Sunday Signal September 29, 2019 by Signal

SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

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NEWS FEATURES 5 The sounds of Cilience from Santa Clarita 6 Finding fun in new ‘realms’ 7 Delectable desserts for unhealthy indulgences 8 A safe place to care for our caregivers LOCAL NEWS 9 Down by the river: 25th annual River Rally Clean-Up 10 Raising money to help Roman Supervisors OK body cameras for deputies 11 In SCV, 5 whooping cough cases reported in a week 12 Council hears from Sand Canyon resort opponents Hate crimes up in county, down in SCV 13 City Council OKs 10% pay raise over 4 years FROM THE CITY MAYOR 14 Enjoy fall activities at the Santa Clarita Public Library TECHNOLOGY 15 Who’s listening, free software and more TRAVEL 16 The eight great California bike trails to experience SPORTS 18 A season of firsts in Castaic DINING GUIDE ENTERTAINMENT 22 A ‘Boogie Nights’ and blues kind of weekend CALENDAR KIDS & FAMILY 24 Five de-stressing tips for busy moms 25 Donna’s Day: Make colorful crayon leaf rubbings THINGS TO DO 26 Fall’s top tickets here and over the hill FOOD 28 Michele makes … Apple Desserts HEALTH 29 Does your child or teen experience migraines? INTERIOR DESIGN 30 Mother Nature inspires new ‘neutral’ design trends HOME IMPROVEMENT 31 Building property, garage-insulation tips Improve your entertaining space at home BEAUTY 33 Cool weather, cool looks: tips and tricks for styling TIME RANGER SENIOR LIVING 35 Did you hear the one about the aging ear? GARDENING 36 Gardening in October OPINION 39 Our Views • David Hegg • Time Whyte VILLAGE IDIOT

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661-259-1234 The entire contents of the Sunday Signal is copyrighted 2019 by Paladin Multi-Media Group, Inc. All submitted letters and columns are strictly the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. All rights are reserved and no part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. If you would not like this delivered to your home, please call (661) 259-1000. COVER PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

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S U N D AYS I G N A L · 5

The sounds of Cilience from Santa Clarita

N E W S F E AT U R E S

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

hough local alternative rock band Cilience came up with their name from a made-up word, they’ve been able to adapt it to encompass the essence of the band. “I’m a huge nerd, and I like words a lot,” said Ian Stahl, lead singer and guitarist. In the same fashion that Shakespeare was able to invent a lot of words that are commonly used in the English language today, such as addiction, eyeball and swagger, author John Koenig created the word Cilience, pronounced sill-ee-yence. The word means recognizing everyone around you as individuals, according to the band. “This author is the first I’ve found recently to do something like that,” Stahl said. “It was one of those perfect happenstances where as I was thinking about making a band really geared towards the lyrical content that I became heavily invested in writing a couple years ago, then I discovered that author and it clicked.” The band made it their own, adding a message of self-empowerment. To them, it means recognizing the potential each individual has in creating positive change, celebrating their own stories and complex lives. “Everybody walks in with this world of their own that you should take into consideration,” added keyboardist Michael Janz. The band of four includes Stahl and Janz, as well as bassist Eric DeLuca and drummer Jason Fragoso. Stahl, Janz and Fragoso also attended CalArts. “We want to make accessible, high-energy music that gets people pumped up, but lyrically we want our audiences to think a little deeper,” Stahl said. “I mean, how many songs do you know the lyrics to and get stuck with you? I take that very seriously.” Stahl, who predominantly writes the lyrics to their songs, said he doesn’t want to tell people what to think, he simply wants to point to things that should be thought about. For instance, the band’s first release, “Fetters and Feathers,” was inspired

From left, Santa Clarita Valley residents Ian Stahl, Eric DeLuca, Michael Janz and Jason Fragoso formed Cilience to spread a positive message while playing music they love. PHOTO COURTESY CILIENCE

by Maya Angelou’s autobiography. “We come up with songs in a variety of ways,” DeLuca said. “One of us typically comes with an idea, and we’ll put it together.” Other times, the band just will sit down and decide to write a song that day, “or play a totally different part on the spot right now, and that ends up becoming a part of the song,” DeLuca said. “It’s almost like that pressure gets some good stuff out of you,” he said. “It basically comes down to obsessively listening to something until you can hear other parts in your head,” Stahl added. Because every band member attended music school, it makes it easier for them to share ideas and produce their own parts of a song. “Eric has really become infamous for writing almost every bridge section,” Stahl said, adding that their latest single was DeLuca’s original piece. Unlike some creators, the band likes to try out new song ideas with their audience.

“We try to keep every live show different,” Stahl said. “We’ll have solo sections where you don’t play the same thing, you have to make it up on the spot or take an idea somewhere different each time.” “That’s the fun of it, too, you get to make something new,” DeLuca added, which sometimes can help with coming up with new song ideas. While their first release primarily consisted of songs Stahl had written on his own, “this second one is really us together with a more formed identity,” he said. “We all kind of push each other to bring out the best parts of ourselves,” he added. “I feel like we are all gradually becoming more ourselves in a way … Now we have this sound … and we’re developing an image around the band that feels very relevant.” Janz agree, adding, “I think collaboration is a huge part of it no matter how you break it down.” While collaboration is important, DeLuca also believes it’s important to hold onto their love for making music.

“We’re all friends — we all make this music together and it’s a lot of fun,” he said. “But it’s not only fun for us to play, it’s fun for us to share. I kinda feel like some of that has gotten lost over the years.” Their second release, an EP called “Event Horizon,” was released Sept. 26. This album is a call to all people to stand for tolerance, understanding and humanity, according to the band. ‘We’re all focused on pushing forward and developing something meaningful that challenges us in the same way that the songs challenge our audience,” Stahl said. Each member of Cilience grew up being in garage bands, and “can’t remember a time when we weren’t in a band,” Janz said. And though they’ve come a long way since then, they still feel like they’ve kept that feeling alive, turning it into air-conditioned garage band practice in their living room instead. For more information, visit cilience. com.

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

N E W S F E AT U R E S

Finding fun in new ‘realms’

By Matt Fernandez Signal Staff Writer

tuntman Brett Heneise is the last person his family expected to create a fantasy card game. “I was a martial artist stuntman bouncer who came from a long line of cops, and actually being a cop was my backup plan, so when I came up with ‘The Realms of Mindrin’ and when my family and friends found out, you could almost see the question marks over their heads,’” Heneise said. “The most gaming I had ever done were ‘Uno’ and ‘World of Warcraft.’” Heneise first came to California from Illinois in 1995 to work as a stuntman, with his goal to land a job on “Star Trek.” Thanks to his martial arts and gymnastics training, he found a similar role on the show “VR Troopers.” In 1999, he sold his martial arts studio back home and moved to California permanently, where he reached his goal and worked on episodes of the Star Trek series “ Voyager” and “Deep Space Nine.” “My first gig on ‘Star Trek’ was playing a Cardassian — not a Kardashian — and even though other stuntmen hated being in the makeup chair, for me, it was like Christmas day,” he said. “I came out here to be a stuntman but, in hindsight, once I did that, I probably needed to aim a little higher. I hit that goal very quickly and didn’t really know what to do after that, and this industry you need to be in everyone’s face 24/7 or people start to forget about you. I worked on ‘JAG’ for nine seasons, but after that, it was like I almost had to start over.” Eventually, he moved away from stunts to do and began doing more work as a personal trainer. It was during this time that while seeing his children watch “unboxing” videos of “Shopkins” toys online, Heneise was inspired to create some miniature figurines of his own. These then became the basis for the first version of his “The Realms of Mindrin” game in 2015. “The Realms of Mindrin” is based on an original story concept by Heneise about a war on a magical planet called Mindrin, where races like elves,

minotaurs and dwarves fight against orcs and dark magic elder gods. The initial version of the game took about four hours to play and involved players moving pieces around a board while trying to defeat a boss monster. After getting feedback from friends, that version was abandoned and his team turned the concept into a card game called “The Realms of Mindrin Wars.” “I had some friends at Disney who played the game and loved it, but wanted a version they could play in a half-hour during their lunch breaks,” Heneise said. “Two weeks later, we had the card game.” In “The Realms of Mindrin Wars,” players have character, attack and defense cards with numeric values attached. The player with the highest

combined number wins the round and is given a loot card. Loot cards can be spent on auctionable item cards that could help them during a difficult battle. Chritian Lara helped Heneise develop the gameplay dynamics for both versions of the game and helped run booths at conventions including San Diego Comic Con, where Mindrin has been offered an exhibitor booth for the past two years. The biggest challenges for Lara was balancing the values of each card so the game would not be too hard or easy and incorporating strategic elements since many beta testers said the game was based too much around luck. Eventually the team was able to balance the issues. This past year at Comic Con, Lara had people come to

play the game all four days. “There is nothing more satisfying than going as a creator and having people ask how to buy your game and how to show it to their friends, that they want to take your game home and keep playing” Lara said. “A week later, we had another playtest, and a young girl who was a die hard Angels fan with tickets to a game, and when it came time to leave she said she wanted to keep playing. Like with any creative form there’s always this doubt about you and your product, and that kind of feedback is such great, serendipitous validation.” While he had input on both the board and card versions of “Mindrin,” Lara said he prefers the card version because he had more input on its creation, but doesn’t think the tabletop version reached its full potential and hopes to return to it. He said that he thinks the appeal to card games over board games is their ease of play. “A lot of the appeal to a card based game is accessibility,” he said. “If your average Joe who doesn’t know much outside of ‘Monopoly’ or ‘Clue’ picks up a game like ‘Warhammer’ with a lot of details and a thick rule book, it can turn them off. Card games are quick and you don’t really have to worry about too many rules or extensive cleanup.” Outside of developing his own games, Heneise runs a Youtube channel “Welcome to Mindrin,” where he gives advice and behind-the-scene looks at how to make a board game. He also taught classes on both stage combat and board game design at Santa Clarita International Charter School (SCVi) for three years. The first time he taught the class, only six students signed up for his game class, but the school let it run anyway, and it rapidly grew until there were 36 students last semester. His described his teaching style as “organic,” incorporating playing existing board games and play testing some of his students’ games at Geek Girls Forever. “There are five games that my students have made that could be marketed right now, and that was the goal of the class,” he said. One of Heneise’s former students, Nick Kirby, took the class as an elective See MINDRIN, page 9

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N E W S F E AT U R E S

Delectable desserts for unhealthy indulgences

Hershey’s Sundae Pie, Burger King

Complete with a chocolate-creme filling, crumbly chocolate crust and topped with chocolate chips and syrup, this dessert is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. Though most would think that’s too much chocolate, the light whipped filling makes that near impossible. In fact, it’s so sought after that troops travel hundreds of miles while deployed in Iraq for the sweet treat, according to the Washington Post. Back in 2003, the Baghdad International Airport was home to Iraq’s first Burger King, which allowed soldiers to get a little taste of home during their deployments, with a favorite being, of course, the pies.

McFlurry, McDonald’s

There might be better fast-food desserts out there, but the list wouldn’t be complete without the addition of the McFlurry. Though iconic, this soft-serve ice cream with candy or cookies mix in didn’t even originate in the U.S. It was invented in Canada in 1995, and the original Bathurst, New Brunswick, location takes a lot of pride in that. So much so that on it’s 20th anniversary in 2015, they created “mcflurries” over the restaurant with fake

Like the McFlurry, it wouldn’t be a complete list without the vanilla cone. This simple, yet classic item is ice cream in its best form — nearly bite-sized, and served soft in a crunchy shell. In 2017, McDonald’s completely revamped the treats, phasing out all its artificial flavoring and preservatives, amid some controversy for fast-food dessert aficionados, particular as they may or may not be depending on perspective. Now, the cone is labeled “reduced fat” to make us all feel better about just how fast we consume it, and it clocks in at just 200 calories of sugary goodness.

Mini Churros, Jack in the Box Churros, no matter how big or small, are almost never a bad idea. Jack in the Box takes your typical churro, chops it into five bite-sized pieces, and fills it with cinnamon sugar. The gooey caramel filling is what sets them apart from others.

Neopolitan Shake, In-N-Out

This addition comes as the perfect solution for those who can’t decide on which flavor milkshake they want. Though not on their menu, the Neopolitan Shake is quite popular on their secret menu. It simply mixes all three of In-N-Out’s classics — chocolate, strawberry and vanilla — into the trinity of shake flavors all in one cup. “I’ve tried to make other fastfood places do this for me, but it’s never as good,” Canyon Country resident Claire Oliver said. “I don’t know what it is, but these shakes are the perfect blend of flavors, and the ice cream is way better than any other shakes.” Y WENDY’S

hile fast food may not be your first choice when in search of something sweet to sink your teeth into, it can certainly bring ease into acquiring your favorite meal of the day — dessert. After all, summer is coming to a close, and with it, summer beach bods, which means it’s hibernation, or winter bod time. Whether classic staples or newly revamped, here’s a list of some of the best fast-food desserts.

snow, according to CTV News.

Vanilla Cone, McDonald’s

PHOTO COURTES

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

Frosty, Wendy’s

The Frosty is Wendy’s signature dessert is as iconic as the restaurant itself. This sweet treat was introduced when the restaurant first

The Hershey’s Sundae Pie: Go ahead and try to resist, we dare you. PHOTO BY PERRY SMITH / THE SIGNAL

opened, and is one of five original menu items. In fact, both Wendy’s and the Frosty celebrated its 50th anniversary in May of this year. The difference between a Frosty and other shakes? Its consistency — a mix between milkshake and softserve ice cream. According to Wendy’s, Frostys are always kept between 19 and 21 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve this ideal consistency. Some even dare to order the Black and White Frosty, or vanilla and chocolate mix, which is another offmenu addition.

Cinnamon Twists, Taco Bell

While just as basic as the McDonald’s vanilla cone, these little puffs of cinnamon sugar are just as essential to the list. Many were shocked to find out that they are literally just deep-fried rotini that is tossed in cinnamon sugar, but that didn’t stop their popularity. For just $1, you can get a good portion of twists, which though messy, make the perfect after-meal sweet.

Blizzard, Dairy Queen

By blending a popular topping straight into the ice cream, the Blizzard took the ice cream scene by storm. It was even dubbed as the biggest thing that happened to Dairy Queen when it was released in the 80s, years before the McFlurry came down from up North. Like the change of a season, Blizzard flavors are constantly rotating, with a select number of signature

creations that stick around all year.

Caramel Cheesecake Bites, Del Taco

These piping hot cheesecake and caramel bites are wrapped in a crispy shell, then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and they have been a fan favorite since they were introduced 10 years ago. The only challenge? Having to wait until they cool down to plop them in your mouth.

Cinnamon Apple Pie, Popeye’s Though many may think that the McDonald’s Apple Pies take the cake, this one’s buttery, yet crispy crust and cinnamon sugar coating certainly gives all fast-food apple pies a run for their money. Then you’ve got the hot apple filling that’s actually full of apples to tie it all together. As far as apple pies go, they’re top notch. Santa Clarita resident Tanner Bergs said he recently discovered this dessert, and it’s quickly become his favorite. “I don’t have a big sweet tooth … but I do love apples,” Bergs said. “I thought it would be way too sweet with cinnamon on top. Nope, it’s perfect. I won’t buy any other now.”

Cookies, Subway

As delicious if not more than their sandwiches, their cookies are soft and chewy with just the right amount of crunch. These treats come in a number of different flavors, and are almost always fresh out of the oven.

