Canyon Country Magazine August 2023

anyon ountry MAGAZINE SINCE 1919

AUGUST 2023

SignalSCV. com

Master Woodworker Finds Life’s Miracles

20% OFF

Exterior Paint Job ** Cannot be combined with any other offer or previous services

Exp. Dec. 2023

$999 Sale!

16 x 7 Clopay Model T50 2-car Garage door, white or almond

Exp. Dec. 2023

AU G U S T 2023

TA B L E O F CONTENTS

4 Canyon View Files Answer to City Appeal 5 Master Woodworker’s Resilience 6 Santa Clarita Barbie 7 Commission Continues School Resource Deputy Discussions 8 Sand Canyon Country Club Owner Resubmits Resort Plans 9 Julia, the Arson-Sniffing Dog 10 Canyon High Welcomes New Assistant Principal 11 Wilson Sworn in as New Hart Board Member 14 Sand Canyon Shooting Accident Leads to Arrest 14 Canyon Country Native Services with U.S. Navy Fleet Logistics Support 15 Canyon Country’s Sierra Tatone Performs with Biola Chorale in Italy

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 3

4 CANYON VIEW ESTATES FILES ANSWER

6 BARBIE HOME MAKEOVER

18 Calendar — Canyon Country Community Center Library Events

anyon ountry MAGAZINE AUGUST 2023 | Vol. 2 | No. 8

PUBLISHER

Richard Budman rbudman@signalscv.com (661) 287-5501

8 NEW PLAN FOR SAND CANYON RESORT

CANYON COUNTRY MAGAZINE EDITOR Doña Uhrig

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Maureen Daniels Jennifer Ramos Barbara Ward

A proud publication of

SINCE 1919

SignalSCV. com

25060 AVENUE STANFORD, STE 141 VALENCIA CA 91355 The entire content of the Canyon Country Magazine is copyrighted 2023 by Paladin Multi-Media Group, Inc. All submitted letters and columns are strictly the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. All rights are reserved and no part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. If you would not like this delivered to your home, please call (661) 259-1000.

9 JULIA’S NEW ROLE AS AN ARSON DOG

4 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

AU G U S T 2023

Canyon View Files Answer to City’s Solar Panel Appeal

By Perry Smith Signal Senior Staff Writer

T

he manufactured home park being sued by the city of Santa Clarita over a hillside filled with solar panels filed its response to an appeal city officials filed in March over a split-decision judgment.

Judge Stephen Pfahler ruled in January 2022 that if the city wants to order the removal of the 6,580 ground-mounted solar panels that cover a hill that can be seen from Soledad Canyon Road, the city has to pay Canyon View for the panels’ cost and for their removal.

In the event Santa Clarita decides to pay for the removal, it gets to keep the panels, per Pfahler’s ruling.

The city’s appeal contended the city shouldn’t have to pay the $5 million, which included the cost of Canyon View’s $4.1 million contract with panel installer California Solar, because the panels represent a violation of the conditional use permit under which Canyon View operates, which

A Canyon Country hillside covered in solar panels is the subject of a yearslong lawsuit by the city of Santa Clarita. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

tion that the panels were an abatable nuisance.

Among their arguments, Canyon View’s counsel claimed the fencedin yards that housed the panels were part of the park’s open space and therefore not a violation, plus, the panels were put up legally under the authority of the state’s Housing and Community Development, which, as the city indicated at the time of the project’s planning and execution, was the body with jurisdictional oversight for mobile home parks.

ALL HONEY PRODUCTS Pfahler rejected the former argument but called on the city to pay for the removal on the grounds of the latter.

USE CODE Attorneys for both sides have deCCSUMMER23 clined to comment on the case. A TO GET YOUR DISCOUNT spokeswoman for the city noted the Expires October 1, 2023 lawsuit was part of active litigation. *See disclaimer on the checkout page In March, the city argued the park’s of our website at bennetthoney.com. owners, the Seidenglanz family, knew the solar array was in violation of the Bring your Honey park’s CUP, and the case’s facts don’t to the Beach! support a contention the city should have known about the park’s CUP, which was issued by the state in 1984, several years Great Holiday Gift Ideas at before the city came into Bennett’s Honey Farm! existence. holiday list!

According to the city, because the uality H Q a g on an park’s owners should have known •Lotions • Candles • Soaps • Books • Gourmet about Honey the violation, the city shouldn’t & BBQ Sauces 3176 Honey Lane be punished for abating what the • Honeycomb Fillmore, CA 93015 and MUCH More! judge agreed was a nuisance.

Mon - Fri 8am - 4:30pm bennetthoney.com 3176 Honey Lane Sat & Sun 9am - 5pm In its 135-page response that was 805.521.1375 Fillmore, CA 93015 Mon-Fri 8 am - 4:30 pm Visit our due July 27, Canyon View attorneys Sat & Sun 9 am - 5 pm online store at requires the hillside be at least 50% open space.

The city also pointed out that the judge agreed with the city’s conten-

It’s Summertime & BBQ Time!

20% OFF

ey

Top

From “Our Farm” to Yours Wishing You and Your “Honey” a “Sweet” & Happy Holiday Season

TO GET YOUR 20% DISCOUNT

www.bennetthoney.com

805.521.1375

************************ BRING THIS COUPON INTO OUR STORE Bennett’s OR Honey Farm USE THIS QR CODE TO ORDER ON OUR WEBSITE: BENETTHONEY.COM ************************ USE CODE SNT1124 TO GET YOUR DISCOUNT

BennettHoney.com

claim the city stated for years it had no jurisdiction over the park and then did an about-face after the park installed a multimillion-dollar solar energy system.

Canyon View attorneys also said that local governments “may formally step into the state HCD’s and assume responsibility for the enforcement of the Mobilehome Parks Acts … While the city considered at one point whether to do so, City Manager Kenneth Striplin testified that it decided ‘to not move forward,’” per the July 27 respondents’ brief.

The park also states it asked the city in September 2016 whether any permits were required in addition to the HCD’s requirements, and the project’s contractor testified he was told the city has no authority. The city also told residents it didn’t have authority during a meeting with them in June 2017, according to the response.

The city first filed its nuisance enforcement action against the park in September 2018.

Since its initial filing, the city has already spent a little over $1.1 million in legal fees in its attempts to have the panels removed as of the appeal filed in March, according to city officials.

The docket for the Second Appellate District Court case was not yet updated to reflect the schedule for the next hearing date to consider the respondent’s July 27 brief, according to a court clerk Monday. 

AU G U S T 2023

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 5

Finding Life’s Miracles’ Master woodworker shows resilience as strong as oak.

By Michael Picarella Signal Staff Writer

I

t was a Friday. The insurance company told the wood master that they’d meet him on the upcoming Monday to take pictures of his newly acquired Santa Clarita shop and his various projects amassing a worth of over $200,000 that he had inside.

The next day — Saturday — his shop burned down. His insurance company wouldn’t pay him a dime. Subsequently, a high-paying client of his, whose projects in the shop also went up in flames, contacted the wood master for a meeting at his home in Long Beach.

“He called me to go and have dinner with him.

And all the way from here to Long Beach, I had tears in my eyes. And I said to myself, ‘He wants to cancel with me. He wants his money back.’”

Santa Clarita resident and fine woodworker Albert Edijou, who specializes in handcrafted cabinets, bars, custom furniture, inlay tables, closets, and more in various European styles, said he’d fashioned intricately carved doors and a staircase for his client’s home, which the client was remodeling, and that the client had already paid him for the work. Now Edijou had nothing to show for his labor and his client would be demanding a refund.

