Sunday Signal September 15, 2019

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2019

The Popularity of Pet Parenting

Your News, Entertainment & Lifestyle Source

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GETTING FIT FOR A CAUSE

14

BRINGING HISTORY TO LIFE IN SOCAL

26

CALARTS’ LEADER SHARES HIS INSPIRATION

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

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3

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NEWS FEATURES 5 The parenting of pets 6 Making your stress more manageable 7 Team SuperFighters: The group to battle it all TRAVEL 8 Take a drive along historic Sierra Highway LOCAL NEWS 9 Search and rescue looks for missing woman 10 ‘Never forget’ — COC prof shares being in Manhattan 12 Calgrove vehicle fire prompts quick response FROM THE CITY MAYOR 13 Honor lives lost at annual Evening of Remembrance TECHNOLOGY 13 Doorbell videos, browser history, changing photos THINGS TO DO 14 Special museum exhibits for a limited time SPORTS 16 Herta takes fourth at Portland International DINING GUIDE RESTAURANT REVIEW 19 Keeping it ‘Local’ with a delicious vibe ENTERTAINMENT 20 Black flag visits Canyon Santa Clarita CALENDAR KIDS & FAMILY 22 What parents should know about their baby’s skin health Technology is helping children with dyslexia 23 Donna’s Day: Tasty and healthy vegetable ribbon salad School Menu HEALTH 25 Keep your employees healthy PROFILE 26 Ravi Rajan: California Institute of the Arts president HOME IMPROVEMENT 28 Garage door replacement, shower liners in remodels FOOD 29 Savory sandwiches for that weekend tailgate fun The difference between vegan and vegetarian diets SENIOR LIVING 30 Question to ask yourself: ‘Should I still drive?’

GARDENING 31 Can you save your own vegetable seeds?

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 5

The parenting of pets

N E W S F E AT U R E S

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

W

hile some choose to raise pets to see if they can handle bringing up another human life, others view their pets as their children and are going above and beyond to ensure they live their best lives.

Nearly a quarter of pet-owning couples (24%) surveyed in California say they’re prioritizing pets over human parenthood.

Perhaps even more surprising, 57% admitted to considering the health benefits of their pets’ food more than their own, per the study.

Valencia resident Andrew Simmons gets extremely animated when talking about the furry family he has with his wife, Vanessa.

“We’ve always agreed that we weren’t planning on having children — well, human ones at least,” Simmons said. “It’s just not something we ever envisioned for ourselves.”

Their little family began as just the two of them, but quickly grew to include two Labradors and a golden retriever.

“I can honestly admit that it feels like they’re my kids,” Simmons

Tricia Pascoe sits with Diesel and Araya at Acton Park on a Sunday afternoon. PHOTOS BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

added. “I take care of them every day, I get worried when they’re sick.

I came from a family of five, and it doesn’t feel any different than the

Sir Frodo Baggins takes in the great outdoors at Central Park. A recent survey found more and more couples are prioritizing pet ownership over having kids.

family I’ve got now.”

Acton resident Tricia Pascoe agrees, adding that she feels fulfilled.

“I’ve never had that maternal instinct where ‘The clock is ticking,’ that type of thing — it just never crossed my mind,” Pascoe said.

When Pascoe was around 30, when she believes most people have children, she asked herself if it was something that she wanted.

“There’s more negative in the world than positive,” she added. “So, I decided I’m happy the way my life is, and I made the decision that I wanted to help animals and give them the life they deserve, because they can’t speak for themselves.”

Araya, a 6-year-old pitbull mix, and King, a 5-year-old pitbullLabrador mix, were Pascoe’s second set of dogs.

“King was the most gentle soul ever,” she said. “And Araya is my wildfire — I call her 50 pounds of fury. She’s the queen of the house.”

When King was diagnosed with lymphoma, Pascoe tried everything to save him.

“I would have put my house up for a second mortgage to save his life, but

the cancer was just so aggressive,” she said. “So on Aug. 14, we had to put him to sleep, and that really wrecked our lives.”

Pascoe’s boyfriend didn’t grow up around animals like she did, so he’d never gone through the pain of losing an animal and the death hit him hard.

Since then, the pair adopted Diesel, a 9-month-old pitbull, so that Araya wouldn’t be alone, and have been enjoying the milestones of puppyhood.

“It’s like teaching a kid to go potty,” she said, chuckling. “We throw a party like it’s the best thing in the world, and it’s the best feeling.”

Pascoe said she can tell Diesel is thankful to be out of the shelter after almost two months.

“We can tell how grateful he is,” she added. “He knows that we broke him out of jail, and he has the best home, best love anyone can give him. He shows his gratitude every day when we get home.”

Though he may be single, Bryce Reed, a Valencia resident, said he

See PETS , page 24

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

N E W S F E AT U R E S

Making your stress more manageable

By Brennon Dixson Signal Staff Writer

W

ith school back in session and a significant portion of 2019 in the books, parents, students and employees across the Santa Clarita Valley might be feeling a bit more stressed or burnt out than they were in January or February.

A Turbo survey in June revealed that members of Generation Z feel stuck in an unhealthy cycle of stress. But it’s not just Generation Z. More than 40 percent of all adults say they lie awake at night because of stress, according to American Psychology Association’s Stress in America survey.

“Although we all get stressed at some point in our lives, it’s critically important that we pay attention to it,” said Dr. Luis Sandoval, a psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “Stress can cause serious health problems and significantly reduce your quality of life.”

The biggest misconception about stress is people associate it with just a feeling, said Krista Salkeld, a registered nurse at Henry Mayo-Newhall Hospital. “But there is a physiological response in your body, as well.”

Salkeld said, “Stress causes increases in heart rate and blood pressure, which are both risk factors associated with heart attacks.”

According to Dr. Sandoval, other common symptoms of stress include:

• • • • •

Anxiety Weight gain or loss Depression Headaches Insomnia Stress may also manifest itself as an upset stomach, irritability, body pains, rapid breathing, sweaty palms, fatigue or the inability to concentrate, remember things and make decisions, Sandoval said.

One of the leading causes of stress is major life changes, regardless of whether they are good or bad. These include relationships, work, financial problems and even family obligations, according to the Kaiser Permanente website.

Stress can build up over time, so it’s important to continuously evaluate the different aspects of life.

Luckily, when one feeling stressed,

College of the Canyons student Teruko Morishita reads over an assignment in one of her classes. Setting reasonable time limits for how long to stay at a particular task or errand can help manage the stress associated with your to-do list. PHOTOS

BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

there are a number of different options to reduce or alleviate the feeling, but it’s important to note there are coping methods and behaviors that are healthier than others.

“In times of stress, a lot of people will turn to drinking or smoking,” which is a risk factor for future heart problems, Salkeld said. “So, we try to teach our patients to manage their stressors by adapting their responses or changing the situations they find themselves in.”

Other patients have had success with stress journals, according to Salkeld.

“Some patients don’t have an outlet so keeping a stress journal is one way to vent out the day’s problems,” Salkeld said. “It’s also one kind of way to keep track of their day because, if you know what’s causing you stress, then you can learn to manage it better. So keeping a journal can definitely be helpful.”

Salkeld added, “Another one of the things that we teach our patients to do is pair down their to-do list during the week.

“Keep it limited,” Selkelb said.

“Don’t save 20 things for the end of the week. Instead, maybe do two or three things a day, so the tasks are more manageable and you’re not stressing about all you have to do come the weekend.”

The registered nurse also had some

tips for students.

“As far as homework: giving yourself a timeline,” Salkeld said, mentioning parents can help children determine a reasonable time frame.

“If you finish your homework by 5 p.m., then you have an hour outside to play. Having things like that can be a motivator.”

Other suggestions include:

Vacation Time

Vacation is not just a time to get away and take a trip to a distant land.

The APA noted in a news release that it’s important for employees to take time away from work to replenish and avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout.

“The majority of working Americans reported positive effects of taking vacation time and said when they return to work their mood is more positive, and they have more energy and motivation and feel less stressed,” the APA states. “Additionally, working adults reported that, following time off, they were more productive and their work quality was better.”

Exercise

If vacation isn’t an option for you or a loved one, the APA also states there are a number of other exercise-related techniques that can effectively alleviate stress, including meditation, yoga, tai chi and other deep-breathing exercises.

“Exercising is a great relief,” Salkeld said, mentioning it’s one of the activities doctors in the cardiac rehabilitation program encourage patients to perform. “Even for patients who can’t do too much, it is especially important because it can increase the strength of their heart muscles.”

It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise that has you drenched in sweat and sore the next day, according to Salkeld. “Some people enjoy a simple walk outdoors, while others like to hike a few miles. Heart patients have different guidelines because some people can’t put too much stress on the heart, so sometimes it’s more about being outside and doing what you can.”

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 7

N E W S F E AT U R E S

Team SuperFighters: The group to battle it all

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

E

ach member of Team SuperFighters has faced some kind of obstacle in their lives over the past few years, whether it be cancer, a knee replacement or the loss of a patella.

Despite the challenges they have already faced, they continue to push themselves to the extreme, going as far as to audition for the Amazon Prime Video reboot of “Eco Challenge,” an adventure race TV show.

The show first aired on the Discovery Channel in 1995, featuring international teams of men and women who would race nonstop across various parts of the world, such as British Columbia, Argentina and Morocco.

“Eco Challenge” was cancelled in 2002, but is now set to make its Prime debut in early 2020, with 66 teams trekking 417 miles across the islands of Fiji over the course of two weeks.

Teams are only allowed to use a map and compass to navigate this expedition race, traveling in numerous ways across the islands, including rock climbing, canoeing, jungle trekking, mountain biking, white water rafting and more, to complete the race.

Team SuperFighters is made up of five — four racers and a support crew teammate — all of which used to watch the show.

“We were all adventure racing at the time,” said Heather Flebbe, a kinesiology and exercise physiology professor and the owner of Kaia FIT. “We were in awe of all these athletes, thinking one day maybe we could do something like that.”

So, when the group of friends found out about the reboot of the show, they knew they had to audition.

Teammembers

Heather’s husband, Cary Flebbe, a firefighter at Station 76, and Sean Martin, a Ventura County sheriff ’s deputy, have been good friends for more than 20 years.

Martin was diagnosed with tongue cancer five years ago, and still has some permanent paralysis. Then, just last year while at the fire academy,

From left to right, Danny Trudeau, Heather Flebbe, Sean Martin, Michael Nicholoaides and Cary Flebbe gather at Kaia FIT as they prepare for the 400-mile Eco Challenge in Fiji. PHOTOS BY CORY RUBIN/THE SIGNAL

Cary found out he had a melanoma tumor on his lung, and had to have part of his lung removed.

“It’s crazy,” Cary said. “I didn’t think that I would be doing something like this so soon.”

Teammate Michael Nicolaides, or Nico, a firefighter at Station 150 and former professional mountain biker, was hit by a car and lost his patella years ago.

“They didn’t think he was going to walk normal, and next thing you know, he turns into a pro cycle beast,” Heather said.

Support crew Danny Trudeau, a retired auto technician who just had his knee replaced in June, has seen his wife battle cancer twice.

“We’re the team that has just overcome obstacles,” Heather added.

“It’s been a hard last few years of our lives … we’ve been fighting … but it’s been training our mindset for this race.”

Preparation

After finding out they had been selected to compete back in February, the team then had six months to kick it into high gear and begin training.

“It felt really nice to look forward to something fun and positive,” Heather

said. “I mean it’s going to be really, really hard, but it’s actually been fun training again.”

First, the team was required to get certified in certain disciplines, such as rappelling and ascending, white water rafting, and jungle navigation.

“I’m excited that I’m doing things I’ve never done before and about all the things I’ve learned,” Nico said, “rappelling, stand up paddle boarding, white water rafting, outrigger canoeing — I had never done any of those things before.”

While Heather and Nico were afraid of heights, they were both able to conquer that fear during training.

“It’s night and day from where they were when we first started to now,” Cary said. “I would say other than the two of them mentally, I don’t think we have a really weak area … we’re pretty even on all the disciplines.

There’s going to be teams that are better than us, but we have a good base on everything.”

“I think collectively we’re probably better cyclists than most people that will be at the race,” Martin added, explaining that all four teammembers have cycled quite a bit.

Throughout their friendship,

Martin and Cary would always go on lengthy bike rides, sometimes traveling up to 60 miles, so training like “this is no different,” Martin said.

Though the team wasn’t always able to train together, they’ve given themselves a few endurance challenges, including a 30-mile trek up to the Sequoias after a day of hiking, climbing more than 6,000 feet in elevation.

“We didn’t sleep and went all through the night,” Martin said, adding, “It was fun though — we really enjoyed ourselves … We’re pretty decent at standing on our feet and moving.”

On top of training, the team was given a hefty list of gear they needed to purchase for the trip.

“It’s been a huge amount of preparation to get here,” Heather said.

“All the gear, the certifications, the training, getting over some mental obstacles — it’s been a long haul.”

As part of his duties as support crew, Trudeau said he has also done hours of research in preparation, watching YouTube videos, doing cooking experiment, learning some of the language and customs, and even See ECO-RACE , page 25

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

T R AV E L

Take a drive along historic Sierra Highway

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

F

or many Santa Clarita Valley commuters, Sierra Highway, which parallels state Route 14 (the Antelope Valley Freeway), is merely an alternative route from Canyon Country to Newhall.

But, why take a drive along Sierra Highway? Because, a leisurely drive along the road offers a glimpse into the Santa Clarita Valley’s past. It is among the most historic roadways in the area.

There is much to see along Sierra Highway, including many places familiar as locations for movie and television shoots, such as these historic eateries: the Backwoods Inn, Halfway House and Le Chene.

However, history — new and old — can be seen along every mile.

Historic Route 6

Before the Antelope Valley Freeway opened in 1963, Sierra Highway was the main artery from the SCV to Los Angeles. Known as U.S. Route 6, the entire roadway spanned 14 states and more than 3,562 miles. Named the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, Route 6 honors veterans of the Civil War. Historic U.S. Route 6 is the oldest, longest and highest of the old roads.

