Archive By Section - Columnists
New library can invigorate Newhall
Public libraries exemplify all that is good in America. As Walter Cronkite said, "Whatever the cost of funding our libraries, it is cheap compared to the cost of an ignorant nation."
Fixing Newhall: Bigger project than imagined
If there is one blot on the otherwise pristine visage commending Santa Clarita, argument would say that Newhall is it.
Hart district numbers just don’t add up
A small lesson in political code speak: When an elected official states, "We must come together in a bipartisan way to solve this problem rather than dwelling on the causes," that individual really mean, "Please pretend my political party did not screw things up so badly."
America soon may just forget about Sarah Palin
In the romantic comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Peter, a down-on-his-self-esteem, in-need-of-better-direction musical composer is struggling to get over Sarah, the sexy and exciting actress-girlfriend who dumped him for another guy.
Street art, powwows and alpacas
You don't have to sit home today and wonder what to do. There's the annual Street Art Festival (www.streetartfest.com) in Newhall and a few blocks away at William S. Hart Park the annual Hart of the West Powwow (www.friendsofhartpark.org/powwow.asp.) Those keen on alpacas will find three Agua Dulce alapaca ranches open today for National Alpaca Farm Days (for more information visit www.saddlebackmtnranch.com, www.tanglewoodalpacas.com and <a href="http://www.sweetwateralpacas.com" ...
The truth about charter schools
The recent Signal news article "Change is in the air for probation camps Scudder and Scott" prompted me to think, "Why should the Santa Clarita public give a thought whether these detention-camp schools become pilot-dependent charter schools operated under an umbrella from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, with the approval of Los Angeles County Probation?"
Is paying taxes patriotic?
Is paying taxes patriotic? Joe Biden thinks so. The Democratic vice presidential nominee said so during a recent television interview, responding to criticisms of a proposed tax hike on America's richest earners. They should pay more, Biden said, during a time of national instability. "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut." The comment drew scorn from ...
Boston: Claremont's 'Jews and Friendly Nazis'
"You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-aged woman: Stuff you pay good money for in later life."
City launches online store
The city of Santa Clarita launched its first online boutique this month, featuring specialty Santa Clarita-branded items designed to help residents and visitors enjoy the good life in Santa Clarita.
GOP hangover: How can we recover from this?
The morning after is never pretty. But after eight years of the George W. Bush administration and the Nov. 4 Election Day drubbing of Republicans, it is a fair question to ask: "What went wrong?"
Jets, hippos & contraband
Jet crashes, one man injured A passenger jet carrying a reported 3,000 people from the moon crashed in my living room yesterday morning. The damages were a nicked ear and a scraped cheek. "Our (5-year-old) son was flying his toy Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 over the Pergo Sea near the Love Seat Mountains when he encountered engine trouble," I told my wife when she asked about my face wounds. "The vessel went down - and ...
Affordable housing vs. inclusionary
While growing up, my family always lived in apartments. Dad had this funny habit of occasionally coming home from work and announcing that he just quit, meaning 3-4 months of unemployment and a possible move while he found a new job. This always made my mom skittish about committing to a mortgage. Later, after dad was gone, mom didn't have the money to buy a house. So, we rented.
Did the city get a turkey this holiday?
Did our community get a "turkey" of a project this holiday season, or a hospital? That is the question after the Santa Clarita City Council last week approved the hospital and multi-story office expansions.
Striking a balance with nature
Last Saturday, Santa Clarita celebrated yet another successful River Rally. Thousands of people turned out to give the South Fork of the Santa Clara River a loving grooming.
The change we need
For the past two years of the presidential campaign we've been overwhelmed and plastered with calls and slogans for "Change We Can Believe In." As the economy subsequently crashed, and then crashed harder, the "Change We Can Believe In" surged and morphed into a desperate plea for "The Change We Need."
Articles by Section - Columnists
Tom Purcell: Are humans getting dumber?
The report said people are getting dumber - at least I think that's what it said, but the big words kept throwing me off."
Diana West: Setting the record straight on Joe McCarthy
Freshman Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is just the latest in a long series of public figures to be reviled for "McCarthyism" following his recent questioning of Chuck Hagel, President Obama's nominee for secretary of defense.
Joe Guzzardi: Obama pushes amnesty
After President Obama left for a three-day Florida golf vacation that included a round with Tiger Woods, the White House announced his latest immigration plan.
SCV Voices: From SignalSCV.com
Editor's note: On last Tuesday's Kevin Buck column "Straw men live in glass houses," one poster on SignalSCV.com asked the question, "In your opinion, what are the five biggest problems America faces right now?" Here are some responses from his fellow posters.
David Hegg: What makes right, right?
I recently met a man who was the epitome of post-modern thought in that he did not believe in absolute truth.
Tim Myers: No money, no county
I love history. I plan to purchase the Blu-Ray of the recent film "Lincoln" and rewatch certain key scenes 100 times in a row, unapologetically.
Bob Kellar: Live from City Hall
In Santa Clarita, the arts influence our community's quality of life. Without even realizing it, the arts act as an economic driver - creating and supporting jobs, generating revenue and serving as a cornerstone of the tourism industry.
Steven and Cokie Roberts: Voting reform
"Obama's proposed voting commission under partisan fire from both sides."
Alice Khosravy: California is at bottom for business
Just a few short days ago the lanterns fell, bringing an end to Chinese New Year season for 2013.
Joe Gandelman: America’s poop deck politics
It's the ultimate stomach turner: how Carnival's 893-foot-long cruise ship Triumph, along with its 4,200 passengers, was stranded due to a fuel engine leak for five days with no food, little water and few working bathrooms.
Kevin Bayona: China's rise is challenge to U.S.
The start of the 21st century has brought with it an avalanche of international problems such as war, economic recession, nuclear proliferation, and rising global competitors. Although all these issues merit individual attention and consideration, I think the unrelenting rise of China presents the largest and most significant global challenge to the United States.
