Topline:
Fans of bald eagles Jackie and Shadow are no strangers to a pair of flying squirrels that have made nocturnal visits to the nest.
Guest stars: These San Bernardino flying squirrels are nicknamed Fiona and Fast Freddie, and they are scavenging for food scraps at the nest.
The species: These critters are named for their habitat of the San Bernardino Mountains. They are subspecies of the Humboldt's flying squirrel.
We gotta ask: Is a flying squirrel cam next?
Read on … to find out.
As fans of the famous Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow continue to bounce back from the loss of one of their three chicks, guests of the nests are bringing moments of joy and distraction.
That's because every reality TV show worth its salt has a cast of secondary characters who help or provoke the main characters — or just give the audience some new drama to obsess over.
On The Real Bald Eagles of Big Bear Valley, that role belongs to Fiona and Fast Freddie, who may or may not be more than two San Bernardino flying squirrels who visit Jackie and Shadow's nest and their growing brood.
The intentions of Fiona the flying squirrel and Fast Freddie are noble — no drama instigators here. As LAist has reported, they mostly look for scraps, which helps the eagles keep their nest clean.
The reaction from the bald eagles has been consistent from the get-go — sheer indifference or, when startled, a wing slap to ward off a surprise late-night visit.
Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that manages the YouTube livestream, said these San Bernardino flying squirrels have been making cameos for as long as the decade-long camera has been around, even though no one knows exactly how many of them there actually are.
"Yes, we don't know if it's the same ones," Steers said.
While elementary school students have been the ones to name the eagles, the monikers of Fiona and Fast Freddie came from a now-retired Forest Service biologist who helped launch the livestream.
These nocturnal critters are a subspecies of the Humboldt's flying squirrel and their claims to fame include being able to glide for as far as 300 feet in the air. They feed mainly on truffles, conifer seeds and lichens, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
But Steers and her volunteers have observed that, when it comes to the nest, Fiona and Fast Freddie are "very fond of Shadow’s fish tails, coot feathers, egg shells and even crunchy beetles!"
But fear not, the eggs and chicks have remained safe from these scavengers. Around 2022, Steers said, a nonviable egg was left in the nest one night when Fiona tried to pick it up.
" She could barely get her little paws around it. And it was bigger than her, so she couldn't do anything with it," Steers said, adding that the egg's thick shell would have also prevented harm.
Volunteers with the nest cam also catalog other recurring characters, including different types of birds that land in the abandoned nest during the off season.
But no other non-eagles get as much love as Fiona and Fast Freddie, thanks to their antics and banter. Steers said Fiona was once seen using Jackie's back "like a trampoline" to bounce to the other side of the nest. And often, the squirrels could be heard running their mouths after a wing smack.
"Everybody loves the flying squirrels," Steers said.
Her organization recently launched a Fiona plush doll that quickly sold out. The group is working to restock the shelves.
" They like that there's something else to watch," Steers said.
So does it mean a flying squirrel cam is on the horizon?
" Maybe, if we could find it. Yeah, that would be funny," Steers said, adding that the volunteers have no idea where Fiona and Fast Freddie's own nest is. It could be just below the tree or somewhere else.
Their popularity does serve to bring attention to the plight of the San Bernardino flying squirrel, whose habitat of high elevation forests has been shrinking from hotter weather and longer droughts because of climate change. Once also found in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County, these squirrels have not been sighted there since the 1980s.
Reality TV fans have many animal live streams to choose from, but the Jackie and Shadow show has commanded a growing fandom over the years — proffering heartbreak, elation and everything in between.
Last week, tens of thousands of fans poured their hearts out after learning of the news that one of eaglets had died.
“ It's reality TV, but it's not," said Steve Granelli, a professor at Northeastern University in Boston who analyzes pop culture. " There is something very pure about this — about this live stream and about these types of live streams."
