The Brief

Lance Ware has been in the internet business since the early days of dial-up, but he still has trouble getting decent internet service on Catalina Island.

It wasn’t until the pandemic that he truly learned the extent of its connection issues. Ware had tried to isolate in paradise, bringing his two daughters along to remote-learn while he worked from his home office. But he quickly realized that wasn’t going to be possible with the island's limited internet service.

“They couldn't stream, they couldn't get online, they couldn't even get audio,” Ware said. “And then I realized I'm basically stealing bandwidth from the kids here."

The economy of Catalina Island is supported primarily through tourism, providing employment opportunities for the island's predominantly Latino workforce.

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Limited infrastructure

Located just an hour off the coast, Catalina Island is among the top destinations for a weekend getaway or school field trip from L.A.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors take the ferry each year for scuba diving and zip lining, or to simply relax on the beach and enjoy the wildlife.

But for 4,000 or so residents, the island lifestyle comes at a cost: erratic internet connection.

There's no residential access to fiber on the largely rural island. Larger companies like AT&T and Spectrum don’t provide internet service here because it’s too expensive.

At the high peak of the mountain, the lone AT&T tower comes into view.

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With limited infrastructure, some island residents get Wi-Fi from a small local provider, while others use their phones as hotspots, but everyone is competing for the same bandwidth.

The economy of Catalina Island is supported primarily through tourism

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When you factor in difficult terrain and often stormy weather, getting online can be a nightmare — especially for those who live outside of the island's two towns.

Losing critical revenue

The problem affects every aspect of life on the island.

For small businesses who cater to tourists, slow internet affects sales. Most visitors are on the island for a limited time, and can’t afford to miss the next ferry boat if the credit card transaction isn’t going through.

“We have many reports of our businesses saying, ‘I am losing critical revenue because of this,’" said Jim Luttjohann, president of the Catalina Island Tourism Authority. “If they can't transact their sale at your cash register, they're going to walk down the street and see a different sweatshirt.”

The rural life is what draws many visitors to the island

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For some, it's a matter of affordability. Avalon Mayor Anni Marshall says there’s a common misconception the island is full of wealthy, white residents, but there’s a large Latino and immigrant population.

“The majority of our people work in service, where it be the hotels or restaurants, or the amusements and attractions,” she said.

Catalina Island Mayor Anni Marshall steps in as a substitute teacher at the island's only school when needed.

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Despite working many seasonal jobs at a time, they may not be able to afford any internet access at home. Their kids are able to get online at Avalon School, which serves grades K-12, because it has its own satellite internet. But that is expensive, and often slower than broadband.

“If we had continuous high-speed internet… we'd be stellar,” Marshall said.

And it can be a matter of public safety.

Josh Olsen, maintenance worker, struggles to keep in contact with his family

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“It's hard for people to get ahold of me just because if I'm not in cell range, which the majority of my job I'm not,” said Josh Olsen, a fourth generation resident who does maintenance work around the island.

In the case of an emergency, Olsen said his family would have to call his office to alert his assistant, who would then use a radio to try to reach him in the field. But, that’s not exactly a sure bet.

“Hopefully I'm in a spot where we have radio reception, because we do have dead areas,” he said.

Massive undertaking

After his pandemic experience with his children, Lance Ware says he "took that to heart" and became determined to fix the problem.

Drawing on his decades in the internet industry, he assembled a team of experts and looked to see how other islands like Hawaii and Guam had overcome the problem.

As you drive up the high peaks of Catalina Island’s rural communities, endless views of the Pacific Ocean can be seen.

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One answer: underwater cables.

So his company, AVX Networks, put together an ambitious plan to build a new submarine fiber network of its own.

It involves burying 30 miles of armored, underwater cables from the mainland to the island. Which doesn't come cheap.

“These things cost, you know, a million and a half dollars each to bore a hole into the ocean… hopefully times two on each side,” he said.

That’s just boring the holes. The entire project will cost about $35 million.

