VAN NUYS >> When it comes to high-speed rail, northeast San Fernando Valley communities from Sylmar to Pacoima may have dodged a bullet.
But that didn't stop residents from lashing out against the possible oncoming train on Thursday.
"Let's wake up and smell the fertilizer in the room," said Fritz Bronner, an equestrian from Shadow Hills, during a San Fernando Valley Council of Governments meeting in Van Nuys on Thursday where top state high-speed rail officials discussed the agency's latest plans.