”“Alley Cat,” hands at simple crafts like making their own “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “Hound Dog.” totem poles, designing their own rope art, Admission is free. Bella Vida Senior Center, making their own dreamcatchers and much 27180 Golden Valley Rd, Santa Clarita. Info: more. 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall. Info: Robin Clough at (661) 259-9444 or rclough@ (661) 254-4584, hartmuseum.org scv-seniorcenter.org Saturday, May 18, 7-10:45 EVENTS BY DATE a.m. The city of Santa Clarita will Sunday, May 12, 3-4:15 p.m. Cavort Thehost the start for the final stage of both atre’s newest work, “The Universe (101)” is the men’s and women’s races of the Amgen the product of an original script and features Tour of California. The men and women many magical and mental effects to wow competing in the Amgen Tour of California audiences, drawing some critics to compare and the Amgen Tour of California Women’s the show with the likes of Steve Martin, The Race empowered with SRAM will race Marx Brothers, Mel Brooks, Monty Python through the streets of Santa Clarita before waving goodbye as they push toward the overall finish line in Pasadena. 24201 West Valencia Blvd, Valencia. Info: Visit santaclaritatourofca.com CONGRATULATIONS to Susan Hageman-Natzke for Saturday, May 18, 8 a.m. to noon Join correctly identifying Crazy Otto’s on page 19. the Out of the Darkness Campus Walk, FOREIGN & DOMESTIC Identify this advertiser and the page number in this week’s a journey of remembrance, hope, support issue, and you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate for and a walk that unites the community. It is a local restaurant. a time to acknowledge the ways suicide and One game and one winner each week. mental illness have affected lives. Register or Mail your entry to The Signal – Contest check in at 8 a.m., or register beforehand at 26330 Diamond Place | Santa Clarita, CA 91350 afsp.org/santaclarita. College of the Canyons, Or email contest@signalscv.com SPECIALIZING IN PRECISION ELECTRONIC TUNE-UPS, FUEL INJECTION, Cougar Stadium, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Advertiser:______________________________ Page #_______ IGNITION, SMOG CHECK, GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR Road, Santa Clarita. Info: Dawnel DeRubeis at Name:______________________________________________ dk@derubeisfinart.com.

CHECK US OUT ON NEW TIRE PRICES! Address:____________________________________________ Saturday, May 18, 1-2 p.m. In celebraA/C SERVICE SMOG CHECK tion of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Phone:______________________________________________ + FREON + certificate Month, the Canyon Country Library is Most Cars & Light 2000 or Newer Model This week’s entries are due Wed. May 22 Trucks screening the film “To Climb a Gold Moun*Must have coupon* *Must have coupon* in 2 weeks.

Exp. 5/26/19 tain,” a cultural and educational film Winner to be announced Exp. 5/26/19

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about the Asian Community in Southern California. 18601 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country. Info: Visit santaclaritalibrary.com.

Saturday, May 18, 3 p.m. The 2019 SCV Relay For Life promises to be a fun event with the theme, “Game Over, Cancer!” Teams will be decorating their campsites as popular board games, video games and more. There will be lots of games, so bring the kids. Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. Info: Visit scvrelay.org chairs@scvrelay.org.

Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m to 7:15 p.m.

The annual Super Jazz at the Ranch festival created by noted music educator Bob Babko to bring professional and student musicians together. Highlights include the Jacob Mann Trio, featuring three of LA’s top young jazz talents. Pasadena City College’s Brian Carmody will lead the Hart District Jazz “All-Stars.”

All-day general admission $10, students and seniors $7. West Ranch High School 26255 Valencia Blvd, Santa Clarita. Info: For Brian Leff at bleff@hartdistrict.org.

Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Friends of Hart Park presents its seventh annual Artisan Row Home Arts and Crafts Show, with both handmade and commercial art & crafts. Admission and parking is free.

William S. Hart Regional Park, Hart Hall, 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall.

Sunday, May 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guide Dogs of America will hold their 15th annual Ride for Guides motorcycle ride. The ride will start in Sylmar and make its way through Santa Clarita. Features poker, raffles and a barbecue lunch. Registration $45. 3479 Glenoaks Blvd, Sylmar. Info: guidedogsof america.org/event/RFG19.

Monday, May 20, 6:30 p.m. Courtroom illustrator Bill Robles will talk at the Santa Clarita Artists Association. Robles’ illustrations include the trials of Patricia Hearst, Rodney King, O.J. Simpson, Oklahoma City Bombers Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, Michael Jackson, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Arizona shooter Jared Lee Loughner and Aurora theater shooter James Holmes. Barnes and Noble 23630 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita. Info: santaclaritaartists.org Thursday, May 23, 7-9 p.m. Note by Note is a music showcase with a variety of genres at this free evening of fun. Each month, bands, duos, and soloists will play their own blends of music for your listening pleasure. Admission is free. The MAIN 24266 Main St., Newhall. Info: thursdaysatnewhall. com/notebynote/.

M AY 12, 2019

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K I D S & FA M I LY

Family fun places to visit in Fresno … yes, Fresno

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

p.m. If raining, call first.

ords you might not think go together, “Family Fun in Fresno.” However, Fresno is home to one of the most interesting and unique attractions in California: Forestiere Underground Gardens. Fresno also offers families a “must-see” zoo and beautiful parks. In addition, if you time your trip correctly, you might find some amazing produce and fruit along the Fresno County Fruit Trail.

7775 Friant Road, Fresno, 93720.

Info http://www.playfresno.org/ facilities-venues/woodward-park Hours 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Entrance fee $5 per vehicle, $3 for seniors and free with disabled parking permit.

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Woodward Regional Park

Forestiere Underground Gardens

5021 West Shaw Ave., Fresno (559) 271-0734 Info www.undergroundgardens.com Tickets Adults: $19: seniors, students with ID and military $17; children 5-17 $9, under 4 free.

This historic site is a California State Landmark. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic

COURTESY VISIT CALIFORNIA

Places. Forestiere Underground Gardens was founded in 1906 by Sicilian immigrant, citrus grower and visionary Baldassare Forestiere.

Forestiere spent a period of 40 years, from 1906 to until his death in 1946, crafting a vast network of rooms, tunnels and courtyards as a

Forestiere Underground Gardens are an unusual man-made creation built by Baldasare Forestiere. PHOTOS COURTESY VISIT CALIFORNIA / CAROL HIGHSMITH

The catalyst for the construction of the underground abode was a result of the hot summers typical of the Fresno area. It had a summer bedroom, a winter bedroom, a bath, a functional kitchen, a fish pond and a parlor with a fireplace.

subterranean escape from the Central Valley summer heat.

The intricate pathways were created section by section, over an area of 10 acres, without the aid of blueprints. It is considered to be a spectacular and unconventional example of vernacular architecture.

Forestiere used only shovels, picks and other hand tools during his excavations, going as deep as 25 feet underground.

He grew fruit trees and grapevines underground and many original plantings still thrive in the underground gardens.

Countless hours were spent excavating the hard-pan layer that cements much of Fresno’s soil to create his underground home. It had a summer bedroom, a winter bedroom, a bath, a functional kitchen, a fish pond and a parlor with a fireplace.

Interspersed amongst the beautiful stone walls and archways are grottoes and courtyards that allow for pockets of light.

Forestiere Underground Gardens is operated by members of the Forestiere family through the Forestiere Historical Center.

Due to the nature of the historic site, access is only granted through an hour-long walking tour. Accompanied by a tour guide, you’ll learn about the life and work of Baldassare Forestiere and see some of his grandest creations.

Forestiere Underground Gardens is open, weather permitting, Wednesday-Sunday. 10 a.m. to 4

The 300-acre Woodward Park, truly has something for everyone including five miles of trails, an authentic Japanese garden (Shinzen Japanese Garden) and three playgrounds with numerous play structures.

The park, located on the south bank of the San Joaquin River, is also considered a bird sanctuary.

The facility also includes a dog park, streams and lakes, duck feeding, fitness course, biking, river trail, Frisbee golf course, covered picnic areas and a BMX racing course.

Shinzen Japanese Garden

114 W Audubon Drive, Fresno Info www.shinzenjapanesegarden.org.

Tickets (cash only) Adults $5; ages 4-14 $1, under 4, free. Family (two to five people) $7. Parking $5. Hours: Wednesday-Sunday and holidays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Clark Bonsai Collection hours Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

One of the most beautiful walks in this traditional Japanese Garden is the walk around the water to view the old Japanese lanterns.

It is a wonderful place to stage a beautiful family photo, as well.

The Japanese Gardens are a place for quiet, reflection and peaceful strolls. So, if you have high-energy young children, this might not be the place for you. On the other hand, neighboring Woodland Park would be a better choice.

Older children may find it is a place to explore, learn and experience an aspect of a different culture.

The Golden State Bonsai Federation’s Clark Bonsai Collection at Shinzen is a living museum encompassing the history of the art of bonsai in California. It also is an educational center for the appreciation and practice of the bonsai art form.

See FRESNO, page 31

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K I D S & FA M I LY

Tips to guard against bites and burns this summer

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or families — and everybody else for that matter — protecting skin should be a top summer priority. After all, there is no shortage of summer skin woes you’ll want to avoid.

From protecting skin from sun to repelling disease-carrying insects, here are some top insights that will help you and your family enjoy a safer, more comfortable summer.

between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and wearing long-sleeve shirts, pants, hats and sunglasses.

Bite-free summer

Sunscreen: get it right

When it comes to sunscreen, it’s important to understand and follow sun safety guidelines. Fewer than half of moms (48 percent) knew the correct amount of sunscreen to apply to the face and body while at the pool, lake or beach, according to a NO-AD Sun Care-commissioned survey on sunscreen. The correct amount of sunscreen to be applied — or reapplied — is at least 2 tablespoons.

More alarming still, the majority of those surveyed (54 percent) believe the proper time to apply sunscreen is as soon as they start feeling their skin burning.

Experts say that parents should apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to themselves and children 15 to 20

I

minutes before going out in the sun in order to give it time to bond to skin, and then reapply at least every two hours or after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating and immediately after towel drying. Unfortunately, 17 percent of moms were unaware that after an initial slathering of sunscreen, they needed to reapply it following extended exposure.

Beyond application, the type of sunscreen you use matters, too.

