Good morning Altadena! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Pasadena Chalk Festival.
Today's riddle: Why did the burglar wear blue gloves? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. Red tape or red ink? Permitting data suggests latter causing lag on rebuilding Altadena (therealdeal.com) — Altadena homeowners rebuilding after the wildfire are finding that limited insurance payouts and soaring construction costs, not county permitting delays, are the biggest obstacles to getting back home. New data show thousands of destroyed parcels without any rebuilding applications and hundreds more stalled after permits, while builders like Genesis and others pitch lower-cost, pre-approved plans and ADUs to help residents move forward.
2. Bears are taking over backyards in LA and residents just need to get used to it (pressnewsagency.org) — Altadena residents are increasingly sharing their neighborhoods with black bears, especially after the Eaton Fire pushed wildlife closer to homes. Local stories from Altadena and nearby foothill cities highlight how people are adapting, from securing crawl spaces and trash to using electrified mats, while wildlife officials stress that keeping bears wild and unfed is key to everyone's safety.
3. ASU professors' 'Out of the Ashes' VR documentary shows people who lost homes in California fires (kjzz.org) — Altadena residents affected by last year's wildfire are among those featured in a new VR documentary, "Out of the Ashes," premiering at the Venice International Film Festival. Created by two ASU professors with deep Los Angeles ties, the immersive project lets viewers virtually stand in burned-out homes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, highlighting both the trauma of loss and the community's determination to rebuild together.
4. California orders homeowners in top fire-risk areas to clear mulch, firewood within 5 feet of homes (thecooldown.com) — New California rules now require homeowners in top fire-risk zones to clear combustible materials like mulch and firewood within five feet of their homes, a change especially relevant after Altadena's devastating Eaton Fire. An Altadena survivor underscores how "Zone Zero" defensible space, clean roofs and gutters, and trimmed trees can make homes more defensible when embers fly during future wildfires.
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Ok Altadena! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: So he wouldn't get caught red handed. (Thank you Vicki B. for sending it in!)
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