Happenings: Art! I Commission Thee

Carl Newton, our ever-vigilant City Attorney, began tonight’s City Council meeting[1] by revealing the outcome of a closed session. With the faintest glimmer of defiance in his eyes, he announced that the Council authorized a defense in three approaching litigations. The most notable of these is a lawsuit from Community Advocates for Healthcare SCV and SCOPE challenging approval of the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hopsital EIR. This reminder of the impending HMNMH action made some smile, others scowl.

Presentations Aplenty
Per usual, there was a slew of presentations and the requisite photos of honorees with council members. Mayor Ferry gushed over the girls of Saugus Cross Country for being CIF Champions for the third time. He said it was only the coach’s plea for a more “modest” celebration that kept him from throwing a parade in the team’s honor. Troublingly, he was being serious.

City Clerk Sharon Dawson then got a chance to leave her swivel-chair and receive some much-deserved recognition. A representative from the City Clerks Association of California explained that Dawson was joining “an elite group of city clerks” this evening with the designation of Master Municipal Clerk. Apparently, just 5% of California’s city clerks attain this level of mastery of their clerking craft. When Dawson’s eyes grew misty, Ferry assured the audience that “Those are very genuine tears,” as many of us were quite suspicious of her sincerity.

Finally, City Environmental Services staff members were praised for Arundo removal, Arundo being that noxious weed fast invading the Santa Clara River.

Master’s College Has a Dream and a Plan
The Master’s College wants to grow, and they want to grow masterfully. Naturally, then, they appeared this evening to seek approval of a 10 year master plan and expansion project that will include a 42-unit single family development, modest open space dedication, and extension of Dockweiler, all in quaint little Placerita Canyon.

Downsides of the expansion included considerable grading, a negative impact on neighboring communities due to increased traffic and construction activity, and destruction of oaks. To be precise, 114 oaks would have to be removed, though apparently none of these would be the sacred “heritage oaks.” About 300 oak trees would be graciously allowed to remain, and additional trees would be planted as part of the new landscaping.

TimBen Boydston expressed the sentiments of many when he commented that this project was “The kind of development we can look up to and look forward to, where most of the issues are addressed for most of the citizens.” (He offered this as an instructive contrast to a recent, unnamed Master Plan that wasn’t so peachy. I wonder what Master Plan that would be…) Members of the Placerita Canyon Property Owners Association were also present to grant their blessing.

When it came time for the councilmembers to weigh in, Kellar offered high praise, and Ender was delighted about job creation and a proposed trail connection. McLean, however, ended the love-fest when she said “there are some concerns I have, though, and some questions.” (gasp!) She wanted to know the timeline between grading and planting. There were questions about permeable pavement and slopes and noisy water tanks and median width and Dockweiler. Laurene Weste, too, voiced some concerns over the style of oak tree planting, roadway buffering, chapel use, and gave a rather tangential description of how glorious performances at the Master’s College are and how more people should get to know it. Mayor Ferry kept a big list of these little requests, and most were added as qualifications to the approval of the Master Plan.

Ultimately, the plan was approved and passed to a second reading, so expect the Master’s College to grow.

Art Please!
Lastly, there was a discussion of the arts. (For the uninitiated, art in Santa Clarita consists of mediocre cover bands singing in the park, pseudo-murals in Newhall, and inexplicably large, painted bears that dot the local landscape.)

City staff had prepared a study on the feasibility and implications of creating an Arts Commission. The result of their work was a 25-page report and a recommendation that the City Council decided on one of four courses of action: (1)Work to form a community-wide non-profit, (2)Keep the existing Arts Advisory Committee structure, (3)Form a hybrid Arts Advisory Committee/Commision with a community-wide non-profit, or (4)Establish a City Arts Commission.

Most everyone was in favor of making a new Arts Commission. Musicians, actors, ballet aficionados, animators, et al. came forward and were heard. They postured, pleaded, demanded and dreamed. It was an unending procession, a thousand variations on the same theme: give us an Arts Commission, and we shall give Santa Clarita Art! The unending ended at 9:43, and Bob Kellar made a forcefully supportive statement in favor of, you guessed it, forming Arts Commission.

Laurie Ender and Laurene Weste leveled some very serious concerns against Kellar’s optimism. There were fears of prohibitive operational costs including stipends for commission members and competition for the time of City staff. McLean followed and tried to play compromiser, suggesting that certain members of council were getting hung up on the word “commission.” She read the role the commission would play and said “There’s nothing scary about that.” The 501(c)(3) structure--which would prove a necessity for obtaining grant funding--could come later, she said, while giving a second to Kellar’s motion for making a commission. Mayor Ferry preferred the idea of an Arts, Park, and Recreation Commission. He argued that a formal body meant to support the arts needn’t be so myopically focused on the arts alone. After all, City Council members must weigh in on issues with which they’re largely unfamiliar, or as Ferry phrased it, “We’re not experts on none of the things that are brought to us.” No one else seemed to like his idea for this sort of joint commission.

