Sunday Signal Nov. 18, 2018

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

NOVEMBER 18, 2018

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Your News, Entertainment & Lifestyle Source

12

THE SOUNDS OF FIERCE BROSNAN

25

ENJOY A MORRO BAY GETAWAY

41

CELEBRATING THE SCV’S SINGLE MOMS

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

Holiday Magic Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital announces its 38th Annual Holiday Home Tour and Preview Gala for 2018.

In 1981, a fundraising project was established by the Hospital Auxiliary, with Betty Burke as chairwoman, which became the first Holiday Home Tour. In 1982, the Home Tour League was founded to expand the volunteer base and promote participation from the community.

Since its inception, the Home Tour League has focused on fundraising for Women’s Services. To date, the League has raised upwards of $1,000,000, which includes naming two rooms in the Emergency and Trauma Center and a Nurses Station in the new Patient Tower. One of their most recent and gratifying accomplishments has been the Kim and Steven Ullman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit which opened in 2012. In 2018, the Home Tour will be designating funds towards the Center for Women and Newborns in the new Patient Tower.

This year’s tour features a total of four beautiful homes in the community.

Three homes are located in the Southern Oaks area of Stevenson Ranch, and one is in Westridge.

“Home Tour is so thrilled to present four lovely local homes for viewing this year.” said Debra Weyand, Home Tour President. “Our homeowners and decorators are already in full swing preparing a wonderful tour filled with “Holiday Magic” for our community!”

Participating home tour decorators include a very special lineup of gifted individuals: Patrick Tremblay of Tremblay House of Design, Karen Reilly of Robella Creations, along with hand-picked design students from COC, Debbie Filippelli and Bernard Underwood of An Intimate Place/B.U. Designs.

Preview Gala:

Holiday Home Tour

The Oaks Club at Valencia,

Tickets are sold in advance for $30 at select Santa Clarita Valley vendors, at the hospital gift shop and at henrymayogiving.com.

Tickets may be purchased for $35 on the day of the event at the boutique or at the homes.

No one under 12 admitted. No pets admitted.

Event will take place rain or shine.

Friday, November 30, 2018, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 1, 2018 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

26550 Heritage View Lane, Valencia Homes open for viewing from 5 - 8 p.m.

Preview the beautiful homes, and then enjoy a festive buffet dinner.

Black tie/festive attire.

Tickets are sold in advance for $150 per person, no later than November 28.

Visit henrymayogiving.com or 661.200.1200.

To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit henrymayogiving.com or call 661.200.1200.

Holiday Home Tour Boutique: Saturday, December 1 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Henry Mayo Center (located on the hospital campus)

23803 McBean Pkwy, Valencia This is a FREE event offering a wide selection of gifts for sale.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 3

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS FEATURES

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Valencia High’s band readies for big shows • What keeps Santa Clarita moving • SCV help for Haiti • From the Ukraine with love • Celebrating SCV’s single moms

NEWS OF THE WEEK

10

Smith unseats Acosta • City expresses concern with proposed high-speed rail • City to annex a total of 3,118 acres • Doves for Elliot • Villanueva widens lead in sheriff race

SPORTS

15

Back on the chain gang

REAL ESTATE

16

This week in real estate

OPINION

20

Our View • David Hegg • Tim Whyte

CALENDAR 23

0 Pineview, Canyon Country 91387 Listing ID:SR16068789

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Features include Power, public water, a well, gas to property and fencing. Access is from a small street that makes this a very private and quiet place to live.

This is a must see to appreciate what is offered with Bob Kellar this property. Buyer will be provided all development 661.510.0987 plans and documents to include house plans upon 16670 Soledad Cyn Rd purchase agreement. This is a rare opportunity to buy kellar@earthlink.net CalBRE#01030351 a magnificent property for you and your family.

TIME RANGER

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TRAVEL

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Morro Bay

KIDS & FAMILY

26

Donna’s Day • Family memories

SHOPPING 27 The Black Friday Survival Guide

THANKSGIVING

28

Traditional Thanksgiving and a turkey-free option

ENTERTAINMENT

33

Queen Nation coming to Canyon Santa Clarita

FOOD

36

Five desserts • Kathy Kellar’s buttermilk brownies

SENIORS

39

Different kinds of arthritis

GARDENING

40

Planting for the fall • Lawn care

BRAIN GAMES

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Games • Crossword • Village Idiot

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 5

S C V F E AT U R E

Pride of the Vikings prepping for parade show

By Brennon Dixson Signal Staff Writer

A

fter a successful seventh annual Pride of the Vikings Field Show Tournament last Thursday, members of Valencia High School’s marching band and color guard are eager for their upcoming performance at the prestigious Carnegie Hall and St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York.

More than 1,200 performers from local southern California high schools gathered last Thursday at Valencia High, where the schools showcased the typical artistic visual pageantry, heart-pounding music and innovative marching formation designs that are typically found at field shows across the SCV, said Terry Collier, a media representative for the Valencia High School Band & Flag Boosters.

With rifles, sabers and other props in hand, color guards and bands representing nearly 20 schools battled to secure the show’s awards, a higher ranking and a spot in the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association championship competition.

Band director Mark Judd and

Valencia High School performs at seventh annual Pride of the Vikings Field Show Tournament at Valencia High School.

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

members of the Visual and Music Design Team crafted a program called “New York Cityscapes,” said Collier, “which musically conceptualizes the unique energy of New York. With the political landscape being divisive sometimes, we thought we’d share a beautiful story about how music

brings us together. We all have the mutual love for music.”

By incorporating music genres, such as jazz and other elements that reflect the city’s cultural diversity, the show celebrates the melting pot of a city that is New York, according to Collier. The performance features the

Hart High School performs at the seventh annual Pride of the Vikings Field Show Tournament.

prominent boroughs and Broadway before turning to Ellis Island, where the band projects historical pictures of children and parents arriving.

The goal was to create a unique performance that musically and visually represents New York, Collier said, adding the team was quite successful.

“These band and color guard students have worked very hard since the beginning of the summer this year, and we are so proud of their accomplishments,” Valencia High Principal Steve Ford added. As a school that encourages students to excel in academics, sports and the fine arts, this is an important event for Valencia High School “It brings us joy to offer ways that bring the Santa Clarita Community together,” Ford said. “I strongly encourage everyone in the area to support the music program and enjoy the great performances from these school bands in the surrounding communities.”

All proceeds from last Thursday’s tournament will be used for ongoing fundraising efforts of VHS’s music program, said Channon Morris, president of the boosters board. “We encourage businesses to visit our website for great opportunities to be a sponsor.” 

6 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S C V F E AT U R E

City Hall’s eyes on Santa Clarita’s traffic

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

T

he Santa Clarita Valley is home to Six Flags Magic Mountain, some of the best golf courses in the region and an evolving arts scene. But with growing amenities comes miles of traffic congestion in and around the area.

Every day, thousands of vehicles pass through the streets and highways that make up the valley, cluttering the roads and stretching commute times for those who live here.

But at the Santa Clarita City Hall, traffic engineers have been working to solve one of the most common concerns raised by residents.

The solution is an operation Gus Pivetti, a city traffic engineer, and Cesar Romo, a city traffic signal system administrator, refer to as ITS, their state-of-the-art technology, that’s short for the Intelligent Transportation System.

The system helps manage traffic circulation on the streets with the

ultimate goal of “keeping drivers safe and helping traffic flow better” through a network of multiple monitors, camera controls, fiber optic cables and alarms.

This is all housed in a screen-covered room on the third floor at City Hall known as the Traffic Operations Center, thanks to the city’s multiphase master plan to develop the ITS. “In phase one in 2005, the city earned several grants to from Metro and other local funds to help build the Traffic Operations Center. We started as a small office with only about 10 monitoring cameras,” said Romo.

Today, the city is in its fifth phase, and since then, more fiber optic cables, 101 new generation traffic signal controllers, automated turning movement count systems and battery backup systems at 120 traffic signals have been installed.

Phase five grant funds alone totaled $2.1 million of the nearly $20.3 million funds from Metro, state, federal and local funds for the

Above: Gus Pivetti, traffic engineer with the city of Santa Clarita, looks at multiple screens that overlook main intersections in real time at the city’s Traffic Center Control on Nov. 6, 2018.

Right: Cesar Romo, traffic signal system administrator with the city of Santa Clarita, looks at multiple screens that overlook main intersections in real time at the city’s Traffic Center Control on Nov. 6, 2018.

PHOTOS BY TAMMY MURGA / THE SIGNAL

Santa Clarita’s state-of-the-art traffic system is managed from a room on the third floor of City Hall. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

comprehensive ITS system.

Together, the system helps engineers see what is happening in real time at any of the 191 signalized intersections on city roads through a total of 300 cameras. As one of the few cities with 100-percent connectivity to all signals, Romo said, the city connects with about 60 miles of fiber optic cable.

But not every street flows the same, so individual adjustments are necessary, he added.

“In the old times, every traffic signal needed to have the same cycle length,” said Romo. “At a very busy intersection, we select 132 seconds, but that would mean that the rest of the traffic signals had to have the same time, but some streets don’t

carry as much traffic.”

That’s why the city has implemented its adaptive traffic signal system, which allows controllers in an area to create their signal timing based on the volume of traffic.

For example, on White Canyon Road, traffic fluctuates throughout the day. “In the morning, there’s a lot of traffic because people drop off kids at school, and after peak hours, traffic dies. This system increases and decreases the time cycle when it needs to.”

There’s an environmental aspect to this as well. By improving traffic flow, idling and travel times are reduced, resulting in fewer emissions, according to city engineers.

The goal is to implement 120 new adaptive controllers on city streets in the coming year to better manage circulation and improve the environment.

With technology evolving at a rapid pace, Romo and Pivetti said the city is always looking to make improvements using the most up-to-date systems.

One feature the city is considering is the use of solar panels as the primary source of power while having Southern California Edison as the power backup during emergencies.

The city is also testing connected vehicle technology, See TRAFFIC, next page

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 7

S C V F E AT U R E

Successfully plan your holiday escape

M

illions of travelers take to the roads, rails and sky in the days surrounding major holidays. While a large percentage of people travel miles and miles to visit with friends and family members these times of year, others use days off from school and work as prime times for vacations.

Holiday excursions can be exciting, but they may require some extra planning and patience. Larger crowds at airports and more cars on the roads can make holiday-timed travel challenging. Make these trips memorable by reducing travel-related stressors.

Research thoroughly Study your travel options to determine the best way to get from point A to point B. Weigh the cost of your trip as well as the time involved in traveling. Driving may seem like a good idea if you don’t want to stretch your budget, but it may eat up too much of your vacation time if you’re traveling long distances.

If you will be flying, learn the airline baggage restrictions and the security measures in place at your departing airports. This makes

TRAFFIC

Continued from previous page

which enables cars, buses and trucks to exchange information with infrastructure, like traffic signals.

This system could help drivers safely

navigating the airport that much easier.

Planning well in advance also enables you to get the best prices possible. A study

by CheapAir.com found that those who booked tickets for domestic travel 49 days prior to departure saved the most money.

Develop a contingency plan Even the best laid plans can go awry. Know what to do in the event a particular rest stop or scenic spot along the way is closed or if travel plans get delayed or rerouted.

Certain travel apps provide real-time updates on delays or provide gate numbers prior to arriving at the airport. Other apps indicate which gas stations have the lowest prices or which rest stops offer the cleanest bathrooms.

Take your car in for a tune-up Drivers should make sure their vehicles are in good working condition prior to departure. More cars are on

negotiate intersections and prevent up to 55 percent of intersection crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“We are only testing right now as we wait for more vehicles to have that technology, but that is where we

COURTESY PHOTO

the roads during holidays, and that means a greater potential for stopand-go traffic, which can put added stress on the vehicle. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and in good condition to avoid flats or blowouts, which can delay your trip.

Pack light Ship gifts or keepsakes ahead of time so you do not have much to lug through airport terminals or rail stations. If you must take gifts with you, wait until you arrive at your destination before wrapping them, as this makes items easier to inspect.

If you’re going on vacation instead of just a weekend getaway, you will probably return home with more items than you brought because of gifts or souvenirs. Pack an extra tote bag or an empty carry-on suitcase where you can store extra items accumulated on the trip. Otherwise, see if these things can be shipped home. It may be cheaper to ship items than to pay airline baggage fees. are headed,” said Romo.

The sheer volume of cars on the road is not something the city can fix, but improving commute times with faster green lights and safer routes, is something “we’ll always look to improve.” 

Travel off-peak It’s often quicker and less stressful to travel during off-peak hours when roads and airports are less crowded.

Off-peak hours include overnight, early morning or late evening. Redeye flights or off-peak travel times also may be less expensive.

Travelers looking to avoid crowded roadways or airports may also want to avoid especially popular travel days, such as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Leave a few days before a major holiday or arrive a few days after to avoid the crowds.

Travel with your own snacks Failure to eat or drink can do more than lead to hunger pangs and dehydration. It can make the body sluggish and may affect your ability to deal with minor (or major) irritations. Pack nutritious snacks and take breaks to refuel your body.

Remember your destination If you find holiday travel stressful, focus on the comforting thought that once you get to your destination you can kick back and relax. Do not overbook your trip and leave yourself time to unwind and decompress.  —Metro Connection

8 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HONOREES

SANTA CLARITA VALLEY

TOP BUSINESSES COMPANY OF THE YEAR Five Point Holdings, LLC Landscape Development, Inc

AD CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR “Stolen” City of Santa Clarita “SCV Points Of Interest” Valencia Acura

BEST COMMUNITY IMPACT College of the Canyons Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR Holly Schroeder John Shaffery

GROWTH LEADER Economic Development Corporation

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR Kaiser Permanente Advanced Bionics

NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Sand Canyon Country Club

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR Scorpion

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD Valencia Acura

Please join us at Valencia Country Club for the Top Business Awards Event Thursday, December 6th 5:30 – 7:30pm Please go to https://signalscv.com/businessawards to reserve your individual seats or a table of 10 by November 30th. For more information, email jhilton@signalscv.com or call 661-287-5564 Cost is $50 per person and includes light meal & coffee. A no-host bar will be available.

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 9

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

LOCALNEWS

City expresses concern with proposed alternative for train

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

B

efore Thursday’s meeting in which the High-Speed Rail Authority board discussed a recommended alternative for the California bullet train, Santa Clarita City Council members reached out to directors to express concerns.

“The Santa Clarita City Council remains adamant that only a fully underground alignment, which significantly minimizes or eliminates any impact to neighborhoods and communities, is the only acceptable approach,” reads a letter by Mayor Laurene Weste, on behalf of the City Council, to Dan Richard, chairman of the state rail authority.

At 10 a.m. the board of directors held its monthly meeting in Burbank to discuss the Refined 14 freeway

option, the recommended path for the Palmdale-to-Anaheim portion of the high-speed rail system.

In the Palmdale-to-Burbank portion, the train would travel along the eastern boundary of Santa Clarita, following the 14 freeway underground at depths anywhere from 400 to 500 feet deep. According to state rail authority staff, the train would emerge from a tunnel at the Vulcan mine site, adjacent to Lang Station Road.

Weste said in the letter that the City Council was disappointed and alarmed to learn that the three proposed alignments had not been modified to eliminate surface impacts.

Among those impacts, Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean questioned how the Refined SR14 could affect the progress of the Vista Canyon Project, a 185-acre mixed-use development

west of the rail alignment.

Michelle Boehm, High-Speed Rail Authority Southern California regional director, said there would be no surface vibrations as the train would travel underground about two miles away from the development.

Still, McLean said, “There are a lot of questions that need to be answered, a lot that are still outstanding.”

“The fact that they’re splitting our open space and wildlife corridors right in half is a thing that needs to be fixed,” she added. “They just need to take the whole thing completely deep enough underground so that it doesn’t affect residents in Sand Canyon, and all the communities from Los Angeles to Palmdale.”

In the letter, Weste highlights three points the City Council believes should be addressed during the

environmental review process of the Palmdale-to-Burbank project section: an in-depth analysis of noise and vibration impacts on homes located above tunnels, and outline of the type of ventilation to be used. The third issue involved the at-grade alignment in the vicinity of the Vulcan mine site as the city has engaged with property owners about potentially turning the area into industrial and commercial usage, which would not occur if that portion of the route remains at-grade.

The High Speed Rail Authority staff are now expected to present the Refined SR14 route to the Federal Railroad Administration, which would then add the option as the preferred alternative into the environmental impact report if it also agrees.

Authority staff said this decision would not constitute a final approval of alignments or station locations. 

Smith unseats Acosta hard for bipartisanship,” he wrote. “In that spirit our community must ssemblyman come together and work Dante Acosta, hand-in-hand to solve the R-Santa Clarproblems that face us.” ita, conceded The latest update on Tuesday night to DemoTuesday showed Smith cratic challenger Chriswith a 1.14 percent lead ty Smith in the hotly on Acosta. Smith is now contested 38th Assembly District race. at 50.6 percent of the As of Tuesday night, vote, while Acosta has Smith Smith had secured a 49.4, according to the 1,718-vote lead on Acosta Secretary of State’s office. after additional provisional and mailOn Wednesday, Smith said she in ballots were counted. thanked Acosta for his “gracious conAcosta announced the news of gratulations” and she thanked those his concession in a Facebook post who volunteered on her campaign.

Wednesday afternoon, citing the up“I would like to thank [Assemblydated ballot counts as his reason. man Acosta], Carolyn [Acosta], and “With yesterday’s vote update it has become clear that the voters have their children for their service to our spoken,” he wrote in the post. “While district and our nation,” she said. “In the coming weeks, I look forward votes are still being counted, the outto meeting with stakeholders and come appears set. Last night, I called leaders across the 38th to shape the Christy Smith to congratulate her on framework of our community’s legisher victory.

“During my term in office I fought lative agenda.” 

By Crystal Duan Signal Staff Writer

A

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S C V F E AT U R E

Fierce Brosnan making a name in emerging scene

By Taylor Villanueva Signal Staff Writer

P

art-“weird,” part-“surfy punk,” SCV punk band Fierce Brosnan is looking to spread its brand of rock ’n’ roll as part of what the group feels is a growing music scene in the Santa Clarita Valley for young artists.

“In high school, the local music scene was good,” said Nick VaVerka, lead guitarist for Fierce Brosnan, a play on the name of the former “James Bond” movie series actor Pierce Brosnan. “There were a lot of bands at Canyon High School, but that stopped for a while.”

The name, just like the group itself, might not carry a serious persona, per se, but they’ve been performing together in the SCV for the past two years, through different lineups, with new members recruited to fill any gaps spots if other commitments got in the way of rehearsals or performances.

The four current members have

performed at venues from the San Fernando Valley to Hollywood and Los Angeles. In October, they made it as far as Davis.

The current lineup of Fierce Brosnan includes: VaVerka, 25; Sykes, 24; Daniel Vargas, 24, on guitar; and Josh Scuderi, 22, on drums. All of them grew up in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Most of the group met in high school, where they played either in different bands or simply for fun with friends.

“It’s garage rock, surf-punk influence,” VaVerka said, “we were influenced by bands from Orange County that were part of the Burger Records group of records.”

As the SCV spurred a new generation of growing musicians, one band came together to create their own unique sound of surf punk and rock ’n’ roll.

“We kind of developed our own style,” VaVerka added. After listening to rock ’n’ roll bands throughout Southern California, the group came together to create their own sound

and performed at local bars almost every week.

“I saw other scenes in O.C. and L.A. and thought, ‘That’s so cool! I wish I could be part of that,’” VaVerka recalled. “And it’s happening here, now.”

He also predicted Nick VaVerka gets ready to play before a recent set for the music scene will Fierce Brosnan. COURTESY PHOTO/DANIEL DVORAK continue to grow locally over the next few years.

VaVerka has a similar goal.

“The other day I realized there’s “We take it seriously, but also know something cool going on right now,” you have to have fun with it,” VaVerka he said. “It feels kind of special.” said, explaining the group’s approach.

As for the band’s future plans, they’ll be happy as long as they get to “There have been a lot of bands we’ve seen start from nothing and suddenly perform and share their art. playing festivals. It’s cool because, if “For me, as long as I get to play they can do it, why can’t we?” the music I love and people are into You can listen to Fierce Brosnan on it, that’s the satisfaction I need,” says Sykes. “It would be cool to be famous, Soundcloud or get more information about upcoming performances on the but I’m happy playing bars and havband’s Instagram page.  ing people love our music.”

P r e s e n t e d b y Va l e n c i a B M W

Free Concert SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2018 3 P.M.

S i n g e r/s o n g w r i t e r R a c h e l C o l e

SANTA CLARITA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AT THE COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS Celebrate the season with many of your favorite holiday melodies as well as a few original selections by singer/songwriter Rachel Cole from her latest CD. The concert will conclude with a sing-along of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah.”

WWW.SCPHILHARMONIC.ORG

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 13

LOCALNEWS

City to annex total of 3,118 acres

Part of the Plum Canyon area, which includes a portion of the future Skyline Ranch development, is set to be annexed into the city of Santa Clarita. PHOTO BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

T

he Santa Clarita City Council unanimously executed a pre-annexation agreement Tuesday between the city and two development groups.

The agreements are with Plum Canyon Master, LLC, and with Pardee Homes Inc. and Tri Pointe Homes Inc., for a total of 3,118 acres to be annexed into the city.

In two summarized presentations, the City Council heard a breakdown of the annexations from city planner Patrick Leclair.

The perimeters of the acreage are generally marked northeast of the existing jurisdictional boundary of the city, along Plum Canyon Road, west of Sierra Highway, south of Vasquez Canyon Road and north of the city on Sand Canyon Road, in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, according to the city’s report.

A portion (1,925 acres) of the Skyline Ranch development would fall into the annexation, which includes about 2,173 acres for development of more than 1,000 residential units, 17 open space lots, one public park and five recreation lots, among other features.

Under a vesting tentative tract map, about 75 acres for development of

more than 400 residential homes on Plum Canyon Road also falls under the annexation.

Mayor Laurene Weste centered her concerns over the open space portion of the acreage.

A total of 248 acres, known as Mystery Mesa, is currently used for filming purposes and would remain in the county upon completion of the Plum Canyon Annexation. Weste said she would like to make sure this area remains as open space and is not converted into more housing units should the county ever cease to operate in the area. Dave Little, who represented Pardee Homes, said yes, “we made that an open space dedication since day one.”

Weste was also concerned about the width of a trail from Sierra Highway to Plum Canyon, saying, “It’s not a money issue, it’s a design issue. This is a big part of what the community uses as amenities. I just want to make sure lands are enjoyable for everyone.” The trail is in design to have a width from 9 to 5 feet, but the city has a 12-foot-wide set standard.

Resident Steve Petzold spoke during public comment about a lack of affordable housing.

In response to these projects, in particular, Leclair said the Plum Canyon project has an affordability component, with 34 units set to be affordable units. 

14 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

FROM THE CITY MANAGER

Managing a thriving city is all about good planning

By Ken Striplin City Manager

M

anaging a thriving city is all about good

planning.

That’s something the city of Santa Clarita has put emphasis on since incorporation some 31 years ago.

As we look toward 2019, we are reaching significant milestones within our Santa Clarita 2020 strategic plan.

Santa Clarita 2020 was created to guide our major work efforts, to best prioritize resources, achieve milestones and maintain our unwavering commitment to offering the best services and facilities for residents today and well into the future.

It is exciting to think that so many of the projects within Santa Clarita 2020 are already complete — and

many more major projects will be by the end of 2020. Some of the work already completed includes: the Old Town Newhall Parking Structure, successful implementation of the Traffic Safety Plan, completion of the Arts Master Plan, completion of the Golden Valley Bridge Widening Project, a blossoming arts and entertainment district in Old Town Newhall, hundreds of acres of open space acquired, miles of streets slurry sealed and sidewalks repaved, and much, much more.

As we head into the home stretch, there are several major projects coming to fruition, which will have a significant impact within our city.

Let’s look at them in order of which ribbon we will get to cut first. Coming up in the next couple months, we will get to celebrate the completion of the Newhall Ranch Road Bridge Widening Project.

The $16 million project widened the bridge to provide an additional traffic lane in each direction — for a

total of four lanes in each direction.

The project also added a raised median, a new protected sidewalk and a path under the bridge creating new trail connections.

Mark your calendars for next summer because that is when we are anticipating the grand opening of the final two projects on the redevelopment block in Old Town Newhall — Laemmle Newhall and Newhall Crossings. The much anticipated Laemmle Theatres broke ground in October and when complete, will house a seven-screen art house movie theater and 2,300 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Newhall Crossings will provide over 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 47 residential units and a public plaza.

Just down Soledad Canyon and up Golden Valley Road, our brand new Santa Clarita Sheriff ’s Station is taking shape. A joint effort with Los Angeles County, this new 46,000-squarefoot, state-of-the-art, Sheriff ’s Station will feature a detached 4,000-square-

foot vehicle maintenance, a heliport, 9-1-1 dispatch center, a jail and enough space to house the entire Sheriff ’s Department team. The new Sheriff ’s Station is expected to be complete by the end of 2020.

Vision, anticipation and prioritization are essential elements in preparing for a successful future and to ensure the city of Santa Clarita continues to provide superior municipal services that will meet the current and future needs of our community.

As a forward thinking organization under the direction of our City Council, we will continue to thrive through good planning, hard work and solid implementation. I look forward to seeing the final projects within our Santa Clarita 2020 plan come to fruition.

For more information and updates on all of our Santa Clarita 2020 plans, please visit SantaClarita2020. com. 

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 15

SPORTS

Chain gang enjoys ‘best seats in the house’

By Haley Sawyer Signal Sports Editor

W

hile the Saugus football team laid it all on the line throughout the 2018 prep football season, a group of men has been hard at work from the sidelines determining exactly where that line is.

The Saugus chain gang — comprised of Roy Lutes, Robert Lutes, Don Lutes, Steve Graham, Johnie McDow and Bruce Olsen — is on the sidelines every Friday night, just as they have been for years.

There’s six members of the crew in total, but only three are required on game nights. Two are the designated “rod men” and another is the “box man” who holds the rod with the box on top that indicates the down.

“There’s a total of six of us, and we use that many because sometimes some can’t make it,” Roy Lutes said.

“And we promise to do what we can for the high school to be there and give the best possible chain gang that you can possibly have.”

Olsen is the longest-tenured chain gang member with 40 years on the

S a 1

Saugus chaingang’s Robert Lutes changes the down marker during the game.

job. He had kids who were involved in Saugus football, and consequently got roped into the job.

Roy has the second-most experience at 38 years. His wife originally had a job in the cafeteria at Saugus High School and worked with wives of chain gang workers. He was invited to be a substitute, but still was

Above: Saugus chain gang members, from left, Bruce Olson, Don Lutes, Johnnie McDow, Steve Graham and Roy Lutes put on their vests for the game.

Right: The Saugus chain gang during the game between Saugus High and Villa Park at COC. Head Linesman Corwyn Lewis, right.

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

in attendance for every game for his first year.

His second year is when he began doing it full-time, as his work schedule was flexible and allowed him to have Friday evenings off.

Roy’s two sons, Robert and Don, joined the crew about 25 years ago, right around the time the crew began doing the varsity and JV games consistently. Graham joined six years ago and McDow three.

The group’s claim to fame is working a CIF-Southern Section Division 5 championship game in the 1990s.

During a Saugus game against Palmdale, a player attacked a referee and took him out of the game.

The CIF interviewed the chain gang about what they had seen in the incident, then watched the group work a

handful of games and liked what they saw. Next thing they knew, they were on the sidelines at Angel Stadium at a CIF-SS title game. “(It) was kind of a highlight for what we have been doing,” said Roy. “The referees give us nothing but give us accolades with what we are doing.”

The job also keeps the six men active. They’re constantly in motion and moving with the flow of the game, trying to keep a consistent speed and pace.

“We have to hurry down the field and get down there as quick as possible and be in place as quick as possible,” Roy said. “It allows the team if they wish to do a hurry up offense they can and if they want to slow it down it’s up to them but we always try to be punctual and on time.”

The crew is self-sufficient, supplying its own equipment and always showing up on time. There’s no temptation to move to the college ranks, which comes with a paycheck, for any of the chain gang members.

“We enjoy football and we enjoy high school football and we have the best seats in the house,” Roy said. “We are right on the sidelines and we can see everything that is going on, and it is just the best dimension of being able to watch a football game.”

Diego Marquez contributed to this story. 

16 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

SCV market could be seeing seasonal slowdown

By Ray Kutylo Signal Contributing Writer

T

he local real estate market is slowing, as is readily apparent in the latest month-end and weekly closing numbers.

Some of the slowdown is seasonal.

Even with our advantage of a year-round market because of great weather, when the holidays roll around, fewer people put their homes on the

market. There are still plenty of motivated buyers, but interest rates are rising, which has depressed demand a little.

For sellers, pricing your home right is key. If your home is on the market but isn’t getting shown, that is the market talking to you about the price.

For buyers, if you have seen every single home in your price range and none of them are, ‘The One’ — don’t give up. Homes come up on the market all the time, but if you want to buy keep in mind that rising interest rates will reduce your loan-ability. Sooner, rather than

later, should be your motivation.

In this week of Thanksgiving on behalf of the SCV Home Team and the entire real estate community, we pause and take a moment to be grateful for all our blessings: the freedom which this great country provides, the opportunity for growth and achievement, good health and the confidence and trust you have given to us.

Every morning, I start the day with a recitation of all that I am grateful for, which includes all of my clients, past, present and future. We all wouldn’t be here without you.

Brian Tracy has expressed it well: “Develop

an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”

Our very best wishes to you and yours for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Ray the Realtor® Kutylo has been a licensed Realtor since 1986, and he’s also a member of the SCV Home Team at Keller Williams VIP Properties. You can reach Ray the Realtor at (661) 312-9461 or Ray@SCVhometeam.com.

CA DRE# 00918855 

SANTA CLARITA VALLEY CLOSED SALES 11/02/18 TO 11/09/18 AREA/St#

St Name

ACTON/AGUA DULCE 34737 Acton Canyon RD 8246 Escondido Canyon RD 34013 Crown Valley RD

Sold Price

Br/Ba

Sqft/Source

Price/SqFt

Erik CT #223 American Beauty #176 Ironstone DR #4 River CIR #1 Lost Canyon RD #71 Stillmore ST Abelia RD Walnut Springs AVE Delight ST Kinglet PL Kevin WAY Daffodil AVE Florabunda RD Wellhaven ST Cardinal CT Ridge View DR Shannon Ridge PL Vasquez Canyon RD

3/2, 3/2, 4/2,

1700/A 2056/A 2078/A

$314.71 $274.81 $312.80

$306,000 $309,999 $329,000 $360,000 $365,000 $432,000 $435,000 $467,000 $470,000 $483,000 $495,000 $500,000 $555,000 $560,000 $595,000 $625,000 $680,000 $710,000

2/2, 3/2, 3/3, 3/3, 2/2, 3/1, 3/1, 4/1,1, 4/2, 3/2,0,1, 4/3, 3/1,1, 5/3, 4/2,0,1, 4/3, 4/2, 5/3, 4/2,

960/A 948/A 1225/A 1268/A 1160/A 920/A 1040/A 1144/A 1144/A 1276/A 1839/A 1253/A 2047/A 1595/E 2477/T 2036/A 2935/A 2078/A

$318.75 $327.00 $268.57 $283.91 $314.66 $469.57 $418.27 $408.22 $410.84 $378.53 $269.17 $399.04 $271.13 $351.10 $240.21 $306.97 $231.69 $341.67

$429,900 $465,000 $500,000 $515,000 $550,000 $560,000 $574,000 $590,000 $695,000 $705,000

3/3, 4/3, 4/2, 3/2,0,1, 4/2,0,1, 4/3, 3/3, 5/3, 6/3,1, 3/3,

1584/A 1933/ 1522/A 1950/B 1736/A 1621/A 2052/A 2253/A 3205/A 2724/A

$271.40 $240.56 $328.52 $264.10 $316.82 $345.47 $279.73 $261.87 $216.85 $258.81

$302,500 $415,000 $507,500 $525,000 $535,000 $635,000 $658,500 $740,000 $740,000

2/1, 2/1, 3/2, 3/2, 3/2, 3/2, 4/3, 5/4, 4/2,

809/A 758/A 1326/A 1500/A 1434/A 1500/A 2420/A 3247/A 1960/A

$373.92 $547.49 $382.73 $350.00 $373.08 $423.33 $272.11 $227.90 $377.55

CASTAIC / VAL VERDE 29051 31420 29237 29675 29815 27929 28223 27704 27838 30541

Concorse DR Arena DR Quincy ST Cromwell Ave Muledeer LN Stageline RD Alton WAY Wilderness PL Pine Crest PL Remington RD

NEWHALL 18854 Vista Del Canon #E 22812 15th ST 24944 Newhall AVE 23901 Canerwell ST 25110 Markel DR 23537 Canerwell ST 19537 Ellis Henry CT 23808 Valley Oak CT 26012 Valley Wells CT

St Name

Sold Price

Br/Ba

Sqft/Source

Price/SqFt

SAUGUS $535,000 $565,000 $650,000

CANYON COUNTRY 18145 18125 27667 18016 17967 19026 30045 27548 19319 26541 29504 15023 29326 18714 27458 28222 18302 16301

AREA/St#

27612 20000 19426 22083 22603 22527 22063 22022 27419 22745 22059 22848

Susan Beth WAY #C Plum Canyon RD #327 Laroda LN Propello DR Guadilamar DR Espuella DR Propello DR Jodi PL Catala AVE Boxwood LN Windham WAY Boxwood LN

STEVENSON RANCH 25941 Stafford Canyon RD #C 25545 Burns PL VALENCIA Town Center DR #6401 24535 23745 Del Monte DR #153 24001 Arroyo Park DR #80 22942 Tupelo Ridge DR 23952 Via Bocina 27873 Cherry Creek DR 27502 Sycamore Creek DR 28305 Lobelia LN 28395 Esplanada DR 28461 Camino Del Arte DR 25416 Via Escovar 27421 Weathersfield DR 26516 Valley Oak LN 26534 Black Oak DR

$300,000 $360,000 $470,000 $480,000 $490,000 $510,000 $510,000 $545,000 $560,000 $569,900 $594,000 $695,000

2/1,1, 2/2, 3/2,0,1, 4/3, 3/2, 3/2, 4/3, 4/3, 4/2, 3/3, 4/3, 5/3,

939/A 1001/A 1850/A 1719/A 1230/A 1163/A 1790/A 1766/A 1260/A 1450/A 2174/S 2590/A

$319.49 $359.64 $254.05 $279.23 $398.37 $438.52 $284.92 $308.61 $444.44 $393.03 $273.23 $268.34

$365,000 $640,000

2/2, 4/2,0,1,

1127/A 1903/A

$323.87 $336.31

$317,000 $330,000 $435,000 $500,000 $558,000 $570,000 $575,000 $583,000 $626,000 $638,500 $660,000 $789,000 $1.395 M $1.478 M

1/1, 2/2, 2/2, 4/2, 3/2, 4/2, 4/2, 3/3, 4/3, 4/3, 4/3, 3/3, 3/4, 3/5,

740/A 940/A 1442/A 1593/A 1435/A 1485/A 1624/A 1902/ 2346/A 2418/A 2164/A 2730/A 3324/S 4156/A

$428.38 $351.06 $301.66 $313.87 $388.85 $383.84 $354.06 $306.52 $266.84 $264.06 $304.99 $289.01 $419.68 $355.63

Based on information from the Southland Regional Association of REALTORS®/Multiple Listing Service for the week ending on 11/09/18. All data, including all measurements and calculations of area, is obtained from various sources and has not been, and will not be, verified by broker or MLS. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy.

Properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 17

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18 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

LOCALNEWS

Doves for Elliot

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

D

oves and balloons hovered over the skies early Monday afternoon in memory of Elliot Andrew Newcomb, a 2-year-old who died suddenly weeks after arriving home from the hospital for the first time.

“Who would have thought that this little man could pack so much love and so much life into such a short period of time,” Todd Smith, pastor at Crossroads Community Church in Valencia, said to attendees during a morning service. “It’s represented through all of you here today.”

More than 200 family members, friends and members of the community gathered at the church, followed by a reception at Northpark Clubhouse.

While many broke down during an emotional slideshow of Elliot’s short journey and a special performance by singer-songwriter Karli Webster, attendees were reminded by the 2-year-old’s parents that the event was “not just a remembrance of death but the celebration of life.”

“Looking at Elliot, it was undeniable that he had physical disabilities,” said mother Sara Newcomb, who has two other children. “But I am here to tell you that he was so much more

than that. He was innocence, purity and hope wrapped up in human form.”

In early August, Elliot, who was 2 years and 6 months old, was welcomed into his Saugus home for the first time following an 895-day journey in intensive care. His sudden death occurred on Oct. 9 while on his way to Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

Elliot had spent all of his life under 24/7 supervision for a developed chronic lung disease known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD, which leads to requiring respiratory support to breathe.

His condition had left the young boy on supplemental oxygen 24 hours a day and with a tracheostomy tube as an alternative airway for breathing.

Nonetheless, Elliot always had a smile and was even known as the Prince of PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) by several hospital staff members.

Lung doctor Eugene Sohn, who was part of Elliot’s medical team at Kaiser, said during the Monday service that the boy’s journey has not yet ended.

“I feel blessed to have cared for him, and I learned a lot along the way,” he said. “I learned new medical techniques that we’re already using to

treat children with similar conditions to Elliot’s. I am confident that his journey has not ended. While Elliot’s life on Earth may have been short, he will continue to have an impact on many lives to come.”

Sohn referred to Kaiser using ventilation protocols of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, which is known for its BPD research.

More than one child in Kaiser Los Angeles is now using the same care that Elliot received.

“Perhaps the most comforting gift that Elliot has left us was his medical legacy,” said his mother. “Knowing that because of him and his con-

Friday,” Mike Sanchez, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, said Tuesday.

The votes are not expected to be

finalized until Nov. 30.

In May, the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, which represents approximately 7,900

Members of the community release balloons in honor of Elliot Newcomb. PHOTO

BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

dition, an entire hospital staff has changed the way they treat and heal babies, making this journey so significant. The hope and promise that children won’t have to spend as long sedated, hospitalized and away from their families was Elliot’s legacy.”

Sara and husband Bryan Newcomb are planning on creating a charity — “#LoveFromElliot,” — to keep his memory alive and help other families cope with their children’s long-term hospital living.

A GoFundMe page, found by searching “Love4elliot,” was created for Elliot’s medical needs but is now designated for the charity. 

Villanueva widens lead in sheriff race

By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

L

t. Alex Villanueva widened his lead over incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonnell Tuesday in the race to become the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department’s top cop.

Results of the most recently counted ballots for LASD sheriff show Villanueva with 987,609 votes to garner 50.57 percent of the votes counted so far.

McDonnell came in with 965,417 votes to represent 49.43 percent.

The most recent results were based on 4,728 of 4,728 precincts reporting, but provisional and absentee ballots are still being counted.

“We counted more ballots on Friday and our next update will be this

Villanueva

McDonnell

non-supervisory deputies in the nation’s largest sheriff ’s department, held off on endorsing McDonnell, or one of his challengers, based on the number of respondents the union had to the survey, which was a little less than 18 percent of membership, said Detective Ron Hernandez, a 34-year member of the Sheriff ’s Department and president of ALADS at the time.

The union was hoping for at least about 33 percent participation for an endorsement; however, for Hernandez, the results were indicative of department concerns.

Villanueva joined the LASD in 1986.

McDonnell is the 32nd sheriff of the LASD. He was elected on Nov. 4, 2014, having defeated former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 19

BUSINESS

Employers, workers not in sync with perks, incentives

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

T

oday’s tight job market has called on employers to offer the best in work perks, but recent research shows that companies may be missing key elements to attract and retain top talent.

Flexible work schedules, a compromised workweek and the ability to telecommute are employees’ most sought-after non-monetary perquisites.

While many employers offer flexible schedules, fewer than 1-in-5 give their workers remote work options and shorter workweeks.

That’s according to a survey of 1,500 workers and 600 HR managers in the country by global staffing firm Robert Half.

Greg Scileppi, president of Robert Half international staffing operations, said flexibility is among the

most desired by professionals today.

Still, employers and workers are not in sync on these office perks, survey data showed.

Holly Schroder, CEO and president of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp., said the SCV’s top business leaders are challenging data like this by offering employees competitive perks.

“We should be really proud we have so many companies that people are seeking work at,” she said.

For example, Schroeder said, Scorpion, a Valencia-based internet marketing company, has turned its office facilities into perks — offering dining options, creative conference rooms and even a full-court basketball court and exercise equipment.

Other SCV-based employers to implementing similar strategies include Princess Cruises, Boston Scientific and Logix.

Out of six perks listed on the survey, flexible work schedules reigned

at the top, with 88 percent of employees desiring this the most and 62 percent of companies offering the prerequisite.

At 66 percent was compressed workweek, but only 17 percent of employers said they offered this. Telecommuting followed at 55 percent, with a 14 percent tally by companies.

Profit-sharing plans and sign-on bonuses came in just behind at 49 percent each, but only 33 percent and 19 percent of employers provide these types of rewards. The closest percentage both came together was in offering and desiring spot bonuses, with only a 10 percent difference.

The survey also questioned benefits such as health insurance, retirement savings plan and leave of absence.

At nearly 70 percent, employees said they desired health insurance the most. The survey found that 88 percent of employees to offer the benefit.

Paid time off, including vacation, sick days and paid holidays, followed

with 80 percent, with 67 percent of people desiring this just below health insurance.

Retirement savings plans, dental and vision insurance came in after, with more than 50 percent of employers saying they offered each.

Offering top benefits, incentives and perks can help reduce the labor turnover, assisting employees to retain a robust pool of talent.

“In today’s competitive hiring environment, job candidates are looking at more than just salary and bonus — they seek the complete package and place added emphasis on quality of life,” Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half, said in a statement. “Companies that don’t offer in-demand nonmonetary perks in addition to a competitive salary and benefits are not likely to land or keep top performers.”

For more information about the survey, visit roberthalf.com. 

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2 0 · S U N D AY S I G N A L

Opinion

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

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

OURVIEW

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

'51' List a Reflection of Community, and Change

Enjoying the Privilege of Thanksgiving, All Year

By The Signal Editorial Board

By David Hegg

C

hange can be sudden, or it can be gradual. You might think we’ve seen sudden change in the community with the results of the Nov. 6 election — congratulations, by the way, to Representative-elect Katie Hill and Assemblywoman-elect Christy Smith. However, the change in our community has been happening gradually, and the results of the Nov. 6 election are just one visible manifestation of that change.

For further evidence, we turn to the luncheon we hosted on Wednesday for those we honored in The Signal’s annual special section, “51.” (You can view the entire section online here: signalscv.com/top51.)

The yearly tribute was conceived 14 years ago as a way of recognizing the 51 most influential people in Santa Clarita in any given year. They come from various walks of life, but they are those who, in the opinion of The Signal, have the greatest impact on life in our community.

Some of them are captains of industry. Some of them are politicians.

Some of them are bureaucrats, or educators. Some are activists. Some are in the headlines on a regular basis, and

some do most of their work behind the scenes, eschewing fanfare.

No. 1 on this year’s list was Dianne Van Hook, chancellor of College of the Canyons. Her 30 years of leadership has meant the world to many thousands of Santa Clarita residents, as she has guided the community’s college through a period of transformation that has provided a wealth of affordable higher-education opportunities to the students of our valley.

Van Hook is just the tip of the 51name iceberg. We invited everyone on the list to lunch this past week, and even with a few absences — including, in particular, some legislators and legislators-elect who are, understandably, busy with their day jobs — it was a rather impressive collection of leaders who shape the community we love.

It was also a reflection of the changes happening in our community. Of the original list of “51” we created 14 years ago, 17 of those individuals were See OUR VIEW, page 22

M

ost of the time I love my job.

It puts me in relationship with people at the most critical times of their lives. I have stood by and watched as a final breath was taken, consoled a family after a teen suicide, and walked the long path of recovery with many whose lives had been all but taken through addition.

And in these cases and many more, I have been privileged to extend the grace and truth of God to those who were sure life had nothing more for them.

I have also spent countless hours with men and women whose pain has been, for the most part, self-inflicted.

By that I mean those whose lives had become so out of sync that they were ready to wipe the relationship slate clean and start all over again. In almost all of these cases there were myriad presenting problems. Some cited anger, others irreconcilable differences, and still others felt that they just didn’t feel loved anymore. But at the bottom of it all I usually found one cause for the relational pain that now threatened the

very fabric of their family bond. Behind all the other symptoms of fractured relationships was the worm of selfishness.

For years I have put a simple sentence into every wedding ceremony I perform: Nothing will cause the flower of your relationship to shrivel faster than the worm of selfishness. I stand by this. We’ve been sold a bill of goods by those who clamor for us to look out for No. 1, to pull our own strings, to do things “my way.” We’ve distorted the bedrock American doctrine of individual rights by forgetting that the currency by which rights are maintained is responsibility. We’ve been foolish in believing that loving ourselves first and foremost can produce happiness. It can’t. The greatest lives of history were those that put others first, that determined to serve the common good, and were intentional about doing for others what they desired to be done for them.

Perhaps the greatest deficit of the self-centered life is the absence of true thankfulness. If all you think about is yourself, your own well-being, your See HEGG, page 22

READERLETTERS

A Progressive Conspiracy?

Did progressives collude with New York to manipulate California votes?

Ralph Mundell, Santa Clarita

High-Speed Rail Not Listening Well, I look at the front page of today’s Signal (Nov. 14) and I see an article on the bullet train project. And it says that “the board of directors has considered moving forward with the recommend-

ed Santa Clarita Valley route for the bullet train.”

This train is going to go under a lot of homes including OURS. We have attended these meetings so we can speak our minds. What good does that do? Everyone goes time and time again to tell them how we feel and then they still do what they want. I know that no one at the last meeting was all gungho about having this under our homes!

Why do they bother to include all the homeowners when they could care less about what we say?

It’s all for show. They could easily take other routes but I am sure they already have made up their minds. My husband was asking them how deep

will this be dug under our homes and no one could give us an answer! They just stammered, looked around and looked stupid and said, “I don’t know.”

SO why have these meetings? We don’t want a bullet train going under our homes! Why won’t they listen to us?

Roni Richardson, Santa Clarita 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.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AY S I G N A L · 2 1

Opinion

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

BLACK&WHYTE

BLACK&WHYTE

Transparency in Practice 'The Common Good' vs. Paying it Lip Service Should Bind Us Together

By Tim Whyte Signal Editor

“T

ransparency” is a word government officials throw around a lot, as if merely saying it means one is practicing it.

In practice, though, its application varies — often based on a government agency’s own perception of the importance of keeping something under wraps, or even controlling the timing of the release of public information.

Since I returned to The Signal in June, we’ve run into several instances of public agency decision-making in which “transparency” is not as aggressively practiced as it is preached.

The latest example comes courtesy of the Saugus Union School District.

A week ago, we editorialized about this issue: On Oct. 26, an attorney representing the Saugus Teachers Association sent the SUSD a “cease and desist” letter — please stand by for a description of its contents.

On Oct. 30, the SUSD board held a closed session discussion regarding the district’s “significant exposure to litigation.”

One of our reporters heard about the letter, and through the grapevine we heard that the letter alleged there had been politically motivated misconduct toward a district employee by SUSD board President Chris Trunkey, who happened to be up for re-election on Nov. 6.

On Nov. 1, The Signal made a request under the California Public Records Act, asking that the letter be released so we could properly see its contents before writing about it.

The district did not dispute whether the letter constitutes a public record — it clearly is a public record.

However, the district, citing “protocols,” told us the letter would not

be available until Nov. 9 — three days after the election.

We asked for a reason that the public record was being suppressed until after the election, and we were not given one.

The day after the election, they released the letter. It was two days earlier than promised, but still too late for voters to weigh whether it contained information they should consider before casting their votes.

One local resident, Brenda Piccirillo, addressed the SUSD board in this past week’s board meeting, asking the same question we asked: Why wasn’t the letter released before the election?

They gave her the same basic non-answer they gave us, which essentially amounts to: The law allows up to 10 days for a public record to be released, and we have “protocols” we follow, and we’re not going to give you any more details because we don’t have to, so tough noogies.

Tough noogies indeed.

Here’s what was in the letter: The STA letter alleges that, after the teachers association endorsed Trunkey’s opponent Sharlene Duzick in the Nov. 6 election, Trunkey began contacting community members “looking for ‘dirt’ on (STA President Deborah) Rocha as a way of discrediting STA in retaliation for its endorsement of Ms. Duzick.”

The letter added: “Ms. Rocha also learned that President Trunkey has contacted agents of Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District, where Ms. Rocha served as president of the AADUSD board of education eight years ago, to ask about Ms. Rocha’s involvement in a decision involving the controversial Albert Einstein Charter School.”

See WHYTE, page 22

By Mary Petersen Contributing Writer

C

ollege of the Canyons recently hosted a panel discussion about the timely topic of “The Common Good.”

Its relevance is critical in today’s society, even though it is not a new idea. It has been a consistent theme of philosophers since the Greeks. Political, economic and philosophical thinkers throughout history have analyzed the importance of “the common good.”

Although they held diverse views about its definition, it generally refers to the good of all citizens. It refers to the social systems of society being accessible and beneficial to all citizenry. It refers to the shared values, principles and ideals that bind a society together. These include promoting safety, engaging in civic duties such as voting, honoring institutions, seeking nonviolent ways of resolving conflict and being responsible members of our communities. These are common ideals that generally, we all agree, are important.

In my column a few months back, I reflected on the pursuit of happiness, one of the inalienable rights along with life and liberty that are afforded each of us in our Constitution. In our democracy these rights are valued and protected vigorously by the government.

A robust belief in individual rights is one of America’s greatest strengths, but in recent times, this idea has been compromised.

The right to pursue happiness has morphed into the right of individual self-indulgence, unconstrained gratification and winning at all costs. At its worst, it has turned into greed, exploitation and corruption. We all recall the pharmaceutical CEO who raised the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000

percent. This predatory action reveals the ideal he upholds — profit at all costs, even at the expense of the common good.

Further examples include Volkswagen and Wells Fargo Bank, both of which defrauded customers and engaged in lies and deceit to maximize wealth and power.

And it’s not just in the corporate world. We see in politics a volatile, polarized climate that values winning at all costs.

Rather than rationally debating the causes of a problem or the merits of a solution, it has become acceptable to demean the opponent, dismiss their point of view and ignore any common ground upon which a compromise could be reached.

Often, it is fear that generates polarization. We’re encouraged to see an alternate point of view as dangerous even before it is deliberated. As citizens, we can’t compare the views of each side rationally because we don’t know how to access unbiased information or we choose to listen to only one side of the debate. We fear the opposition because we don’t see any shared common ground. Honoring the common good obliges politicians to conduct themselves in ways that show respect for our ideals of civility, truth and cooperation.

In order for our nation to prosper, we need to trust that our leaders are behaving honorably and are working to promote the general welfare of the people, not just secure a win for their political party.

Leaders must be at the forefront of modeling ethical behavior focused on the common good, but we citizens are also called upon to be stewards of our nation’s ideals. It is shortsighted and detrimental to community governance See PETERSEN, page 22

2 2 · S U N D AY S I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Opinion

OUR VIEW

Continued from page 20

also on this year’s list. So, there’s continuity and institutional memory among those who lead the Santa Clarita Valley.

Yet, that also means there were 34 individuals on the list who weren’t there 14 years ago.

Those names, new and old, have shifted in and out over time. Today’s list reflects how the leadership of the community has shifted: There are more elected officials and government employees on the list than there used to be, and fewer representatives from the business community.

More telling, though, is the fact that there are also more diverse viewpoints represented on the list than there were in the past. In 2005, the Santa Clarita Valley was a relatively homogeneous community that was part of a solidly Republican congressional district and equally solidly Republican state Assembly and Senate districts.

On Nov. 6, the SCV was part of an Assembly district and congressional district that, by narrow margins, elected Democrat challengers over Republican incumbents.

Both of those challengers —Hill and Smith — were on this year’s “51” list,

WHYTE

Continued from page 21

The letter alleges that, in their handling of the situation, the school board violated the Educational Employment Relations Act and Trunkey violated the board’s Governance Standards and Code of Conduct.

You can read the whole letter online, here: bit.ly/2DtycAb. So here’s what we have: The SUSD was in receipt of a threepage letter from its teachers association, alleging that a board member who was running for re-election had sought to retaliate against a district employee for political reasons. That letter was withheld from public view, conveniently until the election was over.

I don’t know Trunkey. I don’t know Rocha. But I know the SUSD did not practice “transparency” in a timely manner, even if the Public Records Act allows 10 days to release a three-page

which was created before the election.

They’re part of that transformation, a reminder that our community has changed since 2005, and is more socially and politically diverse than it ever has been.

One thing, though, that has not changed: Regardless of whether we agree with their individual political perspectives, we believe all 51 people on our “most influential” list have one thing in common: They care about the community we share, and they care about helping Santa Clarita continue to be a great place to live, work, play, do business and raise a family.

With increasingly diverse voices weighing in on the conversation about how to best accomplish that, it’s going to be ever more important in the years ahead for everyone — those on the “51” list and those who are not — to strive for mutual understanding, and a spirit of cooperation and compromise.

For our part, we pledge to work in that spirit, toward the betterment of the community, and we salute all of our community’s leaders, from the 2018 list of 51 to the leaders of the past who have shaped our community, and the leaders yet to come who will continue to shape its future.  letter that is clearly a public record.

Let’s play a little game called “If, Then...”

IF... Chris Trunkey sought to target and discredit a school district employee because the STA endorsed Trunkey’s political opponent...

AND IF... School district officials, either elected or appointed, colluded with Mr. Trunkey or anyone else to keep that letter from public view until after the election — thus, potentially influencing the outcome of an election that, if the current 200-vote margin holds after late absentee and provisional vote counts are finalized, Trunkey will have won by a narrow margin...

THEN... Resignations of all parties involved, both elected and appointed, should be forthcoming.

This is not a matter to be taken lightly, and so far we have a lot more questions than answers.

Tim Whyte is editor of The Signal. His column appears Sundays. 

PETERSEN

Continued from page 21

to behave as if my personal desires and needs are always more important than those of the community as a whole.

Rather than a group of solitary individuals unilaterally pursuing goals that solely benefit ourselves, our personal success is inextricably intertwined with the success of the community. Cultivating civic virtue is essential for society to thrive and can alleviate some of its division and dysfunction. Practicing civility, compassion, fairness and cooperation with others allows us to locate a sense of solidarity, shared responsibility and dependence upon one another.

As a community, we have the same concerns, even if we don’t agree on a common solution. To prepare our children to be engaged citizens of a democracy, we must raise them to be

HEGG

Continued from page 20

innate happiness, you’ll never find a reason to be thankful for anything or anyone except yourself. And saying thank you to self only completes the disastrous “me first” cycle.

We are beginning to see the results of selfishness in our society and it isn’t pretty. Apparently, the fruit of individual selfishness is a whole generation that has been born with an inbred sense of entitlement. Gone are the days when achievement preceded recognition and reward. Gone are the days when age and experience were respected and honored. Gone are the days when you had to “pay your dues.” Now everyone deserves everything. Everyone is entitled to not only have an opinion but also to voice it and expect it to be received and implemented. And beyond all the other negative consequences of this aura of entitlement is the fact that those who feel they are entitled to all they receive will never understand the privilege of thanksgiving.

And I do mean that being thankful is a privilege. Thankfulness begins with a recognition that I have been the recipient of someone else’s benevolence.

It grows through a realization that what I have and who I am owes much to the hard work and love of others who have

open-minded, to care about integrity, responsibility and compassion. We must help them to realize there is something greater, more noble and more meaningful than personal self-interest.

Upholding the common good is essential for our nation to thrive. Our country is taking an unsustainable trajectory. We’ve lost our sense of shared identity as a nation. Our common identity goes beyond race, class and religious affiliation. It penetrates to the heart of our ideals, principles and basic rights. It respects our democratic institutions, acknowledges our differences and strives to find our commonalities.

The motto of the United States, “E Pluribus Unum” (out of many, one), summons us to bind together despite our differences so we can function as a cohesive nation.

Mary Petersen is a retired COC English instructor and 30-year SCV resident.  preceded me. It flows from a belief that who we are as a people, and as a nation, can be attributed largely to those who have come before us, and kept America strong and free so that we could enjoy the blessings of freedom, and the free expression of ideas. The great irony is that today’s entitled generation can enjoy their “entitlements” only because preceding generations were unselfish when it came to giving of themselves to make America what it is today.

I have looked selfishness in the face, in the eyes of others, and in my own mirror. It has become the wallpaper of our world. We just can’t escape its presence. But we can combat its allure, and it is actually quite simple. In fact, the simplest way to ward off the selfishness syndrome is to demand two things of yourself. First, do something good for someone else, and second, express true, heart-felt thanks to someone who has made a difference in your life.

It is so good that we still set aside a day to be thankful. Don’t waste it! And better yet, make it a goal to be a more thankful person all year long. After all, those who love you and have poured so much into your life are entitled to a little thanks!

David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church and a Santa Clarita resident.“Ethically Speaking” appears Sundays. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 223 3

= Family Friendly Event

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR

ONGOING

Santa Clarita City Council Meetings second and fourth Tuesday of every month 6 p.m.

Council meetings are also broadcast live on SCV TV channel 20 and on the city’s website. Santa Clarita City Hall, City Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita.

Info: City Clerk’s Office: (661) 255-4391.

Sundays, 7:30 a.m. Dragon Boat Paddling.

Experience a long Dragon boat with the Castaic Lake Dragon Boat team and a two-hour physical workout. Free, no experience necessary. Paddle and PFD personal flotation device provided.

Info: teamdragoneyes.my-free.website (213) 447-5707.

Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 p.m. The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society invites guests to visit Heritage Junction Historic Park inside William S. Hart Park in Newhall. Tours are held every Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. 24101 Newhall Ave, Newhall. Info: scvhs.org.

times. Admission: $15 (adults); $12 (teens and students); $10 (seniors); $5 (children 6-12); $0 (Children under 5). Gibbon Conservation Center, 19100 Esguerra Road Saugus.

Info: gibboncenter.org

EVENTS BY DATE

Canyon Road, Santa Clarita.

Info: www.canyons.edu/Offices/PIO/CanyonsPAC/ electronica2018.

Thursday, Nov. 29, 5-9 p.m. Valencia Marketplace Annual Community Tree Lighting Ceremony. Tree Lighting, entertainment, Santa Claus. Valencia Marketplace, Amphitheater 25900 The Old Road, Valencia. 91355.

Info: www.valenciamarketplace.com.

Friday, Nov. 30, Friday Night Movies at College of the Canyons. See unique films you might have missed. Host and moderator Gary Peterson will discuss details of the films. All films are free and open to the public. Friday, Nov. 30, 6 p.m., “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool”; 8 p.m., “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story”; Friday, Dec. 14, 6 p.m., “Three Identical Strangers”; 8 p.m., “Disobedience”; College of the Canyons, Hasley Hall, Room 101, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Valencia NEW Friday, Nov. 30, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Wakefield Winter Wonderland is returning. The double cul-de-sac is filled with an impressive display of hundreds of thousands of lights. The display will take place until Friday, Dec. 28.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 8:30-11 a.m. The Old West Chapter is hosting ‘Breakfast with Santa’ at Old West Chapter No. 642. A home-style breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes and biscuits with or without gravy, juice, milk and coffee will

be served. The children’s ticket price includes a plush animal and a picture with Santa. Mrs. Santa will offer homemade candies and other goodies made by her elves and helpers. The Old West Masonic Center is located at 19310 Avenue of the Oaks, Santa Clarita. Email reservations to orchidanni@aol.com.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Placerita Canyon Nature Center Craft Fair is a chance to make holiday wreaths, yule logs and other kid-friendly holiday crafts out of fresh-cut greenery and pine cones, while supporting the center. Cash and checks are accepted for craft supplies. The Placerita Canyon Nature Center is located at 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall. There’s no cost to attend. Email Linda Koopatz at lindabill.koopatz@gmail.com or call (661) 373-1052 for more information.

Saturday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The seventh annual Hart Holiday Boutique is taking place over both Dec. 7-8. As much about charm as it is about shopping, with local artisan and vendors offering handmade crafts, fashion accessories, jewelry and gift baskets, along with fall and holiday gift items. The event is located at William S. Hart Park — Hart Hall, 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall. The event is free to attend. Contact Eric Reifman or Al Ewing at (661) 259-1750, for more information.

Sunday, Nov. 18, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley Red Carpet Runway fashion show. Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia.

General seating $85 Info/tickets: www.sigscv.org/fashionshow-sponsorship Monday, Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m. Portrait Oil Painting Demonstration by Artist JoAnn Peralta during meeting of the Santa Clarita Artists Association. Free. Peralta, a book and editorial magazine illustrator since 2004, crossed over into Fine Art and is known in the Western art world for her stirring depiction of American immigrants contributing to the American landscape, as well as southwestern historical figures. With her lush Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Remo brushwork and luminescent light, she creates a Community Drumming Experience timeless flair to her paintings. Barnes & Noble is an hour of fun entry-level expe23630 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita. riential music making with drums Info: www.santaclaritaartists.org and percussion that is accessible to everyone.

Tuesday, Nov. 20 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Henry Family-friendly environment with facilitator. All Mayo Blood Drive. Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. ages and levels of ability are welcome and no prior musical experience is necessary. Drums and Refreshments and Snacks will be provided. Phopercussion instruments provided at no cost. Free. to I.D. required. Henry Mayo Education Center, 6,7, 23803 McBean Parkway, Valencia.

Info: santaclaritaarts.com.

Info: To schedule appointment: visit redcrossSaturdays thru Dec. 8, 8 a.m. to noon. Trails blood.org and enter Sponsor Code: HenryMayo & Open Space Beautification Projects. Join a or call 1-800-Red Cross.

CONGRATULATIONS to DEVIN TARRANT — the winner of group of dedicated volunteers and help clean up Wednesday, Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m. Western Mu$100 for correctly identifying the artwork as being from and maintain city trails. Interested volunteers sic Association Showcase. Musicians and cowboy Nicholas Aire Systems advertisement on page 12 of our must pre-register at SantaClaritaVolunteers.com. poets perform stories and songs of the romantic Nov. 11 issue.

Saturdays, 11 a.m. Family Nature Old West, contemporary music of the American Walk and a Native Live Animal Presen- West and songs, music or poetry.

Identify this piece of artwork and tation at 1 p.m. Free. Placerita Nature Info: To perform, email the page number that it is on in Center, 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall. wmacc@westernmusiccalifornia.org. El one of the advertisements in this Info: placerita.org.

Trocadero Steakhouse 24274 Main St., Newhall. week’s issue, and you will be Friday, Nov. 23, A one-woman show at Canyon Second Saturday of the month, 8 a.m. A entered to win $100. One game docent-led bird walk for beginning to advanced Theatre Guild presented by Laurie Morgan, until and one winner each week.

17. The exhibit, “Seasons Around the World,” birders. Bring binoculars, guide,DETAILS and water. Jan CALLa field FOR AND RESTRICTIONS will include a selection of landscape, still life Mail your entry to: The Signal – Contest 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall. and floral paintings by Morgan with mediums 26330 Diamond Place | Santa Clarita, CA 91350 Info: placerita.org. in pastels and watercolor, acrylic and oils. The Or email to: contest@signalscv.com First, second and third Thursdays of each Canyon Theatre Guild is located at 24242 Main month, 6-9 p.m. ARTree Figure Drawing. Visit St., Newhall. Contact Olga Kaczmar (661) 254Advertiser: Page # ARTree Community Arts Center for a chance to really 5267 for more info. explore your creative potential using a live model.

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m. Electronica Name: Just drop in and bring a pencil and paper. $10 Musique. Performing under the direction of donation. ARTree Community Arts Center, 22508 composer Bernardo Feldman, 12 up-and-comAddress: 6th St., Newhall. Info: theartree.org. ing composers, DJs and producers from College Saturdays and Sundays (except of the Canyons present a variety of music, dance rainy days and holidays) 9:30 a.m. and lights of exquisite beauty and boundless Phone: to noon. The Gibbon Conservation energy that will expand and challenge your This week’s entries are due Wed. Nov. JUisSgiven at 10 expectations. Santa Clarita Performing Arts 6 B SOL28.

Center is open to the public. A tour T LIS EDRO Winner to be announced in 2 weeks.

ON D IN a.m. and self-guided tours are available at all TE Center at College of the Canyons 26455 Rockwell PO OM

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24 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Pumas, Witches & Crazy Hunting Tales

I

know. I know. Some of you still have a blood alcohol level from last night so high, it’s simply measured as “Peach Margarita.” C’mon. Climb out of those sofa cushions and futons. Get up into the saddle. Use your face if you must, it always worked for me.

We’ve yet another epic trail ride into Santa Clarita history.

There’s plane crashes, lost toddlers, pumas, election trivia and an entire passel of cool, gee-whiz info. Here.

I’ve brought coffee for all-y’all, all … Take a sip. Splash a little on your eyelids. The rest, daub under the armpits …

WAY BACK WHEN & THEN SOME

• Can’t tell you how many times I’ve written this on a chalkboard: “Cyrus was the gunfighter. Sanford was the businessman.” The Lyon twins were born on Nov. 20, 1831, in Machias, Maine. For those of you seeking extra credit, “Machias” comes from the Passamaquoddy tongue and means, “bad little falls.” Cyrus? In a land of tough hombres, he was one of the toughest. He was a captain in the California Rangers, the law brigade that hanged, shot, stabbed, clubbed or beat up just about every bad guy in Los Angeles. Cleaned up El Pueblo in about 18 months.

• Have any idea how “Castaic” was spelt in 1851? Of course you don’t.

The new state cartographers took a wild swing and came up “Chastequike.”

• Speaking of Castaic, on this very day in 1849, wildlife painter and bird expert John Woodhouse Audubon camped out here for a few weeks to paint and sketch the myriad of migrating birds.

• The first-ever Newhall Parents Teachers Association (PTA, yay) was formed on this date in 1916.

NOV. 18, 1928

• Bad luck hit the FBO Movie Co. Tom Mix’s production company was in Pico Canyon, shooting a modern Western. A plane in one of the shots crashed into a big oak tree, which happened to be where the entire crew and cast were sitting. Fortunately, everyone got out relatively unscathed, including the cast on the biplane.

The Time Ranger A weekly trailride through Santa Clarita Valley History

• A great meteor passed across the valley, turning night into day. Some thought it was an airplane burning before it crashed.

• During the Depression, federal and state programs put literally thousands to work here. A census by the local Kiwanis noted that there were twice as many prisoners and California Conservation Corps workers in the SCV than regular citizens.

NOV. 18, 1948

by John Boston • All manner of strange packages arrived by rail to the Newhall Train Depot. Several dozen horses were dropped off. They were used by geographers to map the Santa Clarita Valley.

• Jessie Sackrider was the SCV’s first lady real estate agent. Wish I could swing a 1928 deal from her in 2018.

You could get a house on an acre for $12.50 down and $5 a month. I might even buy six or so, just for the elbow room. Jessie was related to one of the accused black magic practitioners at the Salem Witch Trial, who was pressed to death. And, former Signal editor Jeanne Feeney was related to Jessie.

• After nearly 30 years shoeing horses, Tom Frew II retired, handing his blacksmith shop to his son, Tom III, who later turned it over to my pal and lifelong cheapskate, Tom Frew IV. By 1970, the Frew shop was seeing fewer and fewer orders for horseshoes and the place closed.

• The huge St. Francis Dam had burst just eight months earlier, sending a nearly 200-foot wall of water over much of the SCV. Searchers found the cash register from the old McIntyre Garage in Castaic. It was filled with mud and $27 in cash. The register and money were returned to the son of old man McIntyre, who had died in the disaster.

NOV. 18, 1938

• The Mighty Signal noted there were too many poets in the SCV: “Bang, and another poet bit the dust.

(We hate to shoot them, but we must, we must.)” Iambic pentameter, too…

• Odd Accident No. 1: New bride Mrs. Floaralie Jean Griffin lost her nose in a car accident. Doctors stitched it back on. As of Nov. 18, 1948, it was doing nicely.

• Odd Accident No. 2: Local rabbit hunter Al Stevens had his right index finger shot clean off by another rabbit hunter. Any of you saddlepals offhand know who’s the patron saint to Elmer Fudd?

• Odd ALMOST Accident No. 3: In the blinding rays of sunrise, motorists swerved to avoid a sobbing pedestrian trotting down the middle of Highway 99 (The Old Road today). Two teen boys jumped from their car to rescue the toddler, who was only wearing soiled diapers. The Highway Patrol found the baby’s father, drunk and passed out in a car a half-mile away.

• Historian A.B. Perkins wore many hats, including heading up the Newhall Water District. Perk got kidded frequently about the quality of his H20. One day, a particularly lovely local lady stopped Perkins in the post office and asked if he could start putting the mud back in his water again.

She said the November winds were blowing away all her top soil.

NOV. 18, 1958

• Local mortician Ed Hilburn had the most appropriate but unappreciated nickname: “Digger.” Take a guess where Digger went for his two-week winter vacation. Yup. Death Valley.

• What a lousy way to lose an election. Democrat Mrs. Rudd Brown was declared winner in our local congressional race. A week later, she was declared loser. Seems in tallying votes, someone hit the wrong key, giving the conservative Hiestand 23,000 votes instead of 33,000. Mrs. Brown was the granddaughter of

William Jennings Bryan.

• Here’s a perk you don’t see in the Here-&-Now. Giant fuzzy car covers.

