The Brief

Anjelika Perry is an artist and community strategist who lives in New Orleans but grew up in Altadena.

It’s been eight months since the devastating Eaton Fire swept through Altadena, burning more than 9,000 structures, including her family’s homes. Recalling the phone call she received from her brother during the fire as he was trying to salvage their family home still brings tears to her eyes.

Courtesy of Anjelika Perry

(

The remains of the Perry family home in Altadena after the Eaton Fire.

)

“We had cousins that lived a couple of streets over, cousins that lived down the street. We lost all of our homes,” Perry said.

So when she learned that CBS was developing a sitcom with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and stand-up comedian Mike Epps about brothers in post-fire Altadena, she felt compelled to post on Instagram.

In partnership with the community organization Altadena Rising, Perry posted about the show with the caption, "SOLD… to the highest bidder." As of Sept. 11, the post had more than 5,000 likes and 3,000 shares.

“Why are we sharing a story that is not real about our community when there's so many real stories to share?” Perry told LAist. “And then also the trigger thing for me was, why a comedy when no one that we know of in the community is a part of this project?”

Perry also created a change.org petition demanding the cancellation of the project.

Some are open to the idea of an Altadena sitcom

Nahshon Dion currently lives in the Bronx and she’s also an artist who grew up in Altadena, identifying as a fourth generation Altadenan. Her extended family lost all their homes in the fire.

Nahshon Dion and Courtney Davis in Altadena's Loma Alta Park in 1992.

(

Courtesy of Nahshon Dion

)

Dion is currently curating an anthology titled Our Beloved Altadena featuring the writing of community residents.

When Dion heard the news about the show, she had a very different reaction to Perry, especially as someone who loved sitcoms as a kid and grew up to work in the entertainment industry.

“ I presume that the production company will likely employ a consultant or consultants from our beloved Altadena,” Dion told LAist. “I presume and surely hope so because that would be the right thing to do.”

Dion added that she hopes some of the proceeds from a show about the community would go back to the community, which is still grappling with the aftermath of the fire.

“Altadena needs a lot of laughter. We're all grieving," Dion said. "And at the same time, this is community healing and Altadena needs a tremendous amount of laughter. And if Kenya Barris and Mike Epps are the two individuals to bring it, let's see it.”

The history of Altadena’s Black community — and Barris’ response

Before the Eaton Fire, Altadena was home to a tight-knit multi-generational Black community, created through a history of segregation and redlining that excluded Black households from other areas of L.A. Many in the community were able to establish generational wealth.

According to a study from UCLA, Black households were disproportionately affected by the Eaton Fire.

Kenya Barris, the creator of Black-ish, is known to not shy away from sensitive issues that affect the Black community. He talked about his approach to hot button issues in a 2016 interview with LAist.

After news of the sitcom first broke in Deadline, Barris posted the article to his Instagram. He responded to criticism in his comments with, "I understand your fear but know that I only plan to do the best I can to make sure the world sees you."

He has since taken the post down. Both Barris and CBS have not responded to our request for comment.

If you’ve noticed more wildlife visiting your yard in recent years — maybe digging up your vegetable garden or even drinking from your pool — you’re not alone.

A recent study from UCLA found that larger predators like mountain lions and bears are more likely to interact with humans and travel closer to population centers in drier years. To determine this, the researchers analyzed state data collected on reported property damage, nuisances, conflicts and sightings.

“It kind of runs the full gamut of how people interact with wildlife around their neighborhoods and their homes,” said UCLA postdoctoral researcher Kendall Calhoun, the lead author on the study.

It's not just P-22. Mountain lions across the whole state are forced to leave their habitats for survival.

(

Courtesy Kendall Calhoun

)

Different motivations for different animals

As you might expect, different animals might have different reasons for entering populated areas. But in large part, Calhoun said, it comes down to animals’ survival instincts.

The primary motivator for many herbivores is likely to be food. That’s because with less precipitation, there’s also less plant material for them to eat. (Don’t forget: even with all the rain we’ve had recently, much of Southern California is still in a drought.)

“ Deer and elk might be pushed to find those food resources in places that they normally wouldn't go, like agriculture, crops, things from people's yards, persimmons from your tree,” Calhoun said.

And as herbivores get pushed toward humans, the animals that prey on them are too. In fact, the species that saw the highest increases in clashes with humans were omnivores and carnivores, specifically mountain lions, coyotes, black bears and bobcats.

But even these animals have varying reasons for getting close to people.

“Mountain lions might be more inclined to look for supplemental food in livestock — that might be a sheep or a goat,” Calhoun said. “Black bears may be more willing to go into your trash to look for food to help supplement what they're missing in their resource-scarce natural areas.”

Meanwhile, animals of all kinds might enter a yard even when they have enough food to look for standing water.

About the data

Researchers analyzed data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that were reported over the last several years as part of a citizen science initiative.

One important caveat is that the researchers primarily looked at conflicts between wildlife and residents, and there may be differences in how these interactions are reported.

For example, you might not report a deer eating fruit from an overloaded tree as a nuisance, but even a peaceful black bear digging through your trash could raise alarm bells.

 "People also really value having wildlife living alongside them," Calhoun said. "It really is important for us to try to strike that balance where there's pros for both sides, without some of the negative interactions that come with living in close proximity with wildlife species."

Learn more about human-wildlife interactions

There’s more background on the research on UCLA’s website, and you can find the full study here.

You can also learn much more about interactions between humans and wildlife in LAist’s Imperfect Paradise podcast series, “Lions, Coyotes, & Bears.”

Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in parts of L.A. County at the end of this year, and organizers say eligible households can sign up for alerts when the service becomes available.

The service — a partnership between L.A. County and internet provider WeLink — is the latest project from the county’s “Delete the Divide,” an initiative meant to bridge the digital divide in underserved neighborhoods.

Major funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as a grant from the California Public Utilities Commission.

It’s badly needed

About 23%, or more than 20,000, households in the East L.A. and Boyle Heights area don’t have home internet, according to Delete the Divide.

The service will also soon be coming to South L.A., where more than 40,000 households were identified as lacking home internet.

What you need to know

There will be different plans available — including low-income, market-rate and small business options — at fixed prices. The low-cost plan will start at $25 per month for qualifying families. Those who don’t qualify could also purchase plans starting at $65 a month. Monthly rates are fixed until at least September 2027.

Every plan includes unlimited data, a router and parental controls.

Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in South L.A. at the end of this year.

(

Courtesy of L.A. County

)

Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in parts of East L.A. and Boyle Heights at the end of this year.

(

Courtesy of L.A. County

)

How it works 

WeLink will install a Wi-Fi router inside a home and a 4-inch radio on the roof to connect the household to the internet.

Interested households can sign up for updates and be notified by WeLink when service is available here.