Member News

Special from California Department of Water Resources

The series of atmospheric river storms that brought record-breaking amounts of rain and snow in January had many Californians asking if our existing water infrastructure is able to capture and store flows from these extreme weather events. With climate change resulting in stronger storms carrying more water and the possibility of major flooding, the answer is more complicated than one might think.

“As the world gets warmer as a result of climate change, we see a change in the distribution of rain and snow,” said State Climatologist Michael Anderson. “This results in more runoff during the storm event itself, potentially creating a flood hazard and leaving less to run off from the snowpack in the spring for storage in our reservoirs.”

Whether it falls as rain or snow, the majority of that water flows through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – the center of California’s water distribution system – on its way to the San Francisco Bay. From state and federal pumping facilities in the south Delta, water is lifted into the aqueducts that carry it to the Bay Area, Central Coast, Central Valley and Southern California, to be delivered to 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland.

Regulations govern how much water may be diverted to the aqueducts in order to protect water quality and fisheries. These regulations are based in part on the physical location of the facilities.

The Delta Conveyance Project is a proposed infrastructure modernization project outlined in Governor Newsom’s strategy to adapt California’s water supply for a hotter and drier future. The project is an essential climate adaptation strategy that will help adapt to climate change and aid in ensuring the State Water Project can capture, move and store water during extreme weather events like the nine atmospheric rivers experienced in January.

For example, if the Delta Conveyance Project had been operational during the high rain events of January this year, the modernized conveyance system could have moved 228,000 acre-feet of water into San Luis Reservoir while still meeting fishery and water quality protections and regulations. That’s enough water to supply about 2.3 million people for an entire year and is equivalent to approximately 40 percent of the total State Water Project exports in water year 2022.  

As encouraging as the recent rainfall and snowpack statistics are, state water managers note that drought conditions persist and it will take years to replenish groundwater basins. While the winter season has been positive, the most important measurement of the year will be April 1 when the snowpack is typically at its highest.

“These storms made clear the importance of our efforts to modernize our existing water infrastructure for an era of intensified drought and flood,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “What we need to be positioned to do in California is move water when it’s available because moving and storing that water is going to help California weather longer and deeper droughts.”

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REGISTRATION: https://www.canyons.edu/wc

Chuck E. Cheese, the nation’s No. 1 family entertainment fun center, celebrates the grand reopening of its newly remodeled Valencia location with a special event.

A Grand Reopening Event will invite the community to Chuck E. Cheese to enjoy free cake and a chance to win an Ultimate FUN Birthday Package for up to 10 kids. Additionally, the first 25 families in line will enjoy free game play during the event.

New features include the most popular arcade, sports and kid-focused games with varying skill levels for players of all ages, an interactive dance floor, a large format video wall and screens with audio connected throughout the fun center to provide a more immersive entertainment experience for guests and birthday parties. Additionally, entertaining the family at Chuck E. Cheese is easy, convenient and affordable with All You Can Play games’ deals that offer up to 100 games plays per hour.

The Chuck E. Cheese experience has been reimagined to plus up the fun for families with more games, updated technology enhancements, and innovation within its fun centers.

As the Place Where A Kid Can Be A Kid, that commitment includes every kid. That’s why Chuck E. Cheese opens two hours early on the first Sunday of the month at participating locations to offer a quieter dining and entertainment environment, dimmed lighting and a sensory-friendly arcade experience for families through its Sensory Sensitive Sundays program.  

Considered the Birthday Capital of the Universe, at Chuck E Cheese, children celebrating their birthday are free with purchase of a reserved birthday party and birthday package with at least 12 paid children when using the code “BDAYFREE” at the time of booking.   

Families can enjoy safe, clean and worry-free fun, as Chuck E. Cheese has earned the Ecolab Science Certified seal, denoting a high standard of cleanliness.

                           WHERE:                25955 N. The Old Rd., Stevenson Ranch, Ca 91381

WHEN:                  March 9, 2023 from 5:00 – 7:00pm               

Flair Cleaners, Southern California’s leading eco-friendly dry cleaner, will host its 8th Annual Flair Cares Food Drive, Hang Up Hunger, March 1 - 31, 2023. The drive benefits the nonprofit Santa Clarita Grocery. Flair Cleaners is matching donations of up to 250 pounds of food donated by customers.

