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Worth Celebrating
September, 2020 - Issue #192
With a major election on the horizon, much unresolved social tension and tantalizing news about a possible COVID-19 vaccine, it's natural to fixate on the future. Things are rough, so we look to what lies ahead. Still, there's ample reason to take time to celebrate what we can in the here and now. Birthdays, graduations, marriages, new jobs and anniversaries haven't stopped. All around us are reminders that it's truly worth it to celebrate now - before moving on to what's next.
A New Newhall
Newhall isn't just a name. The Newhalls are also a family with a long local history. In the 1870s, Henry Mayo Newhall bought much of what became Santa Clarita for about a couple of dollars an acre. With work, savvy and luck came success, and now the Newhall name marks our history, the land management company, the hospital, schools, streets and even a street gang (Newhall 13 has no relation to the family). This May, Lindsey Newhall and her husband welcomed their first daughter, who is now Henry Newhall's youngest direct descendent. Being so young, there is little to report other than that she spends much of her time eating and sleeping.
That she was born in Newhall, however, should not be taken for granted. Lindsey has spent much of her adult life not in Santa Clarita. The quadrilingual(ish) nomad has lived in China, Thailand, Death Valley, Alaska and Ukraine. But much like a salmon returning to its natal stream to spawn, Lindsey returned home to Santa Clarita to welcome the newest little Newhall to her hometown. Given how many Santa Clarita institutions the family has founded and supported through the years, this is certainly good news. Congratulations, Newhalls!
Shared Opinions
Maybe it's because people have more time to notice current events. Maybe it's because people have more time to share their opinions and demonstrate. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. But whatever the reason, Claritans are letting their voices be heard now more than ever. And since our country values free speech and assembly so much that they're part of our First Amendment, these (hopefully well-distanced) demonstrations are worth celebrating, whether you agree with the demonstrators or not.
To recap, things started in May with a protest to re-open Santa Clarita and California after the COVID-19 shutdown. There were Black Lives Matter and social justice protests in June, along with protests against Councilmember Bob Kellar for allegedly racist remarks. There was a rally to support law enforcement officers in July. Also, in July, people showed up to support a street vendor who had been harassed by a couple in a viral video clip. For most of these causes, the corner of Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway has become Santa Clarita's public square, a place for the airing of grievances or support. Drive by only if you're prepared to honk or shake your head.
Staying in Business
We're celebrating Inside SCV Magazine's 15th anniversary. All I have to do is write about the valley I so dearly heart and come up with excuses for missing deadlines. For Jeanna, Kyle and Therese, along with all the other members of the team, it's considerably more work. The business of doing business is never easy. So it's with great sincerity that I extend my congratulations to them for keeping this publication chugging along so smoothly amid so much change.
Indeed, just think about how much has changed. Fifteen years ago, you couldn't read these pages on your (then uninvented) iPhone. Corona meant the beer you drank at backyard barbecues. And no one wore masks or socially distanced at those barbecues. Yet much has stayed the same since 15 years ago. Businesses are always hustling to keep up, parents are still trying to pull off impossible balancing acts, and current Mayor Cameron Smyth was then-Mayor Cameron Smyth, too. (His political career, like his hairline, defies the passage of time.) Life is challenging, but there's still plenty worth appreciating, plenty worth celebrating and plenty worth hearting in SCV.
This column is intended as satire and a (sometimes successful) attempt at humor. Suggestions and catty comments intended for the author can be e-mailed to iheartscv@insidescv.com.
"Life is challenging, but there's still plenty worth appreciating, plenty worth celebrating and plenty worth hearting in SCV."
Newhall isn't just a name. The Newhalls are also a family with a long local history. In the 1870s, Henry Mayo Newhall bought much of what became Santa Clarita for about a couple of dollars an acre. With work, savvy and luck came success, and now the Newhall name marks our history, the land management company, the hospital, schools, streets and even a street gang (Newhall 13 has no relation to the family). This May, Lindsey Newhall and her husband welcomed their first daughter, who is now Henry Newhall's youngest direct descendent. Being so young, there is little to report other than that she spends much of her time eating and sleeping.
That she was born in Newhall, however, should not be taken for granted. Lindsey has spent much of her adult life not in Santa Clarita. The quadrilingual(ish) nomad has lived in China, Thailand, Death Valley, Alaska and Ukraine. But much like a salmon returning to its natal stream to spawn, Lindsey returned home to Santa Clarita to welcome the newest little Newhall to her hometown. Given how many Santa Clarita institutions the family has founded and supported through the years, this is certainly good news. Congratulations, Newhalls!
Shared Opinions
Maybe it's because people have more time to notice current events. Maybe it's because people have more time to share their opinions and demonstrate. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. But whatever the reason, Claritans are letting their voices be heard now more than ever. And since our country values free speech and assembly so much that they're part of our First Amendment, these (hopefully well-distanced) demonstrations are worth celebrating, whether you agree with the demonstrators or not.
To recap, things started in May with a protest to re-open Santa Clarita and California after the COVID-19 shutdown. There were Black Lives Matter and social justice protests in June, along with protests against Councilmember Bob Kellar for allegedly racist remarks. There was a rally to support law enforcement officers in July. Also, in July, people showed up to support a street vendor who had been harassed by a couple in a viral video clip. For most of these causes, the corner of Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway has become Santa Clarita's public square, a place for the airing of grievances or support. Drive by only if you're prepared to honk or shake your head.
Staying in Business
We're celebrating Inside SCV Magazine's 15th anniversary. All I have to do is write about the valley I so dearly heart and come up with excuses for missing deadlines. For Jeanna, Kyle and Therese, along with all the other members of the team, it's considerably more work. The business of doing business is never easy. So it's with great sincerity that I extend my congratulations to them for keeping this publication chugging along so smoothly amid so much change.
Indeed, just think about how much has changed. Fifteen years ago, you couldn't read these pages on your (then uninvented) iPhone. Corona meant the beer you drank at backyard barbecues. And no one wore masks or socially distanced at those barbecues. Yet much has stayed the same since 15 years ago. Businesses are always hustling to keep up, parents are still trying to pull off impossible balancing acts, and current Mayor Cameron Smyth was then-Mayor Cameron Smyth, too. (His political career, like his hairline, defies the passage of time.) Life is challenging, but there's still plenty worth appreciating, plenty worth celebrating and plenty worth hearting in SCV.
This column is intended as satire and a (sometimes successful) attempt at humor. Suggestions and catty comments intended for the author can be e-mailed to iheartscv@insidescv.com.
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