It runs from the waterfront in Long Beach to the waterfront at Provincetown, Massachusetts, at the tip of Cape Cod. Sierra Highway, on a small portion of Route 6, begins where it intersects with San Fernando Road and The Old Road, near the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways, and continues to Palmdale, 40 miles away.

Beale’s Cut

Before there was a Sierra Highway, there was Beale’s Cut. It dates back to 1854 when Phineas Banning dug a 30-foot trench to afford better passage to Fort Tejon. In 1861, Edward Beale increased the trench to 90 feet.

Beale’s Cut was the primary transportation passage through Newhall Pass until the Newhall Auto Tunnel was completed in 1910.

Beale’s Cut appeared in numerous films over the years. In Director John Ford’s “Three Jumps Ahead” (1923) starring Tom Mix, a man on a horse is

Warmuth Honey House late 1980s. COURTESY SCV HISTORICAL SOCIETY

seen “jumping” over the top of Beale’s Cut. Ford also used the film in “The Iron Horse,” (1924), “Stagecoach” (1939) and “Straight Shooting” (1917).

The Buster Keaton film “Seven Chances” (1925) also featured Beale’s Cut. Beale’s Cut is difficult to see because it is fenced off and not close enough to Sierra Highway to be easily spotted. It is also located on private property, not open to the public.

During the El Niño storms of 199798, Beale’s Cut caved in. Today it is less than half its former depth.

An oft-vandalized stone monument marks a spot along Sierra Highway where information on Beale’s Cut was once displayed.

Newhall Auto Tunnel

In 1910, the 435-foot-long Newhall Auto Tunnel was constructed a quarter-mile to the northwest of Beale’s Cut. Because of increased traffic, the auto tunnel was replaced in 1938 by a four-lane road, Highway 6, then renamed Highway 14 and now called Sierra Highway.

To create the larger roadway the mountain above the tunnel was blasted away. The cutout of the mountain where the tunnel was located can still be seen on Sierra Highway, just at the crest of the Newhall Pass.

Warmuth Honey House

The Honey House at 17262 Sierra Highway was built in 1954 by James Willis Dyer to process honey produced at his family ranch near Vasquez Rocks in Agua Dulce. Set into the hillside behind the Honey House is a subterranean cellar where honey was kept cool. It was known as the Dyer Honey House until the 1960s when it was sold to beekeepers

Joe and Margaret Warmuth.

It was converted to a small Honey & Bee Museum in 1986. In its final years, it shared space with a custom leather shop. The Warmuth family sold the property to the Santa Clarita Community College District in 2005.

The Lady of the Charred Tree

In 2007, the Buckweed Fire swept down Sierra Highway to the SCV burning 21 homes, as well as trees, brush and grass. Just a few miles north of Davenport Road, on the left side of the road as you travel out of the SCV sits “The Lady of the Charred Tree.”

The tree, badly damaged in the fire, takes its name from a deep burn in its trunk that resembles an outline of the Virgin Mary. The tree, despite the serious damage it sustained in the fire, still lives. It has become a shrine for many who stop and leave religious tokens and written prayers attached to its limbs and trunk.

Rowher Flat OHV Area

The U.S. Forest Service manages the 10,000-acre Rowher Flat Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. Access is well-marked along Sierra Highway near Davenport Road.

It has been popular with off-road recreationists since the early 1960s.

OHV use at Rowher Flat spans several thousand years into prehistory.

Local springs and a diverse landscape provided sufficient water and food to support a Tataviam Indian village on the flats. Ranching, mining and World War II-aircraft-landing training has also occurred in the area.

Callahan’s Old West and Sierra Inn

Robert E. Callahan’s Old West Trading Post at 13660 Sierra Highway

in “Outlaw Canyon” was a wellknown “tourist trap” from 1962 until 1973. The property served as a museum for items collected by Callahan.

Among the thousands of items were hundreds of “Old West” photos, 20,000 horseshoes, 500 wagon wheels and a 300-pound anvil. From 19862000, the building was leased it to the Canyon Theatre Guild.

The miniature Ramona Chapel and Little Red Schoolhouse that once sat in the museum’s backyard were donated

by Callahan’s estate to the SCV Historical Society and are now on display at Heritage Junction in Newhall.

The Sierra Inn, 13800 Sierra Highway, was a long time neighborhood bar.

I’ve always had a fondness for the statue of the sitting camel that inhabits the property, now wearing a jaunty beret.

Tony Alamo Christian Church

Today the weed-strewn property of the Tony Alamo Christian Church sits quietly at 13136 Sierra Highway.

The building was once the home of Wilson’s, a 24-hour cafe and local institution, but was sold to the Holy Alamo Christian Church, after diners dwindled with the opening of the Antelope Valley Freeway.

The Alamo Christian Foundation was a religious cult that was founded in 1969 by Tony and Susan Alamo in Hollywood. Locally, they were known for the multi-page pamphlets espousing a variety of conspiracy theories that were placed on car windshields throughout the SCV. The church moved to Arkansas in 1976.

Tony Alamo was convicted a variety of crimes and died in prison in May 2017.

Reflections

Driving along Sierra Highway it is easy to dismiss the less-attractive portions of the roadway as prime targets for redevelopment. However, even the abandoned businesses, weathered signs and repurposed gas stations, all being slowly swallowed by the sagebrush, have a certain mystique.

My favorite is Aloha Auto Sales. I cannot imagine a more remote location for a used car business. I have yet to research the history of Aloha Auto, or to find out why, it still sits, vacant, weed-strewn, a ghost on a highway of history.

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 9

NEWSPICKUPS

Search and rescue looks for missing woman

By Emily Alvarenga and Jim Holt Signal Staff Writers

S

earch-and-rescue workers combed the rugged terrain near Lang Station on Wednesday, where a car was hit by a train the night before, looking for the car’s owner, who was reported missing early Wednesday.

The missing woman, who suffers from depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, was identified Wednesday afternoon as the owner Monkhouse of the car hit by a Metrolink train Tuesday about 7 p.m.

She is Nakita Marie Monkhouse, 31, of Canyon Country.

“Canyon Country woman is still missing,” Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff ’s Station, said shortly after 3:45 p.m. Wednesday.

“Search and rescue assisted deputies in combing areas of brush, trails in the area,” she said, noting that at

least three search-and-rescue dogs were used in the search.

“There were no signs of the missing person,” Miller said. “We do believe that was (her) car that was struck by Metrolink.”

About 7 p.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to reports of a vehicle struck by a Palmdale-bound Metrolink train.

See MISSING, page 11

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

NEWSPICKUPS

COC professor shares what it was like in Manhattan

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

‘Never forget’ Various locations in the Santa Clarita Valley took the time Wednesday to remember the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

I

t’s reminiscent of a black-andwhite, silent film. Everything in sight is covered by a smoking mix of soot and dust. No cabs pass by, only sirens. Crowds of people cry and run.

It’s chaos. A quiet chaos.

That’s how Brooklyn native Julie Johnson, a history professor at College of the Canyons, described to a group of students at the institution Wednesday her own escape from Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001 — the day that changed America forever.

Eighteen years ago, the twin towers of the World Trade Center were struck by two hijacked airliners in a terrorist attack in lower Manhattan in New York City, resulting in 2,753 deaths and billions in economic losses, according to the National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum.

Johnson was in midtown Manhattan, working in the banking industry, when she received a phone call from a friend asking what was going on at the World Trade Center.

“I looked up, and I realized as I was looking up that people were starting to do this gasp thing and phones were dropping,” Johnson said. “There’s this moment, I don’t know if I can explain it, where there’s this astonishment and then concern.”

Johnson described how many — as they watched live news coverage on television after the north tower was struck — felt “this hole in their stomach as to, ‘What does this mean?’” since the World Trade Center had already been the target of a terrorist attack in 1993 during a truck bomb explosion that killed six people.

Her initial instinct, she said, was to switch from her high heels into her sneakers, knowing she would leave work and start running to her husband and beloved dog, Luke, both of whom were at separate locations at the time.

The journey to her loved ones and on to a safe place once reunited was perhaps one of the most frightening

TOP: U.S. Army sergeant looks at a poster honoring local service members on Sept. 11. PHOTO BY BOBBY BLOCK / THE SIGNAL RIGHT: Trinity Classical Academy students place American flags to honor the victims. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

moments of her life, as she felt, like many, that she would probably die that day, Johnson said.

She vividly recalls when the Pentagon’s attack was announced via a radio that belonged to a street vendor, and when a firefighter yelled to her and a crowd to “Get back; gas leak!”

“Lower Manhattan, where the towers were built, was actually (a) landfill. There were tremendous concerns that southern Manhattan was precarious to explosions because of the fires that were burning in the World Trade Center,” she said. “We started to run.

I had never been so scared in my life.

I remember thinking every manhole cover that I saw, as I was running, I thought was going to explode. I was certain I was going to die.”

Despite the terror of Sept. 11 and the chaos that unraveled for weeks and months thereafter, Johnson said it was how people took care of each other after the attack that really made an impact, calling it “the most amazing display of humanity I had ever seen.”

The professor, who has offered the “History and Memory of 9/11” conversation to students in the past, said she hopes students take the time to remember someone from Sept. 11 and “Never Forget.”

Student Drew Rodriguez said he appreciated Johnson’s presentation, as hearing from a primary source offers “a window to more empathy towards the situation and what you can do to help others in similar situations.”

Taking the time to ‘Visit with a Veteran’

By Caleb Lunetta Signal Staff Writer

E

ighteen years after the nation was forever changed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, veterans gathered at a Valencia parking lot, socializing and helping one another at the inaugural Santa Clarita Visit with a Vet event.

In the event held in front of a shopSee VETS, page 11

The Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative hosted a Visit with a Vet event to educate local veterans and their families on veteran benefits. PHOTO BOBBY BLOCK / THE SIGNAL

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

MISSING

Continued from page 9

“The location was Lang Station Road, and the nearest geographical location was the railroad tracks. It’s in Canyon Country,” Michael Pittman, supervising fire dispatcher with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said Tuesday evening.

A person at the scene of the vehicle had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital, according to Pittman.

The injured person was identified

by Metrolink officials as a Metrolink investigator, who injured his hand after he tried to move his Metrolink truck after it became stuck on the same section of train tracks.

“We had one of our people respond to the incident,” Metrolink spokesman Scott Johnson said. “And, during that call, his truck also got stuck on

VETS

Continued from previous page

ping mall on the corner of McBean Parkway and Decoro Drive, close to 100 veterans, their families, friends and neighbors gathered to talk about the community services available, which was the idea behind the gathering in the first place, according to organizers from the event’s host, the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative.

“It’s all about collaboration and veterans coming together, talking (and) sharing ideas. Talking about different resources and things they’re aware of,” said David Jackson, vice president of the nonprofit.

Jackson said in addition to the positive energy during the information sharing, it was also important for the politicians to be out there and see how the community can rally behind the SCV troops.

“They see how this community embraces veterans. And, so when they’re making decisions at the federal, state or county level, they know that this community embraces veterans, and they listen to our veterans and our needs,” said Jackson, referring to the various county, state and federal offi-

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 1 1

NEWSPICKUPS the tracks.”

Johnson said the car that was hit by the train was unoccupied at the time of the collision.

“The owner of vehicle involved was not there at the time of the collision,” he said.

Three subsequent trains bound for Antelope Valley were each delayed by 90 minutes because of the collision, Johnson said.

On Wednesday morning, detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department’s Missing Persons Unit issued a news release seeking the public’s assistance in locating Monkhouse.

Six hours later, they confirmed it was her car struck on the tracks.

Monkhouse was last seen on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 5:17 p.m. in her residence on the 28400 block of Oak Springs Canyon Road in cials who had representatives present.

One member of the Veteran Services Collaborative said he attended the 6 p.m. meeting because he wanted to make sure others don’t have to wait as long as he did to get the information about available resources.

“The main thing with the collaborative is that it’s a resource center where … if a veteran with a disability comes out, there’s a veteran services officer that will help them with a claim,” said Ernesto Trevizo, a Marine Corps veteran who left the military in 2010. “There are a lot of volunteers that are very knowledgeable about real estate and food pantries. … Overall, this is making everybody aware of services the collaborative offers.”

In addition to helping with the Veterans Administration system and benefits for being a former service member, officials said the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative can help with things such as education, housing and financial services, among others.

For more about the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative, visit their website at www.scv-vets. org.

Event aims to remember those lost in terror attacks, also to highlight community services available to veterans

Canyon Country.

Monkhouse, who also goes by the name Nikki Kichler, is described as white, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 100 pounds, blue eyes, and long purple hair, with a multitude of tattoos on both arms. She was last seen wearing a black tank top, blue jeans and black Nike shoes.

According to detectives, she suffers from depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Her family is very concerned for her well-being and is asking for the public’s assistance in

locating her.

Anyone with information can contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department’s Missing Persons Unit or Detective Pereida at 323-890-5500.

If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google Play or the Apple App Store or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org.

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12 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

NEWSPICKUPS

Calgrove vehicle fire prompts quick response

By Matt Fernandez Signal Staff Writer

A

vehicle fire on The Old Road and Calgrove Boulevard sparked a response from Los Angeles County Fire Department and California Highway Patrol officers early Sunday morning.

“We received the call at 1:49 a.m. and were on scene at 1:59,” said Melinda Choi, supervisor with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“The call was cleared at 2:40. We do not have any information as to what may have caused the fire or if any people were injured.”

Officer Elizabeth Kravig said California Highway Patrol officers arrived on the scene at the same time as the firefighters.

“We don’t have any information that this is a collision or about anyone being transported for medical treatment,” Kravig said.

L.A. County Fire Engine 124 handled a well-involved Toyota Tacoma pickup on The Old Road at Calgrove Boulevard early Sunday morning. Cause of the fire was unknown, and there were no injuries reported, according to officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and California Highway Patrol. PHOTO BY RICK MCCLURE FOR THE SIGNAL

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 1 3

F R O M T H E C I T Y M AY O R

Honor lives lost at annual Evening of Remembrance

By Mayor Marsha McLean

O

ver the years, the Youth Grove in Central Park has served as a solemn place of reflection that honors the lives of Santa Clarita youth who have died in traffic-related incidents.