It’s a massive undertaking, but with enough funding and community support, Ware believes he can make it work.

“People have told me I'm crazy or it's impossible, or it will never get done. And I guess that, maybe in a sick way, that drives me,” he said.

Broadband For All

One thing is in his favor — as part of California’s Broadband For All program, the state is offering $2 billion in grants for infrastructure projects such as Ware’s, to help close the digital divide.

Last year Ware's company applied for $32 million of the needed $35 million to connect the entire island.

But, it faces stiff competition from larger providers like AT&T and Spectrum that are also applying for the money. They are asking for a combined $38 million to fund seven projects expanding services in other parts of L.A. County.

Catalina island is notably not one of them, which frustrates Ware.

“They’re doing what they can on the mainland, but they have all the cash flows from that that they could put into markets like this to make it happen, but they have chosen not to,” he said.

The economy of Catalina Island is supported primarily through tourism

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Ware could find out soon if his bid is successful. The California Public Utilities Commission, which is spearheading the grant selection, says it will announce grant winners this summer and fall on a rolling basis.

“This is a labor of love. It's costly at the moment, but it feels worthwhile and fun and like the right thing to do, Ware said.

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena and Pasadena’s music community have really shown up to support fire survivors, especially fellow musicians who lost instruments and record collections.

That effort continues this weekend with a special donation concert at a Pasadena record store, with the aim of getting vinyl records back in the hands of survivors who lost their collections.

“You know, our name is Healing Force of the Universe, and I think that gives me a pretty clear direction… especially after the fires,” said Austin Manuel, founder of Pasadena record store, where Sunday’s show will be held.

The record donation effort is the brainchild of musician Brandon Jay, who founded the nonprofit Altadena Musicians after losing his home and almost all of his family’s instruments in the Eaton Fire. Through Altadena Musicians’s donation and registry platform, Jay said he and his partners have helped some 1,200 fire survivors get their music instruments back.

Brandon Jay.

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Now, that effort has fanned out to restoring vinyl record collections.

“All of that stuff evaporated for thousands of people,” Jay said. “Look at your own record collection and be like, ‘Wow, what if that whole thing disappeared?’”

You might know Jay from several bands over the years, including Lutefisk, a 1990s alt-rock band based in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Gwendolyn Sanford, composed music for TV shows, including Orange is the New Black and Weeds.

Jay plans to play some holiday tunes at Sunday's record donation show (which LAist is the media sponsor), along with fellow musician Daniel Brummel of Sanglorians. Brummel, who was also a founding member of Pasadena’s indie-rock sensation Ozma, said he was grateful to Jay for his fire recovery work and to Manuel for making Healing Force available for shows like this.

Brummel, who came close to losing his own home in the Eaton Fire, recalled a show he played at Healing Force back in March.

Ryen Slegr (left) and Daniel Brummel perform with their band, Ozma, on the 2014 Weezer Cruise.

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“The trauma of the fires was still really fresh,” Brummel said. After playing a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “Going to a Town,” that night — which includes the lyrics “I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down” — Brummel said his neighbors in the audience told him the rendition hit them hard. “It felt really powerful. And without that space, it just wouldn’t have occurred.”

Details

Healing Force of the Universe Record Donation Show
Featuring: Quasar (aka Brandon Jay), Sanglorians (Daniel Brummel) and The Acrylic.
Sunday, Dec. 14; 2 to 5 p.m.
1200 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
Tickets are $15 or you can donate 5 or more records at the door. More info here.

Topline:

The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.

The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.

What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."

What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."

Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.

Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.

Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.

Luis Cantabrana stands in front of the stunning altar he built in front of his home in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe. Every year, his display draws hundreds of visitors.

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Why do they celebrate? 

In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.

To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.

Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.

The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).

“It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”

The Santa Ana home's elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe draws hundreds of visitors each year.

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Gathering in a time of turmoil 

Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.

“People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”

Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.

“We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.

Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the Virgin Mary represents strength.

“Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”

See it for yourself

The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.