Albert Edijou specializes in handcrafted cabinets, bars, custom furniture, inlay tables, closets and more in various European styles. PHOTOS BY HABEBA MOSTAFA / THE SIGNAL

“I go over there,” Edijou told The Signal on a recent morning in his current shop on Avenue Crocker in Santa Clarita, “and some butlers brought a brand-new wine from Italy. We sit at the table, eat and then he says, ‘Albert, let’s go in the office.’ He had an office in the house. So, I went over there. And there’s his nice library — I made that library a couple of years before. And then he brought over an envelope. He said, ‘Take this. You’re a good man. Everything will be OK. Don’t be worried. I’m sure you can put everything together before my house is finished.’ I opened the envelope, and there was $20,000 cash for me.”

It wasn’t the first time Edijou had been dealt a terrible life blow, nor was it the only time a lucky “miracle” righted a wrong. Edijou, 67, was born in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, with both the inability to walk or exhale properly.

“I had the worst case of rheumatism in my blood,” he said. “All my nerves and all my vessels were dried. My mother had to carry me on her back. And then, my exhale got so bad that they made me a vacuum, so that I should vacuum my exhale.”

Spending much of his early years in numerous hospitals, doctors did very little to help. When he was five, Edijou spent seven months in one particular hospital. He recalled that, in that hospital, he had a vision of a painting of Jesus Christ from church. His mother used to “talk to him” — to the painting.

Edijou said the Jesus from that painting came to him in the hospital.

“He just turned to life for me, and he started walking toward my bed.”

Edijou said he told Jesus, “I can’t play.” And Jesus replied, “Yes, you can.”

“And he walked toward me,” Edijou recalled, “and he touched my legs. I said, ‘I can’t breathe.’”

He said that Jesus then put his hand through the collar of Edijou’s shirt, went to his chest near his heart and pushed his hand through his chest and to

his heart, and grabbed his heart tightly.

“I just deeply breathed so fine, and exhaled so fine. And when he (Jesus) pulled his hand out, all that skin went back without any blood. And for the first time, when he was walking out, I jumped from bed. Because when he reached the door, he disappeared. I went into the hallway, and I’m looking, but he’s gone. Since then — this story goes back 62 years — I never had a heart problem, and I never had the feet problem.”

The vivid imagery of Jesus performing the miracle left an indelible mark on Edijou. It would only fuel the Christianity that his parents instilled in him. Edijou said he has a way of remembering imagery. In fact, during grade school, teachers noticed that young Edijou had what he called a “photographic memory.”

“The government,” he continued, “when they found out in the Shah’s time that I have a photographic memory, they educated me for industrial buildings. For refineries. And at the age of 21, I was a site superintendent of a refinery, taking care of 950 workers and different professionals.”

But in 1979 at 24 years old during the Iranian Revolution, which resulted in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty, Edijou was captured for being part of the “impure, dirty Christians” there.

“They put me into jail and skinned my legs off.”

The tone of his voice seemed to indicate that he still harbored pain. “Yes, my legs are all skinned off.

And they started beating me very bad. Because I was spreading words about Christianity.”

That and Edijou had also been involved with Ayatollah Montazeri, an Iranian Shia Islamic theologian and human rights activist.

“Because I visited him, there was an official group that came to my place,” Edijou said. “They took everything, confiscated everything.”

See Edijou, page 13

6 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

AU G U S T 2023

Santa Clarita Barbie?

By Rylee Holwager Signal Staff Writer

T

he Santa Clarita Valley has officially earned the bragging rights of having Barbie’s very own dreamhouse right in the SCV. HGTV recently premiered its four-episode series, “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge,” where stars from the home design channel and the Food Network worked against one another to create decade-inspired rooms in bringing a Barbie dreamhouse alive.

The series’ designers couldn’t get to work without a house first. This is where real estate agent Sabrina Roberts came in, officially becoming

“Barbie’s Realtor.”

“Who wouldn’t want to?” said Roberts. “I mean to find Barbie’s dream home for HGTV, I mean that honestly, in my book, that’s a dream come true. It was a dream project. I could not have been more excited to be a part of it.”

Roberts toured more than 100 homes in the pursuit of finding the perfect dreamhouse; She toured in Yorba Linda, Claremont, Glendora, Upland, Chatsworth and Calabasas before finally finding the house that checked off all the boxes in Santa Clarita. Specifically, a $2,049,995 five-bedroom, five-bathroom, 4,456-square-foot house in the 15300 block of Michael Crest Drive.

It met all the criteria of being two stories, over 3,500 square feet, having fourplus bedrooms, a pool, a big lot and no homeowners association.

“This is perfect because it kind of looks like a dollhouse,” said Roberts about first finding the house.

The competition consisted of eight pairs of competitors, each competing for their promoted Barbie superfan to win a stay at the dreamhouse and a donation to Save the Children in their name.

Each room had to have the following on top of being Barbie-inspired: Represent the decade given

Sabrina Roberts, a real estate agent, picked out a Santa Clarita Valley home to be featured in the HGTV limited series, “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge,” in which a home was decorated by contestants seeking to create decade-inspired sections of the house. PHOTOS COURTESY SABRINA ROBERTS

and have a “toyetic” element (a surprise, special, dual feature item).

“The dreamhouse is a little bit of fantasy and a little bit of reality brought together,” said Kim Culmone, SVP Barbie head of design for Mattel in episode one of “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge.”

In week one, or episode one, Mike Jackson and Egypt Sherrod created a 1990s entry way, living room and dining room against Antonia Lofaso and Jasmie Roth’s 1960s kitchen and family room.

In week two, Alison Victoria and Ty Pennington brought to life “Ken’s ’70s den” against Kristina Crestin and Jonathan Knight’s Barbie ’80s bedroom and bath.

Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas in week three decorated the entire front of the house to represent the ’90s, and on the flipside Mika and Brian Klein-

schmidt decorated the backyard and pool to fit the early 2000s aesthetic.

In the final week both teams had to bring to life Barbie’s past, present and future. Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle decorated the office. Christina Hall and James Bender decorated the closet.

Many, including Roberts, were invited to walk down the pink carpet, tour the dreamhouse and cast their vote for the winning area.

“It was pretty phenomenal,” said Roberts. “I was in awe of how they transformed it.”

“A couple days later I got to bring my kids back to look through Barbie’s dream home, which was absolutely just the most amazing experience for me because I got to see it through their eyes and it was just an amazing, spectacular moment, really, as a mom.”

See BARBIE page 12

AU G U S T 2023

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 7

Commission Continues School Resource Deputy Talks

T

he L.A. County Civilian Oversight Commission has continued their discussions on recommendations for the Sheriff ’s Department and the school resource program.

The process follows a series of reports with data that indicated school deputies had a higher propensity to stop and question students of color and that only two students out of 812 school contacts with deputies resulted in a referral.

Two representatives of Cancel the Contract talked about concerns, while the sergeant in charge of training resource deputies discussed the multidisciplinary approach and training requirements for school deputies.

The first discussion was titled “Balancing Safety & Equity,” which included opinions from the Lynwood Unified School District, Neighborhood Legal Services of L.A. County, a representative from the L.A. County Anti-Racism, Diversity and Inclusion

Former school resource officer Tom Drake supervises Saugus High School students on lunch break. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO

Initiative and a board member of the California School Resource Officers Association.

