Your Guide to the Old Town Newhall Arts and Entertainment District. 5 CENTS JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2009 YEAR 15, NUMBER 1 Cowboy Artist Draws on His Inspiration. Creator of 2009 Cowboy Festival Poster Finds Subjects In and Get All the Latest Info on Around His Sand Canyon the 2009 Cowboy Festival: Home. See Page 4 By Patti Rasmussen, The original oil painting of his GAZETTE CORRESPONDENT. daughter enjoying the cowboy music is now on display at the National Cowboy His inspiration came quite simply. Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City where it Having brought his then 5-year-old received the distinction of First Place in daughter, Brittany, to the Cowboy Festi- the prestigious Prix de West Art Show- val in Santa Clarita, local artist Morgan case. City officials met with Weistling Weistling watched as she spun and and now Brittany’s young image will danced to the street musicians’ songs. grace all art associated with the 15th Oncebackhomeinhisstudio,hebrought annual Cowboy Festival to be held April out the oils and painted her in “The 22-26, 2009, at Melody Ranch in Placeri- Dance.” Weistling then submitted the ta Canyon. painting to the city of Santa Clarita for “I don’t know how many posters consideration as poster art for the next (the city) can say were inspired by the fes- PATTI RASMUSSEN festival. That was in 2001. Eight years tival,” Weistling said. “But Brittany loved Surrounded by cowboy props, canvas and paint, Morgan Weistling creates later the City came to him. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16. his award-winning works of art in his home studio. Inside Center Strives to Keep Kids Healthy. By HOPE HORNER, about no- or low-cost health insurance options for children and to This COMMUNITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR, schedule appointments to enroll. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA. Center staff members prescreened and informed the appli- Issue cants of the specific requirements and the necessary documents to The City of Santa Clarita’s Community Center, located at bring to the enrollment event. The event gave visitors the opportu- Message from the Chair 22421 Market Street in Old Town Newhall, continues to further its nity to learn more about no or low cost health insurance options that mission of “serving, supporting and responding to the communi- are available in Santa Clarita Valley. Page 3 ty." What are the health insurance options? Cowboy Festival Lineup The center, in collaboration with Communities for Healthy * Medi-Cal offers no cost health insurance for families who Kids, a program of the Institute for Local Government, is working to qualify. It provides comprehensive medical, dental, and vision bene- Page 4 enroll eligible children in no- or low-cost health insurance. Cover- fits for children from birth to twenty-one years of age. The income Old Town Newhall age is available for these children through Medi-Cal, the Healthy levels for eligible families with children vary based upon the number Families Program, or the Healthy Kids Program. and age of children in the family. The maximum income level for a Calendar Page 6 The Community Center hosted two successful enrollment family of four for Medi-Cal is about $21,000. James Dean’s Last Meal events in 2008. Flyers were distributed to local schools, recreation * The Healthy Families Program is low-cost coverage for chil- Page 12 facilities, public parks and libraries to publicize the events. The fly- dren and teens that provides medical, dental and vision benefits ers directed applicants to contact the Community Center to learn CONTINUED ON PAGE 16. 2. The OldTown Newhall Gazette. Ten Bucks to a Better Future. ©2008, OLD TOWN NEWHALL USA. FromtheSantaClaritaValley citizens. This year, as of January 12, The SCV Committee on SeniorCenter. 2009, the total raised toward our Aging/Senior Center is a broad- LEON WORDEN, Editor and Publisher. $35,000 goal was just over based charitable nonprofit 501 (C) The SCV Senior Center’s $15,650. We offer a hearty “Thank (3) organization that serves the annual campaign, “Ten Bucks to a You!” to all who have contributed needs of over 35,000 seniors and Better Future,” which runs from to-date — including publications adults in Northern L.A. County. December 1 to February 28 each that continue to draw attention to The Center is a multipurpose com- year, asks all Santa Clarita Valley the campaign, and remind all other munity resource dedicated to inde- residents to contribute $10 yearly Santa Clarita residents that we are pendence,dignity,andqualityoflife fortheSCVSeniorCentertoassure still $20,000 from our goal. You for our seniors, disabled, and every- thatserviceswillbeavailabletomeet can help! Here’s what your bucks one on the aging continuum. We thecommunity’sfutureneedsasthe can do today: provide congregate and home- Baby Boomer population ages and • $5 buys a senior’s transporta- delivered meals, paratransit servic- needs