It is also a reminder to residents to be safe and responsible drivers so that no more lives will be lost behind the wheel.

As a community, it is critical that we come together to not only remember those we have lost, but also take necessary steps to ensure that no other family in Santa Clarita has to deal with the pain of losing a loved one.

Each September, the City hosts

an Evening of Remembrance at the Youth Grove to pay respect to the Santa Clarita youth who have died in traffic-related incidents, including those 114 individuals who are memorialized with a pillar in the Youth Grove.

I, along with my fellow members of the Santa Clarita City Council, want to invite you to this year’s Evening of Remembrance on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. in Central Park.

The evening will begin with a Walk of Remembrance that will begin and end at the Youth Grove.

The walk will be led by the families of those memorialized in the Grove and community leaders.

Everyone is invited to participate.

Following the Walk of Remembrance, the Evening of Remembrance ceremony will take place on an adjacent field.

This powerful event serves a number of purposes for the entire community. In addition to honoring those youth who have passed away in traffic-related incidents, it also unites residents and reminds us all just how much life is so precious.

I also want to encourage you and your family to sit down and discuss safe road behaviors, especially if your children are of driving age.

The City’s award-winning Heads Up traffic safety campaign, which consists of public education, increased enforcement measures from the Sheriff ’s Department and traffic engineering enhancements, has resulted in fewer collisions and injuries on Santa Clarita streets.

However, even one fatality is one too many.

To help get the conversation started, the City has put together a Heads

Up website at santa-clarita.com/ HeadsUp. This site includes statistics about traffic safety, as well as helpful tips and reminders for how to be safe as a driver, pedestrian and cyclist. This information will help your child as he or she gains more experience behind the wheel, and it is also a good way to connect the messages received at the Evening of Remembrance to their everyday life.

I hope you and your family will make plans to join us for the Evening of Remembrance on September 17. I look forward to seeing you there for this important event.

Mayor Marsha McLean is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at mmclean@santa-clarita.com. The views expressed in her column are those of the city and do not necessarily reflect those of The Signal.

TECHNOLOGY

Doorbell videos, browser history, changing photos

count, along with all the data you have personally stored. This won’t include material that’s been copied or has seeped into other accounts, but you will be able to erase your Gmail, Calendar, YouTube, Drive, Docs and other connected applications.

By Kim Komando Signal Contributing Writer

Doorbell Videos

video doorQ: Ibellhaveanda Ring am deeply con-

Changing history

cerned about my rights. Can the police department get access to the footage? I heard this is happening.

A: Video evidence is gold in prosecutions, so, understandably, the police would be interested in seizing street-level surveillance.

But Ring owners should be aware of how their service can be used and their rights when law enforcement comes knocking.

Owned by Amazon, Ring has garnered a lot of criticism from civil liberties experts, and nobody wants to live in a full-on panopticon. Make sure you know what you’re signing up for.

On my site, I have a map that shows the over 400 police departments working with Ring: https://bit. ly/2kAA56n (Ed. note: The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department does not have a content-sharing arrangement per Amazon’s law enforcement-partnership website map; however, the city of Santa Clarita has helped about 1,000 city residents get a discounted Ring camera through a special rebate offer.)

there an easy way to remove Q: Ispeople from photos? Sometimes, the picture

would be perfect if the people were not in the shot!

Legacy concerns

have cancer. I want to set Q: Ithings up now for my passing. Can I have Google delete my account when I die?

A: First off, my heart goes out to you. I have lost many loved ones, and I know how significant this time is to you.

Putting your affairs in order can be a major concern, and in a digital world, we all have to recognize what a footprint we will leave behind.

Managing your virtual life can be as significant as a living will and last rites.

Rest assured that you can delete your Google ac-

A: I am going to recommend the Bye Bye Camera App, but before you go ahead and download it, you should know how weird this thing is. Bye Bye doesn’t just remove random people who obstruct a picture; it removes all people, making it appear that nobody was there in the first place. It’s shockingly effective, but a little bit disturbing.

The app was developed as an art project, not for strictly practical use. So if you have a landscape that would look better without any human obstruction, this is the app for you. If you just want to nix some photo-bombers and unwanted exes, you’ll probably have to learn a little Photoshop — or use a free editing program like GIMP. For information on Kim Komando on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks, visit her at Komando. com.

14 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

THINGSTODO

Special museum exhibits for a limited time

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

T

here are some extraordinary exhibits on display at Southern California museums for a limited time.

Mark your calendars for upcoming exhibits as well.

The Broad

221 S Grand Ave Los Angeles, 90012 Info www.thebroad.org Oct. 19-Feb. 16 Shirin Neshat: I Will Greet the Sun Again This is the largest exhibition to date of internationally acclaimed artist Shirin Neshat’s approximately 30-year career. The exhibition (which presents approximately 230 photographs and eight video works) offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of Neshat’s artistic journey as she explores topics of exile, displacement and identity.

Exclusive West Coast exhibit.

General admission tickets are $20 and include access to the entire museum.

The Getty Center

1200 Getty Center Drive Los Angeles, 90049 Info www.getty.edu/visit/center Now through Oct 27 Blurring the Line: Manuscripts in the Age of Print The history of the book in the late Middle Ages is a story of competing

Detail of a fountain at the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades. PHOTO COURTESY VISIT CALIFORNIA

media as the handwritten and the illuminated encountered the print revolution in Europe. New printing technologies gave rise to a rich period of experimental cross-fertilization during which artists created hybrid works, books printed to look like manuscripts and painted compositions modeled after prints. This exhibition of rare centuries-old

manuscripts from about 1400-1700 includes works of both media.

Now through April 19 Flight of Fancy: The Galle Chandelier This rare display provides an in-

depth look at a French chandelier made by the bronze caster and gilder Gérard Jean Galle in about 181819. Resembling a hot-air balloon, this unique chandelier is a work of extreme novelty that includes the signs of the zodiac and a glass bowl intended to hold water for small goldfish.

The Getty is free to visit, parking is $20.

The Getty Villa

17985 Pacific Coast Highway Pacific Palisades, 90272 Info www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/ villa_papiri

Above: One of the many artifacts on display at the Reagan Library’s Egypt’s Lost Cities exhibit. PHOTO COURTESY REAGAN LIBRARY Right: The Way to Calvary and Saint Veronica with the Sudarium, about 1510 – 1520 from the Blurring the Line: Manuscripts in the Age of Print exhibit at the Getty. PHOTO COURTESY THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES, MS. LUDWIG IX 18 FOL. 8V

Now through Oct. 28 Buried by Vesuvius: Treasures from the Villa dei Papiri The Getty Villa is modeled on the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum.

Buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, the ancient villa was rediscovered and explored by subterranean tunnels in the 1750s and ‘60s and was partially re-excavated in the 1990s and early 2000s.

It has yielded colorful marble and mosaic floors, frescoed walls, a large collection of bronze and marble statuary, and a unique library of more

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 1 5

THINGSTODO than a thousand papyrus scrolls. This free exhibition presents many of the most spectacular finds and examines attempts to unroll and decipher the carbonized papyri.

Reservations required for entry.

Free to visit, parking is $20.

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.

Yorba Linda, 92886 Info www.nixonlibrary.gov/museum/ exhibitions/apollo-11-one-giant-leapmankind Now through Jan. 12 Apollo 11: One Giant Leap for Mankind Museum-goers will take a thrill ride through the Space Race of the 1950s and 1960s. The exhibit’s originallycreated, 360-degree virtual reality experience will transport visitors to the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, to see and hear Neil Armstrong’s “one giant leap for mankind.”

Artifacts and objects featured in the exhibit include: • Buzz Aldrin’s penlight used in the Lunar Module and Apollo 11 patch worn on the surface of the moon • NASA X-15 silver-gleaming pressure suit used to train Neil Armstrong and America’s first astronauts in the 1950s • Moon rocks from the lunar surface, acquired during the Apollo 15 and Apollo 17 missions • Oval Office telephone that President Nixon used to call Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as they explored on the lunar surface • Presidential Medal of Freedom

From the Flight of Fancy: The Galle Chandelier exhibit at the Getty. PHOTO COURTESY THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES

Award presented to astronaut Michael Collins by President Nixon • Original of President Nixon’s draft speech prepared in the event of a “moon disaster” • A 3-D printed, life-sized statue of Neil Armstrong in his space suit, as he climbed down the ladder of the Lunar Module on the moon • A giant, exact recreation of an Apollo mission command module

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By Cory Rubin Signal Staff Writer

W

ith his rookie campaign almost in the rearview mirror, Santa Clarita native Colton Herta earned a fourth-place finish recently at Portland International Raceway.

It’s been a roller coaster rookie season in the NTT IndyCar Series for the 19-year old from Valencia. In March, Herta became the youngest ever to win an IndyCar race at the IndyCar Classic in Austin, Texas. In June, he became the youngest ever winner of the NTT P1 Award for the fastest time in qualifying and on Sept.

1, he nabbed his second NTT P1 Award at the Grand Prix of Portland in Portland, Oregon, besting veteran Will Power by less than two-tenths of a second.

“I am so happy,” Herta told the media following qualifying the previous Saturday. “We left it right until the end, so everyone was all tense, and I think that made it much sweeter. Before I knew we won the pole position, I went on the radio and heard everyone cheering, so to find out that way was really cool. This is awesome. We have really great race pace, so I think we can take the No. 88 Capstone Turbine Honda car to victory lane.”

Herta got off to a good start to last

Sunday’s race, holding off veteran Scott Dixon and leading the first 36 laps of the 105-lap event.

Around lap 35, Herta’s softer Firestone Red tires began to deteriorate, forcing him to battle the car and allowing four of his competitors to pass him in one lap. On lap 38, Herta had no choice but to pit and have his depleted Firestone Reds replaced with the harder and more durable Blacks.

Herta would exit the pits in 11th position, but a fast car and good pit strategy on his second stop allowed Herta to climb to fourth, where he would remain for the rest of the race.

“The Grand Prix of Portland was an up-and-down day for the No. 88 Capstone Turbine Honda team, Said Herta following the race. “I had a blast leading 37 laps of the race (Sunday), and our pace was really quick.

The car was great and our strategy was there, but our pace on the red tires during the first stint of the race just wasn’t there. I really feel we could have won the race, but I’m overall happy with fourth as it’s our second-best finish of the year. Looking forward to racing at Laguna Seca in a couple weeks.”

Herta’s rookie season will conclude Sunday, Sept. 22 with the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 17

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

Pocock Brewing Company 24907 Avenue Tibbits, Valencia (661) 775-4899

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

Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Co. 27746 N. McBean Parkway, Valencia (661) 263-9653

Q&Q Hawaiian BBQ 27530 Newhall Ranch Road #101, Santa Clarita (661) 383-9098 Rattler’s BBQ 26495 Golden Valley Road, Canyon Country (661) 251-4195

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 Black Bear Diner 23626 Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 799-4820 Brooklyn Bar & Grill 25860 McBean Parkway, Valencia (661) 284-6057 The Cheesecake Factory 24250 Town Center Dr #110, Valencia, CA 91355 (661) 286-1232 Claim Jumper 25740 The Old Road, Valencia (661) 254-2628 Crazy Otto’s Diner 25373 Wayne Mills Place, Valencia (661) 291-1733 The Daily Harvest Cafe & Juicery 22722 Lyons Ave #6, Newhall (661) 383-9387 Eat Real Cafe 23414 Lyons Avenue, Newhall (661) 254-2237 27530 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 254-2237 Iconic Eats 23460 Cinema Dr, Valencia (661) 481-9404 Grilled Cheese Factory 24201 Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 888-1508 Islands 24180 Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 284-5903 Lazy Dog Cafe 24201 Valencia Blvd., Valencia (661) 253-9996

The Local Pub & Grill 26876 The Old Road Stevenson Ranch Ca 91381 661.495.9192 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 Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co 18810 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 252-7883 Route 66 Classic Grill 18730 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 298-1494 Saddle Ranch Chop House 24201 Valencia Blvd., Valencia (661) 383-0173 Salt Creek Grille 24415 Town Center Drive, Valencia (661) 222-9999 Souplantation 24303 Town Center Drive, Valencia (661) 286-1260 Stonefire Grill 23300 Cinema Drive, Valencia (661)799-8282 The Old Town Junction 24275 Main Street Newhall (661) 702-4888 The Social 23329 Lyons Ave, Ste A, Valencia (661) 799-9155 Thelma’s Cafe 22876 Copperhill Drive, Saugus (661) 263-8283 Wing Stop 18547 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 251-9700

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

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 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

BURGERS/SANDWICHES Bricks 23820 Lyons Ave, Newhall (661) 286-1091 Brother’s Burgers 20655 Soledad Canyon (661) 299-9278 Burgerim 23740 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita (661) 670-8939 Corner Bakery 24290 Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 259-2813 Cousins Burgers 19318 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country (661) 298-4200 Everest Burgers 18645 Soledad Canyon Road Santa Clarita, CA 91351 (661) 252-3412 Final Score 23754 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita (661) 254-6557 Firehouse Subs 23630 Valencia Blvd. Valencia (661) 255-3473 Five Guys 24201 W, Valencia Blvd #3672, Valencia (661) 255-0981 The Habit 25948 N. McBean Parkway, Valencia (661) 291-1575 Italia Panetteria & Deli 27674 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 294-9069 Jimmy Dean’s 22941 Lyons Ave, Newhall (661) 255-6315 JJ’s Bar and Grill 25848 Tournament Road, Valencia (661) 799-7557 See DINING GUIDE, next page

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

DININGGUIDE

DINING GUIDE

Continued from previous page

BURGERS/SANDWICHES Panini Palace 23120 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita (661) 678-0552 Pita Pit 28253 Newhall Ranch Road (661) 702-9977 Red Robin 27063 McBean Parkway, Valencia (661) 260-2411 Route 66 Classic Grill 18730 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 298-1494 Rustic Burger 24025 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 254-1300 Rustic Eatery 25343 Wayne Mills Place, Valencia (661) 254-8100 Submarina California Subs 26517 Carl Boyer Drive, Canyon Country (661) 259-4782 Tiny’s Submarine Sandwiches 27251 Camp Plenty Rd, Canyon Country (661) 251-5885

