Latest news with #Altadena
New York Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Memory of a Teenage Golden Child Ripples Across Generations
BUG HOLLOW, by Michelle Huneven Entering the lives of the Samuelson family in 1970s Altadena, Calif., feels like getting into a warm bath. Michelle Huneven's sixth novel, 'Bug Hollow,' instantly seduces even the most news-addled reader with its lovely, lucid prose, its spot-on period details (those pay phones!) and superb gift for description — of a sprawling cast led by a supportive engineer father, Phil, and a prickly elementary-school teacher mother, Sibyl; and especially of California's many wildly differing landscapes. The Samuelsons' simple suburban world turns upside down when 17-year-old Ellis, the sunny eldest child of three, goes camping with his friends outside Santa Cruz and doesn't bother to come back. 'Some girl has snagged Ellis,' Sibyl frets. 'Good for her,' Phil says, and the marital tension is established: Dad is chill and Mom is a control freak. Days turn into weeks with little contact from Ellis and a lot of panicking from Sibyl (is her son dropping out of college before he's even begun?), until the family tracks him to a rundown house in the Santa Cruz Mountains called Bug Hollow, the part commune, part crash pad where Ellis has moved in with Julia, an artsy, beautiful girl he met on the beach. The young couple's joy brings back all the feels, as the kids say today — the aha-ness of falling in love for the first time — but Sibyl isn't having any of it, and brings her boy home to spend his last pre-college week with his family. As Ellis's youngest sister, Sally, the precocious and dryly hilarious narrator of the first chapter, puts it: 'Julia made a little speech about how she didn't want our parents to be mad at her because she and Ellis truly loved one another and would be together forever, and she hoped to love and be loved by his family, too.' My eyes filled. It is not a spoiler to reveal that by Page 21, Ellis is dead: accidentally drowned in a quarry five days into his freshman year at Ole Miss. Phil goes down to Mississippi and returns with 'a box wrapped in shiny ivory paper and tied with a thick purple ribbon,' Sally narrates, thinking 'it was probably candy, and for everyone, another big assortment of chocolates he'd bought at the airport.' In fact, it is Ellis's remains. The lack of sentimentality surrounding this death is as shocking to the reader as it is to this repressed and soon-to-be fractured family who will carry this dead child along with them emotionally for generations. The novel evolves from its innocent opening into something more intriguing. Nothing (aside from the book jacket summary) prepares the reader for the five-decade international saga that unfolds in 10 discrete but interwoven chapters, each narrated by a different member of the Samuelson family or its widening circle. Formally, the result is something like a narrative love child of Alice Munro's novelistic short stories and Elizabeth Strout's novels of interconnected short stories. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Letters to the Editor: Altadena isn't just selling in the wake of fires. It's preserving its soul
To the editor: This recent Los Angeles Times article misses a lot about the real story happening on the ground (''Unfortunately, Altadena is for sale': Developers are buying up burned lots,' June 5). Yes, some homeowners have sold. But many, many more have chosen to stay — and are actively organizing with neighbors to rebuild Altadena with dignity, character and collective power. For example, hundreds of homeowners and more than 30 contractors have already joined the Altadena Collective, a resident-led initiative offering custom architectural options, vetted construction teams and below-market rebuild pathways for fire victims. And that's just one of the organizations dedicated to the rebuilding of Altadena. This isn't pie-in-the-sky idealism — it's real, it's happening, and it's reshaping the recovery process in ways that deserve coverage. Add to that the more than 150 nonprofits started since the fires, weekly gatherings drawing hundreds of residents and a widespread movement to preserve Altadena's soul, and you'll find a community that's doing a lot more than selling. We need more reporting that recognizes the depth and momentum of what's being built here. Jeremy Gray, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Staff writer Jack Flemming's report is spot on. The only thing not mentioned was that a lot of us in Altadena are too damn old to start over! The other issue is that so many of us were underinsured or not insured at all. There is a delusional group that thinks Altadena will come back as the quaint little town that it was, which will never happen. It will be a new city with new people and has a better chance of becoming the new Westside. Not everyone who moved away will be coming back. Norman Merino, Altadena This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
How A College Guidance Program Became a Post-Wildfire Lifeline
With nearly 1,400 of its students affected by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Pasadena's College Access Plan, like many California Community Foundation grantees, became a relief and recovery organization overnight. ALTADENA, Calif., June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Like so many others, Alejandra Surias saw her world turn upside down on Jan. 7. As fast-moving flames tore through Eaton Canyon in one of the state's most destructive wildfires ever, the Pasadena High School senior fled her home with her family in the dead of night. Thick smoke clogged the air, hampering her vision and breathing. Howling winds tore down tree branches and rocked her family's car as they sped away. When she returned to survey the damage, Alejandra began to cry. The Altadena apartment building she had lived in her entire life was unlivable, with the windows blown out and ash everywhere. She had to toss out some of her clothes, potentially now tainted with toxic smoke. Schools had shut down, disrupting her daily routine. Her