A young mountain lion had adopted the Plastic Age plant in Saugus as its nappy spot and would regularly fall asleep on the hoods of cars in the employee parking lot.

NOV. 18, 1968

• Three young boys from Sepulveda somehow climbed over a 10-foot fence topped with razor wire protecting an oil well shaft. One of them managed to fall into the 100foot hole. He lost an eye.

• OK. The Newhall Land & Farming Co. must have bribed someone. The Valencia bridge overpass spanning Interstate 5 was named one of the 15 “Most Beautiful Steel Bridges” in America. The award was given by the American Institute of Steel Construction. Hate to see the 15 Ugliest …

NOV. 18, 1978

• You have to give them an “A” for attitude. After Measure K was defeated, its inner supporters held a raucous and happy victory party.

Measure K was the movement for the SCV to secede from Los Angeles and form its own government: Canyon County. It failed in the general November election by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Local voters wanted freedom by a landslide.

• Most locals were terribly afraid of the “B” word — busing.

• Superior Court Judge Paul Egly released a plan to include the SCV in a Southern California-wide plan for mandatory school busing. Egly’s plan was later poo-poohed and never implemented.

Sure hate to part ways. But that spinning vortex up ahead means we’re back to the present. See you in seven days with another exciting Time Ranger adventure, dear saddlepals. Until then — No necesitamos insignias apestosas. Also, if I may wish: Vayan con Dios!

John Boston, aka, Mr. Santa Clarita Valley, has been writing about and teaching the history of the SCV for more than 40 years. Read his historical tome, “Images of America: The Santa Clarita Valley.” It’s available on Amazon. com. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 25

T R AV E L

Morro Bay, the Central Coast getaway

By Michelle Sathe Signal Staff Writer

F

or many years, the Central Coast has been my go-to for a quick getaway. During trips to Cambria and San Simeon, I’d drive by Morro Bay, with its iconic rock poking out of the sea, and wonder what it was like to spend time there. This October, I decided to find out.

While a majority of Morro Bay motels are dog-friendly, I wanted a house with a yard for me and my pooches, Melvin and Louie. I searched AirBNB and found the “Quintessentially Quaint Seaside Cottage.” It looked fabulous, with a huge fenced yard and a central location for about $160 a night with tax and fees.

I booked it and was delighted to find the festive little yellow and aqua cottage even more impressive in person. It was sparkling clean, with all the amenities one could hope for — full kitchen, washer and dryer, a beautiful tile and glass shower and gorgeous hardwood floors. And the yard was simply magical — lush, private, with two patios for lounging.

The dogs had a blast exploring it.

On our first night, we headed to Embarcadero Street, which is home to the waterfront area, a hub of shops, restaurants, galleries and taffy shops.

After Melvin and Louie had a chance to sniff the entirety of the street, we stopped at one of the many benches near the bay, taking in the magnificent scene before us.

The sun was setting, casting the sky in shades of pink, gold and orange. Sea lions honked in the distance as the water gently shimmered around Morro Rock. I smiled and exhaled. This was exactly what my spirit needed.

In the morning, the dogs and I took a long stroll on the boardwalk just past the Morro Bay Power Company, which has plenty of parking and a very flat, easy path. We were just one of the many people and pooch combos enjoying the view, which included rafts of sea otters bobbing on the surface of the sunlit water. I spotted a sea otter mama grooming her baby, an impossibly endearing scene that made me tear up.

Past the boardwalk, there’s a paved road that leads to a rock-like fortress

that braces against crashing waves (also known as breakwater). Beneath the rocks is a stretch of unspoiled beach with mild waves rolling in, a popular spot for letting dogs off leash to play fetch. This day, we had it all to ourselves. Louie, ever the nervous Nellie from the water, kept his distance while Melvin happily trotted along the edge.

Later in the afternoon, we headed towards Coleman Park, taking a right along the boardwalk towards an area recommended to me by a kindly resident. Just before the bridge, we turned left and trudged through the sand towards a mini-estuary inhabited by hundreds of birds: huge pelicans, egrets perched on impossibly skinny legs, ubiquitous seagulls, and needle-nosed sandpipers.

Louie, who I suspect has some hound in him, was in his element, growing wide-eyed as he watched the birds fly overhead and scurry across the pond. At 4 years old, he is a playful guy, and if I didn’t think he would chase the birds to oblivion and never return, I might have let him off leash.

Melvin, who’s 13, was in a decidedly different mood. He plopped down in the sand, his eyes closed to the sun.

Taking his cue, I sat and marveled at the incredible landscape before me.

It reminded me of the show “Wild Kingdom” when I was a kid, and here I was, seeing it in person. Those 15 minutes were a balm for my soul.

Back at the house, Louie pranced in the garden while I relaxed in one of the Adirondack chairs with a magazine. But where was Melvin? I went inside to investigate and there he was, eyes closed, snoring loudly on the futon. Melvin didn’t wake, even when I nudged him.

“Oh no,” I said to Louie. “I think we broke Melvin.”

Melvin finally opened an eye as if to acknowledge he was merely resting, which seemed like a great idea. Louie and I got onto the futon alongside him.

Soon enough, we were all snoozing.

One of the many joys of renting a house when you have dogs on a trip, versus staying in a hotel room, is that you can leave them behind for a few hours each day to explore on your own.

The town of Morro Bay is full of treasures, from funky, independent

Top: Morro Bay at sunset is a sight to behold. Left: Louie enjoys some sun and fun on Morro Bay beach. Right: Steamer clams on the patio at Blue Sky Bistro on Morro Bay’s waterfront. PHOTOS BY MICHELLE SATHE / THE SIGNAL

thrift stores like Foxy’s (where I scored a silk-lined black blazer for 75 cents) and the more upscale Threads (which yielded a cashmere cardigan for just $5) to yoga studios and oldschool record shops.

For an educational spin, the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History (open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $3 entry fee; those age 16 and under are free) highlights the town’s back story via fun interactive exhibits and 1980’s style videos in a small auditorium (the sea otter story is a bit amateurish, but still awesome, because… sea otters). It also boasts one of the best views you can get of Morro Rock, which, it turns out, is an ancient volcanic mound (one of the many fascinating things I learned).

Of course, eating well always takes high priority when I travel and Morro Bay does not disappoint.

For breakfast, there are two fabulous, completely legit bakeries to choose from: La Parisienne, which offers a multitude of egg sandwiches on golden, flakey croissants for under $6 (the avocado, brie, and tomato was a standout) and Buttercup, where

you can indulge in a morning bun, an irresistible hybrid of churro and croissant, for just $3.50.

Later in the day, Brickhouse BBQ in downtown is a solid choice, with tasty sandwiches and plates on the menu: the smoky, tender tri tip and freshly made, Cajun spiced potato salad ($8 for the combo) really hit the spot.

The Flavor Factory, located in a nondescript strip mall, puts a gourmet spin on sandwiches, salads, and soups. The salmon sandwich with pesto aioli ($13) was stuffed with perfectly grilled, succulent seafood and deliciously paired with a savory macaroni salad dotted with red onion and celery.

For seafood with a view, there are many options along Embarcadero Street, including Blue Sky Bistro.

Perched on Blue Sky Bistro’s patio, watching the sunset on the bay, diving into my $9.95 happy hour special of garlic bread and a pound of steamers swimming in a delectable butter, white wine, and garlic sauce, I was … wait for it … as happy as a clam.

For more information on Morro Bay travel, visit www.morrobay.org. 

26 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

K I D S & FA M I LY

Donna’s Day: Creative Family Fun

Woven placemats hold Thanksgiving memories

I

’m thankful for Thanksgiving.

It’s a time to gather with friends and relatives around a table, savor one another’s favorite dishes, anticipate pies with dollops of whipped cream and simply be grateful for what we have. The predinner outdoor fun, like a rousing game of family football, the food and the stories add up to times to remember, especially for kids.

Holiday memories often weave in and out of our lives like a warm tapestry enfolding each member of the family. At Thanksgiving, or during any of the winter celebrations, it’s worth a little extra effort to create special times for sharing with one another.

Here’s an easy way for your schoolage children to start a tradition and set their mark on Thanksgiving Day by weaving memory placemats. The colorful addition to the table setting only requires the basics: paper, scissors and glue. A ruler and pencil are helpful, too.

Cutting: Use a large sheet of colored construction paper for the placemat. Fold in half widthwise. Along the fold, use a ruler and pencil to mark four to six evenly spaced dots. Measure and mark corresponding dots along the opposite edge. Cut through both layers of the placemat, beginning at the fold and ending within 1 inch of the opposite edge. Be creative by varying the straight cuts with zigzags or a wavy design.

Now cut construction paper in contrasting colors in nine or 10 12-by1-inch strips for weaving in and out of the cuts. You might want to make some strips a little wider or narrower.

Weaving: Weave the placemat by feeding one of the strips through the slits. Show your kids how to slip the strips over, then under. When the first row is done, slide the strip to the edge of the slits, and glue the ends to the back of the placemat. Repeat with remaining

strips until completed.

As your children become engrossed in the activity, you may wish to join them, making your own placemats.

The rhythms of weaving are repetitive and satisfying — back and forth with bright, brighter and brightest patterns as you slip the strips over, then under.

Memory-making: Taking the time to create keepsakes with a Make placemats for all personal touch can also help make lasting settings at your table. For memories. COURTESY PHOTO. added touches, decorate Donna Erickson’s award-winning with cutouts of construction paper series “Donna’s Day” is airing on in contrasting colors or add stickers, public television nationwide. To find small pictures and photos representmore of her creative family recipes and ing memories of past Thanksgivings. activities, visit www.donnasday.com Personalize a placemat by writing and link to the NEW Donna’s Day little notes to guests.

Facebook fan page. Her latest book is When family and friends settle “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff around the holiday table, be ready to for Families.” capture the moment when your child ©2018 Donna Erickson exclaims, “Aunt Jane, I wove a Thanksgiving Day placemat just for you!”

Distributed by King Features Synd.

Preserve family memories for years to come Families enjoy many moments together throughout the years. However, in today’s digital world, quite often those experiences fail to see the light of day past an initial tweet or Instagram post. Too often file upon file remains in a digital graveyard on a mobile phone or external hard drive.

Instead of letting photos, videos, drawings, and memorabilia from vacations and other family experiences linger unappreciated, families can preserve these memories. Explore the various ways to share occasions with others.

Photo books:

Don’t procrastinate and let photo files pile up. Promptly upload them to your favorite photo printing site or bring them to a retailer that has photo machines, such as a nearby pharmacy.

Such businesses routinely offer coupons and steep discounts on photo books. The software is user-friendly, and, in a week or two, you can have a photo book ready to go. This is less time-consuming than making photo albums, printing photos and then

care and other organized classes.

Sometimes these items get stashed in plastic containers that are ultimately stored in attics or basements, only to be ‘discovered’ years later. Rather than relegating them to storage, invest in frames of various sizes and hang the pictures as if they were in an art gallery. Make sure the frames are easy to access so that the artwork can be swapped out periodically. Kids will take pride in sharing their creations with family and visitors.

Keep a journal: With some of the digital tools available, it’s now even easier to create memories your children will be able to enjoy with future generations. COURTESY PHOTO

placing them behind plastic-lined pages. The photo book software also may include background designs and funny captions to help customize pages even further.

Photo collage:

If you are a purist and like to have photo prints in hand, then have several of a particular occasion made

and then attach them to a decorative piece of wood. Using a decoupage product or a shellac, coat the collage so that it can be preserved. Hang your collage as a piece of handmade artwork on display.

Artwork gallery:

Children routinely bring home artwork they made in school, day-

Another way to preserve memories is to write down experiences. Each member of the family can fill out a page with a special recollection of a trip or another momentous day. Keep the journal on a coffee table so it can be reviewed every so often. Save it and gift it to future generations.

Family memories are worth keeping and sharing. There are many ways to display photos, thoughts and other sentiments from special events.  ­—Metro Connection

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 27

B L A C K F R I D AY

A few reasons to shop now, rest later

C

ome the end of the often hectic holiday shopping season, many people resolve to begin shopping earlier in the following year.

While such resolutions can be hard to keep, shoppers would be wise to consider the myriad ways they can benefit by starting their holiday shopping earlier than they’re typically accustomed to doing.

Deals The more time shoppers give themselves to find gifts for their loved ones, the more time they have to comparison shop and find the best deals.

Retailers often offer steep discounts during the holiday season, but such deals may pale in comparison to those that can be had throughout the rest of the year. Holiday shoppers who begin shopping early can always skip buying in late summer or autumn if they think better deals can be

had once the holiday season begins.

Shipping By shopping early, shoppers can choose the least expensive shipping option offered by online retailers, potentially saving substantial amounts of money as a result.

In addition, shoppers who start early won’t have to worry about items failing to arrive on time, a common source of stress for last-minute holiday shoppers.

Credit score Another advantage to shopping early for holiday gifts is it allows consumers to protect their credit scores by spreading their spending out over several months instead of doing so in the handful of weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In a survey examining debt associated with the holiday season, MagnifyMoney found that the average holiday debt in 2016 was slightly more than

Shoppers congregate at the Westfield Valencia Town Center on Black Friday last year. Every year, millions weigh braving the crowd against a chance at once-a-year deals. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

$1,000.

Credit card debt can negatively affect consumers’ credit scores, especially if balances are not paid in full when bills are due. Shoppers

can avoid such situations entirely by shopping early using only disposable income to make purchases instead of credit cards. Such financial flexibil-

DECEMBER 8TH AND 9TH

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See BLACK FRIDAY, page 38

28 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

THANKSGIVING

Tips for a tasty take on turkey

P Thanksgiving goose? This may have been a more likely option at the first Thanksgiving than the turkey enjoyed today.

erhaps no day is more synonymous with a certain dish than Thanksgiving is with turkey. As tasty as turkey can be, this flavorful fowl doesn’t find its way onto many families’ dinner tables unless it’s Thanksgiving day.

Secret family turkey recipes may reign supreme in some households, but holiday hosts with no such resources can consider this unique recipe for “Holiday Turkey” from Andrew Schloss’ “Cooking Slow” (Chronicle Books).

Slow cooking the turkey ensures it’s evenly cooked.

Holiday Turkey

Forgoing tradition on ‘Turkey Day’

Makes 15 servings

ow in fat, high in protein and an inexpensive source of iron, zinc, potassium and B vitamins, turkey makes a healthy addition to a person’s diet.

Turkey also tends to be the star of the show on Thanksgiving and other holidays. Even though turkey can be a delicious addition to any holiday table, some people prefer to buck Thanksgiving tradition from time to time and divert focus from the golden gobbler.

Even though turkey may be synonymous with Thanksgiving, hosts and hostesses should not shy away from serving something different. In fact, turkey may not even have been on the menu for the first Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving dates back to New England in November 1621, when newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered for

L

an autumn harvest celebration. It’s reported that pilgrims went on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the three-day feast.

Although wild turkey was plentiful in the region, ducks, geese, passenger pigeons, and swans were commonly consumed. Historians at Smithsonian say documents refer to wildfowl and venison as foods appearing at the first Thanksgiving, but turkey was not mentioned.

Home chefs can take a cue from those first pilgrims and choose less traditional offerings this Thanksgiving. The following are some ideas that are reminiscent of the first Thanksgiving.

• If the flavor is more palatable, don’t hesitate to select another bird to grace the Thanksgiving table, such See ‘TURKEY DAY,’ page 38

1 fresh turkey, about 15 pounds, preferably free-range 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 quart apple cider 2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the giblets from the turkey and discard (or save for another use).

Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Rub it all over with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. During that time, the surface of the turkey will become visibly dry and the skin will tighten; this encourages a nice crisp skin on the finished bird.

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to start roasting. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Put the turkey on a rack set in a large, flameproof roasting pan.

Drizzle the oil over the top.

Roast for 1 hour. Reduce the oven

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Whether your recipe is a long-held family secret or a similar version to the one listed here, preparation and timing are key to making sure your family’s Thanksgiving meal comes out right.

temperature to 175 degrees.

Pour the cider into the roasting pan and sprinkle the poultry seasoning in the liquid. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (but not touching bone) registers to 170 degrees.

Transfer the turkey to a carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for about 15 minutes (see tip). Meanwhile, skim the fat from the surface of the liquid in the pan. Put the roasting pan over two burners and bring the pan drippings to a boil over high heat. Cook until the juices reduce and thicken slightly, enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes.

Taste for seasoning. Carve the turkey and serve with cider pan juices.

Resting tip: Slow-roasted meats need far less resting time (pretty much none) than those that are traditionally roasted.

The reason for resting meat that has been roasted at a high temperature is to allow juices that have collected in the cooler center time to migrate back into the dryer (hotter) exterior sections after it comes out of the oven. Because slow-roasted meats are cooked evenly and a temperature that keeps most of the juices in place, a resting period is largely unnecessary.

A brief resting time does allow the meat to become a little firmer as it cools, making it easier to carve.  — Metro Connection

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

We GIVE You

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 29

Cranberry-infused cocktail for autumn entertaining

MONEY B to help you buy your own home.

esides the ubiquitous “pumpkin spice,” nothing says “autumn” more than tart cranberries.

Cranberries are a major component of Thanksgiving feasts, turning up alongside and atop turkey, as well as in quick breads and desserts.

Cranberries are loaded with health benefits, which include reducing the risk for ulcers and preventing gum disease. Also, just eight ounces of

cranberry juice cocktail contains 137 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C. Cranberries can even be used to craft great cocktails. Move over mulled ciders, this crisp “Cranberry Margarita” from The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association makes a great autumn-inspired beverage.

Cranberry Margarita Serves 1

1-1/2 shots of tequila 1 shot of cranberry juice cocktail 1/4 cup of whole berry cranberry sauce 1/2 shot of triple sec 10 ice cubes Sweetened dried cranberries, for garnish Lime, for garnish

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Few things say Thanksgiving like turkey, stuffing or cranberries. This holidayflavored cocktail has health benefits, as well.

Thanksgiving quiche puts sweet potatoes front and center

S

weet potatoes are a favorite side dish at Thanksgiving dinner tables. Packed with vitamins, nutrients, fiber and delectable flavor, sweet potatoes have earned their place on holiday dinner tables. While many holiday hosts bake, fry or mash their sweet potatoes, these beloved tubers can be prepared in other ways as well.

If you want to put a new twist on this Thanksgiving staple, whip up this recipe for “Sweet Potato Quiche,” courtesy of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.

Submitted to the NC State Fair Tailgate Recipe Contest by Kristen Frybort, this recipe marries sweet tubers with decadent cheese, rich cream and savory spices.

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and frosty. Serve in a margarita glass. Garnish with dried cranberries and a lime wheel.  — Metro Connection

Sweet Potato Quiche Makes 8 servings

2 cups, sweet potatoes peeled and diced into small cubes 3/4 cup, yellow onion diced 2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt Black pepper to taste Egg mixture: 4 eggs 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon, fresh rosemary, minced 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded Pre-baked deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the first five ingredients and place on baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes and onions are roasting, shred cheese and set aside. Whisk the egg mixture and set aside.

Once potatoes and onions have finished roasting, spoon them into the pre-baked pie shell. Next, layer the shredded cheese on top of the sweet potatoes.

Reduce oven to 375 degrees. Pour egg mixture over the cheese and potatoes. Place quiche in the oven on a center rack. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until eggs are set.  — Metro Connection

30 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Happy Holidays!

Give them a gift they won't forget or outgrow!

Give a little piece of the farm this year!

Buy a Gift Card to Gilchrist Farm in any amount good toward - Horseback Riding Lessons - Summer Camp - Pony Rides!

Purchase online or at the Farm any Saturday from 9AM-2PM or during the Holidays at the Farm Event December 8th & 9th. www.gilchristfarm.com

Gift Baskets with Gilchrist Farm merchandise and hand made soap available!

HANNUKKAH DEC. 2

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Luxury spa experiences with full amenities for men and women. SALE —$100 Gift Cards for $85. Shop online and print or email instantly. Happy Spa-lidays!

2018 Hot Toy List

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Did you grab your L.O.L. Surprise dolls last year? What about Hatchimals the year before?

Each year, a new crop of must-have toys surfaces. Smart shoppers who do their research and prepare in advance of the holidays can grab these coveted gifts.

Each year, industry experts weigh in on which toys are sure to be hits with children and adults. This data can help shoppers become more informed consumers and may help prevent the last-minute rush when coveted gifts are already sold out and new stock is nowhere in sight. The following are some gifts children may want to see wrapped and waiting under the tree this year.

Pomsies by Skyrocket These are fashionable plush pets for children to nurture. They’re adorable and designed to travel with children in a backpack or wrapped around kids’ wrists. The kitties can be played with in a one-on-one setting and also have a mode for social play.

Luvabella This is a life-like baby doll that features many of the same surprises that come with a real live infant. Realistic facial expressions and responses, as well as interactive accessories, can make this a true-to-life experience for young girls or boys.

Blind bag toys Children seemingly can’t get enough of collectible playthings that focus on the act of unboxing. The Toy Association says sales for collectible playthings grew by 14 percent globally in 2017. The act of removing a surprise from packaging is just as exciting as the toy itself. Expect to find many more of these types of collectibles this year.

Mecard This is a battle-action game from Mattel based on the Korean See TOYS, next page

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 31

TOYS

K’NEX building sets These sets from K’NEX marry tangible building with interactive play. Once kids build

Continued from previous page

animated series Turning Mecard.

Mecards are cars that transform into hero or villain action figures when they drive over a power-charged card.

are just some of the hot toys and gifts that are primed as big sellers for this holiday season. 

the sets, which can include roller coasters and more, they can take them on a virtual reality ride. These

2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar This toy from Fisher-Price gives youngsters an early introduction to STEM. They learn basic coding, planning and sequencing skills by connecting segments of a cute caterpillar.

Coast to Coast Cutting it Close U.S. Postal Service UPS

SelfieMic Selfie Stick Microphone Children who are into social media karaoke apps can transform themselves into pop stars. They can sing along to their favorite tunes as a solo artist or with friends in a group.

Drop first-class letters and cards in your mailbox by Dec. 18; Dec. 14 for parcel post.

Dec. 17 (for packages delivered by Dec. 24).

Dec. 17 for all FedEx ground packages.

FedEx

Where to Take it

Priority (1-3 day) service by Dec. 20.

Express overnight by Dec. 22.

Your local post office or arrange for carrier pickup. Use usps.com to order supplies, print postage and access a host of other services.

Ship 2-day air by Dec. 20.

UPS stores nationwide. Go to ups.com or Next-day air as late as Dec. 21 call (800) 789-4623 to find a location or for delivery by Dec. 24. schedule a pickup.

(Saturday delivery not available in all areas.)

Overnight by Dec. 21; 2-day Any FedEx office location or FedEx air by Dec. 20 for delivery Dec. authorized shipper.

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The KHTS Fire Truck will be available for kids to climb aboard Balloon Magic by Magic Castle magician Dennis Forel

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Santa Claus will be on hand to greet children and pose for photos.

7:00-8:00 PM

Join us for our 4th annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, musical entertainment and surprises.

Community TO YDR IVE Ongoing through December 20 Drop off new toys to any participating merchant, or bring them to our Tree Lighting Ceremony on Thursday, November 29, from 5:00 - 8:00 PM.

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

SCHOOLS

Talking to your kids about cybersecurity

T

hanks to advancements in technology, students and educators are increasingly turning to birth, tablets and computers when working on daily assignments and classroom activities. Students rely on the internet for research and keeping in touch with teachers and other students, and work is even assigned and completed via digital platforms.

Despite the upside of technology, cyber crime is a potential pitfall of all that time spent online. The internet provides instant access, and that can put students at risk.

The education sector ranked sixth in the United States for the total number of reported “security incidents,” according to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report.

Schools are data-rich, meaning they give hackers access to information like identification numbers, birthdates, email addresses, financial data, medical records and more.

Students must understand cyber security risks when working and sharing data online. The following are some tips students can follow.

• Protect passwords. Students are urged to keep their passwords to themselves. This prevents others from using accounts maliciously or even in seemingly harmless ways that can put you in trouble, such as searching for inappropriate content in school. Choose complicated passwords that can’t be easily guessed, and opt for two-step authentication whenever offered.

• Use secured WiFi networks. Free or open WiFi connections are not

Classical, Christian Education TK-12th

Please Join Us...

INFORMATION MEETING Monday Monday

fraudulent email messages that mimic the look of reputable solicitations. Scammers rely on these tactics to tempt people to click on links or download attachments that can put malware on a device and steal personal data. Exercise caution with all links and downloads.

• Schedule routine backups. Data can be lost if a device crashes, so routinely back up personal devices and home computers. Backups can be stored on external hard drives or with cloud services.

Talking to your children about cybersecurity is extremely important, with all of the information that can be sought or stolen online. COURTESY PHOTO

encrypted, meaning they can be accessed by anyone. Many cyber criminals gain access to information through these channels. Schools should have encrypted systems in place.

• Limit what you share on the internet. Students are urged to be aware of what they share online. According

to Data Management, a computing service, information posted to social media is permanent, and deleted items aren’t necessarily gone. Exercise caution on social media. Don’t post unless it is something you would be comfortable sharing in public.

• Watch out for phishing scams.

Phishing usually occurs through

• Exercise caution when file-sharing.

UC Santa Cruz’s information technology services says viruses and malware can be transmitted by file-sharing software, and files offered by others may not be what they say they are. Only used school-approved file-sharing options.

Cyber security is something students should prioritize this school year. The right security measures can protect students, their classmates and their schools. 

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

(choice of one entree, seasonal fruit and milk)

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

Monday, Nov. 19

Blueberry Bash Mini Waffles Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fruit Juice

Tuesday, Nov. 20

Super Star Corn Muffin Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fresh Fruit

Wednesday, Nov. 21 Thursday, Nov. 22 Friday, Nov. 23

No School

No School

No School

No School

No School

No School

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

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 33

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

Queen Nation Will Rock You at Canyon Santa Clarita Nov. 23

By Stephen K. Peeples Signal Staff Writer

W

ith Fox’s Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” reigning the box office its first weekend out Nov. 2-4 and topping the $100 million mark a week later, Queen Nation, the hottest Queen

tribute band in the West, will rock the Canyon Santa Clarita on Friday, Nov. 23.

“The Canyon Clubs are our home clubs, and we can pretty much do anything or play as long as we want,” said singer-guitarist Mike McManus, aka Brian May, who helped co-found Queen Nation in 2004. His bandmates are fellow Queen fanatics

Gregory Finsley as lead singer-pianist Freddie Mercury, Pete Burke as drummer Roger Taylor, and Parker Combs as bassist John Deacon.

“So, for our crowds who love Queen and have been coming to see us for a while, we’ll definitely play all the hits, but also some deeper tracks for the diehard Queen fans,” McManus said.

Along with now-classics like “Killer Queen,” “Tie Your Mother Down,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Somebody to Love,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “We Are the Champions”/“We Will Rock You,” Queen Nation will dive deep into the See QUEEN NATION, page 33

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

Conversion therapy and Marvel action heroes

By Dianne White Crawford Signal Contributing Writer

“Boy Erased” (Limited Release)

This is a film that illuminates the insidiousness of conversion therapy. The film follows the life of main character Jared Eamons, portrayed by the brilliant Lucas Hedges. Based on the memoirs of author Garrard Conley, writer, actor and director Joel Edgerton brings to life a story of faith gone wrong.

Jared Eamons is a young man who loves his minister father Marshall Eamon, portrayed by Russell Crowe and devout mother Nancy Eamons, played by Nicole Kidman, but discovers he is gay. Confessing one’s sexual orientation to a non-religious family would be very hard but confessing it to his Arkansas pastor father is even more difficult.

Heartbreakingly, Marshall forsakes his responsibility as a father and sends Jared to a for-pay church-supported gay conversion therapy program. In other films, conversion therapy has been shown as ice baths and electroshock therapy. However, the conversion therapy depicted in this film is more subtle, deceptive, manipulative, mentally damaging and dangerous.

The performances are excellent.

Ms. Kidman, Mr. Crowe and Mr. Hedges inhabit their roles flawlessly.

Their mastery of their craft is too good for them to ever let the audience catch them acting. When Mr. Crowe talks as Marshall Eamons, every word is heartfelt and troubled. When Ms. Kidman ponders what’s really going on during the secret conversion therapy sessions that her character drives her son to and from, every shot of her eyes reveals fear of the truth battling a growing need to know what the details of this “therapy.” Mr. Hedges is Jared — true, honest, real — a young man reconciling a life raised in a church that sees homosexuality and life as a gay man a sin.

Mr. Edgerton consciously refuses to insert any cinematic flourishes in this film. There are no special lighting effects or overly dramatic soliloquies.

Mr. Edgerton and the cinematographer leave the entire film, until the last few frames, in shadow with the

background often brighter than the foreground. The low light, washed out effect removes any manufactured passion from the screen. The audience is just left with the characters, dialogue and action to speak for itself.

I debated with myself while watching most of the film whether this low lighting choice was a good idea. I prefer vivid images and clever shots, but I understand intellectually that to adorn this film with any cinematographic ornamentation would be seen as an attempt to overly vilify the practice of conversion therapy that needs no assistance being vile.

The power in this film is its desire to understate wickedness. It is easy to excoriate those that use the Bible as a weapon. It is better just to place on camera these profane charlatans who sell the myth of conversion therapy to families desperate for heterosexual children. This is an important film and a good one.

DVD recommendation: “Black Panther,” 2018 (Available to rent or buy on Prime Video)

Adaptations of superheroes, comic books and graphic novels have been driving the movie theatre box office for a few years now. Where the financial success of a film was once measured in tens of millions, it’s now hundreds of millions.

Beyond that, these enormous productions are pressured to make political and social statements... providing the hope of which real-life leaders seem to fail. This latest from Marvel and director Ryan Coogler, carries all of that plus the expectations of an entire gender and race. It’s a heavy burden for a comic book character, however it seems, regardless of one’s perspective, it’s likely the film delivers, satisfies and, oh yeah... entertains.

The bar has been set so high for action sequences and special effects, that we take the great for granted and only speak up on those that falter.

What allows this film to take its place among the best of the genre is a combination of story depth and the payoff for showing us a world we haven’t previously seen. The cultural aspects of the (mythical) African country of

COURTESY PHOTO

Wakanda are not only interesting, but the setting itself is breath-taking. An explosion of color, texture and technology blended with intriguing and multi-dimensional characters bring the film to life and draw us into this wonderland of tradition, culture and humanity.

It seems ridiculous to speak of a comic book film in these terms, but the number of talking points raised during its runtime are too many and too varied to discuss in this format. What we can make clear is that it’s cool to watch an entire movie where people of color and women are strong, confident, and intelligent. Chadwick Boseman has played Thurgood Marshall, James Brown, and Jackie Robinson and here he takes on a fictional icon in King T’Challa/Black Panther. He perfectly captures the pensive nature of a King balancing tradition with the needs of his people to evolve and transition.

His chief adversary “Killmonger” is played terrifically by Michael B. Jordan as a man out for revenge and power. For most movies this head to head battle would be enough... but not this time.

Lupita Nyong’o (Oscar winner for “12 Years A Slave”), Danal Gurira, and Letitia Wright play Nakia, Okoye, and Shuri respectively; a group of three of the strongest women you’ve likely ever seen on screen. Nakia is the love interest, but also carrying out her own humanitarian missions, while also proving to be beyond adequate as a soldier. Okoye is the ultimate warrior and absolutely loyal

to her country, while Nakia (T’Challa’s sister) is the ultimate technology whiz, and one with the zippiest zingers. Any of these characters could be the basis for a standalone movie, but together they elevate this to something much more than a couple of dudes in sleek suits fighting.

Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker are all contributors, and Andy Serkis is a frenzied standout in an all-too-brief turn as Klaue.

The strong cast delivers even in the few moments when the script lags. In fact, the only piece of this puzzle that didn’t seem to fit was the traditional hand-to-hand combat to determine the next king. Why is it that a nation so advanced still relies on primitive courses of decision-making? Perhaps this is merely commentary on our society, though providing a more intellectual solution would have been in line with the rest of the story.

The world of Wakanda is stunning. The costumes are sleek, colorful and fascinating. The characters are multi-dimensional. The action sequences are top notch (armored rhinos!). The cinematographer is Rachel Morrison, who recently made history by being the first woman to receive an Oscar nomination for cinematography (“Mudbound”). It’s these factors that allow Mr. Coogler’s film to achieve the level of importance that most comic book films wouldn’t dare to strive for. On top of everything, it accomplishes the one thing I demand from these type of movies... it’s quite fun to watch. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 35

Gregory Finsley, left, and Mike McManus are one half of Queen Nation, a popular tribute band that’s also a regular at Santa Clarita’s Concerts in the Park. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

QUEEN NATION

Continued from page 31

British band’s 15-studio-album catalog spanning 1973-1995.

“One of our favorites is ‘It’s Late,’ from ‘News of the World’ (1977),” McManus said. “It’s a heavy rocker, but we strip it down to an acoustic mini-set where just Gregory and I will do ‘Love of My Life’ (from 1975’s “Night at the Opera”). Then we’ll come back with the band and maybe finish up with ‘39’ (from “Night…”) or ‘Dream- Gregory Finsley belts out a famous Freddie Mercury lyric er’s Ball’” (from 1978’s during a recent Queen Nation performance this past summer. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO “Jazz”).

The operatic section of Queen’s original 1975 recording best opera voices!’ And they make the of “Bohemian Rhapsody” was such a loudest, most awesome sound you’ve multitracked studio tour de force that ever heard — hundreds, sometimes even Freddie, Brian, Roger and John thousands of people singing at the couldn’t recreate it onstage. top of their lungs with all their heart.

“Impossible — a million overdubs Sometimes they’re in key, sometimes with the vocals,” McManus said. “So not. But always turns into a big, cathey would just leave the stage, play cophonous wall of awesomeness.” the tape of the operatic section, then Find out more at www.queennacome back onstage with the big bom- tion.com. bastic part.”

Find the Canyon Santa Clarita on For Queen Nation, though, that the ground floor of the Westfield Vadidn’t really work. “So, we decided lencia Town Center. Get tickets at the to let the audience sing the operatic box office 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondaypart, because in 2018, everybody Saturday, by phone at 888-645-5006, knows it,” McManus said. or via TicketMaster.com. For more “When we get to that part, I tell ev- info, visit WheremusicmeetstheSoul. erybody, ‘Okay, we want to hear your com. 

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FOOD

Hungry for a dessert? The Santa Clarita Valley has you covered

By Crystal Duan Signal Staff Writer

G

one are the days when Santa Claritans might have to trek all the way south to Los Angeles for quality dessert. The SCV has more than enough sweet faire to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Not every delicious treat in the SCV has to be from a chain, either.

There’s plenty of local places to get a wide variety: The key lime pie at the Pie Tin is a standout among the already-extensive selection of great pies. There are a variety of flavors at the Pie Tin, but you can’t go wrong with Key Lime, said co-owner Laura Jardine.