Granelli said viewers today are versed in the techniques — including editing and the addition of narration — that reality TV shows use to sway emotions. Livestreams like Jackie and Shadow's, he said, provide an experience outside of manipulation and commercialization.
"Like we know that this is not managed. We know that there is no editor or director," he said.
Just as importantly, Granelli said, the casual, unhurried nature of the stream gives people the freedom to dip in and out, without stress or FOMO.
"We get to decide how much of the story that we want to ingest at any given moment," he said. " Because the story is, well, you know, the story is pretty simple. The story is life."
Topline:
A bill that threatens a long-planned project to slow cars on Forest Lawn Drive near Griffith Park in Los Angeles passed both chambers of the California legislature on Monday. It now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.
The bill: Senate bill 194 contains several provisions related to transportation. On Friday night, legislators added language to the bill specific to the city of Los Angeles. That language would require L.A. to hold a public hearing and gain approval from the City Council and the mayor before reducing “the number of vehicle travel lanes on a street that provides the only access to two or more adjacent cemeteries.”
The backstory: The L.A. Department of Transportation and the office of Councilmember Nithya Raman had planned to reduce the number of lanes on a 1-mile stretch of the Forest Lawn Drive, which has seen more than 95 collisions, including four deadly ones, since 2013. The project, which was slated to break ground earlier this summer, was paused in the spring by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who cited community opposition, including from two cemeteries along the road that have advocated against the project.
Status of the project: It’s unclear exactly how the city will address safety on the road without the lane reduction. In a statement, Bass’ office said city departments have proposed alternatives that include protected bike lanes and maintaining the number of driving lanes “with additional safety measures.” Her office did not respond to questions about what those additional safety measures would be. The L.A. Department of Transportation has not responded to requests for more information.
Read more: Will Forest Lawn Drive go down to 3 lanes? A last-minute bill change aims to block the project
Topline:
Fed up with people living in and starting fires in a historic tunnel under downtown, the city of Long Beach has started building a fortified metal fence to keep them out.
The backstory: The Jergins Tunnel below Ocean Boulevard has been sealed up for decades, but after the pandemic, when the city’s homeless population saw a sharp increase, it became a problem. People managed to get past the wood panels intended to block access, and firefighters had to douse fires inside at least four times since 2022. People’s charred belongings and makeshift bedding were often visible afterward.
More details: The city would not say how much the new fence is expected to cost. Padilla said $156,200 has been spent so far on materials and labor, and the project won’t be finished until mid-to-late September.
Read on.... for more on the historic Jergins Tunnel.
Fed up with people living in and starting fires in a historic tunnel under downtown, the city of Long Beach has started building a fortified metal fence to keep them out.
The Jergins Tunnel below Ocean Boulevard has been sealed up for decades, but after the pandemic, when the city’s homeless population saw a sharp increase, it became a problem. People managed to get past the wood panels intended to block access, and firefighters had to douse fires inside at least four times since 2022. People’s charred belongings and makeshift bedding were often visible afterward.
Brett Ales, who owns the nearby Beach Hut Deli, said it had gotten so bad that there was a noticeable smell if you got close to the tunnel’s entrance.
After a fire in September last year, the city put together plans for a heavy-duty fence to “improve site security, reduce the potential for vandalism and fires and help protect the structural integrity of the tunnel,” Public Works spokesperson Jocelin Padilla wrote in an email.
The city would not say how much the new fence is expected to cost. Padilla said $156,200 has been spent so far on materials and labor, and the project won’t be finished until mid-to-late September.
The 181-foot-long, 30-foot-wide tunnel was built by local businessman Andrew Jergins in 1927. It allowed pedestrians to visit the old Pike amusement park without dodging cars on Ocean Boulevard.
The tunnel was used regularly until 1967, when Ocean Boulevard was widened and the tunnel’s two entrances were sealed off.
It sat underneath the Jergins Trust Building until 1988, when it was torn down.