mother and father were shell-shocked as they searched for a place to live with their two children and two dogs, moving from a relative's house to a hotel to a motel. Two weeks later, Alejandra's phone rang. It was Karla Ramos, a program coordinator with College Access Plan (CAP), a Pasadena-based nonprofit that provides no-cost services to help underserved students beginning in fifth grade prepare for college. Alejandra, who has worked with Ramos for two years, was filled with relief to hear the familiar voice. What do you need? How can I help? Ramos asked her. In those devastating days after the fire, Ramos and CAP staff would go well beyond their role as college planning specialists helping students explore careers, review transcripts, research campuses and assist with applications and financial aid. They provided a vital lifeline of financial, emotional and mental support to Alejandra and hundreds of other students whose lives were upended by the Eaton Fire. The program connected Alejandra's family with several resources, including grocery gift cards from the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Foundation and other donors and a suitcase filled with a tablet, air purifier, face masks and candy – along with $10,000 – from Letters Charity, a Chicago nonprofit. The funding, which Alejandra said moved her mother to tears, helped the family secure a new apartment in Arcadia. Ramos also helped Alejandra prepare for an experience of a lifetime: the Grammy Awards. Fifteen program students were invited to attend; Macy's in Pasadena brought them into the department store to choose outfits, shoes and accessories – all on the house. Alejandra, wearing a silky pink dress, got to see her idol, Billie Eilish. "I was so grateful because I was so depressed about everything that happened and this was just something fun to distract me," Alejandra said, "It was such a great time." The California Community Foundation has supported College Access Plan with grants totaling $425,000 since 2022. Like CAP, many other CCF grantees have also had to make wildfire recovery a top priority since January. Ca'Leah King, a parent, said the program has been a godsend to her and her son, Evan Wade. Evan began the program in sixth grade at Wilson Middle School, stayed with it through graduation from Pasadena High School and is still connected as a member of I Heart College, which supports CAP alumni through their college journey. Evan now attends UC Berkeley. King said the wildfires forced them to flee their Altadena apartment and scramble from "hotel to hotel, Airbnb to Airbnb." But relief that the building escaped destruction turned to dismay when she learned she had to toss out everything – her clothes, furniture, electronics – and wait months before she could return. A CAP staff member, Wendy Duran, has checked in regularly with King and her son, connecting them with grocery gift cards, a $1,000 donation and apartment listings. She also offers a sympathetic ear when King calls Duran to say she's had a terrible day. "They've been there for us – they're like family," King said. "They've definitely supported us emotionally." Mo Hyman, the program's executive director, said 82% of the 1,700 students the program serves were impacted by the fires. She estimated that at least 100 students lost their homes while the others were displaced either short-term or, like Alejandra's family, on a more long-term basis until their previous housing is restored. As Pasadena Unified School District sites remained shuttered for weeks, Hyman and her staff switched into overdrive to help school administrators contact students, assess their needs and distribute donations. After connecting with students, they learned that the wildfires had created new challenges with some of their college plans. Families who had lost homes, cars, jobs and other sources of security needed to file appeals for more financial aid. Katarine and Matthew Hart, twin siblings who attend John Muir High School, both plan to attend the University of Hawaii this fall – but after the wildfires destroyed their family's home, the annual $38,000 cost of attendance per student is a bigger stretch to afford. With Ramos' help, they are filing financial aid appeals. Other students are revising their college choices. Some had planned to attend Pasadena City College, for instance, but have been displaced outside the area so need to rethink whether a longer commute is feasible, Hyman said. Hyman's biggest concern is the toll the fires have taken on the students' mental and emotional health. Those effects might not yet be readily apparent as students may still be in a grieving stage without having fully grasped the enormity of what they lost, she said. But a 2014 National Institutes of Health study and other research have found that trauma can create a loss of confidence in a positive future and an inability to think ahead, Hyman said. She worries that some students may experience a delayed reaction to the trauma they suffered and decide over the summer, for instance, to forego college in the fall. "I'm concerned there will be a trauma cliff," Hyman said. "We're going to see massive trauma impacts in the next several years and those will impact educational choices. This will be a 10-year arc." College Access Plan board members are shifting strategies to address this challenge. Rather than focus on expansion to other regions, the nonprofit is doubling down on serving their Pasadena and Altadena families as questions loom on how many will stay in the area once the school year ends and what support they will continue to need. Hyman said CAP will invest more in peer counseling grounded in trauma care as they explore other ways they can support the community's disaster recovery efforts. In the meantime, they will continue their foremost mission – to help underserved students prepare for college. The effort began in 2006 by Hyman and Kathleen Parent as a way to address the gap in college knowledge and enrollment among Pasadena public school students who are low-income and the first in their families to attend college. The program initially