The graham cracker crusts, key lime juice, and soft texture mean customers can easily finish a slice, or two.

The business has consistently rotated flavors every three weeks to a month since it opened in August 2017 — but key lime is a mainstay on the list.

“This one is one of our bestsellers,” Jardine said. “Every time we bring in a different flavor and take a break, we have customers coming in and going, ‘Where is the Key Lime?’ So we haven’t kept it off the list for more than a month.”

Slices of the key lime pie are so popular that the Jardines can sell two to four a day, without pre-orders, she said.

The Pie Tin flavors are aplenty: the banana cream pie is also a year-round favorite, Jardine said. And just in time for the holidays, the pecan pie is also another seasonally sweet option.

The flaun al cioccolato at Piccola Trattoria, a flourless chocolate cake, is also a must-try.

With a melted chocolate pool center adding a dash of richness, this cake is only dense in texture — not in taste.

This cake has less of the consistency of cake and is more fudgy in texture, with a light flaky airiness from the infused egg whites, as well.

The Blueberry Bread Pudding at Newhall Refinery is a custard-based dessert that combines bread with a dose of milk, cream, butter and eggs

The Pie Tin off Golden Valley Road offers a slice of a key lime pie that’s popular year-round. CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

to make a solid sweet.

Its consistency does not qualify as a classic pudding, which is a bit thicker and more liquidy, and the added blueberries give it a fresh mild flavor.

Scott Ervin, who co-chairs a local nonprofit called feedSCV, said the flaun al cioccolato and Blueberry Bread Pudding reign as his personal favorites.

“Both are custard-based desserts,” he said. “And custard is the gold standard by which all other desserts are measured.

“Cake? Meh,” he said. “Ice cream?

Pie? A sentimental favorite of mine

and close... but no. It has to be a custard dessert, and those two are simply custard at it’s finest. Fresh ingredients that add to, but not distract too much, from the experience that only the combination of cream and eggs can deliver.”

‘The Liz’ cookies at the D.W. Cookie Company also won’t let you down.

The classic chocolate chips are just as fresh as the dough they’re baked in, said Todd Wilson, president of nonprofit feedSCV. They’re the best in Canyon Country.

And customers can even get big cookies at the D.W. for special occasions.

The Canyon Country business has been around the area since 2013. It’s open Monday through Friday, and the cookie selection changes daily, but many people have had yet to “have a bad cookie,” Wilson said.

The Santa Domingo chocolate flavor at Paradis Ice Cream is one of the store’s signature flavors year-round, said owner Tess Zaidi.

The business has been known to offer as many as 50 flavors in circulation. Seven flavors rotate every week, and seasonal ones include pumpkin pie, spicy orange sorbel and cucumber lime. year-round unique ones are “avocado lime,” plant-based horchata, muscovado sugar and coffee coconut.

The most popular remain the sea salt caramel and vanilla bean, while there are also vegan flavors, such as strawberry sorbet and amarina chip.

No preservatives are used, Zaidi said, and all ice cream and waffle cones are made fresh daily.

The one thing you can say is that we have 50 flavors in circulation to choose from, and our chef decides which flavors to offer. We request every evening what flavors we like and we prepare them.

“Our unique selling point is we make everything fresh daily, and you can taste the difference,” Zaidi said.

“If we do not sell something the same day, the next day we sample it or give it away.

“We’re also always looking for organizations to give away our regular leftover ice cream from the day before, because it’s good for months while frozen,” she said. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 37

Baking brownies just like Grandma

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

L

ike most family recipes, Kathy Kellar’s famous buttermilk brownie dish has been passed down, and, like many comfort foods, it’s very popular when a crowd comes by the Kellar home.

The recipe has been in the family for decades, she said.

“So every family occasion, and I come from a big family, there’s five of us, and so every time we’d go up to my mother’s home, we’d have grandma’s buttermilk brownies,” Kellar said.

There are two secret ingredients, she explained.

“I think it’s the buttermilk and I think they’re made with love of family,” she said, “and everybody who’s had them ... they’re good, they’re not dense.”

The buttermilk gives the brownies a melt-in-the-mouth texture, combined with a chocolate frosting that always

Grandma Keysor’s brownies 1 cube butter 1 cup water 1/2 cup baking cocoa 1/2 cup oil

Kathy Kellar holds up her mother’s handwritten recipe for buttermilk brownies.

PHOTO BY AUSTIN DAVE / THE SIGNAL

puts smiles on faces.

“We all have the brownie recipe and I’ve also passed it along to friends,” she said, adding she enjoys sharing the treat with others. “Anybody who wants it can have it, and my mother would be happy to know it’s being shared.”

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What’s also nice about the treat is that it only takes about an hour to make, start to finish, she added, including the frosting.

“I don’t even use a blender,” she said, mentioning how no-fuss the recipe is, “I just mix it by hand.” 

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Boil together the above ingredients, then add: 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 eggs 1 tsp. Baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla a dash of salt Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes Frosting 1 cube of butter 1/3 cup of cocoa 1/3 cup of buttermilk Boil together the above ingredients, then add: 1 box powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Dash of salt

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Thanksgiving Day quiz

How well do you know America’s heartiest holiday?

It’s once again time to talk turkey, stuffing and all of the trimmings.

Thanksgiving is celebrated in both Canada and the United States, with similar parades and fanfare. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the blessings in one’s life and enjoy the company of family and friends during a special meal.

Although people celebrate Thanksgiving each and every year, they may not be aware of some of its interesting history.

Test your knowledge of gobblers and general trivia with this quiz.

1. Despite competing historical claims, the story most people associate with the first American Thanksgiving took place in a colony in this modern-day state? a. Pennsylvania b. New Jersey c. Massachusetts d. Delaware 2. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on which day of the week in Canada? a. Monday b. Tuesday c. Wednesday d. Thursday 3. Pilgrims from Europe associated with Thanksgiving are purported to have sailed across the Atlantic to reach North American on which ship? a. Daisy b. Mayflower c. Santa Maria d. Roseflower 4. Which tribe of Native Americans taught Pilgrims how to cultivate the land, contributing to the first Thanksgiving? a. Algonquin b. Lenape d. Wampanoag c. Shoshone

5. Fossil evidence shows that turkeys roamed the Americas how long ago? a. 10 million years ago b. 15 million years ago c. 20 million years ago d. 25 million years ago 6. Three different deboned types of poultry go into this Thanksgiving meal alternative? a. Orange duck b. Turducken c. Turkey chowmein d. Chixturck 7. In what year did Congress make Thanksgiving an official national holiday in the United States? a. 1932 b. 1939 c. 1941 d. 1946 8. Twenty percent of the overall consumption of this type of fruit is done on Thanksgiving. a. apples b. cranberries c. cherries d. grapes 9. The first Canadian Thanksgiving was a welcome-home celebration for Sir Martin Frobisher when he returned to which area of the country? a. Albert b. Manitoba c. British Columbia d. Newfoundland

Continued from page 28

as a goose or even a chicken. Some people find turkey meat to be too dry, despite all of the different preparation methods. Chicken or goose may be more well-received and just as versatile.

• Don’t overlook the possibility of serving fish and other seafood.

Colonists and the Wampanoag probably ate eel, lobster, clams and mussels. Fish can be dried, smoked

• Comfortable shoes: Comfortable walking shoes or sneakers are an absolute must during Black Friday shopping excursions. Shoppers should wear shoes that can hold up to walking throughout malls and provide comfort when standing around for long periods of time in line. In addition, choose shoes that will stay on if you need to sprint for the last item in stock or jet back to the car to unload packages for the next round of shopping.

sweater. Forgo a heavy down-filled coat for a thick fleece or fisherman’s weave sweater that can be tied around the waist while shopping. Ladies might like an insulating yet loose-fitting poncho that can be rolled up into a bag if it gets too hot.

• Free hands: Women should avoid taking along a clutch or satchel purse in favor of a cross-body bag that can be slung over a shoulder. Men or women who want to keep their hands com• Layer up: Depending on where you pletely free can opt for a roomy backlive and what time you leave the house pack to stow purchases and prevent to go shopping, initial temperatures themselves from feeling bogged down might be chilly before rising later in the by bags. day.

• Minimal makeup: During a day of But shoppers should keep in mind shopping in warm stores, shoppers’ that, as stores fill with shoppers, inte- makeup may cake, slide or feel unrior temperatures can quickly climb. comfortable. Go fresh-faced, instead.

Start with comfortable jeans, yoga Not having to apply makeup also pants, sweats or leggings. A fitted T- leaves more time to sleep in the mornshirt can be worn on its own or layered ing.  — Metro Connection underneath a hoodie or lightweight

BLACK FRIDAY

Time

— ­ Metro Connection

Shoppers can save more than money by starting their holiday shopping in advance of the holiday season.

In spite of the popularity of online shopping, many people still visit traditional brick and mortar retailers to do their present buying.

Such stores can be overwhelmed with shoppers between Thanksgiving and Christmas, leading to long lines and lengthy searches for parking. Shoppers are far less likely to encounter big crowds and crowded parking lots if they get their shopping done before the dawn of the holiday season, saving themselves substantial amounts of time as a result.

Shoppers who commit to getting their holiday shopping done early can save money and time and protect their financial reputations, as well.  — Metro Connection

and preserved.

• Replace wheat-based recipes with those made from cornmeal, as maize was more likely available during colonial time than wheat.

• Forests provided chestnuts, beechnuts and walnuts, so a platter of nuts paired with cheese or fruit also can make a welcome addition to the table. Nuts also can be ground and used in baked goods or flavoring for Thanksgiving desserts.

• Pumpkin and squash were plentiful in colonial times, and this is why these gourds are often included in

Thanksgiving meals and decor. The flesh of a pumpkin or squash can be turned into casseroles or used to make quiche.

• A traditional Thanksgiving meal for the early settlers would not have included potatoes. White potatoes originated in South America and sweet potatoes in the Caribbean.

At the time of the first Thanksgiving, these would not yet have been introduced, as white potato patches in North America were not established in the region until 1719, according to the potato resource Potato Goodness.

• Because colonists did not have wheat flour and butter to make flaky tart crusts, pumpkin pie was not on the first Thanksgiving menu. In lieu of pumpkin pie, hosts can experiment with moist loaf breads or muffins made with pumpkin.

The average Thanksgiving dinner table today looks quite different from the one the Wampanoag Indians and Pilgrims gathered around centuries ago. Families can stick closer to history and tailor their meals for a touch of something different this year.  — Metro Connection

10. Canadians sometimes call the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States by this name to distinguish it from their own Thanksgiving celebration. a. Yanksgiving b. Amerigiving c. Turmerica d. USthanks

Answers: 1. c 2. a 3. b 4. d 5. a 6. b 7. c 8. b 9. d 10. a

‘TURKEY DAY’

How to dress for (Black Friday) success

Continued from page 27

ity may not be possible for shoppers who wait until the holiday season has begun to start shopping.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 39

SENIORS

Methods to treating arthritic knees

O

steoarthritis of the joints can affect people of all ages, but is one of the leading causes of disability in the aged population in the United States. A study published in the Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine found incidence of knee OA is rising by increasing average age of the general population. Age, weight, trauma, and repetitive movements are common risk factors for the condition.

According to Dr. Scott Paris of Central Jersey Spine and Wellness, more than 27 million people in the country suffer from knee arthritis. An estimated 37 percent of Canadians aged 20 or older who had been diagnosed with arthritis reported osteoarthritis, with 29 percent occurring in the knees, states Statistics Canada.

Knee arthritis occurs when there is a degeneration of articular cartilage that covers and protects the patella (knee cap) at the knee joint, offers

the online resource Arthritis-Health.

Since this cartilage has no nerve endings, some people can experience arthritis but feel no pain. However, pain may occur when doing specific activities that cause impact between bones, like jumping, walking up stairs or certain sports.

Over time, knee arthritis may become worse, and pain can be accompanied by stiffness and loss of mobility. This may be accompanied by knee locking or buckling.

Those who suffer from knee OA may seek treatment.

In 2014, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting osteoarthritis research and treatment, updated its recommendations for the treatment of osteoarthritis targeted to different patient characteristics. The main categories of treatment include non-drug treatments, medication, injections, and surgery.

• Non-drug treatments: Examples

of non-drug treatments include exercise, stretching and range-of-movement strategies. Weight loss can alleviate excess strain placed on the hips and knees and reduce pain. Braces, sleeves and orthotics may help reduce pain and joint stiffness when directed properly through a specialist.

• Medications: Many medications are geared around reducing inflammation and pain and include over-the-counter pain relievers and NSAIDs, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. Topical NSAIDs may be tried, and these can reduce the risk of gastrointestinal side effects from oral medications. OARSI also found that the antidepressant duloxetine may help with chronic knee pain.

• Injections: The Arthritis Foundation says that some doctors can inject corticosteroid compounds directly into affected joints. Use of hyaluronic acid injections can supplement the natural substance that gives joint flu-

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id its lubrication and viscosity. These injections may help relieve pain and improve mobility.

• Surgery: In cases when the aforementioned treatments are unsuccessful, doctors may suggest surgery.

The Arthritis Foundation says joint lavage and arthroscopic debridement, which involve flushing the joint with a sterile saline solution and the surgical removal of tissue fragments from the joint, are controversial but may help some people achieve shortterm relief. Partial knee replacement may be another option that offers a similar improvement in function, but fewer complications than a total knee replacement.

Osteoarthritis in the knee can be painful and restrictive. Working with a qualified doctor, individuals can develop a treatment plan that works for their specific conditions.  —Metro Connection

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

GARDENING

Thanksgiving lessons from the garden

By Jane Gates Signal Contributing Writer

A

s so many of us worry about national or global issues, hotter, drier weather, skyrocketing prices, increasing traffic and so much more, our stress levels increase.

Add in pressure from holiday plans and family dynamics, and this year’s holiday season could be a lot less fun than we’d like.

Here’s where Thanksgiving can bring us relief. Shifting our focus can lift our spirits. Counting the blessings in our lives can actually overwhelm bleakness, worry and fear.

Lessons

My garden has become my mentor, illustrating over and over what a miracle it is to be alive.

Gardens aren’t concerned with the small view of life. They don’t obsess about

what they don’t have. They simply can’t.

My garden exists in accordance with the bigger laws of nature and is fueled by the reality that nothing is forever and everything is interdependent and always changing. We humans claim to want change but we really want everything to stay the same (except for the things we don’t like) so we can feel in control. Change is inevitable.

So, maybe lesson one from the garden is to celebrate the present and focus on what we have rather than what we don’t.

When the dry, windy heat seems to steal the life out of some plants in my garden, I can still be surprised at how resilient others can be. Any gardener knows how hard it can be to get rid of weeds.

No matter how much you pull and dig, at least a few survive to taunt you. I figure if these simple life forms can take this kind of bashing, maybe I shouldn’t give up so easily every time life throws me a challenge.

I guess this might be lesson two from my garden.

2018

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My garden will keep growing so it will always be a work in progress. It will never be perfect. (Maybe it’s the same for me, too?) But sometimes, it’s the smallest seedling that grows the strongest, the least likely plant that blooms the best and the nastiest wind gust that delivers an airborne seed-treasure to root in my soil.

Another lesson: “right and wrong” is inflexible, being judgmental creates limitations, but “what works and what doesn’t” — is a form of learning that, uh, actually does work.

As if these lessons aren’t enough, I look at how we humans, unlike our gardens, are gifted with the ability to learn and choose. In Santa Clarita we have experienced extreme heat, dry, wind and areas where wildfires have blasted into town chewing into the lives, homes and gardens of so many. Yet in the wake came the gift of rain calling up brilliantly colored blankets of rare hillside wildflowers. Fire-followers they’re called.

The seeds only germinate after being licked by fire. People experienced irreplaceable losses, were comforted by new friendships, and wiser choices were made. Homes were rebuilt. New gardens were landscaped. We, like our gardens, grew anew. We learned to appreciate what we had and how to do things better.

Thankfulness

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Our gardens teach us to appreciate what we have and embrace the new.

New varieties of plants continue show up both in the wild and in nurseries.

Moisture-loving plants sprout near hose bib leaks or other areas where water collects. I’ve even seen a shade loving flower unfurling proudly under the umbrella of a gnarled old native shrub in the hot summer sun. Diversity expands the power of growth. Just like in the garden, we thrive when we support each other.

I guess what I love about landscaping and gardening is that nature offers an alternative to the insatiable hunger imposed by superficial values.

It seems society has us focused on equating having bigger and better with being more worthy to live. The garden refutes this. People who have more may certainly be more comfortable, but some of the happiest human cultures on the planet have little material wealth. Instead, like the denizens of my

We all start small and grow to be unique lives; no two are the same.

COURTESY PHOTO.

garden, these people feel rich in heart and soul, knowing they work together with all life — plant, animal and human — to make the quality of each life better.

There is no greater sense of power, worthiness or fulfillment than living in harmony with life.

Ironically, when I look at history, I can’t help notice how much more discord invades the social order the further we get from the land. Consumerism and technology gives us unparalleled comfort, but it doesn’t fill us with joy. I think life is about balance and it isn’t about becoming either downtrodden victims or rich and famous moguls. It seems to be more about finding a reason to be alive and enjoying sharing that reason with other lives.

Year after year, my garden offers a myriad of life forms. After 20 years in Santa Clarita, I just discovered we have geckos — the Western Banded Gecko — and I saw my first brilliantly striped king snake (a gardener’s friend that eats both rattlesnakes and rodents)! Year after year I am surprised with unexpected delights. Year after year I remember there is always more to learn and appreciate in this miracle of a planet. So much reason to give thanks.

So this Thanksgiving, I remember the historical significance of the holiday: sharing the wealth of the land with others.

I take the time to give thanks for the deep sense of rightness and harmony my landscape demonstrates daily, a calmness that transcends all the anger, blame, fear, insecurity and unkindness I see happening in the world at large.

And I invite all of you to take a moment to give thanks for the life you’ve been gifted, the life that surrounds and enriches you, and the love and acceptance you have to give and receive.

Each one of us, as my garden teaches, is truly a unique work of art worth giving thanks for. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 41

PROFILE

Pursuing positivity while parenting

By Michele Lutes Signal Staff Writer

S

anta Clarita resident, mortgage adviser and single mother, Patti Handy is reminding single parents to always have hope.

“One day, you’ll look back and realize you’re a whole different person than you were one year ago or two years ago, and it only gets better,” she said. “Never give up hope.”

Handy was one of the six women being honored at the ninth annual Single Mothers Outreach Empowering HeArts Gala, with an overall theme of “Integrity.”

“Integrity means doing the right thing always without question and knowing in your heart you are always doing your best to serve,” Handy said.

Handy worked with the Single Mothers Outreach, or SMO, many years ago, and hopes to get involved again.

“I’m a single mother myself, so (SMO) has always had a soft spot in my heart,” she said.

“I hope to be more involved with the women.”

Handy moved to Santa Clarita in 1987 and gave birth to her son Blake Gonzalez in 1996. “I am so very proud of him, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else — I love this valley,” she said.

She divorced when her son was 18 months old. “I sorta had to reinvent myself as a single mom and a provider,” she said.

And so she did. She now works as as a senior mortgage advisor and trainer at American Family Funding. She also found something to be grateful for everyday and used her trials and tribulations and joys of being a single mom to write four books.

A children’s book, “The Feeling in My Belly of Peanut Butter and Jelly,” an advice book, “50 Ways

Saving as a single parent Saving money can be hard for any parent, but especially so for parents who are raising their children in single-parent households.

Single parents face hurdles that parents in dual-parent households may not encounter, and many of those hurdles involve finances.

Worrying about savings can have a negative effect on single parents.

Finding room for savings can be tough for single parents already working with limited budgets, but single parents who want to start saving more may find that some simple strategies can help them grow their savings and build more solid foundations for their futures and their children’s futures.

• Find ways to scale back. Just because

to Flourish After Divorce” and two finance books, “How to Ditch Your Allowance and Be Richer Than Your Parents: 9 Wealth building tools to make a teen rich,” and “Money Rules 101: Master Your Money Before it Masters You-A Guide for Parents and Teens.”

All four of her books are for sale on Amazon.

She hopes to “inspire individuals to be inspired,” she said. “If I could have any kind of impact or inspire anybody to look at their circumstances today, I’d remind them this moment in time is temporary, if you remain hopeful and grateful with a positive mindset.”

At the gala, artist Cecilia Kikalo will unveil an original piece of art that tells Handy’s story.

you might have grown accustomed to something does not mean you cannot live without it. Scaling back on luxury expenditures like cable or satellite television and smartphone data plans can save you a substantial amount of money each month. Cut the cord with costly cable or satellite plans in favor of more affordable streaming services. If that’s too great a sacrifice, downsize your television package to something more basic and much less expensive.

• Set up automatic contributions. Setting up automatic contributions to a savings account is a great way to guarantee you make monthly deposits. Direct a portion of your paycheck into a savings account rather than direct depositing it entirely into your checking account.

• Enroll in an employer-sponsored retirement program. If you are not already

Patti Handy has four books that are all currently for sale on Amazon.com, including “How to Ditch Your Allowance and Be Richer Than Your Parents: 9 Wealth Building Tools to Make a Teen Rich,” which has helped inspire young entrepreneurs.

Handy, who worked with Single Mothers Outreach before she was recently named an honoree, said she sort of “re-invented” herself when she divorced her husband while caring for an infant son.

Kikalo is one of the six artists chosen to carry out the tasks of telling the honoree’s story through art.

“I feel very grateful that I am among this group of esteemed women,” Handy said. “I always want to make a positive impact and inspire and make the world a better place. I try to live that everyday personally and professionally.” 

contributing to an employer-sponsored retirement account, then enroll in one if your employer has made that option available. Such contributions are typically pretax (you will pay tax on the money down the road when you begin to withdraw it), meaning they won’t affect your take-home pay too significantly. In addition, enrolling in such a program can help relieve any stress you may have about financing your retirement.

• Make your own meals. Single parents juggling a career with their dual roles as mom and dad may be too exhausted to take on dinner duties at the end of each weekday.

Single parents struggling to save money may find that the simplest solutions are also the most effective.  —Metro Connection

There are single parents struggling to save money may find that the simplest solutions are also the most effective.

42 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

PROFILE

From Ukraine, with love

By Patti Rasmussen Signal Staff Writer

H

e’s only been in the United States for three years, but Tymofii Kashchenko, who goes by Tim, finds California kids very much like those he knew in the Ukraine.

Walking into Golden Valley High School as a freshman in 2015, Tim had just turned 14 and knew no English. His teachers found him friendly, open and charismatic.

“He’s very unique and makes friends easily,” said Arian Wilson, an English language teacher assigned to Tim the first day. “We didn’t have anyone in the district who spoke Russian, so it was a matter of using the computer and pointing at a lot of pictures.”

In his sophomore year, Tim took World History with Eric Harris, who also serves as an assistant football coach at the school. The invasion of Ukraine had just happened, and now Harris had a student in his class who witnessed the war first-hand.

Tim was not shy about the sights and sounds of war, Harris said, and Tim has a passion for history.

“We knew a revolution was coming,” Tim said. “Just before Christmas,

Golden Valley High School student Tim Kashchenko.

Golden Valley High School student Tim Kashchenko comes on the field with his teammates before the game against West Ranch.

people were on the streets protesting and then everyone just started shooting.”

Tim’s father worked for TicketMaster in Southern California, and it was at this time he told his family to come to America. Tim, his mother, little brother and younger sister

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, left, talks to Golden Valley High School student Tim Kashchenko after an assembly to promote early voter registration to the 550 Golden Valley High School students gathered in the Golden Valley High School Gym in September. PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

all came over.

Tim said the people of the Ukraine are peaceful, but weak. He believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a bully, and that Russia is corrupt.

“We joke (about Putin) much like Americans make fun of (President) Trump,” Tim said.

When asked about the state of American politics, Tim hasn’t ruled out voting for Trump when he becomes a citizen, although he admits he will be keeping his options open.

He thinks Trump is a smart man, but needs to think smarter.

“I’m cool with building a wall,” Tim said. “but (Trump) needs to be more realistic.”

At a recent assembly, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla was there to speak to the students about the importance of voting. Tim was one of just a handful of students who approached the secretary to ask questions. Tim believes Padilla’s talk was more about getting votes than actually understanding the concerns of high school students.

As for friends, Tim doesn’t find it hard to make friends, but he said it’s hard to keep them because of the dis-

tance between homes in the suburbs.

His old neighborhood was mainly apartment buildings.

“In the Ukraine, we lived on top of each other,” he said. “If my friend lived on the sixth floor, I would see him every day and say, ‘Hey brother.’”

Asked to name his favorite American restaurant, Tim said Denny’s because, “They make good milkshakes.”

And while he hasn’t tried surfing yet, he enjoys snowboarding and loves playing American football on the varsity team at Golden Valley.

He listens to heavy metal music and both of his football coaches gifted him T-shirts with heavy metal bands displayed on them, after his favorite one was ripped during practice. The T-shirts are his favorite articles of clothing.

As for the future, Tim says he needs a little more time to decide on a career, so he hopes to attend College of the Canyons after high school. The cinema and history are two areas he’d like to explore.

These days, however, Tim is enjoying his senior year. He has taken on a California look, and loves just about everyone he meets. Principal Sal Frias said Tim is well-liked.

“He is grateful and respectful,” Frias said. “Every time I see him walking around campus, he has a big smile.”

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 43

PETS

Pet tips for a fun, safe holiday season

By Michelle Sathe Signal Staff Writer

T

he holidays are upon us, and for many, that means decorating the home and preparing lavish feasts.

While many members of the family will appreciate your efforts, don’t forget to protect those with four paws from some of the dangers that the season can bring.

For the most part, that means keeping pets from the festive plants and tasty foods that we humans enjoy so much.

“Pets can get into the trash or hang around the kitchen and consume things that usually lead to gastrointestinal upset,” said Dr. Evelyn Vega, veterinarian and owner of Happy Pets Veterinary Center in Valencia.

Symptoms of gastrointestinal upset include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and gas, while pancreatitis can include those symptoms as well as pain in the mid abdomen, lack of appetite, and lethargy.

If any of those symptoms last longer than 24-48 hours, Vega recommends bringing your pet to the veterinarian.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said. “A pet vomiting can be something as simple as gastritis, to something life threatening such as pancreatitis or a foreign body obstruction.”

Of course, preventing such situations from occurring is ideal. According to Vega, here are food items that should never be given to pets:

• Any fatty or spicy leftovers (For example, turkey or turkey skin can

cause pancreatitis in both dogs and cats.)

• Bones of any kind, which can cause obstructions in both dogs and cats • Artificial sweeteners found in sweets, such as Xylitol, which can cause liver failure in dogs • Chocolate, raisins and grapes (which are common in baking goods during the holidays and toxic to pets) • Unattended alcoholic drinks. Pets can get to them, which can cause health issues if your pet has too much • Yeast dough, which can cause bloating if a large enough amount is ingested by dogs.

To be extra safe, keep trash in an area where your pet can not get to it, whether that’s inside or outside (especially after a dinner party where leftovers are thrown away).

Plants can also be very dangerous.

Holly and mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and lilies can cause kidney failure in cats. That’s why Vega recommends not keeping any of those plants in the home during the holidays.

Other safety tips Vega suggested: • Avoid using tinsel, which can be swallowed, or traditional candles, which can be knocked over and start a fire. Try electric candles instead.

• Hide or cover electrical wires to avoid your pet getting shocked.

• Do not use tree ornaments that can be swallowed or broken, such as those made of glass or homemade ornaments constructed from

salt dough.

• If you buy a live tree, do not add aspirin to the water to keep the tree fresh. Aspirin is toxic and can cause GI ulcers or bleeding in both dogs and cats • Ask your guests to keep all their While the family kitten might look adorable playing with medications in a decorations, pet owners should be careful their pets don’t safe place and to ingest any of the decor, which can be harmful to a pet’s system. COURTESY PHOTO immediately pick up any pills that are any doors open where your dog or accidently dropped to avoid ingestion cat may be tempted to run out. Just in by pets. case, make sure your pet has current • On New Year’s Eve, some people set off fireworks that can scare pets, so make sure they are enclosed in a room with the TV or radio on to drown out noise and commotion.

Finally, on a holiday, or any day, inform your guests know not to leave

ID tag and that the information on his or her microchip is up to date.

If for some reason your pet does get out, immediately go to your local shelter and post photos/information on local pet “lost and found” social media pages. 

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S C V F E AT U R E

Rebuilding from the rubble in Haiti

By Carl Boyer Signal Contributing Writer

I

n 2002, SCV resident Gretchen Huijskens of the Santa Clarita Valley went to Haiti in an effort to adopt a child, only to find that her contacts were running a scam.

As a result, she founded Three Angels Children’s Relief, which has evolved into an orphanage that’s placed more than 100 children in forever homes.

In addition, they’ve built a school, Three Angels Christian Academy, serving 321 children this year in grades preschool through six, a medical clinic, a jewelry-making program providing employment for 30 people, and a farm.

Some months ago, I received an email with a picture of three new children needing sponsors, and I responded by contributing to the care of the saddest-looking boy, aged 3.

Inspired to help I had heard of Three Angels in 2003, and had sent them occasional small donations, with a little more in response to the 7.0 earthquake, which in 2010 destroyed much of Port-auPrince, the capital, and killed about 300,000 people.

Now, I wanted to visit Three Angels. I flew to Haiti and was met

by Eric Helgemo, formerly of Piru, the volunteer missionary/in country director, who has served for the past eight years.

From left, Eric Helgemo and Alix Charles work to create solutions for the children of Haiti, who are still feeling the effects of an earthquake from nearly 10 years ago.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Eric had gone to deliver Christmas baskets from his church in 2009, and as a contractor, he immediately noticed how vulnerable the structures at Three Angels would be in an earthquake.

The local people said that Haiti never had earthquakes, but Helgemo knew Hispaniola was an island built by tectonic shifts.

“If an earthquake comes, get the children and run for that tree,” he told the nannies. Weeks later, the ground shook mightily, and the nannies ran out. Then they ran back in, to get the children. All were saved as the orphanage suffered heavy damage.

“Those people need help, and we have to go to Haiti,” Helgemo recalled telling his wife, Christine.

The streets are still lined with rubble from a 2010 earthquake, which was believed to have a death toll that reached six figures.

Since 2010, he and his wife have have worked hard to create solutions to problems, and to relieve people cut off by subsequent hurricanes.

Making the most Alix Charles is the Haitian headmaster of the Three Angels Christian School, and takes great pride in the program that helps graduates from the sixth grade continue to high school.

Four of his students are now looking for scholarships to help them meet the $4,000-$5,000 annual tuition for university.

However, most remarkable is the work of the nannies, each charged with two or three children to mother and learn to bond with people after having been orphaned, or in some cases, abandoned by their destitute mothers.

The sad little boy I was sponsoring ran up to me, put up his arms to be picked up, and smiled happily.

One day, he will be ready for his forever home, probably in the United States or Canada.

In the meantime, he goes to preschool, proudly wearing a backpack almost as big as he is, where the children are taught in Creole and French, while they learn some English.

The medical clinic serves a large number in the Delmas neighborhood, and the farm provides food and fruit

Carl Boyer adopted Christ, pronounced Chris, age 3, from the Three Angels Children’s Relief. Boyer’s hope is that he’ll one day be able to leave the country for a safer home in the United States or Canada.

trees as part of a reforestation project.

Over 90 percent of donated funds go to providing services directly to the people. There are 56 Haitian employees, nannies, teachers, custodial staff and security, and one full-time American operations manager. I met Mary Anne Simons, who works parttime out of her home in Stevenson Ranch.

Haiti is so poor that half the children do not go to school at all, and rubble from the 2010 earthquake still lines the streets.

More of this amazing story can be found if one Googles “Three Angels Haiti.” It’s nearing the level of $1 million in donations necessary to be rated by Charitynavigator.org. 

Pictures of the orphanage’s supporters adorn the wall.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Give your mind a workout with these brainy exercises!

BRAINGAMES

Relax

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 45

46 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

CROSSWORD TIME

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

Root, root, root for the home (e)Team

By Jim Mullen Signal Contributing Writer

C

an you make money playing video games?

Absolutely.

It was recently reported that during his seven-year career, 22-year-old Lee Young-ho, a South Korean video gamer, earned $487,141 at 59 tournaments. And Chen Zhihao, a Chinese national, has averaged about $220,000 a year gaming for the last five years.

It’s called eSports, and it’s attracting big crowds and big money.

In 2014, 45,000 people showed up to watch a “League of Legends” tournament in South Korea. 27 million people watched it online. The prize pool was over $2 million. At an event in Seattle in 2015, the prize was $18 million and change. Since this is just the beginning of eSports, it’s easy to see that this will soon become the biggest of the big-money sports. Oh, yeah — you can gamble on it, too.

So, should you really be worried that your kids are spending all their time gaming in the basement instead of practicing jump shots in the driveway? Upset that they never see the sun, that they live on pizza and soft drinks? Is it possible that by insisting that they do something healthy and active, you may actually be hurting their chances of becoming a highly overpaid e-athlete? Will football and basketball still be the money sports of the future, or will high school sports 10 years from now look radically different?

Maybe you’ll read a story like this on the sports page a decade from now.

“The defending champions from the Elon Musk School of Dramatic Arts are on the brink of winning the state championships in ‘Defenders of the Ancients.’ They have a chance to win it all: to take home the trophy and dance their victory dance on the heads of their cross-state rivals, the Disruptors from Jeff Bezos Tech.

Tech’s robot cheerleaders really know how to whip up a crowd. Because they are using real whips, and they are deadly accurate.

“Both teams have been training hard, but several of the best have been put on the DL with serious thumb trouble. There’s been a real fear of injury this year, but both teams have put an emphasis on player safety after one student broke a nail in last year’s competition after slapping his game console after an error. It was several months before the coaches thought he was healthy enough to train for this year’s competition.

“Coaches’ salaries have become an issue in states where eSports have become extremely popular. As with football in the days of yore, some parents wonder if it’s right to pay a coach millions of dollars a year while teachers’ salaries remain stagnant.

“The new $12 million eSports arena, which replaced the unused football field, track, and field house, has been a point of controversy since running into cost overruns, but the school board defends the decision to go ahead. “‘Football,’ said one board member, ‘is the fax machine of the 21st century.’ And indeed, colleges are dumping expensive, money-losing football programs and giving free rides to the top gamers. Not bad when you think that tuition for the best schools just hit $150,000 a year. High-tech employers want gamers, not jocks. All the colleges are sending scouts to this championship game. Some of these athletes will earn more than their parents by the time they’re 18.

“Another board member pointed out that eSports give more students a chance to participate. “‘Most of the old big-money sports favored big and tall boys, and that’s it,’ she said. ‘All the hard work and practice in the world won’t make you 6-foot-7. That’s an accident of birth.