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

N E W S F E AT U R E S

A safe place to care for our caregivers By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

hether taking care of a parent, spouse, child, friend or neighbor, being a caregiver can take a toll. Carletta Cole knows this from experience as she took on the role of caregiver after her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which was causing dementia, while she was a single mom. “A lot of people really don’t understand until they’re in that position, what caring for an aging parent, kid with disability, traumatic brain injury, veteran, is like,” Cole said. “It’s a hard situation to be put in.” That’s why Cole decided to create Caregiver Safe Place, an organization dedicated to giving caregivers an opportunity for some self-care and a well-deserved break. Cole had joined 43.5 million other Americans who provide unpaid care to an adult or child, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, and having to choose between being there for her son and taking her mother with her or staying home if her mother wasn’t feeling well, she quickly began to feel the guilt and mental wear and tear associated with caregiving. “Caregiver burnout is the most dramatic thing someone can go to,” she said, adding that it leaves you feeling fatigued and depressed among other things. Medical experts have recognized this problem. Caregiver burnout is defined on WebMD as a state of

physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that could be accompanied by a change in attitude, such as “from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned.” Dr. Shelby Pierce, a clinical psychologist, said she agrees completely, and sees this firsthand. “Caregiver burnout is real and is a very common occurrence,” Pierce said. “Without caregivers getting the help they need, they often begin to experience these negative feelings, which can not only be detrimental to themselves, but those they’re caring for, as well.” Cole realized that if caregivers don’t have an outlet, they begin to forget to take care of themselves. “I forgot the things that I really like to do because I was too busy taking care of my son and mom,” she said. “I thought, ‘If I’m doing this by myself, I know other caregivers are doing it, too.’ I want to give that back to them.” The organization’s mission is simply to take care of caregivers for a day through a nomination process. “I’m looking for selfless people — someone who has engulfed themselves in taking care of someone else,” Cole added. Those who are chosen are then given a spa day, complete with facials, manicures, pedicures, and hair and wardrobe styling. “When you make them feel good about themselves on the outside, it’s always going to convert on the inside,” Cole said, adding that it lifts their self-esteem. Caregivers also receive a care package, specific to their hobbies, such as movie tickets or a day of golf, with a

Scott Richardson hugs Capt. Rodrick Armalin of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, after being surprised with a gift arranged through Caregiver Safe Place

Carletta Cole of Caregiver Safe Place embraces Scott Richardson at Indo Salon in Valencia Monday afternoon. While Richardson felt there was no other option but to become a caregiver after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, he was blown away by the recent generosity of Cole’s nonprofit, which sought to ease “caregiver burnout.” PHOTOS BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

licensed caregiver to cover for them during that time. In addition, all caregivers can access resources, such as how to sign up for in home supportive services or tips for caring for themselves. This past week, Cole was able to surprise a caregiver with a “Caregiver’s Day Out” at Indo Salon, where she works, for caregiver Scott Richardson. When Scott Richardson’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, he immediately became her caregiver, no questions asked. “It’s something that family does for each other — it’s what you’re supposed to do,” Richardson said. “That’s how my mother raised me, so when my wife was diagnosed, I had no other thoughts — a husband takes care of the family, and that’s what I did.” Richardson took his wife to every appointment, whether it was for radiation, chemotherapy or the many check-ups in between. His family accompanied him to the salon, where he not only was surprised with a makeover, but also a suit of his own. “I’ve never owned a suit,” he said, adding that the closest thing he had to a suit was his uniform while in the Army. He also received a year pass to Oak Tree Gun Club, which was presented to him by a Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff ’s Station captain.

“I was a member (of Oak Tree) years ago, but when my wife got diagnosed, I couldn’t afford to keep doing it, so I’m very excited,” Richardson said, adding that he’s also excited to test out their new archery range. In addition, he was given a ninehole day of golf, presented by Brian McNamara and Joseph Julian Soria, actors on “Army Wives,” a show that Richardson liked. Richardson said he never expected any recognition for something he knew he was supposed to do, and when asked how he felt, replied, “not worthy of this.” “I was blown away by it,” he said. “It was amazing, and I appreciate everything. I think what (Cole) does is amazing. She is a caregiver herself and she understands.” Knowing that she has created a platform that will help her reach more people is exciting, she added. “I want to make sure everyone is touched by this,” she said. “I was proud of how it turned out,” Cole added. “Just to see the heartfelt thank you from him, made me feel like I’m on the right path to helping more people.” For more information about Caregiver Safe Place, visit caregiversafe place.com.

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 9

LOCALNEWS

Down by the river: 25th annual River Rally Clean-Up By Kimberly Silverio-Bautista Signal Staff Writer

pproximately 1,500 volunteers gathered early Saturday morning, waiting to check in for the 25th annual River Rally Clean-Up and Environmental Expo. Mayor Marsha McLean opened the rally with a welcome speech and thanked the community for making a difference toward the environment. “Everybody let’s get to work, and onto the river,” McLean said. The 1,300-square-mile Santa Clara River is the last natural river in Southern California, according to the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County website. Kelly Kacmar, a 34-year-old Valencia resident, said she wants the community to be educated on how to properly dispose of their waste as every piece of trash thrown affects the river. “We really want everyone to come together just to learn that when you improperly dispose of your waste, it can end up in the Santa Clara River, harming the environment and wildlife,” Kacmar said. “It can eventually lead to the ocean as well.” Kacmar, a project technician in the

Volunteers of the 25th annual River Rally Clean-Up and Environmental Expo place trash into orange bags Saturday morning in an effort to help clean the Santa Clara riverbed that runs through Santa Clarita. PHOTO BY BOBBY BLOCK / THE SIGNAL

city of Santa Clarita, was taking part in the cleanup for the first time. “This kind of support is amazing to see, especially the first time being here,” she added. David Megenson, an assistant principal at Mission View Public Charter School, attended the rally with students, and said the school plans to continue volunteering to clean up the

river as the years progress. Nonprofits and companies like Waste Management provided information by educating and promoting resources to the community so they can know how to manage their waste disposal. “We are just here promoting how to recycle properly, keeping it to bottles, cans, paper, cardboard and glass, and just really spreading the word about

MINDRIN

Continued from page 6

and created a treasure hunt and monster-killing game based on a video game he likes to play. Kirby was able to take his game from concept to a professionally made physical copy, and even had people even test his game. “Brett was a pretty cool teacher who let us create what we wanted to without restrictions and gave suggestions about how to tweak gameplay,” Kirby said. “I started by making the game on pieces of posterboard then had an artist design the pieces for me, and I sent that to a company, so it was amazing seeing the game go from concept to having physical cards. This class taught me that in order to have a good product you need to have a collaborative effort and have multiple eyes that can point out things to make a project better.”

Promising strategy, fantasy and “a friendly bit of trash talk,” Heneise said “The Realms of Mindrin” was intended to bring people together in person for fun and friendship.PHOTO BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

Currently, a new version of the game with updated art is in the works. Heneise has 20 other games he’s working on, but he really wants

to focus on growing the world of “Mindrin” into a much larger brand. He plans to return to the original tabletop game and refine it, as well as

keeping plastic bags out of the recycle,” Commercial Recycling Manager Ashley Cortez said. Other booths, like Eco Choices Environmental Club and the city of Santa Clarita, were selling metal straws, and had a white board asking, “What did you pick up in the river?” with pieces of trash taped to the board. releasing graphic novels, collectible figurines and adapting the game into a screenplay. Some of his business partners want to explore potentially releasing an app game, but Heneise himself is hesitant. “There’s still so much to do with the physical game, and as much as I like computer gaming, there’s something being missed about going over to a friend’s house on a Friday night with a pizza to play games,” he said. “If you look on the game box, it says ‘a friendly game of trash talk’ — and that was super important because it always happens. I can’t tell you the last time I had a conversation with someone on a ‘Warcraft’ chat, but I can tell you everything that happened the last time I played ‘Mindrin.’” “The Realms of Mindrin Wars” can be purchased for $30 online at etsy. com/shop/FantasyAdventures360 or at Epic Toys in Rancho Cucamonga.

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

LOCALNEWS

Raising money to help Roman By Caleb Lunetta Signal Staff Writer

ven the smallest clubs can make a world of a difference. At least that’s how Valencia High School juniors Julia Unas and Ayden Reading see it. When they heard that fellow Viking Pedro Roman, 15, had been diagnosed with leukemia only a few weeks ago, and that he wouldn’t be able to finish his junior varsity football season, Unas and Reading came up with a simple idea using the campus club they founded, Help4Kids. Their idea would eventually gain the support of their student body, school community and, even Amazon’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos. “Since Pedro is an athlete, I know how difficult it is to be taken away from your sport every day, your teammates, your coaches, to not be able to do what you love,” Unas said, adding that she and Reading are both on the Valencia swim team. “I can’t imagine not swimming, and someone at this age, especially a sophomore, shouldn’t have to be worrying about this.”

Julia Unas and Ayden Reading show off bracelets they are selling to support Pedro Roman, a Valencia football player recently diagnosed with cancer. PHOTO BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

“Right when we heard about it, we felt immediately that something needed to happen,” said Reading. “To have to worry about this at any age shouldn’t happen, and we wanted to advocate for this originally, and how we can help (Pedro) and get back on the football field and in the classroom

as soon as possible.” After having started their club last year and working together with the help of only a handful of students, Unas and Reading have donated to local classrooms, raised funds for disease research and volunteered at local food pantries. But they decided a way they could help Roman would be something they hadn’t tried before: to create and sell bracelets in honor of Roman. Written on the bracelets are phrases like “#RomanStrong,” “#FightCancer,” “Hope and Courage” and “Fight Against Cancer.” They’re also in an orange color scheme, the official color of Leukemia Cancer Awareness Month. Unas said she went into her own pocket to have the bracelets made and, with Reading getting the designs approved by Roman’s family — who were reportedly excited to hear about the fundraiser — the two students got 800 bracelets printed in a matter of a few days. They also made ribbons and received a donation from West Ranch High School ASB of dog tag necklaces donning the color orange

in support of Roman. After receiving permission to sell them at their school brunch last Friday, hours before the Valencia varsity football team had their game against Loyola High School, Unas and Reading did not know if anyone would be interested in buying them. They distributed flyers and prayed to maybe sell at least half of them. They were pleasantly surprised, they both said. “During first and second brunches, we sold the bracelets to students. We sold out in a 30-minute time span,” said Unas. “We had been planning to sell them at the football game, but we sold out.” “At the football game, we had a donation table, and people who were donating, we were painting with face and body paint little orange ribbons,” said Reading. “We walked around the bleachers asking for donations.” Bezos was at the Valencia vs. Loyola game supporting someone close to him, according to Reading. The Amazon founder saw the orange colors See ROMAN, page 12

Supervisors OK body cameras for deputies By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

eputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department are expected to be equipped with body cameras soon after county supervisors voted for them unanimously Tuesday. For local deputies, wearing the all-capturing video cameras will be business as usual. “We welcome the approval of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors in implementing the body cameras,” Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff ’s Station, said late Tuesday afternoon. “It’s really not going to change anything about the way they do their job,” she said. “Deputies are held to the highest of professional standards in their service to the public, and they’ve been doing a great job out there.

“So, no it’s not going to affect anything. They will continue doing what they’re doing and partnering with the community to keep crime down and Santa Clarita Valley safe,” Miller said. On Tuesday, the supervisors voted 5-0 in favor of the body-worn cameras, which would record all interactions deputies have with the public. The motion submitted by Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Hilda Solis calls for the phased implementation of a body-worn camera program in the LASD. LASD officials were expected to issue a formal response to the decision Tuesday evening. Access to the camera footage would be available to prosecutors with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, as well as the public defender and alternate public defender. A number of county officials, such as the inspector general, sheriff, public defender, alternate public defender, district attorney, chief executive

officer, county counsel and Civilian Oversight Commission, are now required to report back, in writing, in 90 days, and every 60 days after that, on the program’s progress. In their motion, Ridley-Thomas and Solis call the body cams a “widely used tool across the country to improve accountability and transparency of law enforcement.”

Longtime consideration

They also point out that the county has been considering body-worn cameras since the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence recommended, in 2012, that the LASD use them to address problematic use of force. A constantly changing technology and shifting projected costs have delayed the body cams being worn. In July 2018, however, the Civilian Oversight Commission approved a report recommending the county move forward with body cams. A month later, supervisors unani-

mously approved a Ridley-Thomas/ Solis motion to hire an expert consultant to make recommendations. That expert was the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The IACP unveiled its report in June, along with a number of recommendations. On the question of cost, the IACP considers the proposed $34.4 million for the body-cam program with 33 new full-time staff reasonable given the scale of the sheriff ’s patrol operations. The cost includes $20.2 million in one-time costs related to the purchase of equipment, infrastructure upgrades, patrol personnel training, $14.2 million in ongoing costs for staffing and software licenses, and internet, cellular and cloud services. The IACP also recommended setting aside a $3 million contingency reserve should unanticipated costs arise during implementation.

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LOCALNEWS

In SCV, 5 whooping cough cases reported in a week By Caleb Lunetta Signal Staff Writer

ive cases of whooping cough have now been reported within the last week in Santa Clarita school districts. As of Friday, officials with Valencia High School, Saugus High School, La Mesa Junior High School, James Foster Elementary School and West Creek Academy each reported a case of pertussis, or whooping cough, since Monday. “After being notified early in the week of potential pertussis at two of our schools, we followed the prescribed protocol of notifying families of the potential exposure on Tuesday and following our protocols for health office referrals,” said Superintendent Colleen Hawkins of the Saugus Union School District. “In all cases, we require a medical evaluation before the student can return to school.” Hawkins said the illness is difficult to prevent when unknown, and the

district makes every effort to prevent District nurse. “The current vaccine it when known. In addition, James is not perfect, and the bacteria strains Foster and West are mutating, Creek Acadewhich makes WHOOPING COUGH my classrooms the vaccine SPREADS FROM A COUGH were cleaned less perfect. OR SNEEZE, AND LOOKS to ensure that Currently the LIKE A COLD THAT CONTINsurfaces were vaccine is 80%wiped down to UALLY GETS WORSE, EVEN90% effective avoid spread of when given TUALLY BECOMING COUGHgerms. on schedule. ING ATTACKS THAT LAST Sulphur Immunity SEVERAL SECONDS. Springs Union wanes with School District this particular and Castaic Union School District disease, further contributing to the officials said there have been no cases gaps in immunity.” of whooping cough reported recently. Parents should still have their Rancho Pico Junior High School children vaccinated because “the 80% reported a case of whooping cough to to 90% coverage is better than 0% parents Sept. 10, and two cases were coverage,” Ewing said. reported at Meadows Elementary “Plus, people who are vaccinated and two and Valencia Valley over two tend to have more mild symptoms weeks ago, according to officials. than a person who is not vaccinated,” “Whooping cough has been on said Ewing. “The best prevention is the rise around the country,” said getting vaccinated, washing hands Danielle Ewing, a Newhall School often, covering coughs and sneezes,

You either are, or you are not.

and staying home when sick.” Officials have released information to parents at the individual school sites saying that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health had informed them of the reports, and informing them what to do if a child begins exempting symptoms. Whooping cough spreads from a cough or sneeze, and looks like a cold that continually gets worse, eventually becoming coughing attacks that last several seconds. “As the person catches his or her breath at the end of each coughing attack, they may make a ‘whoop’ sound, vomit or choke,” said a news release sent out to Saugus parents on Tuesday. “It can cause serious illness, leading to hospital stays and even death, especially in infants less than 6 months old.” Any parents who have concerns over a possible diagnosis at their school can contact Julie Garcia, public health nurse at Antelope Valley Health Center, at 661-287-7043.

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

LOCALNEWS

Council hears from Sand Canyon resort opponents By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

and Canyon residents urged Santa Clarita City Council to offer solutions Tuesday, or put an end to possible land rezoning of a proposed 77-acre resort and spa that opponents say would change the neighborhood’s rural character. The project, if approved by council members, would change Steve Kim’s 200-acre Sand Canyon Country Club, formerly Robinson Ranch Golf Course, by adding the Sand Canyon Hotel and Resort, to include hundreds of hotel rooms and villas, ballrooms, restaurants and recreational facilities for swimming, tennis and pickleball to an existing 27-hole golf course. The developer would have to make several changes, including to rezone portions of the property, which is located on the northeast corner of Sand Canyon Road and Robinson

Ranch Road, from an “open space” to a “community commercial” zone. Residents fear this could increase traffic congestion and noise levels, and threaten public safety during emergency evacuations.

Zoning change

Homeowners are asking why a zone change is being considered after the 1996 approval of the Robinson Ranch Golf Course by the City Council at the time, which “would preserve approximately 300 acres of land into perpetuity as recreational/open space,” resident Michael Hogan said Tuesday to council members, quoting a portion of the approval. “I urge the City Council to direct staff to uphold the decision of the 1996 City Council and put an end to the possibility of commercial zoning of the Sand Canyon Open Space or current open space anywhere else in the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Hogan. Kim, who was not available for comment Wednesday, said during a

public meeting he hosted Sept. 12, that the project will bring several benefits to the community, including jobs and amenities, while keeping a low profile. Another resident suggested the City Council require Kim to construct a road from Soledad Canyon Road to directly connect to the project site, as well as asking if residents will have a say in the proposal. “There will be public hearings, there will be opportunities for input from the public and, eventually, it will make its way to the City Council for an ultimate decision to determine what the future of that project will be,” said City Manager Ken Striplin. The project is undergoing an environmental impact report, which has not yet been completed, according to Hai Nguyen, an associate planner with the city’s planning division. “We’re still working on it, so obviously, we don’t know (when the report will be complete),” he said

Wednesday. “We’re not keeping it or sitting on it or anything like that.” Nguyen said once the draft report is publicly released, the community will have a chance to offer input, followed by review from the Planning Commission.

A ‘positive amenity’

The City Council did not comment Tuesday, but Councilman Bob Kellar, whose term ends in 2020, said Wednesday he believes the project, if approved, “will be a very positive amenity” to the area. “But my mind is not made up — it’s too early. I’m not sure this will come before the City Council while I’m still on the council.” Striplin said Tuesday that Kim “has the right to submit an application” and that staff “does not have the authority to simply deny a project based on something (Hogan) mentioned.” Kim has said he expects a green light from the City Council by the end of the year.

