Mountain View News Saturday, November 29, 2025 

A rendering of the reopened Charles White Park in Altadena 


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 

ALTADENA 
CHAMBER 
CELEBRATES 
ITS ‘BACK IN 
BUSINESS’ 
VOLUNTEERS 

Last week. the Altadena 
Chamber of Commerce 
toasted its dozens of volunteers 
that fuel Back in Business, 
Neighbors SupportingAltadena’s Business Community, 
its labor-intensive 
outreach program aimed at 
helping businesses recover 
after the devastating Eaton 
Fire. 

The Volunteer Appreciation 
Party was hosted by real estate 
advisor Kate Amsbry, 
who serves on the program’s 
Task Force, and held at the 
offices of Engel & Völkers in Pasadena. 

Congresswoman Judy Chu, Pasadena CityCouncilmember Rick Cole, and representatives 
for CA State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez and 
Assemblymember John Harabedian provided 
congratulations and certificates of recognition. 
Also on hand were Vannia De La Cuba,
Deputy to Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo;
Aziz Amiri, CEO, San Gabriel Valley Regional 
Chamber of Commerce; and Judy Matthews,
President, Altadena Chamber of Commerce. 

The Significance of Back in Business

In late January under the leadership of Dr. 
Julianna Delgado, Pasadena Planning Commissioner 
and Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood 
Association Past President, through the 
backing of Councilmember Rick Cole, a team 
of local experts – planners, architects, lawyers, 
and community activists--came together to 
provide what no other operation was contributing 
to business recovery. The team would 
focus on reaching out pro-actively to owners, 
many of whom had also lost their homes and 
were grappling with unfathomable challenges. 
They would listen to owners’ needs, help to 
resolve their issues, and match them with new 
workspaces so they could get back in business. 
“Businesses are an essential part of a community,” 
says Program Director Delgado, an urban 
planner with disaster recovery experience. 

Top Row (left to right): David Delgado, Esq.; Program Director Julianna Delgado, PhD, FAICP; Karin Liljegren, FAIABottom Row (left to right): Gail Price, Esq.; Planning Commissioner Carol Hunt Hernandez; Altadena Chamber of 
Commerce President Judy Matthews; Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association President Annette Yasin 


DISNEY COMMITTED TO REOPENING OF ALTADENA'S CHARLES WHITE PARK 

“Their return—through compassion, commitment, 
and cooperation--- is at the very core of 
successful rebuilding. “ The team understood 
that without business recovery, Altadena would 
have no future. 

Bungalow Heaven Supplies Workforce

With City and County personnel stretched thin,
Back in Business has contributed the missingingredient, the much-needed human capital 
for a successful outreach effort. An army of 
willing volunteers were trained to reach out to 
the business community to provide free oneon-
one assistance. Most of them are neighbors 
from Bungalow Heaven, Pasadena’s oldest 
and largest historic district located just below 
the Eaton Fire’s southern edge and thankfully 
spared from devastation. The neighborhood 
association decided to forgo this year’s Annual 
Home Tour and pivot instead to focus on fire 
recovery efforts. 

Back in Business Success 

Since the January tragedy, Back in Business has 
developed partnerships with City and County 
staff and local organizations, but has focused 
narrowly on a simple outreach mission, contacting 
over 170 impacted Altadena businesses. 
By listening and assessing their needs, outreach 
volunteers learned that relocation was 
out of reach to many, as rates for nearby leas-
able space found through commercial listings 
could be sky high. In response, the program 

soon mobilized and trained its workforce who 
participated in a weeklong “Walkabout.” Volunteers 
took to North Lake, Lincoln, and Fair 
Oaks Avenues and Washington Blvd, knocking 
on doors and talking to business and property 
owners --and finding over 30 commercial spaces 
that could be donated, shared, or offered at 
affordable rates. 
Back in Business’s volunteer service continues 
to support Altadena’s recovery and rebuilding 
though needs assessment and workspace 
matching. One of its biggest triumphs was 
moving the Bunny Museum and its thousands 
of items to safety to the basement of the Boys 
and Girls Club on Fair Oaks Avenue, made 
available at no cost to the Museum until they 
can move back home. As director Delgado explained 
at Thursday’s celebration, “There are 
dozens of other less dramatic but equally significant, 
untold stories involving a caring volunteer, 
a neighbor with a kind heart and sympathetic 
ear who if nothing else was willing to 
reach out and listen to help a survivor feel less 
alone.” 
To learn more, get involved, or offer available 
space contact: Julianna Delgado, PhD, FAICP,
Program Director, Back in Business julianna.
delgado@sbcglobal.net, 626-354-8797 