Commissioner Luis Garcia lead the talks on behalf of the county’s oversight commission.

“While school resource deputies are tasked to ensure school safety, there is

a debate about the impact of engagement these officers have with students,” Garcia said, citing the reports of profiling presented by the Antelope Valley chapter of Cancel the Contract, which is trying to get local cities and school districts to end their law enforcement contracts with LASD.

Gary Hardie, a governing board member for the local school district in Lynwood, said by investing in outcomes for students as opposed to school deputies, the district was able to improve its graduation rate at two sites in particular from 68% and 69% to 94% and 97%, respectively, at Lynwood and Firebaugh high schools.

The local school district in Lynwood has some 98% of its students on the state’s free and reduced lunch program.

“The goal of education should be to build strong young people and if we do so we won’t have to work on repairing broken adults,” Hardie said, adding that one of the biggest ways the district turned things around was by creating health partnerships and more of a focus on college-prep work.

An investment in prevention programs ended up being better for the district than investing in school resource deputies who often were taken away to respond to local law enforcement concerns as opposed to campus outreach, he added.

See RESOURCE, page 12

Let us Sanitize Your Home for you!

SAFETY

COVID-19

By Perry Smith Signal Senior Staff Writer

is our

TOP PRIORITY

LET MOLLY MAID PROTECT & SANITIZE YOUR HOME! CALL NOW

COME HOME TO A SAFER, HEALTHIER HOUSE!

18 0 2 19 0 2

20 0 2 21 0 2 22 0 2

661-298-1800

Special Discounts

Save $100

All Of Our Professional Cleaners are outfitted with masks, gloves and foot covers — which they replace for each and every job.

Your safety is paramount to us!

$50 OFF Your First Initial Clean & $10 OFF Your Next Five Regularly Scheduled Cleans

OR

Save $25

When You Invite Molly Maid In For A One-Time Clean

New customers only. Offers valid one time per household. Expires 9-15-23

Gift Certificates Available

MOLLY MAID OF THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY

661-298-1800

Visit us at MollyMaid.com to learn more ©2020 Molly Maid, LLC. Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

8 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

AU G U S T 2023

Sand Canyon CC Owner Resubmits Resort Plans

By Perry Smith Signal Senior Staff Writer

T

he Sand Canyon Country Club is once again looking for permission to transform the former site of Robinson Ranch into a “worldclass resort” in the quiet equestrian enclave on the east side of the Santa Clarita Valley.

The property’s owner, Steve Kim, is hopeful the new plans, which he said reduced the overall footprint of the project by about 70%, will address the concerns that neighbors have brought in the five years since the proposal was first brought to the city.

“Things are going well,” Kim told The Signal, adding that the new plans call for a much smaller project in response to the community feedback.

Kim first proposed the project in 2018, but ultimately a Planning Commission denial with prejudice was upheld by the City Council in July 2021.

That resulted in Kim filing a lawsuit that October, which has since been dropped.

Artists’ renderings of the proposed Sand Canyon resort. COURTESY PHOTO

Because of the nature of the denial, Kim needed to wait a year before resubmitting, but he actually held off until May of this year.

Patrick Leclair, City of Santa Clarita planning manager, confirmed the review is in its “beginning stages.”

WE TRIM YOUR TREES RIGHT!

#1 COMPLETE TREE SERVICE

• Removals • Pruning • Trimming • Stump Grinding

661-255-0297 or online @

www.tiptoparborists.com

check our website for discounts & reviews

Jim Lewandowski ISAWC 1413 Todd Walter ISAWC 10664A Tom Baal ISAWC 7566 Chris Miller ISAWC 11780A Jason Beck ISAWC 1196A “Serving Santa Clarita Valley And Surrounding Communities With Pride Since 1974” Bouquet Canyon Road, Valencia

ST CONTR LIC #821770

“The Sand Canyon Resort has filed an application, but it is not scheduled for any public hearings,” Leclair said.

“We are in the beginning stages of reviewing the new proposal.”

A few of the highlighted changes in the overview of the plan shared by Kim included the following: The total number of guest rooms has been reduced from 383 to 295 — including a four-story main hotel with 283 rooms and 12 two-bedroom villas; the total development area has been reduced from 36 to 13.5 acres; the building area was reduced roughly from 400,000 square feet to 255,000 square feet; the proposed ballroom space was reduced by about 17,000 square feet; and all the proposed building structures are located away from the surrounding neighbors, according to information provided by Kim. The project also includes plans for a Sand Canyon community park with a sculpture garden, an organic farm, walking trails and a dog park, according to information sent by Kim. Mentioning a few of the residents’ concerns in plans shared with The Signal, Kim said a 20-foot-wide decomposed granite-based access road would connect Robinson Ranch Road to Oak Springs Canyon Road. One of the concerns from area residents the last time the project was reviewed, in addition to a potential loss of open space, was circulation in and out of the semi-rural suburb.

Kim first purchased the property in April 2016, and in July of that year, the Sand Fire burned more than

40,000 acres. Kim wrote that following an extensive $8 million course renovation, the renamed facility opened to the public the following year.

The plans for the Sand Canyon Resort and Spa were first submitted in February 2018, with a series of public discussions that followed, resulting in the previous denial.

Based on the city’s process, Jason Crawford, director of economic development for the city, said in December the plans would be treated as a completely new project in terms of this review.

A spokesman for the group of residents who have organized opposition to the project said they haven’t seen the plans yet but reiterated their perspective that a resort in that neighborhood “is not viable.”

“Traffic will increase exponentially, emergency evacuations like we have had over the last decade will place lives in danger as there is only one way in and one way out, and just because a wealthy developer wants to build a massive hotel on land set aside in perpetuity as open space for the benefit and enjoyment of Santa Clarita residents doesn’t mean he gets to,” wrote Alex Guerrero. “We have rights too and the community will fight this with all of our resources.” 

AU G U S T 2023

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 9

Julia, the Arson-Sniffing Dog Former guide-dog-in-training earns her spot with L.A. County Fire Department.

By Rylee Holwager Signal Staff Writer

J

ulia, a 2-year-old goldador — crossbreed of a Labrador and Golden Retriever — may have not made the cut to become a guide dog, but her path of service didn’t end there.

Through strenuous training with dog handler Capt. Casey Flanders, Julia has now earned herself a spot on the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s arson unit.

Julia serves as the accelerant and ignitable liquid detection canine.

“The average human has between 5 to 6 million olfactory receptors. Dogs have between 225 to 300 million, so their sense of smell is about 50 times greater than ours,” said Flanders. “One-eighth of their brain is dedicated to that same processing and 50% of that nose anatomy is dedicated to that odor processing.”

Last year the L.A. County Fire Department’s arson unit got to brainstorming about bringing back a canine program that was once instilled many years ago.

The idea floated around, but it seemed no one jumped at the chance to be a part of it, primarily because of the demands that go into becoming a handler.

Wanting to dive further into his new assigned arson unit, Flanders volunteered himself.

“I wanted to kind of dive headfirst into the arson world,” said Flanders. “I’m definitely in that learning phase, so I figured, hey, why not? Why not

Julia, a 2-year-old goldabor, at the beginning of her guide dog training (left) and at the end.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CASEY FLANDERS

one more? I wanted to be involved. I thought it was a fun, or could be, little niche of the arson world to have the dog and having that knowledge and that skill set.”

The unit approved Flanders for the job and in April he flew to New Hampshire for an entire month of training.

Julia was trained by Maine Specialty Dogs as part of the Arson Dog program.

