Sunday Signal 070223

Valencia | Saugus | Newhall | Canyon Country | Stevenson Ranch | Westridge | Castaic | Val Verde

The Spirit of Past July Fourths

By Daniel Hon Signal Writer

The Signal July 1, 1988 — A kaleidoscope of pancakes, barbecued beef, balloons, queens, carnivals, dances, fireworks, flags, floats, parades, shootouts, high stakes poker games, low stakes bingo, greased pigs and poles, speeches, rodeos, cotton candy, watermelons, traffic, heat, wind and crowds upon crowds of people have painted the environs of downtown Newhall since the first officially sponsored Fourth of July Parade was held in 1932: the epitome of small town America in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The idea of the celebration was born during the depths of the depression when people here, as in the rest of the country, had no money to use frivolously. The town fathers wanted to give the community a day to celebrate without the need to spend a lot. They succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.

It has been variously called The Beeg Peerade, Placeritos Days, Old West Celebration and, simply, the Fourth of July. Fireworks came to it regularly and in a big way when Pat Lizza of Bermite Powder Company first donated them to the community in 1952. Several years thereafter, the Kiwanis Club took over the display until it became too expensive for them (they broke even one year by passing the hat in the stands).

The Mighty Signal stepped in 10 years ago and filled the gap at the last minute when no other fireworks sponsor could be found. Magic Mountain and the Saugus Speedway have complimented The Signal’s already incomparable show over the years with their own displays. But nothing has been done to compare with the extravaganza as Hart High School that is peculiarly home grown and loved by all, especially when the popcorn is plentiful.

Three generations of Truebloods have run the

whole shebang while other chairmen have come and gone after being burned out by heavy volunteerism at the beginning and ending with the gasps of the few who actually did the work. In 1953, Fred Trueblood Sr., owner and publisher of The Signal wrote, in a moment of pique:

“Staging a full day’s activities is a job of enormous proportions in a community the size of Newhall. The number of individuals who are capable of doing things, who have the requisite imagination and energy, is a relatively small one. Then, if you subtract from this minority the competent individuals who simply will not perform what they promise, you get down to a small hard core of workers who both CAN and WILL.”

The editorial was written in sympathy for Ted Lamkin who was the president of the Old West Association and ran that year’s parade with precious little help. Not only that, but this was the year that “little Tommy Frew came as a giant firecracker” and had to be extricated from his costume: He damned near suffocated in the 105 degree heat.

Mr. Trueblood, Sr. knew whereof he spoke. He ran the affair in 1939 and 1940 and again in 1952. Even today, burnout is a problem. Organizations such as the Jaycees, Rotary, Optimists, Lions, Kiwanis and the overall sponsor, the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, have to scramble to keep finding volunteers to take on such diverse tasks as publicity, communications, float and other entry judging, breakfasts, parade lineup, parade announcers, parade script writers, secretaries, sheriff coordination, refreshments, sign painters, VIP greeters, convertible top car owners to carry politicos in the parade itself, clean up crews and a myriad of others to handle details too numerous even to think about.

In earlier years there was even a street dance where Tresierras Market now is [24316 Main Street, Newhall — Ed.] It was the only Safeway in the valley. In 1939, Satchell McVay’s orchestra re-

ceived great fanfare in The Signal as being a “colored” band.

People came from miles around to dance and be entertained by his music. Howard Wingfield won the pie-eating contest.

Queens have come and gone: Barbara Borden, the sister of long time Saugus High math teacher Judy Stevens, Barbara Ayers, Carol Shaughnessy, Jimmy Wright, Barbara McIby, Billie Sitton, Linda Pigg and one lady in the late ‘30s who was the mother of two.

Lack of music has always been a problem because of the Fourth falling in the middle of summer vacation. The paucity of bands became so acute that Signal columnist Mimi [Ruth Newhall — Ed.] was forced to dub the 1977 effort as the “Plop Plop Parade,” because the only sound that could be heard was the dropping of road apples by horses as they plodded along the route. A year or so later, poor Proposition 13 was blamed for the kids not suiting up and marching — it simply was not in the budget.

Traditionally, however, Hart and Placerita have teamed up to march in some array or other. Usually, they are not uniformed but they always sound good, especially when Larry Thornton, the venerable Hart bandmaster, puts that famous wide smile on his face and marches proud down San Fernando Road leading his latest kids in the Stars and Stripes Forever.

Until recently, gambling always found its way into the melee. It got out of hand one year when some of our more illustrious citizens set up a highstakes poker game next to the low-stakes bingo game at Saxonia Park. Money passed hands furiously. That is, the money of the outlanders passed into the hands of our card sharks, in such huge sums that the fleeced complained to out-of-town newspapers. They raised such a ruckus that bingo disappeared.

Then there was Dale Taylor who became the

SIGNAL FILE PHOTOS

hero of at least three of his girlfriends with whom he shared his winnings in 1956. One of the carnival games boasted huge panda bears as prizes. All one had to do was to throw a dime so that it landed and stayed in one of the glass plates affixed to the heads of the bears.

No one won until Dale came along and hitched up his pants in true Newhallian fashion. He won a bear and people yelled with glee. He won another and a crowd started to gather. He quit after winning his third, much to the disappointment of his followers and to the relief of the carny running the game. When asked why he had quit, the young man grumped, “I ran out of chewing gum!”

Saxonia Park. The very name brings a tear of nostalgia to any of us who have enjoyed the Fourth of July in Newhall over the last 30 or so years. Located on the north end of Quigley Canyon Road in Placerita Canyon, it was started by a downtown German Club for polka dancing and beer drinking.

Nothing could match the Fourth of July in that beautiful oak tree setting. It was not unusual for the Lions Club to feed 2,000 folks beef from a pit barbecue dug days in advance. Ten times that many cups of beer and soft drinks were sold. If one listens carefully, the strains of Western music can still be heard wafting through the trees, intermingled with the shouts of happy kids running sack races and making themselves sick in the pie-eating contests. It was here that

high-stakes (I once saw as much as $4,000 on the table in the ’50s) poker games abounded.

In the 1930s, it was not uncommon for the county supervisors to give keynote speeches. Roger Jessup said, in 1933, “Of course, you folks of Saugus and Newhall know also of the splendid work being done in Bouquet Canyon, which will bring thousands of motorists through this district to reach the westside of the Antelope Valley. Such improvements, I am sure, meet with the genuine approval of my people.” Oh, if he had only known what he wrought.

