{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/vd6nz82t3f/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Community responders: David Brancaccio"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/200/original/lapl_logo.png?1628076950","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Altadena resident","David Brancaccio"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2025-10-29"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["MPEG-4"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["TheirStory"]}}],"provider":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Los Angeles Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Los Angeles Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/200/original/lapl_logo.png?1628076950","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/299/669/small/Screenshot_2026-01-09_at_10-38-11_Story_Hub_-_TheirStory.png?1767983929","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - open-uri20260108-2656257-6fivv5.mp4"]},"duration":1856.96,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/299/669/small/Screenshot_2026-01-09_at_10-38-11_Story_Hub_-_TheirStory.png?1767983929","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-lapl.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/299/669/original/open-uri20260108-2656257-6fivv5.mp4?1767897197","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1856.96,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/transcript/88172","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["TheirStory Transcript (Paragraphs with Speakers) [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/transcript/88172/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e I'm an anchorman on public radio. We do a show across the country called Marketplace Morning Report. There's also a marketplace in the afternoon and a marketplace tech. But I do the morning show and we cover business innovation, we cover workplace issues, we cover real estate. We cover a lot of issues that affect money decisions. And the show, even though it's nationwide, is based in Los Angeles. Our newsroom is is downtown. And so we I had recently moved with my wife from the East Coast to Altadena. We signed off on the purchase of the house two months and one day before the fire hit. So at one level that's pathetic, but at another level, everyone else has it harder because We love this gorgeous tiny little house we moved into. It was amazing. It was going to be our new life in California, but we hadn't lived in the house for years. We hadn't had. We'd had just a few family meals there with we have adult children and we had started to bond with the neighbors. Turned out a former colleague of mine, an engineer, lived two houses over. Um, that had all started to happen, but it wasn't like, oh yeah, we lived there for 50 years. It was. We were, um, had just begun our connection to the community. Um, so ours isn't the saddest version of this story. That said, it was traumatic. And I am, in a sense, a journalism responder. We had to cover the story. So when I was on the air from the East coast where we were packing up the last of our stuff to move the rest of it to Altadena. I had to go on the air with my voice all calm and neutral, talking about the destruction of the community we had just moved to, and at first I did not tell my listeners that I was part of that community. I just. Used my. I just inhabited my role as anchorman. No one wants to, you know, when you're doing the nuts and bolts of a breaking disaster story, it doesn't matter that I'm part of it, but a decision was made by my editors to a few weeks later, make my own experience part of the story, and that's an uncomfortable position to be in. Um, it's really unusual for me. Normally, I don't talk about me normally. my general idea is no one cares about what I think. It's a question of getting experts and people affected by different stories to weigh in. But I needed to learn very quickly about disaster response, because we had to figure out what to do in our own case. And the thought was, as I learn, I could tell that story for our audience, and maybe they could learn too. And even if it's a listener who doesn't live in the Palisades or doesn't live in Altadena, Pasadena, unfortunately, there's disasters all over the place. Terrible floods in North Carolina that preceded our, um, our wildfires, for instance, and disasters since that, some of what I'm learning could be used for other people. And I'll tell you what it has been like someone saying, I've decided that you, David, have to get a master's degree in home rebuilding and insurance. You don't get to choose whether or not you enter that master's program, but you have to have full time coursework in insurance contracting, fire hardening. That's now your second job. And my spouse is retired. Mary Brancaccio. She was a journalist early in her career. She was a high school English teacher, an amazing teacher. But she's a poet. She's a published poet, and her retirement job now is also getting the best information that we can. And that's been helping to inform some of the stories that we've done. I was lucky enough not to be here during the fires, so we were across the country packing up the rest of the stuff. The moving truck was on its way. Well, we had in the house was quite a bit of stuff, but it wasn't like our most precious stuff. Like, for instance, in the house that burned down, I had my normal coffee machine, but I'm a guy who gets up at in the East 5 a.m. here in the West, 2 a.m.. Coffee is super important