AREA PREPARES FOR SATURDAY START OF 661 AREA CODE.Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writers As the 24th area code in the state begins to ring Saturday, residents, business owners and city officials are preparing for the change. From letterheads This article is about the sign making group. For the heading at the top of a sheet of letter paper, see Letterhead. Letterheads is a group of sign makers and decorative artists dedicated to passing down traditional sign making skills. , banners and vehicle lettering to business cards, voice mail and prerecorded pre·re·cord tr.v. pre·re·cord·ed, pre·re·cord·ing, pre·re·cords To record (a television program, for example) at an earlier time for later presentation or use. Adj. 1. answering machines, Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, residents have a lot to change with the three little numbers. ``Most people have been shocked to find out it has been changed,'' said Sandy Menor, owner of Golden State Printing in Canyon Country. ``I had two people in today and they didn't know yet, . . . and it's in a few days.'' Beginning Saturday, for the next six months callers can dial either 805 or 661. Beginning Aug. 14, callers will hear a recorded reminder of the new 661 area code and will have to redial In telecommunication, an automatic redial is a service feature that allows the user to dial, by depressing a single key or a few keys, the most recent telephone number dialed at that instrument. . The reminder message will end Nov. 13. Menor said Golden State began in October sending promotional postcards to local businesses advising them of the change and the need to reprint letterhead, business cards and other stationery. The idea was to spread the business out over several months, she said. Some larger clients are using up what they have during the grace period, then preparing to order items with the new code. Some, she added, complain that 661 doesn't roll off the tongue like 805. ``They hate it,'' Menor said. ``They think the number is an awkward number, they think it should have been 606 or 660, anything easy.'' The latest area code approved by the California Utilities Commission in November 1997 will bring 661 to Kern County and northern Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County, including the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. . Although the change will have the greatest impact locally, portions of Kings, Monterey, Fresno and Tulare counties also will be affected. The California Utilities Commission split the current 805 area code, which includes Kern County and portions of Los Angeles, Ventura, San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (săn l  `ĭs ōbĭs`pō), city (1990 pop. 41,958), seat of San Luis Obispo co., S Calif., near San Luis Obispo Bay; inc. 1856. and Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. counties, to create the new one.
Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce officials began notifying members of the change in November through its monthly newsletter. Besides making changes to stationery, business cards and advertising, residents are also reminded to notify friends, relatives, business clients and customers of the area code change. CAPTION(S): Map MAP: New 661 area code |
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