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Mountain View News Saturday, June 21, 2025

NEWS BRIEFS

ALTADENA BUILDS BACK FOUNDATION AWARDS $4.55 MILLION 
TO SAN GABRIEL VALLEY HABITAT FOR REBUILDING 
EFFORTS AFTER EATON FIRE

Funding will support rebuilding 22 homes over 3 years for underinsured and uninsured 
households affected by the Eaton Fire in Altadena

The Altadena Builds Back Foundation (ABBF), an initiative of Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF), has announced 
its first grant: $4.55 million to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity (SGV Habitat). This milestone 
investment marks the largest grant ever distributed from a PCF fund and represents an important step in long-term 
recovery efforts for Altadena residents impacted by the devastating Eaton Fire.

“This is not just about rebuilding homes—it’s about restoring hope, stability, and a future,” said Bryan Wong, CEO of 
SGV Habitat. “These homes represented generations of resilience and legacy. With this support, families can begin 
to rebuild more than walls—they will rebuild lives.”

The devastating Eaton Fire, which disproportionately impacted Altadena, left thousands displaced, many of whom 
have yet to return to their homes and are now grappling with the emotional and financial challenges of rebuilding 
their lives.

Three generations of the Wood family - all affected 
by the Eaton Fire through the loss of their homes. 
They stand here on their cleared lot with hope for 
rebuilding through SGV Habitat's program.

 The ABBF grant will fund the rebuilding of 22 
homes in West Altadena for low-income, underinsured, 
and uninsured homeowners who lost their 
residences in the fire. Many of the applicants—
whose average age is 72 and who have lived in their 
homes for more than three decades—represent 
multigenerational families or seniors on fixed incomes. 
Through its outreach in the community after 
the fire, San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity 
heard from homeowners that they have a desire to 
rebuild their homes and stay in Altadena. Unfortunately, 
they also need significant additional funding 
to supplement their payout from insurance to be 
able to cover the high cost to rebuild.

"Pasadena Community Foundation and its supporting 
organization Altadena Builds Back Foundation 
believe that recovery must begin with—and be led 
by—our community,” said Candice Kim, ABBF 
Project Director. “This inaugural grant is a powerful 
first step for ABBF. It embodies our deep, decades-
long commitment to Altadena and our trust in SGV 
Habitat to deliver community-rooted solutions.”

"Due to our diligent efforts we received the first rebuilding 
permit in Altadena earlier this year," said 
Wong. Now with the first grant from ABBF we can 
provide hope to 22 households over the next 3 years. 
Many residents are reaching out to us trying to find 
options to affordably rebuild. With partners like ABBF this is possible."

SGV Habitat has been focused on long-term recovery needs and finding solutions to helping impacted residents rebuild. 
Their plans include offering comprehensive case management and financial support while ensuring survivors 
are able to rebuild without taking on new debt.

In collaboration with Los Angeles County and The Foothill Catalog Foundation, SGV Habitat has already submitted 
pre-approved home and Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) designs to accelerate construction timelines. Last week it 
was announced The Foothill Catalog designs were the first to go through the county pre-approval process.

Fire survivors looking to receive rebuilding, repair and recovery support from SGV Habitat can fill out the interest form 
at www.sgvhabitat.org/eatonfirerelief 

MONROVIA HISTORY

Two New Books Published by Monrovia Historian Richard 
Singer

Monrovian Richard Singer has published two 
new books about Monrovia: "Monrovia Confidential: 
Larceny, Bribery, Drugs, Scandal and 
Murder in a great little American town!" and 
"Tales of the Gem City: Stories, Sketches, and 
Vignettes - 1912-1950."

Each book is a collection of stories from Monrovia's 
past; 13 in "Monrovia Confidential" and 
31 in "Tales of the Gem City."

From "Monrovia Confidential": "In the corridor 
outside her room, a balding, somewhat 
paunchy man stumbled toward the elevator, 
blood streaming from a gunshot wound in his 
left temple. He carried a still-smoking revolver."

And from "Tales of the Gem City," Two-Gun 
Huddleston, "had been staking out the melon patch 
for nearly a week. Night after night he waited patiently 
and unseen in his patrol car, tucked inconspicuously 
behind a stand of trees at the edge of 
Butler's Field. The county lawman was determined 
to catch the thieves who had been making regular 
raids on the large crop of watermelons..."

These are Singer's fourth and fifth Monrovia history 
books. His previous books were "1887" (about 
Monrovia's founding), "Renaissance Years" (the 
city's decline and its renaissance starting in 1974), 
and "People Like You and Me" (Monrovia during 
World War II).

Both books are available for purchase for $20 each at Charlie's House, 430 
S. Myrtle Ave. in Old Town. All proceeds from the sales go to support Monrovia's 
historical heritage.


OCEAN WATER USE WARNING FOR 
LOS ANGELES COUNTY BEACHES

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions 
residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles 
County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in 
ocean waters:

 

BEACH AREA WARNINGS:

• Windward storm drain at Venice Beach

 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain.

• Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove

 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier.

• Castlerock Storm Drain at Topanga County Beach

 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain.

• Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica

 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier.

• Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey

 Entire swim area.

• Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro

 Entire swim area.

 

These warnings have been issued due to bacterial levels exceeding 
health standards when last tested.

 

BEACH AREAS NOW CLEARED:

Warnings have been lifted for the following beach areas where 
recent sample results identified water quality levels within State 
standards:

• The Bel Air Bay Club at Will Rogers State Beach

 

Recorded information on beach conditions is available 24- 
hours a day on the County's beach closure hotline: 1-800- 525-
5662. To view map of impacted locations and for more information 
please visit: PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach/.

If you have any questions, please contact us at (626) 430-5360.

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