April 15-22, 2011, our Pennsylvania family came out to visit us. It was a whirlwind of activity, but we managed to document a few of our adventures. Hope you enjoy the photos.
Click on this link: PA Slide Show
Hope it works....
Monday, August 8, 2011
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sheriff Cars on the Move in Santa Clarita
Catchy title??!! Well today as I drove to the Newhall Train Station to head downtown...this was at my usual eye opening 5:45 a.m. I was sitting at the RR crossing at Oak Ridge and Main Street (formerly San Fernando Road) when a caravan of over 15 sheriff squad cars go past. They didn't have lights or sirens on, however, were escorted by motorcycle officers who did have their lights flashing and held traffic at all the intersections.
How do I know they held the lights at the intersections? Well they took MY route to the train station so I was behind and saw everything...5 squad cars dropped off and stopped in front of the Fire Station on Main Street just before 13th Street...the rest continued down Main St. to Railroad Ave. Then when they reached Market St. where the train station is they took a left and headed back into the barrio that has become East Newhall. That is where I left them...the parking lot I use for the Newhall Train Station is just off of Market - I had a full view for a while.
As I and fellow commuters waited for the Santa Clarita Transit to pick us up we all thought out theories as to WHAT was happening...none of us could remember when, if ever, we had seen so many sheriff squad cars in the SC Valley. We could only hope that they were doing an illegal alien raid, gang raid, or drug bust of epic proportions.
As a side note on Illegal Aliens: In the financial chaos and political cesspool that has become California I think most legal California residents are tired of all of the illegal aliens taking over tax payer services; and (unfortunately) the Santa Clarita Valley is no different. Although perhaps our illegal population is a little less visible...it is only a matter of time before it begins to raise its ugly head in our hometown as it has in others. Wouldn't it be great if the City of Santa Clarita took on this problem and instituted E-Verify for all employers ~AND~ invited ICE in for regular sweeps....ah, one can only dream!
Anyway, that is how my morning started...just had to share it with all of you. If you ever hear what was going down...let me know. In the meantime have a great day, all those living in Santa Clarita...now is your time to inch up on the speedometer...their all busy, at least for this morning!
How do I know they held the lights at the intersections? Well they took MY route to the train station so I was behind and saw everything...5 squad cars dropped off and stopped in front of the Fire Station on Main Street just before 13th Street...the rest continued down Main St. to Railroad Ave. Then when they reached Market St. where the train station is they took a left and headed back into the barrio that has become East Newhall. That is where I left them...the parking lot I use for the Newhall Train Station is just off of Market - I had a full view for a while.
As I and fellow commuters waited for the Santa Clarita Transit to pick us up we all thought out theories as to WHAT was happening...none of us could remember when, if ever, we had seen so many sheriff squad cars in the SC Valley. We could only hope that they were doing an illegal alien raid, gang raid, or drug bust of epic proportions.
As a side note on Illegal Aliens: In the financial chaos and political cesspool that has become California I think most legal California residents are tired of all of the illegal aliens taking over tax payer services; and (unfortunately) the Santa Clarita Valley is no different. Although perhaps our illegal population is a little less visible...it is only a matter of time before it begins to raise its ugly head in our hometown as it has in others. Wouldn't it be great if the City of Santa Clarita took on this problem and instituted E-Verify for all employers ~AND~ invited ICE in for regular sweeps....ah, one can only dream!
Anyway, that is how my morning started...just had to share it with all of you. If you ever hear what was going down...let me know. In the meantime have a great day, all those living in Santa Clarita...now is your time to inch up on the speedometer...their all busy, at least for this morning!
Monday, August 24, 2009
City spending goes on as usual....bankruptcy, smankruptcy...not us!
If this doesn't beat all, when the City has NO money, maybe going bankrupt...your elected officials still proceed with frivolous spending for celebrations....just WHO is paying for this event with free food and entertainment??? Don't be naive people - you are...with the 10-20% cuts to all the Departments and Bureaus!
You are cordially invited to the 2009 Latino Heritage Month Opening Ceremony on Friday, September 4th, 10am -12:15pm at City Hall. You may RSVP directly to me or to: SP-RSVP@lacity.org.
This year's honorees are Jimmy Smits, Jaime Escalante, and Sheila E. who will additionally be performing.
Please, please, please feel free to e-blast the attached invitation and the information below to anyone and everyone you know as this is a public and free event with free food and a wonderful array of entertainment that will be attended by hundreds of residents, students, celebrities, Sponsors, Elected Officials including Mayor Villaraigosa, Commissioners, and various Consuls General.
You may even post it online on your department's website, calendar of events, your facebook, myspace, twitter about it - the works - SPREAD THE WORD!
Traditional and festive costumes are encouraged to add to the celebratory ambiance!
Thanks and feel free to email me with any questions or for more information.
