There are some mornings when you wake up and realize your city will never look quite the same.
Monday morning was one of those mornings. It seemed like a hole was driven through us, like we lost a loved one.
A pall grew over the city.
The fire that tore through Old Town Newhall destroyed an entire block of Main Street, businesses, gathering places, memories and pieces of our community’s history. The flames were extinguished, but the loss will be felt for many years.
For the business owners, it wasn’t simply a building. It was their investment, their dreams and years of hard work. For the employees, it was a workplace, a paycheck and their livelihood.
For customers, it was a favorite restaurant, a theater, a shop, a place to meet friends and celebrate special occasions.
And for Santa Clarita: It was our history. A part of who we are.
The Main Theatre, Newhall Refinery, Care Tucker Style House, The Source and other businesses were not just storefronts on Main Street.
They helped transform Old Town Newhall into a destination, a place where people could eat, shop, see a play, listen to music and simply spend time together.
We have had fires before and we have rebuilt before.
We have watched Old Town Newhall evolve over the years from a struggling commercial district into one of the most distinctive and recognizable parts of our city.
Now we must rebuild, and we will.
We need to help these business owners and employees in any way we can. There have been several GoFundMe accounts opened to support the employees and the business owners in their time of need. Please give as much as you are able.
Santa Clarita is a great community with great people and we help our own.
The buildings can be replaced. Businesses can reopen. New businesses can take root. New memories can be made.
But while we rebuild, we must also remember all the people who make Main Street important. They need our support now also. Go to Downtown Newhall. Buy from local businesses. Eat at local restaurants. Attend local performances.
The city, too, has an important role to play. Rebuilding should be a community effort, with government, business owners and residents working together to make the process as efficient and supportive as possible.
And we must not forget our firefighters.
More than 100 firefighters battled this blaze for hours, working in extremely dangerous conditions and heat to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to even more of Old Town Newhall.
Their work protected surrounding businesses. And most importantly, lives. We owe them our deepest gratitude.
There is something powerful about a community facing adversity. It brings us together, we have faced it before and we will overcome this the same way.
It reminds us that the things we sometimes take for granted — a restaurant, a theater, a small shop on Main Street — are actually the threads that hold a community together.
Santa Clarita and Newhall are stronger than one block.
Santa Clarita is its people. We will rise to this challenge and, together, we will build the next chapter of Main Street, stronger and brighter.
Richard Budman is the owner/publisher of The Signal.
