Following last January’s devastating fire, the displaced residents of Altadena have occasionally run into each other at one of the community meetings held by attorneys or as they check on their parcels of land where their houses once stood.
“It’s been difficult,” said Liz Espinoza. “We’ve all been scattered, now living in apartments elsewhere. One elderly neighbor we all know for her pie making is now in Oxnard and she isn’t planning to rebuild, feeling like she’s too old to start again.”
The Altadena community has learned – rebuilding and remediation isn’t a quick or easy process.
Driving through Altadena are streets upon streets of empty lots of nothing more than overturned soil.
“No Trespassing” signs are sometimes staked into the ground with orange mesh fence marking property lines. Random flowers surprisingly bloom on burnt stalks.
Only a handful of homes appear to be under construction and homes that look unscathed from a distance, upon a closer look, are empty and smoke-damaged.
Espinoza said she goes to what she now calls her “parcel” to feed the peafowl that still visit her spot. She and her husband try to stay positive, but really miss their community.
“We talk to each other on WhatsApp, but it’s not the same. For years, we watched after each other. Living in an apartment now is weird – you are so disconnected,” she said. “So, when we see each other, it feels really good.”
Espinoza said she attended a summer concert in her former neighborhood and is happy to hear that LA Opera on Saturday, Sept. 27, has organized an open invitation for the community to gather and reconnect at Loma Alta Park.
A live performance of LA Opera’s “West Side Story” is free and will be broadcast on a large screen at the park. Organizers of the event have planned pre-show activities that start at 4:30 p.m.
Amanda Castro, who stars as Anita, said she was on the East Coast when the fires broke out, but as a former CalArts student and familiar with the community, she was very concerned.
“In my dance community, there are so many artists who lost homes and family legacy, and you know, we on the East Coast were also tapped in to see what was happening here in Altadena. It’s heartbreaking,” she said.
“You wonder, what can you do from far away. And now I’m so excited that we get to share this work.”
The community is encouraged to gather your blankets and lawn chairs, pack your picnic and experience the music and drama of “West Side Story” under the stars. You can sing along with Leonard Bernstein’s landmark work with songs like “America,” “Somewhere” and “I Feel Pretty” with this unique and more modern rendition from LA Opera in the company of your neighbors.
This event is free to attend and open to all ages. Loma Alta Park is located at 3330 North Lincoln Ave. in Altadena.