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Wednesday, March 02, 2016

Prepare now for El Nino Rains
Experts agree that the toughest time to find solutions to rain-related issues is during a rainstorm.

Fix leaks BEFORE it rains: Recent dry heat may have caused wood structures to shrink and open expansion joints—possibly creating leak points. Call your roofer to check for trouble spots and repair any old leaks. Most roof leaks occur at metal flashing connection points, so make sure the flashing is free of debris. Use your hose to make sure the flashing is directing the water off the roof and into the gutters.

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Monday, February 22, 2016

Currently under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), an employee must meet three criteria to qualify as an executive, administrative, or professional employee exempt (the “white collar” exemptions) from federal overtime pay requirements (time and a half for hours worked over 40 per week): they must be paid on a salary basis (the salary basis test); that salary must be more than $455/week ($23,660 annually) (the minimum salary requirement or salary threshold); and their “primary duties” must be consistent with executive, professional or administrative positions as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) (the primary duties test). To ensure employees are paid for all hours worked and at the proper rate for overtime, employers must carefully track the hours nonexempt employees work.

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Friday, February 19, 2016

2016 Policy Agenda Now Posted on Web
The California Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Issues and Legislative Guide is now available at

www.calchamber.com/businessissues

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Thursday, February 11, 2016

2016 Minimum Wage Explained (I Hope)
With all the new changes for employers this year, the number one question I have been asked recently is “What is the minimum wage in Santa Clarita?”


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Friday, January 22, 2016

Only 4 openings remain for the 11th annual KHTS Sacramento Road trip announced KHTS owners Jeri Seratti-Goldman and Carl Goldman.
“We’re taking 120 community leaders with us to our State Capitol for two days on March 14th and 15th, 2016 to advocate for issues impacting our Valley. Half of our group will be traveling with us on the bus, the remainder will fly. We have a wait list for the bus because KHTS broadcasts during the ride. We share a lot of information about the issues we will be covering on the trip,” stated Goldman.

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Thursday, January 14, 2016

2015 was a great year full of amazing accomplishments!

At our planning session we identified 3 areas for growth and implemented a plan to achieve these milestones. With the help of an extremely supportive Board of directors, led by our then Chairman, Sue Nevius, we leaped into action.

Our core goals were to grow and strengthen our membership, be the leading business support organization in the Santa Clarita Valley, and strengthen our partnerships with the SCVEDC & VIA.

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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

The California Chamber of Commerce is presenting handy summaries of new legislation taking effect in 2016 that will affect the day-to-day operations of California employers.

The summaries appear in a CalChamber white paper, available to download at www.calchamber.com/newlaws2016

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Friday, December 04, 2015

Yesterday, the California Supreme Court issued a disappointing decision in Center for Biological Diversity et al, v. California Department of Fish and Wildlife and The Newhall Land and Farming Company, further delaying a 2,587 acre southern California planned green community that proposes to house about 58,000 residents. The project has been in the works for more than 15 years.

The Newhall Ranch project involves building nearly 20,000 homes and adding roughly 5 million square feet of commercial space to an area in dire need of both. After years of a public planning process that involved dozens of federal, state and local agencies, environmental groups sued over the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project, charging that (1) the state and the developer failed to accurately assess future greenhouse gas emissions and (2) the EIR’s mitigation plan to use a long-standing process to relocate a protected species amounted to a “taking” under the endangered species act.

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Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Take a Tour of the Valencia Water Reclamation Plant

Enter Have you ever wondered what happens to wastewater here in the Santa Clarita Valley? Find out on Saturday, December 12 at 9:00 a.m. by taking this tour.

You will visit one of the Sanitation Districts' key facilities—the Valencia Water Reclamation Plant. The tour is free and open to ages 10 and up.

http://www.lacsd.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=11050

Tuesday, December 01, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 23, 2015
Brook.Taylor@gov.ca.gov
(916) 322-0667

GO-Biz to Host Series of Workshops for California Businesses Interested in Applying for $75 Million in Tax Credits

Sacramento, Calif. – The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) today announced a series of 15 workshops across California designed to help businesses apply for the California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC).

“The California Competes tax credit has encouraged hundreds of companies to expand in California and add valuable jobs in the state,” said GO-Biz chief deputy director Will Koch. “The on-line application is simple to navigate and the GO-Biz staff works directly with applicants to make the process as easy as possible.”

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Monday, November 23, 2015

OLD TOWN NEWHALL: OUR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

Ever since word of the possibility of a Laemmle Theatre in Old Town Newhall emerged, many residents have expressed their excitement and are asking when it will happen. As with any potential development, there is a process that must be followed.