Hate crimes up in county, down in SCV By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

group monitoring hate crimes reports Los Angeles County saw its largest number of hate crimes in 10 years — but largely, not in the Santa Clarita Valley, which has seen a steady decline over the past decade. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Re-

lations released its annual account of hate crimes reported throughout Los Angeles County in 2018. There were 521 hate crimes reported in the county last year, a 2.6% increase from the previous year. This is the largest number reported since 2009, according to the commission. For the past five years, hate crimes have been trending upward. Since reported hate crimes hit a 23year low in 2013, there has been a 36% rise.

There were three hate crimes reported in the SCV last year, compared to six in 2017. In 2016, there were 12 hate crimes; and 13 in 2015. Seventeen hate crimes were reported in the Santa Clarita Valley in 2010, reflecting a downward trend compared to the three prior years, according to the commission’s report released at that time. The three hate crimes reported in the SCV last year each allegedly involved use of the “N” word. On Jan. 4, 2018, in the city of Santa Clarita, a swastika and the words “F-- N------” were found painted on the

side of a business. On April 18, 2018, in Stevenson Ranch, “a white male teenager was riding on public transportation and told the elderly black driver he wanted to exit the bus,” the commission reported. “The driver advised the suspect he would stop at the next designated bus stop. The suspect became enraged and yelled repeatedly, ‘Stop the bus, you stupid n-----!’” “At the next stop, the victim escorted the suspect off the bus and asked, ‘What’s with all the name-call-

ROMAN

Roman in person next week. “(We) wanted him to know that Valencia supports him,” Unas said, “and we want what’s best for him.”

covering the Valencia bleachers, and decided to come up and shake hands with Reading — and donate $100 to the fund. In total, Help4Kids raised nearly $1,000 for Roman’s family, which Unas and Reading plan to give to

Those looking for more information about Help4Kids and their support for Pedro Roman can contact them at their email, VHSHelp4Kids@gmail. com, or visit their website at https:// sites.google.com/my.hartdistrict.org/ help4kids/about-us.

Continued from page 10

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 1 3

City Council OKs 10% pay raise over 4 years By Tammy Murga Signal Senior Staff Writer

fter some debate, the Santa Clarita City Council voted Tuesday for a council member salary increase of 10% over the next four years — a gradual wage increase to take effect starting in 2021. The vote was 3-2 for the five-member council to choose a percentage increase, whether that be the proposed 20% or less, and pass to a second reading an ordinance that would amend a section of the Santa Clarita Municipal Code reflecting the salary adjustment. Council members are compensated monthly, under specific provisions of state law, for their “substantial amount of time and effort to contribute to leading our local government,” said City Manager Ken Striplin during a presentation before the City Council. The current monthly salary for each council member is $2,015.83, an amount that has remained the same since Jan. 1, 2017. The new 10% increase would begin to take effect Jan. 1, 2021, or after certified November 2020 election results, if the raise is approved at a second reading. When the discussion opened,

HATE

Continued from previous page

ing?’ The suspect did not reply, but punched the victim on the back of his head,” the commission reported. “The suspect then reboarded the bus, and a brief struggle ensued. The suspect then fled on foot. A witness identified the suspect, and (sheriff ’s) deputies arrested him at his residence,” according to the report. On June 12, 2018, outside a U.S. Marines recruiting office, a white man was yelling racial slurs, the commission reported. The incident happened in the morning that day, near the U.S. Marines Corps recruiting office on Valencia Boulevard at the Westfield Valencia Town Center mall. “(The suspect) tried to enter the building and yelled, ‘You n-----! You

WITH TWO SEPARATE FIGURES ON THE TABLE, TWO MOTIONS WERE TAKEN FOR A VOTE. THE 20% INCREASE WAS DEFEATED BY A 3-2 MARGIN, WITH MCLEAN AND MIRANDA IN FAVOR. THE 10% INCREASE, INTRODUCED BY WESTE WITH A SUBSEQUENT VOTE, PASSED BY A 3-2 MARGIN WITH COUNCILMAN BOB KELLAR AND MAYOR PRO TEM CAMERON SMYTH VOTING “NO.” Councilman Bill Miranda said he believed the City Council should follow the staff recommendation that called for a 20% increase, for future candidates “who want to serve the community to be able to say, ‘Hey, if I’m going to give up so many hours of my time, I need to have some compensation, some reasonable compensation, to sustain me financially.’” Councilwoman Laurene Weste followed, saying that on grounds of “personal feelings,” she felt comfortable with a 10% total increase, with 2.5% salary hikes annually over a four-year period. are a monkey!’ at one of the supervisors. The victim was able to lock the door, and the suspect yelled, ‘You had better lock the door, before I come in there and beat your ass!’” the commission reported. The suspect was detained by deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff ’s Station and was later identified by the victim and several witnesses. “The suspect has a history of posting videos on YouTube and blogging about his anti-government views and his association with hate groups, including ‘sovereign citizen’ organizations,” the commission reported. The suspect — who had been arrested on suspicion of terrorizing someone and causing fear during the incident that deputies initially treated as a hate crime — pleaded no contest in December to the lesser offense of disturbing the peace.

With two separate figures on the table, two motions were taken for a vote. The 20% increase was defeated by a 3-2 margin, with McLean and Miranda in favor. The 10% increase, introduced by Weste with a subsequent vote, passed by a 3-2 margin, with Councilman Bob Kellar and

LOCALNEWS

Mayor Pro Tem Cameron Smyth voting “no.” Most of the discussion revolved around compensation benefitting whoever sits on the council in the next coming terms, which sparked a minor debate among McLean and Smyth. “I’m not rich; I’m not making money off of this for sure. I just don’t understand why we’re not comfortable with the 5% per year. We don’t get the money ourselves, and it’s for the next council,” said McLean, who contended that Smyth voted against the 20% because, “I know you’re running and that’s one reason why you say ‘no.’” Smyth said he didn’t appreciate her comment, fact-checking McLean’s claim by noting she “will be on the council in 2021, and will be a recipient of any pay raise.” With Tuesday’s vote, the City Council is expected to formally adopt the ordinance with the adjusted salary at a future meeting.

October 26th

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

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

Enjoy fall activities at the Santa Clarita Public Library By Mayor Marsha McLean

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he Santa Clarita Public Library had a busy summer filled with engaging programs and exciting events, including the annual Summer Reading Program which had more than 2,500 participants! Now that the long, hot days of summer have faded behind us, it is time to welcome fall. As we transition into a new season, Santa Clarita Public Library will continue to provide residents with informational and enriching programming. What better way to enjoy the coming cooler weather than cuddling up with a furry friend and a good book? On Oct. 5 and 19, the Valencia and Old Town Newhall libraries, will host Read to a Dog events where children can read a story to a gentle, therapy dog from Pet Partners. Bring your little ones to the library to enjoy time with these friendly and well-trained pups! Teens can keep busy at our local libraries this fall by practicing their costuming skills with Road to FanFest events that will be held at each library branch. Attendees will meet fellow cosplayers and learn about sewing, thermoplastics and more that can be used to create the perfect costume to celebrate their favorite fandom at the Teen FanFest on Oct. 26. Fall will also bring festive, Halloween fun to the Santa Clarita Public Library. Halloween Slime Time is coming to the Valencia Library on Oct. 30. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade will have the chance to make gooey, spooky slime just in time for Halloween! Teens can have a scary good time by visiting the Old Town Newhall Library on three Tuesdays in October for Movie Spooktacular events.

There will be spooky, age-appropriate movies and snacks to enjoy. Then, on Oct. 31, everyone is invited to the Spooktacular Fun event at the Old Town Newhall Library. Families can dress up in their Halloween best and take part in crafts, storytelling and a scavenger hunt. There won’t be any tricks, but there will be plenty of tasty treats! To view the full events calendar with times, locations and more, visit SantaClaritaLibrary.com. In addition to different events and programming, the Santa Clarita Public Library also offers passport services that will help prepare you for your next adventure. With the recent opening of a new Passport Acceptance Facility at the Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library, there are now facilities at each of Santa Clarita Public Library’s three branches. The City is pleased to offer these amenities that make it easier for residents to access services like new adult and minor passports, passport replacements and passport photos. These services are available by appointment only, so be sure to visit santaclaritalibrary.com/passport-services to schedule an appointment and view the facility hours of operations. The Santa Clarita Public Library is a hub for community services, programs and events for all ages. I hope Santa Clarita residents will enjoy fall weather and take part in everything our libraries have to offer! To stay up-to-date with the Santa Clarita Public Library, visit SantaClaritaLibrary.com. 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.

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 1 5

TECHNOLOGY

Who’s listening, free software and more By Kim Komando Signal Contributing Writer

Virtual assistant concerns

you have an Amazon Echo Q: Door Google Home smart speaker in your house? I am freaked out that it’s always listening.

A: Yes, smart speakers are handy. Yes, they are fun. Yes, they can be fabulous for people with physical challenges. But it has also become clear that devices like the Echo and Home are always listening. Otherwise, how would these smart speakers know to respond to the wake word? Big tech data companies created these products, and the Echo and Home are intended to stand in the middle of your home, absorbing all sounds. Check out the link to learn why they’re unplugged in my house. https://bit.ly/2mXXgbz.

Free Microsoft Office

have a new laptop and cannot Q: Iafford Microsoft Word. Is there any way I can get it for free?

A: One of the simplest ways to get a bargain on Microsoft Office is to be a student at an accredited school. You can also open a Microsoft account and use their tools online, as long as you connect to Wi-Fi. Using this technique, you have the same access to Office that Gmail users have to Google Docs and other programs. The downside is that you won’t be able to export a Word or Excel file, and you will run into several other roadblocks, as well; in a way, your experience will be very similar to using a Chromebook. But you can’t beat the price.

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS

Amazon device, such as a Kindle Fire, to control certain TV sets. One app is designed to operate with 300 different models of television, and all you need is a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signal. At the same time, you have to make sure that your smartphone and TV are compatible. Make sure that you find the apps and devices that can communicate with each other, but I have done the homework for you.

Record calls

: I would like to save individual phone calls. I looked in my Settings, but there is no option. How can I record calls on my smartphone? A: You have hit upon a common problem: recording calls on your cell phone is pretty tricky, and it has nothing to do with technology. The issue is legal; tech companies don’t want to get involved in everyday users recording each other. Luckily, several third-party apps enable this very basic function, which is useful for interviews or other professional needs. Just remember, depending on your state’s laws, you may need to alert the person at the other end that you’re recording. 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.

Smartphone remote control

read you can use your Q: I’ve phone as a remote for your TV. A: This is a pretty nifty arrangement, using your smartphone as a universal remote, but it does require some stars to align. For example, it’s easy to use an Android phone to control an Android-powered TV. You can use an

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

T R AV E L

The eight great California bike trails to experience By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

he Santa Clarita Valley has great places to ride for bicycle enthusiasts. The city offers more than 100 miles of picturesque trails and paseos designed for bicycle use. However, if you’re ready for a little getaway and want to take your bike, the entire state of California offers great bike trails paired with incredible natural wonders and unforgettable landscapes. Load up your bike, or rent your bike at your vacation destination. It’s fun to join a bike tour, as well. Bike tours offer a chance to see the sights with a local tour guide, giving you a chance to see places you might have missed on your your own.

Caspar Uplands Trail in Mendocino

In Mendocino, explorers can see a historic lighthouse, visit a popular whale watching site, hike a self-guided nature trail and conclude their journey in a unique Pygmy Forest, all before the sun sets. The Point Cabrillo Light Station overlooks Caspar Headlands State Beach in the north, where campgrounds and beach trails are situated near the path of migrating gray whales. Follow Caspar Uplands 2.5-mile trail into Jug Handle State Reserve, where terraced rock formations show

E-biking in Big Sur makes those climbs along the coast much easier. PHOTOS COURTESY VISIT CALIFORNIA

100,000 years of history. From here, the Jug Handle Creek directs adventurers to the Pygmy Forest, where trees barely reach knee-level. Info https://www.mendocinoland trust.org/trails/central-coastal-trails/ caspar-uplands-trail/

Dipsea, Steep Ravine and Matt Davis Loop in Marin

In a half-day, Mount Tamalpais is easily tackled — from mountains to the sea, its slopes and winding paths are a highlight reel of beauty. The trailhead starts at Stinson Beach, right off Highway 1 in Marin County. Here, the Dipsea Trail guides hikers along a coastal trail with panoramic views of the Pacific. One

mile in marks the Steep Ravine split, where Webb Creek cascades adjacent to the trail and hikers trek up a eucalyptus-studded incline. Follow the Matt Davis Trail back to Stinson Beach to complete the loop, rounding out the day at one of the seaside cafés. Info www.parksconservancy.org/ trails/matt-davis-trail

Ojai Valley Bike Trail in Ventura

Biking in Ventura can introduce visitors to a multitude of destinations all in one ride. It’s easy to follow the 3.5-mile Rincon Bike Trail, adjacent to Highway 101 and leading north to Carpinteria’s Rincon Point. Visitors can also rent bikes at Wheel Fun at the foot of Ventura Pier or at Open-Air Bicycles Ventura in town. Cycle along Ventura’s beachfront on the Omer Rains Trail for views of Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands. Journey beyond Ventura to Ojai via the Ojai Valley Bike Trail, a shady 9-mile, tree-lined ride. Cyclists will arrive in Libbey Park, where they can park in the bike-friendly town and enjoy the local shops and restaurants before heading back. Info www.ventura.org/parks-depart ment/ojai-valley-trail-venturaojai/ or www.conejovalleyguide.com/dosome thingblog/ventura-beach-bike-path. html or https://visitventuraca.com/ blog/top-bike-trails-in-ventura/

If you don’t have a bike, you can rent one. And, they provide all you need for a safe ride.

Marvin Braude Bike Trail in Santa Monica

The Marvin Braude Bike Trail, also known as The Strand, is a 22-mile paved path that runs along the Pacific Ocean and connects some of the best beaches in Los Angeles County. The Strand winds past Santa Monica and Venice, then heads inland at Marina Del Rey, is back on the beach at Playa del Rey and glides along the shorelines of Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beach, finally ending in Torrance. A popular route for cyclists, joggers, rollerbladers and beach-lovers, taking “The Strand” is a quintessential Southern Californian route. Info https://beaches.lacounty.gov/ la-county-beach-bike-path

E-biking in Big Sur

Using an e-bike isn’t cheating, it’s far more environmentally friendly than using a car, plus you get some exercise, as well. And those climbs along the coast are much easier when you have a 750-watt assist. Big Sur Adventures offers a trio of e-bike tours for all levels of riders: 17Mile Drive, the Old Coast Road and McWay Falls. One of the best choices for intermediate riders is the Old Coast Road route, a dirt road that follows the original wagon trail into Big Sur. There are locals who haven’t been on this road, and the views are magnificent as they stretch along the coast, into oak and redwood groves and across the Little Sur River. Trips include four to 12 people and typically last three to four hours.

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

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Bike tours in San Francisco include stops at the Botanical Gardens and the Conservatory of Flowers.

Exploring the coast by bike gives you a full sensory experience: ocean and forest scents, warm sun on your arms, the sound of crashing waves and wind in the trees and the feeling of getting a little closer to the wild coast. Info https://bikebigsur.com

Golden Gate Park in San Francisco

Driving a car through Golden Gate Park doesn’t do the landscape justice. The best way to appreciate the grandeur and diverse greenery of the 1,017-acre park is by bicycle. To ensure that your two-wheeled adventure doesn’t end with you completely lost, try a private-guided cycling tour. Parkwide Bike Rentals and Tours offers all types of guided tours on both standard and e-bikes, but you can also skip the booking portal on the website and call to set up a custom, private-guided tour of the park, complete with a picnic lunch and chilled refreshments. The cycling pros at Parkwide will design the route based on your requests and even allow for time to hop off and explore spots like the de Young Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and the Conservatory of Flowers. Pro tip: Make your way to the Beach Chalet at the westernmost point of the park to watch the sunset. Info https://goldengatepark.com/ biking.html or https://parkwide.com

Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf

Soak in the best sights of Monterey’s coastline with a simple ride along the bike path that runs from Fisherman’s Wharf out to Lovers Point. The bike path, officially known as the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail,

extends from Castroville in the north to Pacific Grove in the south, but the stretch between Fisherman’s Wharf and Lovers Point is hands-down the most popular section. The path is separated from street traffic, providing a safe environment for children still learning to balance on two wheels and nervous adults returning to cycling after a long time away. The ride provides fantastic views of Monterey Bay and plenty of great places to stop as it winds past the Coast Guard Pier, Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the harbor seal beach at Hopkins Marine Station. Monterey has many more exciting and fun bike trails available for all skill levels. Info www.seemonterey.com/thingsto-do/attractions/bike-rides/

Cabrillo Bicycle Path in Santa Barbara

The most popular bike path in Santa Barbara, Cabrillo Bike Path runs from Leadbetter Beach to Butterfly Beach. At approximately 4.5 miles long, paved and flat, Cabrillo Bike Path is a great option for families and easygoing rides. Make your way up to Shoreline Park, which overlooks the lovely seaside. And feel free to savor the view with a picnic. Walk off your picnic feast with a short hike down Thousand Steps that leads to Leadbetter Beach, where you’ll find locals surfing the perfect beach break just about every day of the week. Info https://santabarbaraca.com/ plan-your-trip/know-before-you-go/ transportation/getting-around-bybike/.