Flanders and Julia were matched by the program and got right to work.

“The dogs are essentially trained before we get there. The training is for us,” said Flanders.

“They’re training us to efficiently work the dogs.”

“We are certified by the Maine State Police and that’s under the guidelines of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.”

Flanders and Julia worked together to form a bond of trust and mutual respect. Julia has not left his side since.

Training on and off hours led the two to be one of the 13 trainer-handler teams that passed the program.

Julia came out on the other end obedience trained, with the ability to scout out ignitable liquid or fire accelerants, and was trained to be food rewarded.

The two will return every year for the next five years to repeat their training for recertification.

Julia became a part of the L.A. County Fire Department, but also became a part of Flanders’ family.

Flanders has a wife and children who were excited to have a dog again after their previous Labrador had died two years ago.

They all fell in love with Julia.

“At home (we’ll throw) balls with her, every now and then they will let her get into a pool. She loves the water, being that breed,” said Flanders. “They go crazy when they hit the body of water.”

Coming home doesn’t mean Flanders and Julia are entirely off the clock.

Julia is a food reward dog, meaning she doesn’t have a traditional dog bowl to eat from. She has to only ever eat from a person’s hand.

“You know when a dog eats out of your hand its whole life, it really grows in connection with you,” said Flanders.

She must work for her food by running drills.

These drills have to be repeated enough so Julia can get enough food for the day.

“She only eats when she finds gas,” said Flanders.” When I say gas I mean the training aid that I spoke of (a mixture of gasoline and other substances) … What it means is both on duty and off duty I have to set up drills and evolutions for her, different variations of drills that we do for her to find gas See JULIA, continued on next page

1 0 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

AU G U S T 2023

Canyon High Welcomes New Assistant Principal

By Rylee Holwager Signal Staff Writer

C

atherine Celaya was unanimously approved by the William S. Hart Union High School District governing board for her appointment as Canyon High School’s new assistant principal.

“We are excited to introduce Ms. Catherine Celaya, the newest addition to the Hart district,” Superintendent Mike Kuhlmann said in a news release. “With her extensive administrative experience gained from her commendable work in the Burbank Unified School District, we are confident that Ms. Celaya will make a positive impact supporting students, staff and parents as a member of the Canyon High School administrative team.”

Celaya started her teaching journey in Japan, and when she came back to the states, she knew she wanted to teach for her career.

She had fallen in love with teaching.

She took the next steps of getting her teaching credentials and her master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from California State University, Northridge.

Celaya taught English at Downey High School before making her teaching residency at Celaya the Burbank Unified School District.

However, she has been a Santa Clarita Valley resident since 2008.

“It’s always been an idea that was in the back of my head,” said Celaya on teaching in the SCV. In 2015, she became the assistant principal at John Muir Middle School and has served in that role until now.

“One of my teaching mentors, very early on, told me that I would be a really good administrator,”

said Celaya, “that I have the ability to have difficult conversations with people and kids.”

With her children getting older and one of her kids in the Hart district, she decided to take her skills elsewhere and apply to be closer to home.

Her application for the job of assistant principal, with the school yet to be determined, was the one and only application she submitted.

“I had been wanting to go back to high school anyway, because that’s the brunt of my when I was a teacher,” said Celaya. “I only ever taught high school, so I was excited to go back to high school because that’s kind of my favorite, my favorite grade level.”

Celaya will be joining the Canyon Cowboys family in the fall and she is nothing but excited.

“I’m really excited to get to meet the kids and the teachers and all of the faculty and staff and just really become more part of this community,” said Celaya. 

JULIA

Continued from previous page

so that I can feed her. We do it in the morning, we do it throughout the day and we do it at night ... So she’s a lot of work, just to feed the dog. We don’t feed her in a bowl — she only eats out of my hand ever.”

“At home, the kids help out, the wife helps out. They knew how to do some of the basic routines that I do with her, so sometimes if I’m occupied or busy or not home, I will ask them to help me out and actually it’s good for the family because it forms bonding.”

Julia, just like many members of the human working class, has to balance her home and work life.

At home she can embrace being a normal dog. At work she is a key component of solving arson cases by sniffing out the exact starter locations of

DEAN BUYS HOUSES ALL CASH • No Equity Required

Any Condition

Any Location

ignitable liquids or fire accelerants, laying down and waiting for the other professionals to do the rest of the dirty work.

“The dog helps us pinpoint down that piece of evidence for our arson case, but the arson case needs to be made with or without the dog,” said Flanders. “It’s a piece of the puzzle.”

“My job is to trust the dog.” 

My Green Lawn 2 PROFESSIONAL GARDENING SERVICES RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL LAWN AND YARD MAINTENANCE, SPRINKLER SYSTEMS INSTALL, UPGRADE AND REPAIR, TREE SERVICE. ALL TYPES OF CLEAN UPS. FREE ESTIMATES CALL ANYTIME

661-618-7015

ASK FOR LUIS SANCHEZ 323-791-8204 661-523-4012 EMAIL: MYGREENLAWN2@AOL.COM

Free Estimates Ask about our senior citizen discounts!

AU G U S T 2023

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 1 1

Wilson Sworn In as New Hart Board Member

By Trevor Morgan Signal Staff Writer

E

rin McKeon Wilson, Trustee Area No. 4, was officially sworn in on Thursday as the newest member of the William S. Hart Union High School District governing board.

In a unanimous decision, the board selected Wilson to serve after the position was left vacant by James Webb’s resignation in April.

Webb cited family obligations, including caring for elderly parents and the opportunity to pursue career options closer to home that do not require frequent travel to Sacramento as reasons for his departure.

Wilson — a longtime resident of the Santa Clarita Valley and niece of former SCV-based Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon — said having her children go to school within the district and having a family legacy in public service contributed to her decision to run for the position.

“I’ve always been service-oriented, service-minded. I mean, I grew up

Wilson

that way,” said Wilson. “I have raised five children who all went through the William S. Hart district and so I feel like I owe a lot to the district.”

Wilson was one of the five candidates interviewed and voted upon in open session by the four sitting board members. The other candidates were Eric Anderson, Thomas Gavin, Santa Rivera and Tyger White. There were a total of seven who pulled applications, but two, John Amneus and Donald Rimac, declined to take part

in the interviews.

“I felt that Mrs. Wilson was very dedicated to students’ families and the community — I felt like she would be a board member who would really be there for all students,” board President Bob Jensen said when Wilson was named as the newest member on June 28, “and with our new strategic plan, we are focusing on being there for all students.”

Wilson spoke highly of the strategic plan and said she looked forward to

implementing and supporting it. She said her goal as a new board member is to be a “unifier” in whatever capacity is needed to do so.

One thing she wanted to focus on was addressing the district’s homeless student population. District officials reported more than 900 homeless students in December 2022 — with the number of homeless students almost doubling from two years ago as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and compounding challenges brought on by inflation.

According to the district, school site staff at Hart High School and Placerita Junior High reported the greatest number of homeless students, and together, the two school sites account for more than 400 homeless students in the district.

“There’s a number of homeless students in our district that need resources that they don’t always know are available. So I would like to find all those resources and put them together.”

Wilson’s term will expire in December 2024. 

General and Surgical Dermatology

We are OPEN!

