Archive By Section - Columnists
Let’s all go to the river
The Santa Clara River is a part of of Santa Clarita in more ways than one. While providing a home to many species of plants and animals, the river also annually brings together thousands of volunteers who dedicate their time to ridding it of trash and debris. This year marks the 14th annual Santa Clarita River Rally Cleanup and Environmental Expo. This event will be held on Sept. 20, from 8 to 11 a.m. It ...
Whistle while you work (or at least hum a nice tune)
As a kid I often wondered, "If it's called 'Labor Day,' how come everyone gets to be off work?"
Aiding our students
As much as I appreciate and respect my third graders' responses when I ask them about their future careers and they provide me with ... firefighter, police officer, teacher, professional basketball player, veterinarian, movie star and president, I know that their minds will likely change several times throughout their school years.
Steps to saving our national ship from distress
America's in crisis. With an out-of-control national budget deficit, plummeting support from many countries, a U.S. dollar with Third World-country clout, a war on terrorism that is costly and seemingly endless, a government that has at its core pork-barrel spending - is it any wonder we are in the mess we're in?
Say thanks on Labor Day
Labor Day is more than 110 years old, yet it's especially relevant today. The U.S. Department of Labor's Web page says it best: "The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. "It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to ...
A tax plan for a better America?
"It's a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today, and tax revenues are too low, and the soundest way to raise revenues in the long run is to cut tax rates now."
A cold wife and a food court rendezvous
Son announces big loss in third quarter My 5-year-old son posted a big loss in the fiscal third quarter, despite an effort to clean up more than two dozen gold coins from his pirate ship play set during a routine vacuum cleanup in the living room earlier this month. The boy claims Mommy rolled right over the coins with the vacuum. Mommy denies the accusation. "I opened up the vacuum bag and didn't find one ...
Why can’t planners just say no?
Last Wednesday the Los Angeles County Planning Commission approved a controversial senior housing project next to Towsley Canyon Park.
Red, white & green for Democrats in Denver
Media from all over the world descended upon Denver last weekend to kick off the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The media party was held at Elitch Gardens, an amusement park in the heart of Denver. The city may have been painted red, white and blue, but Denver was all about being green.
Helping the less fortunate
My sister, Cathy Horton Bagnall, recently passed away after a long, stoic battle with Machado-Joseph Disease. Cathy, once active and vibrant, had been reduced by this inherited illness to a life defined by paralysis, wheelchairs and hospital beds.
Bribery in politics unacceptable
An American tourist might be appalled by the way police take bribes throughout much of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Local customs in these parts of the world not only permit but condone payoffs to the police.
Idealism vs. realism in politics
It was November 1979. I was a major in the U.S. Air Force assigned to the office of the Secretary of Defense and had just been ordered by my boss to report to the Joint Operations Center in the bowels of the Pentagon to join a Crisis Action Team - or CAT, as we called it.
The things you learn when you tear apart our dropout numbers
Let us return to the topic of dropout rates in the Hart District. Over the past two weeks I further analyzed the public dropout data from the state Department of Education and spoke to representatives of the Hart district and of Opportunities for Learning, the district alternative high school charter school. I determined the Hart district accurately reported dropout data based upon the rules of the Education Department. I also concluded one could legitimately level ...
On Michael Phelps and the latest Breakfast of Champions
The Summer Olympics has always made for favorite family viewing at our house. Seeing the greatest athletes from around the world unite - along with the heartwarming reminder that grassy fields are far better unifiers than battlefields ever will be - definitely makes for spectator excitement and renewed hope for the Family of Man (and Woman). Speaking of hope, Michael Phelps' eight gold medals won in Beijing shines as a huge ray of optimism over ...
Old time fun at Silents
Is there a finer event in the Santa Clarita Valley than Silents Under the Stars? Where else can you have some of the tastiest barbecue (from Rattler's) and watch a silent Western starring Bill Hart set to an original score, while munching popcorn as the gentle breezes caress you as they move across La Loma de los Vientos (the Hill of the Winds)?
Articles by Section - Columnists
Tom Purcell: Income Tax 101
Ah, the income tax preparation season is upon us.
David M. Shribman: On the lost art of letter-writing
He was getting older, he worried about losing his balance fishing on the end rocks, and his hearing was failing him. So was his short-term memory.
Gary Horton: More residents should find the Master Chorale
Think "inspiration." Think "spiritually beautiful." Think "melodically breathtaking."
Jim Mullen: Village Idiot
I know there are couples who enjoy cooking together and make it look like a well-rehearsed ballet. They savor the aroma of their secret recipe for wild salmon over lemon couscous, stir each other's soups and sample each other's sauces.
Kevin Buck: Jesus would be a liberal Democrat
Recently my wife unearthed some old Signal newspapers, one of which contained a letter to the editor I had written. The Signal printed that letter on May 17, 1996.
Tom Campbell: Drink it like it’s water? Only if it IS water
Maybe you remember when you were a kid and you poured a giant glass of orange juice, and your mother said something like this: "Take it easy! Orange juice is expensive, and you're drinking it like it's water!"
Kathryn Lopez: Much hope in Pope
Rome - "May God forgive you." That's Cardinal Timothy Dolan's translation of a joke that Pope Francis told the College of Cardinals a day after being elected the 267th pontiff.
Steve Lunetta: Dogs have owners, cats have staff?
I've never liked cats. I find them to be obnoxious, arrogant, and down-right evil. If you've had a bad day at work, a cat's first response is "good, you are here. Feed me. Now."
Steven and Cokie Roberts: Dolley Madison was a model of savvy
When Dolley Payne Madison became first lady in 1809, she instituted Wednesday evening gatherings at the White House where political rivals could meet and talk.
David Hegg: Ethically Speaking
Let's say, for the sake of discussion, that ethics are those moral principles by which individuals order their lives. Further, let's agree that, broadly defined, the study of ethics is the attempt to identify these ethical sets, and determine which offers the best life.
Tom Purcell: How not to celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Ah, St. Patrick's Day is upon us.
Frank Ferry:Live from City Hall
The city of Santa Clarita's annual Teen Scene Unplugged is back, but with a new name and theme for local teens and parents.
Tim Myers: A decline in enrollment hits the SCV
When we moved to the SCV in 1996, the big educational news of that time revolved around over-strained elementary and secondary school facilities.
Danny Tyree: Taking a break from the pollsters
According to a Politico story titled "GOP Looks For Answers," the National Republican Congressional Committee is taking major steps to prevent a repeat of the misleading poll results that embarrassed the party in the 2012 election cycle.
Joe Guzzardi: The Gang of Eight backs off amnesty
The Senate's notorious Gang of Eight, a small cadre of amnesty advocates who hope to pressure Congress into passing disastrous immigration reform legislation, has developed a new game plan.
