By Tim Whyte
Signal Editor
My good buddy John Boston and I go way back. Decades back. We’re both award-winning columnists, although I haven’t entered a column writing contest in a dozen years and he started his career waaaay before me.
He likes to brag about how he’s won more awards than me. But come on. He’s had the benefit of longevity. Extreme longevity. So, I got a kick out of it the other day when state Sen. Scott Wilk stopped by the office to present me with something.
I have to rewind a little bit.
Recently, I made a post on social media thanking Scott for sending Senate certificates congratulating my daughter, Brooke, and the rest of her history-making Saugus High School cheer squad from 2019.
I’ve written about it before — Saugus brought home second place in the first-ever CIF Southern California cheer championships, besting more than 70 SoCal schools in the process.
Then, they won their division in the USA Spirit national championships. Yes. National champions.
Senator Scott took note, and had a Senate certificate made for each girl. It was one of several such honors the girls received from elected officials, including county Supervisor Kathryn Barger and the Santa Clarita City Council.
I took a picture of Brooke’s certificate next to a Saugus Centurions “No. 1” foam finger and posted it on Facebook to thank Scott for recognizing the girls.
Then my ever-sarcastic former Signal colleague Josh Premako replied to the Facebook post, saying, “Man, he’s just givin’ those things out to anybody these days, eh?”
To which I replied, “Well, there isn’t one with MY name on it yet!! What up, Scott???”
Scott jokingly replied that he’d left one with Maureen Daniels, a longtime Signal ad rep. Which, of course, he had not done. It was funny.
But then, a week or so later, the senator showed up at the front desk of The Signal.
God how I love a legislator with a sense of humor.
Scott was holding a Senate certificate for me. He told me he loves my column, and he thought I’d really been nailing it lately. I thought about saying, “Oh yeah? Wait until I light you up one day…” But it wouldn’t have felt right.
I opened the certificate and it says it’s in recognition of Tim Whyte as the best columnist not just in the Santa Clarita Valley, but in the ENTIRE 21st Senate District. Heh.
I thanked Scott for the gesture and I was truly touched. Scott and I also go way back. He can’t know how much I appreciate it.
But more than that, I saw opportunity to have a little fun with John Boston:
This is one award he will never win.
Boston isn’t shy about reminding me that he has won 2,174 (made-up number) major awards and I have won just 12 (also a made-up number).
But he can’t take this one away.
Now, and forevermore, I am the best columnist in the 21st Senate District, including the Santa Clarita Valley. Senator Scott Wilk says so, and he can’t make those certificates if it’s not true.
John Boston, eat your heart out.
But it’s OK. I won’t start calling myself Mr. Santa Clarita Valley. That one’s all yours, bud.
Tim Whyte is editor of The Signal. His column appears Sundays. On Twitter: @TimWhyte.