But almost any student can compete in an online game — boys, girls, kids with different abilities, they can all participate. They’ll meet people from all around the globe, people that all speak the language of eSports. It’s like an Olympics every single day. “‘Besides,’ she added, ‘most kids are playing them in class anyway. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.’”  Contact Jim Mullen at mullen.jim@ gmail.com

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Holiday Magic Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital announces its 38th Annual Holiday Home Tour and Preview Gala for 2018.

In 1981, a fundraising project was established by the Hospital Auxiliary, with Betty Burke as chairwoman, which became the first Holiday Home Tour. In 1982, the Home Tour League was founded to expand the volunteer base and promote participation from the community.

Since its inception, the Home Tour League has focused on fundraising for Women’s Services. To date, the League has raised upwards of $1,000,000, which includes naming two rooms in the Emergency and Trauma Center and a Nurses Station in the new Patient Tower. One of their most recent and gratifying accomplishments has been the Kim and Steven Ullman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit which opened in 2012. In 2018, the Home Tour will be designating funds towards the Center for Women and Newborns in the new Patient Tower.

This year’s tour features a total of four beautiful homes in the community.

Three homes are located in the Southern Oaks area of Stevenson Ranch, and one is in Westridge.

“Home Tour is so thrilled to present four lovely local homes for viewing this year.” said Debra Weyand, Home Tour President. “Our homeowners and decorators are already in full swing preparing a wonderful tour filled with “Holiday Magic” for our community!”

Participating home tour decorators include a very special lineup of gifted individuals: Patrick Tremblay of Tremblay House of Design, Karen Reilly of Robella Creations, along with hand-picked design students from COC, Debbie Filippelli and Bernard Underwood of An Intimate Place/B.U. Designs.

Preview Gala:

Holiday Home Tour

The Oaks Club at Valencia,

Tickets are sold in advance for $30 at select Santa Clarita Valley vendors, at the hospital gift shop and at henrymayogiving.com.

Tickets may be purchased for $35 on the day of the event at the boutique or at the homes.

No one under 12 admitted. No pets admitted.

Event will take place rain or shine.

Friday, November 30, 2018, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 1, 2018 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

26550 Heritage View Lane, Valencia Homes open for viewing from 5 - 8 p.m.

Preview the beautiful homes, and then enjoy a festive buffet dinner.

Black tie/festive attire.

Tickets are sold in advance for $150 per person, no later than November 28.

Visit henrymayogiving.com or 661.200.1200.

To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit henrymayogiving.com or call 661.200.1200.

Holiday Home Tour Boutique: Saturday, December 1 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Henry Mayo Center (located on the hospital campus)

23803 McBean Pkwy, Valencia This is a FREE event offering a wide selection of gifts for sale.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS FEATURES

5

Valencia High’s band readies for big shows • What keeps Santa Clarita moving • SCV help for Haiti • From the Ukraine with love • Celebrating SCV’s single moms

NEWS OF THE WEEK

10

Smith unseats Acosta • City expresses concern with proposed high-speed rail • City to annex a total of 3,118 acres • Doves for Elliot • Villanueva widens lead in sheriff race

SPORTS

15

Back on the chain gang

REAL ESTATE

16

This week in real estate

OPINION

20

Our View • David Hegg • Tim Whyte

CALENDAR 23

0 Pineview, Canyon Country 91387 Listing ID:SR16068789

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Features include Power, public water, a well, gas to property and fencing. Access is from a small street that makes this a very private and quiet place to live.

This is a must see to appreciate what is offered with Bob Kellar this property. Buyer will be provided all development 661.510.0987 plans and documents to include house plans upon 16670 Soledad Cyn Rd purchase agreement. This is a rare opportunity to buy kellar@earthlink.net CalBRE#01030351 a magnificent property for you and your family.

TIME RANGER

24

TRAVEL

25

Morro Bay

KIDS & FAMILY

26

Donna’s Day • Family memories

SHOPPING 27 The Black Friday Survival Guide

THANKSGIVING

28

Traditional Thanksgiving and a turkey-free option

ENTERTAINMENT

33

Queen Nation coming to Canyon Santa Clarita

FOOD

36

Five desserts • Kathy Kellar’s buttermilk brownies

SENIORS

39

Different kinds of arthritis

GARDENING

40

Planting for the fall • Lawn care

BRAIN GAMES

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Games • Crossword • Village Idiot

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 5

S C V F E AT U R E

Pride of the Vikings prepping for parade show

By Brennon Dixson Signal Staff Writer

A

fter a successful seventh annual Pride of the Vikings Field Show Tournament last Thursday, members of Valencia High School’s marching band and color guard are eager for their upcoming performance at the prestigious Carnegie Hall and St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York.

More than 1,200 performers from local southern California high schools gathered last Thursday at Valencia High, where the schools showcased the typical artistic visual pageantry, heart-pounding music and innovative marching formation designs that are typically found at field shows across the SCV, said Terry Collier, a media representative for the Valencia High School Band & Flag Boosters.

With rifles, sabers and other props in hand, color guards and bands representing nearly 20 schools battled to secure the show’s awards, a higher ranking and a spot in the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association championship competition.

Band director Mark Judd and

Valencia High School performs at seventh annual Pride of the Vikings Field Show Tournament at Valencia High School.

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

members of the Visual and Music Design Team crafted a program called “New York Cityscapes,” said Collier, “which musically conceptualizes the unique energy of New York. With the political landscape being divisive sometimes, we thought we’d share a beautiful story about how music

brings us together. We all have the mutual love for music.”

By incorporating music genres, such as jazz and other elements that reflect the city’s cultural diversity, the show celebrates the melting pot of a city that is New York, according to Collier. The performance features the

Hart High School performs at the seventh annual Pride of the Vikings Field Show Tournament.

prominent boroughs and Broadway before turning to Ellis Island, where the band projects historical pictures of children and parents arriving.

The goal was to create a unique performance that musically and visually represents New York, Collier said, adding the team was quite successful.

“These band and color guard students have worked very hard since the beginning of the summer this year, and we are so proud of their accomplishments,” Valencia High Principal Steve Ford added. As a school that encourages students to excel in academics, sports and the fine arts, this is an important event for Valencia High School “It brings us joy to offer ways that bring the Santa Clarita Community together,” Ford said. “I strongly encourage everyone in the area to support the music program and enjoy the great performances from these school bands in the surrounding communities.”

All proceeds from last Thursday’s tournament will be used for ongoing fundraising efforts of VHS’s music program, said Channon Morris, president of the boosters board. “We encourage businesses to visit our website for great opportunities to be a sponsor.” 

6 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S C V F E AT U R E

City Hall’s eyes on Santa Clarita’s traffic

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

T

he Santa Clarita Valley is home to Six Flags Magic Mountain, some of the best golf courses in the region and an evolving arts scene. But with growing amenities comes miles of traffic congestion in and around the area.

Every day, thousands of vehicles pass through the streets and highways that make up the valley, cluttering the roads and stretching commute times for those who live here.

But at the Santa Clarita City Hall, traffic engineers have been working to solve one of the most common concerns raised by residents.

The solution is an operation Gus Pivetti, a city traffic engineer, and Cesar Romo, a city traffic signal system administrator, refer to as ITS, their state-of-the-art technology, that’s short for the Intelligent Transportation System.

The system helps manage traffic circulation on the streets with the

ultimate goal of “keeping drivers safe and helping traffic flow better” through a network of multiple monitors, camera controls, fiber optic cables and alarms.

This is all housed in a screen-covered room on the third floor at City Hall known as the Traffic Operations Center, thanks to the city’s multiphase master plan to develop the ITS. “In phase one in 2005, the city earned several grants to from Metro and other local funds to help build the Traffic Operations Center. We started as a small office with only about 10 monitoring cameras,” said Romo.

Today, the city is in its fifth phase, and since then, more fiber optic cables, 101 new generation traffic signal controllers, automated turning movement count systems and battery backup systems at 120 traffic signals have been installed.

Phase five grant funds alone totaled $2.1 million of the nearly $20.3 million funds from Metro, state, federal and local funds for the

Above: Gus Pivetti, traffic engineer with the city of Santa Clarita, looks at multiple screens that overlook main intersections in real time at the city’s Traffic Center Control on Nov. 6, 2018.

Right: Cesar Romo, traffic signal system administrator with the city of Santa Clarita, looks at multiple screens that overlook main intersections in real time at the city’s Traffic Center Control on Nov. 6, 2018.

PHOTOS BY TAMMY MURGA / THE SIGNAL

Santa Clarita’s state-of-the-art traffic system is managed from a room on the third floor of City Hall. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

comprehensive ITS system.

Together, the system helps engineers see what is happening in real time at any of the 191 signalized intersections on city roads through a total of 300 cameras. As one of the few cities with 100-percent connectivity to all signals, Romo said, the city connects with about 60 miles of fiber optic cable.

But not every street flows the same, so individual adjustments are necessary, he added.

“In the old times, every traffic signal needed to have the same cycle length,” said Romo. “At a very busy intersection, we select 132 seconds, but that would mean that the rest of the traffic signals had to have the same time, but some streets don’t

carry as much traffic.”

That’s why the city has implemented its adaptive traffic signal system, which allows controllers in an area to create their signal timing based on the volume of traffic.

For example, on White Canyon Road, traffic fluctuates throughout the day. “In the morning, there’s a lot of traffic because people drop off kids at school, and after peak hours, traffic dies. This system increases and decreases the time cycle when it needs to.”

There’s an environmental aspect to this as well. By improving traffic flow, idling and travel times are reduced, resulting in fewer emissions, according to city engineers.

The goal is to implement 120 new adaptive controllers on city streets in the coming year to better manage circulation and improve the environment.

With technology evolving at a rapid pace, Romo and Pivetti said the city is always looking to make improvements using the most up-to-date systems.

One feature the city is considering is the use of solar panels as the primary source of power while having Southern California Edison as the power backup during emergencies.

The city is also testing connected vehicle technology, See TRAFFIC, next page

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 7

S C V F E AT U R E

Successfully plan your holiday escape

M

illions of travelers take to the roads, rails and sky in the days surrounding major holidays. While a large percentage of people travel miles and miles to visit with friends and family members these times of year, others use days off from school and work as prime times for vacations.

Holiday excursions can be exciting, but they may require some extra planning and patience. Larger crowds at airports and more cars on the roads can make holiday-timed travel challenging. Make these trips memorable by reducing travel-related stressors.

Research thoroughly Study your travel options to determine the best way to get from point A to point B. Weigh the cost of your trip as well as the time involved in traveling. Driving may seem like a good idea if you don’t want to stretch your budget, but it may eat up too much of your vacation time if you’re traveling long distances.

If you will be flying, learn the airline baggage restrictions and the security measures in place at your departing airports. This makes

TRAFFIC

Continued from previous page

which enables cars, buses and trucks to exchange information with infrastructure, like traffic signals.

This system could help drivers safely

navigating the airport that much easier.

Planning well in advance also enables you to get the best prices possible. A study

by CheapAir.com found that those who booked tickets for domestic travel 49 days prior to departure saved the most money.

Develop a contingency plan Even the best laid plans can go awry. Know what to do in the event a particular rest stop or scenic spot along the way is closed or if travel plans get delayed or rerouted.

Certain travel apps provide real-time updates on delays or provide gate numbers prior to arriving at the airport. Other apps indicate which gas stations have the lowest prices or which rest stops offer the cleanest bathrooms.

Take your car in for a tune-up Drivers should make sure their vehicles are in good working condition prior to departure. More cars are on

negotiate intersections and prevent up to 55 percent of intersection crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“We are only testing right now as we wait for more vehicles to have that technology, but that is where we

COURTESY PHOTO

the roads during holidays, and that means a greater potential for stopand-go traffic, which can put added stress on the vehicle. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and in good condition to avoid flats or blowouts, which can delay your trip.

Pack light Ship gifts or keepsakes ahead of time so you do not have much to lug through airport terminals or rail stations. If you must take gifts with you, wait until you arrive at your destination before wrapping them, as this makes items easier to inspect.

If you’re going on vacation instead of just a weekend getaway, you will probably return home with more items than you brought because of gifts or souvenirs. Pack an extra tote bag or an empty carry-on suitcase where you can store extra items accumulated on the trip. Otherwise, see if these things can be shipped home. It may be cheaper to ship items than to pay airline baggage fees. are headed,” said Romo.

The sheer volume of cars on the road is not something the city can fix, but improving commute times with faster green lights and safer routes, is something “we’ll always look to improve.” 

Travel off-peak It’s often quicker and less stressful to travel during off-peak hours when roads and airports are less crowded.

Off-peak hours include overnight, early morning or late evening. Redeye flights or off-peak travel times also may be less expensive.

Travelers looking to avoid crowded roadways or airports may also want to avoid especially popular travel days, such as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Leave a few days before a major holiday or arrive a few days after to avoid the crowds.

Travel with your own snacks Failure to eat or drink can do more than lead to hunger pangs and dehydration. It can make the body sluggish and may affect your ability to deal with minor (or major) irritations. Pack nutritious snacks and take breaks to refuel your body.

Remember your destination If you find holiday travel stressful, focus on the comforting thought that once you get to your destination you can kick back and relax. Do not overbook your trip and leave yourself time to unwind and decompress.  —Metro Connection

8 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HONOREES

SANTA CLARITA VALLEY

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 9

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10 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

LOCALNEWS

City expresses concern with proposed alternative for train

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

B

efore Thursday’s meeting in which the High-Speed Rail Authority board discussed a recommended alternative for the California bullet train, Santa Clarita City Council members reached out to directors to express concerns.

“The Santa Clarita City Council remains adamant that only a fully underground alignment, which significantly minimizes or eliminates any impact to neighborhoods and communities, is the only acceptable approach,” reads a letter by Mayor Laurene Weste, on behalf of the City Council, to Dan Richard, chairman of the state rail authority.

At 10 a.m. the board of directors held its monthly meeting in Burbank to discuss the Refined 14 freeway

option, the recommended path for the Palmdale-to-Anaheim portion of the high-speed rail system.

In the Palmdale-to-Burbank portion, the train would travel along the eastern boundary of Santa Clarita, following the 14 freeway underground at depths anywhere from 400 to 500 feet deep. According to state rail authority staff, the train would emerge from a tunnel at the Vulcan mine site, adjacent to Lang Station Road.

Weste said in the letter that the City Council was disappointed and alarmed to learn that the three proposed alignments had not been modified to eliminate surface impacts.

Among those impacts, Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean questioned how the Refined SR14 could affect the progress of the Vista Canyon Project, a 185-acre mixed-use development

west of the rail alignment.

Michelle Boehm, High-Speed Rail Authority Southern California regional director, said there would be no surface vibrations as the train would travel underground about two miles away from the development.

Still, McLean said, “There are a lot of questions that need to be answered, a lot that are still outstanding.”

“The fact that they’re splitting our open space and wildlife corridors right in half is a thing that needs to be fixed,” she added. “They just need to take the whole thing completely deep enough underground so that it doesn’t affect residents in Sand Canyon, and all the communities from Los Angeles to Palmdale.”

In the letter, Weste highlights three points the City Council believes should be addressed during the

environmental review process of the Palmdale-to-Burbank project section: an in-depth analysis of noise and vibration impacts on homes located above tunnels, and outline of the type of ventilation to be used. The third issue involved the at-grade alignment in the vicinity of the Vulcan mine site as the city has engaged with property owners about potentially turning the area into industrial and commercial usage, which would not occur if that portion of the route remains at-grade.

The High Speed Rail Authority staff are now expected to present the Refined SR14 route to the Federal Railroad Administration, which would then add the option as the preferred alternative into the environmental impact report if it also agrees.

Authority staff said this decision would not constitute a final approval of alignments or station locations. 

Smith unseats Acosta hard for bipartisanship,” he wrote. “In that spirit our community must ssemblyman come together and work Dante Acosta, hand-in-hand to solve the R-Santa Clarproblems that face us.” ita, conceded The latest update on Tuesday night to DemoTuesday showed Smith cratic challenger Chriswith a 1.14 percent lead ty Smith in the hotly on Acosta. Smith is now contested 38th Assembly District race. at 50.6 percent of the As of Tuesday night, vote, while Acosta has Smith Smith had secured a 49.4, according to the 1,718-vote lead on Acosta Secretary of State’s office. after additional provisional and mailOn Wednesday, Smith said she in ballots were counted. thanked Acosta for his “gracious conAcosta announced the news of gratulations” and she thanked those his concession in a Facebook post who volunteered on her campaign.

Wednesday afternoon, citing the up“I would like to thank [Assemblydated ballot counts as his reason. man Acosta], Carolyn [Acosta], and “With yesterday’s vote update it has become clear that the voters have their children for their service to our spoken,” he wrote in the post. “While district and our nation,” she said. “In the coming weeks, I look forward votes are still being counted, the outto meeting with stakeholders and come appears set. Last night, I called leaders across the 38th to shape the Christy Smith to congratulate her on framework of our community’s legisher victory.

“During my term in office I fought lative agenda.” 

By Crystal Duan Signal Staff Writer

A

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S C V F E AT U R E

Fierce Brosnan making a name in emerging scene

By Taylor Villanueva Signal Staff Writer

P

art-“weird,” part-“surfy punk,” SCV punk band Fierce Brosnan is looking to spread its brand of rock ’n’ roll as part of what the group feels is a growing music scene in the Santa Clarita Valley for young artists.

“In high school, the local music scene was good,” said Nick VaVerka, lead guitarist for Fierce Brosnan, a play on the name of the former “James Bond” movie series actor Pierce Brosnan. “There were a lot of bands at Canyon High School, but that stopped for a while.”

The name, just like the group itself, might not carry a serious persona, per se, but they’ve been performing together in the SCV for the past two years, through different lineups, with new members recruited to fill any gaps spots if other commitments got in the way of rehearsals or performances.

The four current members have

performed at venues from the San Fernando Valley to Hollywood and Los Angeles. In October, they made it as far as Davis.

The current lineup of Fierce Brosnan includes: VaVerka, 25; Sykes, 24; Daniel Vargas, 24, on guitar; and Josh Scuderi, 22, on drums. All of them grew up in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Most of the group met in high school, where they played either in different bands or simply for fun with friends.

“It’s garage rock, surf-punk influence,” VaVerka said, “we were influenced by bands from Orange County that were part of the Burger Records group of records.”

As the SCV spurred a new generation of growing musicians, one band came together to create their own unique sound of surf punk and rock ’n’ roll.

“We kind of developed our own style,” VaVerka added. After listening to rock ’n’ roll bands throughout Southern California, the group came together to create their own sound

and performed at local bars almost every week.

“I saw other scenes in O.C. and L.A. and thought, ‘That’s so cool! I wish I could be part of that,’” VaVerka recalled. “And it’s happening here, now.”

He also predicted Nick VaVerka gets ready to play before a recent set for the music scene will Fierce Brosnan. COURTESY PHOTO/DANIEL DVORAK continue to grow locally over the next few years.

VaVerka has a similar goal.

“The other day I realized there’s “We take it seriously, but also know something cool going on right now,” you have to have fun with it,” VaVerka he said. “It feels kind of special.” said, explaining the group’s approach.

As for the band’s future plans, they’ll be happy as long as they get to “There have been a lot of bands we’ve seen start from nothing and suddenly perform and share their art. playing festivals. It’s cool because, if “For me, as long as I get to play they can do it, why can’t we?” the music I love and people are into You can listen to Fierce Brosnan on it, that’s the satisfaction I need,” says Sykes. “It would be cool to be famous, Soundcloud or get more information about upcoming performances on the but I’m happy playing bars and havband’s Instagram page.  ing people love our music.”

P r e s e n t e d b y Va l e n c i a B M W

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S i n g e r/s o n g w r i t e r R a c h e l C o l e

SANTA CLARITA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AT THE COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS Celebrate the season with many of your favorite holiday melodies as well as a few original selections by singer/songwriter Rachel Cole from her latest CD. The concert will conclude with a sing-along of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah.”

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 13

LOCALNEWS

City to annex total of 3,118 acres

Part of the Plum Canyon area, which includes a portion of the future Skyline Ranch development, is set to be annexed into the city of Santa Clarita. PHOTO BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

T

he Santa Clarita City Council unanimously executed a pre-annexation agreement Tuesday between the city and two development groups.

The agreements are with Plum Canyon Master, LLC, and with Pardee Homes Inc. and Tri Pointe Homes Inc., for a total of 3,118 acres to be annexed into the city.

In two summarized presentations, the City Council heard a breakdown of the annexations from city planner Patrick Leclair.

The perimeters of the acreage are generally marked northeast of the existing jurisdictional boundary of the city, along Plum Canyon Road, west of Sierra Highway, south of Vasquez Canyon Road and north of the city on Sand Canyon Road, in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, according to the city’s report.

A portion (1,925 acres) of the Skyline Ranch development would fall into the annexation, which includes about 2,173 acres for development of more than 1,000 residential units, 17 open space lots, one public park and five recreation lots, among other features.

Under a vesting tentative tract map, about 75 acres for development of

more than 400 residential homes on Plum Canyon Road also falls under the annexation.

Mayor Laurene Weste centered her concerns over the open space portion of the acreage.

A total of 248 acres, known as Mystery Mesa, is currently used for filming purposes and would remain in the county upon completion of the Plum Canyon Annexation. Weste said she would like to make sure this area remains as open space and is not converted into more housing units should the county ever cease to operate in the area. Dave Little, who represented Pardee Homes, said yes, “we made that an open space dedication since day one.”

Weste was also concerned about the width of a trail from Sierra Highway to Plum Canyon, saying, “It’s not a money issue, it’s a design issue. This is a big part of what the community uses as amenities. I just want to make sure lands are enjoyable for everyone.” The trail is in design to have a width from 9 to 5 feet, but the city has a 12-foot-wide set standard.

Resident Steve Petzold spoke during public comment about a lack of affordable housing.

In response to these projects, in particular, Leclair said the Plum Canyon project has an affordability component, with 34 units set to be affordable units. 

14 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

FROM THE CITY MANAGER

Managing a thriving city is all about good planning

By Ken Striplin City Manager

M

anaging a thriving city is all about good

planning.

That’s something the city of Santa Clarita has put emphasis on since incorporation some 31 years ago.

As we look toward 2019, we are reaching significant milestones within our Santa Clarita 2020 strategic plan.

Santa Clarita 2020 was created to guide our major work efforts, to best prioritize resources, achieve milestones and maintain our unwavering commitment to offering the best services and facilities for residents today and well into the future.

It is exciting to think that so many of the projects within Santa Clarita 2020 are already complete — and

many more major projects will be by the end of 2020. Some of the work already completed includes: the Old Town Newhall Parking Structure, successful implementation of the Traffic Safety Plan, completion of the Arts Master Plan, completion of the Golden Valley Bridge Widening Project, a blossoming arts and entertainment district in Old Town Newhall, hundreds of acres of open space acquired, miles of streets slurry sealed and sidewalks repaved, and much, much more.

As we head into the home stretch, there are several major projects coming to fruition, which will have a significant impact within our city.

Let’s look at them in order of which ribbon we will get to cut first. Coming up in the next couple months, we will get to celebrate the completion of the Newhall Ranch Road Bridge Widening Project.

The $16 million project widened the bridge to provide an additional traffic lane in each direction — for a

total of four lanes in each direction.

The project also added a raised median, a new protected sidewalk and a path under the bridge creating new trail connections.

Mark your calendars for next summer because that is when we are anticipating the grand opening of the final two projects on the redevelopment block in Old Town Newhall — Laemmle Newhall and Newhall Crossings. The much anticipated Laemmle Theatres broke ground in October and when complete, will house a seven-screen art house movie theater and 2,300 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Newhall Crossings will provide over 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 47 residential units and a public plaza.

Just down Soledad Canyon and up Golden Valley Road, our brand new Santa Clarita Sheriff ’s Station is taking shape. A joint effort with Los Angeles County, this new 46,000-squarefoot, state-of-the-art, Sheriff ’s Station will feature a detached 4,000-square-

foot vehicle maintenance, a heliport, 9-1-1 dispatch center, a jail and enough space to house the entire Sheriff ’s Department team. The new Sheriff ’s Station is expected to be complete by the end of 2020.

Vision, anticipation and prioritization are essential elements in preparing for a successful future and to ensure the city of Santa Clarita continues to provide superior municipal services that will meet the current and future needs of our community.

As a forward thinking organization under the direction of our City Council, we will continue to thrive through good planning, hard work and solid implementation. I look forward to seeing the final projects within our Santa Clarita 2020 plan come to fruition.

For more information and updates on all of our Santa Clarita 2020 plans, please visit SantaClarita2020. com. 

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 15

SPORTS

Chain gang enjoys ‘best seats in the house’

By Haley Sawyer Signal Sports Editor

W

hile the Saugus football team laid it all on the line throughout the 2018 prep football season, a group of men has been hard at work from the sidelines determining exactly where that line is.

The Saugus chain gang — comprised of Roy Lutes, Robert Lutes, Don Lutes, Steve Graham, Johnie McDow and Bruce Olsen — is on the sidelines every Friday night, just as they have been for years.

There’s six members of the crew in total, but only three are required on game nights. Two are the designated “rod men” and another is the “box man” who holds the rod with the box on top that indicates the down.

“There’s a total of six of us, and we use that many because sometimes some can’t make it,” Roy Lutes said.

“And we promise to do what we can for the high school to be there and give the best possible chain gang that you can possibly have.”

Olsen is the longest-tenured chain gang member with 40 years on the

S a 1

Saugus chaingang’s Robert Lutes changes the down marker during the game.

job. He had kids who were involved in Saugus football, and consequently got roped into the job.

Roy has the second-most experience at 38 years. His wife originally had a job in the cafeteria at Saugus High School and worked with wives of chain gang workers. He was invited to be a substitute, but still was

Above: Saugus chain gang members, from left, Bruce Olson, Don Lutes, Johnnie McDow, Steve Graham and Roy Lutes put on their vests for the game.

Right: The Saugus chain gang during the game between Saugus High and Villa Park at COC. Head Linesman Corwyn Lewis, right.

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

in attendance for every game for his first year.

His second year is when he began doing it full-time, as his work schedule was flexible and allowed him to have Friday evenings off.

Roy’s two sons, Robert and Don, joined the crew about 25 years ago, right around the time the crew began doing the varsity and JV games consistently. Graham joined six years ago and McDow three.

The group’s claim to fame is working a CIF-Southern Section Division 5 championship game in the 1990s.

During a Saugus game against Palmdale, a player attacked a referee and took him out of the game.

The CIF interviewed the chain gang about what they had seen in the incident, then watched the group work a

handful of games and liked what they saw. Next thing they knew, they were on the sidelines at Angel Stadium at a CIF-SS title game. “(It) was kind of a highlight for what we have been doing,” said Roy. “The referees give us nothing but give us accolades with what we are doing.”

The job also keeps the six men active. They’re constantly in motion and moving with the flow of the game, trying to keep a consistent speed and pace.

“We have to hurry down the field and get down there as quick as possible and be in place as quick as possible,” Roy said. “It allows the team if they wish to do a hurry up offense they can and if they want to slow it down it’s up to them but we always try to be punctual and on time.”

The crew is self-sufficient, supplying its own equipment and always showing up on time. There’s no temptation to move to the college ranks, which comes with a paycheck, for any of the chain gang members.

“We enjoy football and we enjoy high school football and we have the best seats in the house,” Roy said. “We are right on the sidelines and we can see everything that is going on, and it is just the best dimension of being able to watch a football game.”

Diego Marquez contributed to this story. 

16 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

SCV market could be seeing seasonal slowdown

By Ray Kutylo Signal Contributing Writer

T

he local real estate market is slowing, as is readily apparent in the latest month-end and weekly closing numbers.

Some of the slowdown is seasonal.

Even with our advantage of a year-round market because of great weather, when the holidays roll around, fewer people put their homes on the

market. There are still plenty of motivated buyers, but interest rates are rising, which has depressed demand a little.

For sellers, pricing your home right is key. If your home is on the market but isn’t getting shown, that is the market talking to you about the price.

For buyers, if you have seen every single home in your price range and none of them are, ‘The One’ — don’t give up. Homes come up on the market all the time, but if you want to buy keep in mind that rising interest rates will reduce your loan-ability. Sooner, rather than

later, should be your motivation.

In this week of Thanksgiving on behalf of the SCV Home Team and the entire real estate community, we pause and take a moment to be grateful for all our blessings: the freedom which this great country provides, the opportunity for growth and achievement, good health and the confidence and trust you have given to us.

Every morning, I start the day with a recitation of all that I am grateful for, which includes all of my clients, past, present and future. We all wouldn’t be here without you.

Brian Tracy has expressed it well: “Develop

an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”

Our very best wishes to you and yours for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Ray the Realtor® Kutylo has been a licensed Realtor since 1986, and he’s also a member of the SCV Home Team at Keller Williams VIP Properties. You can reach Ray the Realtor at (661) 312-9461 or Ray@SCVhometeam.com.

CA DRE# 00918855 

SANTA CLARITA VALLEY CLOSED SALES 11/02/18 TO 11/09/18 AREA/St#

St Name

ACTON/AGUA DULCE 34737 Acton Canyon RD 8246 Escondido Canyon RD 34013 Crown Valley RD

Sold Price

Br/Ba

Sqft/Source

Price/SqFt

Erik CT #223 American Beauty #176 Ironstone DR #4 River CIR #1 Lost Canyon RD #71 Stillmore ST Abelia RD Walnut Springs AVE Delight ST Kinglet PL Kevin WAY Daffodil AVE Florabunda RD Wellhaven ST Cardinal CT Ridge View DR Shannon Ridge PL Vasquez Canyon RD

3/2, 3/2, 4/2,

1700/A 2056/A 2078/A

$314.71 $274.81 $312.80

$306,000 $309,999 $329,000 $360,000 $365,000 $432,000 $435,000 $467,000 $470,000 $483,000 $495,000 $500,000 $555,000 $560,000 $595,000 $625,000 $680,000 $710,000

2/2, 3/2, 3/3, 3/3, 2/2, 3/1, 3/1, 4/1,1, 4/2, 3/2,0,1, 4/3, 3/1,1, 5/3, 4/2,0,1, 4/3, 4/2, 5/3, 4/2,

960/A 948/A 1225/A 1268/A 1160/A 920/A 1040/A 1144/A 1144/A 1276/A 1839/A 1253/A 2047/A 1595/E 2477/T 2036/A 2935/A 2078/A

$318.75 $327.00 $268.57 $283.91 $314.66 $469.57 $418.27 $408.22 $410.84 $378.53 $269.17 $399.04 $271.13 $351.10 $240.21 $306.97 $231.69 $341.67

$429,900 $465,000 $500,000 $515,000 $550,000 $560,000 $574,000 $590,000 $695,000 $705,000

3/3, 4/3, 4/2, 3/2,0,1, 4/2,0,1, 4/3, 3/3, 5/3, 6/3,1, 3/3,

1584/A 1933/ 1522/A 1950/B 1736/A 1621/A 2052/A 2253/A 3205/A 2724/A

$271.40 $240.56 $328.52 $264.10 $316.82 $345.47 $279.73 $261.87 $216.85 $258.81

$302,500 $415,000 $507,500 $525,000 $535,000 $635,000 $658,500 $740,000 $740,000

2/1, 2/1, 3/2, 3/2, 3/2, 3/2, 4/3, 5/4, 4/2,

809/A 758/A 1326/A 1500/A 1434/A 1500/A 2420/A 3247/A 1960/A

$373.92 $547.49 $382.73 $350.00 $373.08 $423.33 $272.11 $227.90 $377.55

CASTAIC / VAL VERDE 29051 31420 29237 29675 29815 27929 28223 27704 27838 30541

Concorse DR Arena DR Quincy ST Cromwell Ave Muledeer LN Stageline RD Alton WAY Wilderness PL Pine Crest PL Remington RD

NEWHALL 18854 Vista Del Canon #E 22812 15th ST 24944 Newhall AVE 23901 Canerwell ST 25110 Markel DR 23537 Canerwell ST 19537 Ellis Henry CT 23808 Valley Oak CT 26012 Valley Wells CT

St Name

Sold Price

Br/Ba

Sqft/Source

Price/SqFt

SAUGUS $535,000 $565,000 $650,000

CANYON COUNTRY 18145 18125 27667 18016 17967 19026 30045 27548 19319 26541 29504 15023 29326 18714 27458 28222 18302 16301

AREA/St#

27612 20000 19426 22083 22603 22527 22063 22022 27419 22745 22059 22848

Susan Beth WAY #C Plum Canyon RD #327 Laroda LN Propello DR Guadilamar DR Espuella DR Propello DR Jodi PL Catala AVE Boxwood LN Windham WAY Boxwood LN

STEVENSON RANCH 25941 Stafford Canyon RD #C 25545 Burns PL VALENCIA Town Center DR #6401 24535 23745 Del Monte DR #153 24001 Arroyo Park DR #80 22942 Tupelo Ridge DR 23952 Via Bocina 27873 Cherry Creek DR 27502 Sycamore Creek DR 28305 Lobelia LN 28395 Esplanada DR 28461 Camino Del Arte DR 25416 Via Escovar 27421 Weathersfield DR 26516 Valley Oak LN 26534 Black Oak DR

$300,000 $360,000 $470,000 $480,000 $490,000 $510,000 $510,000 $545,000 $560,000 $569,900 $594,000 $695,000

2/1,1, 2/2, 3/2,0,1, 4/3, 3/2, 3/2, 4/3, 4/3, 4/2, 3/3, 4/3, 5/3,

939/A 1001/A 1850/A 1719/A 1230/A 1163/A 1790/A 1766/A 1260/A 1450/A 2174/S 2590/A

$319.49 $359.64 $254.05 $279.23 $398.37 $438.52 $284.92 $308.61 $444.44 $393.03 $273.23 $268.34

$365,000 $640,000

2/2, 4/2,0,1,

1127/A 1903/A

$323.87 $336.31

$317,000 $330,000 $435,000 $500,000 $558,000 $570,000 $575,000 $583,000 $626,000 $638,500 $660,000 $789,000 $1.395 M $1.478 M

1/1, 2/2, 2/2, 4/2, 3/2, 4/2, 4/2, 3/3, 4/3, 4/3, 4/3, 3/3, 3/4, 3/5,

740/A 940/A 1442/A 1593/A 1435/A 1485/A 1624/A 1902/ 2346/A 2418/A 2164/A 2730/A 3324/S 4156/A

$428.38 $351.06 $301.66 $313.87 $388.85 $383.84 $354.06 $306.52 $266.84 $264.06 $304.99 $289.01 $419.68 $355.63

Based on information from the Southland Regional Association of REALTORS®/Multiple Listing Service for the week ending on 11/09/18. All data, including all measurements and calculations of area, is obtained from various sources and has not been, and will not be, verified by broker or MLS. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy.

Properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

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18 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

LOCALNEWS

Doves for Elliot

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

D

oves and balloons hovered over the skies early Monday afternoon in memory of Elliot Andrew Newcomb, a 2-year-old who died suddenly weeks after arriving home from the hospital for the first time.

