By Mayor Cameron Smyth
It is rare to discover a community where there are talented, devoted people who love their City and are willing to dedicate their time and skills to improve it. I am fortunate to have been born into such a community and to have such a role model.
My father, Clyde Smyth, was the epitome of a man dedicated to community service. Thirty years ago, on December 15, 1987, he was the man who presided over the inaugural City Council meeting and the swearing in of the original City Council.
I am proud of the legacy my father left and to have the opportunity to serve as Mayor for our City’s 30th anniversary, just as he did for Santa Clarita’s 10th anniversary.
As I reflect on 30 years of cityhood, I think of all the amazing amenities and programs our City offers. Some of these include 34 parks, 85 miles of off street trails, more than 9,000 acres of preserved open space, three Metrolink stations, three libraries, two community centers, anti-drug programs for youth, hundreds of sports and recreation programs, the Aquatic Center, skatepark, and traffic and road improvements.
I also think of the future generation of City leaders and how we can encourage them to be involved in the celebration. After all, the decisions we make today will affect the kind of City our children will live in tomorrow.
I would like to invite all of our elementary school students to take part in the 30 Things for 30 Years contest. This creative competition asks students to think outside of the box and come up with a unique set of 30 things. They could write 30 poems about Santa Clarita, draw 30 pictures of their 30 favorite City spots, recreate 30 iconic film moments that were shot in our City, or paint a mural at their school highlighting 30 historic City moments. The options are endless. Entries can be submitted online, mailed or even videotaped. Some entries will also be featured right here in the pages of The Signal!
All entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 10, 2017 through our 30th website at santa-clarita.com/30years. At the council meeting on Tuesday, November 14, a compilation of the entries will be reviewed by myself and my fellow council members and a winner will be selected.
Entries can come from a class, a club, a grade or an entire school. Feel free to submit as many entries as you can create. The school that the winning entry was produced by will have the opportunity to be part of the official City birthday party on December 15.
The details of the party are still in the works, but it will take place at the winning school on the official City birthday. There will be food, fun and appearances by your Santa Clarita City Council, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies and members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
We look forward to seeing our students’ creativity at work, and look forward to the contributions that the next generation will make to the City of Santa Clarita.
Mayor Cameron Smyth is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at [email protected].