It sat largely unnoticed by anyone — except for local history buffs — until it got a sudden burst of attention in 2022 when pop star Lana Del Rey released a song titled “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.,” with lyrics about the tunnel’s “mosaic ceilings” and “painted tiles.”
Instead of leaving it to decay, some locals have sought ways to revive the tunnel as a monument to Long Beach’s history.
In 2023, city leaders promised a huge makeover. They said the Jergins Tunnel would become a speakeasy and music venue underneath a new 31-story Hard Rock Hotel at the corner of Ocean and Pine.
Construction was supposed to begin in the summer of 2024, with an opening date in spring 2027, but shovels have yet to hit the ground.
It’s unclear what the holdup has been. The permits to build it are so old they’re about to expire, but the development company, Steinhauer Properties, has requested an extension, and the city has discretion to grant it, said Craig Nakano, a spokesperson for Community Development.
The city anticipates hearing an update on plans for the hotel as soon as the fall, Nakano said.
Steinhauer Properties did not respond to an email and phone message requesting comment.
The fence around the Jergins Tunnel is the second to be erected around a downtown landmark recently.
The city spent $811,449 building one around the Billie Jean King Main Library, blocking off much of its outdoor terrace that was often crowded with tents and sleeping bags.
City officials say fewer people are camping out on the terrace, clearing up space for outdoor library programs and saving them $70,000 so far on power washing the sidewalk.
Nevertheless, the fence became a flashpoint for residents concerned about how much it cost and a symbol of Long Beach’s failure to reduce homelessness.
A citizens’ advisory committee on homelessness policy wrote a letter to the mayor and City Council saying that money would have been better spent housing people than clearing them off a sidewalk.
Topline:
Inglewood plans to break ground next month on a $287.5 million network of stadium shuttle buses that are slated to roll out in April 2028, linking the city’s stadiums to the Metro system just in time for the Olympics.
Why it matters: City officials hope the Inglewood Transit Connector — a pared-down version of the nearly $2 billion automated rail line that was first proposed in 2018 — will ease traffic pressure on locals and boost foot traffic for businesses in the city’s historic core.
More details: Four transit hubs will anchor the network with parking for cars and bikes along with drop-off points for rideshares. The four hubs include three on Market Street and one at Hawthorne Boulevard and 111th Street.
Read on... for more on the $287.5 million stadium shuttle network.
This story first appeared on The LA Local.
Inglewood plans to break ground next month on a $287.5 million network of stadium shuttle buses that are slated to roll out in April 2028, linking the city’s stadiums to the Metro system just in time for the Olympics.
City officials hope the Inglewood Transit Connector — a pared-down version of the nearly $2 billion automated rail line that was first proposed in 2018 — will ease traffic pressure on locals and boost foot traffic for businesses in the city’s historic core.
Verona Burks, one of the owners of Little Belize Restaurant on Nutwood Street, thanked the city for working to improve the Market Street area.
“It has been a pleasure being there, watching it grow,” Burks said during the City Council meeting last week.
The shuttle network is designed to ferry visitors between the stadium and Metro K Line and C Line stations at the north and south ends of the city.
Four transit hubs will anchor the network with parking for cars and bikes along with drop-off points for rideshares. The four hubs include three on Market Street and one at Hawthorne Boulevard and 111th Street.
The largest hub will cover nearly a full city block at the corner of Market Street and Florence Avenue. The intersection is currently home to a shopping center that the city is taking over and demolishing through eminent domain. Some business owners in the shopping center told The LA Local they weren’t ready to move.
Locals will see the largest changes along that Market Street corridor, where the city is also putting money into refreshing sidewalks, landscaping and storefronts.
Here’s what to expect from the project, according to the city.
The shuttle project layout leaves room for the city to revive its plan for a rail line in the future, if funding and needs align.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor James Butts said the transit network is the single largest project the city has undertaken itself.
“We’re building for opening day in 2028 and for every ordinary day after that,” Butts said. “We’ll have a new front door to Inglewood.”