Law enforcement has had its troubles. As early as 1927, the sheriff was prepared to send enforcements to Eureka Villa, if need be. He even put some of them up at Castaic just in case they were needed. They weren’t. What is now called Val Verde stayed peaceful.

However, it might have been a different story for the Cub Scouts in 1948, if it weren’t for sympathetic Highway Patrol Captain Jack Miller. The Cubs found an old Model “T” rusting in a field. They pulled it to one of their member’s backyards and got it running just in time for the parade. The problem was that it had no license tags, and no one had thought to buy them.

They knew that the car couldn’t be driven on the street without tags, but the kids didn’t have enough money. Captain Miller, hearing of their plight, let the word out that he was sorry but his men would be “too busy

up on 99 catching speeders to ‘help’ patrol the parade.” The kids breathed a sigh of relief and rode in their Model “T.” For new comers to the Santa Clarita Valley, old Highway 99 was later replaced by Interstate 5, the Golden State Freeway.

Although the first “official” parade was in 1932, there have been years when there either was no parade or it was not run on the Fourth. Paradeless years were 1937 and 1938, as were the war years from 1942 through 1945. In 1973, the Fourth fell on a Wednesday but the celebration was put off to Saturday so that the parade could compliment that year’s rodeo. However, the inimitable Bobbie Trueblood, now Bobbie Davis, following what she saw as a family and community tradition, wanted a parade on the Fourth. Many agreed.

So, on Wednesday morning, about one 150 folks gathered at Lyons Avenue and San Fernando Road. A palanquin magically appeared with six bearers in tow. Bobbie mounted the swaying vehicle, a couple of buglers and a drummer stepped off, and the parade, without permit or traffic control, wended its way down the middle of San Fernando Road to Hart Park. There was a man marching on crutches along side of the palanquin in his World War II officer’s “pinkand-green” uniform and people are still asking, even today, “Who was that good looking stranger?”

The beer keg bringing up the rear was furnished by the Canyon Country Chamber of Commerce. The Ne-

whall-Saugus-Valencia Chamber was too busy putting up the stands for one of the biggest rodeos this valley has ever seen, to participate in this rump version of their extravaganza, except at the end when the keg was tapped. Good natured rivalry came to a head when it was found that nobody could slake his or her thirst. The liquid in the keg turned to foam while being rolled along San Fernando Road. By the way, a few years later, Bobbie’s son, Fred III, ran the parade and the celebration.

The tradition marches on. “This year’s parade will be the biggest and best yet,” Chairwoman Jill Klajic says. “It is fun to be part of the history of small town America, and I hope that as our valley grows, the tradition of the Fourth of July will live on.”

1950 Queen Janet is crowed by Barbara Ayres. The traditional Rotary Club pancake breakfast. Miss Pam Cree in the 1958 parade.

The History of America’s Independence Day

Few summertime holidays elicit as much excitement as the Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day in the United States.

Each year, family, friends and revelers anticipate the arrival of the holiday so they can host barbecues, enjoy the sun, listen to their favorite summertime tunes, and commemorate the freedoms afforded by the monumental events that led to the holiday’s establishment.

Independence Day became a federal holiday in 1941, but July 4th has stood as the birth of American independence for much longer. July 4th marks a pivotal moment in the American Revolution.

According to PBS, the colonies

were forced to pay taxes to England’s King George III despite having no representation in the British Parliament. “Taxation without representation” became a battle cry and was one of several grievances colonists had with Great Britain.

Conflict between the colonies had been going on for at least a year before the colonies convened a Conti nental Congress in Philadelphia in June of 1776, says Military.com.

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of indepen dence from England. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence is an historic document drafted by

Why is Independence Day celebrated on July 4th?

The Continental Congress declared its independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. If that date raises an eyebrow, it should. Independence Day in the United States has long been celebrated on July 4th, which would seem to be two days late. But upon closer examination, it seems Americans are not really celebrating their independence two days later than they should be.

According to the National Constitution Center, the Continental Congress approved a resolution declaring its independence from Great Britain on July 2. However, a document still needed to be drafted to explain the decision to the general public.

Such a document was already in the works, but it took two days for the men of Congress to agree on a final version. The resulting document, known as the Declaration of Independence, was sent to John Dunlap, an Irish printer who served under George Washington during the American Revolutionary War, who

You can add your name to either the Declaration of Indepence or the Constitution. Visit www.archives. gov/founding-docs/ join-the-signers. Sign your name and download the image. 

subsequently printed roughly 200 broadsides.

Still, the Declaration of Indepen dence was not read to the public until July 8, 1776, when Colonel John Nix on did so in Philadelphia on what is now known as Independence Square.

It was nearly a month later, on Au gust 2, 1776, when most members of the Continental Congress actually signed the Declaration of Indepen dence in Philadelphia. (MC)

Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was considered the strongest and most eloquent writer of the declaration writing committee charged with putting the colonies’ sentiments into words.

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia was one of the first people to present a resolution for American independence, and his commentary was the impetus for the formal Declaration of

signature is the largest, it did not hold more weight than the other signatures. Rather, rumor has it, Hancock signed it so large so that the “fat, old King could read it without his spectacles.” However, the National Archives says it was also customary that, since Hancock was the president of the Continental Congress, he be the first

How was it made?

Creating the Parchment Declaration

On July 19, once all 13 colonies had signified their approval of the Declaration of Independence, Congress ordered that it be “fairly engrossed on parchment.” (To “engross” is to write in a large, clear hand.

Timothy Matlack, an assistant to the Secretary of the Congress, was most likely the penman.

Signing the Declaration

On August 2, the journal of the Continental Congress records that “The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed.”

John Hancock, president of the Congress, signed first. The delegates then signed by state from north to south. Some signed after August 2. A few refused. George Washington was away with his troops. Ultimately, 56 delegates signed the Declaration. (National Archives) 

Timothy Matlack was a Philadelphia brewer whose fiery patriotism earned him a prominent position in the Revolutionary Period. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. As a master penman, he is believed to have hand-lettered the parchment Declaration. COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF BOSTON FINE ARTS COLLECTION

PHOTO CREDIT NATIONAL ARCHIVES

CALIFORNIA 2023

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

From July 15 to July 23 the Summer X Games will travel the coast of Southern California from San Diego to Ventura for the 28th summer edition of the extreme sports competition.

The inaugural X Games were founded by ESPN and held during the summer of 1995 in Providence and Newport, R.I. Today, participants compete to win bronze, silver and gold medals, as well as prize money.

This year, more than 150 of the world’s best action sports athletes will compete as the X Games return to the birthplace of skateboarding and BMX. California is a natural fit for welcoming fans back to the X Games for the first time in three years.