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18 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

SPORTS

A season of firsts in Castaic By Diego Marquez Signal Staff Writer

hile Santa Clarita Valley high school varsity football teams are halfway through the preleague schedule, a new freshman team is enjoying a season of firsts. Fielding a team of all freshmen, first-year Castaic football head coach and former Hart High School coach Tony Uebelhardt has the daunting task of creating a winning football program from scratch. “I have a lot of kids that have never played football before and, for some, that means teaching them the very basics of football,” Uebelhardt said. The Coyotes aren’t in a league, yet, because they can only field a freshman team; but they’re scheduled to play the Golden Valley, Hart, Saugus and West Ranch freshman squads in their inaugural season. Playing a 10-game schedule, the

Castaic High’s freshman football team is enjoying the ups and downs that come with starting a new program from scratch. PHOTO BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

Coyotes started Aug. 22 with a 46-0 road loss at the hands of West Ranch. Things did not improve for Castaic the following week against Uebelhardt’s former school, Hart. Castaic lost the contest 34-6, suffering injuries to both their first- and second-string quarterbacks. Although Castaic didn’t come away with the win, they accomplished something equally as important to the program;

scoring the first points in the program’s history. “It was a lot of emotion that came out, especially between me and my assistant coach,” Uebelhardt said. “The next day on campus all the teachers and kids were excited. All the teachers have come from schools out here in Santa Clarita, and they know what it’s like.” With the pressure of scoring in the

rearview mirror, things began to turn around for the young team in a positive light the following game. Heading out on the road to face the Lancaster Eagles for a mid-week contest on Wednesday, Sept. 4, Castaic earned another program first for the second week in a row — a win. The Coyotes moved multiple players to new positions and scored a last-minute touchdown to secure the school’s first victory. Following the victory, the Coyotes fell in the next two games and were shut out 28-0 against Alhambra and lost 50-14 to Golden Valley. Castaic has a bye week this coming week. The Coyotes close out their inaugural season with a home game against Camarillo (Oct. 10), and two road games against Heritage (Oct. 17) and Moorpark (Oct. 24), before finishing out the season at home against Crescenta Valley (Nov. 1). All home games are played at Castaic High School.

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 19

BBQ Dickeys Barbecue Pit 18742 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita (661) 251-0840 L&L Hawaiian BBQ 18727 Via Princessa, Canyon Country (661) 251-8333 Lucille’s Bar-B-Que 24201 West Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 255-1227

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

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

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

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 Continued next page

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

Iconic Eats 23460 Cinema Dr, Valencia (661) 481-9404

The Social 23329 Lyons Ave, Ste A, Valencia (661) 799-9155

Grilled Cheese Factory 24201 Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 888-1508

Thelma’s Cafe 22876 Copperhill Drive, Saugus (661) 263-8283

Islands 24180 Valencia Blvd, Valencia (661) 284-5903

Wing Stop 18547 Soledad Canyon Rd, Cyn Country (661) 251-9700

Lazy Dog Cafe 24201 Valencia Blvd., Valencia (661) 253-9996

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

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

DININGGUIDE Continued from previous page

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH The Old Town Junction 24257 Main Street, Newhall (661) 702-4888 Saugus Cafe 25861 Railroad Avenue, Saugus (661) 259-7886 Way Station Coffee Shop 24377 Main Street, Newhall (661) 255-0222

BREWERIES BJ’s Restaurant 24320 Town Center Drive, Valencia (661) 288-1299 Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co. 18810 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country (661) 252-7883 Pocock Brewing Company 24907 Avenue Tibbits, Valencia (661) 775-4899 Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Co. 27746 N. McBean Parkway, Valencia (661) 263-9653

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

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 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

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

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

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

Firehouse Subs 23630 Valencia Blvd. Valencia (661) 255-3473

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

Karma Restaurant, Bar & Lounge 23460 Cinema Drive, Valencia (661) 288-0080

Five Guys 24201 W, Valencia Blvd #3672, Valencia (661) 255-0981

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

Royal Tandoor 26532 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita (661) 263-7100

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

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

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

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 21

DININGGUIDE 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

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

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

Betito’s Mexican 18902 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country (661)251-0557

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

Cabo Cabana Restaurant 25710 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch (661) 222-7022

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

Casa Pasilla 27674 Newhall Ranch Road, Valencia (661) 295-1989 Dario’s Mexican Restaurant 24523 Newhall Avenue, Newhall (661) 255-6868 El Trocadero Mesquite Grill & Cantina 24274 Main Street, Newhall (661) 284-6615 La Charrita Restaurant 24225 Main St, Newhall (661) 288-1204 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

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

27674 Newhall Ranch Rd #55 Valencia CA 91355

661-294-9069 italiavalencia.com

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

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 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

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 29, 2019

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

A ‘Boogie Nights’ and blues kind of weekend By Perry Smith Sunday Signal Editor

anyon Santa Clarita is constantly bringing a variety of musical acts to the SCV, and next weekend is no exception. Whether you’re a disco diva who wants to dance the night away, or a soulful jazz and blues aficionado, there is a Friday and Saturday show

for you, respectively. On Oct. 5, the club is hosting “the world’s premier live disco-era show band,” according to the Canyon Santa Clarita website. An eclectic crowd always entertains, replete with bell bottoms, platform shoes and polyester shirts — and, of course, lots of disco grooves. The hourslong dance party headliner starts at 9 p.m.

And if you’re looking for a different speed, Kenny Shipman, who’s been playing guitar since he was about 10 years old, recently released his debut album, which contains a guitar-driven sound with evidence apparent of a few of Shipman’s rock guitar influences, such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eddie Van Halen. “Kenny’s debut release has multiple influences,” according to the Can-

yon Santa Clarita website, ahead of Shipman’s Oct. 6 show. “His hope is to create a vibe that the masses can enjoy and yet the players can respect.” 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 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 3

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR

= Family Friendly Event

ONGOING

EVENTS BY DATE

Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Stroll, shop and enjoy the sounds of Northpark Village Square on Thursday evenings from Sept. 12 through Nov. 21 for the Autumn Nights Music Series. Great shops, restaurants and free concerts full of family friendly music to ease into those relaxing autumn evenings. 27756 McBean Parkway, Valencia, Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/ events/2415899645364304/?event_time_ id=2415899655364303

Sunday, Sept. 29, 2:20-3:30 p.m. Come to the Open Book’s optical illusion storytime, where we’re going to be exploring different kinds of illusions that can trick our eyes and brains! This event is free! Snacks and crafts are provided. Please arrive before 2:30. 19188 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/ events/483797732169080/ Monday, Sept. 30, 6-7:30 p.m. The Canyon Country Library will hold a one-time Son Joracho music workshop that includes learning the basics to Jarana instrument playing, canto/ song, and Zapateado dancing. 18601 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. Info: santaclaritalibrary.evanced.info/signup/ Calendar Saturday, Oct. 5, 8-11:30 a.m. Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. While there is no fee to register, we encourage participants to fundraise in order to contribute to the cause and raise awareness. 23670 Newhall Ranch Rd, Valencia, Santa Clarita. Info: act.alz.org/scv19 Saturday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come experience a significant slice of Native American culture at the 26th annual Hart of the West Powwow. We hope you will come and enjoy the dancers, drummers and the numerous displays of arts and crafts. 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall Info: friendsof hartpark.com/Event_Pages/powwow.html Saturday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Get immersed in the world of a giant flower garden and follow along on a free 30 minute adventure play where you get to choose the characters that you follow. The story is inspired by famous tales — “Thumbelina,” “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Rose Elf.” California Institute of the Arts, 24700 McBean Pkwy, Valencia, Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/events/919866601712332/?event_ time_id=919866621712330 Saturday, Oct. 5, noon Oktoberfest weekend 2019 is coming to Brewery Draconum and you are invited! This year’s weekend-long celebration will bring the return of our brat specials as well as feature some new, delectable German treats. We will also be re-releasing our seasonal Vienna Lager, Brat-chaser. The beer garden will be full of celebration, games, & traditional German music. 24407 Main Street, Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/events/2338957996180998/

Fridays and Sturdays, 8-11 p.m. Come on in to Tomato Joe’s Pizza and Taps and be a star on our karaoke nights! We’ve got a library of over 200,000 great tunes. 19167 Golden Valley Rd., Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/ events/724517964649049/?event_time_ id=724517984649047 First Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m. The Stage Door at the Keyboard Galleria Music Center hosts a free monthly open mic for all musicians, lyricists, comics and entertainers. KGMC always provides a great back line, though visitors are welcome to bring their own gear, including instruments. The stage is complete with amps, drums, a digital piano and a PA system. Keyboard Galleria Music Center, 21515 Soledad Canyon Road, Ste 120, Santa Clarita. Info: keyboardgalleria.com First Thursday of the Month, 7-9 p.m. 10 by 10 is a variety night giving ten selected entertainers the chance to take the stage for a ten minute performance of their choosing. Audience members will enjoy storytelling, magic, comedy, improv, music, and other forms of entertainment at this ever changing event. Admission is free. The MAIN, 24266 Main Street, Santa Clarita. Info: thursdaysatnewhall.com/10by10/ Second Thursday of the month, 7-9 p.m. Dance to the beat, play an instrument and experience something unexpected with JAM Sessions, fun, interactive music and dance events hosted in conjunction with the Ford Theatre Foundation. The evening integrates live dance instruction from professional instructors with live band performances. Newhall Community Center, 22421 Market St., Santa Clarita. Info: http://thursdaysatnewhall.com/jamsessions/

Saturday, Oct. 5, 1-7 p.m. Come to the Autumn Harvest Festival fundraiser for Spotlight Arts Center! Enjoy a day of fun and support Spotlight’s mission to provide tuition free art Classes for all kids in SCV!!! We will have a kids craft and game area, vendors, cornhole, food trucks, raffles, live entertainment and more! Wolf Creek Brewery, 25108 Rye Canyon Loop, Valencia. Info: facebook.com/ events/2364014227007631/ Sunday, Oct. 6, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kid Expo features exhibitors from throughout the Santa Clarita Valley showcasing products and services for children. Kids and parents are able to discover the many local activities, resources and businesses available for them throughout the SCV. As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we encourage all attendees to wear purple. Golden Valley High School, 27051 Robert C. Lee Pkwy, Santa Clarita. Info: kidexposcv.com Tuesday, Oct. 8, 5-8 p.m. Bring out your boo crew for our Gear Guardians Bike Night. Come dressed as your favorite hero or villain for our costume contest for adults and children. We will also have trick-or-treating for all boys and ghouls, giveaways and a demonstration on protective gear. This event is frightfully good fun for the whole family. 24510 Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita. Info: cyclegear.com/stores/cycle-gear-newhallcalifornia-store-9 Wednesday, Oct. 9, 5:30-9 p.m. Come to the 2019 Quarter Auction for a fun and inexpensive way to score some great stuff and benefit a great cause at the same time. No prior quarter auction experience needed. Vincenzo’s Pizza Newhall, 24504

! WIN

Lyons Ave, Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/ events/2550246881662967/ Thursday, Oct. 10, 6-9 p.m. Sponsored by Santa Clarita Valley’s VIP Network Group, “Hole Lot Of Fun” is an adults only yearly fundraiser benefiting local Santa Clarita Valley organizations Tidings For Teens and Veterans Advocacy. Ten contestants try to eat a pile of donut holes with their hands tied behind their backs! Join us for a night of so much fun, networking, great food, entertainment, music and, most importantly, giving! Valencia Country Club, 27330 Tourney Rd, Valencia, Santa Clarita. Info: vipnetworkgroup.com/ events/ Friday, Oct. 11, 7-11 p.m. In celebration of the American Legion’s 100th year of service to America’s Veterans, the Women’s Auxiliary is hosting its first “Oktoberfest”-themed Texas Hold Em’ Tournament. There will be prizes awarded to the top three finalists and German Cuisine to be enjoyed during the event. Price does not include food. $50. American Legion POst 507, 24527 Spruce Street, Santa Clarita. Info: facebook.com/events/373321443307390/ Saturday, Oct. 12, 6 a.m. to noon Prepare for an out-of-thisworld experience and enjoy spectacular trail running at the landmark Vasquez Rocks park. Spacerock: the final trail running frontier.These are the voyages of trail runners around the world. Your mission: to explore strange new trails, to seek out new life and new experiences, to boldly run where no one has run before. 10700 Escondido Canyon Rd, Agua Dulce. Info: spacerocktrailrace.com

! WIN

WIN

CONGRATULATIONS to Donald Monteleone for correctly identifying Audiology Associates on page 3. 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. October 9 Winner to be announced in 2 weeks.

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

K I D S & FA M I LY

Five de-stressing tips for busy moms

oms have “to-do” lists that are never done. From getting the kids to school, prepping family meals and everything in between, it's a 24/7 job and it can be hard to find a moment to stop and take a breath of fresh air. While the home should be a sanctuary to relax and de-stress, the reality is that a lot of life's biggest activities happen there. The good news is that it only takes a few minutes to ground yourself through meditation. In fact, recent studies by the National Institutes of Health indicate that meditation can improve relaxation, lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety. Learning a few easy meditation techniques will give you the ability to power through even the toughest days. To give back to busy moms, Air Wick has provided five easy ways you can take a moment to de-stress before tackling your to-do list.

Unplug for just 5 minutes

One of the biggest culprits of stress today is technology. When you're at home, set your phone on airplane mode, turn off the radio or TV, close the laptop — and just shut your eyes. Breathe deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth, at least five times. Repeat a word or phrase in your mind like “Relax,” “Calm” or “Breathe in, breathe out.” When you're ready, slowly re-acclimate to your surroundings and gently get back to your busy day.

• The fingers are in a straight line, lightly pressed on the wrist so you can feel your pulse in each fingertip. • On each beat of your pulse, mentally hear the sound “Sat Nam,” which means “truth identified.” • Walk it out

Try and take a few minutes out of a busy day to just unplug and relax. The National Institutes of Health has found that meditation can lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety. (MC)

The one-minute breath

For just a minute, commit to practicing this breathing technique to quiet your mind and restore energy. • Breathe in for 5 seconds. • Hold your breath for 5 seconds. • Release the breath for 5 seconds. • Hold for 5 seconds. • Repeat just long enough to feel yourself become calmer. • Peace begins with you

Meditation beginners

For meditation beginners, this practice can help improve concentration and bring calm. • Sit comfortably cross-legged on the floor. • Close your eyes and focus on the space between your eyebrows. • Place the four fingers of your right hand on your left wrist and feel your pulse.

When you're feeling stressed, you feel disconnected from your body as well as the outside world. You can add meditation to your walking, even if you're just going through the grocery store or from your car to your office. If you can get outside, just being outdoors can improve your mood. Between the vitamin D from the sun and the tendency to breathe more deeply when you're around fresh air, trees or flowers, just getting outside for a little while can both relax and energize you. • Take a deep breath with every step or two. • Feel your feet and focus on being more grounded with every step. • Repeat a phrase or mantra while you walk, like “I am calm now.” Moms have a lot on their plate, so worrying about lingering odors in the home (whether they're from the kids' sweaty sports equipment, a wet dog or last night's dinner) shouldn't add to their stress. (BPT)

When you're standing in a long line, stuck in a meeting or even during a stressful argument, try this Kundalini meditation technique to help you stay centered even when you're feeling frazzled. • Gently press the thumb of one hand against that hand's index finger, middle finger, ring finger, then pinkie finger. • When you touch your index finger to your thumb, say to yourself, “Peace.” • When you touch your middle finge, say to yourself, “Begins.” • When you touch your ring finger, say to yourself, “With.” • When you touch your pinkie finger to your thumb, says to yourself, “Me.” • Breathe deeply as you think each word, and go as slowly or as quickly as you like. • Peace is in your pulse

ccording to the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Stress in AmericaTM survey, 53% of Americans look to physical activity as a means of coping with their stress. Exercising or walking was the most popular form of physical activity cited, with 46% of respondents indicating they looked to these activities to cope with their stress.

