Santa Clarita Ca

Santa Clarita is one of 10 California cities honored by the state Department of Health Services' "Healthy Cities" program, which recognizes municipalities that strive to improve the quality of life for residents. Santa Clarita was praised for strong promotion of seat-belt usage, improvements to the natural environment, participation in air-quality programs and the addition of a recreational park accessible to the handicapped.

The Santa Clarita City Council wants graffiti to disappear more quickly from local buildings. Council members voted 5 to 0 to give property owners seven working days to remove the scrawlings from their business or residence after they are notified in writing by the city. Property owners previously had 20 days to clean up graffiti. "The longer it stays up there, the more it is an attraction for another tagging group to come along or the same tagger to add more," said Sgt.

What do Santa Claritans think of their city? If you believe the responses to a city survey circulated among local business leaders, they hate it, love it and, in some cases, both. One respondent praised Santa Clarita because it is close to Los Angeles and has a low crime rate and good shopping. Showing that memories of the drought are short, another liked the lack of rain. On the downside, some business leaders charged that the city is too weighted with regulations.

Work has begun on a $5.4-million bridge over the Santa Clarita River that Los Angeles County and Santa Clarita planners say is vital to relieving congestion in the rapidly growing city. The Whites Canyon Bridge is the first part of a three-phase project to turn Whites Canyon Road into a major north-south artery through the Santa Clarita Valley, connecting Bouquet Canyon Road with the Sierra Highway in Canyon Country.

With a great deal of pomp and circumstance, Santa Clarita will officially become Los Angeles County's 85th city at a ceremony tonight at College of the Canyons in Valencia. More than 2,500 people are expected to attend the 7:30 p.m. festivities, featuring music by three bands, a parade, presentations from county and state officials and the inauguration of Santa Clarita's first City Council members.

At long last, Santa Clarita has an official seal. The seal, developed over eight months, shows one of the young city's trademark oak trees as well as rolling hills, puffy clouds, tract homes and an industrial building. "It represents all the things we want to preserve in this valley," Councilwoman Jan Heidt said.

The City Council voted Tuesday night to urge Los Angeles County planners to withhold approval of plans for the 25,000-home Newhall Ranch development. By a vote of 5 to 0, the council directed Councilwoman Jill Klajic to read a statement of objections to the project at a hearing by the County Regional Planning Commission on Thursday. Klajic said she believes the other council members supported her motion because they believe the developer, Newhall Land & Farming Co.

Joining officials of Santa Paula, Moorpark and Ventura County, the Santa Clarita City Council has voted to appeal the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission's approval of the controversial Newhall Ranch project. The decision Tuesday night reinforced the council's previously stated opposition to the plan, which would bring 70,000 new residents to a 12,000--acre site in the hills west of the city against the Ventura County line.

The city of Santa Clarita has canceled its 2003 marathon, originally scheduled for Sunday, because of complications arising from Southern California's wildfires. City officials said they couldn't predict the air quality nor be assured that ambulances and other emergency services would be available. There are no plans to reschedule the marathon, for which 2,700 runners, walkers and volunteers had signed up.