Before

After 24 hours

After 4 days

After 10 days

Before

After 1 tx

Come In For A Consult

Laser Resurfacing • Sun Damage • Acne • Skin Discoloration • Microdermabrasion • Botox • Restylane • Facials • Varicose Veins

New Opus Fractional Plasma Laser

Chris Towery PhD, NP • Dr. Frank Lusher, Medical Director 23206 Lyons Ave, Suites 103/104 Santa Clarita, CA 91321

661.254.7400

www.FacesLaser.com

1 2 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

RESOURCE

Continued from page 7

Sal Arias, a principal, former social worker with the Probation Department and a member of the governing board for the state’s association for resource officers and a former student in the Los Angeles Unified School District, offered a different perspective.

Arias, whose district is in Kern County and works extensively with a population of students considered at risk, including gang members, said the school resource officer who works with his schools is invaluable.

He spoke of the deterrent that having an officer engaged with the student can bring and how their officer helps the schools stay informed and talk to parents, as well as being a resource for campus administrators.

The Neighborhood Legal Services of L.A. County discussed its report on referrals to school resource deputies, which it compiled after a two-year look into the Antelope Valley Union High School District.

Three of the biggest allegations against the AV districts included that the district disproportionately refers students with disabilities and Black students with disabilities to LASD; the district empowers LASD to intervene in minor school discipline issues; and LASD disproportionate-

ly restrains and uses more force than necessary on these students.

Jaime Hernandez, who created the report on behalf of the legal services group, offered several recommendations for school districts that want to use officers, including a memorandum of understanding that would detail were it would be appropriate for an officer to intervene. He also suggested schools prioritize behavioral support and counseling over school officers.

Cesar Sanchez, who works with the county’s Anti-racism, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, talked about structural racism regarding the context of school officers, and how communities should be involved in the conversation surrounding the role that school officers play in their campuses.

“We do need to be strategic about it and we need to also show community members that we have taken the feedback and how that has actually been taken into consideration,” Sanchez said, “and how the feedback has

BARBIE

Continued from page 6

The dreamhouse pulled out all the stops from Barbie’s 60-year career — a replica of the original ’60s dreamhouse couch, a Barbie pink waterslide, a hat conveyor belt, a ceiling flip-down TV, a kitchen island appliance pop-up, a giant hairbrush, a disco floor, an aquarium desk, pet elevator and a carrying handle right on top of the house. *Spoiler alert* Despite Roberts’ vote for the closet, in the end, Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt won the challenge and the opportunity for superfan Marcos Acosta to have a pinkfilled vacation in the dreamhouse.

Many of the dreamhouse features have since been disassembled as it made its way back on the market, but a minority of the dreamhouse’s features still remain such as the ceiling slip-down TV, the brand-new kitchen appliances and Ken’s Den’s wallpaper.

To view the Zillow listing for the Barbie dreamhouse home, visit tinyurl.com/3ppd9tz7. To view the “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” gallery, visit tinyurl. com/58v2w6d9. 

AU G U S T 2023

served as information to have around strategies that we’re hearing from community members.”

Local school leaders especially have asked for this type of consideration, particularly as it considers evaluating its investment in the contracts for a Sheriff ’s Department presence on campus.

In the Santa Clarita Valley, that sentiment has been appreciated, as local officials have asked to have input and control over the contracts with school resource deputies.

In conversations with representatives from four local school districts, all expressed to The Signal that they’ve explored options for having more of a deputy presence on their campuses; however, the problems they’ve come up against in their efforts have been one of manpower and funding.

At the first meeting of the commission held last month, Garcia told the group that “…we’re doing proactive outreach to learn what the various stakeholders think about the topic.

“While deputies in schools, I imagine, intend to bring safety and security and peace of mind to parents and students and school administrators alike, that doesn’t always seem to be the case.”

Garcia said part of the purpose of the first of the three planned discussions, was for everyone to understand

deputies’ various roles, including what they are and aren’t responsible for on a school campus, the student-complaint process and data related to the use of force.

Sgt. Mourad Kabanjian, who leads the training of school resource deputies for the department’s Community Partnership Bureau, talked about the multidisciplinary approach that goes into deputy training.

He also talked about the origins of the program, which started in Flint, Michigan, in 1953. It first came to L.A. County schools 15 years later, and then was adopted

by LASD formally in 1998. It currently operates under contract with 47 deputies assigned to 125 schools in 11 districts.

The deputies train 80 hours per year with a focus on what it means to be a school deputy, including education on topics like crisis stabilization and illicit drug activity, Kabanjian said.

Kelly Fischer, deputy director of public health for the Office of Violence Prevention, which is charged with creating and promoting partnerships that reduce violence, spoke about the background behind a program the OVP is working on called the School Safety Innovation Pilot.

The recommendations for the program have not yet been released to the public. 

AU G U S T 2023

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 1 3

EDIJOU

Continued from page 5

Edijou spent 44 horrific days in jail that he’ll never forget. Edijou was married, and he and his wife had a son and a daughter. When they could, they escaped their country and moved to Germany.

There, Edijou thrived. He studied cabinetmaking at the David Roentgen School, and in 1984 would gain employment at a German woodworking company.

“When I started working, I worked for one company,” he said. “And in 11 months, when they found out how good I am, they gave one-third of their company to me.”

It wasn’t long before Edijou started his own company. He ran it with great success, he said. In 1990, he even won a first-place prize among a group of over 380,000 master craftsmen in the country for, among other work, a table he created — an art piece — which makes a statement about the racism he’d experienced in Iran.

He described the piece with what seemed like the same enthusiasm that might’ve gone into the project to express the frustration and pain he’d witnessed firsthand: “I started from Mesopotamian star and turned to the lithium atom. And then,” he said while pointing out sections of the work in a photograph, “every one of these, if you see, goes with the round elements and then sharp elements. Round, sharp, round, sharp. I tried to say that hard and soft, good and bad, ugly and nice — they can sit beside each other and they can show and give beauty to each other.”

But the racism Edijou experienced was far from over. In 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down, racism, he said, began to grow. Many people from East Germany became violent against those who were different, many like Edijou who lived in West Germany.

“Because I have darker skin, no blue eyes, no blonde hair, they hate me,” he yelled. “And so, when that happened, my sister over here (in America), she called me and said, ‘Just come over here.’”

His sister feared war and the safety of her brother and his family. Edijou, heeding the warning, came to America — to Downey, California, where his sister lived.

He brought his woodworking to the Los Angeles area. In 2004, he’d relocate the family again, this time to Santa Clarita because his kids wanted to attend College of the Canyons. Upon opening a new woodworking shop on Soledad Canyon Road and moving his current projects inside, he’d called his insurance company on a Friday to insure the shop and its contents. His insurance agent told him he’d be there on Monday to take pictures.

In the meantime, Edijou worried. The heater in the new shop wasn’t working and the cold winter weather threatened the projects inside.

“I called many times — the gas company. Nobody came over, and I got fear that this furniture, with this cold, will start getting moisture.”

Edijou overcame rheumatism in his youth and a 44-day jail sentence during the Iranian Revolution before finding his place in America.

Edijou expressed his concern with his landlords, and they were able to get the gas company to come out that Saturday while Edijou was shopping with his family.

“We came home Saturday night, we sit at the table, we were having dessert, and I got the call. ‘Albert, I just want to let you know that your shop is burned down.’”

Edijou said the cause of the fire was likely due to the heater running for the first time in a long time, and it igniting chunks of old, dry sawdust in the heating ducts left by the 14-year carpenter who previously occupied the shop, and blowing those embers into the shop. Edijou’s insurance company never compensated him for the damage.