CHINESE China Express 19417 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 251-8783 Genghis Khan 24506 W. Lyons Avenue, Newhall 661-254-0351 Golden Wok Restaurant 16668 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 424-0888 Grand Panda 23802 Lyons Avenue, Newhall (661) 253-1898 27924 Seco Canyon Road, Saugus (661) 297-9868 Mandarin Wong Chinese Restaurant 23758 Lyons Avenue, Newhall (661) 259-5823 Moon Wok 23460 Cinema Drive Suite H, Valencia (661) 288-1898 New Moon 28281 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 257-4321 Pei Wei Asian Diner 24250 Valencia Boulevard, Valencia 661-600-0132 Pick Up Stix 25960 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch (661) 288-2090 WaBa Grill 19120 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country (661) 367-7297 31739 Castaic Road, Castaic (661) 295 9222

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

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

DELICATESSEN Bob’s Country Meats 19012 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country (661) 251-5995 Cathy’s Delicatessen 23120 W. Lyons Avenue, Newhall (661) 288-2217 Italia Panetteria & Deli 27674 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 294-9069 Maria’s Italian-American Deli 22620 W. Lyons Avenue, Newhall (661) 259-6261 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 Rd, Santa Clarita (661) 252-4976

INDIAN An Indian Affaire 23360 W. Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 288-1200 Karma Restaurant, Bar & Lounge 23460 Cinema Drive, Valencia (661) 288-0080 Royal Tandoor 26532 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita (661) 263-7100

ITALIAN Bella Cucina Ristorante Italiano 27911 Seco Canyon Rd, 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 Ave, Newhall (661) 259-6261

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

JAPANESE & SUSHI Achita Sushi 22913 Soledad Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita (661) 476-5522 Asako Sushi 27540 Sierra Hwy, Canyon Country (661) 251-6010 Bonsai Garden 19358 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn 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 I Love Sushi 26526 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita 661-673-5200 Kabuki 24045 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 799-8655 Kisho Japanese Teppan Grill & Revolving Sushi Bar 23430 Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 284-3856 Masa Ramen 27051 McBean Pkwy, #101, Valencia (661) 254-4229 My Hot Pot 26238 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita (661) 288-1998 Shogun Sushi Japanese Restaurant 26807 Seco Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita (661) 513-0015 Sushi 661 26850 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita (661) 252-9831 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 Yamato Restaurant 24947 Pico Canyon Road, Stevenson Ranch (661) 799-0707

KOREAN & MONGOLIAN Charcoal Korean BBQ Restaurant 19158 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 251-9292

Genghis Khan 24506 W. Lyons Avenue, Newhall (661) 254-0351 Gogi House 26524 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus (661) 263-0048 Kogiya 2 Korean BBQ 23410 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita (661) 678-0999 Lee’s Korean BBQ & Tofu House 23360 West Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 254-2307 Sam’s Flaming Grill 24802 Orchard Village, Santa Clarita (661) 222-9060 19433 Soledad Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita (661) 298-0115 25347 Wayne Mills Pl, Valencia (661) 254-2154 23874 Copper Hill Dr, Valencia (661) 294-1100 ZingGa Grill 26910 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita (661) 250-7592

MEDITERRANEAN Cafe O 20655 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 424-0401 Flame & Skewers 25870 McBean Parkway, Valencia (661) 799-7538 Grill Kabob 27653 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus (661) 263-7445 Kebab House 24201 Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 799-5844 Manoushee Mediterranean Restaurant 27131 Sierra Hwy, Canyon Country (661) 251-6666 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 Betito’s Mexican 18902 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country (661)251-0557 Casa Pasilla 27674 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 295-1989 Dario’s Mexican Restaurant 24523 Newhall Avenue, Newhall (661) 255-6868

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 19

R E S TAU R A N T R E V I E W

Keeping it ‘Local’ with a delicious vibe

By Michelle Sathe Signal Staff Writer

T

he Local Pub and Grill is impressive, inside and out.

From the heavy-arched wood doors that lead into the beautiful, bustling dining room to the downhome dishes with an upscale touch, The Local’s got something for everyone.

For the sports fan, there are 14 bigscreen TVs playing games from all over the world.

For families, there are dozens of board games that appeal to every age and can be played together at the table.

Dog lover? Brings yours to the open-air pooch patio, where there’s a five-item menu, biscuits and a fresh bowl of water available for them.

Craft beer connoisseur? There are a dozen selections on tap, as well as more traditional domestic options.

Like any restaurant, however, it really comes down to good food and The Local has that in abundance.

It’s kind of hard to choose from the many appealing starters, ranging from hummus to wings to a Bavarian pretzel with cheese ($11 to $20).

The mozzarella sticks are a fine place to start. Hand-breaded, each stick is light, crunchy, filled with molten cheese and served with a fresh, savory marinara sauce.

Entrees include everything from sliders, salads and wraps to flatbreads, El Trocadero Mesquite Grill & Cantina 24274 Main Street, Newhall (661) 284-6615 La Cocina Bar & Grill 28022 Seco Canyon Road, Saugus (661) 297-4546 Las Rocas Mexican Grill 27923 Sloan Canyon Road Castaic (661) 257-6905 Medrano’s Mexican Restaurant 19319 Soledad Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita (661) 367-4945 Rosarito Grill 19425 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 251-2732 Solita Tacos & Margaritas 24201 Valencia Blvd., Suite 3470, Santa Clarita (661) 291-1399

steaks, fish and tacos. Whew!

Burgers are always a popular choice at pubs and The Local has nine on their menu. The GiddyUp BBQ Burger ($16) is an elevated version of a fast-food favorite with a soft yet sturdy pretzel bun, succulent beef, thick smoked bacon, a tangle of wispy fried onions and sharp melted cheddar all tied together with a tangy sauce, served with crispy double-battered fries and a side of homemade ranch.

The Skillet Mac N Cheese ($12) is a brilliant execution of a deceptively simple dish, served sizzling in a cast iron pan. It’s a huge portion that’s big enough to share with several people and trust me, everyone will want to try this winner — it’s rich and creamy, perfectly seasoned, and topped with crunchy bits of browned breadcrumbs.

Among the salads, the Southie BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad ($16), a colorful mélange of fresh romaine, black beans, roasted corn, juicy tomatoes, a generous amount of ripe avocado, and flavorful grilled chicken, with a delectable BBQ ranch and crunchy tortilla strips. Healthy, yes, but also very satisfying.

Owners Steve and Mendy Cruse opened The Local two years ago.

They will celebrate its anniversary with an Oktoberfest on Oct. 4 and 5, with a special German menu, beer and camaraderie.

Part of the Cruse’s business model for their restaurant was philanthropic

PERSIAN Persia Lounge & Restaurant 24328 Main Street, Newhall (661) 259-4100

PIZZA Ameci Pizza & Pasta 28013 Seco Canyon, Santa Clarita (661) 296-6131 Chi Chi’s Pizza 27117 Sierra Highway, Canyon Country (661) 252-4405 23043 Soledad Canyon Road, Saugus (661) 259-4040 Magic Pizza SCV 26870 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch (661) 291-1921

Any good pub has a fantastic burger and The Local is no exception: behold the GiddyUp BBQ Burger, served with twice battered fries. PHOTO BY MICHELLE SATHE / THE SIGNAL

— The Local donates a portion of its sales to, you guessed it, local nonprofits such as Carousel Ranch, The Michael Hoefflin Foundation, Boys & Girls Club and school sports teams.

“There’s a lot of good people here and we feel good about giving back,” Steve Cruse said.

The Cruses, who live in Stevenson Ranch, designed their restaurant to appeal to customers just like them.

“I love sports but didn’t want to go out to sports bars. I couldn’t get wine, I didn’t like the food,” Mendy Cruse said. “The Local is casual but still nice and we have great food. It’s something that reflects the area.”

Mama Mia Pizza 25708 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch (661) 286-9183 Pizza Di Marco 27674 Newhall Ranch Rd, Valencia 661-295-8769 Pizza Rev 24341 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia (661) 260-1257 Tomato Joes Pizza & Taps 19167 Golden Valley Road, Santa Clarita (661) 250-7550 Tomato Joes Pizza Express 27732 McBean Pkwy. Valencia (661) 263-8646 Toppers Pizza 23710 Valencia Blvd, Santa Clarita (805) 385-4444

For Steve Cruse, it’s also a chance to connect with the community and visitors to the area.

“I love people,” he said. “I love it when people come here, get a break and leave with a smile on their face.”

The Local, 26876 The Old Road, Valencia. Open Sunday to Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight. Breakfast served on weekends until 2 p.m. Live music on Friday nights. For more info, visit www. thelocalpubgrill.com or call (661) 4959192.

POLISH Pierogi Spot 26511 Golden Valley Road, Santa Clarita (661) 254-4850

THAI Original Thai BBQ Restaurant 27530 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 257-6421 Sister House Thai Fusion 26879 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita 661-263-9911

VIETNAMESE Pho Sure 23876 Copper Hill Drive, Valencia (661) 257-3888

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

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

Black Flag visits Canyon Santa Clarita

By Perry Smith Sunday Signal Editor

F

or more than 40 years, Black Flag has been an influential act in punk and skater music scene, a ubiquitous force for most of that time, touring the nation and associated with most major shows of the genre at one time or another.

Started in Hermosa Beach in the mid-1970s by guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member, Greg Ginn, according to the band’s website, Black Flag has released seven studio albums and two live albums.

“The band has released all of their material on Ginn’s independent label, SST Records beginning with 1981’s ’Damaged,’” Black Flag’s website

states. “Vocalist, Mike Vallely, first sang with the band as a guest vocalist in 2003, before becoming the band’s fifth vocalist and touring with the band in 2014.”

Classic punk fans catch the band live when the group comes to town on Friday, Sept. 20. The Linecutters are the opening act, a self-proclaimed “three-piece band from the east valley that have been infecting

the Phoenix area with their ska/punk infused sound one show at a time,” according to its website.

Find the Canyon Santa Clarita on the ground floor of the Westfield Valencia Town Center. Get tickets at the box office 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. MondaySaturday, by phone at (888) 645-5006, or via TicketMaster.com. For more info, visit WheremusicmeetstheSoul.com.

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 1

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR

= Family Friendly Event

ONGOING

EVENTS BY DATE

Sunday, Sept. 15, 5:30-8 p.m.

Sean’s Fund Dinner and CornHole Challenge is good family fun, fancy food and a great cause! We will host a cornhole challenge, appetizers and silent auction with dinner. This year is special as it marks the 25th year of Coach Jay teaching chess in the Santa Clarita Valley. Adults $45 and children Third Monday of the month, under 12 are $25. Hyatt Regency Valencia, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Join the Valencia 24500 Town Center Drive, Santa Clarita. Info: http://seansfund.cycl.org/the-dinner/ Library once a month for Afternoon Book Club for elementary-school aged kids! A Monday, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m. Freelance different title will be discussed each month illustrator Kevin Davidson will demonstrate watercolor on Yupo paper at the meeting and kids will get to make a small craft of the Santa Clarita Artists Association based on the book. This month’s title is (SCAA). This event is free and open to the pub“Matilda” by Roald Dahl. Copies of the lic. Come early, standing room only by 6:30 pm. book can be picked up from the Circulation Barnes and Noble, 23630 Valencia Blvd., Santa Desk. 23743 Valencia Blvd, Santa Clarita.

Clarita. Info: santaclaritaartists.org/events.html Info: Janelle Christopher jchristopher@ Thursday, Sept. 19, 7-10 p.m. Ahoy matey! santa-clarita.com It’s time to celebrate Davy Jones style on NationThird Saturday of the month, 11 a.m. al Speak Like a Pirate Day. Walk the plank at to 4 p.m. Come to an open house at the the Pirates of Santa Clarita SENSES block Hart Museum. Rather than tours scheduled party. Leave your flask at home because there throughout the day, you are free to explore the will be an on-street bar hosted by Eighth & museum as it suits your needs. The focus is on Rail. Market Street and Main Street, Santa Clarita. film (silents, westerns, early talkies) and Info: thursdaysatnewhall.com/senses/ the audience will be engaged through pop-up Friday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. Come to the chats, displays and hands-on activities re- second annual feedSCV Chef Auction lated to the subject of the day. William S. Hart where you will have the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind experiences with your Museum, 24151 Newhall Ave., Santa Clarita. favorite local chefs, restaurateurs and Info: hartmuseum.org/experience-hart sommeliers! Sponsorships are available and Fourth Thursday of the Month, 7-9 p.m. silent auction items are being accepted. Valencia Part of the Thursdays@Newhall event series, Country Club, 27330 Tourney Rd, Valencia. Info: Note by Note is a music night presenting shauna@feedscv.org, scvchefauction.org audiences with a variety of genres at this Saturday, Sept. 21, 8-11 a.m. free evening of fun. Music from bands, Come help Green Santa Clarita duos and soloists’ will play their blend of clean a portion of the Santa Clara River. This is music for your listening pleasure. Come an excellent volunteer opportunity for enjoy a wide range of music styles, including scout troops, youth groups and the entire rock, folk, Celtic, Americana, blues, family! Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes (no sandals), appropriate clothing for walking jazz, country, experimental, western and more. The MAIN, 24266 Main St., Santa in the riverbed, sunscreen, a hat and bring a reusable water bottle to help cut down on plastic Clarita. Info: thursdaysatnewhall.com/ bottle waste. Participants will be provided with notebynote/ gloves, collection bags and refreshments. Info: Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. greensantaclarita.com/calendar/river-rally/ Stroll, shop and enjoy the sounds Saturday, Sept. 21, noon to 4 p.m. of Northpark Village Square on Thursday Looking for something free and fun evenings from Sept. 12 through Nov. 21 for for the whole family? Look no further! Join the the Autumn Nights Music Series. Great shops, Child & Family Center for the third annual restaurants and free concerts full of family Trike Derby sponsored by Valencia BMW. Cheer friendly music to ease into those relaxing on teams dressed in silly costumes as they autumn evenings. 27756 McBean Parkway, zoom around on tricycles while enjoying deValencia, Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/ licious food from food trucks and sipping on craft beers. There will be arts and crafts events/2415899645364304/?event_time_ for the kids, as well as a bounce house id=2415899655364303

Third Sunday of the month, 1-4 p.m.

