Observed

Wayne Crawford, Bob Kellar, Jim Bizzelle, Ken Pulskamp & Ken Striplin

They say that clothes make the man. And while "they" didn't show themselves at Carousel Ranch's festive Santa Day in December, their on-target philosophy held true - at least in the case of some fine gents who showed up on a blistery-cold morning to help local special-needs kids have a dreamy day filled with snow play, delicious treats and presents.

Mayor Bob Kellar and Assistant City Manager Ken Striplin personified the phrase "A little bit (Canyon) country, a little bit rock and roll." Let's start with our loyal City leader, who hails from the old equestrian portion of Sand Canyon. Does Time Warner not pimp the joys of the Weather Channel on that side of town? Possibly Kellar missed out on such vital programming. How else can he explain his lack of weather-insulating attire? No matter the reason, he seemed to be freezing his donkey off (No, we are not - God forbid - implying that anything about our mayor resembles a Democrat. I am referring to his ass. Feel better now?)

Chris Brooks

And while Striplin might have fared better against the elements, we're pretty sure his runway-ready Prada-esque shoes he unwisely selected for a day at the Ranch couldn't say the same after trekking through dust, mud and snow. But don't worry. If Ken has half as many shoe cleaners as he evidently has hair products, the Pradas will be fine.

And while Wayne Crawford claims to be "a little bit city" (though the cowboy hat hints otherwise) we believe it's City Manager Ken Pulskamp who better earns that title. On January 26 "clever observations" will be made by Pulskamp when he takes the stage to "honor" Wayne at the Elks Roast.

Jim Bizzelle of Pardee Homes was arguably the best prepared of the bunch, looking jovial in Santa's favorite color scheme. His obviously-cheery outlook may also have something to do with the incredible success of the event, thanks to the generosity of Pardee Homes and its employees.

But snow didn't fall exclusively at CR last month. It also glistened majestically in Valencia. In fact, the only thing shinier than the freshly-made white stuff was the gleam off the 2008 Lexus LS460.

Pam Ingram & Bill McClendon

GM Bill McClendon of Lexus of Valencia fame threw a ravishing party in honor of Santa Clarita's second favorite religion - networking. The Chamber After Dark event drew hundreds of very-impressed guests, including Chairman Pam Ingram (Yes, you read that correctly. Ultra-girly Ingram, who never met a sequin she didn't like, earned the coveted title of "chairman" in our local chamber. Sigh...) and MB2 Raceway General Partner Chris Brooks, who either is a professional race car driver in his off time or is just very good at marketing. Only time will tell.