Six years later, the wood master would move his shop to the current location on Avenue Crocker. He said he barely makes a living and has scaled back his shop in size. None of his completed work is in the shop — it won’t fit. Instead, Edijou has binders with pictures of work that he shows clients.

Gary Kassan from Bulldog Liquidators, a retail liquidation store that’s across the street, is one of Edijou’s clients. Kassan can’t say enough about Edijou’s work and about Edijou as a human being.

About five or six years ago, according to Kassan, he met and talked at length with Edijou.

“He comes in and he buys miscellaneous stuff,” Kassan told The Signal. “My assistant manager said, ‘You’ve got to go over there and see some of the pictures of the art this guy created. It’s unbelievable.’ He does a lot of very intricate inlay work, and hundreds of hours of work for this type of stuff. And so, I went over there and looked at his pictures, and I just started talking to him and he shared his life story with us. I mean, literally tears to my eyes.”

And while Edijou tells his story with great pain, seemingly reliving the traumas of his past, it’s his

resilience and positive attitude he projects that’s been so inspiring to others.

“I think what intrigued me most,” Kassan said, “is his perseverance in life, and that he’s been beaten down everywhere he’s gone in his life. And to have such a positive, caring, giving, loving attitude about people is remarkable.

“I preach to a lot of people about perspective,” Kassan continued. “If you asked my children what one word best describes me, it’s ‘perspective.’ I wake up every morning, and when I look in the mirror, I put my life into perspective and realize how lucky I am.”

Perhaps Edijou has good reason to say he’s not so lucky. He said that life’s dealt him some bad cards.

But for every bit of misfortune, there seems to have been a “miracle” that’s lifted him back up — the vision of Jesus in the hospital when he was 5, the humanity and generosity from more than one client, like the one who gifted him with the $20,000 after his shop burned down.

It’s then his art, he said, that keeps him afloat.

Life’s adversities fuel Edijou’s expression through his woodworking craft, and that not only brings him joy, but it in turn helps him cope with the ills of the world.

“This is the only thing,” Edijou said, “that honestly gives me power to forget what is going on around me.”

And that joy grew as he then moved on to talk about another art piece in his still growing collection.

To inquire about Edijou’s work, call Edijou Woodmaster at (818) 624-0338, visit his shop at 28150 Avenue Crocker, Suite 203 in Santa Clarita, or find him on Instagram at edijou_woodmaster. 

1 4 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

AU G U S T 2023

Sand Canyon Shooting Accident Leads To Surgery, Arrest Investigators believe it was an accidental discharge; suspect, victim had returned home after shooting in the Angeles National Forest

By PerrySmith Signal Senior Staff Writer

C

ourt records obtained by The Signal detailed what investigators believe happened July 16 when two teens rushed to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital after an accidental shooting in Sand Canyon.

The investigation started when Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff ’s Station deputies responded to the 28300 block of Sand Canyon Road in Canyon Country at 1:36 a.m. regarding the negligent discharge of a firearm, according to a sworn statement from a sheriff ’s detective.

Deputies who arrived at the scene of the shooting, which was initially reported as near the In-N-Out in Sand Canyon, learned the victim was already being transported to the hospital.

The 14-year-old driver who called

911 while taking his friend to the hospital was instructed to pull over, at which point personnel with the L.A. County Fire Department intercepted the car with the driver and victim at Soledad Canyon Road and Commuter Way in Saugus. They then rushed his passenger, a teenage gunshot victim, to Henry Mayo.

After the gunshot victim got out of surgery, deputies spoke separately with the victim and the driver of the vehicle, who was identified as the “subject” of their investigation in sworn court statements.

They offered different versions of what happened that night, leading investigators to dig further.

The court records summed it up as follows: The victim originally said he was riding his bicycle near his friend’s house when a dark sedan pulled up alongside him and fired three shots, striking him in the leg. He then ran to

his friend’s house and asked for a ride to the hospital.

On the way, they called 911 and were asked to pull over, the victim said initially, according to court records.

The driver shared a different tale.

He said the two were eating at InN-Out in the driver’s car. When the victim went to throw away his trash, a dark sedan pulled up and fired three shots.

After confronting the two over the inconsistencies in their stories, detectives ultimately learned the pair had just returned home to the subject’s house after shooting a handgun the driver had in the Angeles National Forest.

While in the subject’s car, the 14-year-old removed the magazine from the firearm and pulled back the slide, according to court documents.

Investigators believe the subject then released the slide with his finger on the trigger, resulting in a discharge that struck the victim.

The subject disposed of the gun,

and the victim then asked his friend to drive him to the hospital, according to the court documents. When the pain became unbearable, he asked him to call 911, and they then met with first responders in Saugus.

After deputies responded to the hospital, they solicited a “safety statement” from the subject that described where he discarded the handgun, which led deputies to later recover a green Polymer 80 9mm handgun with a gold slide they believe was used in the shooting based on the description given by the subject and video evidence.

Deputies also recovered footage of the subject that was taken prior to the shooting in which he appears to be firing the gun recovered by deputies out of the window of the car he was driving.

The 14-year-old driver was ultimately booked at the SCV Sheriff ’s Station jail and then transferred to Sylmar Juvenile Hall on suspicion of 246.3(a), the negligent discharge of a firearm. 

23 20

Canyon Country Native Serves with U.S. Navy Fleet Logistics Support PRESS RELEASE

S

enior Chief Shaun Fernandez, a native of Canyon Country, serves with Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VR) 51, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Fernandez, a 2000 graduate of Canyon High School, joined the Navy 23 years ago.

“I joined the Navy because my Dad was in the Navy and he always talked about it when I was growing up. I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

Today, Fernandez relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Canyon Country to succeed in the military.

“I started with humble beginnings, working different jobs and striving to better myself is something I learned growing up,” said Fernandez. These lessons have helped while serving in the Navy.

VR-51, nicknamed “Windjammers,” is responsible for maintaining and operating C-40A Clipper aircraft and moving and supplying maritime combat forces worldwide. VR-51 personnel also deploy to three overseas duty stations on rotational schedules throughout the year.

Serving in the Navy means Fernandez is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on strengthening alliances, modernizing capabilities, increasing capacities and maintaining military readiness in support of the National Defense Strategy. 

AU G U S T 2023

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 1 5

CC’s Sierra Tatone Performed in Italy with Biola Chorale PRESS RELEASE

so unique to see. We got to bond with people differently, when we were going and exploring another country.”

The trip was overseen by the Chorale’s conductor, Shawna Stewart. The SPORTS

SKYBOX TEXT

CANYON COUNTRY | NEWHALL | SAUGUS | VALENCIA | STEVENSON RANCH | CASTAIC | VAL VERDE | AGUA DULCE

Download in the

APP STORE or GOOGLE PLAY search SignalSCV

for more information go to Signalscv.com/app

Biola University Chorale frequently performs at campus events, churches, festivals, on international and domestic tours and at regional and national choral conferences. 

ONE APP DELIVERS SANTA CLARITA to your phone

Get...

BREAKING NEWS Right on Your Phone

LOCAL NEWS - TRAFFIC - VIDEO - WEATHER

LAX Airport SHUTTLE SERVICE Cheaper than UBER or LYFT • Starting at $39 O/W, roundtrip and multiple passenger discounts

STARTING AT

• Reservations required — 24 hours

TO LAX

PICK UP LOCATION 19401Golden Valley Road Canyon Country

4:35 AM 6:20 AM 8:50 AM 11:20 AM 1:50 PM 4:20 PM 6:20 PM 8:50 PM

Arrive at LAX Drop OFF at Your AIRLINE

5:30 AM 8:00 AM 10:00 AM 12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM

FROM LAX

B

iola University student Sierra Tatone of Canyon Country had the unique opportunity to perform in Italy with the Biola Chorale. The group performed their concert “Seen & Known” in various parts of Italy.