to me. And I have a nice cappuccino machine, like a cappuccino machine that costs, like, a MacBook Pro kind of that hadn't yet moved, so that didn't get melted. So there was some positive aspects of the, um, of the timing of all this. But I've been doing reporting since I was like a kid. I got my first radio job when I was not yet 15 years old, in a little station in. I'm from Maine, but over the years I've covered a lot of disasters. It's not my prime beat. Uh, innovation and workplace issues are probably the environment are my prime beat. So environment is connected to disasters. But I have been in the position of going to disaster zones and interviewing people about their loss. There was a terrible earthquake in Turkey in 1999. I'm sorry to say 30,000 people died. So I show up. What's the business story there? The business story was how a US based charity works with American companies to get medical aid to disaster zones within a day. And it's not like crummy stuff that they don't need. It's not out of date antibiotics. It's the good stuff in connection with medical people on the ground. So that's an interesting business story. So I go to Turkey on a cargo plane full of the medical aid, and I talk to people, and people are really traumatized. It's awful. And then I got the story, and I think it was for a higher purpose. I think it's important to encourage, like I want people to understand how charity works. It doesn't just happen. It's about logistics and supply chain. But. I made a product out of their tragedy. I filled air time on my program marketplace by hopefully in a sympathetic way, hearing their story. But then I got on that empty plane. Now that the medical aid was dispersed and ran back home and did my story. Now the shoe's on the other foot. There's nowhere for me to run. I am part of this story. And yet I have this very un unproductive thought that in a sense, it's payback a little bit. Um, but it's also true that it hasn't always just been me running to disasters and doing other people's stories. I have, um, good or bad luck in terms of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or the right place at the right time. We moved to San Francisco, and I was on the radio there in time for the Loma Prieta earthquake. In 1989, We moved to London for me to be London correspondent when the Irish Republican Army was blowing things up right near us. We then said we're going to move to Southern California for the current job. The current show that I have now, right in time for the Northridge quake and, um, the list goes on. And so I, my wife and I make the decision to move to Altadena in two months later, the wildfire happens. I won't take it personally, but, um, you know, if I ever move again, I probably should let the people know where I'm moving so that they can, uh, gird for the worst to happen. It's just strange how life works. Um, but there, um, I've made a decision in some of my coverage that may not be the right decision. Um, it's just a personal decision. Um, you know, I'm basically do radio, but we also it's multimedia world. We also do video and print. So I've made some videos, short videos about our experience, what we're learning, and I'm going to do another one soon. We've done two of them and a lot of people have watched them. It's been interesting. The decision I've made is to be light hearted is to not take my situation too seriously. My idea is nobody wants to hear me complain, even though it's really important for people to be able to say whatever it is they think. I just wasn't comfortable doing it that way. So in the second video, I mean, you can tell me I'm not being tasteful or respectful, but I decided to do is this. We had cameras up as the Army Corps of Engineers cleared our property. It was a big day when they knocked down the chimney. It's really intense because our chimney was like everybody else's. The last thing standing. And. You see a digger, dig up the concrete side steps that go into went into our sidewalk and they pick it up and it just dissolves right in mid-air. And I say to the camera. Never did like those steps anyway. It's good that they're doing the demolition for me. And then there's this other part where I set up a camp chair in the patch of dirt that will be my new living room if we can ever rebuild. And I have some bubbly water, and I kick back and I'm like, life is good. I can see the San Gabriel Mountains, which you couldn't see before the fire because there was other houses around us. And I go, life doesn't get better than this. That's, of course, irony, you know. Inside I'm crying. But you know, no one wants to see me in that situation. Go on about my problems. What I want them to get is from the rest of the video. There's a place where I walk across the street to a fire hydrant that's yellow. And there's something about the fire hydrant that looks like a little puppy face. And I embrace it and I go, this is my best friend. The fire hydrant. Um, and then I talk about something serious, which is, before you can rebuild, you have to show the town that there's enough water supply to feed your house and feed the sprinklers that you have to put in. And if you can't, you're in trouble. You have to figure out how you can get the water supply. So I had no idea that that was going to be a consideration before this disaster. So there was a little teachable moment. While we're having a little bit of fun with our pathetic situation. And, you know, some people may say, oh, why don't you just be serious? 