In addition, more people seem to be looking to yoga and meditation to help them deal with their stress. While only 12% of respondents indicated they practice yoga or meditation to deal with stress, that marks a sizable increase from a year earlier, when 9% of respondents cited yoga and meditation among the methods they used to cope with stress. While they’re not physical activities, listening to music (47%) and prayer (29%) were other mechanisms people relied on to cope with their stress. (MC)

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 5

K I D S & FA M I LY

Donna’s Day: Creative Family Fun

Make colorful crayon leaf rubbings By Donna Erickson Signal Contributing Writer

Leaf rubbings

all outdoor rituals are many during these lush months of color and cooler temps. Maybe your family already has established an annual tradition of taking a mini day vacation, like heading to a favorite orchard for a Saturday of apple picking and cider tasting, touring pumpkin farms, walking through a corn maze or hiking in the woods to get exercise, explore and observe wildlife and brilliant foliage. You can celebrate the season and create new traditions right at your closest park or in your neighborhood, too. If the fall air beckons your family to get outside for a bike ride or a weekend walk, go for it. Observe the changing images around you, including the colorful leaves drifting and swirling in the breeze. Like the neighborhood boy I overheard saying to his dad as they collected different specimens on their walking route home from the library: “It’s a leaf-y time of year!” I agree. I can’t resist collecting, preserving, pressing, decorating and crafting with leaves from day trips away from home and walks in my neighborhood. There are so many possibilities — including one of the simplest of crafts for any age: making crayon leaf rubbings on paper. Once you collect leaves, grab your supplies, get to rubbing and uncover “X-ray” type designs you’ve never noticed before, both graceful and playful.

• fresh leaves collected from the ground • sturdy paper • a variety of crayons in different colors • colored pencils (optional)

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Tip Rub leaves from your flower and vegetable garden, too. When the design of a small begonia leaf is revealed, your young child might say in amazement: “It looks like a seashell!” Parsley can look dainty and romantic, but what about arugula and kale?

Here’s the fun 1. Lay a leaf on a smooth, clean work surface. Place paper over it and hold it down firmly so that it won’t move. 2. Take a crayon and rub it over the paper until the shape of the entire leaf is revealed. Discover the outline and skeleton of the leaf as the veins of the leaf protrude. 3. If you use a colored pencil, hold it at a slight angle, being careful not to press too hard so that it doesn’t go

through the paper. 4. Make several different rubbings on one sheet. Vary with contrasting colors, if you wish. You might want to identify leaves by writing the name of their tree by each one.

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.

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5. Frame the rubbings, or use for book covers, gift wrap, gift tags and notecards.

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

THINGSTODO

Fall’s top tickets here and over the hill

Aaron Ten Bears, in Oglala Lakota regalia carries an eagle dance staff, shield and wears an eagle feather bustle as he dances during the 25th annual Hart of the West Pow Wow and Native American Craft Fair held at William S. Hart Park. PHOTO BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

ummer fun is in the record books and new entertainment options, in the Santa Clarita Valley and “over the hill,” are on the horizon this fall. Here are a few can’t-miss events!

Now thru Nov. 2

“Peter and the Starcatcher” Canyon Theatre Guild 24242 Main St., Newhall Tickets $17 and up Info www.canyontheatre.org From pirates on the high seas to dangers in the jungle, this swashbuckling adventure features live mu-

sicians telling the tale of Peter Pan’s magical beginnings.

Now thru Nov. 3

“Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” Canyon Theatre Guild 24242 Main St., Newhall Tickets $17 and up Info www.canyontheatre.org

In this fast-paced comedy, Sherlock Holmes must solve the case of “The Hound of Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its newest heir.

Oct. 5

“The Boogie Knights” The Canyon Santa Clarita Westfield Valencia Town Center 24201 Valencia Blvd, Suite 1351, Valencia Tickets $19.50 and up Info https://wheremusicmeetsthe soul.com/events The world’s premier live disco-era show band. This wacky group diligently defends the kingdom of disco, while wearing bell bottoms, platform shoes, polyester shirts and frizzy retro wigs. Frequently seen on national TV. “Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience” Hollywood Bowl 2301 N Highland Ave., Los Angeles Tickets $29 and up Info www.hollywoodbowl.com/ events The critically acclaimed “Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience” will return this fall, bringing Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center. SIGNAL PHOTO

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 7

THINGSTODO

Oct. 20

Gallaher’s Last Smash Farewell Tour The Canyon Santa Clarita Westfield Valencia Town Center 24201 Valencia Blvd, Suite 1351, Valencia Tickets $24 and up Info https://wheremusicmeetsthe soul.com/events Gallagher’s signature sketch is a pitch for the “Sledge-O-Matic,” a large wooden mallet that he uses to smash a variety of food items and other objects, culminating with a watermelon. Sure, he’s the famous watermelon-smasher ,and he literally invented the television stand-up comedy special. He appeared on 14 Showtime specials and performed in 3,500 live shows.

Oct. 20-21

The “Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience” and “Jonas Brothers Happiness Begins Tour” are two events coming up at the Hollywood Bowl. PHOTO COURTESY VISIT CALIFORNIA

the music of Emmy award-winning “Game of Thrones” composer Ramin Djawadi to stunning new life at outdoor theatres across North America.

Now through Oct. 6

Blue Man Group Pantages Theatre 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028 Tickets $39 and up Info www.hollywoodpantages.com/ events/detail/bluemangroup More than 35 million people on our blue planet have experienced the surprising and exciting show that is Blue Man Group. And now, the Blue Men come to Los Angeles for the very first time with their “Speechless” tour.

Oct. 5-6

Hart of the West Native American Pow Wow and Craft Fair William S. Hart Park 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall Info friendsofhartpark.com/Event_ Pages/powwow.html Experience a slice of Native American culture at the 26th annual Hart of the West Powwow. Enjoy Native American dancers, drummers and displays of arts and crafts. Free admission.

“Jonas Brothers Happiness Begins Tour” Hollywood Bowl 2301 N Highland Ave., Los Angeles Tickets $74 and up

Oct. 8-27

“Anastasia: Journey to the Past” Pantages Theatre 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles Tickets $54 and up Info www.hollywoodpantages.com/ events/detail/anastasia This new Broadway musical tells the story of Anya and transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past.

Oct. 19

David Spade Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Valencia Tickets $65 and up Info https://www3.canyons.edu/ Offices/PIO/CanyonsPAC/spade.html This multi-talented comedian, actor, writer and television personality brings a night of comedy to the Santa Clarita Valley. Rising to fame as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” Spade developed the famous “Hollywood Minute” reporter segments, later going on to star in movies such as “Joe Dirt,” “Tommy Boy” and “Grown Ups.”

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Info www.hollywoodbowl.com/events Back together after their split in 2013, the Jonas Brothers have a new album in the works and are touring the country to promote their comeback album “Happiness Begins.”

Nov. 9

Stunt Dog Experience Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Valencia Tickets $19 and up Info https://www3.canyons.edu/ Offices/PIO/CanyonsPAC/stuntdog. html Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience includes a cast of performers and dogs that will delight audiences of all ages, with high-energy excitement and incredible stunts. Experience amazing tricks, big air stunts, comedy antics, dancing dogs and athletic feats. Every show includes interactive crowd participation.

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

FOOD

Michele makes … Apple Desserts

’ve always loved tarts, crisps and turnovers. No one ever said “an apple a day” couldn’t include dessert. However, I’ve never been fond of baking pies. My high school home economics class left me with severe “pie crust” anxiety after my team made the worst lemon meringue pie in school history. Let’s just say it would have taken a chain saw to cut through that crust. Our abundantly producing apple tree in the backyard has recently caused me to revisit my fear of pie crust, with delicious results. No one was more surprised than I. However, if you want to use a premade crust, you have my blessing. I don’t know the variety of apples that my tree produces but I do know they are great for baking. Granny Smiths are the “go-to” baking apple for most bakers. However, I am not a fan because they are too tart for my taste buds. For my taste, I prefer Honeycrisp and Winesaps. They hold up during baking and are sweeter. Other popular varieties for baking include Braeburn, Pink Lady and Jonagold.

Easy Apple Pie 6 3/4 1 2

cups thinly sliced apples cup sugar tbsp. butter tsp. cinnamon

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Arrange your sliced apples in layers in your pie plate. Sprinkle each layer with sugar and cinnamon. Dot the top layer with small pieces of butter or margarine. Cover with a top crust. Place on lowest rack in oven preheated to 450 F. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Crust 2 1 1/2 1 1/4 1

1/2 cups flour cup shortening (not butter, use Crisco) tsp. salt egg cup cold water (must be very cold) tbsp. distilled white vinegar

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg, water and vinegar and pour into flour. Blend with a fork until it forms a ball. Wrap with plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Divide the crust into two balls before chilling: one for the top crust and one for the bottom. Let the dough warm up for about 10 minutes before rolling out on a floured cutting board.

Apple Crisp Topping 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup oats (I use Quaker Oats, the kind used to make oatmeal)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 cup cold butter Filling 8 cups apples cut into 1/2-inch slices 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. salt Topping Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Grate in butter and work in, using fingertips, until crumbly. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Filling Toss apples, sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Pour into an 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples. Bake at 350 F until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Best when served with vanilla ice cream.

Apple Tarte Tatin This isn’t nearly as hard as it sounds and is a great dessert to impress friends and family. Don’t worry if it doesn’t come out perfect, they rarely do. It still tastes amazing. The hardest part of this recipe is finding a 10-inch oven-proof skillet. I found a great cast-iron skillet at a thrift shop. 3 tbsp. butter 3/4 cup white sugar 4 large apples peeled and quartered 1 tbsp. flour 1 tsp. vanilla 1 unbaked pie crust (use recipe above or buy a ready to use pie crust) Preheat oven to 425 F. Melt butter in 10-inch oven-proof skillet. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the top of the butter. Place apple quarters, rounded sides down, on top of the butter and sugar in a circular pattern.

PHOTOS: METRO CONNECTION

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

Place skillet over medium-high heat and cook until sugar dissolves and begins to caramelize. Continue to cook until apples soften and caramel begins to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Roll pie dough into an 11-inch circle. Pinch edge to create a ruffle around crust. Place crust on top of apples and tuck in edges around apples.

Apple Tarte Tatin Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate over the top of the pan and flip to release tarte from the pan.

Apple Turnovers

Use frozen puff pastry and impress your family with your baking skills. 2 cups small diced apples 1 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 (17.3-oz.) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed 1 large egg, whisked 1 cup confectioner’s sugar icing (mix with water to desired consistency) Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir together apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Unfold the puff-pastry sheets onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll over the pastry to seal any perforations, then cut each sheet into four squares. Using a slotted spoon, scoop a portion of the apple mixture into the center of each puff pastry square then fold the pastry across diagonally to form triangles. Using a fork, crimp together the edges then transfer the turnovers to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Cut three small slits in the tops of each turnover then brush them with the egg. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. When cool, pipe confectioner’s sugar icing over the turnovers in a zigzag pattern.

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 2 9

Does your child or teen experience migraines?

he pain and symptoms that accompany migraines can be debilitating. For children and teens, it can mean missed school days, absence from social or sporting events and activities at home. To evaluate migraine treatment in children and teens, new guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society looked at two areas: acute treatments to stop or lessen pain and other symptoms during a migraine, and treatments to prevent or reduce how often migraine attacks occur. “The good news is that there are effective treatments for children and teens for migraine attacks when they occur,” says guidelines lead author Dr. Maryam Oskoui, McGill University, and an AAN fellow. Based on the guidelines, families dealing with pediatric migraines should consider the following: • Clinicians make a migraine di-

agnosis based on the intensity and duration of pain, how many attacks a person has had and whether they’re accompanied by associated symptoms like nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Those with migraines should get a diagnostic evaluation that includes a careful

medical history, as well as general physical and neurological examinations conducted by a neurologist or headache medicine specialist. • Triggers can vary, so families should identify and address the factors associated with their child’s migraine attacks. These can include lack of physical activity, being overweight, excessive caffeine intake, poor sleep habits and dehydration. • Ask your child’s neurologist about the risks and benefits of preventive medication and appropriate acute treatment. For example, in studies, the drug amitriptyline combined with cognitive behavioral therapy — which employs techniques like relaxation and coping strategies — was more beneficial than amitriptyline combined with headache education in reducing migraine attack frequency and migraine-related disability. • Treat migraines as soon as your child or teen becomes aware of one starting. For children and teens,

H E A LT H

medications such as ibuprofen and triptans can help relieve pain during an attack. For teens, consider the combination sumatriptan/naproxen • Families and neurologists should carefully weigh the use of treatments not proven to be effective in children and teens. For example, while botulinum toxin is effective in preventing migraine in adults, it hasn’t shown the same effectiveness in children and teens. And while some of the newest treatments, including calcitonin gene-related peptide antibodies and other similar drugs and devices are effective for adults, the study of their pediatric use is only beginning. To learn more about migraines, visit BrainLifeMag.org/PedMigraine and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Though common, pediatric migraines are painful and can be debilitating. Talking to your child’s neurologist about the latest treatments is recommended. (StatePoint)

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

INTERIORDESIGN

Mother Nature inspires new ‘neutral’ design trends

any interior designers gravitate toward grays or whites as a starting point when building a home’s look and feel, but a new trend is emerging. Homeowners are getting back to basics and finding ways to bring the outdoors in by using neutral earth tones as their blank slate. These wood tones have become the “new neutral” for those beginning their brand-new home design. No matter your style — modern, eclectic or anything in between — the toned-down hues of natural-looking wood surfaces are the perfect starting point for building a versatile, relaxing and high-end look in your home.

It’s all natural

Finding inspiration from nature can create a more calming retreat in our hectic, constantly connected lives. Start with a neutral and natural palette as the first step to designing your oasis. Incorporating colors found in nature can act as a reminder

board. Featuring a variety of wood elements in the décor itself can also allow you to play with mixing different grains, colors and textures throughout the home while still maintaining a seamless overall design.

Light and airy

to disconnect and recharge.

Stay grounded

Include a variety of textures from the ground up to transform your space and make it unique. From flooring to décor, finding ways to pull in elements from Mother Nature will turn your home into your haven. Bring out your home’s natural beauty with flooring like Lumber Liquidators’ Claire Gardens Oak hardwood,

which features an organic oak grain where no two boards look the same. The textured grains pair beautifully with greenery (faux or natural), and the neutral color complements a variety of earthy paint palettes.

Woodland oasis

Wood is the perfect element when deciding to bring nature into your home — whether on the floor or on the walls, as an accent or as a head-

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To make small spaces feel more open, be sure to accentuate natural light by incorporating mirrors. Try and keep your space clear of clutter and add natural foliage and plants to improve air quality and mood. Installing long, wide planks of flooring will also make your room feel larger.

Branch out

Starting with a neutral, earthy color palette means you have plenty of room to play with color — be it bold, muted or a reflection of the world around you. Include colorful accent pieces that remind you of the perfect fall foliage, a day at the beach or spring’s first blooms. Natural inspiration provides a world of possibilities. (BPT)

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3 1

HOMEIMPROVEMENT

Building property, garage-insulation tips

Legal property conversion Hi Robert, I have a building on a piece of property in Leona Valley that was converted to living space many years ago. It’s small, about 1100 square feet. I want to do some financing and I guess because it’s not a “legal structure”, I cannot get loans against it. What do I need to do in order to turn this into a “legal structure,” if this can even be done? Do you have any advice for me? Isaac D. Isaac, Yes the best thing to do is to go into the building department, I believe for Leona Valley it would be county and discuss with them exactly what the expectations are in order to accomplish this. Typically the folks at the building departments are reasonable, kind people and are willing to help you reach your goals. They’re likely going to want the building retrofitted for earthquake so you’ll have to open the drywall about a foot at the base of the building. They may require that you open other areas so they can inspect the plumbing, and they’ll want to see the electrical panel. Depending on how close you are to a fire hydrant, you may be expected to conform to local fire codes, laws that may require a water tank added at a high point, so

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METRO CONNECTION

By Robert Lamoureux Signal Contributing Writer

this may need to be added. A hydrant may also need to be added as they are very strict about their fire codes. I did one several years back, a similar situation to yours. We installed a 5K gallon tank with monitoring device which required a 4-foot-deep dig to install the line which would feed the hydrant. Big job but definitely something that a skilled homeowner can do. If you’re not knowledgeable on your own, surround yourself with folks who do have knowledge about retrofitting a building like this. Above all, ask a lot of questions while at building and safety, take great notes and by all means, follow their requirements so you only have to tackle each job once. They will inspect each aspect and will expect that it is done correctly. They will send you back to the drawing board until it meets their requirements, so use your time and skills wisely and you can get through this.

They’ll be looking for standards that make rooms fit their description, so a bedroom will need an egress window and a closet. If you’re a handy person then much of this can be done by you including meeting with the inspectors. Reach out to others for necessary help, many times this stuff can be accomplished with friends’ help, if amongst all of you there is enough knowledge. Good luck with this project. Garage insulation Robert, Thank you for offering all that sound advice. We insulated our twocar garage door a couple of years ago and that helped a little. Yet this past summer especially temperatures frequently would rise above the 90s. It’s obviously very uncomfortable when we enter that space and our second fridge is doing overtime to stay cool.