“There are few other opportunities in life that bring about unity and healing like choral singing,” said Dr. Shawna Stewart, director of choral studies and conductor of the Biola Chorale. “There is a level of discipline, self-sacrifice, vulnerability, shared experiences, cultural awareness, exploration of emotion, scriptural and spiritual deepening that, comprehensively, is hard to find anywhere else. We believe that choral

music is a gift given by God, to all people, and it is my hope that we will have hundreds of students singing in our ensembles.”

Music education major Tatone performed with the rest of the choral ensemble in Assisi, Florence, Milan and twice in Rome. Local residents and members of the churches they sang at attended the concerts. One of the concerts was for the congregation Communita Bibblica Cristiana, lay-pastored by Marco Cocuzzi and his wife, Biola alumna Monet.

“Aside from planned amazing moments seeing artifacts, the most intimate moments were when we were just spontaneously going places together,” said Joshua Guadarrama, a sophomore business major. “Just staring in awe, exploring the city, it’s

$

39

Pick up at Orange Shared Rides Arrivals Level

DROP OFF LOCATION 19401Golden Valley Road Canyon Country

5:30 AM 8:00 AM 10:30 AM 12:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM

6:15 AM 8:45 AM 11:15 AM 1:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:00 PM 8:30 PM 11:00 PM

Book NOW AT: SantaClaritaExpress.com

661-947-2529

SINCE 1919

SignalSCV. com

SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER TODAY

CALL (661) 259-1000

1

#

the

NEWS

SOURCE

1 6 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

AU G U S T 2023

What to Know About Possible Changes to Electric Bills

By Wendy Fry CalMatters Writer

T

ypically what you pay for electricity depends on how much you use. But the state’s three largest electric utilities — Southern California Edison Co., Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. — have proposed a plan to charge customers not just for how much energy they use, but also based on their household income. Their proposal is one of several state regulators received designed to accommodate a new law to make energy less costly for California’s lowest-income customers.

Some state Republican lawmakers are warning the changes could produce unintended results, such as weakening incentives to conserve electricity or raising costs for customers using solar energy.

But the utility companies say the measure would reduce electricity bills for the lowest-income customers. Those residents would save about $300 per year, utilities estimate.

California households earning more than $180,000 a year would end up paying an average of $500 more a year on their electricity bills, according to the proposal from utility companies.

The California Public Utilities Commission’s deadline for deciding on the suggested changes is July 1, 2024. The proposals come at a time when many moderate and low-income families are being priced out of California by rising housing costs.

Who wants to change the fee structure?

Lawmakers passed and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a comprehensive energy bill last summer that mandates restructuring electricity pricing.

The Legislature passed the measure in a “trailer-bill” process that limited deliberation. Included in the 21,000-word law are a few sentences requiring the Public Utilities Commission to establish a “fixed monthly fee” based on each customer’s household income.

A similar idea was first proposed in 2021 by researchers at UC Berkeley and the nonprofit thinktank Next 10. Their main recommendation was to split utility costs into two buckets. Fixed charges, which everyone has to pay just to be connected to the energy grid, would be based on income levels.

Variable charges would depend on how much electricity you use.

Utilities say that part of customers’ bills still will be based on usage, but the other portion will reduce costs for lower- and middle-income customers, who “pay a greater percentage of their income towards their electricity bill relative to higher-income customers,” the utilities argued in a recent filing.

They said the current billing system is unjust, regressive and fails to recognize differences in energy usage among households.

“When we were putting together the reform proposal, front and center in our mind were customers who live paycheck to paycheck, who struggle to pay

Energy rates in California are nearly double the national average due to its geographical size and the state’s failure to upgrade outdated equipment.

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

for essentials such as energy, housing and food,” Caroline Winn, CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric, said in a prepared statement.

The utilities say in their proposal that the changes likely would not reduce or increase their revenues.

James Sallee, an associate professor at UC Berkeley, said the utilities’ prior system of billing customers mostly by measuring their electric use to pay for what are essentially fixed costs for power is inefficient and regressive.

The proposed changes “will shift the burden, on average, to a more progressive system that recovers more from higher-income households and less from lower-income households,” he said.

What would the proposed fixed-charge fees pay for?

Revenues from the fixed charges would help cover utilities’ costs to provide customer service, including meters, poles, wildfire preparedness, operations and maintenance, according to the Public Utilities Commission, which regulates private utilities.

The fixed charge would not be the only portion of a customer’s bill. Customers would still be able to lower the portion of their energy bills that is based on usage by doing such things as investing in solar panels or strategically running appliances during non-peak times.

Why is this proposal controversial?

Supporters say it will help lower costs for low-income customers, but critics counter it is unfair to those who have been trying to conserve energy.

Some state Senate Republicans say the proposed utility billing changes would make living in California less affordable and could discourage energy conservation. If energy bills are based on someone’s income and not on how much electricity they use, customers would have little incentive to turn off the air conditioner during peak hours, they argue.

Del Mar resident Rosanna Alvarado Martin said she and her husband are both budget- and environmentally conscious, so they recently signed contracts to install solar panels on both their Del Mar and University City residential properties.

Now Martin worries her electricity bills will go up no matter how much energy she saves with solar.

“This was really a kick in the gut. The whole thing is just really frustrating,” she said. “We’re looking to retire soon. So we’re looking to have some control over what our expenses are going to be in retirement, and this solar, to me, was one way we could do that.”

On the other hand, Leah Jacobson, a sociology grad student at UCLA, said she’s in favor of the proposed changes because they might bring stability to her monthly bills. A few times her bill has shot up to more than $400 a month, she said.

“There have been a couple times in the last year where our bill has jumped up a couple hundred dollars and we haven’t been able to figure out why,” Jacobson said.

“Thankfully, we were in a position where the amount is usually affordable when it doesn’t jump up like that. But I would hate to think about people who are not using their air conditioning or fans during the summer because they can’t afford it.

That’s no way to live.”

Another major issue: data collection. To implement the changes, the state will have to categorize approximately 14 million households into income brackets, and a third-party administrator probably will have to verify their incomes, state and utilities officials say.

Because California’s Employment Development Department and the state’s long-time debit card contractor Bank of America have been plagued by cases of fraud, some critics worry the state won’t be able to keep people’s financial information confidential.

“The proposed fixed charges, without clarity on how Californians’ income will be verified, are not only questionable but also raise concerns about data privacy,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, a Republican from El Cajon, told CalMatters. The utilities “are not set up to do income verification, nor should they be, as this is a major privacy concern.”

So far Democrats, who passed the bill with the fee-structure changes, have not spoken in a unified way about the proposed changes.

Why are California energy rates so high in the first place?

California’s average retail electricity price is nearly double the national average.

While the state has been at the tip of the spear of the green energy movement with early adoption of wind and solar, it lags behind other states in replacing aging and failing power lines, according to a 2022 audit report to the California Legislature.

And because the state is so spread out geographically, it costs more to build and connect its infra-

AU G U S T 2023

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 1 7

structure for energy generation, maintenance, distribution and wildfire mitigation. Those costs don’t vary by how much electricity customers use, but they are driven up by climate change as California becomes hotter and drier.

