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Mountain View News Saturday, August 23, 2025

NEWS BRIEFS

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CELEBRATES 
100TH HOMEBUYER WITH DEDICATION OF EL SERENO HOMES

AUG. 30 PASADENA HERITAGE OLD 
PASADENA TWILIGHT WALKING TOUR

 
This past weekend San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity celebrated 7 first-time homebuyers who are the first to purchase 
properties in El Sereno from the organization.

 “Thanks to you we are helping families achieve what today can feel like an impossible dream,” said SGV Habitat CEO 
Bryan Wong dur-ing the event. “The average home selling price in LA County right now is just over $900,000, while the 
av-erage mortgage people can afford is about $350,000. So that’s what we are looking at – a gap of $550,000 – and that’s the 
afforda-bility crisis we are facing in this ar-ea.”

In May of 2024 SGV Habitat announced they were among a small list of or-ganizations awarded the opportunity to transform 
former Caltrans properties into new opportunities for affordable housing in El Sereno. The nonprofit has begun renovating 
existing homes and building new homes on lots that were formerly under the ownership of Caltrans, after the state purchased 
them with plans for demolition to put 
in a freeway from Long Beach to Pas-adena. 
SGV Habitat began renovations on the properties a little over a year ago and has completed work on 7. The local nonprofit has 
plans to build or renovate at least 11 more homes in the area.

SGV Habitat sells affordable homes to low-income, first-time homebuyers to help them achieve their dream of homeownership. 
Approved homeowners, at time of purchase, qualify for a monthly housing payment equal to no more than 30% of their 
gross monthly income. Homebuyers also contribute volunteer hours to the organization by helping build their homes and the 
homes of others alongside teams of volunteers. To date 1,420 volunteers have donated time to the projects in El Sereno.

“I want to say thank you to all the volunteers for San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity,” said Sybonay, one of the El Sereno 
homebuyers. “For all your dedication and all the hours that you put in for our family and for the families that will be impacted 
your time and sweat into this home isn’t in vain. We are loving it. Our children are loving it, and we’re just grateful from the 
bottom of our hearts.”

Senator Maria Elena Durazo, SGV Habitat staff and Board of Directors, fam-ily members, supporters, homebuyers, community 
representatives and oth-ers gathered on Saturday, August 16 for the ceremony which took place on the patio at Calvary 
Church in El Sereno. The event was a culmination of the hard work, dedication and commitment to creating more affordable 
housing opportunities. It also marked the 100th first-time homebuyer to pur-chase a home from SGV Habitat.

SGV Habitat transforms lives and communities by bringing people together to build, renovate, and repair affordable homes 
for families in need across Los Angeles County’s San Gabriel Valley. Since their inception in 1990, as an independent affiliate 
of Habitat for Humanity International, they’ve brought people together to build homes, communities, and hope – driven by 
a shared vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live! Dona-tions made to SGV Habitat over the next 30 days 
will be be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000 by the De Nova Fund. This generous donation will help fund the work being 
done in El Sereno by SGV Habitat.

 The local nonprofit has nearly 60 projects on the horizon including new builds in Azusa and Baldwin Park and has recently 
committed to rebuilding 25 homes and repairing 12 homes for low-income underinsured families who were affected by the 
Eaton Fire in Altadena. For more information visit www.sgvhabitat.org

 
This month’s Old Pasadena Twilight Walking Tour on Saturday 
August 30, will include the northern section of Old Pasadena, beginning 
at Memorial Park and walking south through several historic alleyways 
as evening sets in. This special twilight tour features the ruins of 
Pasadena’s second library, a historic theatre that has been readapted as 
condominiums, and perhaps one of the most controversial preservation 
stories regarding an entire block that was saved. The tour will run from 
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

 Old Pasadena is a shopping and dining destination, but without 
Pasadena Heritage, this National Register Historic District would 
have been destroyed. Now it stands as one of the finest examples of 
downtown revitalization in the country. As dusk brings out the glow 
of vintage signs and the quiet charm of hidden courtyards, one of our 
trained docents will lead you through the historic district and reveal 
its many hidden and unusual architectural details, old alleyways, and 
stories of transformation.

 The tour is approximately 1.5 hours and covers about 1.5 miles.