19 people died on my part in my part of town, mainly. Right. We've done those stories too. But in terms of when the camera is on me, it's the tone that I'm most comfortable with. Remember, the streets were closed by the National Guard at first, So we didn't want to become part of the problem. So we waited a couple of weeks in the East where we had family, and we hadn't sold our East Coast house quite yet, although it was prepared to sneak in if I had to. But. So we went over to the house for the first time on a Saturday, a couple of weeks after the fire. I'm a radio reporter. We were rolling with tape. I got an agreement from my wife that she would allow me to record a seeing it for the first time, and there was the outline of the footprint of the house. And aside from the chimney, it looked like the bottom of a bonfire. The day after the bonfire, there was light grey ash and there was little lumps of char, black char. And then the only thing else I could see is some of the collapsed stucco And the washer dryer, which were front loaders that when the floor collapsed, the little eyes of the front of the washer dryer were facing up to the heavens. It was super creepy. And this beautiful garden in the front was very damaged. The stand of, um, columnar cactus was singed but not totally destroyed. I was struck by on that first visit. It didn't smell like anything. It hadn't, of course, rained since forever. That was part of the problem with these fires. Everything that could smell was consumed. Now, I did go back a couple of weeks later, and there had been some rain and it started to smell gross. In fact, I had a camera person named Emily with me that day and she was overcome. She got sick, uh, because of the smell. A little later, but at first there was no smell, and we were searching for anything that was left, and there was nothing left. The main thing we were looking for. The main thing we were looking for was I'd done a climate change documentary for PBS television many years before, and that required me to hike way up in the Himalayas to the source of the sacred Ganges River. That's part of what we did for the piece. And if you collect that water, it's sacred water. And pilgrims go up there for religious reasons and get the water. And they put it into this little copper round thing that holds water. I'd gotten some of that. Didn't know why, but I thought, well, that's what people do. I brought it back to our East Coast house that we had at the time, and then we moved to California and we bought the Altadena house. We brought that with us. And my wife sprinkled the house like, did a blessing with this sacred water. And the word she used was, please bless everyone who lives within these walls. Kind of wish she would have said. And the walls. So she. And it worked. We weren't hurt. None of her family was hurt. It worked, but we didn't ask it. We didn't ask for the blessing for the walls. Those were gone. I was looking for that vessel. Looked and looked and looked. I did find it. It's posted on the web now. It would have boiled. It would have exploded the top off and boiled away in the intense heat. But the copper charred, is now at our house in Mid-City. Um, the other thing was, I don't know if you know this, but when you buy a house, you generally don't get to meet the seller. They think you'll get on each other's nerves and, like, like, for silly reasons, the deal might get poisoned because, like, you might say something. Yes. I don't like the green that you have in the living room. And then the person will be mad and want to sell to somebody else. So you don't generally get to meet. So we didn't get to meet the person who sold it to us. We knew her name about a month after the fire, she wrote, she posted something on Facebook to get a hold of me and said she was sorry. I mean, she's like the luckiest person on earth, right? She sold the house two months before, but I was happy for her at a sense that this didn't affect her. Um, sorry that it affects us, but she said, listen, I had this door knocker on the front door. The red door, that was a bird motif. And it had like a it was a brass knocker. Um, did you find it? She said in the note that it meant a lot to her, and she was thinking of taking it with her when she left, when she sold the house. But then she was like, no, that's bad karma. They bought it and I said, Mary looked for it a bunch of times, couldn't find it, but on like a third trip to the house, I had a shovel, I found it. It was in the right shape. It was all kind of corroded and weird, but it wasn't distorted in its shape. So, um, I found it. So I contacted her and she goes, oh, no, no, no, you should keep it. I go, no, it doesn't. I didn't bond with it. Bonded with the house. I didn't bond with the knocker. You want it? And it meant a lot to her. It was a sacred object for her. So through her buddy, a woman in town, she had moved away. We got her the door knocker. And that's kind of it. From the house there was a detached garage. Nothing there. Um. I","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=4.96,1044.44"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/transcript/88172/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S2:\u003c/strong\u003e haven't covered another irony. And","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1044.44,1047.359"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/transcript/88172/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eSPEAKER_S1:\u003c/strong\u003e then you can ask your next question. Is the house those houses? Because there's a chimney. There were fireplaces. Our