The Open Book offers free tarot readings. Ask up to 3 questions and get in-depth answers. This is a first-come, first-served basis, space is limited. 19188 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. Info: (661) 255-1400, valencia@theopenbook.biz

and dunk tank. Wolf Creek Brewery, 25108 Rye Canyon Loop, Valencia, Santa Clarita. Info: childfamilycenter.org/events Saturday, Sept. 21, noon to 10 p.m. Come out to Pocock Brewing Company’s Pococktoberfest 2019 for live music all day long with The Darryls, Carlos Lopez and We Are Wasted, and an expanded beer garden. There will be food from Mad Scientist BBQ, a special German menu from Tomski Sausage and fresh-baked pretzels by Little’s Loaves and Boole’s. Free admission. 24907 Avenue Tibbitts, Ste B, Santa Clarita. Info: pocockbrewing.com/welcome Saturday, Sept. 21, 2-9 p.m. Join the sixth annual Be The Light 5K Night Run/Walk to shine a light for youths in recovery and support A Light of Hope charity. Bring your best night outfit, decked out with lights and colorful glow bands to shine your brightest in Santa Clarita’s premiere night run/walk. West Creek County Park, 24247 Village Circle, Santa Clarita.

Info: bethelight5k.com Saturday, Sept. 21, 5-7 p.m. Author Richard Tarlow will sign his book “Murder and the Marine” at the Open Book. Tarlow will regale with fascinating, real life details from the gripping murder trial that underpins his novel. And per usual, he’ll delight in penning personalized notes on each book that he signs.

19188 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/events/1433830516758743/ Saturday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m. ARTivism is a platform to share art relevant to a political or social topic. This first event, partnered with SCV Students Demand Action, is centered around the issue of gun violence. This curates a platform for students to recite poetry, perform music, share art and tell stories

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relating to gun violence. Global Prep Academy, 23310 Cinema Dr #105, Valencia. Info: facebook.com/events/1053786711495674/ Friday, Sept. 27, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Come to the sixth Fil-Am Association of SCV, Inc. Bingo Night! $12 ticket includes admission, a Bingo packet good for all 10 games and an entry for raffle prizes. Come win more than $300 in prizes! Vincenzo’s Pizza, 24504 Lyons Ave., Newhall. Info: http://bit.ly/FilAmBingo2019a Saturday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. North Park Village Square will host a free Harvest Festival for the entire family. Enjoy apple cider, games, face painting, prizes, candy for kids in costume and free pumpkins. Weather permitting and event subject to change without notice. 27756 McBean Parkway, Valencia. Info: drbgroupllc@ drbgroupllc.com, subject line “Northpark Village Square Harvest Festival” Saturday, Sept. 28, noon to 4 p.m.

Enjoy an end-of-summer festival with Wolf Creek Brewery. Come for a day of family fun that will include a cornhole tournament, activities for kids, food, dessert, music and raffles. Funds raised from the event will go towards building a home for a family living in poverty in Cancun, Mexico. 25108 Rye Canyon Loop, Valencia. Info: facebook.com/events/2344380945809695/ Saturday, Sept. 28, 2-5 p.m. Join Agua Dulce Winery in celebrating its inaugural Western Day! There will be competitions in calf roping and cow milking, barbecue hot dogs, music on the gazebo, dancing in the vineyard and, of course, flowing wine!

Free. No Reservations needed. 9640 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita. Info: aguadulcewinery.com/wp/ event/2pm-western-day-2019/

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CONGRATULATIONS to Diane Moore for correctly identifying Bedder Mattress on page 15.

Identify this advertiser and the page number in this week’s issue, and you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate for a local restaurant.

One game and one winner each week.

Mail your entry to The Signal – Contest 26330 Diamond Place | Santa Clarita, CA 91350 Or email contest@signalscv.com Advertiser: _____________________________ Page # ______ Name: _____________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________________

This week’s entries are due Wed. September 25 Winner to be announced in 2 weeks.

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

K I D S & FA M I LY

What parents should know about their baby’s skin health

A

baby’s skin is extra sensitive, and if you’re like many parents, you may be looking for ways to reduce your child’s exposure to potential irritants while maximizing skin health. This can be particularly difficult when the products you see on store shelves contain the very ingredients you prefer to avoid: petroleum, brighteners, artificial fragrances, fillers and synthetics.

New research revealing the importance of the skin microbiome — the collection of microorganisms that live on our bodies — can help point parents in the right direction. The skin microbiome is full of microorganisms like healthy bacteria and fungi that need the right environment to thrive.

While you likely know how positive probiotics are thanks to yogurt commercials, you may know less about prebiotics. Prebiotics are what probiotics absorb to prosper and

Parents may want to consider baby products that incorporate prebiotics to protect a baby’s skin.

reproduce. Prebiotics help encourage more varied types of bacteria too, and variety is paramount for thriving skin.

For this reason, you may want to consider personal-care products for your baby that are not only non-toxic,

tear-free, hypoallergenic and both pediatrician- and dermatologist-tested, but that also incorporate prebiotics as an active ingredient.

Industry leaders incorporating prebiotics into baby-care products include Dapple Baby, which offers plant-based

shampoo plus body wash, baby lotion and bubble bath formulated without parabens, phthalates, mineral oil or synthetic dyes. Because the brand is committed to plant-based ingredients, parents can have peace of mind knowing the products are gentle and toxin-free. Now available in the health and beauty department at Walmart, more information can be found at dapplebaby.com.

Because babies explore their environment with their hands, their mouths and pretty much everything else, parents will also want to consider the ingredients found in home-cleaning products, detergents and more, steering toward options containing natural ingredients wherever possible.

During the time when a baby’s skin is most sensitive, parents can take proactive steps to limit exposure to products that use potentially irritating ingredients. (Statepoint)

Technology is helping children with dyslexia

D

yslexia is a condition in which people have problems processing letters, symbols and words, potentially compromising their ability to read. According to Kids Health, a medical information site powered by Nemours, research has shown dyslexia is a byproduct of how the brain processes information.

Those with dyslexia actually use different parts of the brain when they try to read than those without dyslexia, and these parts do not work efficiently.

Contrary to popular belief, those with dyslexia do not necessarily see words or letters backwards. One of the more common problems people with dyslexia experience is struggling to recognize phonemes, or the basic sounds of speech. As a result, putting the sounds of letters together to make words can be tricky for those with dyslexia.

With widespread technology usage at home and in schools, assistive devices and apps can help change the game for children and adults with dyslexia. The organization Dyslexic Advantage has found through their Dyslexia at School Study that denial

People with dyslexia who opt to use assistive technology may find that they are able to showcase their intelligence and potential more fully.

dyslexics and look for common errors and automatically replace them.

Computer-based learning programs These platforms are designed and written for dyslexics. They can help to improve skills in reading, writing, numeracy, and touch-typing, offers the Dyslexia Association.

Smartpen The Livescribe smartpen takes a picture of notes as they are written on special paper. It also has a built-in microphone that enables the user to record what is being said in a classroom or meeting setting.

of assistive technology in American schools continues to be a large problem. Of the respondents, 68% reported that their students weren’t offered accessible text or technology supports for reading.

Assistive technology can help those with dyslexia save considerable time and overcome challenges. People with dyslexia who opt to use assistive technology may find that they are able to showcase their intelligence and potential more fully.

The following are some tools that can be assets.

Speech recognition software Users can dictate to a device and have their voices converted into text. Those with spelling or handwriting may find this helps dramatically with written communication.

Text-to-speech software This is essentially the reverse of speech recognition software. Text is turned into an audible voice that reads the words to the end user. This can help individuals understand written material and check over their work.

Spellcheckers Some spell-check programs are designed specifically for

Digital/audio books Various providers offer online libraries of digital or audio books that can help with reading or print disabilities.

Special fonts There is some evidence that using specific fonts may make it easier for people with dyslexia to decipher words and letters. Helpful fonts include Dyslexie, OpenDyslexic and Comic Sans, according to Dyslexic Advantage.

Helping those with dyslexia may involve utilizing the various assistive technologies now available. (MC)

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 3

K I D S & FA M I LY

Donna’s Day: Creative Family Fun

Tasty and healthy vegetable ribbon salad

By Donna Erickson Signal Contributing Writer

strips from each slice and add to the vegetable ribbons.

rap up the last of summer’s harvest with colorful ribbons of orange, green, yellow and red. Abundant zucchini, summer squash and carrots can be woven together with fettuccine pasta for a tasty supper your family will enjoy from preparation to the last bite. Hand each of your preteen kids their own vegetable peeler, give them a few tips for honing ribbon-making skills, and they’ll keep busy and feel useful cutting vegetables while you cook up the pasta. A healthy supper will be ready in minutes.

Basic Vinaigrette

W

Vegetable Ribbon Salad

8 ounces fettuccine pasta, cooked, drained and rinsed in cool water 1-2 small-size green zucchini 1 yellow summer squash 2 medium-size carrots 1 scallion 1/2 fresh red pepper (optional) 1/2 cup of your favorite vinaigrette-style salad dressing or traditional vinaigrette (see recipe below) 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Chopped parsley or basil Trim off the ends of the zucchini, squash and carrots. Use a vegetable peeler to cut the vegetables lengthwise into long, thin, ribbonlike strips. When you reach the inner seeds of the zucchini and summer squash, stop and continue slicing the other side. Discard the centers.

Place all the vegetable ribbons into a large bowl.

Trim off the green ends of the scallion.

Tear them into thin long strips with your fingers. Add to the vegetables.

Add pasta and toss lightly with your favorite vinaigrette dressing or prepare the basic recipe below. Cut thin slices of the red pepper and arrange on top, if you wish.

Top with grated Parmesan and parsley or basil. Serve with French bread.

Serves 4 to 6.

Tip If your kids love apples, add one to the salad for sweetness. Peel, core and cut an apple into 4 slices. Peel

1/2 1 1/4 3/4

teaspoon salt teaspoon Dijon mustard cup white wine or sherry vinegar cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, let one child whisk the salt, mustard and vinegar together. While whisking, another child may slowly add the oil in a stream until the mixture is well-combined.

Makes 1 cup. Store covered at room temperature for a week or in the refrigerator for a month.

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.” ©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, Sep. 16 Tuesday, Sep. 17 Wednesday, Sep. 18 Thursday, Sep. 19 Friday, Sep. 20

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

Blueberry Bash Mini Waffles Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fruit Juice Super Star Corn Muffin Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fresh Fruit

Mini Corn Dogs Chicken Nuggets Cheeseburger Smart Choice Pizza Seasonal Salad Bar Turkey Taco Dippin’ Chicken & Sauce PBJ Sandwich & String Cheese Smart Choice Pizza Seasonal Salad Bar

Pancake Sausage Stick Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fresh Fruit Fruit Juice

Chicken Fiesta Bowl Cheeseburger HB Eggs & Savory Crackers Smart Choice Pizza Seasonal Salad Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie

Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fresh Fruit

Orange Chicken w/Rice Dippin’ Chicken & Sauce Smart Choice Pizza Seasonal Salad Bar

Breakfast Burrito Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fruit Juice

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

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

N E W S F E AT U R E S

PETS

For Merry Jayne Machado, a Canthat day, ups and downs, deaths in yon Country resident, having kids of the family and he’s given me a new perspective on life,” she added. “It’s her own wasn’t an option after she Continued from page 5 rewarding, and was diagnosed knows he will never have kids other with cancer I’m happy.” than his cat, German shepherd and And he at 27, and she “I’M CLOSER TO MY husky mix. might be what decided to get ANIMALS THAN I AM “I’m closer to my animals than I some consider “fixed,” as she am my family,” Reed said, which the MY FAMILY,” REED SAID, “spoiled.” He calls it. survey said is true for 38% of CaliforWHICH THE SURVEY SAID sleeps on the Now at 52, nians. “They just understand me, and Sir Frodo bed with his IS TRUE FOR 38% OF give me the unconditional love that own little bed Baggins, her CALIFORNIANS. “THEY everyone should have in their lives. and his own Italian greyJUST UNDERSTAND I can’t see me finding this type of little blankets, hound-miniafeeling elsewhere.”

ME, AND GIVE ME like 56% of ture pinscher, All of Reed’s animals had been pre- Boomerang, THE UNCONDITIONAL other pets that viously abused, so he said it took him her parrot, LOVE THAT EVERYONE sleep next to a while to gain their trust. owners at and Gwen, her SHOULD HAVE IN THEIR their “Once I got it though, there was no leopard gecko night, per the LIVES. I CAN’T SEE ME survey. going back,” he said. are her chil“I think it’s great that people are FINDING THIS TYPE OF “We take care dren. considering that more,” said Nancy “I don’t miss FEELING ELSEWHERE.” of our pets as Anderson, founder of The Brittany we would do not having Foundation, a no-kill dog rescue, our children, if children,” adding, “especially when dogs can not more, because the unconditionMachado said. “My kids have four al love that we receive is incredible,” belong to an adult family because of legs and feathers, fur, scales — evMachado said. abuse or neglect.” erything.”

And Sir Frodo has also helped Giving his animals a home where She rescued Sir Frodo back in her realize her passion of rescuing they are the primary focus is all Reed 2012, and he is now her emotional dogs. She now helps with various wants in the world. support animal who helps her with rescue groups, including the “Lost “I want them to know that they are her post-traumatic stress disorder. & Found Pets of SCV” Facebook loved,” he added.

“He’s been with me ever since group.

Dr. Kathy Peters, a local veterinarian, said she, too, has noticed the increase in pet parents through the years.

“It used to be that younger couples who were just starting out would tell me that this was their ‘trial run,’ but now I’ve heard more and more tell me that they’re planning on staying pet parents forever,” Peters said.

Canyon Country resident Shannon Barr is no exception.

“I live with my fiancé, and we have two chow chows,” she said.

“Frankles, my male, is a mama’s boy.

He is 90 pounds of wanna-be lap dog. Adelaide, our female, is daddy’s little girl and follows my fiancé around.”

