Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published December 1, 2023 7:40 AM
Structural engineers gather this weekend to make the best and most stable gingerbread house in Tustin.
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Topline:
The Southern California Gingerbread Challenge is a competition held by — and featuring — structural engineers from around the region taking place this weekend in Tustin.
Why it matters: Gingerbread houses have become a Christmas tradition the world over since they appeared in Germany in the 16th century. And it is only appropriate that in Southern California, their construction would come with an extra nod toward structural integrity.
The backstory: The challenge started in 2022 as a way to bring together the nearly 1,000 or so members of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California during the holiday season for a good-natured competition. The annual bash also raises money for local charities.
Gingerbread houses have become a Christmas tradition the world over since they appeared in Germany in the 16th century. And it is only appropriate that in Southern California, their construction would come with an extra nod toward structural integrity.
At least that's the idea behind the Southern California Gingerbread Challenge, a competition held by — and features — structural engineers from around the region that takes place this weekend in Tustin.
"Most of us are practicing structural engineers. We make sure that a building has all the components it needs to withstand various forces throughout its lifetime," said Maria Mohammad, a structural engineer and one of the organizers behind the challenge. "This is what we do in real life, and now we get to do it in gingerbread."
The challenge
The challenge started in 2022, Mohammad said, as a way to bring together the nearly one thousand or so members of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California during the holiday season for a good-nature competition.
2023 game day
A participant uses a handheld saw to cut gingerbread pieces.
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Making sure the frosting that holds gingerbread pieces is steady and dry is one secret to a stable gingerbread house.
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Rules include a size limit of a 3-feet diameter for the structure, and that all material used in its construction — including for structural support — must be edible.
"Rice Krispie Treats were used a lot to help support the gingerbread," said Mohammad.
Submissions are evaluated for creativity, flashiness, and of course, structural soundness among a variety of categories. Last year, the nation's premier earthquake expert Lucy Jones was among the panel of judges.
"There are no specific aesthetic requirements, but looking at the structures that were built last year, aesthetics was not lacking in all of the structures that were built," Mohammad said.
Bragging rights asides, the event also raises money for good causes.For every vote cast by the public, a dollar is automatically donated to a participating local charity.
Gingerbread Union Station
The award-winning Union Station replica by Structural Focus and Architectural Resources Group at the SoCal Gingerbread Challenge in 2022.
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
One of the big winners at last year's inaugural challenge was a gingerbread house version of Union Station, built by the structural engineering firm Structural Focus and the architecture firm Architectural Resources Group.
"Union Station is pretty close to most of our hearts," said Taylor Funk with Structural Focus.
Funk said the two firms had partnered up before to conduct renovations work onthe real-life Union Station in downtown, so to build a gingerbread homage was a no brainer.
"We started with kind of a virtual model and then that became paper cutouts," Funk said of the process, which involved a team of about a dozen members, including Mohammad.
Then they went about getting the details down.
"We wanted to make sure that we got all of the storefront doors correct," Funk said. "We made small molds that you had to pour the sugar glass into. And then one of the architects very carefully painted on top of it so that it looked like the true Union Station doors."
The clock tower, Funk noted, was made with a stack of Rice Krispies Treats with gingerbread pieces glued with frosting to the outside.
Next, the two firms got together for a pre-competition test run. "We tried some decorating tips, tried to make sure that the structure would stand up before we actually got there and built it," Funk said.
Finally, on "build" day, the different teams gathered for a multi-hour closed-door session to construct their respective entries live and in person.
Gingerbread Union Station took home the President's Award, as well as the People's Choice Award, at last year's challenge.
The 2023 entries
Van de Kamp's Bakery by Architectural Resources Group and Structural Focus
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Monster House by CalPoly Pomona
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Happiest Team on Earth by Degenkolb Engineers
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Super ES World by ICC Evaluation Service
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Mission San Juan Capistrano by Mott McDonald
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
The Bite Sized Grand (Wilshire Grand Center) by Brandow & Johnston and AC Martin
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
The McCallister House by Cal State University Los Angeles
Hogwarts Castle by PBK and Kubala
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Gru’s Residence by Grimm & Chen
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
House From Up by MHP Structural Engineers, HPI Architects, and P2S Engineering
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
A BarbenHeimer Christmas by Holmes
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Merry Griffith Observatory by Hohbach Lewin and HMC Architects
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
The Burrow (Harry Potter) by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Barbie Dreamhouse by MiTek
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Santa's Surf Shack by Hilti
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
Winter in San Francisco by Walter P Moore
(
Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
)
The Van de Kamp windmill
This year, the team is at it again with another iconic entry: a replica of the Van de Kamp windmill, with blades spun by a teeny tiny motor smaller than the size of someone's fist.