Sandy Franco
Manager of Protocol & Special Events
Legislative & Intergovernmental Relations
Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
200 N. Spring St., Rm. 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 922-9764 - Office
(213) 978-0775 - Fax
sandy.franco@lacity.org
*********************************************************************************
Below is the general information about the event:
2009 Latino Heritage Month Celebration
"Embracing Our Roots & Cultures: the Tapestry that Built Los Angeles"
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles City Council, City Controller, and City Attorney
Cordially Invite You to the Opening Ceremony
Friday, September 4, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
Followed by Program and Reception on the South Lawn
200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
With Special Performance by Sheila E.
Traditional and festive costumes are encouraged to add to the celebratory ambiance.
You are cordially invited to the 2009 Latino Heritage Month Opening Ceremony on Friday, September 4th, 10am -12:15pm at City Hall. You may RSVP directly to me or to: SP-RSVP@lacity.org.
This year's honorees are Jimmy Smits, Jaime Escalante, and Sheila E. who will additionally be performing.
Please, please, please feel free to e-blast the attached invitation and the information below to anyone and everyone you know as this is a public and free event with free food and a wonderful array of entertainment that will be attended by hundreds of residents, students, celebrities, Sponsors, Elected Officials including Mayor Villaraigosa, Commissioners, and various Consuls General.
You may even post it online on your department's website, calendar of events, your facebook, myspace, twitter about it - the works - SPREAD THE WORD!
Traditional and festive costumes are encouraged to add to the celebratory ambiance!
Thanks and feel free to email me with any questions or for more information.
Sandy Franco
Manager of Protocol & Special Events
Legislative & Intergovernmental Relations
Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
200 N. Spring St., Rm. 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 922-9764 - Office
(213) 978-0775 - Fax
sandy.franco@lacity.org
*********************************************************************************
Below is the general information about the event:
2009 Latino Heritage Month Celebration
"Embracing Our Roots & Cultures: the Tapestry that Built Los Angeles"
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles City Council, City Controller, and City Attorney
Cordially Invite You to the Opening Ceremony
Friday, September 4, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
Followed by Program and Reception on the South Lawn
200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
With Special Performance by Sheila E.
Traditional and festive costumes are encouraged to add to the celebratory ambiance.
My first blog....
I guess I should share a little about me first....I am a native Californian, not too many of us over 50's folks who can say that. I am a wife, a mother, and for the last 32 years a "civil servant" of the City of Los Angeles.
Right about now I should tell you that I am looking forward to retiring from that "civil service" job right around the end of the year and have already begun my countdown. I have 71 working days left in my City of Los Angeles career and truthfully the way things are going in the City it couldn't come any sooner!
Things in the City have slowly been circling the drain for a number of years. We have a core group of career politicians who run the City, when they aren't busy figuring out what next political office they can run for. Currently you have a Mayor who cannot seem to keep his eyes off the ladies, although his current anchor woman may have him "anchored" for a while in one harbor...too bad it isn't LA's harbor. He keeps running off on "City Business" or vacations so much so that he is never around when something BIG comes down...leaving it to either the son of a previous long-time politician and currently the President of the City Council, or to a long time in-house political hack known for her abrupt demeanor.
Seems like the City has finally reached the end of its rope and will either have to declare bankruptcy or call in the Chicago folks to help them figure out how to score some hidden cash in order to make ends meet. But truthfully wouldn't it be easier to level with folks and tell them that the money they contribute through taxes isn't enough to cover the current legal AND illegal population inhabiting LA?!
Well I think this is a good start for today...more rantings to follow...maybe I will fill you in on the crazy antics which has occurred within my little realm of the City government...the audacity of some folks still floors me.
Right about now I should tell you that I am looking forward to retiring from that "civil service" job right around the end of the year and have already begun my countdown. I have 71 working days left in my City of Los Angeles career and truthfully the way things are going in the City it couldn't come any sooner!
Things in the City have slowly been circling the drain for a number of years. We have a core group of career politicians who run the City, when they aren't busy figuring out what next political office they can run for. Currently you have a Mayor who cannot seem to keep his eyes off the ladies, although his current anchor woman may have him "anchored" for a while in one harbor...too bad it isn't LA's harbor. He keeps running off on "City Business" or vacations so much so that he is never around when something BIG comes down...leaving it to either the son of a previous long-time politician and currently the President of the City Council, or to a long time in-house political hack known for her abrupt demeanor.
Seems like the City has finally reached the end of its rope and will either have to declare bankruptcy or call in the Chicago folks to help them figure out how to score some hidden cash in order to make ends meet. But truthfully wouldn't it be easier to level with folks and tell them that the money they contribute through taxes isn't enough to cover the current legal AND illegal population inhabiting LA?!
Well I think this is a good start for today...more rantings to follow...maybe I will fill you in on the crazy antics which has occurred within my little realm of the City government...the audacity of some folks still floors me.
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