“For decades, California has been the epicenter of action sports, producing some of the most talented athletes in the world,” said Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta. “It’s only fitting that the X Games makes its way back to the ultimate state for play to celebrate the culture that inspired these incredible events.

“We’re honored to host the X Games and can’t wait to see the next generation of extreme athletes take the stage.”

X Games California officially kicks off in San Diego on Sunday, July 16, with Real Street and Real BMX Best Trick contests. Ten of the best street skateboard and BMX athletes will battle for the first gold medals of this year’s competition.

Continuing its tour up the coast, X Games will host a pop-up event and competition with a kickoff launch party in Los Angeles during the following week before culminating with three days of finals competition in Ventura.

The finals for most events will be held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds and Event Center. The games will also feature X Fest, an interactive festival with live musical performances and featured athlete appearances.

In the Past

Not all events from past X Games have stood the test of time. The original X Games featured a slew of “exotic” extreme sports including surfing, street luge, wakeboarding, bungee jumping, barefoot waterski jumping and rally and off-road truck racing have exited the X Games arena.

New Ownership

If longtime X Games fans sense a new look and feel around the games it may be because this will be the first Summer X Games under new ownership. Private equity firm MSP Sports Capital acquired a majority interest in X Games from ESPN Productions in October 2022. ESPN retains the rights to broadcast the X Games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.

Getting There

The Ventura Fairgrounds is a quick 50-minute drive from the Santa Clarita Valley. If you want to avoid the possible hassles of driving and paying for parking, you can also take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner which drops you off in the fairgrounds parking lot, a few feet away from where finals weekend will be held. Board the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner in either Northridge, Chatsworth or Simi Valley and take the short trip to Ventura.

A total of 10 Pacific Surfliner trips operate to Ventura daily. During the event, an additional trip will be added to the schedule to provide customers with a late-night departure option from Ventura.

More information about the Pacific Surfliner, including schedules, special offers, and station details, as well as a 15% savings on X Games admission, can be found at www.PacificSurfliner.com/ XGames.

Tickets

Tickets are still available for the finals weekend in Ventura. Visit www.xgames.com/ events/x-games-california-2023/tickets. Prices start at $48. For the most up-to-date event information, follow @xgames on social media and visit xgames. com. 

Tentative Finals Schedule

An 8-day, multicity event that starts in San Diego and ends in Ventura.

PHOTO COURTESY VISIT CALIFORNIA

FROM THE CITY MANAGER

Have a Happy and Safe Fourth of July

By Ken Striplin Santa Clarita City Manager

The Fourth of July is fast approaching, and I want to emphasize the importance of fire safety within our community. The National Fire Protection Association revealed that in 2018 the United States experienced an estimated 19,500 fires due to fireworks. The use of illegal fireworks poses an imminent threat to our Valley.

This year, we experienced a large amount of brush growth due to the heavy rains. This growth greatly increases the risk of wildfire as the vegetation becomes dry and brittle. A wayward spark from fireworks could easily ignite a hillside and cause untold damage.

I urge all residents to remember that ALL fireworks are illegal in the City of Santa Clarita.

The safety of our residents and our community is always our top priority. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that in 2021 there were 11,500 emergency room-treated injuries caused by fireworks. Of those, an esti-

mated 31% were injuries to the hand and fingers, and 21% were to the head, face and ears.

Some of the most common injuries came from sparklers and firecrackers. Although these products can have an innocent appearance, they can lead to severe injury.

Besides the dangers, we ask you to be mindful of those with sound sensitivity. Veterans with PTSD are silent victims of fireworks, so please be considerate of your neighbors who have already given so much to our nation.

Additionally, many animals become extremely frightened from the firework explosions that they run away from their homes.

July 5 is the busiest day of the year for animal shelters due to dogs and cats who were picked up as strays after being scared away from their homes by fireworks.

Again, in the Santa Clarita Valley, all fireworks are illegal. Residents can report illegal fireworks use by calling the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (661) 260-4000 or by entering a report into the City’s Resident Service Center at santa-clarita.com/RSC. Please note that a report will not result in an immediate response.

Your reports are crucial to helping our local

Sheriff’s Department identify hotspots in our community. Santa Clarita residents can also get a $500 reward for reporting illegal fireworks to the Sheriff’s Station. If you have a life-threatening emergency, you should dial 9-1-1.

Rather than light your own fireworks, I invite all of our residents to come to the Spirit of America Fireworks display at Valencia Town Center. End the night together with friends and family to watch as the City’s dark night sky is brought to life with a spectacular fireworks display. Tune in to KHTS AM 1220 and FM 98.1 as they broadcast patriotic music to coincide with the show. Leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals and enjoy a safe, family-friendly night out. The event will begin at approximately 9:20 p.m.

For more information about firework safety and resources, please visit santa-clarita.com/Fireworks. I wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July.

Ken Striplin can be reached at kstriplin@santa-clarita.com. The views expressed in his column are those of the City and do not necessarily reflect those of The Signal. 

661-360-7960

Open 7 days 7am - 9pm santaclarita@groceryoutlet

19355 Plum Cyn Rd Santa larita, Ca. 91355

4th of July Snow Cone Cupcakes

These snow cones won’t melt. Nope. They’re not icy… but they are frosted. They’re snow cone cupcakes and they were a lot of fun to make.

Decorate them in red, white, and blue so you can see how cute they are for the Fourth.

When I made them, I wanted more than just the tops to resemble snow cones though. I wanted the cupcake to be tri-colored too. But not the usual layered look you see from bottom to top.

No. These should be layered vertically to match the frosted tops, right?

and slowly fill each baking cup with batter. Move the tips of the bags back and forth as you apply pressure so they fill evenly with batter.

Then bake!

And voila — vertically tri-colored cupcakes. Yippee!

All you have to do now is decorate.

I baked these in candy cups and

then frosted and decorated them in sections. Middle first — dipped in sugar crystals. Then blue with blue sugar crystals and then the red. I like sugar crystals for this project instead of sanding sugar because the size of the crystals are bigger and look a little more icy, but you can use either. And technically, if your frosting is tinted the right color, you could just sprinkle the entire tops with white crystals. Once frosted and covered in crystals, use a toothpick to manipulate the

2/3 cup salted butter, softened

Three bowls

Red and blue liquid food coloring

Three piping bags

Twist ties

Candy cup baking papers (see note below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and then mix together on low.