The back-and-forth continued for some time, and the councilmembers took sides. McLean and Kellar kept saying that their fellow councilmembers were making things too complicated. Weste insisted that McLean and Kellar weren’t recognizing the inherent complexity of funding and establishing the commission. Ender, on whom we can always rely for snappy summations, expressed her concerns thusly: “I don’t want to give them a car without any gas” (i.e., form an Arts Commission in name only, but without the funding or staff resources to accomplish anything (which is kind of what happened anyway)).

Ultimately, Kellar’s motion carried with the votes of McLean, Ender, and Kellar (obviously). Applause and one man’s disturbing, animal-like yell came from the arts-friendly audience upon approval.

Despite about a month since the last City Council meeting, no citizens elected to address the Council during public participation. And that’s something we can all be happy about.

[1]Here is the agenda

SCVenger Hunt: ANSWERS

I'm sorry to be so tardy in my posting of the answers to the IHeartSCV Christmas SCVenger Hunt. I am sure that many of you endured sleepless nights while waiting to learn the solution to each tantalizing clue. So, without further ado...

General Clue:
It's a four-letter word that is very Santa Claritan. It can answer the question "Where should I go?" But, if you try to get there, you'll keep going in circles.

West.

Clue 1:
The first clue, “Walk Amongst the Stars”, sent you to the Western Walk of Stars, specifically that of Melissa Gilbert of Little House on the Prairie. The music provided as a hint was from the show's opening credits. Once you reached Gilbert's star--or rectangle--a 5th-grade style pencil rubbing or photo served as proof of your visit and Item 1 in your collection.

Clue 2:
The second clue, “I Hart SCV”, directed you to William S. Hart’s autobiography My Life East and West (its title is the exact opposite of the clue: "Your Death West or East"). After determining the target book, a visit to the library, the Hart gift shop, or the online Google Book site allowed you to collect the following line on page 315: “And then I forgot all about it.” This quotation is from a part of the book where a woman accuses Hart of fathering her illegitimate child.

Clue 3:
The final clue, “You Can Lead a Horse to Water”, directed you to City Hall via a picture of its semi-iconic fountain. Here, Laurene Weste often puts in late nights at work, but no more than once or twice a month. Item 3 was a flyer taken from anywhere in City Hall (e.g., lobby). I suggested vector control pamphlets for including West Nile Virus, but any City produced flyers were acceptable.

The "I Heart SCV" T-shirt has been claimed, but fear not! One enterprising young Claritaphile recently manufactured her own wearable homage to the

Claritawear. Whether you're being sincere, ironic, or ambivalent, it's the right way to clothe yourself.

SCVenger Hunt: CLUE 3

I can now present the last of the clues for the IHeartSCV Christmas SCVenger Hunt. If you think you have gathered all the items to which you were directed in this hunt, send an email to iheartscv AT gmail DOTcom and you will be given the prize pick-up location if the prize remains unclaimed.

For instructions and the first clues click here.
For the second clue click here.

Clue 3: You Can Lead a Horse to Water

The sculpture pictured above resides in front of a building in Valencia. A woman whose name is just one vowel away from the answer to the general clue has put in some very late nights in this building—usually no more than one or two a month.

Walk into the building of interest. As proof of your visit, take one of the flyers available to you in the lobby. (One along the lines of vector control would be nice and in keeping with the theme of this SCVenger Hunt, but any flyer will do.) Good luck.

HELP WANTED: Tree-Sitter

On Tuesday night, G&L Realty was given permission to commit unspeakable acts upon the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial campus. Indeed, MayorDude Ferry, Councilmember Ender, and Mayor Pro-Tem Weste gave the nod to a development agreement that will turn our community hospital into a cash cow for G&L Realty with three massive medical office buildings, 5-story parking structures and helipads. Destroying the integrity of whole neighborhoods for private profit will be bad enough. But murdering trees to make way for office buildings and parking structures, even our much-beloved Community Holiday Tree, is one step too far. Something must be done.

David Gauny of SmartGrowthSCV has mentioned the possibility of a lawsuit to halt construction. While I’m sure he and his group will have an excellent case if/when they proceed, a victory is far from assured. G&L Realty has ample resources and a major financial incentive for over-building the campus. If it becomes a battle of resources, we can’t expect a fair match.

Thus, a contingency plan is required. I am pulling a page out of the SCOPE playbook. Do you remember John Quigley from the winter of 2002/2003? He’s the guy who sat in Old Glory, a massive oak tree that a developer wanted to bulldoze to make way for a road widening[1]. Well, if he was willing to take a stand then, I hope someone in Santa Clarita will be willing to take a stand now. Yes, it’s time to make a stand for the trees by having a sit in them...

