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
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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