In another bowl, stir egg whites, milk and vanilla together. Add butter to the flour mixture and mix together. As it starts to combine, slowly pour the milk mixture in and mix until completely combined. Divide batter evenly into three bowls. Add about 40 drops of red food color to one bowl and stir together until completely blended. Repeat with the blue food color and a second bowl, leaving the last bowl white. Stand decorator bags in tall glasses for support and spoon batter into bags. Tie off the ends of the bags with twist ties. (Note: Three bags will hold about half of the batter, so you’ll need to repeat for the full amount.)

Lay the bags side by side and tape around the bottoms of the three bags to make it easier to hold them together in a row.

oil for extra snow cone flavor

Divide the frosting into three bowls and tint two of the bowls with a few drops of red and blue food color so when you cover in sugar crystals, there isn’t any white frosting showing through.

Makes enough to frost about 8 cupcakes with high domes of frosting. Double for this cupcake recipe unless you don’t plan on frosting your cupcakes this high.

To Decorate

Divide the cake batter equally and then tint a third blue and another third red.

The plain batter is good to go.

Now the fun part. Spoon each color of batter into a decorating bag and tie the end with a twist tie. For this to work well, you need the colors to fill the baking cups at the same time.

Taped the bags together you can hold them as one unit. Lay the bags on a flat surface and tape them so they are in a row. This will give you a lot more control when you pipe.

Prepare baking cups … Take a deep breath … and cut the ends off the decorator bags at the same time. Try to hold the bags at the top so you can apply even pressure to all three

frosting and make sure the rim of the paper cup shows. This will help pull off the look.

Snow Cone Cupcakes

Red white and blue cupcakes

2 2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 egg whites

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

Cut the end of the bags off and slowly pipe batter into paper candy cups using a back and forth motion. Use your fingers to apply more pressure to the center bag if necessary.

Fill cups a little more than halfway. Bake for about 16 minutes or until done.

Remove and cool. Makes about 16 cupcakes.

Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

4 teaspoons milk

Food coloring

Red, white and blue sugar crystals

Small plastic spoons

Beat butter and vanilla together. Add sugar slowly and beat until combined.

Scrape down the sides and add milk. Mix until smooth and creamy. You can also add a couple of drops cherry

Pipe white frosting down the center of the cupcake, lining up somewhat with the white cake section. Then use a knife to pull the frosting down towards the edge of the cup. Make sure to leave the white rim of the cupcake paper showing completely. You can wipe off excess frosting if necessary. Sprinkle white sugar crystals on the frosting, letting the excess fall into a bowl underneath. You can then gently press the cupcake down into the fallen crystals to fill any uncoated areas. For the red side, just use a knife to apply the frosting. Pull downward with the edge of the knife so the frosting meets at the base of the cup. Again, make sure to keep the rim of the cup free of frosting.

Sprinkle with red sugar crystals over a separate bowl, and press red section into the bowl of crystals to fill any gaps. Repeat with the blue frosting and blue sugar crystals.

When the cupcakes are coated with sprinkles you can easily, reshape the dome if necessary by gently pressing down any areas that look uneven.

Finally, sprinkle more white sugar crystals over the entire cupcake to give it an even icier look and insert a small spoon right in the top.

Serve with little plastic spoons for full effect and see who you can fool!

(Bakerella.com) 

‘The Bear’ Season Two Delivers on Season One’s Promises

By Richard Roeper Signal Contributing Writer

‘The Bear’

(out of four)

Ten new episodes on Hulu.

It’s time to Bear Down.

Just about every major character in Season Two of the Chicago-strong, darkly funny, beautifully written and at times deeply moving “The Bear” is leaning into the next chapter of their lives with energy and passion — and in some cases, more than a little trepidation:

• Chef/restaurant operator Jeremy Allen White’s Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto tells Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney, a talented chef in her own right: “You’re going to have to care about everything, more than anything” in order to make it in the restaurant business, but Carmen is also at least considering the possibility of some kind of life outside the kitchen. As for Sydney, she’s committed to being Carmen’s

partner and protege, but also to finding her own voice, her own path.

• Richie aka “Cuz” (the intense and fiery Ebon Moss-Bachrach), best friend of Carmen’s late brother, Michael, is trying to control his fits of rage, even as he wonders if there’s a place for him in this world.

• Pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce, doing beautifully layered work) and veteran line cooks Tina and Ebraheim

(Liza Colon-Zayas and Edwin Lee Gibson, both subtly powerful) have been given the opportunity to expand their respective horizons.

• Carmen’s sister Natalie aka “Sugar” (the wondrous Abby Elliott) has a lot going on in her life, but she finds it increasingly difficult to stay away from the restaurant. This motley crew might drown without her.

• As for Fak (Matty Matheson), what can I say, he’s still the funniest, warmest, most likable guy you’d ever want to hang around with — even though he might drive you crazy from time to time.

developments or new additions to the cast.)

As you’ll recall from the finale of Season One, Carmy has made the decision to close The Original Beef of Chicagoland and reboot with a restaurant called The Bear.

Spoiler alert: Not all will go smoothly.

Even before the facelift begins, Carmy notices that Richie’s shirt says “Original Berf,” to which Richie deadpans: “It’s a printing mistake. Collectors’ item.” Anyone who has ever owned or operated a new restaurant will no doubt nod in recognition at all the discussions about permits and taxes and certifications and inspections — not to mention the namedrop of Bar Keepers Friend, an essential cleaning product.

Carmy is still dealing with grief, anxiety and an almost paralyzing inability to enjoy life. (He actually Googles “fun” at one point.) Yet, there’s still hope. When he makes a possible connection that actually could have a meaningful impact on his heart, we hear the perfectly placed soundtrack selection of “Strange Currencies” by R.E.M.:

22500 Lyons Ave

Bringing the Finest in Film to the SC V!

to Thu:

Harrison Ford returns as the legendar y hero archaeologist in the highly antic pated fifth nstal ment of the iconic “Indiana Jones” franchise which s direc ted by James Mangold a s t e ro I d C I t y

to

The tinerar y of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to br ng together students and parents from across the countr y for fellowship and scholarly compet tion) is spec tacularly d srupted by world- changing events

n o h a r d f e e l I n g s E Sun: 10:10

Maddie thinks she s found the answer to her financia troubles when she d scovers an ntriguing job list ng: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introver ted 19-year- old son, Perc y, and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for co lege But awkward Perc y proves to be more of a chal enge than she expec ted

e l e m e n ta l B Sun: 10:10 1:20 4:20 7:10; Mon to Thu: 1:20

“Elemental” is an original feature film set in Element City, where fire, water-, land- and a r-res dents live together The stor y introduces Ember, a tough, quick-w tted and fier y young woman, whose fr endship with a fun, sappy, go -with-the -flow guy named Wade chal enges her beliefs about their world

Pa s t l I v e s C Sun: 10:20 1:10 4:10 7:10; Mon to Thu: 1:10 4:10 7:10

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the cho ces that make a ife

s e B Sun: 10:00 1:00 4:00 7:00; Mon to Thu: 1:00 4:00 7:00

WWW.LAEMMLE.COM

FOR 7/2/20237/6/2023 ONLY

“The Bear” creator Christopher Storer and co-showrunner Joanna Calo once again make great use of the city; even the obligatory interstitial shots of CTA trains whizzing along are framed in a unique and fresh way. And while the subject matter here is much more grounded and grittier than “Ted Lasso,” the one thing these series have in common is a second season in which we get to know more about the lives of a myriad of fascinating and well-rounded supporting characters.