All of the project’s budget is covered by a batch of state and local grants, according to the city.
Topline:
The Los Angeles Unified Board is reevaluating how students, educators and schools use artificial intelligence as some parents call for an in-classroom moratorium. A new board committee on AI use meets for the first time Wednesday.
Why it matters: Recent surveys indicate that many students and educators are using AI, even as research about whether the tools help students learn are mixed. LAUSD students 13 and older can use AI tools at their teacher’s direction and after they complete a lesson about “digital citizenship,” under current district policy. But a group of LAUSD parents who advocated for screentime restrictions wants the district to block all student AI use until more research is done.
Why now: The Board voted to create the committee when it adopted student screentime restrictions in June. Committee Chair Kelly Gonez said the goal is to create AI policy recommendations that could then be voted on by the full board next year.
Get involved: The first LAUSD board generative AI committee meeting is 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Sept.2, where district leaders are scheduled to give a presentation about AI in education. Community members can tune in to the meeting in-person, online or over the phone. Registration for public comment starts at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Unified Board is reevaluating how students, educators and schools use artificial intelligence as some parents call for an in-classroom moratorium. A new board committee on AI use meets for the first time Wednesday.
“I think that success will look like, in a quickly changing world, knowing that we are being proactive to protect our students and safeguard their health, their wellbeing, and their development first and foremost,” said Kelly Gonez, the committee chair. “But also ensuring that we are truly preparing our students for the world that they will emerge into once they graduate from our schools.”
Gonez said the goal is to create AI policy recommendations that could then be voted on by the full board next year.
Recent surveys indicate that many students and educators are using AI, even as research about whether the tools help students learn are mixed.
LAUSD students 13 and older can use AI tools at their teacher’s direction and after they complete a lesson about “digital citizenship,” under current district policy.
The board voted to create the generative AI committee when it adopted student screentime restrictions in June. In addition to Gonez, the committee includes board members Nick Melvoin and Tanya Ortiz Franklin.
A group of LAUSD parents who advocated for those restrictions wants the district to block all student AI use until more research is done.
“I think the current policy needs to be discarded completely, and we need to start from scratch with the foundational question of what is the benefit of these tools in education?” said Anya Meksin, deputy director of Schools Beyond Screens and the parent of a district elementary school student.
The first LAUSD board generative AI committee meeting is 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Sept.2, where district leaders are scheduled to give a presentation about AI in education.
Community members can tune in to the meeting online, over the phone or in person at board room at 333 S. Beaudry Ave.. Registration for public comment starts at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Meetings are also scheduled for the following Wednesdays at 10 a.m.:
LAUSD board members can amplify concerns from parents, students and educators. Find your representative below.
District 1 includes Mid City, parts of South L.A. (map)
Board member: Sherlett Hendy Newbill
Email: BoardDistrict1@lausd.net
Call: (213) 241-6382 (central office); (323) 298-3411 (field office)
District 2 includes Downtown, East L.A. (map)
Board member: Rocío Rivas
Email: rocio.rivas@lausd.net
Call: (213) 241-6020
District 3 includes West San Fernando Valley, North Hollywood (map)
Board member: Scott Schmerelson
Email: scott.schmerelson@lausd.net
Call: (213) 241-8333
District 4 includes West Hollywood, some beach cities (map)
Board member: Nick Melvoin
Email: nick.melvoin@lausd.net
Call: (213) 241-6387
District 5 includes parts of Northeast and Southwest L.A. (map)
Board Member: Karla Griego
Email: district5@lausd.net
Call: (213) 241-1000
District 6 includes East San Fernando Valley (map)
Board Member: Kelly Gonez
Email: kelly.gonez@lausd.net
Call: (213) 241-6388
District 7 includes South L.A. and parts of the South Bay (map)
Board Member: Tanya Ortiz Franklin
Email: tanya.franklin@lausd.net
Call: (213) 241-6385