Luckily, there are quality products at great value, which means you don’t need to skimp on the amount you apply or reapplication. For example, NO-AD has been protecting families for generations at an affordable price per ounce. And for those who want

to avoid added fragrance, parabens, alcohol, retinyl palmitate, BPA and dyes, consider trying NO-AD Naturals Clear Mineral Formula SPF 50, which is developed with naturally sourced active ingredients such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, offers broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection and is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. Oxybenzone- and Octinoxate-free — both of which are chemicals considered harmful to coral reefs — this is also a good choice for the eco-conscious. Parents take note: the line, which offers great value, also carries pediatrician-tested versions for kids and babies.

Other safe sun habits include limiting time in the sun, especially

Summer days are full of outdoor fun in backyards, parks, baseball diamonds and more. And any time you and your kids are outdoors, you are at risk for insect bites. Unfortunately, a bite can carry risks beyond discomfort. Mosquitoes can carry Zika, West Nile, Dengue Fever and Chikungunya viruses.

Consider streamlining skin protection with a two-in-one combination such as BullFrog Mosquito Coast SPF 50 Continuous Spray Sunscreen + Insect Repellent, which is DEET-free, Oxybenzone- and Octinoxate-free, and a good choice when you want to pack light or send kids to camp or sports with a simple sunscreen and insect repellent solution.

You can also dodge mosquito bites by wearing loose long sleeves and pants, particularly on hikes, and by keeping your yard free of any standing water.

By knowing the facts, you can better ward off bites, burns and other summer skin pitfalls.  —StatePoint

Five ways to make your graduate feel great

n keeping with tradition this time of year, parents across America are getting ready to celebrate the graduation achievements of their children, nieces, nephews and other friends and relatives.

Many will be moving forward from preschool, elementary school or middle school. A whopping 3.3 million will graduate from high school. And at the college level, students are expected to have earned an impressive one million associate’s degrees; 1.9 million bachelor’s degrees; 780,000 master’s degrees and 182,000 doctor’s degrees over the 2018-19 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Because these milestones are such an important part of life, your graduate will want to preserve memories of friends, accomplishments and key experiences gathered along the way.

If you’re a proud parent helping your

student celebrate this transition into the next phase of life, here are some ways to make it feel extra special.

Share the great news Even if you’re not planning a huge event, you can still show pride in your grad’s achievement by mailing out personalized announcements that include graduation photos. Friends and family will appreciate hearing that your student has passed a milestone and moved on to the next stage of life. And the photo will give them a tangible memento they can display and keep.

Plan a personalized grad party Honor your graduate’s individuality by creating customized signs, banners, tableware, balloons, favors, candy, a cake and/or other party gear that features their name, image, hobbies, school colors and logos, etc. You might even spring for a life-sized standalone cut-out of the guest of honor. Many personalized products can be easily

created at the self-service Kodak Picture Kiosks available at most CVS and Target stores across the nation. In fact, most can be completed and returned on the same day they’re ordered.

Serve up your grad’s favorites In American culture, love is often expressed through food. Whether your celebration will consist of a big party or a small, private family affair, putting your grad’s favorite food and drink on the menu will show him or her you care. Of course, that’s made easy now that graduation parties feature such a wide range of cuisines; consider ordering take-out from your grad’s favorite BBQ restaurant or having your local supermarket hand-craft beautiful sushi platters to serve to guests.

Make a personalized playlist Compile and record a selection of your grad’s favorite music to play at his or her celebration party. Sprinkle in other songs that may bring a smile; consider

childhood favorites, tunes with sentimental lyrics, school fight songs and/ or music associated with band, orchestra, theater or dance performances.

Commemorate friendships through photo gifts Your grad and his or her classmates will treasure their school memories well into the future if you custom-create gifts featuring their favorite photos. Digital photos can be brought to better light, and create more smiles, when they’re turned into functional items like keepsake boxes, calendars, mugs and magnets on KodakMoments.com.

Your child will remember his graduation celebration for years to come if you personalize every element.

Start planning the details now so you can be ready by the end of the school year.  — Brandpoint

M AY 12, 2019

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K I D S & FA M I LY

Donna’s Day: Creative Family Fun

Surprise mom with Puff Pancake Minis

By Donna Erickson Signal Contributing Writer

C

elebrate mom on Mother’s Day with a homemade breakfast surprise. This recipe is a twist on a delicious puff pancake, also called a Dutch baby, which typically is baked in a large cast-iron skillet. Just as dramatic and easy to prepare, this version bakes 12 perfectly portioned mini puff pancakes using a nonstick muffin tin.

Serve them piping hot, right out of the oven and top with fresh fruit, maple syrup or other favorite toppings.

Make mom’s serving extra special. Set her plate on a paper placemat drawn and decorated just for her by the kids, with a mini bouquet of fresh flowers arranged to the side.

Mini Puff Pancakes

4 eggs 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping: fresh berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Maple syrup (optional) 2 tablespoons firm unsalted butter (for muffin pan) 1. Heat oven to 425 F. Cut butter into 12 equal pieces and place one piece in each cup of a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan.

2. Let one of your kids count and crack the eggs into a bowl. Inspect it to be sure there are no remaining shells. Whisk together.

3. Another child may measure and gradually whisk in the milk, flour, salt and vanilla. Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes.

4. An adult should place the muffin tin in the oven until it is hot, and the butter is melted and beginning to sizzle. Gently whisk the batter to smooth it out, then pour batter into each cup, filling them 2/3 full.

5. Place in the oven and bake until the puff pancakes are puffed up and golden brown around the edges, about 16-18 minutes.

6. When removed from the oven, they will begin to deflate. Run a spatula around the edges and gently lift each one from the pan onto plates.

7. To serve, add berries and sift powdered sugar on top. Drizzle with maple syrup, if you wish.

Makes 12 mini pancakes.

Blender method for steps 1-3 Place cracked eggs, milk, flour, vanilla and salt in a blender and whirl for one minute. Scrape down any flour that clings to the sides. Whirl for an additional 30 seconds. Let rest and proceed with step 4.

Extra idea Bake blueberry puff pan-

cake minis. Once the batter has been poured into the muffin cups, scatter a few blueberries over the top of each one before returning the pan to the oven. Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday. com and link to the new Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”  Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activi-

ties, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.” ©2019 Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features Synd.

CLIP N SAVE Elementary School Menus Menus courtesy of Santa Clarita Valley School Food Services which serves these school districts: Castaic USD • Newhall USD • Saugus USD • Sulphur Springs USD

(choice of one entree, seasonal fruit and milk)

Monday, May 13 Tuesday, May 14

BREAKFAST Banana Muffin & String Cheese Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fruit Juice Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fresh Fruit

LUNCH Hot Dog on a Bun Popcorn Chicken Cheesy Stix & Marinara Smart Choice Pizza Seasonal Salad Bar Turkey Taco Dippin’ Chicken & Sauce Smart Choice Pizza Seasonal Salad Bar

Wednesday, May 15

Breakfast Bagel Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fresh Fruit Fruit Juice

Rodeo Roundup Burger & Spicy Curly Fries Dippin’ Chicken & Sauce Smart Choice Pizza Seasonal Salad Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie

Thursday, May 16

Strawberry Splash Mini Pancakes Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fresh Fruit

Orange Chicken w/ Rice Chicken Sandwich Spicy Chicken Sandwich Corn Dog Smart Choice Pizza Seasonal Salad Bar

Friday, May 17

Skillet Omelet & Tortilla Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fruit Juice

Toasty Grilled Cheese Sandwich Popcorn Chicken PBJ Sandwich & String Cheese Smart Choice Pizza Manager’s Choice Seasonal Salad Bar

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M AY 12, 2019

“Best of” 2019 Ballot

Dining & Entertainment

ote Dr. Hyun Oh

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Health & Fitness

Acupuncture Audiologist Cardiologist Children’s Dentist Children’s Fitness Center Chiropractor Cosmetic Dentistry Cosmetic Surgeon Cross Fit Gym Dance Studio Dentistry Dermatologist Esthetician Family Practice Fitness Center / Gym Golf Course Gymnastics Center Hair Removal Hospital Hypnotherapist Imaging Services Internal Medicine Lasik Surgery Life Coach Martial Arts Medical Center Optometrist Oral Surgeon Orthodontist Orthopedist Outpatient Surgery Pediatrics Periodontist

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M AY 12, 2019

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S U N D AYS I G N A L · 29

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Balloon Design Bicycle Store Boat/RV Sales Boutique Bridal Shop Car Wash Children’s Clothing Store Custom Framing Day Spa Dealership Service Department Dry Cleaners Floral Arrangements Golf Equipment & Supply Hotel Jewelry Store Luxury Car Dealership Massage Men’s Clothing Store Motorcycle Dealership Music Store Nail Salon New Car Dealership Nursery Off Road Dealership Pawn Shop Pet Store Pharmacy Retail Wine Shop Self Storage Facility Shoe Store Tire Store Tuxedo Rental Used Car Sales Women’s Clothing Store

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7. 7. Winners will be notified by July 1st 2019.

30 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

N E W S F E AT U R E

COSPLAY

Continued from page 8

in recent years the store has seen an increase in business during the spring and summer months, which coincides with big conventions like WonderCon, San Diego Comic Con and Anime Expo.

“We have so many options that it’s become normal to us, but the only thing that’s difficult is when kids will come in and try to do a costume from the ‘Fortnite’ video game,” said store employee Calliope Weisman. “But the question is, can you even call that cosplay, because that’s just kids for Halloween?”

A not-so-evil empire

“Star Wars” is one of the most recognizable and beloved franchises of all pop culture, and for many people like Shant Melkonian, Michelle Waxman, Mike Miller, Enrique Baez, Roger David and Kevin Loo, the allure of donning the iconic bucket helmets of the Imperial Stormtroopers proved an impossible temptation to resist.

But just because they like to dress up as the bad guys, it doesn’t make them bad guys — quite the opposite.

Melkonian and his friends are members of the Southern California Garrison branch of the 501st Legion, an international charity group of cosplayers formed in 1998 by Alden Johnson as a way to give back to hospitals by visiting children in costume.

In fact, the 501st’s motto is “bad guys doing good.” Members of the 501st can be found at almost any large parade, and it’s the only charity organization sanctioned by Lucasfilm.