house had a little gas fireplace in it, but when they were showing off the house for the real estate purposes, they put real logs in there to make it like staging the house. So we're in the house. When we moved in, uh, before Christmas and my wife Mary said, I don't want, like, a flammable object inside the house. It just seems weird, like it's a gas fireplace that's not on, but it's real wood. So she takes the wood. Three logs. Real logs. Takes them out of the house so it doesn't catch fire and puts them by the garage. And we'll deal with it later. We come back after the fire. There is nothing left of the garage. It's gone. The logs are perfect. They didn't burn. It was, like, so crazy. Um. But. So what else can I do for our audience? Recover the story of our rebuild. I think the hardest question for so many people who are thinking about. Can they rebuild or can they not rebuild? Some of it is time. Will they have time to rebuild what Mary says on tape when she looks back and she's kind of crying, looking at the house burnt, she said something that was unexpected. She says, I just don't know if we have enough time to rebuild, which was kind of creepy to me because it was like, well, that implies are we going to live long enough to to rebuild? We're going to live long enough to rebuild. We are. Um, but the more universal problem is how much does it cost to rebuild? You can't if you don't have the money. And so many people were not insured. There was generational wealth. They inherited the house. They didn't have to pay a mortgage. They just had to pay, you know, and maybe they let their insurance like they didn't update it. So it wasn't they weren't covered enough. Maybe they let the insurance lapse because they own the house outright. They are in a terrible situation. We had a mortgage on the property. We had a loan. We have to have insurance. Well, we can only get the California Fair plan, which is not ideal, but that's the only one that would take us, um, before the fire, the day before the fire, they tell me that the typical cost of rebuilding a building, a house from the ground up in Altadena. I don't know about Palisades, but probably close was $400 a square foot. So if it was 1000 square foot, small house, that's a small house, 1000ft². But just to do the math, that's $400,000. Now, no one will tell you how much it will cost because you have 6000 houses in the Palisades. We have 9000 houses or structures here, many of them houses. The talk is an economists I talk to and skilled contractors. They say maybe it's $550 a square foot. So 550,000 to build a tiny thousand square foot house. Maybe it's 650 if it comes in. So like we're trying to budget like okay, if it super is terrible news and it's 650, could we just pull it off with the insurance money in our savings and this and that maybe. But if they say it's 800, no way. I can't rebuild. So I have every intention in the world. I have a cool plan to rebuild the house. We have contractors that seem like we'll pick one of the three that we're talking to, but even us, with our organized approach to this, even Mary and I, that had some savings, um, the great mystery is the cost. And the part of that cost is tariffs on wood coming in from Canada, on wallboard from Mexico. Some of it is labor at a time of the Ice raids and people living in fear. Um, a contractor told us that employees who have documents who are legally allowed to live in the United States and work are still not going to sometimes to job sites because they're afraid of indiscriminately being taken by Um, immigration authorities. So that drives up cost. You know, because of the because there's more demand on the workers that are able to work. So our coverage is going to continue exploring ways to help people understand what the number is. And then they can make a more rational decision about can they build or can't they rebuild? Two bad conversations we had and then I'll stop bad conversation. One was a conversation. One was an interview that I read. I didn't do the interview. Uh, the bad conversation was we had set up a meeting with the California department, the insurance commissioner's office, soon after the fire. Mary asked the question. I wish she hadn't asked. And as soon as she asked it, I was like, oh no, now I have to hear the answer, she said, because she's a former journalist. She said, very clearly, based on your experience with other California wildfires, how long till we get back into our rebuilt house. And the woman says, 3 to 5 years and Mary start crying. I'm like, we can beat that. I'm thinking we can. I mean, like, I think we could be in in under three, maybe two bad conversation. One bad interview to read was I think it was the mayor of Paradise, California, where they had that terrible fire. Awful. He said he called the the Palisades officials. They called the Altadena officials. He said, here's how it works. A third of your residents are going to say they are totally going to rebuild, no matter what, and will move heaven and earth to rebuild, and we'll have the resources. They're coming back a third, a third are definitely going to leave. They don't have the money. They didn't have the insurance. The trauma is so great. They want a fresh start somewhere that has nothing to do with the fires. The third that's left are the ones you want to especially try to connect to, to see if they could have the resources to be able to stay. But he said in the end, half the people didn't come back. So 50% is kind of what happens. And that is upsetting because Palisades had