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THE GROWTH OF A PROMISE:

From a Pallet of Bricks to Big Brick

Executive Directors / By Carolina Kelly the U.S. dominated the Mexico Olympics
Chief Professional Officers Santa Clarita was a winning 45 gold medals to the Soviets 29;
of the Club
small collection of technological gadgets were enriching the
1968 to 1969 – Al Vierra
1969 to 1971 – Ted Snoddy housing tracts and strip average person’s daily life; and young
1971 – Larry Cruz malls in 1968. Although mothers were rejoicing over the introduc-
1972 to 1978 – Bob Ross separated from the great tion of “The Epidural,” an anesthetic which
1978 to 1980 – Dan Sherlock
1980 – Carol Brown (acting) L.A. “megalopolis” by a eased the pain of childbirth.
1981 to 1984 – John Macktal range of rolling hills, On the local scene, there was also a rea-
1985 to Current – Jim Ventress
the residents were not immune to the son for rejoicing. The children and teens of
tragedies that took place in Los Angeles the Newhall-Saugus area were about to get
Executive Directors / CEO’s and Memphis that year. The country had a much-needed recreational boost. Young
of the Foundation
scarcely recovered from the shock families, who had flocked to the
2002 to 2007 – Judy Belue of President John F. Kennedy’s area to take advantage of its
2008 to Current – Ivan Price
1963 assassination, only to low-priced housing, had dis-
be stunned by the 1968 mur- covered a cruel reality – most
ders of civil rights leader developers had peppered the
Martin Luther King, Jr. and area with large tracts of
Senator Robert Kennedy. houses leaving little more
Adding to the national angst than passive pocket parks to
was the fierce fighting in Vietnam, appease the exuberance of the
which was claiming about 300 American homeowners’ children. The four elemen-
lives each week. tary school districts were among the first to
Fortunately for the country, there were sound the alarm of neglected “latch-key”
some bright spots on the 1968 landscape – children, and bored youngsters using

1968, was a year of great Early 1968: a group of January 23: The USS Pueblo is seized by March 20: The Henry April 4: Civil rights
excitement and great community-minded Santa North Korea and 83 crewmen are held. Mayo Newhall activist Reverend
Martin Luther King, Jr.,
sadness, here are some Clarita Valley citizens February 16: A police station in Foundation in San assassinated in
Haleyville, Alabama, is the first to
of the highlights and convened to discuss the officially use 911. Francisco approves a Memphis.
grant of $24,000 to
growing problem of
lowlights of what took unsupervised youth and March 16: US soldiers destroy the found the proposed
place 40 years ago: “latch-key” children in an South Vietnamese village of My Lai. youth program for the
expanding population. Newhall-Saugus area.
6 | SCVBGC 40th Anniversary