“Food insecurity is a growing challenge in our communities, especially with inflation and “shrinkflation,” on almost every type of food product,” said Gary Futterman, owner of Flair Cleaners. “We are proud to help address this challenge with the help of our generous customers by collecting and matching donations of critically needed food for local nonprofits.”

Anyone may bring unopened, canned, or boxed food to Flair Cleaners in Valencia – 27011 McBean Parkway, 91355 (At Magic Mountain Parkway). Do not bring any food past its expiration date or packaged in glass. Everyone who donates will receive a coupon for 50% off dry cleaning on a future visit to any Flair Cleaners location.

Customers using Flair Cleaners Free Pickup and Delivery service can leave bags or boxes of food they wish to donate with their pickup orders in March.

Flair Cleaners will deliver donations to The Santa Clarita Grocery, which operates as an all-volunteer organization serving “week worth of groceries” and personal care items for their guests, including fresh milk, eggs, produce, canned goods, dried goods, meat, deli, and breads.

About Flair Cleaners
For more than 65 years, Flair Cleaners has been the choice for style-conscious, Los Angeles County residents who seek quality, convenience, and environmentally safe dry cleaning and laundry services. In addition to extended hours seven days a week, Flair offers home and office pickup and delivery, and uses only the all-natural GreenEarth dry cleaning process. Flair operates stores in Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Studio City, and Valencia. For more information on Flair Cleaners, its community outreach, or its environmental commitment, visit FlairCleaners.com, or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FlairDryCleaners.

Free Drive-Thru Event on March 18

The City is hosting a free document shredding event for all Santa Clarita residents on Saturday, March 18 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Via Princessa Metrolink Station, located at 19201 Via Princessa. City residents are required to pre-register and select a time slot to participate by visiting city.sc/shredevent, until capacity is reached. This event assists participants with the secure destruction of documents that may contain sensitive information. While paper shredded at home cannot be recycled and should be placed in a curbside trash container, this event allows the large quantities of shredded paper to be recycled and repurposed.

Participants may bring up to five boxes (11” x 12” x 15”) which should be placed in the rear of participants vehicles or in the back seat. Event staff will promptly remove documents from the vehicle and safely deliver them to a mobile shred truck for onsite shredding. Items including paper clips, staples and binder clips do not need to be removed. Sheet protectors, three-ring binders and hanging file folders will not be accepted for disposal, and boxes will not be returned.

For questions or concerns, residents may contact the City’s Environmental Services team by calling (661) 286-4098, or by email at environment@santa-clarita.com. For more information about upcoming green events and programs, please visit GreenSantaClarita.com.

American Sports Entertainment Company and the Los Angeles Kings, collectively referred to as JV Ice at The Cube, are seeking proposals for the operation of retail space at The Cube – Ice and Entertainment Center, Powered by FivePoint Valencia (The Cube), located at 27745 Smyth Drive in Santa Clarita.

The City of Santa Clarita owns The Cube, which is operated by JV Ice at The Cube. The 93,000 square-foot facility features three sheets of ice – an NHL rink, Olympic rink and The Pond – as well as retail space on the ground floor and a restaurant and private event rooms on the second floor.

The Cube is newly renovated and is the premier ice-skating arena in northern Los Angeles County and the surrounding area. With an estimated yearly attendance of 425,000 participants and spectators, The Cube is home to hockey, figure skating, curling, speed skating, general public sessions, special events and more.

The pro shop is 1,570 square-feet and located on the first floor of The Cube. This location includes retail space, office space, a dressing room, storage room and sharpening room. It is preferred that the operator will offer skate sharpening, riveting, and jersey number and logo pressing, as well as retail sales of hockey and skating equipment and apparel.

Interested parties can submit proposals through Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Each Request for Proposals (RFP) can be accessed by visiting TheCubeSantaClarita.com. Proposals must be submitted via email to Darin Mathewson, acting General Manager at The Cube. For questions and more information on the RFP process, please send an email to darin.mathewson@lakingsicepickwick.com.

SANTA CLARITA – Are you interested in learning the ins and outs of SCV Water? Apply to be considered for the SCV Water Academy, a free, curated learning opportunity for residents of the Santa Clarita Valley. Learn about SCV Water directly from the experts in an engaging, interactive, in-person format.