With such a high honor comes a lot of responsibility. All costumes worn by members of the 501st Legion and the corresponding Rebel Legion of heroic characters must be film accurate, according to specific guides and regulations or made a select few companies.

The guide includes details about the types of acceptable materials, all the way to the number of pleats or threads a Kylo Ren costume requires.

The completed costumes must then be approved by a quality judge within the organization.

The 15 active Santa Clarita members of the Legion, who have dubbed their friend group “Order 661,” make frequent appearances at local events like Relay for Life, Free Comic Book

Left: Cosplayer and model Maddi Summers poses with her “Bioshock” skyhook, portal gun and Deku’s mask from “My Hero Academia.” Right: Dakotah Luster and Saya Yohn with some costume items Luster has made, including his original Batman cowl, his in-progress Batman Beyond helmet and Rey’s staff from “Star Wars.” PHOTOS BY MATT FERNANDEZ / THE SIGNAL

Day celebrations, and Make A Wish visits. On any given weekend, between two and twenty events may request appearances and many members of Order 661 will attend events almost every week, gladly paying for their travel out of pocket to share their passion.

“It’s all about the love of ‘Star Wars,’ the looks on kids’ faces and highfives,” Melkonian said. “This group has probably given over a million high fives in the past year.”

A sheep in fox’s clothing

Madi Summers is a fox. At least that’s what her cosplay stage name Miss Madra Rua means in Gaelic, a nod to her Irish and Scottish heritage.

Summers, who is also a professional pinup and international corset model, began to cosplay as a natural expansion from her theater background and a way to dress up as her favorite pop culture characters like Elizabeth from “Bioshock,” Isabelle from “Animal Crossing,” Marvel’s Gwenpool and Deku from “My Hero Academia.”

For Summers and many others, it’s also a way to earn some income.

Patreon is a popular platform for cosplayers to sell unpublished photo set or to take requests for costumes or themed shoots, a common practice in the industry for making money and increasing visibility. Summers loves the platform because it lets her directly engage with fans and creates a marketplace for her work.

“It kind of freaks me out to say that my entire livelihood (around model-

ing and cosplay) is just on a website that can go away at any time,” she said. “Since I want to build a career around being noticed, it would be hard to do without social media, but it doesn’t affect my enjoyment of cosplay and I would go to events in costume anyway,”

Of love and superheroes

While cosplayers describe themselves as an open, friendly community, the passion on display can lead to more serious relationships, evidenced by the recent marriage of Wonder Woman and Aquaman.

Saya Yohn and Dakotah Luster met as actors at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Saya said she was at one point the only person in the world approved by DC Comics to portray Wonder Woman; Dakotah was Batman, and the second of the first five people approved by DC to portray Aquaman in the United States.

As approved character actors, Yohn and Luster were trained how to think and behave as their characters, and even learned how to sign their official signatures. They enjoyed it so much that when the two eventually left Six Flags in 2013, they still wanted to continue exploring the world of cosplay.

After leaving Six Flags, Luster began crafting his own costumes beginning with a polyurethane Batman cowl. According to Luster, the costumes used at the theme park are plastic and not up to par with what he wanted to wear as an actor. Though he never intended to sell the things he made, Luster did a test sale and

was surprised when one of his cowls sold for $250 on eBay. From there he founded his own company Luster’s Workshop which creates cosplay accessories from materials like brass while also keeping his products affordable in order to deter people from making lower quality knockoff of his work.

After the business became more profitable Luster was able to invest on a 3D printer, which they say made the production process much faster and easier.

While her husband geared his cosplay focus towards the crafting side, for the past year and a half Yohn shifted her energies to sewing and working with cloth and becoming a professional cosplay model.

“I started modeling everything Dakotah made and it’s funny because I had never done anything but Wonder Woman until then, and that’s what really launched me professionally and what got me a lot more (social media) followers,” she said.”As a professional cosplayer you have to either be the first to do something or have a unique flair, and I think a big part of my brand is the acting experience I’m able to bring to it.”  For information about 501st Legion, visit southerncaliforniagarrison.com.

A Chorus Line is located at 23300 Cinema Dr #101, Valencia. Luster’s Workshop website is lustersworkshop. com. Summers’, Luster’s and Yohn’s work can be viewed on their Instagram pages at @miss_madra_rua, @dakotahluster and @sayayohn, respectively.

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 31

K I D S & FA M I LY

FRESNO

Continued from page 25

When the world-renowned Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture ceased operations, its impressive collection of bonsai was transferred to the Golden State Bonsai Federation and the Shinzen Japanese Garden.

Fresno Chaffee Zoo

894 W Belmont Ave, Fresno Info www.fresnochaffeezoo.org Tickets From $7.95 to $12.95 Hours Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This family-friendly zoo offers kids a chance to watch marine mammals frolic in Sea Lion Cove and see elephants, lions, and giraffes in the recently opened African Adventure exhibit. In addition, the zoo offers plenty of staff, volunteers and docents to interact with and add to your experience.

African Adventure is a 13-acre, multi-phase expansion that features animal species in spectacular naturalistic exhibits, as well as many

Interspersed amongst the beautiful stone walls and archways are grottoes and courtyards that allow for pockets of light. The intricate pathways were created section by section, over a span of 10 acres, without the aid of blueprints.

multi-species, that together will emulate the African plains and savannas.

African Adventure is a brand new, state-of-the-art home for a pride of

Left: The Forestiere Historical Center can be considered a spectacular and unconventional example of vernacular architecture.

lions, a family herd of African elephants, cheetahs, white rhinos, a giraffe feeding station with 360-degree views of the savanna and a dine-in restaurant called the Kopje Lodge.

Modeled after Point Lobos, Sea Lion Cove is one of the most unique and beautiful new sea lion exhibits in the country. Experience barking sea lions, harbor seals and brown pelicans. The exhibit offers four unique vantage points. At the “nose-to-nose” viewing window, you can get so close that you could seemingly reach out and touch the sea life.

Watch sea lions porpoise and play from above at the “cliff overlook” or visit “the shore” while children build sand castles in the sand play area. Follow the coastal path down to “Pacific Point View,” a 35-foot underwater viewing window where you can watch sea lions glide gracefully beneath the water, performing playful acrobatics through the underwater archway.

The zoo includes other attractions, as well:

• Stingray Bay: Touch or feed cownose rays and southern stingrays as they glide beneath your fingertips.

Right: Countless hours were spent excavating the hardpan layer that cements much of Fresno’s soil to create his underground home.

• Roo Walkabout: An Australian walk-through exhibit which features red kangaroos, wallaroos, wallabies, emu and kookaburras in a unique, multi-species exhibit setting.

• Dino Dig: Great for kids. Excavate a full-size T-Rex and other fossils, like

a real paleontologist in the Dino Dig. Tools are available in the dig site.

Fresno County Fruit Trail

Map and info www.gofruittrail.com Simonian Farms 2629 S. Clovis Ave., Fresno Info www.simonianfarms.com Hours Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you time your visit right, you can also follow the Fresno County Fruit Trail, with produce stands overflowing with ripe seasonal fruits and vegetables.

The Fresno County Fruit Trail is a self-guided tour through California’s agriculture heartland. The Fruit Trail celebrates the beauty, flavor and culture of the with orchards full of ripe fruit.

While fall is the traditional time to find the best and ripest fruit you can visit Simonian Farms year round.

This fourth-generation family farm grows and directly markets more than 180 varieties of fruits and vegetables and has a large selection of dried fruit and nuts. “Simonian Farms Old Town,” a western themed town in a 5,000-square-foot barn, includes an old West wine-tasting saloon, Route 66 shooting gallery and general store, antiques and memorabilia. 

32 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

DESIGN

Artwork and Accessories: The aesthetics of the puzzle

By Ken Dean Signal Staff Writer

A

s the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And how true this is when it comes to art. What is artwork?

Artwork is something that speaks without words. It says something about emotions, about feelings, expressions and inspirations. About one’s love for something. It is an item that adds to the finished balance of an interior like that last piece of a puzzle.

Art is a means of personal expression between the artist, who created the item, and the viewer. Art is, and has been, an integral part of interior design going back to prehistoric times when artwork was painted on ceilings and walls.

People want to be surrounded by the things they enjoy. Pictures on walls or tables, a cherished item that serves as a memento of a person (mother, father, etc.), a time or a place. An item that has been passed on from one generation to another.

Artwork and accessories run a wide spectrum of decorative items and are a major part of decorating. It is that finishing touch that can make an interior come together.

Accessorizing an interior is no easy task. There are literally thousands and thousands of items to choose from, but the question is, what’s right? The answer is: There is something for everyone.

When buying artwork and accessories there are two types on balance to think about. Do you want a formal or informal look? In most instances, picking artwork and accessorizing for the home is a harder task than picking out furniture. I have found that artwork in the form of pictures and paintings, as personal as they are, is the hardest.

Once the furniture is chosen along with the fabrics, window treatments and color, filling in with the artwork and accessories is next.

We’ll start with some basic questions. What are the right colors to

Artwork and accessories run a wide spectrum of decorative items and are a major part of decorating. It is that finishing touch that can make an interior come together.

look for? What is the mood I want ica, works from the Orient or reproto create? What is the right scale in ductions from Remington’s Western relation to the furniture? Can I mix bronzes, all work nicely. styles? What type of artwork and Pictures and paintings are the first accessories do I thing that come want, where is to mind when PICTURES AND the best place to talking about buy them and is artwork. They PAINTINGS ARE THE the cost fair? form an importFIRST THING THAT COME ant eye-catching Books are a TO MIND WHEN TALKING visual form and great accessory that work just ABOUT ARTWORK. THEY can serve as a about anywhere visionary feature FORM AN IMPORTANT and in almost any of an area. room. Books are Collecting EYE CATCHING VISUAL not only a decoartwork falls FORM AND CAN rative item they into two categoSERVE AS A VISIONARY are also appealing ries. The serious because of their collector who FEATURE OF AN AREA. warmth to a knows the history space. They come of the artist and in and add a variety of colors, and purchases as an investment, goes to can dignify a space. art shows, consults a reputable art Art books on cocktail tables add dealer or interior designer, and visits distinction. A home library filled art galleries. They look for signed with books makes for an interesting and numbered pieces, and know that room. Small groupings of books on the profit end is sometimes a longbedroom night stands, cook books term proposition for a meaningful on a kitchen counter and books on appreciation. end tables fill space and add balance.