The electric White is still front and center (there’s a reason he won all those awards), with the brilliant Edebiri essentially a co-lead, but a number of other players have their own story arcs, their own moments to shine — and the gifted ensemble cast is more than up to the task. It’s a joy to watch them at work.

(Note: I’ve seen the entire 10-episode run of Season Two, but per the guidelines issued by FX, this review is concentrating on the first four episodes. Even with that, we are going to tread lightly and withhold any detailed discussion about major plot

I need a chance, a second chance, a third chance

A fourth chance, a word, a signal

A nod, a little breath

Just to fool myself, to catch myself

And make it real, real ...

As was the case with Season One, the musical choices are great, from “The Show Goes On” by Bruce Hornsby & the Range to “You Are Not Alone” by Mavis Staples to “Handshake Drugs” by Wilco. Even when “The Bear” indulges in the obligatory karaoke scene because it’s practically TV Law that every series must at one point have a karaoke scene, it will knock you out.

Chicago remains a primary character in this series, from the location shots to the mentions of real Chicago eateries to guest cameos by some prominent local culinary figures. (We even get a dessert scene in Margie’s Candies.)

In Season One, “The Bear” showed the promise of greatness. In Season Two, that promise is delivered. 

Copyright 2022 Chicago Sun-Times

PHOTO COURTESY IMDB

How Confident Are You That You’ll Be Able To Retire?

More Americans are retiring earlier than previous generations. According to a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank, their odds of retiring before age 62 rose to roughly 50% in July 2021, partly due to the pandemic. For many, moving up their retirement seemed like the right choice given the state of the labor market and economy, but many were not and are still not financially prepared to retire.

According to a 2022 retirement confidence survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, one in three workers are “not too” or “not at all” confident they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement.

Are you confident you will be able to retire with your basic expenses covered and enjoy the post-work life you’ve imagined? Check these three things.

1. Define Your Goals

After decades spent working, the prospect of retirement can feel sudden, and some people may have difficulty envisioning what it will look like. When you picture your retirement, what do you see yourself doing? Traveling abroad and checking cities off your bucket list? Paying for your children’s or grandchildren’s weddings? Setting up a legacy fund for your loved ones?

If you don’t yet know what you want out of retirement, start thinking now. Without clear goals, you won’t know how much money it will take to reach them. Beyond your core living expenses, consider how you would like to spend your time during your “go-go” (the first 10 years of retirement), “slow-go” years (middle retirement), and beyond.

2. See Where You Stand

Now that you have defined your goals, it’s time to see how your savings, investments, retirement accounts and other assets can support your desired retirement lifestyle. An easy way to check your retirement readiness is to use an online platform like Prudential Stages for Retirement.

This digital tool will take the information you share about your current financial life and retirement goals to determine your personal “confidence score,” which indicates your retirement readiness. In a few steps, you will have a clearer picture of your retirement based on how you are saving and investing today.

3.

Speak With An Advisor

Once you have a clearer view of the big picture, you can meet with a financial advisor to help map out a step-by-step financial plan. If you do not have a financial advisor, you’re not alone.

Millions of Americans do not have a financial advisor. Some do not because they don’t know how to find someone they trust. Still others may feel an advisor is not for them, mistakenly thinking they need a certain level of wealth to engage a professional’s help. However, establishing a relationship with a financial advisor can help you confidently plan for a better retirement and even give you an edge.

Enlisting the help of a financial advisor can make planning for retirement easier and grow your wealth so you can achieve your retirement goals instead of having “just enough,” or even not enough.

Through Prudential Stages for Retirement, you can set up a meeting with a noncommission-based financial advisor who will recommend strategies and products that can help you reach your retirement goals. You do not have to be an existing Prudential customer. To learn more and get started, visit Prudential’s Retirement Calculator. (BPT) 

Santa Clarita Menu Guide

Fire Island Grill

Thai Dishes (Valencia)

Funburger

L’Italiano Restaurant

COMING SOON

We are a quick casual restaurant serving an Island Fusion Flavor. We serve a variety of Rice Bowls, Salads, and Sandwiches. All our sauces and dressings are made in house. We offer in dining service, catering, to go orders, and delivery services.

19335 Plum Canyon Road Suite A Santa Clarita 91350

Numero Uno Pizza

Eating is Believing!

We’re an authentic Thai Restaurant with many years of experience, cooking noodles, rice, seafood, curries using the freshest ingredients. We are located next to the 99 cents store on Valencia Blvd. Come try our yellow chicken curry and shrimp PAD SEE-EW. They’re Delicious!

23328 Valencia Blvd. Valencia, ca. 91355 (661) 253-3663

Pierogi Spot

Delicious food served with a smile. Funburger offers American fare with an elevated twist. Large screens and sound systems ensure sports viewing is comfortable. Wine and beer lovers rejoice with rotating selections of 40 beers on draft and regional wines served by glass or flight.

23460 Cinema Dr Unit J Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (661) 753-3124

Everest Burgers

L’Italiano Restaurant — The Truffle Hunter — Located in the heart of Santa Clarita offers a welcoming environment and warm staff to serve you. You’ll find mouth-watering traditional Italian food prepared fresh to order, made with pride. Dine in for the full experience, ordering pickup or delivery online is available.

23460 Cinema Dr A Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (661) 476-5618

Newhall Refinery

The restaurant is entirely family owned and operated and they’ve been doing it since 1993!!. The service is excellent and very friendly. The establishment carries fantastic pasta and Chicago style deep-dish pizza, not to mention the fresh made salads, sandwiches and appetizers.