“Who would have thought that this little man could pack so much love and so much life into such a short period of time,” Todd Smith, pastor at Crossroads Community Church in Valencia, said to attendees during a morning service. “It’s represented through all of you here today.”

More than 200 family members, friends and members of the community gathered at the church, followed by a reception at Northpark Clubhouse.

While many broke down during an emotional slideshow of Elliot’s short journey and a special performance by singer-songwriter Karli Webster, attendees were reminded by the 2-year-old’s parents that the event was “not just a remembrance of death but the celebration of life.”

“Looking at Elliot, it was undeniable that he had physical disabilities,” said mother Sara Newcomb, who has two other children. “But I am here to tell you that he was so much more

than that. He was innocence, purity and hope wrapped up in human form.”

In early August, Elliot, who was 2 years and 6 months old, was welcomed into his Saugus home for the first time following an 895-day journey in intensive care. His sudden death occurred on Oct. 9 while on his way to Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles from Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

Elliot had spent all of his life under 24/7 supervision for a developed chronic lung disease known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD, which leads to requiring respiratory support to breathe.

His condition had left the young boy on supplemental oxygen 24 hours a day and with a tracheostomy tube as an alternative airway for breathing.

Nonetheless, Elliot always had a smile and was even known as the Prince of PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) by several hospital staff members.

Lung doctor Eugene Sohn, who was part of Elliot’s medical team at Kaiser, said during the Monday service that the boy’s journey has not yet ended.

“I feel blessed to have cared for him, and I learned a lot along the way,” he said. “I learned new medical techniques that we’re already using to

treat children with similar conditions to Elliot’s. I am confident that his journey has not ended. While Elliot’s life on Earth may have been short, he will continue to have an impact on many lives to come.”

Sohn referred to Kaiser using ventilation protocols of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, which is known for its BPD research.

More than one child in Kaiser Los Angeles is now using the same care that Elliot received.

“Perhaps the most comforting gift that Elliot has left us was his medical legacy,” said his mother. “Knowing that because of him and his con-

Friday,” Mike Sanchez, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, said Tuesday.

The votes are not expected to be

finalized until Nov. 30.

In May, the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, which represents approximately 7,900

Members of the community release balloons in honor of Elliot Newcomb. PHOTO

BY CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

dition, an entire hospital staff has changed the way they treat and heal babies, making this journey so significant. The hope and promise that children won’t have to spend as long sedated, hospitalized and away from their families was Elliot’s legacy.”

Sara and husband Bryan Newcomb are planning on creating a charity — “#LoveFromElliot,” — to keep his memory alive and help other families cope with their children’s long-term hospital living.

A GoFundMe page, found by searching “Love4elliot,” was created for Elliot’s medical needs but is now designated for the charity. 

Villanueva widens lead in sheriff race

By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

L

t. Alex Villanueva widened his lead over incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonnell Tuesday in the race to become the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department’s top cop.

Results of the most recently counted ballots for LASD sheriff show Villanueva with 987,609 votes to garner 50.57 percent of the votes counted so far.

McDonnell came in with 965,417 votes to represent 49.43 percent.

The most recent results were based on 4,728 of 4,728 precincts reporting, but provisional and absentee ballots are still being counted.

“We counted more ballots on Friday and our next update will be this

Villanueva

McDonnell

non-supervisory deputies in the nation’s largest sheriff ’s department, held off on endorsing McDonnell, or one of his challengers, based on the number of respondents the union had to the survey, which was a little less than 18 percent of membership, said Detective Ron Hernandez, a 34-year member of the Sheriff ’s Department and president of ALADS at the time.

The union was hoping for at least about 33 percent participation for an endorsement; however, for Hernandez, the results were indicative of department concerns.

Villanueva joined the LASD in 1986.

McDonnell is the 32nd sheriff of the LASD. He was elected on Nov. 4, 2014, having defeated former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 19

BUSINESS

Employers, workers not in sync with perks, incentives

By Tammy Murga Signal Staff Writer

T

oday’s tight job market has called on employers to offer the best in work perks, but recent research shows that companies may be missing key elements to attract and retain top talent.

Flexible work schedules, a compromised workweek and the ability to telecommute are employees’ most sought-after non-monetary perquisites.

While many employers offer flexible schedules, fewer than 1-in-5 give their workers remote work options and shorter workweeks.

That’s according to a survey of 1,500 workers and 600 HR managers in the country by global staffing firm Robert Half.

Greg Scileppi, president of Robert Half international staffing operations, said flexibility is among the

most desired by professionals today.

Still, employers and workers are not in sync on these office perks, survey data showed.

Holly Schroder, CEO and president of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp., said the SCV’s top business leaders are challenging data like this by offering employees competitive perks.

“We should be really proud we have so many companies that people are seeking work at,” she said.

For example, Schroeder said, Scorpion, a Valencia-based internet marketing company, has turned its office facilities into perks — offering dining options, creative conference rooms and even a full-court basketball court and exercise equipment.

Other SCV-based employers to implementing similar strategies include Princess Cruises, Boston Scientific and Logix.

Out of six perks listed on the survey, flexible work schedules reigned

at the top, with 88 percent of employees desiring this the most and 62 percent of companies offering the prerequisite.

At 66 percent was compressed workweek, but only 17 percent of employers said they offered this. Telecommuting followed at 55 percent, with a 14 percent tally by companies.

Profit-sharing plans and sign-on bonuses came in just behind at 49 percent each, but only 33 percent and 19 percent of employers provide these types of rewards. The closest percentage both came together was in offering and desiring spot bonuses, with only a 10 percent difference.

The survey also questioned benefits such as health insurance, retirement savings plan and leave of absence.

At nearly 70 percent, employees said they desired health insurance the most. The survey found that 88 percent of employees to offer the benefit.

Paid time off, including vacation, sick days and paid holidays, followed

with 80 percent, with 67 percent of people desiring this just below health insurance.

Retirement savings plans, dental and vision insurance came in after, with more than 50 percent of employers saying they offered each.

Offering top benefits, incentives and perks can help reduce the labor turnover, assisting employees to retain a robust pool of talent.

“In today’s competitive hiring environment, job candidates are looking at more than just salary and bonus — they seek the complete package and place added emphasis on quality of life,” Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half, said in a statement. “Companies that don’t offer in-demand nonmonetary perks in addition to a competitive salary and benefits are not likely to land or keep top performers.”

For more information about the survey, visit roberthalf.com. 

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2 0 · S U N D AY S I G N A L

Opinion

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

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

OURVIEW

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

'51' List a Reflection of Community, and Change

Enjoying the Privilege of Thanksgiving, All Year

By The Signal Editorial Board

By David Hegg

C

hange can be sudden, or it can be gradual. You might think we’ve seen sudden change in the community with the results of the Nov. 6 election — congratulations, by the way, to Representative-elect Katie Hill and Assemblywoman-elect Christy Smith. However, the change in our community has been happening gradually, and the results of the Nov. 6 election are just one visible manifestation of that change.

For further evidence, we turn to the luncheon we hosted on Wednesday for those we honored in The Signal’s annual special section, “51.” (You can view the entire section online here: signalscv.com/top51.)

The yearly tribute was conceived 14 years ago as a way of recognizing the 51 most influential people in Santa Clarita in any given year. They come from various walks of life, but they are those who, in the opinion of The Signal, have the greatest impact on life in our community.

Some of them are captains of industry. Some of them are politicians.

Some of them are bureaucrats, or educators. Some are activists. Some are in the headlines on a regular basis, and

some do most of their work behind the scenes, eschewing fanfare.

No. 1 on this year’s list was Dianne Van Hook, chancellor of College of the Canyons. Her 30 years of leadership has meant the world to many thousands of Santa Clarita residents, as she has guided the community’s college through a period of transformation that has provided a wealth of affordable higher-education opportunities to the students of our valley.

Van Hook is just the tip of the 51name iceberg. We invited everyone on the list to lunch this past week, and even with a few absences — including, in particular, some legislators and legislators-elect who are, understandably, busy with their day jobs — it was a rather impressive collection of leaders who shape the community we love.

It was also a reflection of the changes happening in our community. Of the original list of “51” we created 14 years ago, 17 of those individuals were See OUR VIEW, page 22

M

ost of the time I love my job.

It puts me in relationship with people at the most critical times of their lives. I have stood by and watched as a final breath was taken, consoled a family after a teen suicide, and walked the long path of recovery with many whose lives had been all but taken through addition.

And in these cases and many more, I have been privileged to extend the grace and truth of God to those who were sure life had nothing more for them.

I have also spent countless hours with men and women whose pain has been, for the most part, self-inflicted.

By that I mean those whose lives had become so out of sync that they were ready to wipe the relationship slate clean and start all over again. In almost all of these cases there were myriad presenting problems. Some cited anger, others irreconcilable differences, and still others felt that they just didn’t feel loved anymore. But at the bottom of it all I usually found one cause for the relational pain that now threatened the

very fabric of their family bond. Behind all the other symptoms of fractured relationships was the worm of selfishness.

For years I have put a simple sentence into every wedding ceremony I perform: Nothing will cause the flower of your relationship to shrivel faster than the worm of selfishness. I stand by this. We’ve been sold a bill of goods by those who clamor for us to look out for No. 1, to pull our own strings, to do things “my way.” We’ve distorted the bedrock American doctrine of individual rights by forgetting that the currency by which rights are maintained is responsibility. We’ve been foolish in believing that loving ourselves first and foremost can produce happiness. It can’t. The greatest lives of history were those that put others first, that determined to serve the common good, and were intentional about doing for others what they desired to be done for them.

Perhaps the greatest deficit of the self-centered life is the absence of true thankfulness. If all you think about is yourself, your own well-being, your See HEGG, page 22

READERLETTERS

A Progressive Conspiracy?

Did progressives collude with New York to manipulate California votes?

Ralph Mundell, Santa Clarita

High-Speed Rail Not Listening Well, I look at the front page of today’s Signal (Nov. 14) and I see an article on the bullet train project. And it says that “the board of directors has considered moving forward with the recommend-

ed Santa Clarita Valley route for the bullet train.”

This train is going to go under a lot of homes including OURS. We have attended these meetings so we can speak our minds. What good does that do? Everyone goes time and time again to tell them how we feel and then they still do what they want. I know that no one at the last meeting was all gungho about having this under our homes!

Why do they bother to include all the homeowners when they could care less about what we say?

It’s all for show. They could easily take other routes but I am sure they already have made up their minds. My husband was asking them how deep

will this be dug under our homes and no one could give us an answer! They just stammered, looked around and looked stupid and said, “I don’t know.”

SO why have these meetings? We don’t want a bullet train going under our homes! Why won’t they listen to us?

Roni Richardson, Santa Clarita 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.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AY S I G N A L · 2 1

Opinion

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

BLACK&WHYTE

BLACK&WHYTE

Transparency in Practice 'The Common Good' vs. Paying it Lip Service Should Bind Us Together

By Tim Whyte Signal Editor

“T

ransparency” is a word government officials throw around a lot, as if merely saying it means one is practicing it.

In practice, though, its application varies — often based on a government agency’s own perception of the importance of keeping something under wraps, or even controlling the timing of the release of public information.

Since I returned to The Signal in June, we’ve run into several instances of public agency decision-making in which “transparency” is not as aggressively practiced as it is preached.

The latest example comes courtesy of the Saugus Union School District.

A week ago, we editorialized about this issue: On Oct. 26, an attorney representing the Saugus Teachers Association sent the SUSD a “cease and desist” letter — please stand by for a description of its contents.

On Oct. 30, the SUSD board held a closed session discussion regarding the district’s “significant exposure to litigation.”

One of our reporters heard about the letter, and through the grapevine we heard that the letter alleged there had been politically motivated misconduct toward a district employee by SUSD board President Chris Trunkey, who happened to be up for re-election on Nov. 6.

On Nov. 1, The Signal made a request under the California Public Records Act, asking that the letter be released so we could properly see its contents before writing about it.

The district did not dispute whether the letter constitutes a public record — it clearly is a public record.

However, the district, citing “protocols,” told us the letter would not

be available until Nov. 9 — three days after the election.

We asked for a reason that the public record was being suppressed until after the election, and we were not given one.

The day after the election, they released the letter. It was two days earlier than promised, but still too late for voters to weigh whether it contained information they should consider before casting their votes.

One local resident, Brenda Piccirillo, addressed the SUSD board in this past week’s board meeting, asking the same question we asked: Why wasn’t the letter released before the election?

They gave her the same basic non-answer they gave us, which essentially amounts to: The law allows up to 10 days for a public record to be released, and we have “protocols” we follow, and we’re not going to give you any more details because we don’t have to, so tough noogies.

Tough noogies indeed.

Here’s what was in the letter: The STA letter alleges that, after the teachers association endorsed Trunkey’s opponent Sharlene Duzick in the Nov. 6 election, Trunkey began contacting community members “looking for ‘dirt’ on (STA President Deborah) Rocha as a way of discrediting STA in retaliation for its endorsement of Ms. Duzick.”

The letter added: “Ms. Rocha also learned that President Trunkey has contacted agents of Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District, where Ms. Rocha served as president of the AADUSD board of education eight years ago, to ask about Ms. Rocha’s involvement in a decision involving the controversial Albert Einstein Charter School.”

See WHYTE, page 22

By Mary Petersen Contributing Writer

C

ollege of the Canyons recently hosted a panel discussion about the timely topic of “The Common Good.”

Its relevance is critical in today’s society, even though it is not a new idea. It has been a consistent theme of philosophers since the Greeks. Political, economic and philosophical thinkers throughout history have analyzed the importance of “the common good.”

Although they held diverse views about its definition, it generally refers to the good of all citizens. It refers to the social systems of society being accessible and beneficial to all citizenry. It refers to the shared values, principles and ideals that bind a society together. These include promoting safety, engaging in civic duties such as voting, honoring institutions, seeking nonviolent ways of resolving conflict and being responsible members of our communities. These are common ideals that generally, we all agree, are important.

In my column a few months back, I reflected on the pursuit of happiness, one of the inalienable rights along with life and liberty that are afforded each of us in our Constitution. In our democracy these rights are valued and protected vigorously by the government.

A robust belief in individual rights is one of America’s greatest strengths, but in recent times, this idea has been compromised.

The right to pursue happiness has morphed into the right of individual self-indulgence, unconstrained gratification and winning at all costs. At its worst, it has turned into greed, exploitation and corruption. We all recall the pharmaceutical CEO who raised the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000

percent. This predatory action reveals the ideal he upholds — profit at all costs, even at the expense of the common good.

Further examples include Volkswagen and Wells Fargo Bank, both of which defrauded customers and engaged in lies and deceit to maximize wealth and power.

And it’s not just in the corporate world. We see in politics a volatile, polarized climate that values winning at all costs.

Rather than rationally debating the causes of a problem or the merits of a solution, it has become acceptable to demean the opponent, dismiss their point of view and ignore any common ground upon which a compromise could be reached.

Often, it is fear that generates polarization. We’re encouraged to see an alternate point of view as dangerous even before it is deliberated. As citizens, we can’t compare the views of each side rationally because we don’t know how to access unbiased information or we choose to listen to only one side of the debate. We fear the opposition because we don’t see any shared common ground. Honoring the common good obliges politicians to conduct themselves in ways that show respect for our ideals of civility, truth and cooperation.

In order for our nation to prosper, we need to trust that our leaders are behaving honorably and are working to promote the general welfare of the people, not just secure a win for their political party.

Leaders must be at the forefront of modeling ethical behavior focused on the common good, but we citizens are also called upon to be stewards of our nation’s ideals. It is shortsighted and detrimental to community governance See PETERSEN, page 22

2 2 · S U N D AY S I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Opinion

OUR VIEW

Continued from page 20

also on this year’s list. So, there’s continuity and institutional memory among those who lead the Santa Clarita Valley.

Yet, that also means there were 34 individuals on the list who weren’t there 14 years ago.

Those names, new and old, have shifted in and out over time. Today’s list reflects how the leadership of the community has shifted: There are more elected officials and government employees on the list than there used to be, and fewer representatives from the business community.

More telling, though, is the fact that there are also more diverse viewpoints represented on the list than there were in the past. In 2005, the Santa Clarita Valley was a relatively homogeneous community that was part of a solidly Republican congressional district and equally solidly Republican state Assembly and Senate districts.

On Nov. 6, the SCV was part of an Assembly district and congressional district that, by narrow margins, elected Democrat challengers over Republican incumbents.

Both of those challengers —Hill and Smith — were on this year’s “51” list,

WHYTE

Continued from page 21

The letter alleges that, in their handling of the situation, the school board violated the Educational Employment Relations Act and Trunkey violated the board’s Governance Standards and Code of Conduct.

You can read the whole letter online, here: bit.ly/2DtycAb. So here’s what we have: The SUSD was in receipt of a threepage letter from its teachers association, alleging that a board member who was running for re-election had sought to retaliate against a district employee for political reasons. That letter was withheld from public view, conveniently until the election was over.

I don’t know Trunkey. I don’t know Rocha. But I know the SUSD did not practice “transparency” in a timely manner, even if the Public Records Act allows 10 days to release a three-page

which was created before the election.

They’re part of that transformation, a reminder that our community has changed since 2005, and is more socially and politically diverse than it ever has been.

One thing, though, that has not changed: Regardless of whether we agree with their individual political perspectives, we believe all 51 people on our “most influential” list have one thing in common: They care about the community we share, and they care about helping Santa Clarita continue to be a great place to live, work, play, do business and raise a family.

With increasingly diverse voices weighing in on the conversation about how to best accomplish that, it’s going to be ever more important in the years ahead for everyone — those on the “51” list and those who are not — to strive for mutual understanding, and a spirit of cooperation and compromise.

For our part, we pledge to work in that spirit, toward the betterment of the community, and we salute all of our community’s leaders, from the 2018 list of 51 to the leaders of the past who have shaped our community, and the leaders yet to come who will continue to shape its future.  letter that is clearly a public record.

Let’s play a little game called “If, Then...”

IF... Chris Trunkey sought to target and discredit a school district employee because the STA endorsed Trunkey’s political opponent...

AND IF... School district officials, either elected or appointed, colluded with Mr. Trunkey or anyone else to keep that letter from public view until after the election — thus, potentially influencing the outcome of an election that, if the current 200-vote margin holds after late absentee and provisional vote counts are finalized, Trunkey will have won by a narrow margin...

THEN... Resignations of all parties involved, both elected and appointed, should be forthcoming.

This is not a matter to be taken lightly, and so far we have a lot more questions than answers.

Tim Whyte is editor of The Signal. His column appears Sundays. 

PETERSEN

Continued from page 21

to behave as if my personal desires and needs are always more important than those of the community as a whole.

Rather than a group of solitary individuals unilaterally pursuing goals that solely benefit ourselves, our personal success is inextricably intertwined with the success of the community. Cultivating civic virtue is essential for society to thrive and can alleviate some of its division and dysfunction. Practicing civility, compassion, fairness and cooperation with others allows us to locate a sense of solidarity, shared responsibility and dependence upon one another.

As a community, we have the same concerns, even if we don’t agree on a common solution. To prepare our children to be engaged citizens of a democracy, we must raise them to be

HEGG

Continued from page 20

innate happiness, you’ll never find a reason to be thankful for anything or anyone except yourself. And saying thank you to self only completes the disastrous “me first” cycle.

We are beginning to see the results of selfishness in our society and it isn’t pretty. Apparently, the fruit of individual selfishness is a whole generation that has been born with an inbred sense of entitlement. Gone are the days when achievement preceded recognition and reward. Gone are the days when age and experience were respected and honored. Gone are the days when you had to “pay your dues.” Now everyone deserves everything. Everyone is entitled to not only have an opinion but also to voice it and expect it to be received and implemented. And beyond all the other negative consequences of this aura of entitlement is the fact that those who feel they are entitled to all they receive will never understand the privilege of thanksgiving.

And I do mean that being thankful is a privilege. Thankfulness begins with a recognition that I have been the recipient of someone else’s benevolence.

It grows through a realization that what I have and who I am owes much to the hard work and love of others who have

open-minded, to care about integrity, responsibility and compassion. We must help them to realize there is something greater, more noble and more meaningful than personal self-interest.

Upholding the common good is essential for our nation to thrive. Our country is taking an unsustainable trajectory. We’ve lost our sense of shared identity as a nation. Our common identity goes beyond race, class and religious affiliation. It penetrates to the heart of our ideals, principles and basic rights. It respects our democratic institutions, acknowledges our differences and strives to find our commonalities.

The motto of the United States, “E Pluribus Unum” (out of many, one), summons us to bind together despite our differences so we can function as a cohesive nation.

Mary Petersen is a retired COC English instructor and 30-year SCV resident.  preceded me. It flows from a belief that who we are as a people, and as a nation, can be attributed largely to those who have come before us, and kept America strong and free so that we could enjoy the blessings of freedom, and the free expression of ideas. The great irony is that today’s entitled generation can enjoy their “entitlements” only because preceding generations were unselfish when it came to giving of themselves to make America what it is today.

I have looked selfishness in the face, in the eyes of others, and in my own mirror. It has become the wallpaper of our world. We just can’t escape its presence. But we can combat its allure, and it is actually quite simple. In fact, the simplest way to ward off the selfishness syndrome is to demand two things of yourself. First, do something good for someone else, and second, express true, heart-felt thanks to someone who has made a difference in your life.

It is so good that we still set aside a day to be thankful. Don’t waste it! And better yet, make it a goal to be a more thankful person all year long. After all, those who love you and have poured so much into your life are entitled to a little thanks!

David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church and a Santa Clarita resident.“Ethically Speaking” appears Sundays. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 223 3

= Family Friendly Event

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR

ONGOING

Santa Clarita City Council Meetings second and fourth Tuesday of every month 6 p.m.

Council meetings are also broadcast live on SCV TV channel 20 and on the city’s website. Santa Clarita City Hall, City Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita.

Info: City Clerk’s Office: (661) 255-4391.

Sundays, 7:30 a.m. Dragon Boat Paddling.

Experience a long Dragon boat with the Castaic Lake Dragon Boat team and a two-hour physical workout. Free, no experience necessary. Paddle and PFD personal flotation device provided.

Info: teamdragoneyes.my-free.website (213) 447-5707.

Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 p.m. The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society invites guests to visit Heritage Junction Historic Park inside William S. Hart Park in Newhall. Tours are held every Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. 24101 Newhall Ave, Newhall. Info: scvhs.org.

times. Admission: $15 (adults); $12 (teens and students); $10 (seniors); $5 (children 6-12); $0 (Children under 5). Gibbon Conservation Center, 19100 Esguerra Road Saugus.

Info: gibboncenter.org

EVENTS BY DATE

Canyon Road, Santa Clarita.

Info: www.canyons.edu/Offices/PIO/CanyonsPAC/ electronica2018.

Thursday, Nov. 29, 5-9 p.m. Valencia Marketplace Annual Community Tree Lighting Ceremony. Tree Lighting, entertainment, Santa Claus. Valencia Marketplace, Amphitheater 25900 The Old Road, Valencia. 91355.

Info: www.valenciamarketplace.com.

Friday, Nov. 30, Friday Night Movies at College of the Canyons. See unique films you might have missed. Host and moderator Gary Peterson will discuss details of the films. All films are free and open to the public. Friday, Nov. 30, 6 p.m., “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool”; 8 p.m., “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story”; Friday, Dec. 14, 6 p.m., “Three Identical Strangers”; 8 p.m., “Disobedience”; College of the Canyons, Hasley Hall, Room 101, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Valencia NEW Friday, Nov. 30, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Wakefield Winter Wonderland is returning. The double cul-de-sac is filled with an impressive display of hundreds of thousands of lights. The display will take place until Friday, Dec. 28.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 8:30-11 a.m. The Old West Chapter is hosting ‘Breakfast with Santa’ at Old West Chapter No. 642. A home-style breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes and biscuits with or without gravy, juice, milk and coffee will

be served. The children’s ticket price includes a plush animal and a picture with Santa. Mrs. Santa will offer homemade candies and other goodies made by her elves and helpers. The Old West Masonic Center is located at 19310 Avenue of the Oaks, Santa Clarita. Email reservations to orchidanni@aol.com.

Saturday, Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Placerita Canyon Nature Center Craft Fair is a chance to make holiday wreaths, yule logs and other kid-friendly holiday crafts out of fresh-cut greenery and pine cones, while supporting the center. Cash and checks are accepted for craft supplies. The Placerita Canyon Nature Center is located at 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall. There’s no cost to attend. Email Linda Koopatz at lindabill.koopatz@gmail.com or call (661) 373-1052 for more information.

Saturday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The seventh annual Hart Holiday Boutique is taking place over both Dec. 7-8. As much about charm as it is about shopping, with local artisan and vendors offering handmade crafts, fashion accessories, jewelry and gift baskets, along with fall and holiday gift items. The event is located at William S. Hart Park — Hart Hall, 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall. The event is free to attend. Contact Eric Reifman or Al Ewing at (661) 259-1750, for more information.

Sunday, Nov. 18, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley Red Carpet Runway fashion show. Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia.

General seating $85 Info/tickets: www.sigscv.org/fashionshow-sponsorship Monday, Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m. Portrait Oil Painting Demonstration by Artist JoAnn Peralta during meeting of the Santa Clarita Artists Association. Free. Peralta, a book and editorial magazine illustrator since 2004, crossed over into Fine Art and is known in the Western art world for her stirring depiction of American immigrants contributing to the American landscape, as well as southwestern historical figures. With her lush Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Remo brushwork and luminescent light, she creates a Community Drumming Experience timeless flair to her paintings. Barnes & Noble is an hour of fun entry-level expe23630 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita. riential music making with drums Info: www.santaclaritaartists.org and percussion that is accessible to everyone.

Tuesday, Nov. 20 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Henry Family-friendly environment with facilitator. All Mayo Blood Drive. Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. ages and levels of ability are welcome and no prior musical experience is necessary. Drums and Refreshments and Snacks will be provided. Phopercussion instruments provided at no cost. Free. to I.D. required. Henry Mayo Education Center, 6,7, 23803 McBean Parkway, Valencia.

Info: santaclaritaarts.com.

Info: To schedule appointment: visit redcrossSaturdays thru Dec. 8, 8 a.m. to noon. Trails blood.org and enter Sponsor Code: HenryMayo & Open Space Beautification Projects. Join a or call 1-800-Red Cross.

CONGRATULATIONS to DEVIN TARRANT — the winner of group of dedicated volunteers and help clean up Wednesday, Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m. Western Mu$100 for correctly identifying the artwork as being from and maintain city trails. Interested volunteers sic Association Showcase. Musicians and cowboy Nicholas Aire Systems advertisement on page 12 of our must pre-register at SantaClaritaVolunteers.com. poets perform stories and songs of the romantic Nov. 11 issue.

Saturdays, 11 a.m. Family Nature Old West, contemporary music of the American Walk and a Native Live Animal Presen- West and songs, music or poetry.

Identify this piece of artwork and tation at 1 p.m. Free. Placerita Nature Info: To perform, email the page number that it is on in Center, 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall. wmacc@westernmusiccalifornia.org. El one of the advertisements in this Info: placerita.org.

Trocadero Steakhouse 24274 Main St., Newhall. week’s issue, and you will be Friday, Nov. 23, A one-woman show at Canyon Second Saturday of the month, 8 a.m. A entered to win $100. One game docent-led bird walk for beginning to advanced Theatre Guild presented by Laurie Morgan, until and one winner each week.

17. The exhibit, “Seasons Around the World,” birders. Bring binoculars, guide,DETAILS and water. Jan CALLa field FOR AND RESTRICTIONS will include a selection of landscape, still life Mail your entry to: The Signal – Contest 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall. and floral paintings by Morgan with mediums 26330 Diamond Place | Santa Clarita, CA 91350 Info: placerita.org. in pastels and watercolor, acrylic and oils. The Or email to: contest@signalscv.com First, second and third Thursdays of each Canyon Theatre Guild is located at 24242 Main month, 6-9 p.m. ARTree Figure Drawing. Visit St., Newhall. Contact Olga Kaczmar (661) 254Advertiser: Page # ARTree Community Arts Center for a chance to really 5267 for more info. explore your creative potential using a live model.

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m. Electronica Name: Just drop in and bring a pencil and paper. $10 Musique. Performing under the direction of donation. ARTree Community Arts Center, 22508 composer Bernardo Feldman, 12 up-and-comAddress: 6th St., Newhall. Info: theartree.org. ing composers, DJs and producers from College Saturdays and Sundays (except of the Canyons present a variety of music, dance rainy days and holidays) 9:30 a.m. and lights of exquisite beauty and boundless Phone: to noon. The Gibbon Conservation energy that will expand and challenge your This week’s entries are due Wed. Nov. JUisSgiven at 10 expectations. Santa Clarita Performing Arts 6 B SOL28.

Center is open to the public. A tour T LIS EDRO Winner to be announced in 2 weeks.

ON D IN a.m. and self-guided tours are available at all TE Center at College of the Canyons 26455 Rockwell PO OM

FALL SPECIAL

N!IN! IN! WIW W

Free: Seller Home Warranty Free: Termite Inspection Free: Pre-Inspection Free: Staging Consultation Free: Moving Voucher for $1000

Homes of the wee VAL ENC D IA!

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24 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Pumas, Witches & Crazy Hunting Tales

I

know. I know. Some of you still have a blood alcohol level from last night so high, it’s simply measured as “Peach Margarita.” C’mon. Climb out of those sofa cushions and futons. Get up into the saddle. Use your face if you must, it always worked for me.

We’ve yet another epic trail ride into Santa Clarita history.

There’s plane crashes, lost toddlers, pumas, election trivia and an entire passel of cool, gee-whiz info. Here.

I’ve brought coffee for all-y’all, all … Take a sip. Splash a little on your eyelids. The rest, daub under the armpits …

WAY BACK WHEN & THEN SOME

• Can’t tell you how many times I’ve written this on a chalkboard: “Cyrus was the gunfighter. Sanford was the businessman.” The Lyon twins were born on Nov. 20, 1831, in Machias, Maine. For those of you seeking extra credit, “Machias” comes from the Passamaquoddy tongue and means, “bad little falls.” Cyrus? In a land of tough hombres, he was one of the toughest. He was a captain in the California Rangers, the law brigade that hanged, shot, stabbed, clubbed or beat up just about every bad guy in Los Angeles. Cleaned up El Pueblo in about 18 months.

• Have any idea how “Castaic” was spelt in 1851? Of course you don’t.

The new state cartographers took a wild swing and came up “Chastequike.”

• Speaking of Castaic, on this very day in 1849, wildlife painter and bird expert John Woodhouse Audubon camped out here for a few weeks to paint and sketch the myriad of migrating birds.

• The first-ever Newhall Parents Teachers Association (PTA, yay) was formed on this date in 1916.

NOV. 18, 1928

• Bad luck hit the FBO Movie Co. Tom Mix’s production company was in Pico Canyon, shooting a modern Western. A plane in one of the shots crashed into a big oak tree, which happened to be where the entire crew and cast were sitting. Fortunately, everyone got out relatively unscathed, including the cast on the biplane.

The Time Ranger A weekly trailride through Santa Clarita Valley History

• A great meteor passed across the valley, turning night into day. Some thought it was an airplane burning before it crashed.

• During the Depression, federal and state programs put literally thousands to work here. A census by the local Kiwanis noted that there were twice as many prisoners and California Conservation Corps workers in the SCV than regular citizens.

NOV. 18, 1948

by John Boston • All manner of strange packages arrived by rail to the Newhall Train Depot. Several dozen horses were dropped off. They were used by geographers to map the Santa Clarita Valley.

• Jessie Sackrider was the SCV’s first lady real estate agent. Wish I could swing a 1928 deal from her in 2018.

You could get a house on an acre for $12.50 down and $5 a month. I might even buy six or so, just for the elbow room. Jessie was related to one of the accused black magic practitioners at the Salem Witch Trial, who was pressed to death. And, former Signal editor Jeanne Feeney was related to Jessie.

• After nearly 30 years shoeing horses, Tom Frew II retired, handing his blacksmith shop to his son, Tom III, who later turned it over to my pal and lifelong cheapskate, Tom Frew IV. By 1970, the Frew shop was seeing fewer and fewer orders for horseshoes and the place closed.

• The huge St. Francis Dam had burst just eight months earlier, sending a nearly 200-foot wall of water over much of the SCV. Searchers found the cash register from the old McIntyre Garage in Castaic. It was filled with mud and $27 in cash. The register and money were returned to the son of old man McIntyre, who had died in the disaster.

NOV. 18, 1938

• The Mighty Signal noted there were too many poets in the SCV: “Bang, and another poet bit the dust.

(We hate to shoot them, but we must, we must.)” Iambic pentameter, too…

• Odd Accident No. 1: New bride Mrs. Floaralie Jean Griffin lost her nose in a car accident. Doctors stitched it back on. As of Nov. 18, 1948, it was doing nicely.

• Odd Accident No. 2: Local rabbit hunter Al Stevens had his right index finger shot clean off by another rabbit hunter. Any of you saddlepals offhand know who’s the patron saint to Elmer Fudd?

• Odd ALMOST Accident No. 3: In the blinding rays of sunrise, motorists swerved to avoid a sobbing pedestrian trotting down the middle of Highway 99 (The Old Road today). Two teen boys jumped from their car to rescue the toddler, who was only wearing soiled diapers. The Highway Patrol found the baby’s father, drunk and passed out in a car a half-mile away.

• Historian A.B. Perkins wore many hats, including heading up the Newhall Water District. Perk got kidded frequently about the quality of his H20. One day, a particularly lovely local lady stopped Perkins in the post office and asked if he could start putting the mud back in his water again.

She said the November winds were blowing away all her top soil.

NOV. 18, 1958

• Local mortician Ed Hilburn had the most appropriate but unappreciated nickname: “Digger.” Take a guess where Digger went for his two-week winter vacation. Yup. Death Valley.

• What a lousy way to lose an election. Democrat Mrs. Rudd Brown was declared winner in our local congressional race. A week later, she was declared loser. Seems in tallying votes, someone hit the wrong key, giving the conservative Hiestand 23,000 votes instead of 33,000. Mrs. Brown was the granddaughter of

William Jennings Bryan.

• Here’s a perk you don’t see in the Here-&-Now. Giant fuzzy car covers.

A young mountain lion had adopted the Plastic Age plant in Saugus as its nappy spot and would regularly fall asleep on the hoods of cars in the employee parking lot.

NOV. 18, 1968

• Three young boys from Sepulveda somehow climbed over a 10-foot fence topped with razor wire protecting an oil well shaft. One of them managed to fall into the 100foot hole. He lost an eye.

• OK. The Newhall Land & Farming Co. must have bribed someone. The Valencia bridge overpass spanning Interstate 5 was named one of the 15 “Most Beautiful Steel Bridges” in America. The award was given by the American Institute of Steel Construction. Hate to see the 15 Ugliest …

NOV. 18, 1978

• You have to give them an “A” for attitude. After Measure K was defeated, its inner supporters held a raucous and happy victory party.