this amazing community. Altadena Pasadena has this amazing community. Um, it was people of different incomes living together. There was artists doing really fun things, living unusual lifestyles. There was very diverse people who, um. One of the other big stories we cover is housing discrimination. Banks all over the country wouldn't lend to people of color in certain parts of of the cities. They ghettoize people and it's called redlining. It's illegal now. It's illegal. Um, they didn't redline Western Altadena, so people were able to get into houses who were who were of color. And the question is, how can, um, non-profits, how can government, how can leaders, how can other residents work to help people stay in that one third of people that might be able to stay if they get the help they need? So that'll be one of our big stories that we'll cover. We could have bought a house anywhere from the Oregon border to Escondido, right? Our goal was I have a newsroom in Los Angeles, and I can work out of that. I have a daughter in LA proper that I don't see enough. I have a son who lives in Northern California and they were just having a baby. He's now fine and we get to drive up and see him. We wanted to live somewhere in California. We chose Altadena because it it was people from many different walks of life living together, um, in ways that, um, there are parts of any community, parts of the West where the only thing that you see when you drive down a street is a three car garage door. There's not even a front door. And that's not welcoming, and it means no one wants to talk to you. Altadena had a different philosophy. It wasn't an open door community, but we met tons of people right away. Um, and there was an artist catty corner to us who was a sculptor. There was a guy who does podcasts for the New York Times, two houses over all these interesting people living together. And. If we just build back the houses, we've failed. If we build back a community where people connect up. In front of their houses, on the street or in public spaces, then that's a success. And I didn't live there long enough. I don't live in I didn't live in Altadena long enough to be able to decide what that the community should look like, but I want to help other people as longer term residents decide what kind of community we want to build. But it can't just be the houses are built back because, um, that would compound the loss in really destructive ways. Of all the hassles and ordeals that were that followed, the loss of our of our house. There was one small one that's not important. That was super annoying. And I'm not alone. So I covered this. When you have internet service to the house, you have a router. You don't own it usually. It's usually the internet companies. I looked for mine. Couldn't find it at first. I did find it. Complete mess. Melted. Horrible. Toxic? Probably. So I stuck it in a Ziploc bag. But I had called my internet company the day after the fire and said, turn off my service. Don't build me. I got there's no house there and you're not providing the service. I said, what do I do about that router? They said, I'm not going to charge you for it. It's a terrible tragedy. I go, oh, thank you. They charge me. So I called them, I wrote them, I did everything possible to get them to reverse the charge. They said they would. And then they started getting the bills 150, 160 bucks. And we're going to we're going to send this to a collection agency. You know, kind of thing. Um, I went into a one of the stores for the internet company with the burnt out router, and I go, you really want this? Because you say that you're charging me for it. Here it is. And they got me on customer service. Another one of these long calls where they finally had me send the burnt out router in. Which is insane. And they said, just go to UPS or Fedex with this thing and they'll give you this number. And I go, that's not going to work. And they said, no, no, it's totally going to work. And we'll get you your credit. I go and of course the nice guy at the Fedex goes, I can't read your serial number. It's all burnt up. I can't do this. I go 0000. See if it works. It worked. I they took the charge away. Here's the problem. I then called the company and said, you got to. I didn't want to call you before because I didn't want the special reporter treatment. Oh, I just want it to be the regular person. I saw how it would play out. They have promised to not charge people. That's their official policy. One of my other neighbors. It's gone to collection. They're still trying to charge him. It's the smallest possible problem, but it's just like. Oh, come on. It's like someone right after the fire, sneaking into your house and taking 160 bucks out of your wallet. You're like, come on, don't do that. So, um, but I made fun of the whole thing on the air because, you know, it's not a life or death situation. Um, a mean listener wrote me and said you had insurance. That's what it covers. Oh my God. Yeah. It's true. But I thought that was, like, not supportive. Anyway, that's all I had to add.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1047.359,1851.04"}]},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Auto-generated Index (2025-10-29 22:18:12) [Index]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Introducing the Speaker and Marketplace Morning Report","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=0.0,34.