Edgar McGregor picking up trash on March 18, 2024 in Eaton Canyon. Ten months later, McGregor’s posts on Facebook saved a lot of lives as the Eaton Fire blazed through Altadena.
Recognizing that today is both MLK Day and Inauguration Day, a fact that provides obvious opportunities to draw contrasts between Martin Luther King and Donald J. Trump, we choose instead to keep The Newsletter on message, which is to say local, and focused on solutions.
Today we recognize two instances of people-power being exerted by a couple of ordinary heroes. The first you may have heard about—a young Altadena weather-watcher who mounted an effort on social media that saved a lot of people from possible fiery death. (As it happens, we know this guy.)
The second story is less-obviously heroic, but in this era of mass misinformation, the effort of another young man to counteract a campaign that could cripple smart development in the little city of Hollister is worth noting.
And in celebration of this issue's theme, dig this tune for our times from Patti Smith, singing one of the greatest small-d democratic anthems ever written— her own (you guessed it) “People Have the Power.” This might be just the thing you need today.
Saving Lives and Fighting Lies
In LA County, a young meteorologist started a Facebook page to help his neighbors keep track of the weather. In San Benitio County, a student of land-use planning started a website to counteract misinformation (and incivility) on NextDoor. Sometimes, as they say, what happens online is happening In Real Life.
• Palo Alto City Council Backs Parklet Exapansions
In their meeting on January 12, the Palo Alto City Council agreed to support the expansion of restaurant street parklets into their neighbor's space without the need for prior permission. Read on to learn more about this change of policy.
(01/13/2025) → Palo Alto Online
• LA Fires Bring Scrutiny to Worker Safety, Private Firefighting
Describing the active wildfires in Southern California as a “catastrophe at an unprecedented scale,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas gathered with dozens of Assemblymembers on Thursday in Los Angeles to introduce new bills that seek to quicken rebuilding efforts and lift development restrictions.
(01/16/2025) → CalMatters
• Private Firefighters Are Increasingly Popular With Insurers. But Do They Pose a Risk?
Robert MacKenzie is an assistant fire chief — but not the kind who works for your local fire department. As the Palisades Fire bore down on Southern California last week, the private fire crew he oversees headed out to help defend homes for their customers: insurance companies that offer wildfire protection to wealthy homeowners and others with the coverage built into their policies.
(01/16/2025) → CalMatters
• CA Abandons Clean-Air Rules on Diesel Trucks
In a striking setback to reduce California’s air pollution but a win for trucking companies, state regulators have walked away from their ambitious plan to phase out diesel trucks less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
(01/14/2025) → CalMatters