Measure K was the movement for the SCV to secede from Los Angeles and form its own government: Canyon County. It failed in the general November election by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Local voters wanted freedom by a landslide.

• Most locals were terribly afraid of the “B” word — busing.

• Superior Court Judge Paul Egly released a plan to include the SCV in a Southern California-wide plan for mandatory school busing. Egly’s plan was later poo-poohed and never implemented.

Sure hate to part ways. But that spinning vortex up ahead means we’re back to the present. See you in seven days with another exciting Time Ranger adventure, dear saddlepals. Until then — No necesitamos insignias apestosas. Also, if I may wish: Vayan con Dios!

John Boston, aka, Mr. Santa Clarita Valley, has been writing about and teaching the history of the SCV for more than 40 years. Read his historical tome, “Images of America: The Santa Clarita Valley.” It’s available on Amazon. com. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 25

T R AV E L

Morro Bay, the Central Coast getaway

By Michelle Sathe Signal Staff Writer

F

or many years, the Central Coast has been my go-to for a quick getaway. During trips to Cambria and San Simeon, I’d drive by Morro Bay, with its iconic rock poking out of the sea, and wonder what it was like to spend time there. This October, I decided to find out.

While a majority of Morro Bay motels are dog-friendly, I wanted a house with a yard for me and my pooches, Melvin and Louie. I searched AirBNB and found the “Quintessentially Quaint Seaside Cottage.” It looked fabulous, with a huge fenced yard and a central location for about $160 a night with tax and fees.

I booked it and was delighted to find the festive little yellow and aqua cottage even more impressive in person. It was sparkling clean, with all the amenities one could hope for — full kitchen, washer and dryer, a beautiful tile and glass shower and gorgeous hardwood floors. And the yard was simply magical — lush, private, with two patios for lounging.

The dogs had a blast exploring it.

On our first night, we headed to Embarcadero Street, which is home to the waterfront area, a hub of shops, restaurants, galleries and taffy shops.

After Melvin and Louie had a chance to sniff the entirety of the street, we stopped at one of the many benches near the bay, taking in the magnificent scene before us.

The sun was setting, casting the sky in shades of pink, gold and orange. Sea lions honked in the distance as the water gently shimmered around Morro Rock. I smiled and exhaled. This was exactly what my spirit needed.

In the morning, the dogs and I took a long stroll on the boardwalk just past the Morro Bay Power Company, which has plenty of parking and a very flat, easy path. We were just one of the many people and pooch combos enjoying the view, which included rafts of sea otters bobbing on the surface of the sunlit water. I spotted a sea otter mama grooming her baby, an impossibly endearing scene that made me tear up.

Past the boardwalk, there’s a paved road that leads to a rock-like fortress

that braces against crashing waves (also known as breakwater). Beneath the rocks is a stretch of unspoiled beach with mild waves rolling in, a popular spot for letting dogs off leash to play fetch. This day, we had it all to ourselves. Louie, ever the nervous Nellie from the water, kept his distance while Melvin happily trotted along the edge.

Later in the afternoon, we headed towards Coleman Park, taking a right along the boardwalk towards an area recommended to me by a kindly resident. Just before the bridge, we turned left and trudged through the sand towards a mini-estuary inhabited by hundreds of birds: huge pelicans, egrets perched on impossibly skinny legs, ubiquitous seagulls, and needle-nosed sandpipers.

Louie, who I suspect has some hound in him, was in his element, growing wide-eyed as he watched the birds fly overhead and scurry across the pond. At 4 years old, he is a playful guy, and if I didn’t think he would chase the birds to oblivion and never return, I might have let him off leash.

Melvin, who’s 13, was in a decidedly different mood. He plopped down in the sand, his eyes closed to the sun.

Taking his cue, I sat and marveled at the incredible landscape before me.

It reminded me of the show “Wild Kingdom” when I was a kid, and here I was, seeing it in person. Those 15 minutes were a balm for my soul.

Back at the house, Louie pranced in the garden while I relaxed in one of the Adirondack chairs with a magazine. But where was Melvin? I went inside to investigate and there he was, eyes closed, snoring loudly on the futon. Melvin didn’t wake, even when I nudged him.

“Oh no,” I said to Louie. “I think we broke Melvin.”

Melvin finally opened an eye as if to acknowledge he was merely resting, which seemed like a great idea. Louie and I got onto the futon alongside him.

Soon enough, we were all snoozing.

One of the many joys of renting a house when you have dogs on a trip, versus staying in a hotel room, is that you can leave them behind for a few hours each day to explore on your own.

The town of Morro Bay is full of treasures, from funky, independent

Top: Morro Bay at sunset is a sight to behold. Left: Louie enjoys some sun and fun on Morro Bay beach. Right: Steamer clams on the patio at Blue Sky Bistro on Morro Bay’s waterfront. PHOTOS BY MICHELLE SATHE / THE SIGNAL

thrift stores like Foxy’s (where I scored a silk-lined black blazer for 75 cents) and the more upscale Threads (which yielded a cashmere cardigan for just $5) to yoga studios and oldschool record shops.

For an educational spin, the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History (open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $3 entry fee; those age 16 and under are free) highlights the town’s back story via fun interactive exhibits and 1980’s style videos in a small auditorium (the sea otter story is a bit amateurish, but still awesome, because… sea otters). It also boasts one of the best views you can get of Morro Rock, which, it turns out, is an ancient volcanic mound (one of the many fascinating things I learned).

Of course, eating well always takes high priority when I travel and Morro Bay does not disappoint.

For breakfast, there are two fabulous, completely legit bakeries to choose from: La Parisienne, which offers a multitude of egg sandwiches on golden, flakey croissants for under $6 (the avocado, brie, and tomato was a standout) and Buttercup, where

you can indulge in a morning bun, an irresistible hybrid of churro and croissant, for just $3.50.

Later in the day, Brickhouse BBQ in downtown is a solid choice, with tasty sandwiches and plates on the menu: the smoky, tender tri tip and freshly made, Cajun spiced potato salad ($8 for the combo) really hit the spot.

The Flavor Factory, located in a nondescript strip mall, puts a gourmet spin on sandwiches, salads, and soups. The salmon sandwich with pesto aioli ($13) was stuffed with perfectly grilled, succulent seafood and deliciously paired with a savory macaroni salad dotted with red onion and celery.

For seafood with a view, there are many options along Embarcadero Street, including Blue Sky Bistro.

Perched on Blue Sky Bistro’s patio, watching the sunset on the bay, diving into my $9.95 happy hour special of garlic bread and a pound of steamers swimming in a delectable butter, white wine, and garlic sauce, I was … wait for it … as happy as a clam.

For more information on Morro Bay travel, visit www.morrobay.org. 

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

K I D S & FA M I LY

Donna’s Day: Creative Family Fun

Woven placemats hold Thanksgiving memories

I

’m thankful for Thanksgiving.

It’s a time to gather with friends and relatives around a table, savor one another’s favorite dishes, anticipate pies with dollops of whipped cream and simply be grateful for what we have. The predinner outdoor fun, like a rousing game of family football, the food and the stories add up to times to remember, especially for kids.

Holiday memories often weave in and out of our lives like a warm tapestry enfolding each member of the family. At Thanksgiving, or during any of the winter celebrations, it’s worth a little extra effort to create special times for sharing with one another.

Here’s an easy way for your schoolage children to start a tradition and set their mark on Thanksgiving Day by weaving memory placemats. The colorful addition to the table setting only requires the basics: paper, scissors and glue. A ruler and pencil are helpful, too.

Cutting: Use a large sheet of colored construction paper for the placemat. Fold in half widthwise. Along the fold, use a ruler and pencil to mark four to six evenly spaced dots. Measure and mark corresponding dots along the opposite edge. Cut through both layers of the placemat, beginning at the fold and ending within 1 inch of the opposite edge. Be creative by varying the straight cuts with zigzags or a wavy design.

Now cut construction paper in contrasting colors in nine or 10 12-by1-inch strips for weaving in and out of the cuts. You might want to make some strips a little wider or narrower.

Weaving: Weave the placemat by feeding one of the strips through the slits. Show your kids how to slip the strips over, then under. When the first row is done, slide the strip to the edge of the slits, and glue the ends to the back of the placemat. Repeat with remaining

strips until completed.

As your children become engrossed in the activity, you may wish to join them, making your own placemats.

The rhythms of weaving are repetitive and satisfying — back and forth with bright, brighter and brightest patterns as you slip the strips over, then under.

Memory-making: Taking the time to create keepsakes with a Make placemats for all personal touch can also help make lasting settings at your table. For memories. COURTESY PHOTO. added touches, decorate Donna Erickson’s award-winning with cutouts of construction paper series “Donna’s Day” is airing on in contrasting colors or add stickers, public television nationwide. To find small pictures and photos representmore of her creative family recipes and ing memories of past Thanksgivings. activities, visit www.donnasday.com Personalize a placemat by writing and link to the NEW Donna’s Day little notes to guests.

Facebook fan page. Her latest book is When family and friends settle “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff around the holiday table, be ready to for Families.” capture the moment when your child ©2018 Donna Erickson exclaims, “Aunt Jane, I wove a Thanksgiving Day placemat just for you!”

Distributed by King Features Synd.

Preserve family memories for years to come Families enjoy many moments together throughout the years. However, in today’s digital world, quite often those experiences fail to see the light of day past an initial tweet or Instagram post. Too often file upon file remains in a digital graveyard on a mobile phone or external hard drive.

Instead of letting photos, videos, drawings, and memorabilia from vacations and other family experiences linger unappreciated, families can preserve these memories. Explore the various ways to share occasions with others.

Photo books:

Don’t procrastinate and let photo files pile up. Promptly upload them to your favorite photo printing site or bring them to a retailer that has photo machines, such as a nearby pharmacy.

Such businesses routinely offer coupons and steep discounts on photo books. The software is user-friendly, and, in a week or two, you can have a photo book ready to go. This is less time-consuming than making photo albums, printing photos and then

care and other organized classes.

Sometimes these items get stashed in plastic containers that are ultimately stored in attics or basements, only to be ‘discovered’ years later. Rather than relegating them to storage, invest in frames of various sizes and hang the pictures as if they were in an art gallery. Make sure the frames are easy to access so that the artwork can be swapped out periodically. Kids will take pride in sharing their creations with family and visitors.

Keep a journal: With some of the digital tools available, it’s now even easier to create memories your children will be able to enjoy with future generations. COURTESY PHOTO

placing them behind plastic-lined pages. The photo book software also may include background designs and funny captions to help customize pages even further.

Photo collage:

If you are a purist and like to have photo prints in hand, then have several of a particular occasion made

and then attach them to a decorative piece of wood. Using a decoupage product or a shellac, coat the collage so that it can be preserved. Hang your collage as a piece of handmade artwork on display.

Artwork gallery:

Children routinely bring home artwork they made in school, day-

Another way to preserve memories is to write down experiences. Each member of the family can fill out a page with a special recollection of a trip or another momentous day. Keep the journal on a coffee table so it can be reviewed every so often. Save it and gift it to future generations.

Family memories are worth keeping and sharing. There are many ways to display photos, thoughts and other sentiments from special events.  ­—Metro Connection

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 27

B L A C K F R I D AY

A few reasons to shop now, rest later

C

ome the end of the often hectic holiday shopping season, many people resolve to begin shopping earlier in the following year.

While such resolutions can be hard to keep, shoppers would be wise to consider the myriad ways they can benefit by starting their holiday shopping earlier than they’re typically accustomed to doing.

Deals The more time shoppers give themselves to find gifts for their loved ones, the more time they have to comparison shop and find the best deals.

Retailers often offer steep discounts during the holiday season, but such deals may pale in comparison to those that can be had throughout the rest of the year. Holiday shoppers who begin shopping early can always skip buying in late summer or autumn if they think better deals can be

had once the holiday season begins.

Shipping By shopping early, shoppers can choose the least expensive shipping option offered by online retailers, potentially saving substantial amounts of money as a result.

In addition, shoppers who start early won’t have to worry about items failing to arrive on time, a common source of stress for last-minute holiday shoppers.

Credit score Another advantage to shopping early for holiday gifts is it allows consumers to protect their credit scores by spreading their spending out over several months instead of doing so in the handful of weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In a survey examining debt associated with the holiday season, MagnifyMoney found that the average holiday debt in 2016 was slightly more than

Shoppers congregate at the Westfield Valencia Town Center on Black Friday last year. Every year, millions weigh braving the crowd against a chance at once-a-year deals. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

$1,000.

Credit card debt can negatively affect consumers’ credit scores, especially if balances are not paid in full when bills are due. Shoppers

can avoid such situations entirely by shopping early using only disposable income to make purchases instead of credit cards. Such financial flexibil-

DECEMBER 8TH AND 9TH

Join us from 10 AM to 5 PM

See BLACK FRIDAY, page 38

28 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

THANKSGIVING

Tips for a tasty take on turkey

P Thanksgiving goose? This may have been a more likely option at the first Thanksgiving than the turkey enjoyed today.

erhaps no day is more synonymous with a certain dish than Thanksgiving is with turkey. As tasty as turkey can be, this flavorful fowl doesn’t find its way onto many families’ dinner tables unless it’s Thanksgiving day.

Secret family turkey recipes may reign supreme in some households, but holiday hosts with no such resources can consider this unique recipe for “Holiday Turkey” from Andrew Schloss’ “Cooking Slow” (Chronicle Books).

Slow cooking the turkey ensures it’s evenly cooked.

Holiday Turkey

Forgoing tradition on ‘Turkey Day’

Makes 15 servings

ow in fat, high in protein and an inexpensive source of iron, zinc, potassium and B vitamins, turkey makes a healthy addition to a person’s diet.

Turkey also tends to be the star of the show on Thanksgiving and other holidays. Even though turkey can be a delicious addition to any holiday table, some people prefer to buck Thanksgiving tradition from time to time and divert focus from the golden gobbler.

Even though turkey may be synonymous with Thanksgiving, hosts and hostesses should not shy away from serving something different. In fact, turkey may not even have been on the menu for the first Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving dates back to New England in November 1621, when newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered for

L

an autumn harvest celebration. It’s reported that pilgrims went on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the three-day feast.

Although wild turkey was plentiful in the region, ducks, geese, passenger pigeons, and swans were commonly consumed. Historians at Smithsonian say documents refer to wildfowl and venison as foods appearing at the first Thanksgiving, but turkey was not mentioned.

Home chefs can take a cue from those first pilgrims and choose less traditional offerings this Thanksgiving. The following are some ideas that are reminiscent of the first Thanksgiving.

• If the flavor is more palatable, don’t hesitate to select another bird to grace the Thanksgiving table, such See ‘TURKEY DAY,’ page 38

1 fresh turkey, about 15 pounds, preferably free-range 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 quart apple cider 2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the giblets from the turkey and discard (or save for another use).

Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Rub it all over with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. During that time, the surface of the turkey will become visibly dry and the skin will tighten; this encourages a nice crisp skin on the finished bird.

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to start roasting. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Put the turkey on a rack set in a large, flameproof roasting pan.

Drizzle the oil over the top.

Roast for 1 hour. Reduce the oven

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Whether your recipe is a long-held family secret or a similar version to the one listed here, preparation and timing are key to making sure your family’s Thanksgiving meal comes out right.

temperature to 175 degrees.

Pour the cider into the roasting pan and sprinkle the poultry seasoning in the liquid. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (but not touching bone) registers to 170 degrees.

Transfer the turkey to a carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for about 15 minutes (see tip). Meanwhile, skim the fat from the surface of the liquid in the pan. Put the roasting pan over two burners and bring the pan drippings to a boil over high heat. Cook until the juices reduce and thicken slightly, enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes.

Taste for seasoning. Carve the turkey and serve with cider pan juices.

Resting tip: Slow-roasted meats need far less resting time (pretty much none) than those that are traditionally roasted.

The reason for resting meat that has been roasted at a high temperature is to allow juices that have collected in the cooler center time to migrate back into the dryer (hotter) exterior sections after it comes out of the oven. Because slow-roasted meats are cooked evenly and a temperature that keeps most of the juices in place, a resting period is largely unnecessary.

A brief resting time does allow the meat to become a little firmer as it cools, making it easier to carve.  — Metro Connection

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

We GIVE You

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 29

Cranberry-infused cocktail for autumn entertaining

MONEY B to help you buy your own home.

esides the ubiquitous “pumpkin spice,” nothing says “autumn” more than tart cranberries.

Cranberries are a major component of Thanksgiving feasts, turning up alongside and atop turkey, as well as in quick breads and desserts.

Cranberries are loaded with health benefits, which include reducing the risk for ulcers and preventing gum disease. Also, just eight ounces of

cranberry juice cocktail contains 137 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C. Cranberries can even be used to craft great cocktails. Move over mulled ciders, this crisp “Cranberry Margarita” from The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association makes a great autumn-inspired beverage.

Cranberry Margarita Serves 1

1-1/2 shots of tequila 1 shot of cranberry juice cocktail 1/4 cup of whole berry cranberry sauce 1/2 shot of triple sec 10 ice cubes Sweetened dried cranberries, for garnish Lime, for garnish

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Few things say Thanksgiving like turkey, stuffing or cranberries. This holidayflavored cocktail has health benefits, as well.

Thanksgiving quiche puts sweet potatoes front and center

S

weet potatoes are a favorite side dish at Thanksgiving dinner tables. Packed with vitamins, nutrients, fiber and delectable flavor, sweet potatoes have earned their place on holiday dinner tables. While many holiday hosts bake, fry or mash their sweet potatoes, these beloved tubers can be prepared in other ways as well.

If you want to put a new twist on this Thanksgiving staple, whip up this recipe for “Sweet Potato Quiche,” courtesy of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.

Submitted to the NC State Fair Tailgate Recipe Contest by Kristen Frybort, this recipe marries sweet tubers with decadent cheese, rich cream and savory spices.

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and frosty. Serve in a margarita glass. Garnish with dried cranberries and a lime wheel.  — Metro Connection

Sweet Potato Quiche Makes 8 servings

2 cups, sweet potatoes peeled and diced into small cubes 3/4 cup, yellow onion diced 2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt Black pepper to taste Egg mixture: 4 eggs 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon, fresh rosemary, minced 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded Pre-baked deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the first five ingredients and place on baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes and onions are roasting, shred cheese and set aside. Whisk the egg mixture and set aside.

Once potatoes and onions have finished roasting, spoon them into the pre-baked pie shell. Next, layer the shredded cheese on top of the sweet potatoes.

Reduce oven to 375 degrees. Pour egg mixture over the cheese and potatoes. Place quiche in the oven on a center rack. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until eggs are set.  — Metro Connection

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Happy Holidays!

Give them a gift they won't forget or outgrow!

Give a little piece of the farm this year!

Buy a Gift Card to Gilchrist Farm in any amount good toward - Horseback Riding Lessons - Summer Camp - Pony Rides!

Purchase online or at the Farm any Saturday from 9AM-2PM or during the Holidays at the Farm Event December 8th & 9th. www.gilchristfarm.com

Gift Baskets with Gilchrist Farm merchandise and hand made soap available!

HANNUKKAH DEC. 2

Everyone Loves a Massage at The Ivy Day Spa

Luxury spa experiences with full amenities for men and women. SALE —$100 Gift Cards for $85. Shop online and print or email instantly. Happy Spa-lidays!

2018 Hot Toy List

Santa

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lace, iamond P D 0 3 3 6 2 0, Suite 10 91350 A C , a it r Santa Cla

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Did you grab your L.O.L. Surprise dolls last year? What about Hatchimals the year before?

Each year, a new crop of must-have toys surfaces. Smart shoppers who do their research and prepare in advance of the holidays can grab these coveted gifts.

Each year, industry experts weigh in on which toys are sure to be hits with children and adults. This data can help shoppers become more informed consumers and may help prevent the last-minute rush when coveted gifts are already sold out and new stock is nowhere in sight. The following are some gifts children may want to see wrapped and waiting under the tree this year.

Pomsies by Skyrocket These are fashionable plush pets for children to nurture. They’re adorable and designed to travel with children in a backpack or wrapped around kids’ wrists. The kitties can be played with in a one-on-one setting and also have a mode for social play.

Luvabella This is a life-like baby doll that features many of the same surprises that come with a real live infant. Realistic facial expressions and responses, as well as interactive accessories, can make this a true-to-life experience for young girls or boys.

Blind bag toys Children seemingly can’t get enough of collectible playthings that focus on the act of unboxing. The Toy Association says sales for collectible playthings grew by 14 percent globally in 2017. The act of removing a surprise from packaging is just as exciting as the toy itself. Expect to find many more of these types of collectibles this year.

Mecard This is a battle-action game from Mattel based on the Korean See TOYS, next page

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 31

TOYS

K’NEX building sets These sets from K’NEX marry tangible building with interactive play. Once kids build

Continued from previous page

animated series Turning Mecard.

Mecards are cars that transform into hero or villain action figures when they drive over a power-charged card.

are just some of the hot toys and gifts that are primed as big sellers for this holiday season. 

the sets, which can include roller coasters and more, they can take them on a virtual reality ride. These

2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar This toy from Fisher-Price gives youngsters an early introduction to STEM. They learn basic coding, planning and sequencing skills by connecting segments of a cute caterpillar.

Coast to Coast Cutting it Close U.S. Postal Service UPS

SelfieMic Selfie Stick Microphone Children who are into social media karaoke apps can transform themselves into pop stars. They can sing along to their favorite tunes as a solo artist or with friends in a group.

Drop first-class letters and cards in your mailbox by Dec. 18; Dec. 14 for parcel post.

Dec. 17 (for packages delivered by Dec. 24).

Dec. 17 for all FedEx ground packages.

FedEx

Where to Take it

Priority (1-3 day) service by Dec. 20.

Express overnight by Dec. 22.

Your local post office or arrange for carrier pickup. Use usps.com to order supplies, print postage and access a host of other services.

Ship 2-day air by Dec. 20.

UPS stores nationwide. Go to ups.com or Next-day air as late as Dec. 21 call (800) 789-4623 to find a location or for delivery by Dec. 24. schedule a pickup.

(Saturday delivery not available in all areas.)

Overnight by Dec. 21; 2-day Any FedEx office location or FedEx air by Dec. 20 for delivery Dec. authorized shipper.

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5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Radio Remote Broadcast with KHTS Radio Entertainment by choral groups from area schools.

The KHTS Fire Truck will be available for kids to climb aboard Balloon Magic by Magic Castle magician Dennis Forel

-Special Guests-

Santa Claus will be on hand to greet children and pose for photos.

7:00-8:00 PM

Join us for our 4th annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, musical entertainment and surprises.

Community TO YDR IVE Ongoing through December 20 Drop off new toys to any participating merchant, or bring them to our Tree Lighting Ceremony on Thursday, November 29, from 5:00 - 8:00 PM.

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32 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

SCHOOLS

Talking to your kids about cybersecurity

T

hanks to advancements in technology, students and educators are increasingly turning to birth, tablets and computers when working on daily assignments and classroom activities. Students rely on the internet for research and keeping in touch with teachers and other students, and work is even assigned and completed via digital platforms.

Despite the upside of technology, cyber crime is a potential pitfall of all that time spent online. The internet provides instant access, and that can put students at risk.

The education sector ranked sixth in the United States for the total number of reported “security incidents,” according to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report.

Schools are data-rich, meaning they give hackers access to information like identification numbers, birthdates, email addresses, financial data, medical records and more.

Students must understand cyber security risks when working and sharing data online. The following are some tips students can follow.

• Protect passwords. Students are urged to keep their passwords to themselves. This prevents others from using accounts maliciously or even in seemingly harmless ways that can put you in trouble, such as searching for inappropriate content in school. Choose complicated passwords that can’t be easily guessed, and opt for two-step authentication whenever offered.

• Use secured WiFi networks. Free or open WiFi connections are not

Classical, Christian Education TK-12th

Please Join Us...

INFORMATION MEETING Monday Monday

fraudulent email messages that mimic the look of reputable solicitations. Scammers rely on these tactics to tempt people to click on links or download attachments that can put malware on a device and steal personal data. Exercise caution with all links and downloads.

• Schedule routine backups. Data can be lost if a device crashes, so routinely back up personal devices and home computers. Backups can be stored on external hard drives or with cloud services.

Talking to your children about cybersecurity is extremely important, with all of the information that can be sought or stolen online. COURTESY PHOTO

encrypted, meaning they can be accessed by anyone. Many cyber criminals gain access to information through these channels. Schools should have encrypted systems in place.

• Limit what you share on the internet. Students are urged to be aware of what they share online. According

to Data Management, a computing service, information posted to social media is permanent, and deleted items aren’t necessarily gone. Exercise caution on social media. Don’t post unless it is something you would be comfortable sharing in public.

• Watch out for phishing scams.

Phishing usually occurs through

• Exercise caution when file-sharing.

UC Santa Cruz’s information technology services says viruses and malware can be transmitted by file-sharing software, and files offered by others may not be what they say they are. Only used school-approved file-sharing options.

Cyber security is something students should prioritize this school year. The right security measures can protect students, their classmates and their schools. 

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

(choice of one entree, seasonal fruit and milk)

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

Monday, Nov. 19

Blueberry Bash Mini Waffles Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fruit Juice

Tuesday, Nov. 20

Super Star Corn Muffin Breakfast Bun Cereal Chilled Fruit Fresh Fruit

Wednesday, Nov. 21 Thursday, Nov. 22 Friday, Nov. 23

No School

No School

No School

No School

No School

No School

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

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 33

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

Queen Nation Will Rock You at Canyon Santa Clarita Nov. 23

By Stephen K. Peeples Signal Staff Writer

W

ith Fox’s Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” reigning the box office its first weekend out Nov. 2-4 and topping the $100 million mark a week later, Queen Nation, the hottest Queen

tribute band in the West, will rock the Canyon Santa Clarita on Friday, Nov. 23.

“The Canyon Clubs are our home clubs, and we can pretty much do anything or play as long as we want,” said singer-guitarist Mike McManus, aka Brian May, who helped co-found Queen Nation in 2004. His bandmates are fellow Queen fanatics

Gregory Finsley as lead singer-pianist Freddie Mercury, Pete Burke as drummer Roger Taylor, and Parker Combs as bassist John Deacon.

“So, for our crowds who love Queen and have been coming to see us for a while, we’ll definitely play all the hits, but also some deeper tracks for the diehard Queen fans,” McManus said.

Along with now-classics like “Killer Queen,” “Tie Your Mother Down,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Somebody to Love,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “We Are the Champions”/“We Will Rock You,” Queen Nation will dive deep into the See QUEEN NATION, page 33

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N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

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

Conversion therapy and Marvel action heroes

By Dianne White Crawford Signal Contributing Writer

“Boy Erased” (Limited Release)

This is a film that illuminates the insidiousness of conversion therapy. The film follows the life of main character Jared Eamons, portrayed by the brilliant Lucas Hedges. Based on the memoirs of author Garrard Conley, writer, actor and director Joel Edgerton brings to life a story of faith gone wrong.

Jared Eamons is a young man who loves his minister father Marshall Eamon, portrayed by Russell Crowe and devout mother Nancy Eamons, played by Nicole Kidman, but discovers he is gay. Confessing one’s sexual orientation to a non-religious family would be very hard but confessing it to his Arkansas pastor father is even more difficult.

Heartbreakingly, Marshall forsakes his responsibility as a father and sends Jared to a for-pay church-supported gay conversion therapy program. In other films, conversion therapy has been shown as ice baths and electroshock therapy. However, the conversion therapy depicted in this film is more subtle, deceptive, manipulative, mentally damaging and dangerous.

The performances are excellent.

Ms. Kidman, Mr. Crowe and Mr. Hedges inhabit their roles flawlessly.

Their mastery of their craft is too good for them to ever let the audience catch them acting. When Mr. Crowe talks as Marshall Eamons, every word is heartfelt and troubled. When Ms. Kidman ponders what’s really going on during the secret conversion therapy sessions that her character drives her son to and from, every shot of her eyes reveals fear of the truth battling a growing need to know what the details of this “therapy.” Mr. Hedges is Jared — true, honest, real — a young man reconciling a life raised in a church that sees homosexuality and life as a gay man a sin.

Mr. Edgerton consciously refuses to insert any cinematic flourishes in this film. There are no special lighting effects or overly dramatic soliloquies.

Mr. Edgerton and the cinematographer leave the entire film, until the last few frames, in shadow with the

background often brighter than the foreground. The low light, washed out effect removes any manufactured passion from the screen. The audience is just left with the characters, dialogue and action to speak for itself.

I debated with myself while watching most of the film whether this low lighting choice was a good idea. I prefer vivid images and clever shots, but I understand intellectually that to adorn this film with any cinematographic ornamentation would be seen as an attempt to overly vilify the practice of conversion therapy that needs no assistance being vile.

The power in this film is its desire to understate wickedness. It is easy to excoriate those that use the Bible as a weapon. It is better just to place on camera these profane charlatans who sell the myth of conversion therapy to families desperate for heterosexual children. This is an important film and a good one.

DVD recommendation: “Black Panther,” 2018 (Available to rent or buy on Prime Video)

Adaptations of superheroes, comic books and graphic novels have been driving the movie theatre box office for a few years now. Where the financial success of a film was once measured in tens of millions, it’s now hundreds of millions.

Beyond that, these enormous productions are pressured to make political and social statements... providing the hope of which real-life leaders seem to fail. This latest from Marvel and director Ryan Coogler, carries all of that plus the expectations of an entire gender and race. It’s a heavy burden for a comic book character, however it seems, regardless of one’s perspective, it’s likely the film delivers, satisfies and, oh yeah... entertains.

The bar has been set so high for action sequences and special effects, that we take the great for granted and only speak up on those that falter.

What allows this film to take its place among the best of the genre is a combination of story depth and the payoff for showing us a world we haven’t previously seen. The cultural aspects of the (mythical) African country of

COURTESY PHOTO

Wakanda are not only interesting, but the setting itself is breath-taking. An explosion of color, texture and technology blended with intriguing and multi-dimensional characters bring the film to life and draw us into this wonderland of tradition, culture and humanity.

It seems ridiculous to speak of a comic book film in these terms, but the number of talking points raised during its runtime are too many and too varied to discuss in this format. What we can make clear is that it’s cool to watch an entire movie where people of color and women are strong, confident, and intelligent. Chadwick Boseman has played Thurgood Marshall, James Brown, and Jackie Robinson and here he takes on a fictional icon in King T’Challa/Black Panther. He perfectly captures the pensive nature of a King balancing tradition with the needs of his people to evolve and transition.

His chief adversary “Killmonger” is played terrifically by Michael B. Jordan as a man out for revenge and power. For most movies this head to head battle would be enough... but not this time.

Lupita Nyong’o (Oscar winner for “12 Years A Slave”), Danal Gurira, and Letitia Wright play Nakia, Okoye, and Shuri respectively; a group of three of the strongest women you’ve likely ever seen on screen. Nakia is the love interest, but also carrying out her own humanitarian missions, while also proving to be beyond adequate as a soldier. Okoye is the ultimate warrior and absolutely loyal

to her country, while Nakia (T’Challa’s sister) is the ultimate technology whiz, and one with the zippiest zingers. Any of these characters could be the basis for a standalone movie, but together they elevate this to something much more than a couple of dudes in sleek suits fighting.

Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker are all contributors, and Andy Serkis is a frenzied standout in an all-too-brief turn as Klaue.

The strong cast delivers even in the few moments when the script lags. In fact, the only piece of this puzzle that didn’t seem to fit was the traditional hand-to-hand combat to determine the next king. Why is it that a nation so advanced still relies on primitive courses of decision-making? Perhaps this is merely commentary on our society, though providing a more intellectual solution would have been in line with the rest of the story.

The world of Wakanda is stunning. The costumes are sleek, colorful and fascinating. The characters are multi-dimensional. The action sequences are top notch (armored rhinos!). The cinematographer is Rachel Morrison, who recently made history by being the first woman to receive an Oscar nomination for cinematography (“Mudbound”). It’s these factors that allow Mr. Coogler’s film to achieve the level of importance that most comic book films wouldn’t dare to strive for. On top of everything, it accomplishes the one thing I demand from these type of movies... it’s quite fun to watch. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 35

Gregory Finsley, left, and Mike McManus are one half of Queen Nation, a popular tribute band that’s also a regular at Santa Clarita’s Concerts in the Park. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

QUEEN NATION

Continued from page 31

British band’s 15-studio-album catalog spanning 1973-1995.

“One of our favorites is ‘It’s Late,’ from ‘News of the World’ (1977),” McManus said. “It’s a heavy rocker, but we strip it down to an acoustic mini-set where just Gregory and I will do ‘Love of My Life’ (from 1975’s “Night at the Opera”). Then we’ll come back with the band and maybe finish up with ‘39’ (from “Night…”) or ‘Dream- Gregory Finsley belts out a famous Freddie Mercury lyric er’s Ball’” (from 1978’s during a recent Queen Nation performance this past summer. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO “Jazz”).

The operatic section of Queen’s original 1975 recording best opera voices!’ And they make the of “Bohemian Rhapsody” was such a loudest, most awesome sound you’ve multitracked studio tour de force that ever heard — hundreds, sometimes even Freddie, Brian, Roger and John thousands of people singing at the couldn’t recreate it onstage. top of their lungs with all their heart.

“Impossible — a million overdubs Sometimes they’re in key, sometimes with the vocals,” McManus said. “So not. But always turns into a big, cathey would just leave the stage, play cophonous wall of awesomeness.” the tape of the operatic section, then Find out more at www.queennacome back onstage with the big bom- tion.com. bastic part.”

Find the Canyon Santa Clarita on For Queen Nation, though, that the ground floor of the Westfield Vadidn’t really work. “So, we decided lencia Town Center. Get tickets at the to let the audience sing the operatic box office 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondaypart, because in 2018, everybody Saturday, by phone at 888-645-5006, knows it,” McManus said. or via TicketMaster.com. For more “When we get to that part, I tell ev- info, visit WheremusicmeetstheSoul. erybody, ‘Okay, we want to hear your com. 

36 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

FOOD

Hungry for a dessert? The Santa Clarita Valley has you covered

By Crystal Duan Signal Staff Writer

G

one are the days when Santa Claritans might have to trek all the way south to Los Angeles for quality dessert. The SCV has more than enough sweet faire to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Not every delicious treat in the SCV has to be from a chain, either.

There’s plenty of local places to get a wide variety: The key lime pie at the Pie Tin is a standout among the already-extensive selection of great pies. There are a variety of flavors at the Pie Tin, but you can’t go wrong with Key Lime, said co-owner Laura Jardine.

The graham cracker crusts, key lime juice, and soft texture mean customers can easily finish a slice, or two.

The business has consistently rotated flavors every three weeks to a month since it opened in August 2017 — but key lime is a mainstay on the list.

“This one is one of our bestsellers,” Jardine said. “Every time we bring in a different flavor and take a break, we have customers coming in and going, ‘Where is the Key Lime?’ So we haven’t kept it off the list for more than a month.”