assistance. The Annual Cam- tion to and from the Center for five es, Handyworker services, support From The Mailbag. paign is designed to fill in the gaps, days. services, and community resource so to speak, from other major • $10 buys one senior’s lunch at management, as well as a vast array fundraisers such as the annual the Center for a week. of recreational and educational Chain-Link Fence Is Uninviting. Celebrity Waiter Dinner that bene- • $15 buys one senior’s Home- opportunities for adults 18 and over. Dear Editor: fits the Respite Daycare program Delivered Meals for a week. and the annual Wine Auction that • $20 buys one day in daycare For questions about services or After visiting Old Town Ventura, I think the planning com- benefits the Home-Delivered Meals including lunch for one senior. how you can help meet our growing mittee (for Old Town Newhall) should look at removing the old program. • $50 buys one shower grab bar needs, please call Maria Linares, at chain-link fence that is in front of Hart Park and add a large foun- The Annual Campaign is pro- and pays for installation in the home the SCV Senior Center, 661/259-9444 tain on the corner of Newhall Avenue and Main Street. This would moted with the help of Santa Clarita of a frail elder. for further details. The Center is make this area more inviting. publications, and this year is off to a • $100 buys one day of emer- located at 22900 Market Street, good start — thanks to our generous gency Personal Care service. Santa Clarita, CA 91321-3608. Robert Hazard, Newhall. The Gazette. Forever Loving the SCV. DISTRIBUTION: FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND. Dear Editor: LEON WORDEN Editor And Publisher. I grew up in Sand Canyon and Newhall, and my heart will al- [email protected] ways be in the Santa Clarita Valley. TIM WHYTE Wendy Comey, Production And Layout. Spring Valley, California. [email protected] PATTI RASMUSSEN Chief Correspondent. Newhall Redevelopment Committee Seeking New Members. [email protected] The Old Town Newhall Gazette is pub- The City of Santa Clarita is encourag- Clarita Redevelopment Agency on the revi- able at the City Clerks Office at City Hall ing community members 18 years of age or talization projects that are proposed within or online at santa-clarita.com, along with lished by Old Town Newhall USA, an older to apply for one of seven available the Newhall area. The Committee also three letters of recommendation. All appli- SCV Communications Group company. positions on the Newhall Redevelopment assists with the implementation of the cations and letters must be submitted to Committee. Downtown Newhall Specific Plan, the City Clerk’s office by the deadline date Send Correspondence To: Those interested in applying must do designed to help transform Old Town in order to be considered. OLD TOWN NEWHALL USA so by Monday, March 2 at 5:00 p.m. Newhall into a thriving, mixed-use, pedes- Post Office Box 802993 The Committee is made up of 13 mem- trian-oriented Arts & Entertainment Dis- For additional information on the Santa Clarita, Ca. 91380 bers with an interest in redevelopment trict. Newhall Redevelopment Committee please [email protected] issues within Newhall. Those interested in becoming mem- contact Alex Hernandez, Administrative VISIT OLD TOWN NEWHALL Members are involved in a number of bers of the Newhall Redevelopment Com- Analyst for the City’s Redevelopment Divi- ON THE INTERNET important issues and advise the Santa mittee must fill out an application, avail- sion, at 661/286-4030. www.oldtownnewhall.com 3. Exciting Time to Serve on Redevelopment Committee. ByPHILIPC.ELLIS, the Newhall project area. ‘Several exciting projects, such as CHAIRMAN,NEWHALL In an effort to increase public REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. participation and involvement, the the streetscape for Main Street Redevelopment Agency appointed and a new library, have been It is with great optimism that I write this message to staggered terms for NRC mem- begin 2009. I firmly believe this will be a banner year for the bers. This provides an opportunity taking shape for some time and Redevelopment Agency and Newhall Redevelopment Com- forotherstoapplyforappointment construction will start soon.’ mittee (NRC). to the NRC or serve on the various Several exciting projects, such as the streetscape for sub-committees established by the If you are interested in serving in a less formal capacity, Main Street and a new library, have been taking shape for NRC. several subcommittees are available to assist Newhall’s revital- some time and construction will start soon. Along with these The Redevelopment Agency ization efforts. Those committees include Finance/Housing, efforts, the NRC will continue its work to move forward with hasrecentlyopenedrecruitmentto Lyons Avenue, Marketing, Historic Preservation and the Ped- the implementation of the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan. serve on the NRC. I invite any and dler Committee.