26111 Bouquet Canyon Rd Santa Clarita, 91350 (661) 259-3895

One and only Polish food restaurant in Santa Clarita valley. Best comfort food in town. We specialize in serving house made pierogi, sausages, cabbage rolls, stews, schnitzels, and desserts on fire… Every meal includes Free daily soup and fresh salad. Give us a try, You won’t be disappointed!!!

26511 Golden Valley Rd Santa Clarita , 91350 (661) 254-4850

Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and catering. We have Breakfast burritos, avocado bacon cheese burgers, grilled chicken salads, carne asada fries, avocado and bacon sandwiches. We serve quality food and generous portions.

18645 Soledad Cyn Rd. Santa Clarita , 91351 (661) 252-3412

Newhall’s first gastropub located in the heart of Old Town Newhall, has the valley’s finest selection of craft beer with twenty rotating craft beers in our custom draught system. A fine selection of wines and amazing handcrafted cocktails, and a taste for everyone from our specialty blend craft burgers to delicious chef created entrees.

24258 Main Street Newhall Ca. 91321 661-388-4477

Jersey Mike’s

Pho Sure

Egg Plantation

At Jersey Mike’s, we offer a sub above — one that’s measured in more than inches or seconds ‘til served. We carefully consider every aspect of what we do — every slice, every sandwich, every store — we provide our customers with sustenance and substance too.

9 Locations in SCV, visit www. JerseyMikes.com for the one nearest you.

Egg Plantation

Pho Sure signature dish is our Authentic Vietnamese beef noodle soups; however, we do offer an array of rice, dry noodle dishes as well as Vietnamese curry, Banh Hoi and Pho Ap Chao. We welcome you to Pho Sure because we trust that you will like what you try, Pho Sure!

23876 Copperhill Dr Valencia, Ca 91354 (661) 257-3888

Neighbarista

Something For Everyone

WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR WARM, ATTENTIVE HOSPITALITY, DELICOUS FRESH COOKED FOOD AND QUAINT CAFE CHARM.

We specialize in BREAKFAST! We offer specialty espresso beverages and a full bar serving the best Bloody Marys around using our in house recipe.

With 101 different omelets plus a large variety of breakfast favorites including pancakes, waffles and French toast, Egg Plantation satisfies even the heartiest of diners – all in a friendly, comfortable and casual atmosphere. Breakfast is served all day long, but if it’s lunch you’re craving, try one of our signature salads, scrumptious sandwiches or soups. Whenever you’re hungry

About Egg Plantation

WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR WARM, ATTENTIVE HOSPITALITY, DELICOUS FRESH COOKED FOOD AND QUAINT CAFE CHARM.

We specialize in breakfast including 101 omelets. We offer specialty espresso beverages and a full bar serving the best Bloody Marys around using our in house recipe.

24415 Walnut St Newhall, CA. 91321 661-255-8222

Breakfast elevated in the Santa Clarita Valley. A welcoming atmosphere and excellent service paired with excellent food. Everything served is made inhouse and they offer a variety of unique dishes. You are likely to fall in love with their breakfasts and lunches.

23120 Lyons Ave #24 Newhall, CA 91321 (661) 288-2217

We would like to thank all our guest and friends for their loyalty and support over the years and not forgetting all the yelpers who gave us great reviews, your feedback is very important to business owners and allows us to correct and improve where necessary.

Water Gardens Add Charm and Coolness

By Jane Gates Signal Contributing Writer

Water gardening has become very popular all over the country. The romantic image of an oasis in the desert has always held a magical quality. Though we may be more correctly considered chaparral rather than desert, the magic retains its allure.

In the dry heat of our summers, a little running water can sooth the soul and lower the temperature psychologically. Water can be introduced from a tiny source or a large focal point. It can be in the form of a fountain, a pool, a waterfall or a pond.

All Shapes and Sizes

Fountains can be as simple as little table structures for the patio. Or, you can build a natural looking fountain in your garden with local rocks so it appears to be a natural upshot of ground water, blending in with the environment.

You can chose from a large selection of preformed fountains in all sizes, shapes and colors at specialty or home stores. Or a fountain can be constructed on site as a major feature in the landscape.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls are often incorporated into the design of many pools . ‘Pondless’ waterfalls have become especially popular. The idea is to build a waterfall that spills into a recycling area filled with rock or another medium that makes issues with pond, fish and mosquito maintenance mute.

Waterfalls can be built of rock to look natural, or may be built with a variety of other materials to look artistic, contemporary, humorous or reflect

any other style. Most important is that these waterfalls are designed to blend with the style of the surrounding garden and home.

Mosquitos

There are a number of issues to keep in mind if you are considering a water feature. In the heat and dry of our climate, the heavier the water flow, the greater the evaporation. Your water feature will need to be topped up regularly.

If you do not have fish, you will have to consider ways of thwarting the mosquito population. If there are no living critters in your water world, then you can use chlorine, bleach or water conditioners at pool supply retailers.

If your focus is on water plants, consider using mosquito dunks. They work biologically and will not hurt your plants. Maintaining a population of fish should keep the mosquito population under control consuming the mosquito eggs and hatchlings as a natural dinner treat.

I don’t recommend koi for a pond smaller than 1,000 gallons. For smaller ponds there are lots of colors and forms of goldfish available as well as the usual orange color. Try comets for reds and whites and Shibunkins for fancy patterns, multiple colors and longer fins and tails.

Maintenance

Water gardens can be a source of fascination. But they are a lot of work — especially ponds. New ponds actually take the least work, but after a year or two, when they reach a good balance, it will require much of your time to keep that balance.

If you want waterlilies, for example, you need to make sure your pond gets at least six hours of sun. This same sun that will make most water plants

grow best, will also encourage the long stringy algae that may clog up your pond and equipment. Raising koi or larger numbers of goldfish makes a biological filter a must, and that will need regular cleaning. Stick to fountains unless you are willing to do the time-consuming maintenance.

Plants

Aquatic plants create their own special effects. Bog plants, for example need to keep at least their toes wet (the bottoms of the pots in water) and usually tolerate water right up to their necks (submerged just over the top of the pot).

Of the plants that dive in over their heads, the water lily is probably the best known. The regal Lotus is worthy of growing in any water garden. Both plants will grow larger and flower better in very big containers — the bigger the better. They need at least 6 hours of sun here. When happy, they put on breath-taking displays of both flower and foliage and offer a vast array of colors.

Then there are the floating water plants. These do not have to be planted at all, but form colonies on the surface of the water. These plants help aerate the water during the day and provide shade for fish. They add practicality and beauty and can sometimes be used in smaller water features like fountains.