Judy Matthews, President, Altadena Chamber 
of Commerce, https://www.altadenachamber.
org, 626-794-3988 


ALTADENA (CNS) - The 
Walt Disney Co. announced 
today it will invest $5 million 
for the reopening of Altadena's 
Charles White Park, which was 
heavily damaged in the Eaton 
Fire, with the company's``Imagineers'' designing a playground 
and other features ``infused 
with Disney magic.''

 The funds are part of a $15 
million commitment the company 
has made for fire recoveryefforts, according to Disney. 

``Los Angeles has been home 
to The Walt Disney Companysince its founding more than a 
century ago, which is why we 
felt a special responsibility to 
help this community rebuild in 
the aftermath of the devastating 
wildfires earlier this year,'' 

Disney CEO Bob Iger said in 
a statement. ``I'm incredibly 
proud of our Imagineers who 
are volunteering their time and 
talents to help reimagine cherished 
public spaces like Charles 

White Park. Their work is not 
only a testament to Disney's 
creative spirit, but also to our 
deep commitment to our 
neighbors throughout this region. 
We hope this effort brings 
comfort, joy, and a sense of renewal 
to the Altadena community 
for years to come.'' 

Enhancements at the park will 
include Disney-designed play 
areas inspired by Altadena's 
Deodar Cedar pinecones, a 
splash pad, bridges, boulders, 

slides and swings, and an amphitheater. 
According to Disney, 
the company's Imagineers 
have been working with county 
staff on the playground design, 
site planning and landscape architecture 
not only at Charles 
White Park, but two 
other Altadena parks that were 
damaged in the fire. 

``Knowing that Disney's Imagineers 
will pour their time, 
talent, and compassion into 
Altadena's recovery is trulyinspiring,'' county Supervisor 
Kathryn Barger said in a statement. 
``Their work on Charles 
White Park and other community 
spaces is more than restoration. 
It is a gift of hope, joy, 
and healing for families who 
have endured so much this 
year.'' 

Disney officials said the company 
will also be supportingAltadena's annual Christmas 
Tree Lane Lighting Ceremony 
and Winter Festival on Dec. 6,
including appearances by Disney 
characters. The company 
will also donate more than 
1,000 toys to the community's 
annual toy drive. 

LA FIRE SURVIVORS URGE 
FOR THE RESIGNATION 
OF STATE INSURANCE 
COMMISSIONER

 ALTADENA (CNS) - Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades 
fires to-day urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to call for 
the resignation of California Insurance Commissioner 
Ricardo Lara -- a request that comes on the heels of a 
new report that found a 2023 plan struck between the 
commissioner and in-surers resulted in more policyholders 
being dropped ahead of January's emergency.

 On Thursday morning, a group of fire survivors led 
by the Eaton Fire Survivors Network gathered outside 
Good Neighbor Bar in Altade-na to discuss the report. 
Fire survivors requested immediate aid from Newsom 
as they navigate recovery and face barriers from 
insurers.

 The network consists of more than 8,500 people who 
were im-pacted by January's wildfires -- mainly from 
Altadena, but the organization has gained some members 
from Pacific Palisades as well.

 ``Families can no longer buy or renew coverage, and 
those who still have it can't access the benefits they've 
already paid for,'' Joy Chen, executive director of the 
network, said. ``Californians can't afford another year 
of failed oversight. This crisis now sits on the governor's 
desk. Gov. Newsom should call for Commissioner Lara 
to resign and install leadership that enforces the law and 
restores public trust.''

 The New York Times published a report Tuesday detailing 
how the deal changed the insurance landscape.