"[That's] the only inedible thing on our structure, which we've passed by the Board," said Funk.
For the blades, the team is going stringy.
"The windmill itself, we have to make sure is very light," said Mohammad. "So we're using spaghetti."
The windmill is going up against more than a dozen other submissions. All in all, it's a more structurally ambitious project, and Funk and Mohammad are hopeful that the team's engineering and gingerbread construction chops will pay off.
"It is vertical, so the foundation, it's even more important for it to hold," said Funk. "I'm 90 percent confident that it's going to stand up and move."
Pro tips on construction
"Make sure that all the icing holds before you let go of anything," said Funk. For example, when you put the roof on, be sure to hold it there for as long as it takes for the icing to dry.
"Be smart with the geometry," said Mohammad. "Pick geometries that are stable on their own. Like a triangle, the base is wider than the top. So you have more support at the bottom than the weight you have at the top."
"Use lighter materials," said Mohammad, like the spaghettis in their Van De Kamp gingerbread windmill.
First artifacts installed in LA museum's expansion
Makenna Sievertson
has been covering space shuttle Endeavour's journey at the California Science Center since December 2023.
Published November 18, 2025 4:08 PM
The first of many artifacts have been installed in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, including a space shuttle main engine (right) and a solid rocket booster segment.
(
Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
Topline:
The California Science Center unveiled Tuesday the first of many launch vehicles, engines and other artifacts set to be installed in the museum’s 200,000-square-foot expansion coming to Exposition Park.
Why it matters: Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said the $450 million expansion is California’s biggest “endeavor” yet that will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
Why now: The first artifacts in the expanded museum were placed in the Kenta Kresa Space Gallery, including a three-story-tall Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach.
The backstory: It’ll be the only place in the world where visitors can see an authentic space shuttle in its “Go for Stack” position, which is what museum officials called the process of moving each of the space shuttle components into place.
What's next: Officials expect to announce next year an opening date for the expansion.
Read on ... for a peak inside the expansion coming to Exposition Park.
The California Science Center unveiled Tuesday the first of many launch vehicles, engines and other artifacts set to be installed in the museum’s 200,000-square-foot expansion coming to Exposition Park.
Once complete, the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will include multi-level galleries built around a towering centerpiece — the space shuttle Endeavour — displayed in its 20-story vertical launch position.
It’ll be the only place in the world where visitors can see an authentic space shuttle in its “Go for Stack” position, which is what museum officials called the process of moving each of the space shuttle components into place.
Museum admission will be free.
Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said the $450 million expansion is California’s biggest “endeavor” yet to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
“The enthusiasm that people have when they come in and see this stuff and get excited about it will hopefully lead to many more people, young and old, but particularly young people wanting to pursue more education in science,” Rudolph told LAist.
Museum officials expect to announce next year an opening date, according to Rudolph.
A look inside the center
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will feature three main galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
Guests will be guided through hundreds of exhibits and authentic artifacts focused on the exploration of the universe — including rocket ships that carried humans into space and telescopes used to view stars and galaxies beyond our reach.
A real Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach spans several stories tall in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
(
Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The first artifacts in the expanded museum were placed in the Kenta Kresa Space Gallery, including a three-story-tall Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach.
Adam Spice, chief financial officer of Rocket Lab, told LAist the Electron helped lower the cost of getting to space by sending satellites in smaller, cheaper rockets. The new center is an opportunity to get up close and personal with an Electron for the first time outside of a factory.
Spice said he hopes it’ll show visitors their dreams can become a reality.
“They can be part of something much bigger than probably they ever thought they could,” he said.
The first artifacts installed in the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center include a solid rocket booster segment. Kenneth Phillips, aerospace curator, shows the scale of the piece, which has flown into space several times.
(
Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The solid rocket booster segment will become a walk-through interactive experience in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
(
Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
A segment of a solid rocket booster that flew into space several times is laid on its side on the second floor of the gallery.
Kenneth Phillips, the California Science Center’s aerospace curator, told LAist it’ll be turned into an interactive exhibit with audio, video and educational graphics.