“We wanted to create an opportunity where customers and stakeholders of SCV Water could learn and interact directly with Agency staff and leadership,” said Communications Manager Kathie Martin. “We encourage anyone slightly curious about their water to apply.”  

During the academy, participants will get an insider’s perspective on:

• History and Organization
• Infrastructure and Facilities
• Water Supply and Quality
• Critical Water Issues

There will also be opportunities to ask questions and tour the water treatment plant.

Interested in attending? Must be 18 years or older, work or live in the SCV Water service area, and be able to commit to attending all four sessions. Space is limited. Sessions are scheduled weekly on Wednesday evenings on March 15, 22, and 29, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., including dinner. The academy concludes with a water facility tour on Saturday, April 1, 9 – 11 a.m.

For more information or to apply, visit https://bit.ly/SCVWaterAcademy. For specific questions about the Water Academy, email Public Affairs Specialist Laura Gallegos at lgallegos@scvwa.org.

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About SCV Water:  

The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCV Water) is a full-service regional water agency located in the Santa Clarita Valley. SCV Water provides water service to approximately 78,000 business and residential customers. It was formed on January 1, 2018, when local water suppliers combined into one integrated, regional water provider. More information can be found at www.yourSCVwater.com.  

For more information, please contact:  

Kathie Martin

Communications Manager

SCV Water  

kmartin@scvwa.org

Please register here! 

Register for our most highly attended webinar of the year; the Annual Market & Economic Update. On Tuesday, January 17th at 4:30PM, John Vance, President of Vance Wealth, will take you through a recap of what we saw in the markets in 2022 and what trends we are expecting to play out in 2023. We invite you to share this registration link with friends and family that may find it useful. This is open to the public and we are here to help. 

Paul Butler and Mark Griffiths of Newleaf Training and Development return for the 6th year to co-facilitate this free professional development webinar—State of Learning which has proven to be an invaluable resource for both, internal employees and external consultants. 

Princess Cruises, the world’s most iconic cruise line, continues to be recognized for excellence, earning top honors from prestigious travel organizations for its superior product offerings, exceptional service and outstanding relationships with travel advisors.

From being named Best Alaska Cruise Line and Top Travel Advisor Partner to travel advisor training programs and continued accolades for its revolutionary MedallionClass experience, Princess Cruises honors spanned a broad spectrum of categories.

Here’s a look at the most recent awards presented to the line:

Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards

Princess sailed off with three Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards last month. The award winners, one for each of 82 categories, represent the best of the best of the travel industry. The nominees and award recipients were chosen in two rounds of voting by Travel Weekly’s audience of travel professionals. These widely recognized, coveted awards are presented annually to the industry suppliers who led the way in product and service during the past year.

 – Best Cruise Line: Alaska – This year marks the 17^th annual win for Princess in this category. As the leading cruise line in Alaska, Princess delivers unforgettable vacations and is the most recommended line by travel advisors to their trusted clients.

 – Best Shipboard Tech – All Princess ships offer the Princess MedallionClass Experience, enabling everything from expedited contactless boarding to locating loved ones anywhere on the ship, as well as enhanced service like having whatever guests need, delivered directly to them, wherever they are on the ship.

 – Best Travel Advisor Educational Program – After launching in 2006, Princess Academy quickly became recognized as the richest and most valuable travel advisor training program in the cruise industry. Offered free of charge and accessed conveniently from home or office, Princess Academy enables advisors to increase their Princess expertise so they can knowledgably present the experience to their clients.

Travvy Awards

During the 8^th Annual Travvy Awards, Princess received six honors including two gold awards. The awards recognize the highest standards of excellence in the travel industry by honoring travel companies, travel products, travel agencies, and destinations for their outstanding achievements.

 – Best Cruise Line by Destination: Alaska – Gold Award

 – Best Cruise Line by Destination: Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific – Gold Award

 – Best Cruise Line by Destination: Asia – Silver Award

 – Best Cruise Line by Destination: Hawaii – Silver Award

 – Best Cruise Ship: Premium (Discovery Princess) – Silver Award

 – Best Cruise Ship: Mid-Size (Coral Princess) – Bronze Award

AAA/CAA

Princess earned top honors in three different categories from AAA/CAA, based on surveys of AAA/CAA members in which they were asked to rate cruise lines in a variety of categories with Princess earning more votes than any other cruise operator for its respective awards.