To read the full article click on the Headline Link

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Visit California and Union Pay International are hosting the seminar series, “Global Ready China”, to provide California’s businesses community with cultural, sales and service trainings that highlight best practices for welcoming Chinese visitors. Chinese tourists in California continue to outpace all other overseas visitors, serving as the number one source of overseas visitors to the Golden State.

The seminars will offer the latest tools and information to help you and your members remain competitive in this growing market. Last year, California’s business community benefitted from $2.6 billion in spending by more than 1 million Chinese tourists who visited the Golden State. This spending provided significant revenue boosts for businesses in our state’s leading industries, including restaurants, retailers, museums, theme parks and others.

As the authority on California’s tourism industry and umbrella organization that represents the trade, Visit California is interested in building partnerships with business leaders like you to ensure California’s top influencers and opinion leaders have access to accurate and helpful information on the tourism economy. Participate in an upcoming seminar in the Los Angeles area:

Santa Monica
Doubletree Suites By Hilton – 1707 4th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401
October 28, 2015
9 – 11 a.m.

Beverly Hills
Montage Beverly Hills – 225 N Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
November 17, 2015
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Attendance is free, and registration for all future seminars as well as information on dates and locations is available at industry.visitcalifornia.com/globalready.

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Thursday, October 22, 2015

Letter from LACoFD FIRE CHIEF, DARYL L. OSBY - to Residents (Brush Areas)

DARYL L. OSBY
FIRE CHIEF
FORESTER & FIRE WARDEN

August 21, 2015

Dear Residents:
Southern California continues to be one of the most desirable places on earth to live. However, many
challenges, including longer and warmer summers, fast-moving powerful storms, and an on-going
drought continue to challenge our ability to live safely in the wildland-urban interface areas of
Los Angeles County.

The combined effect of years of drought, high temperatures, low humidity, and dry Santa Ana winds have
the potential to cause devastating consequences during our fall fire season. As the numerous fires that
have impacted Northern California have proven, any fire that gets established near homes will quickly
threaten lives and property.

The four year drought has forced all of us to cut back on water usage. However, we would like to
encourage those who reside in the wildland-urban interface to continue to judiciously water plants and
ornamental vegetation in accordance with your localwater restriction ordinances. Proper maintenance
and removal of dead material is equally important as it only takes a single ember to ignite dry vegetation.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department continues to take every precaution to protect you and your
home from wildfire. In the event of a major fire, firefighting resources will be stretched thin.

You can prepare for the upcoming fire season by developing a Ready! Set! Go! Personal Wildfire Action Plan.

The Readv! Set! Go! PersonalWildfire Action Plan is available on our website and provides guidance on
retrofitting your home with fire-resistive features, creating defensible space around your home, and
developing an emergency plan should your home be threatened by a wildfire and you need to evacuate.

You play a vital role in protecting your life, the lives of your loved ones, and property. Through advance
planning and preparation, we can all be ready for the next wildfire. For more information, please visit our
website at www.fire.lacountv.qov, our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LACOFD, or call our public
information team at (323) 881-2411.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation To Present Piece of World Trade Center Steel, To Ben Griffiths of Brent's Carpet One Floor & Home Inc.

Newhall, CA (8/20/15)-On Friday, September 18th at 11:30am representatives from the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, an organization begun in memory of a fallen 9?11 firefighter, will pay a special visit to Ben Griffiths, Brent's Carpet One, Newhall, to personally thank him for their generous support of the Foundation's Building for America's Bravest (BFAB) program.

The BFAB program builds hi-tech "smart homes" for service members returning from war who have been catastrophically injured.

Carpet One Floor & Home, and its manufacturing partner Mohawk, have committed to providing flooring materials and installation for 46 of these "smart homes." Each store's customers are invited to share information about the program with others, and make a personal contribution at the store site. The goal is to collect a donation of $10-or more-from each customer, to ultimately enable the building of two more "smart homes." (http://www.carpetone.com/our-bravest).

In recognition of that support, on Friday, September 18th at 11:30am, members of the FDNY (Fire Department of New York City)-acting on their own initiative, as ambassadors of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation-will present a specially-designed shadowbox containing hallowed 9/11 steel from Ground Zero to Ben Griffiths.

"We are truly humbled and honored that the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and members of the FDNY-who were actually at Ground Zero on 9/11 and during its aftermath-are travelling all the way from their home base to visit us and express their gratitude to us," says Ben Griffiths, Brent's Carpet One. "In fact, we are the ones who are thankful to them for their dedication and service. That is why we are so thrilled to be part of this impactful program that helps military heroes who have sustained the most devastating injuries."

