Santa Clarita Ca Public Works

Four months after a woman was dragged off an unlit section of Santa Clarita's main east-west thoroughfare and strangled to death, city officials have authorized street lights for a dark stretch of the street. Veronica Estrada, 29, was walking along Soledad Canyon Road, near Camp Plenty Road, about 8:15 p.m. Dec. 15 when she was attacked and pulled over an embankment. She was a nationally ranked black belt in tae kwon do, and a popular instructor at a Canyon Country martial arts studio.

Gearing up for a crucial public hearing next week on plans for a 190-million-ton trash dump in Elsmere Canyon, Santa Clarita officials have launched a $20,000 advertising campaign aimed at drawing hundreds of residents, preferably angry residents, to the May 31 hearing. City Hall's television, radio and print ads are but a part of Santa Clarita's efforts to quash the new landfill, which Los Angeles County planners say would be the world's largest.

The city of Santa Clarita will hold a groundbreaking Friday to kick off a $4.5-million road widening project requested by Canyon Country residents. During the next year, the city will add two lanes to a two-mile stretch of Soledad Canyon Road between Sand Canyon and Shadow Pines roads and install street lights, storm drains, landscaped medians and a traffic light. Crews will also remove part of the hill at Soledad Canyon and Sand Canyon roads. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 11 a.m.

To head up its continuing battle against the proposed Elsmere Canyon Landfill project, the city of Santa Clarita has reassigned its public works director to the new post of deputy city manager in charge of special projects. His only project for the time being, city officials said, will be the fight against BKK Corp.'s controversial plans to build a 190-million-ton landfill just outside city limits.

Work crews will spend up to six weeks repairing a Santa Clarita bridge damaged when a sewer line broke. But traffic congestion in the area was eased after the city opened a westbound lane Wednesday. Traffic on the Valencia Boulevard bridge was reduced from five to three lanes Saturday after the pipeline ruptured, spilling an estimated 600,000 gallons of raw sewage into the Santa Clara River.

For more than two years, a sign posted on the unfinished Whites Canyon Road bridge in Santa Clarita bore the name of Mike Antonovich, the Los Angles County supervisor who represents the area. The bridge, which begins just south of Soledad Canyon Road but ends abruptly before reaching the other side, was never completed because the housing market dried up, and with it the developers' fees to pay for it ran out.

Bowing to pressure from business leaders and developers, the city of Santa Clarita has backed away from taking over two county-run sanitation districts that serve most of the Santa Clarita Valley. The City Council rejected the takeover 3 to 2 late Tuesday after hearing testimony from opponents who feared the move would result in higher sewer fees and give the city a means to control growth in outlying areas.

About half a dozen residents from the Four Oaks community in Canyon Country, many of them complaining that they have had to put temporary outhouses in their yards or garages and have been showering in plastic tubs because of sewer problems related to high ground-water levels, are taking their case to the City Council. Winter rains are blamed for the flooding, which for the last three months has undermined and damaged streets and sidewalks in the area.

To head up its continuing battle against the proposed Elsmere Canyon Landfill project, the city of Santa Clarita has reassigned its public works director to the new post of deputy city manager in charge of special projects. His only project for the time being, city officials said, will be the fight against BKK Corp.'s controversial plans to build a 190-million-ton landfill just outside city limits.

Residents' use of the city's curbside trash recycling program fell in the first half of this year to the lowest level in the two-year history of the program, despite city advertising campaigns, school presentations and cash awards, city public works officials said Wednesday. City officials, under pressure from a state law to encourage recycling, blamed the Northridge earthquake for the drop-off.

In an attempt to get in line with state laws requiring cities and counties to reduce their trash output, Santa Clarita officials Tuesday announced plans for a $1-million program to recycle yard trimmings. As proposed, the city's three trash companies would pick up separated yard waste from commercial landscaping firms and private residences. Grass, leaves and small branches would be recycled for mulch and compost.

Residents' use of the city's curbside trash recycling program fell in the first half of this year to the lowest level in the two-year history of the program, despite city advertising campaigns, school presentations and cash awards, city public works officials said Wednesday. City officials, under pressure from a state law to encourage recycling, blamed the Northridge earthquake for the drop-off.

Four months after a woman was dragged off an unlit section of Santa Clarita's main east-west thoroughfare and strangled to death, city officials have authorized street lights for a dark stretch of the street. Veronica Estrada, 29, was walking along Soledad Canyon Road, near Camp Plenty Road, about 8:15 p.m. Dec. 15 when she was attacked and pulled over an embankment. She was a nationally ranked black belt in tae kwon do, and a popular instructor at a Canyon Country martial arts studio.

About half a dozen residents from the Four Oaks community in Canyon Country, many of them complaining that they have had to put temporary outhouses in their yards or garages and have been showering in plastic tubs because of sewer problems related to high ground-water levels, are taking their case to the City Council. Winter rains are blamed for the flooding, which for the last three months has undermined and damaged streets and sidewalks in the area.

City officials hope to have nearly 140,000 experts on emergency preparedness on hand if a major disaster hits the Santa Clarita Valley. Training all residents in the valley in five years is the goal of the ongoing Santa Clarita Educated Communities United in Response to Emergencies program that relies on volunteers and some simple math. Under the SECURE program, volunteers participate in five two-hour training sessions, hosts of which are Santa Clarita and the American Red Cross.

Bowing to pressure from business leaders and developers, the city of Santa Clarita has backed away from taking over two county-run sanitation districts that serve most of the Santa Clarita Valley. The City Council rejected the takeover 3 to 2 late Tuesday after hearing testimony from opponents who feared the move would result in higher sewer fees and give the city a means to control growth in outlying areas.

Santa Clarita has taken steps to improve its Dial-a-Ride program in response to criticism from riders. The company recently expanded the hours of the program, prompting complaints of poor service from riders. Dial-A-Ride is available 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily. At the city's request, the company has replaced an operator who was rude to callers and added two more telephone lines to reduce the amount of time callers wait on hold.

In an attempt to get in line with state laws requiring cities and counties to reduce their trash output, Santa Clarita officials Tuesday announced plans for a $1-million program to recycle yard trimmings. As proposed, the city's three trash companies would pick up separated yard waste from commercial landscaping firms and private residences. Grass, leaves and small branches would be recycled for mulch and compost.

For more than two years, a sign posted on the unfinished Whites Canyon Road bridge in Santa Clarita bore the name of Mike Antonovich, the Los Angles County supervisor who represents the area. The bridge, which begins just south of Soledad Canyon Road but ends abruptly before reaching the other side, was never completed because the housing market dried up, and with it the developers' fees to pay for it ran out.

The city of Santa Clarita will hold a groundbreaking Friday to kick off a $4.5-million road widening project requested by Canyon Country residents. During the next year, the city will add two lanes to a two-mile stretch of Soledad Canyon Road between Sand Canyon and Shadow Pines roads and install street lights, storm drains, landscaped medians and a traffic light. Crews will also remove part of the hill at Soledad Canyon and Sand Canyon roads. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 11 a.m.