Archive for February, 2009

Santa Clarita Prepares to Welcome the AT&T Champions Classic

February 27, 2009

Santa Clarita welcomes the AT&T Champions Classic, March 9-15, 2009.  The tournament takes place at the beautiful Valencia Country Club and includes a highly sought after Pro-Am, pairing some of the top professional golfers with Santa Clarita business partners, community leaders, and golf enthusiasts, in addition to professional play from Friday through Sunday. 

Valencia Country Club provides a beautiful backdrop for the legends of the game.

Valencia Country Club provides a beautiful backdrop for the legends of the game.

The tournament provides one-of-a-kind opportunities to get up close and personal with some of golf’s greatest players.  Shake hands, pose for pictures, share conversation, and enjoy afternoons of dynamic play on one of Southern California’s most respected courses.  There are also opportunities for wine tasting, shopping, dining and more.  Tickets are affordable and proceeds benefit locally based charities like the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita.  Visit   ATTChampionsClassic.com for tickets, tournament hours, and more information. 2009-attchampions-classic-schedule-of-events

Temporary Traffic Humps Installed in Saugus

February 26, 2009
"Bump Ahead"

"Bump Ahead"

 street-w-bumps-small

In a continuing effort to help address traffic issues in the Saugus neighborhood adjacent to Benz Road, the City  of  Santa Clarita  has installed traffic humps along Alaminos and Benz Road. The speed humps are a result of City Council action in September when the majority of the City Council approved the  installation of the temporary humps as part of a six month study.

Traffic hump installation

Traffic hump installation

At the conclusion of the study, the City’s traffic division will analyze the effectiveness of the traffic calming measures and report back to the City Council. The traffic issues in the Saugus neighborhood have prompted numerous public meetings and studies for the last several years and City staff has listened to feedback from hundreds of residents in the affected area.

Signs Point to Newhall Avenue

February 24, 2009
Freeways signs changed on the 14 freeway

Freeways signs changed on the 14 freeway

State Route 14 freeway exit signs for San Fernando Road have been changed to “Newhall Avenue,” completing the street name transition that began in 2005 with the adoption of the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan. The renamed freeway signs replace the last remaining segments of San Fernando Road street names.

 The plan to change the San Fernando Road street names to Newhall Avenue was an open process and included extensive public participation. The street name changes are part of the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan and designed to increase recognition for the area.

Mayor Ferry to Host Live Chat

February 24, 2009
Mayor Ferry to host live chat through MayorDude.com

Mayor Ferry to host live chat through MayorDude.com

Mayor Frank Ferry, aka Mayor Dude, will be hosting a live chat session, Tuesday February 24 at 4:30 pm, through the website MayorDude.com.  During the chat session residents and community members can have an online dialogue with Mayor Ferry.

Mayor Dude is a new website of the City of Santa Clarita, aimed at trying a fresh approach for involving local youth in their City and in their community. By utilizing a targeted outreach tool, and the direct efforts of Mayor Frank Ferry, the City is working to help bring local youth into the decision-making process, especially regarding issues of interest to local young people.

Santa Clarita Welcomes Amgen Tour of California

February 23, 2009

The Amgen Tour of California broke attendance records all along the State of California drawing over 2 million spectators, according the race presenter AEG. After months of build-up, racing fans showed up by the thousands to greet the worlds top cyclists, including Lance Armstrong and three time defending race champ Levi Leipheimer.

Besides being the largest cycling event in North America, the Amgen Tour of California has raised awareness and support in the fight against cancer. Santa Clarita has hosted a stage of the race for the last three years.

City Briefs Postcards From the Past

February 19, 2009
1974 was a chilly year to remember in Newhall.

1974 was a year to remember in Newhall.

While Santa Clarita may have recently been experiencing a chilly bout with the weather, it still doesn’t compare with the snow of January 1974.  Here’s a nice blurb from the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society.

New One Valley, One Vision Outreach Launched

February 18, 2009

One Valley, One Vision is coming to a small screen near you. The City of Santa Clarita is producing a series of videos covering the different aspects of the multi-faceted City/County General Plan. The video segments will comprise an ongoing series on the City’s cable show, “This Week In Santa Clarita,” and will also be posted on www.YouTube.com and www.Santa-Clarita.com/ovov.

The goal of the outreach is to provide good and accurate information to the community as well as clear up any misconceptions on what the joint general plan is. Each video series will be three to five minutes long and highlight a different aspect of the project such as the housing element, circulation element, parkland and open space and more. The videos are designed with a viewer-friendly approach to understanding One Valley, One Vision and a new segment will be featured every two weeks.

The initial installment, Part One (a general overview), can be viewed by searching “one valley one vision” on YouTube or on the City’s web site.  The One Valley, One Vision series is part of an overall effort to utilize YouTube more effectively for outreach and is one of many city videos already posted. For all City videos on YouTube search cityofsantaclarita. Stay tuned-in and logged-on for more on One Valley, One Vision.

City Helps Valle Del Oro with Community Issues

February 13, 2009
Community members gather to discuss Valle De Oro nieghborhood issues.

Community members gather to discuss Valle De Oro neighborhood issues.

In 2007, City staff and Anti-Gang Task Force members held a community meeting at McGrath Elementary School and the “Valle del Oro Neighborhood Committee” was formed.  Residents began identifying key issues and developing an action plan to address quality of life issues in their neighborhood.  In the monthly meetings that followed, representatives from various City divisions including Mayor Bob Kellar and current Mayor, Frank Ferry, participated listening to concerns and providing resources and assistance.  Sheriff’s Department personnel also attended and are helping to establish a neighborhood watch group.

Since 2007, the Valle del Oro Neighborhood Committee has had many accomplishments including increasing the lighting along Valle del Oro Street, increased graffiti patrols in the area and also sponsored a “Culture Walk” to increase cultural understanding, just to name a few.  Recently, the City modified the vendor ordinance regarding street and truck vending, based in large part on input from the Valle del Oro committee.

The City has applauded the efforts of committee members and encouraged all residents to call the Sheriff’s Department at 255-1121 or the Anonymous Crime Tip Hotline at 284-2-TIP and to report graffiti by calling 25-CLEAN.

 The work will continue, as there is still much to be done, but the Valle del Oro Neighborhood committee and City’s partnership is a great example of what can be done when community members work together.

February 12 is Red Hand Day in Santa Clarita

February 12, 2009

 

Mayor Frank Ferry and the Santa Clarita City Council with members of

Mayor Frank Ferry and the Santa Clarita City Council with members of the Student Task Force of the Human Rights Watch at the February 10 City Council meeting.

Members of the Student Task Force of the Human Rights Watch spoke in front of the Santa Clarita City Council regarding Red Hand Day in Santa Clarita. Red Hand Day is meant to bring awareness to, and help stop the use of child soldiers around the world. Upon hearing from the students Mayor Frank Ferry and Council declared February 12, 2009 as Red Hand Day in Santa Clarita.

City Briefs Postcard from the Past

February 12, 2009
Central Park in-progress, 1999.

Central Park in-progress. Construction picture 1999.


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