About Brent's Carpet One

Brent's Carpet One is a locally owned flooring retailer serving the Santa Clarita area. They are part of North America's leading floor covering co-op. Their showroom is known for carrying a broad selection of beautiful carpet, wood, laminate, ceramic, vinyl, and area rugs including exclusive brands like Bigelow and Lees. They offer a unique customer experience with the exclusive SelectAFloor merchandising system that simplifies the shopping experience and The Beautiful GuaranteeTM, which guarantees that the customer will be 100% happy with their floor. Brent's Carpet One is also the home of the exclusive Healthier Living Installation system. For more information visit www.brentscarpetone.com

Friday, August 21, 2015

Just Say It! A Local Mom's National Campaign for DIPG Awareness

August 17, 2015, Santa Clarita, CA - Janet Demeter is running on the heels of good fortune, the local leadership of our very own CA State Assemblyman Scott Wilk who, touched by the story of Jacks Angels Foundation, authored ACR151 which passed the California Legislature in June of 2014, declaring May 25-31 to be DIPG Awareness Week in California. Pennsylvania followed suit in this leadership in 2015, declaring Feb. 22 to be DIPG Awareness Day. Janet lost her son Jack to DIPG, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, an almost exclusively pediatric brain tumor responsible for most of the brain tumor deaths each year in children. Four DIPG Awareness Runs are being planned for the upcoming month, calling for a National Day for DIPG; the first in Santa Clarita CA, on Sunday August 30 at 10am, following a course from Canyon Country Park to Central Park. "I'm dedicating this one to my son Jack-it's his seventh birthday-and to the little ones fighting right now to stay alive as their families watch on, helplessly." She is also actively petitioning Governor Jerry Brown to declare a DIPG Awareness Day, to continue this California leadership in the quest for a National Day.

"Almost every case of terminal pediatric cancer on the news this last year has been DIPG, but do you know that?" No, no one will say it. The 'Run for a National Day for DIPG' is, in part, an experiment to observe the power of an individual, and to speak out for those who are currently unable to do so about a disease that is decimating family's lives, with very little hope-largely in silence! DIPG represents the problem besetting ALL childhood cancers; no matter how many cumulative deaths, or regularity of incidence, the disease is marginalized as "rare" and thus receives inadequate research funding, considering the 0%-survival rate for DIPG. How many more have to die for them to be a priority? Only 4% of the National Budget for cancer research benefits pediatric research; there needs to be a national awareness of this for change to occur; that's why I'm running for a National Day for DIPG," says Janet Demeter, founder of Jack's Angels Foundation, a local charity that began its activities in 2013 to promote awareness and research for DIPG. In 2013 the DIPG Research Fund at Children's Hospital Los Angeles was opened, for which the charity continues to raise awareness and funds.

The Run for DIPG continues September 6th in Los Angeles, and then September 12th in Sacramento as part of the "Kids Ride Nationwide for Childhood Cancer Awareness" rally at the State Capitol, and then 9/18(tba) in Washington DC in a circuitous route around the city beginning at the Capitol. Her trips to Sacramento and Washington DC will be documented for future publication. For more information about this campaign, running routes, Jack's Angels, or to sponsor running miles, visit www.jacksangels.org at the EVENTS and NEWS pages.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Fun and excitement await both kids and grown-ups this coming September as Color Me Mine in Westfield gears up for watercolor art classes at its elegant art studio in Valencia.
Zony Gordon, an award-winning contemporary artist will be teaching a 5-week Art class on Watercolor & Mixed Media focusing on Color and composition, Creative techniques and actual painting of florals and landscapes! Each student will bring home at least 2 paintings and some exercises at the end of the 5-week session.

The children’s class will be held on Wednesdays from 3:30-5 P.M. on September 2 thru 30 while the adult class will be on Thursdays from 5-6:30 P.M. Art supplies will be provided for use in class. Light snacks will be served. Previous art background is not necessary.

Mention this ad for your special rate of $155 for the 5-week package! Regular rates start at $170. Reserve now, limited seating! Call Zony Gordon at 661.312.3422 or
visit Color Me Mine at 24300 Town Center Drive (Suite 106) Valencia infront of the old Chocolate Factory.

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Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Sacramento, CA Covered California today announced health insurance rates for 2016, with a statewide average increase of just 4 percent, a dip from last year’s increase of 4.2 percent. Many consumers will see their premiums stay the same or even go down, according to Covered California.

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Friday, July 31, 2015