By Bill Miranda
Santa Clarita City Mayor
These past 12 months have flown by. It is hard to believe that last year at this time, we were at the height of the pandemic and the restrictions. Now we are heading into the holiday season once again and looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends, safely and in person.
I am so proud of all we accomplished between then and now. As your Mayor in 2021, it was my honor to help welcome landmark new facilities to our community and continue to build upon Santa Clarita’s reputation as a family-oriented, safe City, offering a high quality of life.
One of the highlights of the last year for me was welcoming the community back to The Cube, the new home for ice and entertainment in Santa Clarita. When the news broke in 2020 that the former Ice Station was going to shut down, the City Council heard residents’ voices, urging the City to do what they could to save the facility. What began as a grassroots effort ended with the City buying, renovating, rehabilitating and rebranding the 20-year-old building.
There is much to enjoy this holiday season at The Cube. Coming up on December 10, at 7:00 p.m., we will flip the switch and illuminate a beautiful Christmas tree in the middle of the Pond rink. This winter wonderland will be part of the Christmas Tree Skate which will take place daily until Christmas Eve. Then on December 11, catch a holiday classic on ice with the performance of the Polar Express. There are two showtimes, and tickets can be purchased at TheCubeSantaClarita.com.
One of the major projects in our previous strategic plan wrapped up in October with the ribbon-cutting for the brand-new Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. Our deputies and station staff are now working out of the 46,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, which features a 9-1-1 dispatch center, Emergency Operations Center, jail, a 180-foot tall communications tower, helipad and a 4,000-square-foot vehicle maintenance facility.
That ribbon cutting was quickly followed by another, as we welcomed residents to the new Canyon Country Community Center. The nine-acre site at the corner of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway has been completely transformed since the groundbreaking back in March of 2019. Now the site boasts public art, a playground, an event stage, the 25,000-square-foot building and more.
The highlight of the year for me was seeing how much value this new amenity brought to our residents. Whether it is the senior citizen who looks forward to salsa dancing and engaging with friends or the child who now has a new place to shoot hoops with their neighbors – this new Community Center will benefit residents as a place to learn, be active, play and gather.
Despite the challenges of the last two years, our City has continued to innovate and create shared spaces, beautiful and functional amenities and quality services that will benefit our residents for years to come.
Mayor Bill Miranda is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at [email protected].
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