Earlier than January’s Eaton Fireplace, Eric and Ali Glasser and their three younger kids made a behavior of strolling just a few blocks from their Altadena house to Loma Alta Park. Over the previous few months, the Glassers have been driving by watching development crews’ progress on repairing the park’s harm. They arrived at Loma Alta’s grand reopening Saturday morning keen to seek out some normalcy in a life that’s been something however lately.
“This little man has been actually unhappy about his playground burning,” stated Ali Glasser, 43, pointing to her 2-year-old son who was eyeing a winding slide on new playground gear.
The Glassers’ house survived the fireplace — neighbors helped battle close by flames — however smoke and ash harm have compelled them away. They’ve moved 14 occasions earlier than settling in a rental in Highland Park.
Ali Glasser known as the park’s reopening “a beacon and brilliant spot amidst plenty of devastation.”
“As a group we’re all nonetheless mourning,” she stated. “On the identical time, life does go on for our youngsters.”
Neighbors in Altadena and authorities, enterprise and nonprofit leaders hailed the renovated, rebuilt and expanded Loma Alta Park at a reopening ceremony Saturday. They praised the park as a hub for gathering and recreation because the group recovers from a catastrophe that displaced greater than 6,000 households.
The park, which spans 17 acres, escaped main harm from the fireplace, however playground gear melted and ash coated the pool and unfold over the grounds. Los Angeles County staff and 1000’s of volunteers labored to wash up the realm. Companies and nonprofits donated funding and gear.
Saturday’s debut got here with all new play buildings, a dialog nook with Adirondack chairs and low stand, a satellite tv for pc library, baseball fields, laptop lab and renovated pool and basketball court docket.
Inside hours of the mid-morning ribbon chopping, dozens of kids traipsed via the play areas, seniors had been deep right into a bingo recreation and households lined up for a Little League baseball ceremony.
Mark Mariscal, a 36-year Altadena resident who misplaced his home within the hearth, stated he was excited to spend time together with his grandchildren within the park once more. Whereas he’s discovered various housing, Mariscal stated he and lots of different hearth survivors stay unsettled and daunted by the prolonged technique of rebuilding their properties.
It was necessary to have a good time one of many solely public areas that would reopen now, he stated.
“All of us want hope, and all of us want love and all of us want appreciation,” Mariscal stated.
The choice to reopen the park so rapidly wasn’t with out controversy. Many residents reacted angrily when L.A. County officers known as for volunteers in March to assist with rebuilding the park, saying that the choice was tone deaf within the face of fireplace survivors’ trauma and unsafe given the toxicity of the particles.
Glasser stated she felt “combined feelings” concerning the park’s reopening, noting neighbors’ issues on the timing and extent of the cleanup efforts.
Some residents got here to the opening to name consideration to vital housing and public security issues within the wake of the fireplace that they stated weren’t being addressed.
Julie Esnard, 67, stated she and her neighbors really feel trapped of their house constructing, which is reserved for low-income seniors. The constructing, which opened final yr, remains to be standing alongside an Altadena industrial strip however was broken by smoke and ash.
Esnard stated evacuation the night time of the fireplace was chaotic after the constructing misplaced energy. Elevators now not functioned, and residents needed to drag themselves down the steps whereas the advanced crammed with smoke, she stated.
The constructing’s residents returned two weeks after the fires, and Esnard is unconvinced that it’s protected. A number of burned tons throughout the road from the constructing haven’t been cleared of their particles, and residents are frightened of what stays on the websites.
Residents and activists maintain indicators requesting higher housing and different help for Eaton hearth survivors on the reopening of Loma Alta Park in Altadena on Saturday.
(Liam Dillon / Los Angeles Occasions)
“No one goes outdoors,” Esnard stated, leaning on her walker. “It’s poisonous and we’re outdated.”
Esnard, who has lived in Altadena for 60 years, joined about two dozen different residents and activists who marched and held up indicators on the opening calling for higher protections for renters, extra enforcement of legal guidelines requiring properties to be liveable and direct help for hearth survivors nonetheless dwelling in automobiles and shelters.
They delivered a letter to Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the realm, asking her to host a city corridor to deal with their issues.
“We’re mad and we would like issues to vary for the higher,” Esnard stated. “Renters and elders have been ignored.”
Barger stated she deliberate to overview the request, however stated “it was unlucky that they felt it was higher to disrupt” Saturday’s occasion.
Barger toured the park’s refurbished facilities and stated residents had been grateful for someplace to return so quickly after the fires.
“Folks had been grateful for the truth that they’ve a spot, an area to come back,” Barger stated. “A lot of them are displaced, in order that they’re arising right here and reconnecting with their group.”
