Valencia Hyatt Resort Hotel

24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, CA 91355;
Location: Adjacent to Valencia Country Club;

This new six story hotel offers 244 luxurious guest rooms and is located in the center of the Santa Clarita Valley's shopping and entertainment district on Town Center Drive. It is adjacent to Valencia Country Club, Valencia Mall, College of the Canyons and Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Overlooking the scenic Valencia Country Club, the Valencia Hyatt is Santa Clarita Valley's only full service hotel and features Southern California architecture with the charming elegance usually found in the Mediterranean. All guestrooms offer upgraded amenities and furnishings and feature balconies and a choice of mountain or golf course views. The intimate outdoor courtyard with lush plantings overlooks the golf course and offers a pool, whirlpool, outdoor patio dining with fireplace and function gardens.

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Valencia Hyatt Resort Hotel - Hotel review and online reservation agent.

Crime Drops 11% in AV

Antelope Valley residents got some good news when Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announced that violent crime in the area was down 11% in 2008 from the previous year. That makes for the lowest crime rate in the valley in seven years, he said.

Other highlights from Baca's news conference outside the Lancaster courthouse: Gang-related crimes in Lancaster decreased 27% in 2008 from the previous year, and in Palmdale homicides fell 55% and robberies 16% from 2007.

Baca credited aggressive crime strategies and partnerships with residents and city councils with helping to bring about the dramatic declines.

AV Hit Hard by Foreclosures

The LA Times is reporting that more than 236,000 homes were lost to foreclosure in California last year, topping the previous nine years combined, data released Tuesday show. And the number of borrowers who defaulted on their payments hit a record high of more than 404,000.

The wave of foreclosures, which began in early 2007, was initially triggered by falling home values and resets on adjustable-rate loans. But lenders and industry analysts say the trend is now being exacerbated by rising unemployment, which has shot up to 9.3% in California.

"You can't work with the bank to modify your loan if you have no income," said Ralph R. Roberts, a coauthor of "Foreclosure Self-Defense for Dummies." "And usually when people lose their jobs and reenter the market they end up with a lower income. That means they will be trying to cover the payments they missed and the new payments with less money."

In California, the areas that have been hardest hit by foreclosures include the Inland Empire, the Antelope Valley and the Central Valley, where many first-time homeowners flocked to buy new homes.

And how can this brighten your day? I haven't the foggiest.

CTG Presents High School Musical

CTG Family Season Disney's High School Musical opens Jan 24, 2009 and runs through Feb 22 at Canyon Theater.

Book by David Simpatico
Songs by Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil; Ray Cham, Greg Cham, and Andrew Seeley; Randy Petersen and Kevin Quinn; Andy Dodd and Adam Watts; Bryan Louiselle; David N. Lawrence and Faye Greenberg; and Jamie Houston
Music Adapted, Arranged, and Produced by Bryan Louiselle
Based on a Disney Channel Original Movie Written by Peter Barsocchini

Directed by Barbara Huntington
Produced by special arrangement with Music Theatre International

Sponsored by:
William R. Lively & Assoc.

January 24 - February 22, 2009
Now Playing! - Get your reservations now at the Box Office