“It's 12 feet in diameter, so people can actually walk through it and learn about the function of it from the inside out literally,” Phillips said.
Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with a space shuttle main engine.
(
Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
A detailed model of a space shuttle main engine is set up next to the solid rocket booster. Three of those main engines helped boost space shuttles into orbit by providing about 20% of their power, Phillips said.
What's next
Construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center started more than three years ago and is on track to be completed in the coming weeks, according to museum officials.
With construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center weeks away from completion, crews have started to put in landscaping around the outside of the expansion.
(
Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The exterior of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center as of Tuesday.
(
Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The remaining exhibits and artifacts will then be installed over "many months," Rudolph said. Officials expect to announce next year an opening date for the expansion.
The California Science Center also is looking to raise about $70 million more for the $450 million project before it opens. You can learn more about its “EndeavourLA” fundraising campaign here.
Matt Dangelantonio
directs production of LAist's daily newscasts, shaping the radio stories that connect you to SoCal.
Published November 18, 2025 3:58 PM
The Westwood Village Theater will be operated and programmed by American Cinematheque when it opens
(
George Rose
/
Getty Images
)
Topline:
The group of directors restoring the Village Theater in Westwood are tapping film nonprofit American Cinematheque to program and run the venue when it opens.
Why it matters: American Cinematheque also programs the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Los Feliz Theater, making it a visible and active film arts nonprofit in the industry.
The backstory: The nearly century-old movie palace went up for sale in 2024 before Village Directors Circle bought it in February. The group is comprised of more than 30 notable filmmakers. They're led by director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno) and their ranks include Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, Lulu Wang, Chloé Zhao, Christopher Nolan and Ryan Coogler.
What's next: VDC says it's eyeing a 2027 opening for the Village Theater, and is currently in the quiet phase of a capital campaign to raise $25 million to restore and remodel the Village Theater into a more than 1,000-seat venue.
For January fire survivors looking for fresh start
Gillian Morán Pérez
is an associate producer for LAist’s early All Things Considered show.
Published November 18, 2025 3:46 PM
Residents embrace in front of a fire-ravaged property after the Palisades Fire swept through in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 8.
(
Etienne Laurent
/
AP
)
Topline:
The city of Long Beach has launched a new jobs program to help people affected by January’s fires.
Who is it for? The initiative will provide paid career opportunities and financial assistance to people looking for a fresh start in Long Beach.
To start, 10 people will get up to 300 hours of paid work experience with local employers. Another five people also will get training scholarships of up to $7,500 in high-demand fields like health care and information technology.
Who's paying for it? The initiative is funded by a $130,000 federal act called the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
How to apply: Anyone interested in applying can contact Nakawa Shepherd, Career Center manager, Economic Development and Opportunity, at Nakawa.Shepherd@longbeach.gov or visit the LBWIN Adult Career Services Center.
How to participate: Long Beach’s Economic Development and Opportunity office also is looking for local employers to provide on-the-job training for applicants.
Jacob Margolis
covers science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters.
Published November 18, 2025 2:51 PM
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office shows Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has been accused of setting a fire that led to the Palisades Fire.
(
U.S. Attorney's Office
)
Topline:
The man accused of igniting a fire that led to the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire in January will remain in custody without bond, U.S. Judge Rozella Oliver decided Tuesday in Los Angeles. Jonathan Rinderknecht has been in custody since his arrest in Florida on Oct. 7.
Where things stand: Rinderknecht was indicted by a federal grand jury in October and is charged with one count of arson, one count of timber set afire and one count of destruction of property by means of fire. Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty in mid-October and faces anywhere from five to 45 years in federal prison if convicted. His trial is set to begin April 21, 2026. His lawyers recently asked the court to allow him out of custody as he awaits trial.
Argument against release: In a filing on Monday, prosecutors said Rinderknecht is a flight risk because of his familial ties to France, as well as a danger to the community. The filing states that Rinderknecht threatened to burn down his sister’s home and that he purchased a gun and threatened to kill his brother-in-law. Prosecutors also raised the fact that a judge determined in October that the suspect’s mental health had declined.
The allegations: Authorities allege Rinderknecht set fire to brush near the Skull Rock Trailhead in the Santa Monica Mountains at around midnight Jan. 1, starting the Lachman Fire. Though the fire was held to just 8 acres and was believed to have been extinguished, authorities say it flared up once again amid strong, dry winds a week later. That fire grew into the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.