 The Old Pasadena Management District graciously sponsors Old 
Pasadena tours.

 For more information visit: pasadenaheritage.org/events-tours/old-
pasadena-twilight-walking-tour.

PASADENA TO HOLD WORKSHOP 
FOR THE 710 STUB MASTER PLAN

 City of Pasadena officials announced that they are inviting residents 
to the next Community Engagement Workshop for the Reconnecting 
Pasadena Project on Saturday, September 13 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at 
the Friendship Pasadena Church located at 80 W. Dayton St. 

 According to city staff the project is now in the document and refine 
phase, the third and final phase of the project for the 710 Master Plan. 
This workshop will include a presentation of the latest project design 
options and a moderated panel discussion featuring the project team 
and subject matter experts. The panel will provide an update on future 
possibilities for the 710 Stub including updated land use and circulation 
concepts and continue the discussion of potential restorative justice 
elements. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage with panelists 
and the project team during a moderated question and answer session. 

 The document and refine phase of the master planning effort will build 
upon community input gathered throughout the project to further 
evaluate the feasibility of design ideas. During this stage, the project 
team will explore key technical questions such as traffic solutions, land 
uses and density, and funding for future public amenities. This work 
will help shape the final recommendations for the project and ensure 
that proposed solutions are both achievable and align with community 
interests.

 For more information and to RSVP for the workshop, visit the project 
StoryMap, at: bit.ly/RpmpStoryMap.

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Shop proceeds support our local charities 
“CAMINO DE SANTIAGO-MY JOURNEY MY WAY IN 29 DAYS

April 17-May 15, 2025”

by: Lorie Veiner-Clause

“ABANDONMENT”

Abandonment is an emotion I immediately experienced. 

Upon exiting the 2nd train to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, from Paris, my lifeless petite body 
stood vertically erect as an emotionless statue by the train station.

Standing alone with my 2 heavy backpacks. Sad, brown puffy eyes of fear. The unknown. What was I thinking? 
Feeling like a failure before walking anywhere.

Movement was still. Sounds of the train leaving. Other pilgrims walked together with their corresponding partners.

‘Little Lorie’ all alone. The real emotion surfaced. Feeling abandoned.

Realizing I needed to walk to the Pilgrim Office. Moving by body up a steep hill on dark cobblestones with the sun 
reflecting on my fair skinned face. Where were the solo female walkers many people spoke about on social media?

All the people I saw had companions and spoke different languages.

I spoke un peu Français et un poco de Espanola but not great. My adult body regressed to a child of abandonment. 

An emotion I did not expect and needed to work out fast.

This adventure of a lifetime should have brought excitement. Instead, the runner in me wanted to hop back on 
that train which had already left. The safe exit. 

But the non-quitter, tenacious Lorie is a fighter. Tears and all. Not only did the abandonment emotion hit me hard 
upon arriving in SJPP but also experienced it along ‘The Way’.

Seeing pilgrims walking past me. “Follow that Baguette.” I said many times as it was visible in their backpacks 
standing vertically tall. Experiencing bad weather all alone in the middle of nowhere. Getting lost several times.

The vulnerability.

I cried and shouted out loud so many times. Trying to process ‘Little Lorie’ being abandoned from a very rough 
childhood. Not ashamed. Processing. Real raw emotions. Reality hit me hard. 

Dark sunglasses covered my not so large brown, swollen, puffy eyes.

This pilgrim needed to find the strength God imbedded in my belief and heart.

Although I was physically alone, Jesus never left my side. Being there for me. Through the physical and emotional 
pain. He and I were on this journey together. 

Did I officially start my Camino? Buen Camino

#LoriesCaminoJourney #caminodesantiago #camino2025 #camino #caminofrances #caminodesantiagofrances #caminopilgrim 
#caminoespiritual #americanpilgrims #caminodesantiagoallroutes #caminasabuddysystemforwomenonthecamino #americanpilgrimsonthecamino 
#pilgrimsofsantiago #womenonthecamino #lamarathon #parismarathon #parismarathon2025 #pasadenapacers 
#sierramadre #sierramadrecommunity #sierramadrecalif #sierramadrestrong #ilovesierramadre 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com