They also have “half a cat” — Booty, their cat who escaped, but still makes an appearance every now and again for food.

Barr grew up in a large family, and not only did she frequently babysit her siblings, she also became a teaching assistant at 18.

Merry Jayne Machado adopted Sir Frodo Baggins in 2012, and he is now her “I feel like an old soul, and I got emotional support animal who helps her with her post-traumatic stress disorder after she was diagnosed with cancer. stuck in my ways real quick,” she said.

“But I’ve already done my time with kids. I like living like an old couple.”

So for Barr, the decision to remain a pet parent was a conscious one.

“Girls talk babies, but that was not really what I want to do in my life,” she said. “When we started dating, I told him, ‘I really like dogs, but no babies: Are you cool with that?’”

Though she doesn’t want to have kids, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t treat her dogs as such.

“Our dogs are super spoiled,” she said, adding that Frankles has allergies, so all his meals are home cooked, while Adelaide has every color bow you could imagine to match her various harnesses and leashes.

The dogs also often accompany Barr and her fiance to dog friendly locations.

“We do family outings to the dog beach in Long Beach … or to events like Bark for Life … They get birthdays, half birthdays … as much as you would do with a human child,” she said, laughing.

Founder of Bow-Wows & Meows, a nonprofit that promotes pet adoption, Yvonne (Allbee) Hanson, began the organization to spread the message of what wonderful benefits pets add to a family’s life because of her personal experience.

She and her husband were both older when they met, and neither had children.

“He always had pets, I always had pets, and when we joined families, we joined our pets too,” she said. “The bonding experience of having a pet was just so overwhelmingly wonderful, and it kind of all fit for us.”

They now have two dogs and two cats, all of which were rescued.

“When choosing pets, we always rescue and we try to choose the ones that have something to say and can’t say it themselves, so we can say it for them,” she said, adding that though her dogs are considered “bully breeds,” her cats run the house no questions asked.

“Because we have ‘bully breeds,’ we have a responsibility to advocate for them and to let them be seen in the light that is their wonderful selves,” she added. “As pet parents, we have to make sure all of our animals are safe and taken care of. You want to protect them. You want so much to give them a fraction of what they give you.”

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 5

Keep your employees healthy

By Dr. Christian Raigosa Kaiser Permanente Santa Clarita Medical Offices

P

eople often use “flu” to describe a mild cold or illness, but there’s nothing mild about the flu.

The timing of flu season is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. It can take up to two weeks for the body to develop immunity, so it’s important to vaccinate as early in the season as possible.

If one employee gets hit with the flu, your whole office could be in for a slowdown. This flu season, keep these important tips in mind and help your workforce stay strong.

ECO-RACE

Continued from page 7

reading a book about how to take care of feet.

“There’s certain things you do to show them respect,” added Nico, who has also done some research. “When you go in their home, you take your shoes off — it’s an insult if you don’t.

You take your hat and sunglasses off if you walk through town … those kinds of things.”

Trudeau has also done quite a few similar races before, and has a lot of experience with navigation, so he was also instrumental in passing along that knowledge to his teammates.

“He is our fifth racer,” Cary added.

“And if he didn’t just have a new knee put in, he probably would be racing, too.”

The race

The team doesn’t know much about the details of the race, as most of that information is kept hidden from them until they arrive.

“We don’t even know the whole course at the beginning of the race,” Heather said. “At the beginning of the race, they hand us the map for the first section. Then we get another section later.”

“There are also some time cut offs

Understand the difference between the flu and a cold

Influenza (short for “flu”) and the common cold are not the same.

Both are upper respiratory infections, but flu symptoms tend to come on stronger and last longer.

The flu is a virus that causes fever, headaches, and sore throats — and it can lead to serious infections, pneumonia, or worse. The flu generally infects people from late fall through early spring, while colds can occur throughout the year.

Learn how to help prevent the flu

You can help your employees stay healthy by setting up a flu shot clinic at your workplace. It’s easy to arrange and all of your employees are eligible — even if they’re not Kaiser Permanente members. Getting a vaccine early in flu

you have to make along the way,” Nico added, explaining that there will be various checkpoints along the route.

“The logistics of this thing are just immense,” Trudeau said.

What they do know is that they’ll be racing against some professional adventure racers and quite a few returning teams.

“The crazy thing about this race is every time they do it, thousands of people want to join, but if you go back and look at the statistics, 80% of the teams that start the race don’t finish,” Cary said. “But people still keep coming back to want to do the race.”

As the support crew, Trudeau will be traveling alone with the gear, setting up camp for the racers and taking care of them during their breaks.

“He has navigate himself there, he’s got to get all our gear there, he’s got to set up the tents and the camp area, he’s got to cook, he’s got to know what’s going on mentally and physically with us, help us with what we need, be a mechanic on the bike,” Cary said.

Throughout the race, the racers and even the support crew are welcome to interact with the villagers.

“We get to go, be part of the village and experience their culture,”

season each year is the simplest, most effective way to stay flu-free.

It’s also important to get plenty of sleep, wash your hands often and sneeze or cough into your elbow to keep germs from spreading. Avoid touching your face during flu and cold season, and if you are sick, stay home.

Flu shots are available now to all Kaiser Permanente members 6 months and older at no-cost. To increase access to the vaccine, members in the Santa

1

in 5 employees is likely to call in sick with the flu, according to Getsinger, Society for Human Resource Management, August 14, 2014.

During the 2016–2017 flu season,

Trudeau said. “You can get directions from them. They can take you into their homes and you can sleep there.

They can feed you. It’s pretty cool.”

Trudeau has even already connected with a local whose uncle is a village chief and wants the team to visit for a traditional Fiji Kava blessing ceremony before the race.

“The people that are from there really encourage outsiders to participate in these things that they do,” Trudeau said. “They’re very very friendly people and they love their culture. It’s going to be a great experience.”

In addition, Mark Burnett, the show’s producer, commissioned some of the villagers to make 66 traditional Fiji outrigger canoes, made of traditional supplies from the islands, which will then be donated back to the villages after the race.

“We have to paddle and sail that thing out on the ocean somewhere,” Cary said. “It’s going to be an adventure.”

“Maybe at night,” Martin added.

More than just a race

For many of the team, the race is just a small portion of this experience for them.

“To even think that three years ago we would be here,” Cary said. “Believe

H E A LT H Clarita Valley can go to any of our Santa Clarita or Canyon Country locations, including medical offices and pharmacies, to receive their vaccination at nocost, with no need for an appointment.

Flu season is coming — make plans now to protect yourself and your employees to avoid excessive sick days.

To find up-to-date flu shot locations near you, visit kp.org/flu.

vaccinations prevented approximately 5.29 million illnesses, 2.64 million medical visits and 84,700 hospitalizations, according to the Center for Disease Control.

me, I’m pretty positive about saying, ‘I can do anything’ my whole life, but when you go through cancer — and I had a hard time walking up stairs — there’s just no way. (That feeling) never goes away. I think about it everyday.”

Over the past two years, Martin has begun racing again as part of his “treatment.”

“Part of the reason of getting on my bike is for that moment in time to forget about that voice going ‘What if?’” Martin said. “It never leaves me, except when I ride my bike … I never thought I would have to battle those voices in my head.”

For Martin, it hasn’t just been all about the race — it’s been the buildup.

“It’ll be a success for us just to be on the starting line, because it’s been a process for us to get to that point,” Martin said. “No matter what happens at the race, those are the moments that I’ll take with me.”

“That’s how I’ve thought about this race,” Heather added. “When they cross the finish line, they will feel like they are still themselves, and they can still do anything.”

To get updates on their journey, follow Team SuperFighters on Instagram at @teamsuperfighters.

26 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

PROFILE

Ravi Rajan: California Institute of the Arts president

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

W

hen Ravi Rajan started his final year of high school in Norman, Oklahoma, it looked like his career path was firmly in place. He would attend college with the goal of becoming a pediatrician. However, during his senior year Rajan’s mindset changed, sending him down the path that brought the Seattle-born musician to the Santa Clarita Valley in 2017 to become the fourth president of California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.

First generation

Rajan was born to parents who immigrated to the United States from southern India.

“My dad came to this country as a graduate student,” said Rajan. “At the time the only way to get into the United States was on a student visa. He was working as a physicist on atomic energy in India. My older sister and my mom supported the idea of coming to the U.S. They wanted to forge a new path. He came as a graduate student in atmospheric science, meteorology.”

While the elder Rajan was establishing himself at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, his wife and two daughters waited to join him in the U.S. During that time, his younger daughter died at age 4 from a chronic respiratory condition.

“I wasn’t born yet,” Rajan said. Rajan’s mother had to bury her daughter, alone, while her husband stayed in the United States.

Rajan was born after his reunited family moved to Seattle when his father was at the University of Washington. The family moved to Norman when he was a year old.

“I am a product of the public library and public schools in Norman,” he proudly said. “The area is not unlike Santa Clarita.”

A need to create

In elementary school, Rajan played the viola until he heard the New York Philharmonic play “The Rite of Spring.” The classical piece is well-known for featuring the bas-

soon in its score.

“I went to the sixth-grade band director and told him I wanted to play the bassoon,” he said. “I remember the look on his face, it said: ‘In my entire career, no one has ever asked to play the bassoon.’”

In high school, Rajan decided to join the jazz band. “I had a friend who played trumpet, so I picked it up and learned to play,” he said.

Then in his senior year, he switched instruments focusing exclusively on the trumpet in both the orchestra and jazz band.

It was during this time Rajan was learning about the literature of the Harlem Renaissance. From 19181937, the Harlem Renaissance was a blossoming of African-American culture, particularly in the creative arts.

“The arts really caught hold of me.

I realized I needed to express my thoughts and ideas to really understand the world by creating things as an artist,” he said. “It became clear to me all of a sudden that I needed to be an artist. I wanted a career in the arts.”

Rajan had already sent his applications to colleges that focused on medicine. However, he enrolled at the University of Oklahoma where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in music education. “It had good music and education programs,” he said.

Yale

After college, Rajan taught music in the Norman public school system for a year before attending graduate school at Yale.

“I could have made the decision to stay in Norman as a teacher, but I felt I needed to explore more,” he said.

“I loved teaching. There is nothing like seeing the change that is possible when working directly with students.”

Besides, Rajan had long been captivated by New York City.

“I loved the humanity and the arts and the theater, so Yale seemed like a good choice because it was on the train line to New York,” he said.

Rajan earned a master’s in music from Yale while exploring other areas of the arts, including theater directing and working on a digital media center for the arts.

New York

Yale offered Rajan a job after graduation, but New York City beckoned.

“I was playing some Broadway shows,” he said. “I thought if Yale wanted to hire me, I could probably get a job in New York. I packed up, moved down the train line and got a job doing media design at Rockefeller University, a medical research university.”

Rajan offered private trumpet lessons, and continued playing trumpet in on- and off-Broadway shows. He played in a variety of bands and also was a member of the Tony Awards nominating committee.

Sept. 11

Rajan lived in New York City less than a year when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks brought down the World Trade Center.

“It was tough. I remember it was a glorious day going to work at Rockefeller University, not a cloud in the sky, like a Southern California day,” he said. “It was 70 and sunny and beautiful. I got to work, had my coffee, went in and sat down and pulled out the projects we were working on.”

It was then a co-worker delivered the news, a plane had hit the World Trade Center.

“We didn’t know what was happening at the time,” he said. News reports tried to make sense of what was happening when a plane hit the second tower. Rajan and his co-workers, despite being miles away, were able to go to the top of a building and see the World Trade Center in the distance.

CalArts President Ravi Rajan in the “sub-level” basement where student graffiti abounds.

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

“We could see smoke billowing out of the towers. We were up there for a while, people had radios on so we were listening to the news, then all of a sudden, one of the towers disappeared,” he said.

There was confusion on what had happened, then realization a tower had collapsed.

Rajan said there was no immediate noise from the collapse. “You heard sounds much later, you saw much more smoke, then you heard people screaming,” he said.

As transit into and out of NYC was shut down co-workers became worried how they would get home and pick up children from school. “Many cell phones didn’t work well,” he said.

“People had a lot of concern about practical life problems, but it was also a scary situation.”

Rajan lived about 5 miles “up the island” from Rockefeller University.

With no trains running Rajan started walking home. “Just as I got to Central Park a taxi pulled over and asked me which way I was going,” he said. The driver told Rajan he was headed in the same direction and offered Rajan a ride.

“He didn’t charge me,” he said. “It was an interesting moment in New York. It was deadly quiet. You saw people walking, but there was no noise, no honking. It was eerily quiet and there was that smell, the smell of

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 7

PROFILE the burning towers, it was really bad.”

Rajan played a Broadway show not long after the attack. “I was coming out of the subway at Times Square walking toward the theater and a guy looked at me and started calling me bad names,” he said. “It was shocking because nothing like that had ever happened to me in New York.”

The incident started Rajan thinking.

“It helped me to distill that I wanted to work with young people,” he said.

“When that happened to me, I felt young people are the opportunity.

When people are afraid, they do things like that, I wanted to work with young people to help them be exposed to different experiences and people.”

SUNY-Purchase

Rajan said the Sept. 11 tragedy gave him “a moment to think about what I wanted to do and why.”

“Society was hurting in a peculiar way and I saw how people were changing,” he said. “It seemed like it was time to focus on the things important to you.”

He applied at State University of New York at Purchase doing the

Meeting Lucy

kind of media work he was doing at Rockefeller. “I felt compelled to make the move at that point and it was great decision,” he said.

During his 16 years at SUNY-Purchase Rajan served as director of art and design, associate dean of the arts and dean of the school of the arts.

CalArts

After six years as head of the arts department at SUNY-Purchase, Rajan found himself looking for a new opportunity. “I had been in a different CalArts President Ravi Rajan in front of position about every five or six classroom A113 that has “reached legendary status as an Easter egg in every Pixar film,” years,” he said. When the phone rang with an offer from a recruiter according to CalArts. The classroom used to to apply for the CalArts position be the home of graphic design and animation students.

Rajan jumped at the chance.