Water gardening is fascinating for adults and children alike, but beware, it can easily grow into an addiction! Be realistic about how much money, energy and time you have to put into your water garden, and then choose your favorite form!

For more information about gardening in the Santa Clarita Valley, visit Jane Gates on YouTube at https://youtube.com/user/Janieg8s.

Creatively Display Your Favorite Photos

Family photos, vacation pictures, candid snapshots of friends and family — they’re often visual representations of some of your most treasured moments, so it’s likely you’ll want to give them some special treatment.

Consider these easy and affordable ways to showcase some of your favorite photos.

Variations on a theme You don’t have to have a whole set of matching frames to create a unified look. Gather frames of different sizes, shapes and textures then paint them all the same color.

White, cream or black are colors that let the eye focus on the photograph. Then when you group them together, you’ve got a cohesive display without everything being the same.

Location, location, location Photos don’t always need to be on a wall or shelf. Try hanging a series of related photos on the back of a door or between windows.

A new use for old frames Take a large frame with no back and paint it. Then take two pieces of ribbon or wire and attach them to the back of the frame, dividing it into three sections. Attach small photos to the ribbon or wire with mini clothes pins

or other small clips.

New frames out of old windows Fit a photo mat inside each pane of an old window. Attach photos to the backs of the mats and you have a vintage frame.

Map it out Showcase favorite travel photos by covering a mat with a map from one of your vacation spots. Just trim the map to fit your mat, tape it to the back and insert your picture.

Get it on canvas Treat your photos like the works of art they are by having them printed on artist canvas. There are a variety of online vendors that let you choose the size and photo treatment to create a unique piece for your personal gallery.

Put it all on the table Add to your stylish decor and protect your furniture all at the same time by making your own photo coasters.

Find more ideas for creatively displaying your favorite photos at eLivingtoday.com.

(Family Features)

HEALTH

Skip the Salt, But Keep the Flavor and Your Health

The human body needs salt to survive. Sodium chloride is required in a nominal amount to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain a proper balance of water and minerals.

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says it’s estimated people need 500 mg of sodium per day to perform these vital functions. Too often, however, people consume much more salt in their diets than is necessary, which can lead to a host of medical issues. The average person eats 3,400 mg of sodium daily, and that can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, and even loss of calcium in bones.

Salt is already added to many prepared foods as a preservative and flavor enhancer, so it’s not necessary to add salt to these meals. However, when cooking from scratch at home and flavoring foods, it may be tempting to reach for the salt because of the way it can enhance flavor. Fortunate-

ly, there are many salt substitutes that can impart flavor without adversely affecting your overall health.

Potassium chloride Potassium chloride can provide a salty flavor without all of the sodium that is in regular table salt, which is sodium chloride.

Potassium chloride typically is mixed with a ratio of sodium chloride in “light” or “low-sodium” salt options and salt substitute products. It can slash sodium by up to 50 percent in some instances, says Consumer Reports.

Acid Food scientist and blogger

Nik Sharma says that people can cut down on salt in recipes if they increase the acid. This includes lemon juice or vinegar added at the end of the cooking process. It can replicate that bite that salt often provides.

Sea ingredients Kelp, alternative seaweeds or pureed anchovies can impart a salty flavor without the added sodium. While sea water creatures may taste salty, they do not transfer

the same amount of sodium to the body as regular salt. These ingredients add the “umami” flavor profile, also known as the “fifth taste.”

Garlic Pungent and strong, this spice can boost flavor easily without increasing the need for sodium. Double the amount of garlic in recipes when cutting out salt.

Black pepper Similarly, Healthline suggests reaching for black pepper to spice up foods over salt. Black pepper is a good addition to savory dishes, and can help decrease inflammation in the body.

MSG Monosodium glutamate contains two-thirds less sodium than table salt, so adding a little can increase the flavor of foods, says Taylor Wallace, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of food and nutrition studies at George Mason University.

Nutritional yeast Nutritional yeast offers a nutty, salty, cheesy flavor, and is a popular choice among vegans

who want to get a parmesan cheese taste without actually consuming dairy. The yeast adds flavor and is often fortified with B vitamins, making it a healthy addition to diets.

Ginger Ginger can be peppery and bold in dishes, and it works well in both sweet and savory foods.

Liquid aminos This is a liquid seasoning made by treating soybeans with an acidic solution to break them into amino acids, says Consumer Reports. It also can be made from fermenting coconut sap with water. The result is another umami flavoring. And though there is still sodium content, it is less than table salt.

Smoked paprika The smoky, spicy taste of this paprika may make it easy to skip the salt in some foods.

Salt is necessary in small amounts, but too often people consume it to excess. Small changes can help individuals reduce their sodium intake. MC)

Expert: Dos and Don’ts of Playing with Cats

Play is instrumental for pets’ overall health and physical wellbeing. However, many cat lovers may not realize that there are positive and negative ways to engage cats in play.

“Positive play can lower pets’ cortisol levels, influence brain development and help them gather information to understand boundaries and different ways of communicating,” said Purina Animal Enrichment Specialist Alex Johnson.

If you’re craving new ways to interact with your cat, Johnson shares additional insights about the value of play, plus do’s and don’ts to maximize your time together.

DO create routines Cats anticipate what will happen at certain times of day. Try giving your cat 15 minutes of undivided attention at the same time every day, focusing on your cat’s cues. Pet your cat and speak in a calm voice. Connection is the goal, but some cats prefer just hearing your voice as they sit nearby.

DO reinforce positive behavior Johnson recommends praising good behavior with treats like new Friskies Playfuls, uniquely shaped to roll so cats can have fun with their treats. For example, if they like to scratch furniture, redirect the behavior by giving them a toy or object that’s acceptable to scratch.

DO provide mental stimulation If your cat seems bored, Johnson suggests rotating toys or introducing new activities:

• Copycat. Mirror your cat’s actions like you’re playing Simon Says, batting Friskies Playfuls with them like you’re playing catch. Seeing things from their perspective fuels interactive play, creating new ways to connect with your cat.

• Obstacle fetch. Set up items like scrunched-up paper, paper bags or boxes, then toss a treat among the items to encourage cats to seek out the treat. This activity uses their hunting skills, encouraging mental stimulation by providing obstacles they must maneuver around to get their reward.

• Lost marbles. Cut holes a bit bigger than your cat’s arm on the top and sides of a box. Cut 2-3 holes at floor

level, as this will be where the treats come out. Place a few Friskies Playfuls treats and other movable objects inside (balled-up paper, toys, pingpong balls), letting your cat bat them around to push the treat out of one of the bottom holes. This problem-solving activity gets your cat thinking and activates trial and error.