The other end of the spectrum are Sculptures have a universal appeal. those who purchase with the idea Sculptures show class and reflect a that the item just has to work in the taste for art. No matter what your area, looks nice and is something interior, sculptures from any country they like. work. Carved pieces from the Ivory Choosing a picture doesn’t just end Coast of Africa, pre-Columbian there. The picture or painting now pieces from Mexico or South Amerhas to be highlighted with an im-

portant part of the total look as the framing, which will bring it to life.

The type of frame plays an integral part of the overall beauty and effect of a picture or painting, and it will show the piece to its best advantage.

Generally, oil paintings are framed without glass with a fabric liner that is in a color from within the painting or a neutral color that separates the painting from the frame. Contemporary paintings are usually framed in a simple type of frame, and traditional period paintings are usually framed in a more elaborate carved wood frame either stained or gold leaf.

Watercolors, drawings, photographs and prints are usually framed behind glass with a mat that keeps the item from touching the glass.

With this method, the type of glass is important. Clear glass is usually the preferable glass, however, this glass reflects everything particularly if placed near a window or a lamp.

Nonglare glass cuts out any and all glare, but may not allow all the true colors to transmit.

Displaying family pictures is sometimes a chore. And yet there is a simple solution. Take a nondescript wall, such as a hallway or wall space leading to a second floor. Frame family pictures in different sizes and types of frames, wood, brass, silver, ceramic, some with mats and some without, and display them in these areas creating a wall gallery.

Other types of artwork and accessories are mirrors, which add depth and a feeling of spaciousness. Many other items fall into the category of artwork and accessories, such as silk arrangements, lamps, cloisonné vases, pillows, etc.

Remember that artwork and accessories need to be a part of the composition of a room. Whether you view an entire room, or one small area, artwork and accessories should catch and hold the eye, and foremost should reflect you.  Ken Dean is an award-winning professional interior designer, interior design teacher and writer for 40 years. His website is www.deaninteriordesign.com.

He can be reached at (661) 251-0170.

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 33

HOMEIMPROVEMENT

When it’s time for a new gate

By Robert Lamoureux Signal Contributing Writer

If the car sits for too long on the detectors, the loop can go into an automatic reset and start closing the gate again.

I recommend to you that this gate operator be replaced if you are in the position to do so, and I would also post signs if you don’t already have them, letting people know to not stop in the area for long. We now follow UL safety regulations and I am pretty sure that the system you have in place does not. I highly recommend that you only use a gate technician for all of your gate repairs, you are much more protected if something goes wrong if you’ve hired someone licensed, insured and more knowledgeable. Good luck — Robert Negative waterproofing Robert, I live in Canyon Country and have a concrete wall where water is leaking through. I’ve sent pictures so you can see what is happening,

maybe you can help us to know what is wrong. I called in a contractor that says to use this stuff called Gorilla Mud on the walls, says that you just paint this stuff on and the leaks will stop. I can’t afford to dig out the backside of the wall and fix it from that side, it’s about 7 feet deep. Does this stuff work, is it good? Should I try this route?

— Martha R. Martha, I went online and checked this stuff out that you are describing, and I disagree.

This is used for patch repair of concrete, it is not a waterproofing repair. You are speaking of negative waterproofing, where the wall would be waterproofed from the inside, where the issue is seen.

Positive waterproofing would be on the outside digging down, as

Robert Lamoureux has 38 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia.

His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at robert@imsconstruction.com. 

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Replacement gates Robert, I have a multi-fold question for you.

I’m on a board of directors in Santa Clarita, where we have two slide gates that are old, and we are now having a technician out about once a month. This was never the case before, our handyman has always been able to service this gate so I think we are nearing the end of life on these, unfortunately.

I’ve attached some pictures so you see the configuration which may be helpful to you, so you can advise us. Recently the gate hit a car and we aren’t sure how this happened, whether the car hit the gate or if the gate failed.

What feedback do you have on this, please? ­— Richard W. Richard, Looking at the photos, I see that this is an access control operator.

This is as old as the hills and explains what is happening with the quantity of service calls that it is requiring.

Yes, you are likely looking at this needing to be replaced, there is only so much they can do and when you are making repairs this often, you have to weigh the value. At some point you have to purchase new and not waste your money any longer, I think you are there. I see that in the ground you have loop detectors, which sense the entry and exit of vehicles, and tells the gate to open.

This all works if the loop detectors are operational.

If the car sits for too long on these detectors, the loop can go into an automatic reset and start closing again. I see this all the time where two cars will stop on opposing sides and the drivers are talking for several minutes. The loop detectors don’t know this and go into function and close the gates. This is a possible scenario for what happened, whether or not your system needs replacing.

you described. The negative waterproofing can be done but it is not a permanent or guaranteed fix, however, it does help and sometimes, buys a number of years’ time before permanent repairs are necessary.

For the size of the wall and if funds are limited, you can do the negative waterproofing but you’ll have to start by having this wall sandblasted to remove the paint. It needs to be completely free of any product and it will need to be pressure washed, following. It will need to dry for 72 hours, in order for the new waterproofing product to take hold and do its job. Xypex is a product that can be applied per the manufacturer’s direction. You can get this at the big box stores in 5 gallon buckets and you’ll apply it just like paint but in two decent coats. After this you can paint it a preferred color for aesthetics. Again this is not a permanent fix but is quite successful for some time, if it is done correctly.

Good luck — Robert

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34 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

PROFILE

Dr. Allan Pollack and the SCV historical society A love of history

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

D

r. Alan Pollack, president of the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, and an avid collector of historic newspapers, was born in New York City on the day of a news-making snowstorm.

“I was born at 3 a.m. in a snowstorm,” he said. “My parents told me that they had to struggle through the snow to get to the hospital. They told me the obstetrician was not pleased to be called to the hospital in the middle of the night in a snowstorm to deliver me.”

Pollack found an original copy of the New York Times dated the day after his birth that confirmed his parents account of the snowstorm.

Moving to California

Pollack’s family moved to Southern California when he was about a year old. His only memories of New York are from summer vacation visits to his grandmother.

Pollack’s father was an aerospace engineer and the family lived mostly in the San Fernando Valley, Canoga Park, Sherman Oaks and North Hollywood.

A graduate of Grant High School in Van Nuys, Pollack attended college at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He was also named to Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States.

“Biochemistry seemed like a good way to get into medical school. It was my springboard to becoming a doctor,” he said. “But I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as a career.”

Alan Pollack, Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society president, stands in the Hollywood section of the historical society museum at Heritage Junction. PHOTOS

BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

Internal medicine

After his graduation from UCLA, Pollack attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He graduated in 1983.

“I was not born with a stethoscope in my crib; no one in my family had a career in medicine,” he said. “I would have been as happy to be a left fielder for the Dodgers or a country music superstar.”

Pollack completed his internship and residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 1986.

That same year, he became board certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Heritage Junction, located inside William S. Hart Regional Park, is where the community and visitors can enjoy the rich heritage of the region.

Pollack said he was always interested in medicine and by “process of elimination, I just ended up in medicine.”

After more than 30 years as an internal medicine specialist for Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City, Pollack said he knows medicine was his destiny. “At the time it seemed like a good thing to do,” he said. “Now I realize it was what I really was meant to do.”

Finding the SCV

Pollack purchased a home in Newhall in 1991. “When I finally got enough money to be able to afford a house, I wanted to get a house on a mountain with a view,” he said.

With his budget, the choices were limited. He looked at homes in the foothills north of Panorama City and then started looking in Santa Clarita.

“I found a place I really loved and moved here,” he said. “I currently live with my best pals: a beautiful Labrador Retriever, a tennis ball–obsessed Border Collie and two cats.”

Pollack said despite growing up “just over the hill” from the Santa Clarita Valley, he doesn’t remember ever visiting the area before he moved here.

“I don’t really remember Newhall. I wish I had memories of Newhall from the 1960s,” he said.

“I’ve been interested in current events and history since I was a kid,” Pollack said. “I think I grew up in one of the most interesting decades in the 20th century, the 1960s.”

Pollack describes himself as a youthful “news junkie” in the 1960s, following all the history-making events occurring at the time, such as the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, the many assassinations and the race to the moon.

“My first memory is of the Kennedy assassination when I was about five,” he said. “A week later my grandfather died and I asked my mom why he didn’t get a procession like Kennedy.”

Pollack began keeping copies of the newspapers with the historic headlines at an early age.

“My parents took the Los Angeles Times,” he said. “Every time a big story came out, I kept the paper with the headline. Even as a child I had the perspective that if I keep this newspaper 30 years, it will be really interesting to look at.”

He also is a collector of rare books and has newspapers that date back to the 1600s.

“I still have all the newspapers I saved as a kid and have evolved into an elite newspaper collector with newspapers containing some of the first reports of most of the major events in American history.”

As he grew older, Pollack also developed an interest in the Old West.

“Especially after living in Texas, it became a big interest of mine. When I moved to Newhall and began reading about the history of the Santa Clarita Valley, I realized that Newhall really was the Old West.”

SCVHS

It was only natural that his lifelong interest in history would lead Pollack into the arms of the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society.

“I took John Boston’s history class probably three times and I ended up going over to the Saugus Train Station at Heritage Junction and telling (the SCVHS) I was interested in being a docent,” Pollack said. “I knew a lot of SCV history, I had read so much about it. They didn’t really have to train me.”

Pollack became president of the SCV Historical Society in July 2007.

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 35

St. Francis Dam disaster

Among the many events that have shaped the history of the SCV, Pollack is most fascinated with the St. Francis Dam disaster.

On March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam, built to hold a year’s supply of water for the city of Los Angeles, collapsed and killed nearly 500 people as the water roared through the Santa Clarita and Santa Clara valleys out to the Pacific Ocean in Ventura.

“It is the biggest story that ever happened in the SCV,” he said. “It was a tremendous tragedy that was ultimately forgotten by the city of Los Angeles.”

Pollack said the disaster is an intriguing and interesting story.

He describes the rise and fall of dam architect William Mulholland as “a real Shakespearian or Greek tragedy.”

Pollack’s interest in the St. Francis Dam disaster led him to visit the Johnstown Flood National Memorial in Pennsylvania. The 1889 Johnstown flood is considered America’s worst dam disaster.