“I said ‘yes, absolutely,’ because Rajan sees the community of of what CalArts is, because it is such Santa Clarita and CalArts as having an important school and had such a shared set of values with an ema great faculty, students and alum,” phasis on the arts. “With the history he said. “It was enticing and it had a of William S. Hart, all the films and reputation and a value-set that agreed television that has been made here, with me — especially in terms of bethere is an appreciation for the arts in ing experimental and innovative.”

Santa Clarita,” he said.

Rajan met his wife, Lucy, when preparing for his master’s dissertation recital at Yale. A friend who had agreed to sing in a recital lost her voice, so she recruited her roommate to sub for her.

“My recital was for trumpet and soprano,” he said. “After we met, we were friends for a long time. She got singing gigs in Italy and spent a lot of time going around the world. About four years later, she came back and lived in New York, so we started dating.”

The couple knew each other for almost a decade before getting married.

They celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary on Aug. 24. Two sons — Leo, 9 and Liv, 6 — round out the family.

The American Dream

When Rajan reflects on his career, he thinks of where his parents started.

“They both came from small villages with shared wells,” he said. “That’s how my parents grew up. They went from shared wells to having your kid become president of one of the world’s most important art schools.”

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28 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

HOMEIMPROVEMENT

Garage door replacement, shower liners in remodels Garage door damage Hi Robert, Thank you for returning my call and speaking with me and understanding that I don’t do emailing.

As we spoke on the phone, my driveway is very short and someone turning around, hit the wooden garage door. The machine on top was damaged, the door was split in half and also the hinges and springs on the sides were all damaged.

The contractor that came out said that those springs and hinges can’t be saved. I do have homeowners insurance and am trying to get a head start on this before the insurance payment comes in.

I’d like your opinion on what to replace all of this with, I plan on living here so don’t want to put cheap stuff

METRO CONNECTION

By Robert Lamoureux Signal Contributing Writer

A sectional garage door allows room for bigger vehicles, and with insulation, the type of door could keep out the heat.

in, I’d like to not have to worry about this door anymore.

My daughter says to put in a roll-up type door but I’d like to hear from you first, and make my decision following hearing from you.

— Mary F. Mary, The door that your daughter is referring to is called a “sectional door.”

They are typically five or six panels depending on the height and width of your opening.

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I do also recommend this type of door and adding to that, would suggest that with the weather we have in Santa Clarita that you spend a little more money if you are able, and get a higher end door that is insulated.

It will help keep some of the heat load out of your garage, which ultimately ends up in your home. These doors offer more clearance than the old-style one-piece doors, so you can get a bit larger vehicle into the garage if needed. I don’t recommend the light panel windows, as you are announcing to the thieves what you store in there.

If you wish to have this style, make sure that the windows are opaque so that it’s not easy to see inside. You can choose from many colors and designs, just check with your installer.

If you are within an HOA check first to be sure that the design you want is conforming to the rules within the HOA. You certainly don’t want to spend that money and then have to change the door because you’ve broken some HOA rule.

With regard to the operator, I highly recommend a belt drive vs either a chain or screw drive. They are much quieter, almost silent, and with new

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hardware you’ll barely notice that the door is going up or down. Those who have internet can also go to a Wi-Fi system where the door can even be opened via a cellphone.

I’ve had numerous occasions where I’ve been able to let someone into my home via opening this door remotely, quite a handy thing.

Good luck to you, call me again if anything else is needed, — Robert Shower remodel Hi Robert, I have written to you before and have gotten great advice from you, thank you.

My new question: We are going to remodel our bathroom tub/showers.

In the upstairs master bedroom, we have a standalone shower and the tub in a separate area. I have been told by different contractors, different ways to do this, and I am confused.

Should the shower basin be hot mopped or a liner used to replace the current basin? Two contractors have told me that being upstairs should use the liner due to possible cracking of the hot mopping. The rest say that the hot-mopping is fine. Which way should I go?

— Rick Rick, I’ve redone showers both ways over the years.

It’s my personal opinion that the hot mop will and does crack, as it’s a roofing tar that is applied very thickly, which promotes cracking. The liner, in all my years doing this type of work, has never failed. I recently remodeled three of my own bathrooms and lined them all.

Best of luck, — Robert 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.

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 9

Savory sandwiches for that weekend tailgate fun

F

all marks the start of football season. Game day experiences are made even more enjoyable by hosting or attending a tailgate in the parking lot of the stadium.

Tailgate supplies must be brought to the tailgate the day of the game.

That includes food, which is often prepared at home and then cooked on-site. This recipe for “Ultimate Steak & Mushroom Sandwiches” from Laurie McNamara’s “Simply Scratch” (Avery) can be prepared at home and then put together at the stadium lot. These delicious sandwiches can be easily cut into small pieces and served as slider-type appetizers.

Ultimate Steak & Mushroom Sandwiches Makes 4 6-inch sandwiches 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds rib-eye steak 1 cup Balsamic Herb Dressinade (see below) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

On a griddle or in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, toss and spread out in an even layer. Once the onion starts to soften, add the mushrooms. Cook until soft and slightly caramelized.

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 pint cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional) 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese 1-1/2 cups grated provolone cheese 4 6-inch hoagie bungs, split Mayonnaise

Balsamic Herb Dressinade

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1-2 teaspoon dried 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 cup grape-seed or olive oil

In a 1-pint glass jar, combine all the ingredients. Secure the lid and shake until combined. Let stand for

FOOD

These delicious sandwiches can be easily cut into small pieces and served as slider-type appetizers.

30 minutes before using. Refrigerate any unused dressing. Place the steak on a small rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes so it’s firm and partially frozen. Holding a sharp knife on a slight angle, going against the grain of the meat, slice into very thin strips. In a large resealable bag or a medium bowl, marinate the steak in the dressinade for 30 minutes.

Using tongs, remove the steak from the marinade (allow excess to drip back into the bag or bowl) and place on the griddle, toss with the onions and mushrooms, then spread in an even layer. Allow the steak to sear, forming a crust, for 4 to 6 minutes, then flip and cook for 4 to 6 minutes more.

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, if desired, and sprinkle with the blue cheese and provolone. Turn off the heat on the griddle or remove the skillet from the heat and cover with a domed lid or tented foil to allow the cheese to melt quickly.

Toss one last time so the cheese is mixed throughout. Divide the steak mixture among the crusty hoagie buns. Serve immediately. (MC)

The differences between vegan and vegetarian diets

A

nutritious diet is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle. Everyone from small children to fully grown adults have their own dietary preferences, and the choices people ultimately make can go a long way toward ensuring their long-term health.

Vegan and vegetarian diets are two popular, yet sometimes misunderstood, approaches to eating.

In fact, vegan and vegetarian diets are sometimes mistaken as one and the same. However, the Vegetarian Society notes there are some distinctive differences between vegan and vegetarian diets.

Vegan diet

While veganism is often mistaken as simply an approach to diet, it is much more than that. The Vegan Society defines veganism as a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or other purposes.

Vegan and vegetarian diets are sometimes mistaken as one and the same.

However, the Vegetarian Society notes there are some distinctive differences between vegan and vegetarian diets.

While avoiding animal-based food products is an important component of a vegan lifestyle, committed vegans attempt to avoid all animal products, including clothing and products that might have been tested on animals.

So what do vegans eat? The Vegan Society notes that a vegan diet is diverse and includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, beans and pulses.

Thanks to the internet, delicious recipes for vegan dishes, including vegan pizzas and desserts, are never more than a few clicks away. In fact, vegans and prospective vegans can find a host of recipes on The Vegan Society website at www.vegansociety.com.

Vegetarian diet

The Vegetarian Society defines

vegetarians as people who do not eat fish, meat or chicken. It might come as a surprise to some people to learn that vegetarians do not eat fish. Pescatarians are people who avoid meat and chicken but do eat fish. While pescatarians are similar to vegetarians, a true vegetarian diet does not include fish.

Many vegetarians choose to be so for a variety of reasons. Like vegans, many vegetarians avoid animal products to prevent the exploitation of animals. Another reason some people follow vegetarian diets is to reduce their impact on the environment. The Vegetarian Society notes that vegetarian diets result in 2.5 times less carbon emissions than meat diets.

So what do vegetarians eat? A vegetarian diet includes fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy products and honey.

Vegan and vegetarian diets are healthy approaches to eating that are embraced by millions of people across the globe. (MC)

30 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

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en and women know that adjustments must be made as they get older. Athletes nearing their golden years may not be able to push themselves as hard as they once did. Professionals nearing retirement age might not be able to pull long hours at the office like they used to.

But aging affects more than just work and play. As men and women age, their ability to perform everyday tasks, including driving, may diminish as well.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that, as people age, certain changes they experience can affect their ability to safely operate an automobile. Changes in eyesight, physical fitness and reflexes may require aging drivers to reassess their skills behind the wheel. The NHTSA notes that drivers can ask themselves the following questions as they try to assess their driving abilities.

How is my eyesight?

The American Optometric Association notes that vision changes naturally occur as a person ages. Such changes do not necessarily mean drivers have to give up the keys to their vehicles. In fact, they may just require more routine eye examinations. The NHTSA says having trouble reading signs easily, recognizing someone from across the street, seeing streets signs and pedestrians and handling headlight glare are common signs of age-related eye problems.

Can I control my vehicle?

Age-related loss of strength, coordination and flexibility can make it

hard for aging men and women to control their vehicles. Some signs that drivers might be having trouble controlling their vehicles include trouble looking over shoulders to change lanes, difficulty moving foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal and difficulty turning the steering wheel. Pain in the knees, legs or ankles also can make it difficult for drivers to control their vehicles.

Does driving make me nervous?

Drivers who feel confused by traffic signs and traffic (including pedestrian traffic) should stop driving until they can discuss the issue with their physicians. Medication can sometimes make drivers feel sleepy or confused, and some aging drivers even find themselves overwhelmed in otherwise normal driving situations.

Are my loved ones concerned?

Aging drivers may feel offended when family members question their ability to drive. However, the NHTSA notes that sometimes other people notice things about a person’s driving that the person does not. The concern expressed by loved ones should not be taken lightly.

Do I drive with passengers?

Drivers who routinely drive with passengers, especially young children, carry extra responsibility. As a result, such drivers owe it to themselves and their passengers to honestly assess their driving abilities. Various remedies can address age-related driving issues, and drivers should discuss them with their doctors the moment they feel as though their skills behind the wheel are starting to diminish.

(MC)

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3 1

GARDENING

Can you save your own vegetable seeds?

By Jane Gates Signal Staff Writer

N

ot only can you save your own vegetable seeds to grow the next year’s crop, but sometimes you can even end up with a plant that surpasses your expectations. Of course, most often you’ll get something similar to the original plant.

You can also end up with big disappointments. Using seeds from traditionally stable parent plants and taking care in how you produce your seeds will impact how much control you will have in the growth of the next generation seeds.

Start planning ahead of time

Decide what vegetables you want to grow as ‘parent’ plants for your seed collecting. Annual vegetables (plants that grow, flower, seed and die all within one year) are the best choice.

You can grow biennials (plants like carrots and cabbage), but you will have to wait for a second year before the plant will bloom to collect seeds.

Some perennials (plants that grow year after year, like artichokes and asparagus), will bloom in their first year but may take longer to produce enough fruits to make seed collecting worthwhile. Then, you will have to wait again for the plant you grow from your collected seeds to mature.

Choose your parent plants carefully

Collect seeds from vegetables that are not hybrids. If you grow your vegetables from open-pollinated — sometimes called heirloom varieties — your seeds are more likely to grow true from seed without unpleasant surprises. Some seeds from hybrid plants can be sterile. And, as I said before, rarely, you might accidentally grow a gem!

How you grow your parent plants matters

Plant your vegetables in isolated groups if you want to control pollination. Otherwise wind, bees and other insects may cross pollinate your vegetables with varieties that may introduce unwanted characteristics

Above: Lettuce flowers will form seeds. If your lettuce starts to form a spike, let it bloom and collect seed to replant.

to the genetics of your seed. You can also prevent adding those unwanted genetics by making sure any other potential cross-pollinators will bloom before or after your chosen plants are flowering.

Keep self-pollinating plants growing in a group at least 10 feet from other potential pollinators. Self-pollinating plants are those that have both male and female flower parts on the same plant. Corn, onions, Swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower, radishes, melons and squashes are just some examples.

Isolate and hand pollinate your vegetable flowers under a tent of plastic or fine cloth if you want to be fully in control of the pollination process to be extra sure your plants will produce reliable or ‘true’ seeds.

Or … If all this sounds a bit too demanding you can collect seed informally.

Expect variable results if your plants are open to cross pollination or if you are mixing varieties. If you just want to grow your vegetables informally in a mixed vegetable garden, chances are your seeds will likely produce good enough seed to grow next years’ crop. You may also get a number of inferior plants, some sterile seed or even that occasional unexpected unknown hybrid of your own.

Since people have been tinkering with cross-breeding plants for centuries, even heirlooms have some variability. Most vegetables — unless

you are seeking to recreate a special growth pattern or color — will produce predominantly good, tasty vegetables without too much fuss.

Collecting and preserving your seeds

Collect seed from your healthiest and most successful plants. This way you know at least one genetic contributor is exactly what you want to reproduce.

Dry seeds indoors and keep them safe from humidity and pests.

Over-winter your seeds in glass jars to keep them fresh. If you add a packet of silica gel it will keep the air in the jar dry, preventing rot, mold or early germination. You can also refrigerate seeds since most refrigerators stay at around 40 degrees F. Never freeze collected seed as most vegetables are not hardy in frost.

Some vegetables I have found easy to grow from plants originally raised

from packaged seed in my garden are lettuce and Swiss chard (both will self-seed) basil, fennel (even the fancy bronze variety although it throws a number of green plants), oregano and even peas. Tomatoes are almost always good, although I grow an assortment of varieties so I never know what size, shape or color the resulting crossbreeds will be. So far, they’ve all tasted good!

Note There are a number of ways to know if you are growing your original plants from hybrids. Sometimes it’s a simple as reading the label of the parent plants. It may state “Hybrid” or “Heirloom.” Or look for varieties listed in Latin. Most of these are likely to be free from hybridization. Plants or seeds labeled with letters F1, F2 or ‘cv’ are cultivated varieties and less likely to produce fertile, reliable seeds for you to collect to use for future planting.