began at John Muir High School, and now serves students at four elementary schools and all middle and high schools in the Pasadena Unified School District. It also serves students at all four high schools in the Hacienda La Puente School District. Staff members have developed a thick folder of curriculum that includes information about colleges, financial aid, essays, resumes, "brag sheets," careers, majors and transcript reviews. About 98% of seniors who attend at least three sessions – either visiting the program centers on campus or taking a course on college fundamentals or essay writing – advance to postsecondary education. Four-fifths of them graduate or remain enrolled in college over six years, Hyman said. Alejandra will join the alumni program as a student at Cypress College studying to become an ultrasound technician. She credits Ramos and other CAP staff for helping her turn around a slow start in high school and gain confidence, leadership skills and entry into a path toward a well-paying career in the health services. "I love this program so much," she said. "They've been really super duper helpful and have given me so much support." Media Contact: Gilien Silsby, gsilsby@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE California Community Foundation
Digital Trends
13-06-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
NASA's red planet rover shares a cool close-up of Mars mud
NASA's Curiosity rover has been tootling across the martian surface since 2012, its lofty quest to determine if Mars ever had environmental conditions suitable for microbial life. While it's already shared strong evidence that the red planet once had the right conditions for such a scenario, Curiosity continues to learn more about Mars through science expeditions that include drilling for rock samples that it then analyzes in its onboard laboratory. Recommended Videos On Thursday, the hardy rover shared a striking image (top and below) showing its latest drilling site, with the disturbed Mars mudstone appearing so close to the lens that you feel like you can almost reach out and touch it. Take a closer look and marvel at the astonishing detail present in the image, and then consider that it exists not on Earth but in a place currently some 180 million miles from where you're sat now. Meet 'Altadena,' my 43rd drill hole. It's named after a city near where I was built back on Earth. I've got more sampling to do as a I scale Mount Sharp, unraveling its history one rocky layer at a time. — Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) June 12, 2025 'Meet 'Altadena,' my 43rd drill hole,' Curiosity said in its post. 'It's named after a city near where I was built back on Earth. I've got more sampling to do as a I scale Mount Sharp, unraveling its history one rocky layer at a time.' The mudstone on Mars is a type of sedimentary rock formed from very fine particles of silt and clay that settled in ancient water bodies. It's essentially the remnants of ancient lakebeds, suggesting that Mars held liquid water for an extensive period a long time ago. Curiosity is conducting its work on Mount Sharp, which it's been exploring for much of its time on Mars. The feature is an 18,000-foot-high mountain in the middle of Gale Crater, and whose sedimentary layers, formed over billions of years, hold clues to Mars' watery past and potential habitability. Curiosity's mission was originally supposed to last no more than two years but was extended indefinitely after it successfully met its initial goals. In 2021, NASA landed the even more powerful Perseverance rover on Mars in a mission that complements the Curiosity rover by advancing the search for signs of ancient microbial life on the planet.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
California Announces Investigation Into State Farm
Ricardo Lara, California's Insurance Commissioner, announced a formal investigation into State Farm on Thursday, as complaints continue to mount about the insurer's handling of claims from the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles. The so-called 'market conduct examination' is a tool used when there is evidence of broad consumer complaints, according to a spokesman for the department. It's the fourth time that State Farm General Insurance Company — the state's largest insurer, which covers one out of every five homes in California — has been the subject of such an investigation since 2014, said Michael Soller, a deputy insurance commissioner. 'Some troubling patterns that my staff will investigate include the frequent reassignment of multiple adjusters with little continuity in communication, inconsistent management of similar claims, and inadequate record-keeping,' Mr. Lara said in a statement. 'These issues create unnecessary stress, prolong recovery, and erode trust.' The multiple fires that erupted on Jan. 7 in Eaton Canyon and on a hillside in Pacific Palisades have left a burn zone unlike almost any other — over 16,000 homes, businesses and other structures were obliterated and many others were damaged by toxic smoke. The fires are being described as among the most destructive in California's history, and have displaced thousands of people. Complaints against State Farm have been growing from the first weeks after the fire. A group of survivors from Altadena, the community flanking Eaton Canyon where one of the blazes started, have collected over 400 complaints from victims whose homes were insured by State Farm. The homeowners, who first found each other on a WhatsApp group for pickleball enthusiasts before migrating to the gaming app Discord, describe a pattern of delays and foot-dragging that they say has worn them down. Among the complaints is a pattern of rotating adjusters — where the same damaged home is assessed by one adjuster, only to be passed off to another, then another, forcing the homeowner to start from scratch with each new consultant, said Joy Chen, a former deputy mayor of Los Angeles, who runs the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, which collected the accounts. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