“The site has a visitor’s center, national park service rangers, a documentary film and a museum,” he said. “When I got home, I read ‘The Johnstown Flood’ by historian David McCullough.”

Pollack discovered there were many parallels between the Johnstown and the St. Francis disasters.

“There was poor dam building and there was tremendous destruction and loss of life,” he said.

After comparing the two disasters, Pollack was struck that the Johnstown event, which killed nearly 3,000 people, was well recognized in history and had a national memorial. The St. Francis Dam disaster, however, had little in the way of recognition.

“The visit inspired me with the idea of getting a national memorial for the St. Francis Dam,” he said.

National recognition

Seven years ago, after Pollack returned from his visit to Johnstown, he put out feelers on Facebook to see if there was any interest in working toward a national memorial.

After years of working with elected officials representing the SCV and California, a bill authorizing the St. Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial and St. Francis Dam Disaster National Monument was signed into law on March 12 of this year.

Pollack at the Little Red School House.

“There are many people who helped with this effort, but without the drive and expertise of Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel, I don’t think it would have happened,” Pollack said.

The future

Pollack said the goal is to create a visitor center and memorial wall with the names of the victims.

No money has been appropriated for the site, but Pollack said a foundation has been set up to help raise funds. For more information, visit Facebook and look up St. Francis Dam National Memorial Foundation.

Pollack said the SCVHS can always use docents, donors and help to maintain the collection of historic buildings at Heritage Junction.

“We have these buildings in Heritage Junction that would have been lost if people hadn’t worked together to preserve them. The SCV Historical Society is the institutional memory of the community. It is a place for remembering and honoring the past,” he said.

“We preserve the past and we consider that important to the community.”

Currently, the SCVHS is looking for volunteers to assist in a massive archiving project of photos donated to the nonprofit by The Signal.

The SCVHS is also looking to create a new, modern museum in the historic Pardee House.

“Heritage Junction is a treasure.

We want a modern museum that will resonate with adults and children,” said Pollack.  Visit Heritage Junction, adjacent to William S. Hart Park, 24101 Newhall Ave., Newhall, 91321, open 1-4 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit https://scvhs.org.

36 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

BEAUTY&FITNESS

Where skin care can make a difference

By Caleb Lunetta Signal Staff Writer

I

t’s widely known that skin is the largest organ in the human body.

There’s a $382 billion global business circulating around skin care and beauty. And in 2017, there were 7 million wrinkle-treatment injection procedures, 1.3 million chemical peels and 656,781 laser treatments in the United States alone, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

“We do damage control,” said Dr. Kristine Hirschfield, a practicing dermatology physician at Valencia Dermatology and Los Angeles Laser Center for the last 15 years. “Exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can lead to skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, along with precancerous lesions and aging, wrinkles and leathery skin.”

There’s also another threat, outside

Outside of visiting a dermatologist, there are a couple simple things you can do on a daily basis to help improve your skin care.

of the sun, coming from something used daily by millions of people across the country: makeup.

Santa Clarita makeup artist Anne Baker, who has been featured in national publications, such as Covergirl, and in cosmetology industry expos, such as BeautyCon, says makeup can be a best friend, or a worst nightmare.

“There are a lot of different ways that makeup can affect someone’s skin,” Baker said. “Of course makeup can enhance the look of your skin,

which is what it was created to do, but it can also affect your skin in a negative way if not used correctly.”

Skin care has become a multibillion dollar global industry, but according to these professionals, solutions for Santa Clarita residents are right at their fingertips.

Health care

Your skin is related to cosmetics as much as it is to your health.

“Skin cancers are life-threatening but totally preventable or treatable if

we catch them before they are severe,” said Hirschfield. “We have patients coming into our office in their 30s and 40s who are so traumatized by the aging effects of the sun exposure they had in their teen years.”

While Valencia Dermatology does offer a number of skin care treatments that are cosmetic and anti-aging, it also stresses the importance and understanding that seeing a dermatologist means not only diagnosing See SKIN CARE, page 41

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S U N D AYS I G N A L · 37

Valencia Allergy and Asthma Center

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Adult and Pediatric Allergy and Asthma.

WE TREAT THE CAUSE not just the symptoms

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It’s allergy season

By Dr. H. Farhadian, M.D. Signal Contributing Writer

D

ue to heavy rainfall this winter, plants are growing and spreading pollens in the air. In spring time mainly, trees and grasses pollinate.

Among the most pollinating trees in our area are evergreens, oaks, olive trees, eucalyptus, sycamore and box elder. Bermuda, Johnson grass, blue grass, rye grass and half a dozen other grasses also are pollinating heavily and thus making people with allergies more prone to hay fever, asthma, and eye allergies. It is estimated that between 10-20 percent of the American population suffer from some kind of allergy.

Sneezing, runny noses, itchy eyes, wheezing, coughing, and sinus headaches, are the symptoms and main complaints of the patients who suffer from some kind of allergy.

More than 80% of the time allergies are hereditary. Geneticists believe that if one of the parents has allergy there is a 25-35% chance that their child will also have this condition.

However, if both parents are afflicted with the disease, there is more than a 50-60% chance the child will be born with allergies.

Besides the pollens that usually are the culprit of allergy in spring and fall, other agents such as dust, animal hair and dander, molds, especially during rainy season, and foods might cause allergic disorder. Insect bites,

H E A LT H

especially bee’s sting in some allergic patients cause skin rash and at times systemic reaction that could be dangerous. We might add drugs such as penicillin, sulfa, and aspirin to the list of agents that cause allergic reactions. Other contributing factors are weather changes, wind, smog, change in atmospheric pressure and emotional factors.

The best treatment for allergies is prevention, if it is possible. Treatment of the symptoms for immediate relief is recommended. The alleviation of symptoms is usually achieved by proper medications, such as first and second-generation antihistamines, sometimes combined with decongestants. Second generation antihistamines are newly developed anti-allergic medications that do not have the side effects of old generation antihistamines, such as drowsiness, dry mouth, and prostate complications.

We believe that for long-term relief of symptoms, the cause of allergy should be treated along with the symptoms. To accomplish these goals, the allergist will perform tests to determine the cause of the allergy and then recommended avoiding if possible. If not, immunotherapy will be suggested.

By this method the person develops immunity to the offending agent.

This result is gradual disappearance of the symptoms.  H. Farhadian, M.D. has a Pediatric Board Certification and also specializes in allergies, asthma and immunology. He opened the allergy and asthma treatment center in 1982 in Valencia.

It is located at 23838 Valencia Blvd.

The phone number is (661) 259-6996.

38 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

PETS

Got pets?

Get prepared!

By Michelle Sathe Signal Staff Writer

W

ith a record-breaking fire season last summer, Nicole Graham knew it was a matter of when rather than if a blaze would break out close to her Stevenson Ranch home. The answer came in late July, when Graham’s neighborhood was evacuated due to the Pico Fire.

Since she has four dogs and two cats, Graham had the safety of her pets at the top of her mind in such a situation. “I’m more prepared for my pets than I am for myself,” she said.

That means a crate, a three-day supply of food, water, and vaccination/medical records for each pet, stored in bins in Graham’s garage and ready to pack in her SUV in a moment’s notice.

“If you’re prepared, it’s just a matter of loading up, which can happen within 15 minutes,” she said.

Taking steps, such as Graham’s, can go a long way toward successfully navigating an earthquake, fire, or other natural or man-made disaster.

Dr. Hyun Oh of Animal Medical Center agrees. “My No. 1 recommendation is always a kennel or carrier, because when things are chaotic, you can’t put a price knowing that your pets are safe and in an enclosure while you take care of the other things that are right in front of you,” he said.

Oh also recommended carrying aspirin to help if you’re unable to get your furry friend to a licensed clinic right away.

“A coated aspirin can help relieve pain from any injuries, a fever, inflammation or a pulled muscle your dog might have. And if they sustain a cut, betadine, an antibacterial agent, is safe for dogs, as well.

Veterinarian Evelyn Vega of Happy Pets Veterinary Center in Valencia, echoed Oh’s sentiments.

“You never know when an emergency may happen. Being prepared lets you be calmer and more collected because you have a plan versus having to think on the spot,” Vega said.

Left: Jake Baxter and Nicole Graham prepare twelve-year-old Chihuahua, Coco and pitbull mix, Maddie for transportation in their car carriers.

Above: Baxter, one-year-old American Staffordshire, Atlas, and 12-year-old pitmix, Maddie, look on as Graham checks her emergency supply box for her pets.

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

Not sure where to start with your own plan? Vega suggested the following:

• Medications and medical records (stored in a waterproof container) • First Aid kit with items such as bandages, wound ointment • Sturdy leashes, harnesses, and/ or carriers to transport pets safely and ensure that your animals can’t escape • Current photos and microchip information of your pets in case they get lost • Food, drinkable water, bowls, cat litter/pan and a manual can opener • Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name and number of your veterinarian in case you have to foster or board your pets • Blankets to keep you and your pets warm in case of cold weather Having a backup in case you’re not able to evacuate with your pets is important, as well, as Kyle Harris, pet sitter and owner of Kyle’s Custom Critter Care, illustrated.

“You should have a couple of people in mind. Say you work in the valley and there’s an emergency out here, you’ll need to have a friend or neighbor designated as an emergency person,” she said. “These should be people who know your pets and you should have several to contact, in case

one person isn’t available.”

Pet sitters like Harris are another option. Several of her clients have called her in an emergency not just to help with pets, but to turn off gas lines and handle other safety measures.

Another key point Harris stressed is having a location planned in advance that you can comfortably stay with your pets, which is something she discovered wasn’t always possible at evacuation shelters.

Harris fled to such a shelter a few years ago when a fire broke out near her Canyon Country home. “I got there and was told I couldn’t bring my dogs in, so we stayed in the car,” Harris said.

Hotels may not be a good option for pet owners in an emergency, either.

“During the Paradise fire, hotels booked up quickly and some jacked up their rates so high that it wasn’t

affordable for most people,” she said.

“Try to make arrangements with friends or family in another place you can evacuate to, instead.”

That’s what Graham did when she evacuated from the Ranch Fire with her pack, staying for a short time with a friend who had room for all of Graham’s pets.