What’s your advice? There is lots of suggestions out there, ranging from simple fans to an A/C. Patrick D. Patrick, As far as the garage, this becomes a personal issue and decision based on your comfort and ability to modify. I have a friend who has an AC unit in his garage, given that he works in it a lot. Some people use a fan but all the fan is doing is moving air around, and not cooling the space. If you’ve insulated the exterior walls as well as the door then there is not a lot more you can do aside from installing an HVAC in the space, if it’s important to you. As far as the fridge running on OT, this is going to happen given the heat load. The installation of an AC will cool the garage but it will be running on OT also. It’s a wash either way. One other idea to consider would be to install a swamp cooler. This would also help cool the space, at a lesser electrical cost. Definitely worth looking in to, as another option. Best of luck to you, 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.

Improve your entertaining space at home

ome homes are seemingly built for entertaining, while others may need a little help to make them more fit for hosting dinner or holiday gatherings. People who open their homes to loved ones may want to make some modifications to their spaces to improve the experience for all involved. Tame the clutter Look for ways to reduce clutter in rooms where entertaining takes place. Built-ins

with bookshelves and cabinets can hide electronics and wayward toys or collectibles. Remove any knickknacks or other breakable items from shelves or on coffee tables. Improve conversation seating Arrange tables and chairs to create conversation nooks for guests who want to talk. Consider moving out big and bulky sofas in favor of love seats that will take up less room and improve flow in entertaining areas.

Find the pieces you like Think about how you tend to entertain and then cater your space to those preferences. For example, a large dining table with fold-out extensions or leaves is ideal for someone who regularly hosts formal dinner parties. Improve lighting Rooms that are dull and dim can benefit from overhead lighting fixtures if there are none already available. (MC)

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TUESDAY,

FOURTH S PARADE OF JULY ROUTE

JULY 3, 201

SKYBOX TEXT

Today’s Fore cast

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A tale of

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two resc ues FOURTH OF JULY

Missing pup having run py found after 7 years late of crash; away from scene r, crash sur ani vivor glad dehydrate mal was hungry NEWS to be aliv d when sav , e at daught ed er’s book-s By Jim Holt igning By Signal Senior Staff

Writer

Jim Holt

PARADE ROUTE

Signal Senior

Staff Writer

When firefi steep emba ghters rappelled David was foun La Vau who in had gone nkment to rescu down the side of d A8 e a driver a vine six daysin a 200-foot-deep2011 last week over a precipice whose car on Sand , they learn raoff of Lake after crashing cupants had, ed that one Canyon Road SUBSCRIBE TODAY his car of the car’s people just Hughes Road show named Bella until now, elude JULY 3, 2018 ocTUESDAY, how happ d them ed Tuesday - Friday be alive The dog . — a pup y he 75¢ Satur up for a copy day as peoplewas to of the Angewas plucked from lined $1 Weekender of the book ordeal. ple trained les National Fore the wild environs about his st by the in helping His daug Heather very peoanimals. wrote a bookhter, Lisa A. Way Stati Graham, an empl Kerr on oyee called, “But , day: The which wind on Little Tuju Wildlife Forecast Today’s of Not Tostory of Davi chronicling arating the s its way through nga Canyon Road d La the moun , father’s near Vau,” 661-259-1234 experienc hercom spotted the Santa Clarita Valle tains y from Sunl sepate search e, the family’s death This after puppy by itself and, desp in to a findVAL the rough frantic week DULCE himVERDE AGUADULCE |erthe 3-mo AGUA VERDE and the |long CASTAIC | CASTAIC to recov| | VAL terrain. RANCH |road end-long STEVENSONRANCH nth-o VALENCIA || STEVENSON SAUGUS || VALENCIA NEWHALL || SAUGUS COUNTRY || NEWHALL effort toCANYON COUNTRY CANYON On Satur ery. “Heather ld dog. find held a bookday, she and her Sand Cany was on her way Book store -signing at The father Deanna Armon Road, when to work, driving on Open she foun Road at Whit on Soledad Cany Station, said bruster, spokeswo d (Bell man for the a),” “My dad es Canyon Road on “She follo Monday. Way said Mon is very humble,” . found a safe wed the dog and to see peopday. “He was so Kerr road,” she place to pull over waited until she excit le ran off a said. “She jump to the side of “People at the book signi ed the bit. But, ed out and ‘Can I get just kept askin ng. she was able la) down the dog And, he my picture with g him brought herand put her in the to calm her (Belcar. And, same ‘Thasigned each bookyou?’ The dog, here.” then she Kerr said. nks for the supp the was descr found within 24 ort,’”By Jim Holt Writer was brou ibed as dehydrate hours of the crash She said Signal Senior Staff d and hung ght “I was very of the book-sign ry when it, Rescuers to safety. traffic comi excited that there ing: David La Vau who in 2011 owner on at the Way Stati socia l media and on found the there was) ng in and out and was was found in a 200-foot-deep rapick up the dog’ arranged dog. This book a buzz about our (that vine six days after crashing his car for them s book to has touch lives. ed a lot . off of Lake Hughes Road showed of people just how happy he was to “My main By Jim Holt purpose ways been A tow truck has al- be alive Saturday as people lined Signal Senior Staff Writer See FOUN to forgive to share with up for a copy of the book about his ter being operator watches D, A6 peop lifted abou as and, most and also be forgi le, ordeal. Castaic t 200 of a a Toyota Corolla sidefeet the rappelled When firefighters on Septdown reaches theSignal file photo yourself.” of all, learn to forgiven His daughter, Lisa A. Kerr, . 30, 2011 carby a crane on to whose ve surface steep embankment to rescue a driver . Davi Lake wrote a book called, “But Not Tod La Vau survived the Hughes Road north afhad gone over a precipice on Sand Canyon Road day: The story of David La Vau,” of crash. last week, they learned that one of the car’s occhronicling her father’s near death cupants had, until now, eluded them — a pup experience, the family’s desperBy Crystal See LA VAU, Duan named Bella. ate search to find him and the long Signal Staff A6 Writer The dog was plucked from the wild environs to recovery. Santa Clari road peoAngeles National Forest by the very the state of theta’s On Saturday, she and her father A natio eclipsesanimals. average ofrate in helping two-bedro as well asple trained 2.1 held a book-signing at The Open week indicnal study released percent,an employee of Wildlife the Graham, in Santa Heather national is $2,564, om growth rateates Santa Clarita’s this of 1.4 percent, Book store on Soledad Canyon Clari avera and a Road, ge Tujunga on Little Station but is $1,995.Canyon one-bedroo ta 0.2 percent, has decre now at 4.1 from year to yearrent compared Way Road at Whites Canyon Road. sepasedthrough This mark mountains down by m to last winds way creasethe mont itsonlin 0.04 pers a $4 in- cent, according “My dad is very humble,” Kerr from last percent, a slight declinis renting platfwhich forfrom Sunland, two-bedro month’s 4.9 orm the h, e $3Valley Santa Clarita Salviati, arating Only 21 of to the site. oms increthe Monday. “He was so excited said tment Listby itself percent. e revealed Monday.Apar an and ase rough for terrain. from in one-bedroo a ies in Ame the 100 largest cit- housing econ Apartment List The July spotted the puppy to see people at the book signing. June. efforta to rica find m fall mediafter a frantic weekend-long This Much of omist. an rate Santa Clari over the have seen rents “People just kept asking him for dog. the SCV past year, a mont grow the 3-month-old an mont ‘Can I get my picture with you?’ h rent chanta’s on h-to- gainsadditional 24 saw though gene th can be attrib ’s rent driving “Heather was on her way to work, ge for July uted ral grow of less than mode And, he signed each book the th in popu to a Sand Canyon Road, when she found (Bella),” is at such as Santa 1.0 perce st in the Los Ange lation same ‘Thanks for the support,’” nt, Clarita, said les metro Deanna Armbruster, spokeswoman for the Way Kerr said. area. Chris Station, said Monday. She said of the book-signing: See RENT “She followed the dog and waited until she “I was very excited that there was , A6 found a safe place to pull over to the side of the traffic coming in and out and (that road,” she said. “She jumped out and the dog there was) a buzz about our book. ran off a bit. But, she was able to calm her (BelThis book has touched a lot of la) down and put her in the car. And, then she lives. brought her here.” “My main purpose has alThe dog, found within 24 hours of the crash, been to share with people, ways was described as dehydrated and hungry when it to forgive and also be forgiven By Brennon was brought to safety. Dixson and, most of all, learn to forgive Signal Staff Rescuers at the Way Station found the dog’s Writer yourself.” owner on social media and arranged for them to Signal file photo After heari pick up the dog. ng about his fight operator watches as a Toyota Corolla reaches the surface afA tow truck Carter Sarka By Danie with of north lle Sanfi Road r, Hughes Lake to Korz200 on and the recen lippo about henyfeet For lifted ter being See LA VAU, A6 The Signal ak by a crane t million-do syndrome ment to See FOUND, A6 llar Castaic on Sept. 30, 2011. David La Vau survived the crash. fund Hyatt Rege his clinical moveThe crow trial, the ncy Vale nounced returns to d-pleasing Conc that it will ncia has andollar from donate starting thisSanta Clarita for erts in the Park serie a viewing evenits upcoming firewevery Concerts weekend at Cent music-filled summ s t to the youn orks Castaic. er, on by the in the Park are ral Park. g boy from “Our entire from July city of Santa Clari free public even ts 7 ta staff moved by put was Get ready until Aug. 25. The every Saturday night List Austin Dave/ 0.2 percent, down by 0.04 per- Salviati, an Apartment paper regarthe article in Saturdeeply In this May to break showsClarita in Santa two-bedroom eclipses start at 7 Santa Clarita’s ratekets, out your TheDuan grab some housing economist. 2017 phot By Signal (See Crystal p.m. according to the site. the fight to ding Carter Sarka day’s on Pond one-bedroom and a lawn tasty snack o, Jenni percent, chairs and cent, additional average of 2.1site and listenis $2,564, Much of the SCV’s rent ferWriter photo the state s from Sark Only 21 of the 100 largest citsyndrome save him from Sanfir and a clinic erosa Street in Signal Staff a $4 in- blanmarkslocal some ofThis average signalscv.c band national as the Castaic. The ar carries her son sasat well vendors on-in America have seen rents growth can be attributed to a s comingisto$1,995. al trial that your favor and om) sales coord,” said Natasha Zamb lippo to the Saug for two-bedrooms Sarkar released this Carte ite genrea ies might help Here’s a crease r topercent, of 1.4 growth in population rano, a homebut has decreased us A national y raised $978 fall Carter’s study famil Valencia. inator at Hyatt a one-bedroomtribu te over the past year, though general forpark. increase $3 down online break Concerts last month, Regency develop musc “We at Hyat rent compared of ,467 to to Clarita’s Santaagain week indicatesfight in thefrom an additional 24 saw modest in the Los Angeles metro area. to contribute st Sanf get Apartment Park:June. each band perfo seizures and le pains, expe List t would platform renting year to year isilippo to this rmin at like syndrome growth riencrate of less than 1.0 percent, then, our parki e from Santa Clarita’s month-to- g gains . wouldafund Monday. ng structurefight by offering their mid-to late-t ultimately revealed A6 RENT, See decline slight Chris percent, , 4.1 said at now die Clarita, Santa July a clinical nity to watc in give eens, said to the Sarkar, Carte rate7 for a month rent change for July is at such as trialThe Carte 4.9 percent. Jennilast that July median Wan from ra ing Fourth h fireworks this commufer month’s As a resul r’s mother. ted, “Over the chance at life. could upcomof lineup of a Bon Jovi tribu Children July.” draiser in t, the family held been a gathe years the struc te band, is the past a funture has geles, the Concerts in the Park Sanfilippo who are diagnosed ring place first up in goal to dona month with unobstruc band . syndrome to have with The rock is made up of Based out of Los the an will likely the 501(c)(3) te a million dolla the (and firewted view of the festiv playing to ’n’ roll group professional musi Anities Cure Sanfi nonprofit organ rs to Zambrano orks) from Six cians had sold ization lippo Foun . imm out venu Flags,” said. views. Wan es and garneense success, dation, whic ted was requests h from agen finally created ring rave rewith the after nume Weather ts and prom band on other See CART ....... rous INDEX ER, A6 ....... projects. oters who worked Lottery . ....... ...... ...

SignalSCV.

84°/59°

A tale of two rescues

Missing puppy found after having run away from scene of crash; animal was hungry, dehydrated when saved

7 years later, crash survivor glad to be alive at daughter’s book-signing

Faith City’s re nt growth Coupons rate abo ve state average Home Improvement Business News Hy joins Ca It’s the Law Column Hotel plaanstt rter’s fi event pro to donate ght SCV’s tr cee child’s bat ds to Right Here Right Now tle Sanfilippo against to the g ibute syndrome reats Concerts Color Comics set to ret in the Park ser urn ies to Centr

al Park

1919 d e h s i l b a t s E ews

City’s rent growth rate above state average

al njoins Carter’s fight cHyatt The BEST lo urce in the tion so and informa rita Valley! Santa Cla Opinion

Hotel plans to donate event proceeds to child’s battle against Sanfilippo syndrome

....... A4 USA ....... TODAY. ....... . . . . A6 ....... ....... ....... Sports . ....... ...... ....... . . . A7 A9 ....... Classifieds ....... ....... . . . B1 ....... ....... . B3

By Brennon Dixson Signal Staff Writer

After hearing about Carter Sarkar, his fight with Sanfilippo syndrome and the recent million-dollar movement to fund his clinical trial, the Hyatt Regency Valencia has announced that it will donate every dollar from its upcoming fireworks viewing event to the young boy from Castaic. “Our entire staff was deeply moved by the article in Saturday’s paper regarding Carter Sarkar and the fight to save him from Sanfilippo syndrome,” said Natasha Zambrano, sales coordinator at Hyatt Regency Valencia. “We at Hyatt would like to contribute to this fight by offering our parking structure to the community to watch fireworks this upcoming Fourth of July.” Children who are diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome will likely

See CONC

Good mo rning

ERTS, A8

to Signal subscri Louis Gara ber si of Canyon Country

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AY … $25 D N U S & Y A D SATUR EEK … $ 80 W A S Y A D SIX

Austin Dave/The Signal (See additional photos at signalscv.com)

home In this May 2017 photo, Jennifer Sarkar carries her son Carter to a to get on Ponderosa Street in Castaic. The Sarkar family raised $978,467 a clinical trial that might help Carter’s fight against Sanfilippo syndrome. that could develop muscle pains, experience would fund a clinical trial seizures and then, ultimately, die in give Carter a chance at life. “Over the years the structure has their mid-to late-teens, said Jennifer been a gathering place to have an Sarkar, Carter’s mother. festivities As a result, the family held a fun- unobstructed view of the Six Flags,” draiser in the past month with the (and fireworks) from goal to donate a million dollars to Zambrano said. the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization See CARTER, A6 Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, which

INDEX

Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Lottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A7

USA TODAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B3

SCV’s tribute to the greats

Concerts in the Park series set to return to Central Park By Danielle Korzhenyak For The Signal

The crowd-pleasing Concerts in the Park series returns to Santa Clarita for a music-filled summer, starting this weekend at Central Park. Concerts in the Park are free public events put on by the city of Santa Clarita every Saturday night from July 7 until Aug. 25. The shows start at 7 p.m. Get ready to break out your lawn chairs and blankets, grab some tasty snacks from local vendors onsite and listen to some of your favorite genre tribute bands coming to the Saugus park. Here’s a breakdown of each band performing at Concerts in the Park:

July 7

Wanted, a Bon Jovi tribute band, is first up in the lineup of Concerts in the Park. Based out of Los Angeles, the band is made up of professional musicians. The rock ’n’ roll group had immense success, playing to sold out venues and garnering rave reviews. Wanted was finally created after numerous requests from agents and promoters who worked with the band on other projects. See CONCERTS, A8

Good morning to Signal subscriber Louis Garasi of Canyon Country

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S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3 3

BEAUTY

Cool weather, cool looks: tips and tricks for styling

ooler temperatures mean it’s time to change up your wardrobe. While cozy attire, like a great pair of jeans and a favorite sweater, will always be in style, you can keep any outfit on trend by using accessories strategically. The experts at Jewelry Television (JTV) share the following top trends and tricks for using jewelry to enhance your outfit and reflect your one-of-a-kind style.

Trend 1 Jewel tones

Elevate your cool weather wardrobe with designs in deep-jewel tones. Rich and regal, jewel tone colors are saturated hues that resemble specific gemstones. These colors include sapphire blue, emerald green, ruby red, amethyst purple and citrine yellow. Jewel tones look great against monochromatic materials, such as leather and suede. Layer multiple jewel tones or focus on a single hue for your jewelry ensemble and you’ll get the perfect juxtaposition for standout style.