In 2023, various insurance companies had announced 
plans to depart from California's market. Lara reached 
a deal with insurers, which incentivized insurers to remain 
in the state in exchange for future rate hikes. The 
agreement sought to ensure insurers would write policies 
in fire-prone areas at a rate equal to at least 85% of 
their market share across the state.

 The report examined data after those rules were enacted, 
finding that enrollment in the state's FAIR Plan 
doubled as insurers dropped far more policyholders in 
fire-prone areas than promised.

 Companies dropped policyholders in ``distressed'' 
zipcodes while writing policies for homeowners located 
in lower-risk neighborhoods inside larger high-risk 
fire-prone areas, and still qualified for rate increases,
according to the report.

 Homeowners who signed up for the state's FAIR Plan 
often paid more for less coverage. The state's plan is a 
fire insurance program created in 1968, giving homeowners 
coverage who cannot find private market 
insurance.

 Lara's office issued a statement Saturday, calling the 
report a ``welcomed story,'' highlighting how insurance 
companies and outside groups are attempting to 
manipulate new regulations. His office noted that more 
action may be needed to reduce the FAIR Plan's growth.

 The office also noted Lara and the California Department 
of Insurance collaborated with The New York 
Times for months for the report, and provided extensive 
background information, interviews and access to 
data and research.

 ``All eyes are on insurance companies right now, including 
mine. We build the Sustainable Insurance Strategy 
with an understanding that insurance companies 
and intervenors would prod and probe for loopholes 
they think they can exploit,'' Lara said in a statement. 
``This is not a surprise to anyone that has dealt with 
them. If it is, welcome to Earth.''

 Five insurers have committed to stay and expand in 
California, with rate increases averaging 6.9%. The department 
is expected to review these rate filings in a 
public, transparent process so Californians do not pay 
more than is required, state officials said.

Consumer Watchdog Executive Director Carmen Balber 
criticized Lara and his ``secret deal,'' which she said 
could only be resolved by Gov. Newsom.

 ``When the regulator becomes the industry's business 
partner, consumers lose,'' Balber said. ``Commissioner 
Lara's deal with insurers gave them a reason to abandon 
California families and double the size of the FAIR 
Plan.'' 

``Despite Lara's promises, insurance companies will 
get big rate hikes but don't have to sell a single new policy 
in wildfire-risk areas,'' Balber added. ``Gov. Newsom 
must step in and appoint a commissioner who will 
stand up to the insurance industry, enforce the law, and 
get consumers the benefits they've paid for.''

 Meanwhile, fire survivors pleaded for Newsom to assist 
them and step in to address insurance issues by appointing 
a new commissioner. Several of them reported 
negative claims experiences, and yet rate hikes for insurers 
were approved.

 ``After the fire, I thought we were protected -- we'd 
paid State Farm for 25 years. But the real disaster was 
the endless maze of delays and denials,'' Jill Spivack, 
said a longtime Pacific Palisades resident, whose homeburned down in January.

 ``I had to put my business on hold just to fight for 
what we'd already paid for. Governor Newsom, your 
words gave us hope. Now we need your actions to make 
that hope real. Californians deserve an insur-ance commissioner 
who protects families, not the insurers doing 
the most harm,'' Spivack added.

 Branislav Kecman, an Eaton Fire survivor, said he had 
paid premiums to State Farm for 12 years before beingdropped months before. He eventually signed up with 
the state's FAIR Plan.

 ``That was painful enough,'' Kecman said. ``But 
what's truly devastating is learning that our own insurance 
commissioner se-cretly cut a deal that encouraged 
insurers to drop families like ours. We thought we could 
trust the system. We never imagined we'd be betrayed 
by the very person elected to protect us.''

 The Eaton Fire Survivors has documented what they 
say is nearly 500 firsthand accounts of insurer misconduct. 
The group also delivered a five-step enforcement 
plan to Lara to stop insurers' bad behavior.

 Fire survivors launched a petition in an attempt to 
persuade Gov. Newsom to replace Lara, which can be 
viewed online at larare-sign.org.

 ``California cannot afford another year of Ricardo 
Lara. We call on Gov. Newsom to act now: urge Commissioner 
Lara to resign, and install new leadership that 
enforces the law and rebuilds a functioning insur-ance 
market,'' Chen said in a statement.

 Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.