Being prepared makes an already stressful situation much more manageable and also brings her peace of mind, Graham said. “My pets are family. I just couldn’t handle if something were to happen to them.”  Animal Medical Center is located at 25848 McBean Pkwy, Valencia, (661) 255-5555. Happy Pets Veterinary Center is at 27550 Newhall Ranch Rd., Valencia, (661) 295-9972. Kyle’s Custom Critter Care is located at 28854 Kenroy Ave., Santa Clarita, (661) 305-4981.

Help emergency workers help your pets

• Place a rescue sticker or a printed sheet alert to let people know that pets are inside your home.

• Make sure it is visible to rescue workers, and that it includes the types and number of pets in your household and your veterinarian’s phone number.

• If you must evacuate with your pets (and if time allows) write “EVACUATED” across the stickers so rescue workers don’t waste time looking for them.

Courtesy Happy Pets Veterinary Center

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 39

SENIORLIVING

Addressing the needs of caregivers helping our military

“Y

ou’re sitting at home one night and get a phone call that your husband is being medevaced and he’s coming home.

They said it was for spinal injuries,” recalled Mandy Spooneybarger, caregiver to her husband, Charles, an Army Veteran.

“You have to live in your new normal. It’s stressful. It’s isolating. You have to let go of what you had. That is the hardest part. Sometimes it takes years. You can find strength from the person you are caring for. If you can, find other support.”

One place to find that support has been the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA), the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization. The organization recently received a grant from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Hidden Heroes Campaign for innovative and evidence-based programs that address the long-term needs of military caregivers, spouses, parents and loved ones caring for service members and veterans at home.

Veterans depend on caregivers

“The ALA recognizes that many veterans depend daily on their dedicated caregivers,” said Kathy Dungan, national president of the organization. “We recognize how important it is to support caregivers and address the unique stresses they face to help ensure our nation’s heroes are supported for years to come.”

At the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival (NVCAF) last fall, the grant helped the auxiliary provide several opportunities to empower caregivers and provide social support.

Respite bags were handed out to each caregiver at registration. Although the event is centered around Veterans, the bags and warm welcomes from auxiliary volunteers and staff made the caregivers feel special. Programs relevant to the needs of military caregivers are typically focused on the service member or veteran, and only incidentally related to the caregiver’s role. There are gaps in needed programs, which the grant helped to address. In addition, the funding provided the opportunity to build skills and confidence as caregivers.

Caregivers need support too

Dolores Kostiw, 71, caregiver to her husband, Steve, an Air Force veteran, said, “I retired two years ago. I’m around to help do what he needs to do, make sure he gets in and out of the shower OK. If he needs help with his shoes or dressing of any sort, I can try and help him with that. It’s very hard because he’s first — I have to make sure he’s OK and everything before I can take care of myself.”

According to a Rand Corp. study, there are more than 5.5 million military and veteran caregivers in the U.S. They spend many hours tending to the visible and invisible injuries or illnesses of their loved ones. In the study, 17 percent of civilian caregivers reported spending more than 40 hours per week providing care; 12 percent of post-9/11 military caregivers and 10 percent of pre-9/11 military caregivers spent more than 40 hours per week.

It’s OK not to be OK

“Anger is a big thing. Address that as soon as you can,” said Spooneybarger. “Because that’s the biggest reason I see why people leave their spouses — unresolved anger. They take it out on the only safe place they know — the person holding their hand through the whole process.”

For Kostiw, it’s about finding time for herself.

“More than once, you think, I can’t do this anymore, I want to get out of it, but then he needs something, and I have to be there for him to give it to him,” she said. “Do what you can and if you can’t do it, ask for help.”

Through the support opportunities offered at the NVCAF, Kostiw and others learned it was OK to not be OK and to ask for help as a caregiver. They had the opportunity to show their emotions in a welcoming environment with others in similar situations. Some also offered suggestions on how to cope, based on their own experiences.

To learn more about how to get involved in the ongoing work of supporting caregivers and to give back to veterans, the military and their families, visit www.ALAforVeterans. org.  — Brandpoint

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40 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

M AY 12, 2019

GARDENING

Gardening in the merry month of May

By Jane Gates Signal Staff Writer

A

s we move into the dry, hot weather of summer, we only have a little while left to take advantage of cooler days for doing outdoor spring cleaning and landscape projects.

Although we can possibly experience more cloud cover and maybe even a surprise shower, it’s likely we are done with the measurable rainfall so it’s time to start conserving water and getting the most out of every drop.

Sunshine will be growing stronger, so now is also the best time to get swimming pools and water features into top shape for the coming heat.

Check on your watering systems, replace faulty sprinkler heads, fix drip lines and mend leaks and cracks so you don’t end up with geysers

and floods when your systems are on. Consider replacing old sprinkler heads with low-water heads that should deliver water to your lawn and garden much more efficiently than conventional heads. The lower volume of water will penetrate slowly without washing off, making your plant roots happier and your water bills lower. Set your sprinklers to water slow and early.

Sprinklers don’t need to be as active as they will in a month or two, so check your timers and adjust them as the weather changes. Then, rather than leaving water times on longer, add more short-watering periods following a rest of at least 15 to 20 minutes between so the first watering has time to penetrate into the soil.

The idea is to allow water to sink down. And getting projects built now before the summer means you will be ready for the heat to the bottom of plant root systems, not just wet the surface of the soil.

Enjoy the remaining sub-hundred

Compost kitchen vegetable waste.

You can even make your own worm compost!

degree weather for doing labor-intensive projects outdoors. Big repairs and improvements will be more comfortable and safer for you to do while it is still relatively cool.

It’s time to finish planting your seeds and take a trip to the garden centers. Flowers, shrubs, even potted trees can go into your landscape in May. If temperatures soar after planting, make sure everything remains well watered. Drape protective shade cloth or light burlap over new plantings to help protect vulnerable newcomers from sunburn damage for the first few days, then slowly expose them to full sun a little at a time.

There’s nothing that can’t be planted at this time of year except maybe some of the cool season vegetables. Artichokes are starting to crop and early strawberries are fruiting. Get those peppers, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, corn, squash, eggplant and other warm-season plants into the ground now so you can start harvesting in a month or two. You can plant pumpkin seeds starting now and during the next month. They should be the last seeds to go in the garden if you want to harvest them closer to Halloween rather than in August or September.

This is the end of the best season for planting California native plants.

However, you will have to give even the tough natives plenty of water over the summer until they can establish drought-resistant root systems.

If you have compost from your own pile, this is a good time to dig it into the soil. You can also top dress your soil with compost as a moisture-holding barrier that will help roots stay cooler in heat. If you are buying it in bags, you might want to consider buying or building a compost bin so you can make your own for free.

Locate it far enough from the house that you won’t be attracting rodents to any structures, but close enough that you’ll still be willing to walk the distance to use it.

If you have fruit setting on your trees, you may want to cover the tree with bird netting before the wildlife steals everything. Some trees will be fruiting in June but plenty of critters won’t even wait for fruit to ripen before decimating your crops. And with so many previous years of drought, the critters out there are well trained to feed off of our landscapes. So they will be back and be looking for all the easy pickings they can find!

Clean garden areas and gutters of dead stuff that can ignite in a wildfire.

After the rainfall this winter, there will be a lot more fuel to feed our fire season — which can become active as soon as the last moisture from winter rain dries out. Start protecting your home from potential flying cinders now!

Keep a careful eye out for insect infestations and animal pests. Unwanted bugs may be overwintering in larger-than-normal numbers. Rodents may have bigger litters with the increased rainfall and plant growth.

If that happens, critters could be very destructive in the garden this year.

Catch infestations at the first sign and they will be a lot easier to control. Try natural pest controls, such as hosing off aphids with a stream of water and setting up physical barriers such as rabbit and chicken wire fencing … before resorting to dangerous poisons.

Don’t forget about adding something special such as a pool or hot tub, a sport court, a barbecue or an outdoor room, a flower-cutting or raised vegetable garden to your yard.

I know I am always suggesting expanding outdoor uses into your landscape. But why not get the most out of the land you own? Design it yourself or call in some professional help. Either way, planning ahead will make the job easier and avoid expensive mistakes down the road.

May is a busy time in the garden.

And it’s a good time to get out and get some exercise, sunshine and fresh air.

There are plenty of jobs to do in the landscape.

Remember, in Santa Clarita, even 90 degrees will seem wistfully cool come July and August! 

M AY 12, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 41

FILM

Continued from page 17

filmed here, from “High Noon” and “Bonanza” to “My Little Chickadee” and “Back to the Future III.” Jamestown’s 19th century railway was used as a filming location for “Unforgiven,” the 1992 gunslinger flick starring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman.

The movie won four Oscars, including best picture and best director for Eastwood and best film editing for Santa Clarita resident Joel Cox. Known as “The Movie Railroad,” the first known filming was in 1919, for a silent serial called “The Red Glove.”

Railtown 1897 and its historic locomotives and railroad cars have appeared in more than 200 films, television productions and commercials.

Other credits include: “Death Valley Days” (with Ronald Reagan) and “The Lone Ranger.”

Lone Pine

The area around Lone Pine, including the Alabama Hills Recreational Area, has some of the most recognizable scenery in the history of cinema.

The terrain has provided the settings

SKIN CARE

Continued from page 36

symptoms related to cancer, but a number of other issues related to skin care that a general practitioner might not be equipped to handle, according to Hirschfield.

“Our office specializes in anything skin-related such as skin cancer, lesions that could turn into skin cancers, rashes or skin irritations, hair loss, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, etc.,” said Hirschfield. “Very often, we have general physicians or family practice doctors refer patients to us for skin issues.”

Dermatologists in Santa Clarita, such as those at Valencia Dermatology, said those looking for the younger, healthy skin but are worried about how to pay for it — for things such as lasers, medical acid peels, Botox, fillers and facials — can oftentimes seek out a free, or relatively cheap consultation.

“We have many cash patients

Left: The Sierra No. 3 locomotive still steams past the “Petticoat Junction” water tower at Jamestown’s Railtown 1897. PHOTO COURTESY CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS. Top: Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” script on display at the Lone Pine Film History Museum in Lone Pine.

for hundreds of B Westerns and several classic films, such as 1939’s “Gunga Din,” 1957’s “The Tall T” and 1962’s “How the West Was Won.” The Bureau of Land Management offers a self-guided tour of Alabama Hills movie locations and the website of Lone Pine’s Museum of Western Film History, www.museumofwestern filmhistory.org, is a great resource for identifying locations of favorite films.