Nevertheless, all three utility companies showed gross profit gains last year. PG&E reported a 3% bump to $16.8 billion in gross profits, which subtract the costs of production from revenues. Similarly, Edison’s $10.9 billion in gross profits was 15% better than the prior year, and SDG&E parent Sem-

pra’s profit, at $9.9 billion, was a 3% improvement.

Once all other expenses are accounted for, including such things as lawsuits, depreciation and taxes, both PG&E’s and Edison’s net incomes shrank for 2021.

As more Californians replace their gas-powered vehicles with electric ones, consumption of electricity is expected to increase. Under new state regulations, 35% of new 2026 car models must be zero-emissions, ramping up to 100% in 2035. State officials say the 12.5 million electric vehicles expected on California’s roads in 2035 will not strain the grid.

Are there other proposals?

Among several alternatives, one comes from the Utility Reform Network (TURN), a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization headquartered in San Francisco.

Its proposal, filed with the regulatory agency, also calls for an income-based fixed charge, but at fixed fees much lower than what the utilities want.

The group says the utilities already profit enough from customer fees.

“The (utility commission) has to work out all those details and the devil is in the details,” said TURN’s Executive Director Mark Toney.

The public will have a chance to weigh in on the proposals by submitting comments online or attending a commission meeting.

Though the state set a 2024 deadline for the commission to establish fixed monthly fees based on customers’ incomes, an administrative judge in the proceedings wrote in a recent filing that the earliest the change could be implemented is the end of 2026. 

How much would customers pay?

I

n the power companies’ joint submission to the California Public Utilities Commission, they suggest these fixed fees for each customer’s income range.

• Households with incomes earning less than $28,000 a year would pay a $15 monthly fee in the Edison and PG&E service territories and a $24 monthly fee in SDG&E service territory.

• Households earning $28,000 to $69,000 a year would pay $20 to Edison, $30 to PG&E or $34 to SDG&E each month.

• Households earning $69,000 to $180,000 would pay $51 to Edison or PG&E, or $73 to SDG&E. • Households earning more than $180,000 would pay $85 to Edison, $92 to PG&E or $128 to SDG&E.

19 0 2 20 0 2 21 0 2 22 0 2 23 0 2

Thank you SCV for voting CBC as the BEST CARPET CLEANING COMPANY! •

Special:

Call CBC and mention “Best of SCV Special” to receive 10% off ALL Cleaning Services, AND a bottle of Carpet Spotter with a Lifetime Refill!

Menu of Services:

Carpet, Tile/Grout, Stone Restoration, Upholstery, Area Rug Cleaning • Carpet Repairs, Specialty Spot Dying, Flooring Sales & Repair • 24 Hr Emergency & Restoration Services • Water, Mold & Fire Damage • COVID-19 Cleaning and disinfecting

25042 Anza Drive, Valencia, CA 91355 (661) 294-2221 www.CBCfirst.com

1 8 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

AU G U S T 2023

CALENDAR

Canyon Country Community Center 18410 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita 91350 (661) 290-2266 | santa-clarita.com/CCCC

CANYON COUNTRY COMMUNITY CENTER

Celebrate China Canyon Country Community Center Friday, September 8 • 6-9 p.m.

Fall Just Got Better After-School Programs Began on August 14 www.santa-clarita.com/CCCC

“Celebrate” brings the history and traditions of people and places from around the world to the Canyon Country Community Center every second Friday from April to September.

Adult and Senior Activities Senior Walking Club (55+)

A moderate to fast-paced walking group, which meets each week and walks the around the exterior of the facility.

Mahjong (55+)

Every Wednesday, Year-round 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

CCCC GYM HOURS Tuesday and Thursday Basketball 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bring your own ball or check one out with a student or government-issued ID Monday and Wednesday Table Tennis 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bring your own paddles Friday Pickleball 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bring your own paddles

win prizes! Bring your friends!

Karaoke (55+) Sing and dance with your friends! This activity is sure to bring out the star in you!

An opportunity to socialize, play Mahjong, and meet new friends! Bring your own Mahjong card.

Senior Makers Club (50+) Senior Makers Club is a monthly DIY project class that’s sure to inspire creativity and fun!

Low Impact Outdoor Games (18+)

BINGO (55+)

This choreographed line dancing class is a great way to meet new friends and get your groove on!

An opportunity to socialize, play BINGO, and

Have some fun in the sun while having friendly competition with these outdoor games!

Line Dancing (18+)

CANYON COUNTRY LIBRARY PROGRAMS August 26

Sept. 20

Sept. 1

4:30 p.m. Teen Advisory Board

9:30 a.m. Cuenta Cuentos 3:30 p.m. Teen Library Eats 4 p.m.

Widl for Board Games

Sept. 3-4 CLOSED Labor Day

Sept. 21

10 a.m.

Sept. 5

Sit and Stitch

CLOSED Staff Training

Sept. 7

6:30 p.m. Club de Mujeres Latinas en Literatura

Sept. 9 10 a.m.

Sept. 11 6 p.m.

Sept. 18 1 p.m.

Sept. 19

Sit and Stitch Worlds of Whimsy Little Explorers

9:30 a.m. Storytime 3:30 p.m. LEGO block party 4:30 p.m. Pumpkin Dioramas

9:30 a.m. Storytime 2 p.m.

Lifeskills: Financial Literacy 3:30 p.m. Teen Crafts and Stuff

Sept. 23 10 a.m.

Sit and Stitch

Sept. 24 2 p.m.

From the Ground Up with Charlie Xu. Tips and tricks for gardening

Sept. 25 1 p.m.

Little Explorers

Sept. 26 9:30 a.m. Storytime 3:30 p.m. Teen Crafts and Stuff

AU G U S T 2023

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 1 9

We are OPEN EVERYDAY from 4PM to 11PM for all of your Pets After Hours URGENT CARE Needs Preventive Care is the Best way to avoid Illnesses and Accidents

Summer is Here and the Heat Relentless...

So what does this mean for your pet?

Summer Heat is known to render the Highest Number of Pet Heat Related Injuries...

Heat Exaustion, Heatstroke, Dehydration, Burned Paws... Pets can suffer from Heat

Related Dangers just as humans do. We have seen a multitude of sad pet heat related scenarios. Our fur babies are our fragile fur covered pride and joys. We always recommend pets stay indoors during High Outdoor Temperatures. When outdoors, be watchful of your pets conditions and suroundings for harmful heat and scary critters; spiders, snakes, rodents, etc.

Pet Microchips and Registrations... Is your Pet Microchipped? If so GREAT! Please check your Pets Online Microchip Registry for your most current Contact Information. Not Chipped? Contact us for more information...

Rattlesnake Awareness... We have had many pets brought in due to Rattlesnake Bites.

Rattlesnake Vaccinations can give you a little more time to get your Pet to Emergency Veterinary Care

Check this out

Outdoor Air Temperatures and Ground Temperatures differ dramatically with possible

Pet Paw Burns.

Simple tests: Press your hand on the pavement for about 7 seconds

OR if its too hot for your feet, it’s TOO HOT for your Pets Paws and as always for you and your pet...

Remember to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Call or Message us at (661) 888-8VET for more Information or to Request an Appointment Check out our List of Services or contact us at -- www.scanimalurgentcare.vet 18597 Soledad Canyon Road Santa Clarita 91351 (On the Corner of Shangri La Street in the Vallarta Shopping Center)

Image courtesy of Petplan