NEWS
WHY MANY ILLEGAL FIREWORKS COULD BE GONE NEXT YEAR
B7
SINCE 1919
THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2024
Today’s Forecast
101°/74°
SignalSCV. com
CANYON COUNTRY | NEWHALL | SAUGUS | VALENCIA | STEVENSON RANCH | CASTAIC | VAL VERDE | AGUA DULCE
Welcome to the Fourth of July Parade
Signal File Photo
By Leon Worden
SCV Parade Committee Chair Special to The Signal
H
appy Fourth of July and welcome to the parade! We’ve been celebrating America’s independence with a parade since 1932, and as much as things have changed since then, the parade really hasn’t. Then as now, it’s a reflection of our community. Everyone who wants to be in it, can be in it. Ninety-two years ago, the people and businesses and organizations that made up the Newhall-Saugus community paraded through the streets of Newhall. Today, many of the people and businesses and organizations that make up the Santa Clarita Valley community will parade through the streets of Newhall and Valencia, which didn’t exist back then. Emphasis on “many.” There are more than 100 separate entries in today’s parade, which makes it a big one. Before Covid, the number was typically 90. Go figure. By tradition, in addition to cheering America’s birthday, the SCV Fourth of July Parade has a secondary, ultra-local theme. This year, we’re celebrating “The Freedom to Play” by highlighting Santa Clarita’s numerous parks, its extensive trail system, and the
undeveloped mountainsides that surround us. A peculiar thing to celebrate on the Fourth of July? Maybe. Maybe not. Lots of people probably take our parks, trials and open spaces for granted today. But those things didn’t happen by accident, and before we formed the city of Santa Clarita in 1987, they weren’t even on the radar. Considering that roughly 50 percent of our residents weren’t alive in 1987 and a far greater percentage didn’t live here then, some explaining might be in order. Back in the day, our local government was the county of Los Angeles. After World War II, the Board of Supervisors decided they wanted to attract more residents and turn the county into a modern metropolis. That wasn’t too unusual for its time. Consider: The No. 1 goal of the Newhall Chamber of Commerce in 1923 was to attract more residents. The county and the Newhall merchants got their wish. The Santa Clarita Valley got more residents. A lot more. But that’s about all it got. It didn’t get enough parks, roads, or schools to serve the exploding population. Instead, it got horrendous traffic jams and overcrowded classrooms. Some local upstarts had a crazy notion not unlike the notion of a group of upstarts in 1776: independence. Both groups figured the best decisions for their people would come from the people who had to live under them. See PARADE, P16
How Santa Clarita residents can celebrate the Fourth By Katherine Quezada Signal Staff Writer
T
he Santa Clarita Valley is gearing up to celebrate the Fourth of July festivities with fun for all ages, firework viewing parties, and tons of red, white, and blue to celebrate the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States. This year, the SCV will begin its annual festivities early in the day and continue late into the night with tons of fun for people of all ages, starting with the morning Fourth of July parade and related events in Newhall and Valencia, and finishing with the city of Santa Clarita’s fireworks display in the evening at the Valencia Town Center. See EVENTS, P10
Celebrating the Freedom to Play in Santa Clarita this Fourth of July By Cameron Smyth Santa Clarita Mayor
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Signal file photo
Members of the Rotary Club of Santa Clarita serve up the traditional pancake breakfast Thursday morning prior to the 88th Santa Clarita Valley Fourth of July Parade in Newhall.
INDEX Parade Lineup ���������������������������������������������������������P2 Parade Route Map �������������������������������������������������P9 Committee Members �������������������������������������������P19
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s we gather to celebrate the Fourth of July, we are reminded of the profound importance of independence, unity and the American spirit. We honor those who fought for the freedom we enjoy and those who had the foresight to create the community we are proud to call home. One of the aspects that makes Santa Clarita so special, is tied into the very theme of this year’s Fourth of July Parade — “The Freedom to Play — Celebrating Our Parks, Trails and Open Space.” This theme highlights the incredible natural beauty and recreational opportunities our community enjoys. In Santa Clarita, we are incredibly fortunate to have 38 beautiful City parks, 13,000 acres of open space and over 100 miles of off-street trails. These green spaces are more than just See SMYTH, P10
Remember to celebrate safely
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