“Hopalong Cassidy” and portions of “Iron Man” were filmed here. The Alabama Hills of Lone Pine, east of Sequoia National Park, has been the setting for “Django Unchained”

(2012), “Man of Steel” (2013), “Gladiator” (2000) and the TV sci-fi series “Firefly” (2002-2003).

See the mountain setting that hosted hillbillies, Mounties and Elvis Presley in the verdant San Bernardino Mountains and valleys around Big Bear Lake and its neighbor Cedar Lake. The area frequently stood in for those of the Ozarks, Appalachians and Canadian Rockies in early filmdom.

Examples include 1936’s “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine,” 1941’s “The Shepherd of the Hills” and Presley’s 1964 “Kissin’ Cousins,” all classic

stories of mountain feuds and moonshine.

The sawmill featured in the Presley film is still standing, and you can see it at the Cedar Lake Camp, which was part of the area’s “back lot” (some of it originally built for movies) and is now rented out to groups.

Other films include: “Hot Tub Time Machine,” “War Games,” “The Parent Trap,” “Paint Your Wagon” and “City of Angels.” Television shows include: “JAG,” “Hill Street Blues,” “General Hospital,” “MacGyver” and “The Wonder Years.” 

who do not have insurance,” said Hirschfield. “They usually pay an office visit fee and we guide the patient through any additional treatment fees.”

Regardless of what any one individual is seeking, however, Hirschfield stressed the importance of her field, and how it applies to everyone.

“Going to a dermatology office is so important,” said Hirschfield. “Every person should get an annual skin cancer screening check up.”

For more information about Valencia Dermatologist’s service, visit their website at www.lalasercenter.com/ valencia.

“One of the biggest myths about skin care is that wearing makeup is going to make you age faster,” Baker said. “But, in fact, a lot of makeup helps protect and nourish your skin; but it has to come off at the end of the day otherwise your skin will start to collect dirt and oil, which is what will cause aging.”

Baker said she learned this cardinal rule after struggling with breakouts herself.

“I basically only washed my face in the shower, which was causing a lot of problems; I was often times sleeping in my makeup,” she said. “When I realized that I needed to do something about it, I looked into skin care and realized simply washing my face made a huge difference.”

In addition to washing her face everyday, Baker said a key element to her skin treatment is moisturizing, through both applying product and drinking water throughout the day.

“I never go to bed or leave the house for the day without applying

some sort of moisturizer,” Baker said.

“To keep my skin clear, I try and stay in a routine of washing my face and then going through and using toner, moisturizer and some sort of oil.”

When asked if her tips and tricks apply purely to women, Baker said men should “absolutely focus” on the health of their skin.

“Not only for cosmetic reasons, like the prevention of wrinkles, but for health reasons like protecting your skin against harmful UV rays,” said Baker. “I would say at the very least guys should have some sort of moisturizer that contains SPF so that when they are outside they are protected.”

“But it is also important to remember that something that works for me might not necessarily work for someone else,” she said. “Everyone’s skin is different.”

For more information about Baker’s everyday skin care protections, visit her Instagram at www.instagram.com/ glamnanne. 

Day-to-day care

Outside of visiting a dermatologist, there are a couple simple things you can do on a daily basis to help manage your skin care, according to Anne Baker, a Hart High grad and professional makeup artist with close to 118,000 Instagram followers and 931 posts all centered around makeup, cosmetology and skin care.

Big Bear Lake

4 2 · S U N D AY S I G N A L

Opinion

MAY 12, 2019

Unless otherwise stated, the views and opinions expressed are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Signal.

INSIDESOURCES

E T H I C A L LY S P E A K I N G

Social Media Purge Will Make Internet Seedier

Defining Motherhood, and Appreciating Real Moms

By Yaël Ossowski Inside Sources

By David Hegg

A

t the dawn of the social media revolution, our first instincts were on the money.

Instantaneous communication, blogging and social networks were the ultimate innovations for free speech. Millions of people were given a voice beyond the reach of traditional gatekeepers. It was glorious.

Now that we’ve lived through two decades of this revolution, however, the gatekeepers have returned.

Facebook has banned several controversial account holders from its site and related properties such as Instagram, including conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, radical black nationalist minister Louis Farrakhan, and a whole host of alt-right commentators.

The company says they’ve been removed as they’re classified as “dangerous individuals and organizations” who “promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology.”

YouTube underwent a similar process in March, shutting down the accounts of hundreds of conservative voices in response to pressure from activists who seek to “deplatform” those with whom they disagree.

Banning fringe voices from social media networks may be popular among tech and political elites, but it will only further embolden the people with truly dangerous ideas.

In a way, it’s difficult to place blame directly at the feet at the platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

They’re only reacting to the feverish outcry of politicians in Washington and the new mantra of social justice that pervades major cities across the nation.

Banning fringe voices from social media networks may be popular among tech and political elites, but it will only further embolden the people with truly dangerous ideas.

The fresh wave of censorship is being led by the reaction to the actions See OSSOWSKI, page 44

T

oday across the nation, millions of moms are getting candy, flowers, cards and more from those who love and appreciate the monumental influence they have had in their lives. Every person you see today is a testament to the magnificent mystery of how one human being can give life to another. But perhaps it is time we admit that, in our society, motherhood has become quite confusing.

What is motherhood? What makes someone a mother? Is motherhood merely the result of some biological processes that may, or may not have been planned? And how has the advent of abortion on demand changed the ethos of motherhood? Can someone who intentionally ends her baby’s life qualify as a having been a mother for some period of time? Or does simply conceiving and birthing a child make one a mother?

And to take this confusion one step further, what do we say about women whose selfishness and mean-spirited ways laid tremendous obstacles in their

children’s paths? For far too many, today is neither happy nor easy. Those who lived out their formative years under the heavy hand of an evil mother know how painful today can be. And while unfit moms may qualify as biological mothers, you can be sure they are spending today apart from the love, honor and respect real mothers are enjoying.

Add to all this the fact that many adopted children find authentic motherhood in the loving women who took them in, loved them, and raised them while having no actual biological link to them. Obviously, this suggests motherhood is much more than biological. Real motherhood is all about love – sacrificial, unconditional, there-in-good times-and-bad, alwayson-your side, able-to-heal broken-skin and broken-dreams kind of love.

Authentic motherhood is crafted out of an uncommon courage that shows up in drawers full of clean clothes, steaming plates of pot roast and potatoes, and the sage wisdom every life needs. And don’t forget the hugs!

See HEGG, page 44

READERLETTERS

The Border Crisis Is Real The current immigration situation at our border is a crisis, and not a “manufactured crisis” as the Democrats in Washington claim. The political Democrats didn’t think it was a manufactured crisis during the Obama administration when they declared we need a wall at our border to keep the illegal immigrants out of the country. The Democrats in Washington have now proven themselves to be hypocrites and liars as well as Trump haters.

The Democrats in Washington are now trying to push a bill through Congress that will give the illegals the right to vote in our country’s elections. It amazes me as to how ignorant the Democrats holding political offices in this country are. They obviously have never read the

Constitution of the United States. Our Constitution specifically states that in order to vote in this country you must (1) be 18 years of age or older and (2) you must be a citizen of the United States of America.

In order to amend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislators. The Democrats will never get a twothirds majority vote since they do not control the Senate. They know this.

It is easy to see what the Democrats in Washington are aiming for. By promising the illegal aliens trying to get into this country free medical See LETTERS, page 43

MAY 12, 2019

S U N D AY S I G N A L · 4 3

Opinion

Contact: Tim Whyte, Signal Editor Phone: 661-287-5591 | Email: letters@signalscv.com Mail: 26330 Diamond Place, Suite 100, Santa Clarita, CA 91350

D R AW I N G CO N C LU S I O N S R

BLACK&WHYTE

Religion, Inclusiveness, a More Thoughtful Pizza

By Tim Whyte Signal Editor

A

bout eight or nine years ago, I served as the team manager of my son’s youth hockey team. By then, I was beyond the “dad is the coach” years — this was serious travel hockey, with professional coaches and assistants, so I volunteered for the next best thing: team manager.

The job involved booking flights and hotel rooms, driving the team van to games at road tournaments, and making sure the players — at that point, 15 and 16 years old — behaved themselves in the hotel on road trips.

And, it was my job to order the food at the team pizza party at the end of the season.

That’s when one of my son’s teammates came up to me and said, “Make sure you order a pizza without meat.”

My brain hiccuped.

“Huh?” These were hockey players. Not really a vegan bunch. Most of them wanted meat. And more meat.

“Remember?” he said. “I’m Muslim.”

Ah. Look up the meat toppings on pizzas. It’s all pork-based. Pepperoni.

Sausage. Canadian bacon.

Observant Muslims don’t eat pork.

Unsettled by my own ignorance and forgetfulness, I made sure to order a large pie with no meat.

Frankly, I hadn’t thought of the kid as a Muslim. I’d thought of him as a defenseman, and a damn good one.

And a nice kid to boot.

The kid’s in his third year of college now. He’s not a terrorist. Never will be.

I bring this up now because I’m still kind of reeling from the social media fallout from a story we ran a week ago on our Faith page. It was a short feature on the local Muslim community observing Ramadan.

It should have been a harmless, non-controversial story. But along comes the friggin’ internet.

When we posted a link to the story on our Facebook page, one of the first reactions was from someone who wanted to know why we were writing about Ramadan and not the recent Christian events like Easter and Lent.

This, despite numerous previous stories about those things — and Passover — in recent weeks. I can count half a dozen such stories just off the top of my head — but because we ran ONE story on Ramadan, we offended a Christian who thought that meant we were giving short shrift to her faith.

Then the piling-on began. Some of the posts were blatantly bigoted — equating all Muslims with the terrorist actions of a small minority.

Look. I’m right there with you if you say many terrorists — particularly the perpetrators of 9/11 — are motivated

by Muslim extremism. And like many of us I took no small degree of satisfaction when Navy SEALs brought Osama Bin Laden to justice.

But there are millions upon millions of peaceful, good people on this Earth who happen to be of the Muslim faith.

And just as there are terrorists and oppressors who adhere to an extremist version of that faith, so too are there extremists of many other stripes who commit atrocities around the globe and here at home.

Timothy McVeigh wasn’t a Muslim.

