Archive By Section - Columnists
Run them out on a rail
Finally had enough? Have you lost so much, suffered so much, that you're ready to cry "Uncle!" on the excesses of these past terrible eight years? You're not alone. Regular readers know that Carrie and I make a morning practice of visiting with gregarious friends at the Granary Square Starbucks. Over hundreds of cups of Pike's Place Roast for me, and soy chai lattes for Carrie, we've assimilated into a raucous group of witty, irreverent, and ...
The transition to transformation
I have watched many election nights in my lifetime, and none comes close to matching the joy, relief and satisfaction I felt on Nov. 4, 2008.
General election, general intolerance
The nation spoke on Nov. 4. The 2008 election cycle will be forever marked in history for the incredible voter turnout and the election of the nation's first African-American president.
A lesson in history
One must have the gift of a storyteller and a wide breadth of knowledge to provide historical narratives for future generations.
We haven't seen much change yet
"Political campaigns are designedly made into emotional orgies which endeavor to distract attention from the real issues involved."
Concern is not extremism
When asked whether Santa Clarita would employ eminent domain for the seizure of private residential property as a means of furthering the Newhall Redevelopment Project, Paul Brotzman expressly stated that the city "doesn't have the legal authority to acquire private property."
Unions take aim at statewide volunteers
From fires and earthquakes in the West to tornadoes, blizzards and hurricanes in the East, the United States has to contend with many different types of natural disasters. The one constant to all these disasters is that the aid of volunteers greatly enhances the ability of our local, state and federal governments to respond to these crises.
Buy a tree for a needy family
Tomorrow is Dec. 1. Somehow - and I'm not exactly sure how this happened - 2009 is just 31 days away.
Bizarre to some but delicious to others
Cow's urine tonic. Grilled cave bat. Raw camel with spice sauce. Donkey penis soup. Braised pig's tongue with hair moss. Barbecued bat. Roasted crickets. Flame-broiled guinea pig. Fried chicken uterus. Cup 'o fresh goat's blood. Cow vein stew. Crispy fried grasshoppers. Lamb eyeballs. Steamed wasp larvae. Duckling on a stick. Live beating frog heart. Sperm chowder. Snail caviar. Toasted tarantulas.
John Boston's very own $250B bailout
"No satirist shall be left behind." - The Dubyuh In a move characterized as "bizarre" and "startling" by world economic gurus, outgoing Secretary of the Treasury Henry "Pat" Paulson announced yet another bailout yesterday. The Federal government will be earmarking some $250 billion toward bailing out John Boston. This marks the first time a private citizen will be the recipient of funds heretofore reserved for bloated mega multinational corporations and outdated Detroit automakers. "The rules ...
The cleanup plan is a reality
Once upon a time, there was a factory where they made things that explode. It was on a 996-acre piece of property in the center of our valley, and people who lived here became accustomed to the sounds of explosions as factory workers tested their wares - military flares, fireworks, munitions and the like. The Bermite munitions manufacturing plant - later to be known as Whittaker-Bermite - was a key player in the Santa Clarita ...
The pantheon of suburbia: high school football
For the last two weeks I spent some time watching and re-watching YouTube videos of reaction to Barack Obama's presidential victory, particularly international reaction.
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."
Articles by Section - Columnists
Live from City Hall
For the past few months, the city of Santa Clarita has hosted a series of local town hall meetings in Saugus, Canyon Country and Newhall to share important community information and hear from community members regarding issues of importance to them.
Kevin D. Korenthal: Make all marriages civil unions
Rights, as established by the Constitution of the United States of America, are greatly misunderstood.
Leyla Ramos: Veterans deserve more employment
When our veterans come home from war, they are greeted by "welcome home" signs, banners, applause, hugs and cheers. The popular line "Thank you for your service" is heard time and time again.
Tom Purcell: Reverse psychology vs. the Nanny State
Get this: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the sale of cigarettes - now legal to people at age 18 - to people younger than 21.
George Runner: Obama steals California Gov. Jerry Brown’s playbook
Given California's chronic problems, it's hard to imagine anyone sees our state as a model - but it's clear the Obama administration does.
Kevin Bayona: Bush legacy hinges on his war on terror
The 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, was recently honored with the dedication of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
Jason Stanford: The revised legacy of George W. Bush
New polls show that George W. Bush is not as unpopular now as when he left office. That bodes well for a public examination of his legacy, but it's difficult to look back on his presidency as something other than a preventable catastrophe.
The Village Idiot: Tv or no TV?
Remember when TV used to sign off for the night? No infomercials, no reruns, no experimental public-access foolishness - nothing at all but snow. Or, if you were lucky, a test pattern.
Tina Dupuy: The Theory of Relative Laziness
My working theory - you could call it a philosophy, or a freestanding reason of how the world works - is what I call the Theory of Relative Laziness.
Charlie Vignola: America worried about the wrong things
America has always had a propensity to whip itself into a frenzy about the wrong things, but seldom has it been so clear as it has been the last few weeks, particularly in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombings.
Danny Tyree: R.I.P. George Jones
Editor's note: The following column ran in 2006 marking the 75th birthday of George Jones. The longtime country singer died Friday at age 81 and will be remembered at a public memorial Thursday at The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
David Hegg: The need for adversity
We're all familiar with the old saying "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." It is often used to remind us that most really important things in life come with adversity built in.
Donna Brazile: Accountability needed
In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, lawmakers are demanding answers from the FBI. They want answers not only about the Tsarnaev brothers - Did they act alone? Why did the do it? - but also about our security and intelligence operations.
Timothy Myers: Gearing up for a chloride war
One of my favorite tales of Santa Clarita political lore involves former Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, and I happen to know that it actually occurred.
Bob Kellar: Live from City Hall
With more than 1,100 businesses small and large, the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce represents tens of thousands of local jobs and employees and is Santa Clarita's premier business membership organization.