24305 W. Lyons Avenue | Newhall, Ca 91321| PacificSeniorLiving.com

32 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

TIMERANGER

Beware of Men Carrying Walnut Elephants …

Dear riparian friends, neighbors and saddlepals. Tip of the terribly expensive O’Farrell and welcome to another trek through the vortex of Santa Clarita past.

You know the drill. Find your pony.

Climb aboard while maintaining some sense of dignity and above all, don’t grunt or tell us about your operations or medical conditions.

Those of you who brought freshbaked coffee cake with extra frosting may ride up front with me.

road for months. It wasn’t the end of the sliding, either. For years, the road would be closed due to landslides.

• With a 29-cent deductible? E.S. White was the valley’s only car insurance salesman in 1929. Old E.S. had both kinds of insurance: “$6 per year premiums on Ford-type cars; $9 per year on Buick-type cars.” Bet if they had those prices in 2019, ol’ Joe Caso at Frontier Toyota would throw in a lifetime of insurance with every new car. It wouldn’t hurt to ask Joe …

WAY BACK WHEN & THEN SOME

SEPT. 15, 1939

• The lesson? Be careful carrying elephants This is one of my all-time favorites. Back in 1900, Newhall’s John E. Frazer, aka, Sheepskin John, got the job of transporting a 100-percent scale model of an elephant — MADE ENTIRELY FROM WALNUTS. It was a publicity stunt for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Sheepskin, an employee of the Pioneer Trucking Co., had the Laurel and Hardy task of moving and unloading the elephant. Well. Bottom line, ol’ Sheepskin dropped it. It fell to pieces, Johnny had to pay for it and he recalled that his family ate walnuts for dinner for two full years after that.

• Had they not, would anyone local gone to school? The Mitchell and Lang families, on Sept. 16, 1872, started the second oldest school district in Los Angeles County. The families would just split up the year, holding classes in each other’s kitchens.

• Newhall’s first school? While the record books officially state that Newhall Elementary was founded on Sept. 17, 1879, it may not be the case. Some old-timers claim that the school first officially opened on the old Lyon Ranch in a bunkhouse a year earlier. It’s hard to say. Adai Lyon, one of the school’s first pupils, said that the school was at his ranch in the fall of 1878, but that he had moved back east to Maine for a year.

The question arises: Why would they build a schoolhouse near what today is Stevenson Ranch when Mentryville, just a couple of miles down the road, had their own, thriving school?

Any of you old-timers who knew some old-timers have any insight, give the Time Ranger a jingle.

SEPT. 15, 1919

• Wonder if he had clown paintings in the office. Dr. Gus A. Dansiger became the area’s first official dentist. He opened up his office on the second floor of the new Swall hotel in downtown Newhall. Dansiger was in town twice a week, and, apparently from his sign, he was fluent in four languages: “El Dentista habla Espanol — Le Dentiste parle Francais — Der Zahnarzt spricht Deutsch.” Wonder how you say, “Get your big fat fish-smelling mitts out of my mouth” in Swahili?

SEPT. 15, 1929

• Yippee Coyote, I got a copy!

William S. Hart’s autobiography, “My Life, East and West,” hit the bookshelves to rave reviews. Even the eastern critics liked it. (Anybody has an original copy they’d like to part with, please give me a jingle!)

• Speakin’-a Bill Bill Hart went to the movies with a pal on this date.

Will Rogers had his world premiere of his first talking picture, “They Had To See Paris,” at the Carthay Circle Theatre.

• The strangest accident I’ve heard of bronc riders breaking necks and bull riders getting all their vitals squished, but this was a first. World famous trick roper and Newhall cowgirl Fay Adams died on this date in Nogales, Arizona, in a freak roping accident.

• More than lucky The state was just one shift away from finishing the Weldon Canyon cut (today, The Old Road and old Highway 99). Good thing they didn’t. A massive slide of hundreds of thousands of tons of rock and dirt collapsed, nearly killing several workers. It put off finishing of the

• Old testament weather A massive freak lightning storm struck downtown Newhall on this date, partially splitting a groove down a huge oak tree (on 6th and Main today). It was 103 downtown. Up the road, on the Ridge Route, torrential rains washed cars away. Mary Cuneod and her daughter were washed away in a flash flood. Fortunately, they were just badly bruised from their wild water ride.

• SCV wedding trivia The first wedding ever in Bouquet Canyon was the uniting of Ruth Hathcock and Harold Glines. It was at Campground No. 2. If they’re still together, this week would be their 80th anniversary, which, I believe, is oatmeal.

• Could it be karma? Billy Rose’s prize brood mare was mistaken for a deer by hunters and shot, leaving an orphan colt to be fed. The ranchers in Castaic were often at war with deer hunters, who frequently shot at livestock. Bill Rose, by the way, as a young man was the fellow who shot W.W. Jenkins on a lonely dirt road to end the famous Castaic Range War. SEPT. 15, 1949

• Many pearls before the swine Ben Kazarian, grandfather of Ken Kazarian of Elsmere Canyon dump fame, applied to the county to create an 8,500-acre hog farm in Haskell Canyon. That one ranch would have held most of the garbage-eating hogs in L.A. County. It also would have meant every garbage truck in Los Angeles would have motored through Newhall and Saugus with their stinky cargo.

SEPT. 15, 1959

• I think that I shall never see Chinese elm beetles started nibbling on our wonderful shade trees. Tom

Frew lost one big shade tree to the nibbler. Word was he woke up one morning and the tree was “deader than salt mackerel.”

SEPT. 15, 1969

• COC 50th COC is celebrating their 50th year (meaning that former basketball coach Lee Smelser started teaching there when he was 6). The college didn’t have a campus yet and the board of trustees were searching for a location. Two other sites than the current one were seriously considered. One spot was across the street from Henry “Hold The” Mayo Hospital and the other was in Pico Canyon.

SEPT. 15, 1979

• 20 bucks? For ‘Enter The Dragon!?!’ Here is a momentous day in world history. On Sept. 14, 1979, the first-ever subscription TV was offered to some local residents through our cable provider, Valley County Cable Television. You could watch home Dodger games and such great movies as “Enter the Dragon” and “FIST.” • Hey! That’s Cheetah-ing! A huge brush fire in Acton caused the evacuation of Lions Etc., the newly named wild animal compound formerly known as Africa USA. All 100 exotic animals were evacuated and Soledad Canyon Road was temporarily closed as trainers walked full-grown elephants down the highway to safety.

Actor-producer Noel Marshall was trying to move a cheetah and forgot to duck. In blinding speed, the predator lashed out with a right paw, nearly knocking out the animal park owner. Marshall had a “B” movie acting career, but few know he was also the executive producer of the 1973 Oscar-winning horror classic, “The Exorcist.”

See you in seven with another exciting Time Ranger adventure. Until then — Vayan con Dios y no hables con nueces en la boca, amigos! (“Ride with God and don’t talk with walnuts in your mouth.”)

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.

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3 3

INTERIORDESIGN

Four tips for creating a perfect home office

Tip 1

Design a space where you’ll enjoy spending time. Simple touches like lighting, a bright touch of paint or a wide-open window, can help create an inviting ambiance, and so can the addition of certain accessories.

Instead of opting for a simple ceiling light fixture, dare to add a pop of style and color with a new ceiling fan. Not only can this addition make your space more comfortable, it can elevate your décor, with the ceiling as the centerpiece. Options from Hunter Fan Company like the Norden or Hepburn can bring the Satin Copper trend from the kitchen to the office, while new finishes in some of the brand’s fan favorites, such as the Cranbrook in Dove Grey or Blush Pink, will fit seamlessly into a bright and inviting space.

Tip 2

Add life. Add color and vitality to your home office with some plant life. Not only will you be improving indoor air quality, you’ll be adding beauty to the space. To save precious

desk-space, consider a few hanging planters, opting for plants that thrive indoors, such as spider plants or jade.

Tip 3

Don’t forget function. As the wheels turn and your creative juices start flowing, nothing can be more distracting than a creaking ceiling fan or a light that just doesn’t do the trick. A simple switch can make all the difference. While a desk lamp might solve your lighting problem, why not opt for a fixture that can solve both of those issues at the same time? Tech-savvy ceiling fan options from Hunter Fan Company like the Tunable White LED Dempsey, allow you to adjust the temperature of the light, ensuring your fan will operate quietly, keep you cool and work as hard — and as late — as you do. With its dimmable remote, you can adjust the light temperature for your eyes, using warm white lighting for nighttime work and cool white lighting to perk you up in the morning. Such details will help any entrepreneur

METRO CONNECTION

W

ith more people nationwide opting to create their own businesses or work for their employer remotely, the home office has become one of the most used spaces of the house, with many people spending more than eight hours a day in this room. If you’re one of these people, the kitchen table just won’t cut it if you’re looking to get serious and organized.

To create a dedicated workspace that is beautiful, smart and functional, consider the following tips:

Combine function, life, personality and fun when designing a home office.

avoid distraction and create a more productive work environment.

Tip 4

Get personal. You may be doing business, but when it comes to decorating, it’s time to mix in the personal.

Items such as photographs of friends and family or reminders of previous accomplishments will bring you joy

and help you stay motivated. Whatever you do, don’t settle for completely bare walls!

Gone are the days of dark woodpaneling, moody lighting and rolodexes. Today’s most effective home offices are brighter, more welcoming, and unite function with your personal style. (Statepoint)

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34 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

Gorgeous Executive Home

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20501 Blairmoore St., Chatsworth, CA 91311

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25711 Shady Oak Ln is a true masterpiece in the most prestigious guarded & gated community in Valencia, Westridge Estates.

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gary.wat@theagencyre.com CalBRE##01968039

S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3 5

Just minutes from SCV. Enjoy all 4 seasons on this 20+ acre ranch Home is 6247 sq. ft. with incredible VIEWS

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S E P T E M B E R 15, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3 9

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

Home Ick

By Jim Mullen Signal Contributing Writer

I

t seems to be taking an awfully long time to remodel the guest bathroom, but that’s partly my fault. Apparently you can’t just put a shower anywhere you want, because they have to move the pipes. And moving the pipes is very expensive.

But what’s money to a guy like me? I bought stock in Incredible Meat, because who wouldn’t want to eat a hamburger made out of peas?

You put ketchup, mustard, tomato, pickle, onion and lettuce on it, slap it on a sesame seed bun, and you can barely tell the difference.

The stock went from $45 to $239 in two months. Maybe it’s time to put in that eight-person hot tub in the side yard. But maybe not … I don’t know seven people that I’d like to see in bathing suits. And then they’d drip water all through the house. No, instead, after they finish the guest bathroom, I’ll have them put one of those tubs with water jets in my master bath. Life is good.

Monday, the workmen tore the guest bathroom apart. I’ve never seen a crew work so fast. They put the toilet and the vanity on the front porch, and said they’d reinstall them in a couple of days once the new tile and shower were in place. “At this rate, the job should be done by Wednesday,” I said to myself.

The toilet has now been on my front porch for five weeks. I don’t even notice it anymore. It’s as if it’s always been there, like a birdbath or a shrub.

My Incredible Meat stock has been falling all month. What do people have against pea burgers all of a sudden? It’s not like it would kill people to eat a few vegetables now and then. I’m telling you, if you didn’t know it was made out of plants, you’d swear you were eating … something. How am I going to pay for the new bathroom now? The spa tub dream just went POOF! I’d forgotten that the whole point of redoing the bathroom was that when I had company, they would

no longer have to use a john that looked like it came from a mining camp in 1873 or an episode of “This Really, Really, Incredibly Old House That Should Be Condemned.” If someone fell through the floor in there or got bitten by a brown recluse spider, all of a sudden I’d look like the bad guy.

A month ago, I’d invited friends over for dinner, knowing I would have a new bathroom to show off by then. (Friends I didn’t want to see in bathing suits. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t show up in bathing suits, but one can hope.) “By then” finally arrived last night, and when my friends showed up, they all mentioned the wonderful porch toilet that I had long ago stopped noticing.

“It must be so easy to clean,” said Susi.

As they all sat at the table, I asked if any of them had worked with my contractor, Fly Bynight.

“No, but I hear he uses a burner phone,” Ted told me. That made sense. I had probably been leaving two months’ worth of voice messages on a phone that sleeps with the fishes.

“You didn’t give him any money up front, did you?” Fred wanted to know.

“Just a big down payment. I’m sure he’ll be back.”

“What is this?” asked Susi as she gracefully spit out a mouthful of the Incredible Meat burger that I had just taken off the grill. I figure if I buy a lot them, it will drive the stock price back up. I’ve got a freezer full of them, but several other plant-based burger competitors have suddenly appeared. Now the money is flowing from Incredible Meat to things like Plantastic Burger and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Cow. “How many times do I have to tell you? You can’t refreeze meat!” said Susi.

“It’s Incredible Meat,” I told her.

“See, if you put ketchup, onions, pickles, coleslaw and barbecue sauce on it, you can’t tell the difference between it and out-of-date hamburger.”

Contact Jim Mullen at mullen.jim@ gmail.com.

CROSSWORD TIME

2019 River Cleanup and Environmental Expo Saturday, September 21, 2019 • 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Newhall Community Center - 22421 Market Street

There has never been a better time to go green in Santa Clarita! By participating in the 25th Annual River Rally, you can take part in preserving one of the last natural rivers in Southern California. We will provide the gloves and trash bags, but we need your help!

BUSINESS PARTNERS

River Rally is an excellent volunteer opportunity for clubs, students, scout troops, non-profit organizations and people of all ages.

Don’t forget to ride your bike to River Rally. There will be free bike valet service courtesy of the City of Santa Clarita and Incycle. Also, bring a reusable water bottle to help us reduce waste.

Be sure to visit the Environmental Expo and learn about recycling, air quality, wildlife conservation, pollution prevention and more!

For more information or to register visit GreenSantaClarita.com or call the River Rally hotline at (661) 284-1415.

Please remember, NO PETS ALLOWED and participants must wear CLOSED-TOED SHOES. Pre-registration is required for all volunteers.