Trend 2 Overstated bling

Be the center of attention with larger-than-life looks, such as over-sized necklaces and bold rings. Statement jewelry is hot during the cool-weather months, and comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Have a minimalist outfit? Statement pieces are a simple way to add fabulous flair. Keep in mind, with statement jewelry, a little goes a long way. To maximize your look, keep other jewelry to a minimum so your statement piece really

Show off a subtler style with larger or elongated earrings.

pops. For example, a large bib necklace of woven crystals and pearls is the ideal way to enhance a basic blazer and can be complemented with simple stud earrings to complete your look.

Trend 3 Linear and lengthening

Show off your subtle style with elongated earrings and necklaces with Y-necks. The fastening technique for elongated necklaces is what makes them stand out from other necklaces. Unlike the traditional clasps, these are fastened by threading one end through the other or by simply tying a knot in the chain. The versatility of these unique necklaces makes them the ideal complement for layered looks. As you put together an outfit, think thin to thick. For instance, start with a tank or basic tee and a Y-necklace. Then add a cardigan or jean jacket to keep

Elevate your cool weather wardrobe with designs in deep-jewel tones.

the chill at bay. On those really cold days, focus on elongated earrings and finish with a pashmina or infinity scarf. Layering allows for versatility throughout the day as the temperature changes while still being stylish.

Trend 4 Nature inspired

Feel the spirit of Mother Nature

and embrace your inner bohemian style with nature-inspired jewelry and accessories. Designs that feature dainty feathers and bold earth tones really reflect this trend. Wear them and you’ll quickly discover they become a conversation starter among friends and coworkers. An easy way to try the nature trend is to add green crystal jewelry pieces to an outfit. For a boho-chic look, consider natural stones such as beautiful blue turquoise for necklaces, rings and more. Any accessory that reflects the environment is a great addition to your wardrobe, including designs featuring leaves, birds and butterflies. To find jewelry featuring these trends and more online, visit www. jtv.com. For more ideas and live tips from their experts, visit the JTV Channel Finder at www.jtv.com/ show/channel-finder to find your local Jewelry Television station. (BPT)

34 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

TIMERANGER

The President’s Son Dies in Castaic … Top of the Sunday morn to all you Mighty Signal saddlepals. Time to mosey back into the calming yesteryears of Santa Clarita history. We’ve a fine ride ahead, with mysteries, pioneers, bad guys, good guys and tons of monkey business. Find someone to whom you’ve taken a liking and follow the dress code (no baggy prison hanging shorts, flip flops or wigs more than a yard tall; it scares the horses …) WAY BACK WHEN & THEN SOME

• We beat all y’all by a bunch Many of us falsely learned that the first major gold strike in California was up north in Sutter’s Mill in 1849. On Oct. 1, 1842, The New York Observer newspaper noted that a major gold discovery just happened in our very own Placerita Canyon. Of course, even the Oak of the Golden Dream was old news. There were major gold mining operations in San Francisquito Canyon in the 1820s and Castaic’s fabled Los Padres Mine in Castaic, which yielded millions — in the 1790s. SEPT. 29, 1919

• Before the days of Home Depot Addi Lyon moseyed back to Newhall to settle for good. Son of one of our 19th century pioneers, Lyon had moved away to manage a power plant in Mendocino. Quite a weather difference. First thing Lyon did when he moved to his dad’s ranch on the west side of town was to run a classified ad in The Signal. Addi wanted to buy 1,000 feet of used 1-inch pipe and “an old house suitable for tearing down for lumber.” Back then, often when people moved, they literally took the boards off their houses and moved the lumber with them. • Evidently the driver didn’t have tunnel vision A semi-trailer truck got stuck in the old Newhall road tunnel. The truck, considered big because it could carry 9 tons, was carrying oil rig machinery from Los Angeles to Taft — a two-day drive back then. The 13-foot-diameter housing got stuck in the old tunnel, which today would be just about right under Sierra Highway next to Beale’s Cut. • Come and listen to my story about a man named … Ed Clampitt was buried on this date. For historical note, he was no relationship to Jed Clampitt, patriarch of the Beverly Hillbillies.

SEPT. 29, 1929

• The president’s son is missing Here’s a real oddball one for you. Ulysses S. Grant Jr. died on this date in a motel room in Sandberg, on the Ridge Route, just north of Castaic. He was in the best of health when he went to bed and quite dead the next morning. Ulysses was the youngest son of the American president of the same name. The body of the president’s son was taken to San Diego, where Grant had lived, for interment. Isn’t that a kick in the britches? U.S. Grant Jr. himself died here? • Yes. I know. “What” trees?!?!?! Remi Nadeau, multi-millionaire and owner of the Nadeau Ranch (which would be around the Whites Canyon/ Soledad area) came back from Arizona with five new breeds of deer. Remi kept a tree-lined resort and zoo on the property. Most of the critters were deer. People from all over visited the place, just to picnic amongst the trees. SEPT. 29, 1939

• Yup. Forrest Park has two Rs Henry Lang, a recluse who lived in a small Forrest Park cabin, died on this date in rather a grisly fashion. He apparently suffered a heart attack and fell atop his hot stove. His body and clothing caught fire and his charred remains were found about a week later. A little trivia. The ACTUAL real name of Forrest Park up past Canyon Country is For Rest Park. Back in the 1930s, a sign painter was given the job of creating a new welcome sign to the community. He didn’t put a space between “For” and “Rest.” Another SCV typo in our legacy. SEPT. 29, 1949

• I never thought it was a good idea to take chemistry Three Hart students were badly injured in a lab

experiment in Roy Dunden’s chemistry class. Fred Gibson, Jerry Morse and Bob Donaldson were all cut in the face with broken glass after an experiment went awry and a beaker exploded. Another of Dunden’s pupils, later, in 1956, would die when an after-school experiment ended in an explosion. Poor kid stumbled around, seeking help and bled to death.

its first continuation high school. It was christened, “Bowman,” after the dashing and controversial trustee and educator, Jereann Bowman. • The first Cougars College of the Canyons held their first week of classes. That first semester, COC was open only at night, held their classes at Hart High and had 500 students.

SEPT. 29, 1955

• And the name sorta stuck As early as the 1930s, thanks to Signal Editor A.B. “Dad” Thatcher, we’ve affectionately called ourselves the Little Santa Clara River Valley and from that, the Santa Clarita Valley. Thanks, Dad. But, finally, in an unofficial straw vote, the name, “Santa Clarita Valley” was adopted to refer to this region.

• Young, famous and dead Teen hearthrob and soon-to-be film icon James Dean, 24, died in a fiery car wreck on Highway 99 a couple of hours north of here. Dean had stopped off at Tip’s cafe in Castaic to have his last meal on this plane of existence. The waitress who last served Dean said he ordered a very simple and American apple pie and glass of milk. SEPT. 29, 1959

• The absolute luckiest man in SCV history Gale Pickens was skydiving out of the old 6S airfield in Canyon Country. His chute didn’t open all the way. He hit some high-tension wires. They broke. He hit them and the nanosecond he fell through, they crossed and arced with 33,000 volts of electricity. All Pickens sustained was a broken ankle. SEPT. 29, 1969

• Local boy makes good He is known as the greatest athlete to come out of the SCV. Hart High’s former star, Joe Kapp, led the Minnesota Vikings to a 52-14 win over the Baltimore Colts. Kapp tied the NFL record for most TDs in a game (7) that still stands today and set a Viking passing mark with 449 yards. Kapp is the ONLY player to compete in a Super Bowl, Rose Bowl and Canada’s football championship game, the Grey Cup. Alas, the quarterback lost all three … • The splendiferous rascal Signal owner, editor, publisher and pirate journalist Scott Newhall began an epic journey to sail his newly purchased steam-powered paddle boat from England to San Francisco. The 105-foot, 166-ton Reliant would make an 11,000-mile voyage. With his wooden leg, Scotty cut a swashbuckling figure as a sea captain. • Home of fine poets & souls The Santa Clarita opened the doors to

SEPT. 29, 1972

SEPT. 29, 1979

• Still miss the dear lanky cowpoke Newhall’s legendary cowpoke and personal pal o’ mine, Andy Jauregui, was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma. Andy started ranching as a boy and at 15, was given an offer he couldn’t refuse riding horses in the rodeo for $2 a day. I’ve got tons of Andy stories. One of my favorites was when he unintentionally closed down most of Newhall. Andy was giving roping lessons to a couple of Hollywood types at his Placerita Canyon ranch. Word got out and hundreds of people innocently started dropping by, bringing everything from pies to casseroles for a “friendly visit” and sit atop the corral rails. Seems Andy was giving general cowboying lessons to Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. I can see that familiar glow up ahead. That’s our re-entrance to the here-and-now of present-day Santa Clarita, give or take a few seconds. I surely enjoy the company on these history trail rides. See you all in seven days and I’ll bring along your own, personal time-traveling horse. Until then — Vayan con Dios, amigos de la silla de montar! (Ride with God, saddlepals …) 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 29, 2019

GETTIN’ UP THERE

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3 5

SENIORLIVING

Did you hear the one about the aging ear? By Diana Sevanian Signal Staff Writer

here I was, washing dishes as the TV blared nearby. Suddenly, a bizarre question came from my Sony. “Do you like crap?” WTH? What kind of commercial is this? The voice continued. “How long has it been since you had really good crap?” I couldn’t believe my ears were processing such a foul query. Quickly, I dried my hands and raced to the screen to see who the buffoon was. I saw it was me. This was a Crab Fest ad for Red Lobster — and I’d just experienced my first undeniable encounter with hearing changes. (As if the super-loud TV and use of captions weren’t telltale …) How did this happen? Seems like yesterday when I could detect my kid’s cuss words from a football field away. Was it all the years of using headphones, listening to rock and roll on extreme volume? (Probably didn’t help.) Or digging too deeply in my ears with my former beau’s French cologne-dipped Q-tips? (Eh. But I so enjoyed that experience.) Or maybe my inner Buddha commanding this historically gullible empath to stand firm against the ambient lies and BS? (I’d buy that one but doubt it would manifest as confusing consonants). The American Academy of Audiology reports that age-related hearing loss (AKA “presbycusis”) affects onethird of adults over 60, and usually presents as high-pitched hearing deficits often noticed by subtle hearing changes. Alterations in inner ear structures, blood flow, hearing nerve issues and how the brain processes sound and speech are common causes. Diabetes, poor circulation, noise exposure, medications and other

problems can exacerbate it. Asking people to repeat themselves, having difficulty hearing in noisy milieus, missing words or phrases and cranking up the TV or radio are common signs. In reading about the topic, I related to a quote from SCV audiologist Nola Aronson of Advanced Audiology: “Most the time it starts with not fully understanding what somebody is saying to you. You can hear them, but sometimes you have a hard time understanding the words. As we age, hearing loss doesn’t start with an overall loss of volume. Most of the time you just start having problems with certain frequencies. These frequencies are usually the higher ones that make up the “S” and “T” sounds. Losing these upper frequencies can play tricks on your ears making you think you hear one word when really it was another.” Yup. Audiologist Patrice Rifkind of Audiology Associates cautions that unmanaged hearing loss can take a toll. The negative effects can include: Decreased quality of life, isolation, anxiety, sadness, and diminished social connections. Some good news: Avoiding repetitive exposure to loud noises, wearing hearing protection, better health management and using assistive devices can be successful tools in living with age-related hearing loss. Regrettably, most of us Boomers poked fun at “hard of hearing” elders when we were young. (Ayyy?) Back then we easily took our wellbeing and the wondrous phenomenon of intact senses for granted. Now that we’ve become the wiser, ascended generation, we must preserve what we have, including the miracle of hearing. I really do give a crab about this situation. So, I’ve added “audiology evaluation” to my self-care to-do list. Because once you start mistaking an edible crustacean for a bowel movement, it’s seriously time to listen up. Diana Sevanian is a retired registered nurse and longtime Signal features writer and columnist.

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36 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

GARDENING

By Jane Gates Signal Staff Writer

s weather starts to cool, getting the garden into shape for winter becomes important. Maybe we will have another rainy winter to relieve gardens after past years of low rainfall. Or maybe we will be back to drought again. No one knows for sure. But it’s best to prepare for anything! My new gardening mantra is “hope for the best, expect the worst and get on with the present!” It keeps me focused. Just in case we do have one of those heavy downpours that used to be common to the area, make sure you have your drains cleared and channeled where runoff will cause no damage. Even better, make provisions

to collect whatever rainwater falls. Creating culverts with underground container systems or even simple rain barrels will serve. Just make sure you have any rain storage system screened off to keep mosquitoes from breeding in your saved water. Stored water can be very useful during the dry periods. And, this is the perfect time of year to add storage to your autumn to-do list. There are plenty of jobs to do outdoors now. Here is a quick runthrough of autumn garden chores you might want to consider doing. Some are reminders if you didn’t have a chance to do them this past month. Keep up with wildfire prevention for the property that surrounds your home. Despite the fact that the ”new normal” means wildfires can pop up at any time of year, the traditional autumnal Santa Ana wind season usually arrives in October. So, the

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potential is about to double. Rake up leaves and dead sticks that could harbor over-wintering pests. Recycle as much of this material as possible in a compost pile or bin. Leaves can provide mulch that locks moisture in the soil so long as there is adequate rain to penetrate to the covering. A better alternative these days is to compost the leaves or shred them into small pieces before using as mulch. This way even light rain can be absorbed easier. Fallen organic debris is also less likely to offer safe harbor for insect pests when broken up for mulch. As I’ve said before, we haven’t had old-fashioned frosty winters in many years, but that doesn’t mean one couldn’t happen this year. It used to be advisable to put water features to sleep by draining pipes of water so lines don’t freeze and break with expanding ice. Especially if you live in an open, vulnerable-to-cold area, it won’t hurt to drain or wrap exposed water lines and give delicate pond plants some protection. Lightly cover or bring indoors any sensitive plants, pots, décor, fish or other delicate garden residents that will not tolerate a possible cold spell. Or, keep a fabric tarp handy to drape overnight over tender parts of the landscape. Trim trees and shrubs as they go into dormancy. Sap flow lessens in the shorter days of autumn and winter, so woody plants actually bleed less if pruned at this time. Planting trees is most successful now for the same reason. Young trees lose many of the fine root hairs when disturbed, but they will have more time to grow them back before they are needed to drink heavily for active growth.

Autumn is the ideal time for doing all major work with trees and woody shrubs. It’s time to shop, order and set out autumn-planted bulbs for spring. Some showy bulbs that do well in our area are the big, showy Peruvian (or, more accurately “Portuguese”) Lily or Giant Scilla, Scilla peruviana, autumn crocus, Colchium, and any of a wide range of Narcissus/Daffodil bulbs. The gophers seem to have little interest in these bulbs as well as Crocosmia and related Chasmantha corms. California native bulbs like Calochortus and Triteleia have given me spotty successes. (Even a number of our local native plants are having a hard time with the drought and warmer temperatures.) Check your home and other structures for potential entries — gaps and small holes — and cover them with ¼-inch hardware cloth to keep rodents from moving in for the winter. Rodents are particularly aggressive about invading our spaces due to the reduction of land, water and food in the wild. Clean and sharpen garden tools and store them in a dry place. An easy sharpening trick for shovels and forks is to store them in a sheltered, dry spot in a bucket of sand. Sliding them up and down helps to sharpen them while the sand supports them upright and keeps them dry. Your landscape will have a number of its own special areas for attention, but these are just some suggestions that will help you get your garden into good shape for the coming winter season so it will be easy for both you and your garden to enjoy the coming months.

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3 7

YOURHOMESOLD

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38 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019 • Open Floor Plan • No Mello Roos • Dual Pane Vinyl Windows & Sliders • Wood Burning Fireplace • Four Bedrooms • Two Completely Remodeled Bathrooms • Direct Access Two Car Garage • Stamped Brick Border Walks and Patio • Private Backyard with Peek-a-Boo View • Possible RV Parking • Remodeled Kitchen, Custom Cabinets, Granite Counters, Solid Oak Floors

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Are you looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded city life, whether its just for the weekend, or PERMANENTLY? Come and look at this home in Pine Mountain Club, Santa Clarita's best kept secret! This 2,304 sq ft Log Cabin home has rural charm mixed with practical layout and a LOT of STORAGE!!. Large Covered Front Porch! 3 Bedrooms plus a Bonus Room. 1 Full bath and 2 half baths. Master bedroom on the top floor as well as a recently converted Master Bedroom on the bottom floor. The property is just over a Quarter Acre of USABLE land! Also, close to the heart of Pine Mountain Club where you will enjoy restaurants, the local festivals, golf course, hiking trails, and much more! FANTASTIC VACATION HOME, OR PERMANENT RESIDENCE!!! Come see for yourself!!!!

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

Opinion

S U N D AY S I G N A L · 3 9

Unless otherwise stated, the views and opinions expressed are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Signal.