He was raised Catholic, and although he waffled on what his religious orientation was, at one point saying he was agnostic, he received Catholic last rites before he was executed for bombing the federal building in Oklahoma City.

See WHYTE, page 44

LETTERS

Continued from page 42

care, free education, free everything, knowing full well they will never be able to keep these promises due to the costs, they expect the illegal immigrants to register and vote as Democrats.

The Washington Democrats’ first effort to skirt the Constitution was by demanding that illegal immigrants get driver’s licenses.

They then could use these driver’s licenses to register to vote. Read the Constitution, Democrats.

I think that giving driver’s licenses to the illegal immigrants in this country is a good idea in order for them to have some means of identification, but the words NON-CITIZEN should be located on the front of the license in bold letters in order to prevent them from using them to register to vote until they become citizens.

Bill Statler, Santa Clarita Editor's note: In the interest of clarity, House Democrats did not actually vote in favor of giving the vote to illegal immigrants, according to politifact.com. Rather, they voted against a motion by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, that proposed to add the following statement to HR1 before that bill was passed by the House: “It is the sense of Congress that allowing illegal immigrants the right to vote devalues the franchise and diminishes the voting power of United States citizens.”

That motion was rejected 228-197, mainly along party lines. So, technically the Democrats did not vote to grant illegal immigrants the right to vote — but they did refuse to endorse a statement that doing so would devalue the vote and diminish the voting power of U.S. citizens.

Submit a Letter to the Editor

Include name, address & phone number; Anonymous letters are not printed; Email: letters@signalscv.com; Mail to: Letters to the Editor, The Signal, 26330 Diamond Place, Ste. 100, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.

4 4 · S U N D AY S I G N A L

MAY 12, 2019

Opinion

OSSOWSKI

Continued from page 42

of the deranged terrorist, motivated by very bad ideas, who opened fire on peaceful worshippers at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March, killing 51 people and leaving 41 injured.

He livestreamed the entire rampage, peppering his deadly killing spree with commentary and phrases found on seedy online chat rooms and websites.

Political leaders in western nations want global regulations on the social media platforms used by the shooter, which you or I use every day to communicate with our friends and family.

In the rush to prevent another attack, however, we should be warned against any crackdown on social media and internet freedom. These are the tools of dictatorships and autocracies, not freedom-loving democracies.

But penalizing social media companies and users for a tragic shooting that took place in real life abrogates responsibility for the individual alleged to be responsible for this attack, and seeks to curb our entire internet freedom because of one bad actor.

What’s more, targeting bad ideas on the internet in the form of bans or criminal liability will only embolden the seediest of platforms while putting unreasonable expectations on the major platforms.

WHYTE

Continued from page 43

Almost all school shooters aren’t Muslim. Do we condemn everyone who shares the same religious beliefs that they do? Of course not. Yet, there are those among us who want to paint all Muslims with the broad brush of terrorism and oppression.

Back to Facebook. Last weekend, I was in the midst of a family commitment down in L.A. and I noticed that our seemingly innocuous story about Ramadan, from the Saturday Faith page, had caused a bit of a stir on The

And that leads us to miss the point about this tragedy.

Social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter already employ tens of thousands of moderators around the world to flag and remove content like this, and users share in that responsibility. It will be up to these platforms to address concerns of the global community, and I have no doubt their response will be reasonable.

But on the other hand, this tragedy occurs in the context in which Big Tech is already being vilified for swinging elections, censoring speech of conservatives, and not reacting quickly enough to political demands on which content should be permissible or not.

As such, we are set to hear anti-social media proposals that have very little to do with what happened on that tragic day in Christchurch in idyllic New Zealand.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants the G20 to discuss global penalties for social media firms that allow questionable content. Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, among many congressional Republicans, want to use antitrust regulations to break up Facebook.

A recent national poll found that 71 percent of Democratic voters want more regulation of Big Tech companies.

In the wake of a tragedy, we should not succumb

Signal’s Facebook page.

So, I tapped out a post on my phone, thanking those who understood that our Faith page is intended to be a welcoming space for all faith communities to share their news and information.

Then someone said, “Why don’t you delete the offensive posts?” And that was a fair question. I’d been on the fly that weekend, so I wasn’t on the computer much, but I firmly understand this is a 24/7/365 job and we have to be responsible for monitoring such things every day. So, I went in and deleted the most offensive posts — those that went beyond the boundaries we try to set for taste and decency while still allowing

HEGG

Continued from page 42

Motherhood deals in hugs that wipe away tears, fears, and pain while holding your soul together for another try at life.

If you’ve been blessed to know such a woman, today is full of smiles. And it should be! We ought to make much of those mothers who are mothers indeed. We are compelled to show the world that those who too

to the wishes of the terrorist who perpetuated these attacks. Overreacting and overextending the power of our institutions to further censor and limit online speech would be met with glee by the killer and those who share his worldview. Reactionary policies to shut these voices out so they cannot read or listen to alternative views will only embolden them and make the internet a seedier place.

Many individuals and companies are now fully reliant on social media platforms for connecting with friends, attracting customers or expressing their free speech. They are overwhelmingly a force for good.

Yes, internet subcultures exist. Most of them, by definition, are frequented by very small numbers of people who are marginalized. But clamping down on social media will only radicalize this minority in greater numbers, and maybe lead to more blowback.

Cooler heads must prevail. Social media does more good than harm, and we cannot use the actions of a fraction of a minority to upend the experience for billions of users.

We can use these tools to condemn and prevent extremist ideas and behavior rather than the force of law or outright bans of controversial figures who make convenient targets.

Yaël Ossowski is a consumer advocate and deputy director of the Consumer Choice Center. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. 

the most robust discussion possible.

Then it became a game of social media whack-a-mole.

You delete one offensive, bigoted post, and another one pops up.

So how about this for a lose-lose situation? You try to do something nice by including a story on the local Muslim community in your faith coverage (heck, that’s really just us doing our job), then you catch hell from the religious right because they think you’re now ignoring Christian stories — which you’re not — and you also catch hell from the left because you weren’t waiting with a hair trigger to IMMEDIATELY delete the offensive posts on

easily throw away their opportunity to live beyond themselves and sacrificially love their children have lost a precious privilege.

I know what a great mother is. I married one of the very best. My children may never realize the extent to which they owe their success in life to her patient love, her easy smile, her gentle correction, and the hours and hours she spends in prayer on their behalf.

But they certainly know they were raised by a mother whose love and devotion to their physical and spiritual well-being were surpassed only by the lengths she

a Sunday morning. And then, when you start deleting bigotry, more bigotry pops up in its place. Ugh. So what did we do? Early Sunday afternoon, we punted. Deleted the whole damn thread. It had just become a cycle of delete a post, a new one pops up, delete a post, a new one pops up.

Almost wore out my mole-whacker.

It’s an awful shame that it came to that. And, just like terrorism, the real problem was the actions of the few, not the many.

Tim Whyte is editor of The Signal. His column appears Sundays. On Twitter: @TimWhyte. 

went in personal sacrifice to see them thrive.

So today, if you are fortunate enough to know a real mother, first thank the Lord God for granting you such a gift. And then stop at nothing to let her know how deeply you love and respect her, and the myriad ways her love both saved and shaped you to win in this thing called life.

David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church and a Santa Clarita resident.“Ethically Speaking” appears Sundays. 

M AY 12, 2019

Give your mind a workout with these brainy exercises!

BRAINGAMES

Relax

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 45

46 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

CROSSWORD TIME

M AY 12, 2019

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

Where do royal babies come from?

By Jim Mullen Signal Contributing Writer

A

ll the hoopla about the new royal baby is unseemly and ridiculous. At least on this side of the Atlantic.

You can understand why the British might care. Every five minutes they spend hearing about the royal baby is five minutes they don’t have to hear about Brexit. They will also have to watch this kid grow up, whereas we’ll only hear about him or her when they screw up.

For us, it’s a puzzlement. It’s one of those stories that no one talks about except for the gossipy TV morning shows. No one at work cares, no one at the gym cares, no one at home cares; only the morning shows care.

They are all over this like a trench coat on Columbo. 24/7, nonstop team coverage with breathless reporting on an event that will have no impact on your life whatsoever. They will send reporters to London, as if they have a better chance of getting closer to the story than if they’d stayed in New York. That’s never worked before, and it won’t work now. Besides, it’s creepy and icky.

You get the feeling that the scoop of the decade would be if they were the first to report that Meghan Markle’s water broke. Wow! What digging!

What insight! What nonsense!

This kid will be so far down the list of heirs to the throne that their chances of being king or queen would only be realistic if there were a sudden breakout of Ebola at Balmoral Castle this summer.

A royal baby IS important — to

his or her parents, close relatives and their dear friends. You know: the same way non-royal babies are important. For people not in any of those groups to obsess over it is troubling. Absolute strangers will send this kid bootees and onesies because television has made them feel as if they are somehow part of the family. I wonder, though: How would they like it if complete strangers sent THEM presents and best wishes for their new baby? Not just strangers, but strangers from another country an ocean away. They would rightly think that they were being stalked by unstable people.

Sure, there are delusional people everywhere, but most of us try to help them, not to encourage their fantasies. Television does just the opposite.

You’ve made a picture of Meghan and Harry out of rusty bottle caps you found while metal-detecting to commemorate the event? Come on down! Welcome to the Royal Morning Show. You’ve knitted a beer cozy with the royal seal on it? Let me give you Meghan and Harry’s address so you can drop it off in person. I’m sure they’d love to see you, and 5,000 other people, at their garden gate.

What will the Royal Couple feed the Royal Baby in the Royal House when they get back from the hospital?

Will she breastfeed? Will they vaccinate? Will they use cloth nappies, or disposable? Inquiring minds want to know, so we’ve sent a drone with a telephoto lens to find out.

What will they name the child?

Here’s our expert on Royal Names.

He says Meghan’s a wild-card American, and may go out of the Royal Box with Ke$ha for a girl, Drake for a boy.

Who will the Royal Nanny be? And coming up after the break, let’s see what Bobby Flay has to say about the Royal Baby.

Yes, television has to fill up 150 channels with something 24 hours a day, but they could save a lot of money by just rerunning all the reports they did on the last Royal Baby, and the one before that, and the one before that. Just change the names of the parents. Who would know the difference?  Contact Jim Mullen at mullen.jim@ gmail.com.

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