Slices of the key lime pie are so popular that the Jardines can sell two to four a day, without pre-orders, she said.

The Pie Tin flavors are aplenty: the banana cream pie is also a year-round favorite, Jardine said. And just in time for the holidays, the pecan pie is also another seasonally sweet option.

The flaun al cioccolato at Piccola Trattoria, a flourless chocolate cake, is also a must-try.

With a melted chocolate pool center adding a dash of richness, this cake is only dense in texture — not in taste.

This cake has less of the consistency of cake and is more fudgy in texture, with a light flaky airiness from the infused egg whites, as well.

The Blueberry Bread Pudding at Newhall Refinery is a custard-based dessert that combines bread with a dose of milk, cream, butter and eggs

The Pie Tin off Golden Valley Road offers a slice of a key lime pie that’s popular year-round. CORY RUBIN / THE SIGNAL

to make a solid sweet.

Its consistency does not qualify as a classic pudding, which is a bit thicker and more liquidy, and the added blueberries give it a fresh mild flavor.

Scott Ervin, who co-chairs a local nonprofit called feedSCV, said the flaun al cioccolato and Blueberry Bread Pudding reign as his personal favorites.

“Both are custard-based desserts,” he said. “And custard is the gold standard by which all other desserts are measured.

“Cake? Meh,” he said. “Ice cream?

Pie? A sentimental favorite of mine

and close... but no. It has to be a custard dessert, and those two are simply custard at it’s finest. Fresh ingredients that add to, but not distract too much, from the experience that only the combination of cream and eggs can deliver.”

‘The Liz’ cookies at the D.W. Cookie Company also won’t let you down.

The classic chocolate chips are just as fresh as the dough they’re baked in, said Todd Wilson, president of nonprofit feedSCV. They’re the best in Canyon Country.

And customers can even get big cookies at the D.W. for special occasions.

The Canyon Country business has been around the area since 2013. It’s open Monday through Friday, and the cookie selection changes daily, but many people have had yet to “have a bad cookie,” Wilson said.

The Santa Domingo chocolate flavor at Paradis Ice Cream is one of the store’s signature flavors year-round, said owner Tess Zaidi.

The business has been known to offer as many as 50 flavors in circulation. Seven flavors rotate every week, and seasonal ones include pumpkin pie, spicy orange sorbel and cucumber lime. year-round unique ones are “avocado lime,” plant-based horchata, muscovado sugar and coffee coconut.

The most popular remain the sea salt caramel and vanilla bean, while there are also vegan flavors, such as strawberry sorbet and amarina chip.

No preservatives are used, Zaidi said, and all ice cream and waffle cones are made fresh daily.

The one thing you can say is that we have 50 flavors in circulation to choose from, and our chef decides which flavors to offer. We request every evening what flavors we like and we prepare them.

“Our unique selling point is we make everything fresh daily, and you can taste the difference,” Zaidi said.

“If we do not sell something the same day, the next day we sample it or give it away.

“We’re also always looking for organizations to give away our regular leftover ice cream from the day before, because it’s good for months while frozen,” she said. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 37

Baking brownies just like Grandma

By Perry Smith Signal Managing Editor

L

ike most family recipes, Kathy Kellar’s famous buttermilk brownie dish has been passed down, and, like many comfort foods, it’s very popular when a crowd comes by the Kellar home.

The recipe has been in the family for decades, she said.

“So every family occasion, and I come from a big family, there’s five of us, and so every time we’d go up to my mother’s home, we’d have grandma’s buttermilk brownies,” Kellar said.

There are two secret ingredients, she explained.

“I think it’s the buttermilk and I think they’re made with love of family,” she said, “and everybody who’s had them ... they’re good, they’re not dense.”

The buttermilk gives the brownies a melt-in-the-mouth texture, combined with a chocolate frosting that always

Grandma Keysor’s brownies 1 cube butter 1 cup water 1/2 cup baking cocoa 1/2 cup oil

Kathy Kellar holds up her mother’s handwritten recipe for buttermilk brownies.

PHOTO BY AUSTIN DAVE / THE SIGNAL

puts smiles on faces.

“We all have the brownie recipe and I’ve also passed it along to friends,” she said, adding she enjoys sharing the treat with others. “Anybody who wants it can have it, and my mother would be happy to know it’s being shared.”

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What’s also nice about the treat is that it only takes about an hour to make, start to finish, she added, including the frosting.

“I don’t even use a blender,” she said, mentioning how no-fuss the recipe is, “I just mix it by hand.” 

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Boil together the above ingredients, then add: 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 eggs 1 tsp. Baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla a dash of salt Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes Frosting 1 cube of butter 1/3 cup of cocoa 1/3 cup of buttermilk Boil together the above ingredients, then add: 1 box powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Dash of salt

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38 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Thanksgiving Day quiz

How well do you know America’s heartiest holiday?

It’s once again time to talk turkey, stuffing and all of the trimmings.

Thanksgiving is celebrated in both Canada and the United States, with similar parades and fanfare. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the blessings in one’s life and enjoy the company of family and friends during a special meal.

Although people celebrate Thanksgiving each and every year, they may not be aware of some of its interesting history.

Test your knowledge of gobblers and general trivia with this quiz.

1. Despite competing historical claims, the story most people associate with the first American Thanksgiving took place in a colony in this modern-day state? a. Pennsylvania b. New Jersey c. Massachusetts d. Delaware 2. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on which day of the week in Canada? a. Monday b. Tuesday c. Wednesday d. Thursday 3. Pilgrims from Europe associated with Thanksgiving are purported to have sailed across the Atlantic to reach North American on which ship? a. Daisy b. Mayflower c. Santa Maria d. Roseflower 4. Which tribe of Native Americans taught Pilgrims how to cultivate the land, contributing to the first Thanksgiving? a. Algonquin b. Lenape d. Wampanoag c. Shoshone

5. Fossil evidence shows that turkeys roamed the Americas how long ago? a. 10 million years ago b. 15 million years ago c. 20 million years ago d. 25 million years ago 6. Three different deboned types of poultry go into this Thanksgiving meal alternative? a. Orange duck b. Turducken c. Turkey chowmein d. Chixturck 7. In what year did Congress make Thanksgiving an official national holiday in the United States? a. 1932 b. 1939 c. 1941 d. 1946 8. Twenty percent of the overall consumption of this type of fruit is done on Thanksgiving. a. apples b. cranberries c. cherries d. grapes 9. The first Canadian Thanksgiving was a welcome-home celebration for Sir Martin Frobisher when he returned to which area of the country? a. Albert b. Manitoba c. British Columbia d. Newfoundland

Continued from page 28

as a goose or even a chicken. Some people find turkey meat to be too dry, despite all of the different preparation methods. Chicken or goose may be more well-received and just as versatile.

• Don’t overlook the possibility of serving fish and other seafood.

Colonists and the Wampanoag probably ate eel, lobster, clams and mussels. Fish can be dried, smoked

• Comfortable shoes: Comfortable walking shoes or sneakers are an absolute must during Black Friday shopping excursions. Shoppers should wear shoes that can hold up to walking throughout malls and provide comfort when standing around for long periods of time in line. In addition, choose shoes that will stay on if you need to sprint for the last item in stock or jet back to the car to unload packages for the next round of shopping.

sweater. Forgo a heavy down-filled coat for a thick fleece or fisherman’s weave sweater that can be tied around the waist while shopping. Ladies might like an insulating yet loose-fitting poncho that can be rolled up into a bag if it gets too hot.

• Free hands: Women should avoid taking along a clutch or satchel purse in favor of a cross-body bag that can be slung over a shoulder. Men or women who want to keep their hands com• Layer up: Depending on where you pletely free can opt for a roomy backlive and what time you leave the house pack to stow purchases and prevent to go shopping, initial temperatures themselves from feeling bogged down might be chilly before rising later in the by bags. day.

• Minimal makeup: During a day of But shoppers should keep in mind shopping in warm stores, shoppers’ that, as stores fill with shoppers, inte- makeup may cake, slide or feel unrior temperatures can quickly climb. comfortable. Go fresh-faced, instead.

Start with comfortable jeans, yoga Not having to apply makeup also pants, sweats or leggings. A fitted T- leaves more time to sleep in the mornshirt can be worn on its own or layered ing.  — Metro Connection underneath a hoodie or lightweight

BLACK FRIDAY

Time

— ­ Metro Connection

Shoppers can save more than money by starting their holiday shopping in advance of the holiday season.

In spite of the popularity of online shopping, many people still visit traditional brick and mortar retailers to do their present buying.

Such stores can be overwhelmed with shoppers between Thanksgiving and Christmas, leading to long lines and lengthy searches for parking. Shoppers are far less likely to encounter big crowds and crowded parking lots if they get their shopping done before the dawn of the holiday season, saving themselves substantial amounts of time as a result.

Shoppers who commit to getting their holiday shopping done early can save money and time and protect their financial reputations, as well.  — Metro Connection

and preserved.

• Replace wheat-based recipes with those made from cornmeal, as maize was more likely available during colonial time than wheat.

• Forests provided chestnuts, beechnuts and walnuts, so a platter of nuts paired with cheese or fruit also can make a welcome addition to the table. Nuts also can be ground and used in baked goods or flavoring for Thanksgiving desserts.

• Pumpkin and squash were plentiful in colonial times, and this is why these gourds are often included in

Thanksgiving meals and decor. The flesh of a pumpkin or squash can be turned into casseroles or used to make quiche.

• A traditional Thanksgiving meal for the early settlers would not have included potatoes. White potatoes originated in South America and sweet potatoes in the Caribbean.

At the time of the first Thanksgiving, these would not yet have been introduced, as white potato patches in North America were not established in the region until 1719, according to the potato resource Potato Goodness.

• Because colonists did not have wheat flour and butter to make flaky tart crusts, pumpkin pie was not on the first Thanksgiving menu. In lieu of pumpkin pie, hosts can experiment with moist loaf breads or muffins made with pumpkin.

The average Thanksgiving dinner table today looks quite different from the one the Wampanoag Indians and Pilgrims gathered around centuries ago. Families can stick closer to history and tailor their meals for a touch of something different this year.  — Metro Connection

10. Canadians sometimes call the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States by this name to distinguish it from their own Thanksgiving celebration. a. Yanksgiving b. Amerigiving c. Turmerica d. USthanks

Answers: 1. c 2. a 3. b 4. d 5. a 6. b 7. c 8. b 9. d 10. a

‘TURKEY DAY’

How to dress for (Black Friday) success

Continued from page 27

ity may not be possible for shoppers who wait until the holiday season has begun to start shopping.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 39

SENIORS

Methods to treating arthritic knees

O

steoarthritis of the joints can affect people of all ages, but is one of the leading causes of disability in the aged population in the United States. A study published in the Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine found incidence of knee OA is rising by increasing average age of the general population. Age, weight, trauma, and repetitive movements are common risk factors for the condition.

According to Dr. Scott Paris of Central Jersey Spine and Wellness, more than 27 million people in the country suffer from knee arthritis. An estimated 37 percent of Canadians aged 20 or older who had been diagnosed with arthritis reported osteoarthritis, with 29 percent occurring in the knees, states Statistics Canada.

Knee arthritis occurs when there is a degeneration of articular cartilage that covers and protects the patella (knee cap) at the knee joint, offers

the online resource Arthritis-Health.

Since this cartilage has no nerve endings, some people can experience arthritis but feel no pain. However, pain may occur when doing specific activities that cause impact between bones, like jumping, walking up stairs or certain sports.

Over time, knee arthritis may become worse, and pain can be accompanied by stiffness and loss of mobility. This may be accompanied by knee locking or buckling.

Those who suffer from knee OA may seek treatment.

In 2014, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting osteoarthritis research and treatment, updated its recommendations for the treatment of osteoarthritis targeted to different patient characteristics. The main categories of treatment include non-drug treatments, medication, injections, and surgery.

• Non-drug treatments: Examples

of non-drug treatments include exercise, stretching and range-of-movement strategies. Weight loss can alleviate excess strain placed on the hips and knees and reduce pain. Braces, sleeves and orthotics may help reduce pain and joint stiffness when directed properly through a specialist.

• Medications: Many medications are geared around reducing inflammation and pain and include over-the-counter pain relievers and NSAIDs, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. Topical NSAIDs may be tried, and these can reduce the risk of gastrointestinal side effects from oral medications. OARSI also found that the antidepressant duloxetine may help with chronic knee pain.

• Injections: The Arthritis Foundation says that some doctors can inject corticosteroid compounds directly into affected joints. Use of hyaluronic acid injections can supplement the natural substance that gives joint flu-

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id its lubrication and viscosity. These injections may help relieve pain and improve mobility.

• Surgery: In cases when the aforementioned treatments are unsuccessful, doctors may suggest surgery.

The Arthritis Foundation says joint lavage and arthroscopic debridement, which involve flushing the joint with a sterile saline solution and the surgical removal of tissue fragments from the joint, are controversial but may help some people achieve shortterm relief. Partial knee replacement may be another option that offers a similar improvement in function, but fewer complications than a total knee replacement.

Osteoarthritis in the knee can be painful and restrictive. Working with a qualified doctor, individuals can develop a treatment plan that works for their specific conditions.  —Metro Connection

40 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

GARDENING

Thanksgiving lessons from the garden

By Jane Gates Signal Contributing Writer

A

s so many of us worry about national or global issues, hotter, drier weather, skyrocketing prices, increasing traffic and so much more, our stress levels increase.

Add in pressure from holiday plans and family dynamics, and this year’s holiday season could be a lot less fun than we’d like.

Here’s where Thanksgiving can bring us relief. Shifting our focus can lift our spirits. Counting the blessings in our lives can actually overwhelm bleakness, worry and fear.

Lessons

My garden has become my mentor, illustrating over and over what a miracle it is to be alive.

Gardens aren’t concerned with the small view of life. They don’t obsess about

what they don’t have. They simply can’t.

My garden exists in accordance with the bigger laws of nature and is fueled by the reality that nothing is forever and everything is interdependent and always changing. We humans claim to want change but we really want everything to stay the same (except for the things we don’t like) so we can feel in control. Change is inevitable.

So, maybe lesson one from the garden is to celebrate the present and focus on what we have rather than what we don’t.

When the dry, windy heat seems to steal the life out of some plants in my garden, I can still be surprised at how resilient others can be. Any gardener knows how hard it can be to get rid of weeds.

No matter how much you pull and dig, at least a few survive to taunt you. I figure if these simple life forms can take this kind of bashing, maybe I shouldn’t give up so easily every time life throws me a challenge.

I guess this might be lesson two from my garden.

2018

BLACK FRIDAY SALE

My garden will keep growing so it will always be a work in progress. It will never be perfect. (Maybe it’s the same for me, too?) But sometimes, it’s the smallest seedling that grows the strongest, the least likely plant that blooms the best and the nastiest wind gust that delivers an airborne seed-treasure to root in my soil.

Another lesson: “right and wrong” is inflexible, being judgmental creates limitations, but “what works and what doesn’t” — is a form of learning that, uh, actually does work.

As if these lessons aren’t enough, I look at how we humans, unlike our gardens, are gifted with the ability to learn and choose. In Santa Clarita we have experienced extreme heat, dry, wind and areas where wildfires have blasted into town chewing into the lives, homes and gardens of so many. Yet in the wake came the gift of rain calling up brilliantly colored blankets of rare hillside wildflowers. Fire-followers they’re called.

The seeds only germinate after being licked by fire. People experienced irreplaceable losses, were comforted by new friendships, and wiser choices were made. Homes were rebuilt. New gardens were landscaped. We, like our gardens, grew anew. We learned to appreciate what we had and how to do things better.

Thankfulness

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Our gardens teach us to appreciate what we have and embrace the new.

New varieties of plants continue show up both in the wild and in nurseries.

Moisture-loving plants sprout near hose bib leaks or other areas where water collects. I’ve even seen a shade loving flower unfurling proudly under the umbrella of a gnarled old native shrub in the hot summer sun. Diversity expands the power of growth. Just like in the garden, we thrive when we support each other.

I guess what I love about landscaping and gardening is that nature offers an alternative to the insatiable hunger imposed by superficial values.

It seems society has us focused on equating having bigger and better with being more worthy to live. The garden refutes this. People who have more may certainly be more comfortable, but some of the happiest human cultures on the planet have little material wealth. Instead, like the denizens of my

We all start small and grow to be unique lives; no two are the same.

COURTESY PHOTO.

garden, these people feel rich in heart and soul, knowing they work together with all life — plant, animal and human — to make the quality of each life better.

There is no greater sense of power, worthiness or fulfillment than living in harmony with life.

Ironically, when I look at history, I can’t help notice how much more discord invades the social order the further we get from the land. Consumerism and technology gives us unparalleled comfort, but it doesn’t fill us with joy. I think life is about balance and it isn’t about becoming either downtrodden victims or rich and famous moguls. It seems to be more about finding a reason to be alive and enjoying sharing that reason with other lives.

Year after year, my garden offers a myriad of life forms. After 20 years in Santa Clarita, I just discovered we have geckos — the Western Banded Gecko — and I saw my first brilliantly striped king snake (a gardener’s friend that eats both rattlesnakes and rodents)! Year after year I am surprised with unexpected delights. Year after year I remember there is always more to learn and appreciate in this miracle of a planet. So much reason to give thanks.

So this Thanksgiving, I remember the historical significance of the holiday: sharing the wealth of the land with others.

I take the time to give thanks for the deep sense of rightness and harmony my landscape demonstrates daily, a calmness that transcends all the anger, blame, fear, insecurity and unkindness I see happening in the world at large.

And I invite all of you to take a moment to give thanks for the life you’ve been gifted, the life that surrounds and enriches you, and the love and acceptance you have to give and receive.

Each one of us, as my garden teaches, is truly a unique work of art worth giving thanks for. 

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 41

PROFILE

Pursuing positivity while parenting

By Michele Lutes Signal Staff Writer

S

anta Clarita resident, mortgage adviser and single mother, Patti Handy is reminding single parents to always have hope.

“One day, you’ll look back and realize you’re a whole different person than you were one year ago or two years ago, and it only gets better,” she said. “Never give up hope.”

Handy was one of the six women being honored at the ninth annual Single Mothers Outreach Empowering HeArts Gala, with an overall theme of “Integrity.”

“Integrity means doing the right thing always without question and knowing in your heart you are always doing your best to serve,” Handy said.

Handy worked with the Single Mothers Outreach, or SMO, many years ago, and hopes to get involved again.

“I’m a single mother myself, so (SMO) has always had a soft spot in my heart,” she said.

“I hope to be more involved with the women.”

Handy moved to Santa Clarita in 1987 and gave birth to her son Blake Gonzalez in 1996. “I am so very proud of him, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else — I love this valley,” she said.

She divorced when her son was 18 months old. “I sorta had to reinvent myself as a single mom and a provider,” she said.

And so she did. She now works as as a senior mortgage advisor and trainer at American Family Funding. She also found something to be grateful for everyday and used her trials and tribulations and joys of being a single mom to write four books.

A children’s book, “The Feeling in My Belly of Peanut Butter and Jelly,” an advice book, “50 Ways

Saving as a single parent Saving money can be hard for any parent, but especially so for parents who are raising their children in single-parent households.

Single parents face hurdles that parents in dual-parent households may not encounter, and many of those hurdles involve finances.

Worrying about savings can have a negative effect on single parents.

Finding room for savings can be tough for single parents already working with limited budgets, but single parents who want to start saving more may find that some simple strategies can help them grow their savings and build more solid foundations for their futures and their children’s futures.

• Find ways to scale back. Just because

to Flourish After Divorce” and two finance books, “How to Ditch Your Allowance and Be Richer Than Your Parents: 9 Wealth building tools to make a teen rich,” and “Money Rules 101: Master Your Money Before it Masters You-A Guide for Parents and Teens.”

All four of her books are for sale on Amazon.

She hopes to “inspire individuals to be inspired,” she said. “If I could have any kind of impact or inspire anybody to look at their circumstances today, I’d remind them this moment in time is temporary, if you remain hopeful and grateful with a positive mindset.”

At the gala, artist Cecilia Kikalo will unveil an original piece of art that tells Handy’s story.

you might have grown accustomed to something does not mean you cannot live without it. Scaling back on luxury expenditures like cable or satellite television and smartphone data plans can save you a substantial amount of money each month. Cut the cord with costly cable or satellite plans in favor of more affordable streaming services. If that’s too great a sacrifice, downsize your television package to something more basic and much less expensive.

• Set up automatic contributions. Setting up automatic contributions to a savings account is a great way to guarantee you make monthly deposits. Direct a portion of your paycheck into a savings account rather than direct depositing it entirely into your checking account.

• Enroll in an employer-sponsored retirement program. If you are not already

Patti Handy has four books that are all currently for sale on Amazon.com, including “How to Ditch Your Allowance and Be Richer Than Your Parents: 9 Wealth Building Tools to Make a Teen Rich,” which has helped inspire young entrepreneurs.

Handy, who worked with Single Mothers Outreach before she was recently named an honoree, said she sort of “re-invented” herself when she divorced her husband while caring for an infant son.

Kikalo is one of the six artists chosen to carry out the tasks of telling the honoree’s story through art.

“I feel very grateful that I am among this group of esteemed women,” Handy said. “I always want to make a positive impact and inspire and make the world a better place. I try to live that everyday personally and professionally.” 

contributing to an employer-sponsored retirement account, then enroll in one if your employer has made that option available. Such contributions are typically pretax (you will pay tax on the money down the road when you begin to withdraw it), meaning they won’t affect your take-home pay too significantly. In addition, enrolling in such a program can help relieve any stress you may have about financing your retirement.

• Make your own meals. Single parents juggling a career with their dual roles as mom and dad may be too exhausted to take on dinner duties at the end of each weekday.

Single parents struggling to save money may find that the simplest solutions are also the most effective.  —Metro Connection

There are single parents struggling to save money may find that the simplest solutions are also the most effective.

42 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

PROFILE

From Ukraine, with love

By Patti Rasmussen Signal Staff Writer

H

e’s only been in the United States for three years, but Tymofii Kashchenko, who goes by Tim, finds California kids very much like those he knew in the Ukraine.

Walking into Golden Valley High School as a freshman in 2015, Tim had just turned 14 and knew no English. His teachers found him friendly, open and charismatic.

“He’s very unique and makes friends easily,” said Arian Wilson, an English language teacher assigned to Tim the first day. “We didn’t have anyone in the district who spoke Russian, so it was a matter of using the computer and pointing at a lot of pictures.”

In his sophomore year, Tim took World History with Eric Harris, who also serves as an assistant football coach at the school. The invasion of Ukraine had just happened, and now Harris had a student in his class who witnessed the war first-hand.

Tim was not shy about the sights and sounds of war, Harris said, and Tim has a passion for history.

“We knew a revolution was coming,” Tim said. “Just before Christmas,

Golden Valley High School student Tim Kashchenko.

Golden Valley High School student Tim Kashchenko comes on the field with his teammates before the game against West Ranch.

people were on the streets protesting and then everyone just started shooting.”

Tim’s father worked for TicketMaster in Southern California, and it was at this time he told his family to come to America. Tim, his mother, little brother and younger sister

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, left, talks to Golden Valley High School student Tim Kashchenko after an assembly to promote early voter registration to the 550 Golden Valley High School students gathered in the Golden Valley High School Gym in September. PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

all came over.

Tim said the people of the Ukraine are peaceful, but weak. He believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a bully, and that Russia is corrupt.

“We joke (about Putin) much like Americans make fun of (President) Trump,” Tim said.

When asked about the state of American politics, Tim hasn’t ruled out voting for Trump when he becomes a citizen, although he admits he will be keeping his options open.

He thinks Trump is a smart man, but needs to think smarter.

“I’m cool with building a wall,” Tim said. “but (Trump) needs to be more realistic.”

At a recent assembly, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla was there to speak to the students about the importance of voting. Tim was one of just a handful of students who approached the secretary to ask questions. Tim believes Padilla’s talk was more about getting votes than actually understanding the concerns of high school students.

As for friends, Tim doesn’t find it hard to make friends, but he said it’s hard to keep them because of the dis-

tance between homes in the suburbs.

His old neighborhood was mainly apartment buildings.

“In the Ukraine, we lived on top of each other,” he said. “If my friend lived on the sixth floor, I would see him every day and say, ‘Hey brother.’”

Asked to name his favorite American restaurant, Tim said Denny’s because, “They make good milkshakes.”

And while he hasn’t tried surfing yet, he enjoys snowboarding and loves playing American football on the varsity team at Golden Valley.

He listens to heavy metal music and both of his football coaches gifted him T-shirts with heavy metal bands displayed on them, after his favorite one was ripped during practice. The T-shirts are his favorite articles of clothing.

As for the future, Tim says he needs a little more time to decide on a career, so he hopes to attend College of the Canyons after high school. The cinema and history are two areas he’d like to explore.

These days, however, Tim is enjoying his senior year. He has taken on a California look, and loves just about everyone he meets. Principal Sal Frias said Tim is well-liked.

“He is grateful and respectful,” Frias said. “Every time I see him walking around campus, he has a big smile.”

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 43

PETS

Pet tips for a fun, safe holiday season

By Michelle Sathe Signal Staff Writer

T

he holidays are upon us, and for many, that means decorating the home and preparing lavish feasts.

While many members of the family will appreciate your efforts, don’t forget to protect those with four paws from some of the dangers that the season can bring.

For the most part, that means keeping pets from the festive plants and tasty foods that we humans enjoy so much.

“Pets can get into the trash or hang around the kitchen and consume things that usually lead to gastrointestinal upset,” said Dr. Evelyn Vega, veterinarian and owner of Happy Pets Veterinary Center in Valencia.

Symptoms of gastrointestinal upset include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and gas, while pancreatitis can include those symptoms as well as pain in the mid abdomen, lack of appetite, and lethargy.

If any of those symptoms last longer than 24-48 hours, Vega recommends bringing your pet to the veterinarian.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said. “A pet vomiting can be something as simple as gastritis, to something life threatening such as pancreatitis or a foreign body obstruction.”

Of course, preventing such situations from occurring is ideal. According to Vega, here are food items that should never be given to pets:

• Any fatty or spicy leftovers (For example, turkey or turkey skin can

cause pancreatitis in both dogs and cats.)

• Bones of any kind, which can cause obstructions in both dogs and cats • Artificial sweeteners found in sweets, such as Xylitol, which can cause liver failure in dogs • Chocolate, raisins and grapes (which are common in baking goods during the holidays and toxic to pets) • Unattended alcoholic drinks. Pets can get to them, which can cause health issues if your pet has too much • Yeast dough, which can cause bloating if a large enough amount is ingested by dogs.

To be extra safe, keep trash in an area where your pet can not get to it, whether that’s inside or outside (especially after a dinner party where leftovers are thrown away).

Plants can also be very dangerous.

Holly and mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal upset and lilies can cause kidney failure in cats. That’s why Vega recommends not keeping any of those plants in the home during the holidays.

Other safety tips Vega suggested: • Avoid using tinsel, which can be swallowed, or traditional candles, which can be knocked over and start a fire. Try electric candles instead.

• Hide or cover electrical wires to avoid your pet getting shocked.

• Do not use tree ornaments that can be swallowed or broken, such as those made of glass or homemade ornaments constructed from

salt dough.

• If you buy a live tree, do not add aspirin to the water to keep the tree fresh. Aspirin is toxic and can cause GI ulcers or bleeding in both dogs and cats • Ask your guests to keep all their While the family kitten might look adorable playing with medications in a decorations, pet owners should be careful their pets don’t safe place and to ingest any of the decor, which can be harmful to a pet’s system. COURTESY PHOTO immediately pick up any pills that are any doors open where your dog or accidently dropped to avoid ingestion cat may be tempted to run out. Just in by pets. case, make sure your pet has current • On New Year’s Eve, some people set off fireworks that can scare pets, so make sure they are enclosed in a room with the TV or radio on to drown out noise and commotion.

Finally, on a holiday, or any day, inform your guests know not to leave

ID tag and that the information on his or her microchip is up to date.

If for some reason your pet does get out, immediately go to your local shelter and post photos/information on local pet “lost and found” social media pages. 

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44 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

S C V F E AT U R E

Rebuilding from the rubble in Haiti

By Carl Boyer Signal Contributing Writer

I

n 2002, SCV resident Gretchen Huijskens of the Santa Clarita Valley went to Haiti in an effort to adopt a child, only to find that her contacts were running a scam.

As a result, she founded Three Angels Children’s Relief, which has evolved into an orphanage that’s placed more than 100 children in forever homes.

In addition, they’ve built a school, Three Angels Christian Academy, serving 321 children this year in grades preschool through six, a medical clinic, a jewelry-making program providing employment for 30 people, and a farm.

Some months ago, I received an email with a picture of three new children needing sponsors, and I responded by contributing to the care of the saddest-looking boy, aged 3.

Inspired to help I had heard of Three Angels in 2003, and had sent them occasional small donations, with a little more in response to the 7.0 earthquake, which in 2010 destroyed much of Port-auPrince, the capital, and killed about 300,000 people.

Now, I wanted to visit Three Angels. I flew to Haiti and was met

by Eric Helgemo, formerly of Piru, the volunteer missionary/in country director, who has served for the past eight years.

From left, Eric Helgemo and Alix Charles work to create solutions for the children of Haiti, who are still feeling the effects of an earthquake from nearly 10 years ago.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Eric had gone to deliver Christmas baskets from his church in 2009, and as a contractor, he immediately noticed how vulnerable the structures at Three Angels would be in an earthquake.

The local people said that Haiti never had earthquakes, but Helgemo knew Hispaniola was an island built by tectonic shifts.

“If an earthquake comes, get the children and run for that tree,” he told the nannies. Weeks later, the ground shook mightily, and the nannies ran out. Then they ran back in, to get the children. All were saved as the orphanage suffered heavy damage.

“Those people need help, and we have to go to Haiti,” Helgemo recalled telling his wife, Christine.

The streets are still lined with rubble from a 2010 earthquake, which was believed to have a death toll that reached six figures.

Since 2010, he and his wife have have worked hard to create solutions to problems, and to relieve people cut off by subsequent hurricanes.

Making the most Alix Charles is the Haitian headmaster of the Three Angels Christian School, and takes great pride in the program that helps graduates from the sixth grade continue to high school.

Four of his students are now looking for scholarships to help them meet the $4,000-$5,000 annual tuition for university.

However, most remarkable is the work of the nannies, each charged with two or three children to mother and learn to bond with people after having been orphaned, or in some cases, abandoned by their destitute mothers.

The sad little boy I was sponsoring ran up to me, put up his arms to be picked up, and smiled happily.

One day, he will be ready for his forever home, probably in the United States or Canada.

In the meantime, he goes to preschool, proudly wearing a backpack almost as big as he is, where the children are taught in Creole and French, while they learn some English.

The medical clinic serves a large number in the Delmas neighborhood, and the farm provides food and fruit

Carl Boyer adopted Christ, pronounced Chris, age 3, from the Three Angels Children’s Relief. Boyer’s hope is that he’ll one day be able to leave the country for a safer home in the United States or Canada.

trees as part of a reforestation project.

Over 90 percent of donated funds go to providing services directly to the people. There are 56 Haitian employees, nannies, teachers, custodial staff and security, and one full-time American operations manager. I met Mary Anne Simons, who works parttime out of her home in Stevenson Ranch.

Haiti is so poor that half the children do not go to school at all, and rubble from the 2010 earthquake still lines the streets.

More of this amazing story can be found if one Googles “Three Angels Haiti.” It’s nearing the level of $1 million in donations necessary to be rated by Charitynavigator.org. 

Pictures of the orphanage’s supporters adorn the wall.

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

Give your mind a workout with these brainy exercises!

BRAINGAMES

Relax

S U N D AYS I G N A L · 45

46 · S U N D AYS I G N A L

CROSSWORD TIME

N O V E M B E R 18, 2018

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

Root, root, root for the home (e)Team

By Jim Mullen Signal Contributing Writer

C

an you make money playing video games?

Absolutely.

It was recently reported that during his seven-year career, 22-year-old Lee Young-ho, a South Korean video gamer, earned $487,141 at 59 tournaments. And Chen Zhihao, a Chinese national, has averaged about $220,000 a year gaming for the last five years.

It’s called eSports, and it’s attracting big crowds and big money.

In 2014, 45,000 people showed up to watch a “League of Legends” tournament in South Korea. 27 million people watched it online. The prize pool was over $2 million. At an event in Seattle in 2015, the prize was $18 million and change. Since this is just the beginning of eSports, it’s easy to see that this will soon become the biggest of the big-money sports. Oh, yeah — you can gamble on it, too.

So, should you really be worried that your kids are spending all their time gaming in the basement instead of practicing jump shots in the driveway? Upset that they never see the sun, that they live on pizza and soft drinks? Is it possible that by insisting that they do something healthy and active, you may actually be hurting their chances of becoming a highly overpaid e-athlete? Will football and basketball still be the money sports of the future, or will high school sports 10 years from now look radically different?

Maybe you’ll read a story like this on the sports page a decade from now.

“The defending champions from the Elon Musk School of Dramatic Arts are on the brink of winning the state championships in ‘Defenders of the Ancients.’ They have a chance to win it all: to take home the trophy and dance their victory dance on the heads of their cross-state rivals, the Disruptors from Jeff Bezos Tech.

Tech’s robot cheerleaders really know how to whip up a crowd. Because they are using real whips, and they are deadly accurate.

“Both teams have been training hard, but several of the best have been put on the DL with serious thumb trouble. There’s been a real fear of injury this year, but both teams have put an emphasis on player safety after one student broke a nail in last year’s competition after slapping his game console after an error. It was several months before the coaches thought he was healthy enough to train for this year’s competition.

“Coaches’ salaries have become an issue in states where eSports have become extremely popular. As with football in the days of yore, some parents wonder if it’s right to pay a coach millions of dollars a year while teachers’ salaries remain stagnant.

“The new $12 million eSports arena, which replaced the unused football field, track, and field house, has been a point of controversy since running into cost overruns, but the school board defends the decision to go ahead. “‘Football,’ said one board member, ‘is the fax machine of the 21st century.’ And indeed, colleges are dumping expensive, money-losing football programs and giving free rides to the top gamers. Not bad when you think that tuition for the best schools just hit $150,000 a year. High-tech employers want gamers, not jocks. All the colleges are sending scouts to this championship game. Some of these athletes will earn more than their parents by the time they’re 18.

“Another board member pointed out that eSports give more students a chance to participate. “‘Most of the old big-money sports favored big and tall boys, and that’s it,’ she said. ‘All the hard work and practice in the world won’t make you 6-foot-7. That’s an accident of birth.

But almost any student can compete in an online game — boys, girls, kids with different abilities, they can all participate. They’ll meet people from all around the globe, people that all speak the language of eSports. It’s like an Olympics every single day. “‘Besides,’ she added, ‘most kids are playing them in class anyway. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.’”  Contact Jim Mullen at mullen.jim@ gmail.com

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