Q. Why is there a big blue river on every map we see of Santa Carita?
That's a good question. The Santa Clara River - which, by the way - our city is named after, is the last natural river in Southern California. Due to its shallow depth, it flows intermittently and is subject to flooding. It is also home to a variety of endangered species such as the three-spined stickleback. The river is 83 miles long and flows west through our city to the Pacific Ocean. The amount of wildlife and habitat impacted by this river is massive. This is why, as a city, we do what we can to keep it clean and healthy. One of the major ways we do this is through our Annual River Rally event, coming up on Saturday, September 21 at 8am at the Newhall Community Center. This is your chance to be a part of the solution for a better environment. To date, thousands of volunteers have collected more than 445,000 pounds of trash and debris from the Santa Clara River and its tributaries! Pre-registration will be required again this year, but we have a convenient, web-based volunteer registration system at santaclaritavolunteers.com.

Q. I've seen the advertisements for the City of Santa Clarita Marathon. Is there still time to sign up and what is the Heroes Edition about?
The Santa Clarita Marathon is one of the longest-running events in our city. In fact, the first Santa Clarita Marathon was put on 24 years ago by the Santa Clarita Runners Club. For the past 18 years, the city has been hosting the weekend of events, which features the 26.2-mile marathon, a half marathon, 10K, 5K, Mayor's Walk, the Final Mile Challenge and a Health and Fitness Expo. This year's event will take place on November 2 and November 3. No, it is not too late to sign up. In fact, now is the perfect time to start upping your mileage to be ready for the race. This year's Santa Clarita Marathon will also feature a Heroes Theme. For those looking to bring a little fun to their run, they can dress up as their hero. This can be a superhero with superpowers or someone who has achieved great things in his or her respective industry. You can pay homage to your hero by wearing things such as a superhero cape, a shirt featuring your hero or even a full costume. We want participants to remain safe while out on the course, so be sure that your outfit still allows you to move freely and will not interfere with others who are running in the event. Make sure you register now before prices go up! You can do so at scmarathon.org.

Q. Every time we're at Central Park, we make it a point to visit the Youth Grove and remind family of the dangers of distracted driving. Can you tell us more about the Evening of Remembrance that is coming up this month?
Thank you for mentioning that. This year's Evening of Remembrance will be held on Tuesday, September 17, at 6:45pm at Central Park. This moving event honors the Santa Clarita Valley youth who have lost their lives in traffic-related incidents. The evening will begin with a Walk of Remembrance at the Youth Grove where there are 107 pillars, with seven added this year - each bearing a plaque with the name of a young life lost in a traffic-related incident. The pillars mimic cut tree stumps to symbolize young lives cut short. The pillars surround a central monument urging the community to "Know More" about safe driving habits and pledge that "No More" young lives will be lost behind the wheel. For more information, please visit
santa-clarita.com/youthgrove.