OURVIEWS

E T H I C A L LY S P E A K I N G

Democrat Strategy: Shoot Cohesive Ethics: Just as First, Ask Questions Later Body Parts Interconnect... By David Hegg

By The Signal Editorial Board

hoot first, ask questions later. That’s the M.O. of Democrats in Congress who seem especially desperate to find something, anything, that will give them cover to impeach President Trump. And now, the Santa Clarita Valley’s own representative, Democrat Katie Hill, has joined the witch hunt. The latest iteration is the kerfuffle over Trump’s phone conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. A so-called “whistleblower” — who wasn’t even present for the conversation — alleged that Trump tried to extort cooperation from the Ukrainian president to investigate actions of Democratic presidential hopeful, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his son, in their dealings with the former Soviet republic. As the “whistleblower” put it, Trump threatened to withhold $400 million in military aid unless the Ukrainian president cooperated. Then a funny thing happened. Trump called the bluff and released a transcript of the conversation, in which Trump made no such threat. In fact, as the president correctly pointed out this week, Biden himself

is guilty of doing the very thing the Democrats are accusing Trump of doing. Biden bragged about it in a videotaped interview. Predictably, there’s not much noise coming from the left side of the aisle about that. So, here we go again. Congress is back in session and all you hear is “impeach the president.” The Democrats became unglued with anticipation that they would now have something to impeach the president on. They held a press conference saying they would start a formal impeachment inquiry because of these whistleblower allegations. They had no idea what the facts were but they decided to start “formal investigations.” The problem is that such a “formal investigation” is really just a dog and pony show when it comes to impeachment. They either impeach or they don’t. To impeach they will have to get a majority of the House to vote for it. The “formal investigation” is just politics. It was a tool for Democratic See OUR VIEW, page 41

wenty-five years ago I suffered a freakish breakdown of my knees. As I pushed off to hit an overhead in a tennis match, my left patella fractured and the patella tendon ruptured. A millisecond later the same pair of injuries happened to my right knee. After two surgeries on each knee, my parts were wired back together and healing began. For several weeks I was confined to a wheelchair with both legs immobilized. Then I progressed to braces that allowed for additional extension week by week. Finally I graduated to hard rubber braces for each knee that allowed me to start trying to walk. When those braces came off, I found that my proprioception was out of whack, and I literally had to learn to walk again. During the ensuing weeks of physical therapy I relearned how to walk and began rebuilding the muscles in my legs that had atrophied considerably. After almost a year of therapy and exercise I was able to resume life

although my contract with the Lakers was no longer viable (kidding). During that period I learned many valuable lessons. One had to do with the calves on both of my legs. Before the injury I had very large calves. After the braces came off my legs looked like pencil shafts. It was apparent that the injury to one part of my body had devastating effects on other parts. And as I started trying to walk again, I found that the weakness in my knees put undue pressure on my hips and back, causing them to grow increasingly painful. And the cramping of the back muscles caused my shoulders and neck to tense and … well you get the idea. Turns out the body is not just a group of parts. It is a consistent whole that acts holistically. When one part is out of joint the whole system suffers. The same is true in most other systems, from assembly lines to football teams. For systems to achieve their purposes the various parts must do their job. In philosophy this is called See HEGG, page 40

READERLETTERS

The Lost Art of Longhand Once upon a time, writing in longhand, “putting pen to paper,” was commonplace and done daily to those who wished to do so. Writing a letter to friends and loved ones was time-consuming, but it was a more personal way showing that more care was taken as opposed to pounding on a keyboard. Longhand has been shown to enable people to express their emotions, focus on their feelings and come to terms with their feelings. Something is lost when one doesn’t pick up the pen to write a letter.

Longhand can facilitate better self-expression, and allows the writer to spell correctly without the aid of the correction key on the keyboard. There are too many toxic online communications, which is one of the causes for the uncalled abuse and nastiness in online interaction. Longhand is unique to each person, making it unique for the writer to appreciate it. With more handwriting communications there would be a possibility that one could pause and think, and take their time, which would be helpful in treating themselves and others with more respect and care.

I originally wrote this letter to the editor in longhand, and it was most gratifying. I didn't use the word correction key when I misspelled a word. Instead, I took the time for the correct spelling on my trusty Franklin Dictionary and Thesaurus. Again, most gratifying. Lois Eisenberg, Valencia Submit a Letter to the Editor

Include name, address & phone number; Anonymous letters are not printed; Email: letters@signalscv.com; Mail to: Letters to the Editor, The Signal, 26330 Diamond Place, Ste. 100, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.

4 0 · S U N D AY S I G N A L

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

Contact: Tim Whyte, Signal Editor Phone: 661-287-5591 | Email: letters@signalscv.com Mail: 26330 Diamond Place, Suite 100, Santa Clarita, CA 91350

Opinion

BLACK&WHYTE

D R AW I N G CO N C LU S I O N S D R E W L I T TO N

An Erratic Suspect and a Split-Second Decision as a matter of due course and procedure will inevitably lay out more he man was behavdetails, so there may be ing erratically. In things we don’t yet know. the moment, it was But for now, that’s the anybody’s guess as to what information we have. was causing his strange So, assuming for now behavior. Drugs? Mental that’s all accurate — and illness? I do — put yourself in Death wish? the shoes of the deputy Employees at Jimmy Dean’s, a local who was on the receiving end of the fast food restaurant, were concerned second attack by the bizarrely behavwhen they saw him jumping around ing suspect. You know he’s already outside the business, yelling and attacked one of your fellow deputies. screaming, and he began shedding his You know he has already grabbed a clothing. radio and a taser, and you don’t know They did the right thing: They called whether he might know how to use the law enforcement. taser against you, or A deputy from the anyone else. Santa Clarita ValCould this man be Could this man be a ley Sheriff ’s Station a danger to you, your responded. When the danger to you, your fellow deputies and deputy encountered the many civilians the man in the Valen- fellow deputies and in the surrounding cia Industrial Center, businesses? the many civilians it escalated quickYou have a ly into a physical split-second deciin the surrounding confrontation — and sion to make. He’s the man managed to businesses? You attacking you. What take the deputy’s taser do you do? and handheld radio, have a split-second I know what I’d do. and then smashed a I’d shoot him. decision to make. window of the patrol And that’s what car. the deputy did. The He’s attacking you. Imagine if he’d deputy fired two gotten the deputy’s What do you do? shots, hitting Alvaro gun. We’d be telling a Venegas, 35, in the much different story. upper torso. Venegas The deputy mandied at the scene. aged to get back to the radio in the What happened over the next few patrol car and call for backup. When hours is my one big gripe about how the backup deputies arrived, the man the Sheriff ’s Department handled the attacked them, too, this time wielding a stick and injuring one of the deputies flow of information on this incident: They knew the suspect was deceased. in the face. The Fire Department responded to The above is how the Sheriff ’s Dea “psych rescue” call at the scene and partment’s Homicide Bureau has desaid they transported no one to the scribed the incident, and at this point we have no reason to doubt its accura- hospital. Yet, for several hours after the By Tim Whyte Signal Editor

cy. The investigation that will happen

See WHYTE, page 41

HEGG

Continued from page 39

coherence. A system is said to cohere when its parts function in a logical consistency. Ethical systems are no different. Our personal value systems are coherent to the extent that they remain viable in all situations and can explain the reality of our world. But increasingly the personal ethical systems represented in our society are crumbling under the weight of pragmatism and self-ism. Sadly, the decay caused by these two ideologies is bringing undue pressure and pain on many other segments of society. Unethical practices in business are hurting the financial markets. Unethical behavior in medicine is hurting the insurance industry, and the consumer. Unethical actions and decisions by clergy and politicians are causing pain to individuals and families in increasing numbers. It is not an overstatement to say that our societal ethic is being eroded … one selfish, greedy act at a time. It won’t do to stand by and watch as the basic standards of honesty, morality, tolerance, respect for authority, and love of neighbor are eroded slowly by those seeking to rewrite the basic storyline of American society.

But increasingly the personal ethical systems represented in our society are crumbling under the weight of pragmatism and self-ism. Sadly, the decay caused by these two ideologies is bringing undue pressure and pain on many other segments of society. The questions we need to be asking aren’t primarily financial; they are ethical. Good societies are made up of good people, and where goodness wanes, society devolves into a painful collection of disparate groups rather than a cohesive whole. Our motto – “E pluribus unum” – calls us away from self-ism to a collective ethic that asks the best of us all. David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church and a Santa Clarita resident.“Ethically Speaking” appears Sundays.

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

S U N D AY S I G N A L · 4 1

Opinion

OUR VIEW

Continued from page 39

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to keep her party together and appease the radical wing of the party. It’s just the latest instance of the Democrats throwing everything at the wall, determined to find something that sticks. The Russian collusion hoax fell through with the Robert Mueller report. So did any obstruction charges — no evidence. So now we have the “whistleblower.” The transcript of Trump’s conversation with Zelensky shows that, while the president did ask for an investigation, there was no quid pro quo, there was no offer in return for anything, there was no money mentioned. The president was asking for an investigation of former Vice President Biden for going on camera and bragging about forcing the last Ukrainian president to fire a prosecutor — while leveraging $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees. Biden, who was in Ukraine at the time, told the Ukrainian president that if he did not fire the prosecutor in six

It’s long past time for Congress to work on these and the other real issues they were elected to handle, rather than preoccupying themselves with politically motivated, time-consuming and costly efforts to take down a president they don’t like. hours the United States government would withhold the $1 billion. In a videotaped panel discussion for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018, Biden boasted that the Ukrainian prosecutor was fired within that sixhour period: “I said, ‘I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars,’” Biden recounted. “We leave in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch, he got fired.” Well, indeed. The Ukrainian prosecutor was believed to be looking into the dealings of Burisma Holdings, a large gas company doing business in Ukraine, the same company that had Biden’s son Hunter Biden on its board of directors. Hunter Biden — yes, the same Hunter Biden who was discharged from the

WHYTE

Continued from page 40

incident occurred, no one in the Sheriff ’s Department — not locally, not Homicide, not the Sheriff ’s Information Bureau — would confirm that the suspect was deceased. There was no doubt. They knew he was deceased. And, we “knew,” too, intuitively at least — but in the interest of responsible reporting, we refrained from including that in our online coverage until we got confirmation from the Sheriff ’s Department. It took more than three hours to answer a simple, yes-or-no question, to which the answer was clearly already a known fact: “Is the suspect deceased?” I know they have procedures they must follow. I know there are strict protocols for investigating things like an officer-involved shooting and that’s understandable, to a point. We’ve recently had good, productive conversations with SCV Sheriff ’s Station leadership about such things. But it shouldn’t take three hours — closer to four, really — to simply acknowledge a fatality has occurred, even if the rest of the details aren’t ready.

U.S. Navy Reserve after testing positive for cocaine in 2014 — was receiving up to $50,000 a month to serve on the board, even though he had no industry experience and no Ukraine experience. And he had his father, the vice president with $1 billion worth of aid in his back pocket as leverage, there to run interference for him. The president has a right and duty to ask for an investigation where there is such clear-cut evidence of wrongdoing. Yet, Congress turns a blind eye to that while continuing to waste time and money on politically motivated investigations targeting the president, including the two-year, $30-million Mueller probe. As Katie Hill herself has acknowledged, impeachment “is as political as anything else.” Yet, there the congresswoman was

It’s a bad look, if nothing else. But back to the shooting: Did the deputy do the right thing? Based on what we know, I say yes. The speculation on social media was predictable and quick, because many folks out there are predisposed to blame law enforcement in any such situation, and it’s really easy to second-guess someone else’s split-second decision while you have ample time to ponder it and break things down. The reactions went along these lines: Why did they have to shoot him? Couldn’t they have tased him? Couldn’t they have “talked him down”? Couldn’t they just shoot him in the leg? Let’s take that last one first. Someone has been watching too many movies. As I understand it, law enforcement officers are trained that, if they conclude deadly force is what’s needed — and they often have an instant to make that decision — they should shoot at “center mass,” the largest possible target. That’s the torso. This doesn’t mean they are “shooting to kill.” It means they are “shooting to stop.” The notion of anyone — even a highly trained, skilled professional — with adrenaline flowing, under attack, in a high-stress, high-risk situation with an unpredictable, out-of-control suspect, being able to

this week, jumping on the impeachment bandwagon. A Quinnipiac University poll — taken last weekend, with the TrumpUkraine controversy dominating the news — reported that 57% of Americans were not in favor of impeachment. The American people and Santa Claritans want Congress to work on real problems. They were elected to work on immigration reform, infrastructure, the opioid crisis, healthcare costs and trade issues, like the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement. We have those and many other real problems that need to be addressed. When Katie Hill was elected she said she would work across the aisle in a bipartisan manner to find solutions to these problems. Yet, you could measure her bipartisanship — and the House’s progress on these issues — with a pocket ruler. It’s long past time for Congress to work on these and the other real issues they were elected to handle, rather than preoccupying themselves with politically motivated, time-consuming and costly efforts to take down a president they don’t like. And, if the American people want a new president, there is an election in a little over a year.

marshal the precision to “shoot to wound” a moving target, is simply not realistic. I’m close to someone who is in law enforcement. And if that person is ever in a situation like this one, I don’t want them second-guessing, pondering the decision, or trying to graze the suspect on the kneecap. “Hold still while I take aim…” It just doesn’t happen like that in real life. It’s sad that Alvaro Venegas is dead. As we must, when someone in such a situation dies, we have told his story, too. He was a seasonal farm worker from Vacaville. He leaves behind a 6-year-old son, and according to his ex-wife he had wrestled with some vexing personal demons for the past several years, including being schizophrenic. Whatever his mental condition, his actions that day are what brought about his demise. It’s tragic, and I’m sure the deputy who was involved has had to wrestle with the emotional impacts of being the shooter who took a life. I can only imagine how heavily that weighs on a person. But as far as I can tell, in that moment, in that fateful split second, the deputy didn’t have much choice. Tim Whyte is editor of The Signal. His column appears Sundays. On Twitter: @TimWhyte.

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CROSSWORD TIME

S E P T E M B E R 29, 2019

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

A cruise on the root canal By Jim Mullen Signal Contributing Writer

ristotle once wrote that women have fewer teeth than men. For years, that was held up as proof that one of the smartest men who ever lived was actually an idiot. “Why,” people wonder, “didn’t he just look into a woman’s mouth?” OK, let’s say he did. How many teeth would he find in your mouth? Most of us start with 32 teeth, but how many do you have right now? If Aristotle counted a few people’s teeth today, what would he think? He’d probably think that everyone has a different amount. And he’d wonder what happened to everyone’s wisdom teeth. I don’t know if it’s evolution or what, but our jaws don’t seem big enough to contain all our teeth anymore. Maybe the food we eat is much softer than our ancestors’ — or maybe it’s simply that we can remove problem teeth almost painlessly now. Almost painlessly. I had a root canal last week and the procedure was almost painless — if you don’t count the “you’ll feel a slight pinch” lidocaine injections and having all three of the dentist’s hands in my mouth for, like, two hours. It’s much better than having to live with a throbbing toothache, but painless? That’s not quite the way I’d describe it. Of course, the thing that hurt the most was the bill. The kind of skill required to do a root canal does not come cheap, and these days, it seems like I’m getting a root canal or an implant every couple years. Fillings and crowns that I had done 35 years ago are all starting to fall apart, and the repairs, though beautiful, aren’t cheap. I have a dentist friend who lives in another state, Dr. Bob (not his real

name. His real name is Larry), who used to teach at a dental school. He said he was walking by a student numbing a patient one day, and he could see the needle sticking out of the patient’s neck while he squirted lidocaine all over the floor. He didn’t want to yell at the student, afraid the kid might jerk back and make things even worse, so Dr. Bob/Larry said very calmly, “I think you could back off on that syringe a little.” But as for me, I walked out of my dentist’s chair a comfortably numbed man. Funny, I can’t taste my chewing gum at all. Oh, right, I don’t chew gum — that was my cheek or my tongue I was chomping on. That’s not gonna feel good when this stuff wears off. For most of us, getting older isn’t an event, it’s a process. One day you wake up and your foot doesn’t work. Food that never used to bother you now has a longer list of “side effects” than the ones you hear for medicines on TV commercials. And none of them pleasant. Your calendar is full of doctor’s appointments. Why can’t my foot doctor also tell me what this rash is on my side? Why can’t she tell me if this mole looks odd? Why is hair suddenly growing on the back of my thumb? That can’t be right. Do I need a separate appointment for that, Doc? I’m acquiring quite a collection of knee, wrist and elbow braces that are too loose or too tight or too ugly to wear in public. Though I don’t know why that stops me; it doesn’t seem to bother anyone else in Walmart. Am I trying to pretend I’m still young? I’m certainly not as active as I used to be. I sit at the computer so long I think my butt is getting carpal tunnel syndrome. The lidocaine is finally wearing off. I know, because I can feel the pain in my cheek. How much of myself did I cannibalize? I’m afraid to look. How much will a cheek implant cost?

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

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