HELP WANTED!: Now Seeking Applicants for Tree Sitter Position

Description. Do you like the outdoors? Are you interested in defending the helpless? Does the idea of living in a large tree excite you? If so, consider a career in tree sitting. Primary duty is sitting for long periods of time (months to years) on a 4' x 8' plywood board chained to the Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) in front of HMNMH and known as the "Community Holiday Tree". This will stop said tree from being cut down for construction of a subterranean parking structure. Other tasks include giving interviews to local media and evading police and other authorities that attempt to forcibly remove sitter from tree. Positions sitting in other trees to be removed for road expansion, etc... will be considered if we find sufficient interest.

Qualifications. The ideal applicant should be strongly committed to preservation of our Community Holiday Tree/opposed to the HMNMH expansion as approved earlier this December. Leaving the tree is never permitted for the duration of the position, which may be several years. Affinity for piney scent a plus.

Compensation & Perks.
*Starting salary is $15/month with negotiable 10% raise after 3-month evaluation
*Sitter may accept all food, blankets, toilet paper, buckets with elaborate pulley systems, and other gifts for which he/she is able to grovel from members of the community
*Free Christmas decorations

For More Information. Please email IHeartSCV with “Tree Sitter” in subject line. Thank you for your interest.


Realistically, I'm not 100% certain that we will be able to fill this position despite its inherent glamor and importance. This would mean that, in several years, the Community Holiday Tree will have a date with a chainsaw and wood-chipper. Obviously, this would cause some community dissatisfaction, if not outcry. Apart from the very real death of our beloved tree, the felling would/will be a profoundly disturbing gesture: destroying a beautiful symbol of the community to build something that makes more money. This would be very bad P.R., so I suspect foul-play would occur first. Someone would poison the tree or introduce a disease and say "The tree is unhealthy and would have to be removed anyways." Alternatively, forces for HMNMH could stage the cutting down of the tree by some nameless vandal. Or it would be cut down in the dead of night with nary a witness in sight.

No matter what, then, we should be on the look-out for our community tree. How it gets treated is how we Claritans will be treated. As goes the tree, so goes SCV.

[1]Here's one exciting artcle from the LA Times to refresh your memory.

ALERT: No City Council Meeting Summary Tonight

Dear Reader,

I will be unable to watch--much less write about--tonight's City Council meeting. This is unfortunate, as I am sure there will be even more ridiculousness than normal to report on. Mayor Pro-Tem Frank Ferry is becoming Mayor Ferry ("and there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth"). G&L Realty will be formally granted the right to plunder Santa Clarita and her peoples. And then there are items concerning the cross valley connector, red light traffic cameras, and Newhall redevelopment.

I urge you to watch for yourself as much of the very best (i.e., worst) stuff goes un- or under-reported. Look for a post on meeting outcomes come Thursday.

Sincerely,

IHSCV Blogger

SCVenger Hunt: CLUE 2

This is the second of four clues in the IHeartSCV Christmas SCVenger Hunt. For background and the first clue, go here.


CLUE 2: I Hart SCV

If War and Peace is Peace or War and Paradise Lost is Hell Found and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is Noon Outside a Wasteland of Evil or Good, the title you seek is Your Death West or East. The man who wrote it lived in the best-known estate in Newhall and died in 1946.

Find the book bearing the title of interest. Item #2 in your collection should be a piece of paper on which you write the sentence that follows this quotation from page 315: “‘Well, if you’re not joking,’ I replied ‘it’s tough on you, lady, for you’re crazy.” While it may seem like you need to make a trip to the library to answer this question, you shouldn't need to leave your seat.

SCVenger Hunt: CLUE 1

Do you want to win free stuff that expresses your ambivalence towards Santa Clarita? If so, you're in luck!

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Participate in the first (and last) IHeartSCV Christmas SCVenger Hunt and you'll have a chance to win some wonderful presents just in time for the holidays. Here's how it works:

1. On December 1st, 8th, 13th, and 19th, I'll provide a new clue. Each clue will direct you to some part of Santa Clarita and describe an item that you need to collect as proof of successfully solving the clue. A "General Clue" is also provided on the 1st and will help you in your quest.

2. Solve all the clues and gather all the corresponding items.

3. On December 19th, I'll specify a popular store/locale in Santa Clarita where you can bring your collection of items. If you're the first one to arrive, you can trade your collection for the prize package, which includes an I Heart SCV Christmas ornament, I Heart SCV bumper sticker, cheesy Santa Clarita postcards, and, best of all, an I Heart SCV T-shirt, pictured below.

GENERAL CLUE (Solving this clue will help shed light on the weekly clues)
It's a four-letter word that is very Santa Claritan. It can answer the question "Where should I go?" But, if you try to get there, you'll keep going in circles.



CLUE 1: Walk Amongst the Stars

This song preceded a classic TV show, parts of which were filmed at the Golden Oak Ranch in Newhall. Not so very far away lies a small monument to she who played Nellie's nemesis on the program. Gather proof that you visited this oft overlooked tribute--a pencil rubbing or photo will do--and you're well on your way to winning.

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