Good morning, Santa Clarita.

On November 11, 1898, homesteader Bertha Wilkens filed the first recorded deed for what is now Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park—marking the shift from outlaw hideout to settled ranch country—after which families began building small ranches in nearby Mint Canyon and Agua Dulce.

Santa Clarita will start its holiday season this Saturday when Old Town Newhall transforms into a sparkling winter wonderland from 4 to 8 p.m. Residents will watch the tree lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. plus enjoy live entertainment, food trucks and kid-friendly fun on Main Street.

The Rink Sports Pavilion is Santa Clarita's new roller-skating facility under construction at the George A.

Carvalho Sports Complex and will open in summer 2026. The 25,000-square-foot pavilion features a 12,000-square-foot skating surface that converts to sports courts and community event space — it includes basketball, pickleball, and volleyball courts — City Manager Ken Striplin said the project supports active, family-friendly recreation.

The Santa Clarita Film Office released a list of six productions filming in the Santa Clarita Valley from November 11 to November 16 — including the TV series S.W.A.T.

Exiles with Shemar Moore, N.C.I.S., feature film Sacred Evil, and projects LV S26 MENS, Chase Ink, and The Daughter of Zeus. The productions are set to use a variety of filming styles and locations across the valley as part of a busy week for local media.

The Castaic Union School District Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Nov.

13 to discuss modernization at Castaic Elementary — the meeting begins with a closed executive session at 5 p.m. and the regular session starts at 6 p.m.

Valencia High School’s Pride of the Vikings Band and Color Guard captured first place at the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Field Show Tournament at Oxnard High School today — scoring 79.5 in Division 2A and earning multiple awards before advancing to the SCSBOA Championship Prelims under Director Kelvin Flores.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has alerted parents about an ongoing outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula—caregivers are urged to discard any recalled product and seek medical help if infants show symptoms like constipation or weak muscle tone. One confirmed case in our area is now in recovery while 13 cases have been reported across 10 states since August.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health advises retailers to stop selling illegal kratom and 7-OH products since the FDA does not approve them for use as supplements or food additives—inspectors will soon check stores to remove these products following six overdose deaths linked to 7-OH ingestion.

College of the Canyons men's soccer won 6 to 2 over Citrus College on November 7 as five sophomores were honored for their contributions over the past two seasons— the team will close out the season today at 3 p.m. at Santa Monica College.

Over the weekend, West Ranch and Castaic made their CIF-Southern Section Championship debuts but each lost—West Ranch fell to Poly Bears 27-18 while Castaic lost 32-6 to Anaheim.

Both teams marked a milestone as the first girls' flag football programs from Santa Clarita to reach a championship game.

College of the Canyons football ended its season with a 17-10 win over Bakersfield College at Cougar Stadium on November 8 after Kadin McCoy made a last-second interception—sealing the win.

The Cougars built a 10-0 lead and battled a tied fourth quarter before missing the postseason.

College of the Canyons cross country teams posted strong finishes at the 3C2A Southern California Regional meet on November 7, with sophomore Victoria Jamison finishing 10th to boost the women's team to sixth place and the men's team ending 16th in a field of 27 programs.

Both teams will compete at the state championship meet at Woodward Park in Fresno on November 22 — the women's race is scheduled for 10 a.m. and the men's for 11 a.m.

College of the Canyons women's soccer beat Antelope Valley 3 to 0 on November 7 with key goals from freshman Emily Thompson and sophomore Bailey Williamson—completing a season sweep that moves the team closer to a conference title.

The team wraps its regular season on November 14 at home against Ventura College as postseason play begins next week.