DON’T forget to encourage their instincts Cats love exploring, so making blanket forts or repurposing boxes can be great ways to engage with them. They also love exploring textures and smells, so adding different materials like an old T-shirt or packaging paper in the box or blanket fort each week can help keep them entertained.

DON’T betray your cat’s trust Cats’ relationships are built around trust, which is vital for their sense of safety. Some social media trends prompt cat owners to seek reactions from cats as

a means for entertainment, but this could be damaging to the bonds cats have with their owners.

“A great test to check if you’re crossing a line with your cat is to ask yourself if you would do this to a child or a baby,” Johnson says. “If an

adult plays pranks, deliberately annoys, hurts or frightens a child - that can cause confusion, stress and feelings of betrayal, and the same concept applies to cats.”

DON’T overstimulate Watch for signs of agitation: whipping their tail back and forth, biting, hissing or flattening their ears. If you see these signs, give them space. Avoid raising your voice or punishing your cat for being aggressive. While this may seem a logical way to teach your cat to ‘behave,’ it increases your cat’s stress in an already stressful situation - and could increase aggressive behavior.

Following these guidelines, you’ll learn what works best for encouraging active, positive play with your cat, and you’ll likely have just as much fun as they do!

Learn more about Friskies Playfuls on Purina.com/friskies/cat-treats. (BPT) 

SOLUTIONS

Students Matter?

Our California legislators are working on a new law called Students Matter. Have you seen the law or its wording ? It is only 54 words long: “Amends California Constitution to require the state and its school districts to ’provide a high-quality public education to all public school students,’ the requirements of which are not defined and will depend on how the measure is implemented by the Legislature, state agencies, and public schools (including charter schools), and interpreted by court decisions.”

Those of who remember Kaa, the sly and sinister snake in Walt Disney’s animated “Jungle Book,” might also remember the words to his song. “Trust in me, just in me. Shut your eyes and trust in me.”

Will you shut your eyes and be duped by our legislators and vote for it? I would bet there will be enough of you who do, and it will pass! And another power grab will be complete!

Ronald Perry Canyon Country

A Need to Absorb Propaganda

In his March 30 letter, Thomas Oatway asks why anyone would “want to absorb such garbage and repeat it” when referring to “obvious falsehoods and propaganda” from Fox News. The short answer, Mr. Oatway, is because they NEED to.

It serves a purpose. It satisfies a deep personal desire to see you and your kind (Democrats, liberals, leftists, progressives) as a mob of malcontents who want to destroy anything and everything that the United States of America once stood for (God, family, and apple pie, as they see it). It keeps them from having to face the truth of the matter, namely that the degeneration of a country is EVERYONE’S fault (conservatives and liberals alike). That, and time (nothing lasts forever). And yes, most of them are either “mindlessly ignorant or just plain purveyors of lies,” and I have said as much in one of my own letters.

By the way, aren’t you the one who has repeatedly stated that you’ll never lose betting against the intelligence of the American people? So, Mr. Oatway, it’s quite clear then that you have already answered your own question.

Arthur Saginian Santa Clarita

Blowing Up the Melting Pot

Not since the days of Jim Crow segregation has there been a movement less open, fair and accepting than “diversity, equity and inclusion.” And both were brought to the U.S. by the same political party. Division and preference have brought them consistent political benefits — while destroying the merit-based blessings of the American melting pot.

Rob Kerchner Santa Clarita

ETHICALLY SPEAKING

Freedom of Opinion

By David Hegg

In every ordered and civilized society the rule of law plays an essential role. Given that human nature is too often selfish and sometimes even cruel, laws are enacted to declare the boundaries between right and wrong. Laws form the lens through which society views the actions of those individuals who choose to live in the group.

You will notice that I said the “actions” of those in the group. Yet, today we are increasingly aware that not only actions but also thoughts are becoming the stuff of prohibition. The question presents itself: If you think in a way that others dislike, but your behavior aligns with what the law prescribes, must you be punished?

For example, let’s say you disagree with the 55 mph speed limit on the freeway. You think it is archaic given the speed and safety of new vehicles, and fervently believe the limit should be raised. Or maybe you think the government has no right to impose limits in the first place. Regardless of your view, I believe that if you drive within the speed limit you should not be penalized. Actions, not thoughts, must be the focus of legal restrictions. Thoughts must not be policed, even if expressed, if there is no corresponding illegal action.

Freedom of thought lies at the base of freedom of expression. When the framers of our Constitution embedded in that document the freedom for Americans to think and say what they wanted to, regardless of its offensive nature, they were reacting against the totalitarian governments of the past who denied their subjects that freedom. It is this freedom that has given life and breath to the American experiment, and made our country the place people from all over the world are anxious to enter. You can tell a good country from a bad one by whether folks are trying to come in or get out. One good thing about the flood of immigrants entering this land is what their passion to become Americans says about the greatness of our country. But, sadly, you and I have front-row seats on a monumental change in our freedom. We are now seeing men and women forced from their positions because of their

opinions rather than their actions. In the past it was shocking to see the recent expulsion of a number of high-profile corporate and industrial leaders. But today it is commonplace to see employees on every level being forced out of their positions for offering opinions that are deemed politically incorrect by those who now are the enforcers of the “social imaginary,” the prescribed narrative commanded by the new overseers of “group think.”

Now please understand. I believe many opinions are downright wrong, disrespectful, and even dangerous. I have mine, and you have yours, and we may never agree. But it has always been a standard American sentiment that “I may disagree with you vehemently, and fight against your position aggressively, but I will also fight for your right to hold and express your opinion in this land.”

Over my years in corporate, academic and church settings I have often been part of groups tasked with making decisions. I have noticed that stifling debate also stifles creativity and progress. In situations where only one opinion is allowed, so much else suffers, but in society the first victim is freedom.

As a theologian and pastor I often hear from those who oppose my views. And while I may disagree with their positions, their arguments have often caused me to go back and rethink mine. Either I become more assured as a result of reexamining the evidence, or I come to better my own position by making needed adjustments. Either way I am better off.

My plea is that you would not be sucked in by the current sentiment that we all have to think alike, and that the expression of negative opinions needs to be severely punished. Actions, not thoughts, are to be the focus of law. Without freedom of thought you cannot have freedom of speech. And without freedom of speech America will cease to be special, shining light on the hill of civilization.

Local resident David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church. “Ethically Speaking” appears Sundays. 