 – Best in Marketing – The honor recognizes Princess’ strategic initiatives designed to promote the brand to travel advisors through a variety of channels, including its popular webinars featuring Vice President of Sales Carmen Roig and its well-read digital newsletter that provides regular updates on the company and its operations to thousands of travel advisors each week.

 – Best in Travel Agent Services – This award recognized the valuable toold and resources Princess provides to travel advisors to hone their sales skills and ultimately grow their business.

 – Partner of the Year – Finally, Partner of the Year acknowledges the line’s intensive efforts at helping AAA/CAA advisors achieve both short- and long-term successes, while acknowledging the hard work put forth by the company to ensure working with Princess is seamless, easy and hassle-free.

“We’re extremely honored to be recognized by our travel advisor partners with these prestigious awards,” said Cal Almaguer, senior vice president of sales and service strategy operations. “While all distinctly unique, they represent highly regarded product offerings and we’re proud to be recognized by and partner with these three valuable players in the travel industry.”

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting the company’s website at www.princess.com.

Two big changes are coming up for residents of the City of Santa Clarita, with a new residential waste hauler and state-mandated organics recycling beginning July 1, 2023. With the City’s current agreements for residential and commercial waste hauling set to expire, the City awarded Burrtec Waste Industries (Burrtec) the new waste services franchise agreement for all residential and commercial waste services in the City with service beginning on July 1, 2023. Additionally, new statewide legislation will require all Santa Clarita residents to begin recycling organics at home and in their place of work, this change will also take place on July 1, 2023. Over the next few months, the City will be working closely with Burrtec to transition services in preparation for the official start date on July 1, 2023, at which time the monthly rate for residential services will adjust from the current rate of $26.31 to Burrtec’s new rate of $28.92.

June 30, 2023 will mark the expiration of the City of Santa Clarita’s existing agreements with Waste Management for residential waste services, and Burrtec for commercial waste services. In preparation, the City began conducting a thorough competitive bid process in early 2022. Because of their years of experience, high level of customer service combined with a competitive service rate, the City awarded Burrtec the new waste services franchise agreement for all residential and commercial waste services in the City. Service will begin on July 1, 2023 with a new monthly rate of $28.92 for the standard service of 96-gallon carts for all three waste services including garbage, recycling and organics.

Leading up to the new service date, all Santa Clarita single-family homes will automatically have their existing trash carts replaced with new Burrtec carts. New cart colors are required under state legislation and will provide consistency across the industry – these cart colors include black for garbage, blue for recycling, and green for organics. Discounts will be available for senior citizens and reduced size trash cart users upon request. More information regarding the cart transition will become available within the coming weeks.

“The City of Santa Clarita will work with residents to ensure they are informed and updated throughout the transition process” said Mayor Jason Gibbs. “We want to make sure they have the information and resources necessary to begin the required organics recycling.”

Included with the transition to Burrtec will be state mandated organics recycling. Residents will also receive new food waste pails and enhanced waste services including bulky cardboard collection, carpet recycling, document shredding events, a local customer service center and much more.

            “Santa Clarita is our home, and after servicing the City’s commercial customers and maintaining a local office for more than twenty years, we are looking forward to a smooth transition, servicing our friends and neighbors of Santa Clarita in addition to continuing commercial services for the business community,” added Dennis Verner, General Manager of Burrtec Waste, Santa Clarita Valley.

            Throughout the transition process, the City will keep residents informed of updates and next steps, while ensuring Burrtec continues to meet the City’s exceptionally high standard of service. Residents and businesses can look forward to viewing a series of informational videos called ‘Trash Talks,’ which will provide viewers timely information and resources leading up to the transition. Updates will also be sent by mail and through the City’s and Burrtec’s social media pages. Residents are encouraged to follow @GreenSantaClarita on Facebook and @BurrtecSCV on Facebook or Instagram to stay informed.

            For more information about the transition to the City’s new waste hauler and organics recycling program, residents and businesses are encouraged to visit GreenSantaClarita.com. Residents or businesses with questions or concerns may contact the City’s Solid Waste Administrator, Curtis Williams at cwilliams@santa-clarita.com or by calling (661) 255-4308.