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker introduces themselves as an anchorman for Marketplace Morning Report, a public radio show that covers business, innovation, workplace issues, and real estate. The show is based in Los Angeles, though it airs nationwide. The speaker provides context about the show's focus on topics that affect financial decisions and mentions the location of their newsroom in downtown Los Angeles.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=0.0,34.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Moving to Altadena and Facing the Wildfire","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=34.0,108.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker recounts the recent move from the East Coast to Altadena with their wife, purchasing a new home just two months before a devastating wildfire struck. They reflect on the brief time spent in the new house, the budding connections with neighbors, and the sense that their loss, while traumatic, was not as severe as others who had deeper roots in the community. The speaker sets the stage for the personal impact of the disaster.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=34.0,108.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Reporting on the Wildfire While Personally Affected","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=108.0,189.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker describes the challenge of maintaining journalistic objectivity while reporting on the destruction of their own community. Initially, they chose not to disclose their personal involvement to listeners, focusing instead on their role as an anchorman. Later, at the editors' suggestion, the speaker's personal experience became part of the coverage, which was an uncomfortable and unusual position for them, as they typically avoid making themselves the focus of stories.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=108.0,189.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Learning Disaster Response and Sharing Insights","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=189.0,281.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Faced with the aftermath of the wildfire, the speaker and their spouse had to rapidly educate themselves about disaster response, insurance, and home rebuilding. This personal learning process became a resource for their audience, as the speaker shared insights that could help others facing similar disasters. The speaker's spouse, a retired teacher and poet, also contributed to gathering information, which informed their reporting and storytelling.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=189.0,281.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The Timing of the Fire and What Was Lost or Saved","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=281.0,355.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker reflects on the timing of the fire, noting that they were not present during the disaster as they were still packing on the East Coast. Some possessions, including a prized cappuccino machine, were spared because they had not yet been moved. The speaker also shares their long history in journalism, including early experiences and a focus on innovation, workplace issues, and the environment, which often intersects with disaster coverage.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=281.0,355.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Covering Disasters: From Outsider to Insider","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=355.0,438.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Drawing on past experiences covering disasters such as the 1999 Turkey earthquake, the speaker discusses the complexities of reporting on tragedy. They reflect on the ethical considerations of turning others' suffering into news stories and now find themselves on the other side, as a victim rather than an observer. This shift brings a sense of payback and a deeper understanding of the emotional toll disasters take on individuals.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=355.0,438.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"A Pattern of Moving Before Disasters","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=438.0,523.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker humorously notes a recurring pattern of moving to new places shortly before major disasters occur, including earthquakes in San Francisco and Southern California, and bombings in London. They joke about warning others before moving again, acknowledging the strange coincidences that have marked their life and career. This reflection adds a personal and light-hearted touch to the narrative.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=438.0,523.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Choosing a Light-Hearted Tone in Personal Coverage","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=523.0,734.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker discusses their approach to covering their own disaster experience, opting for a light-hearted and ironic tone in videos and multimedia content. They describe scenes such as joking about disliked steps being demolished and setting up a camp chair in the dirt where their living room once was. The speaker believes that humor and irony can make the situation more relatable and less self-pitying, while still providing teachable moments for the audience.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=523.0,734.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"First Visit to the Burned House and Searching for Remnants","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=734.0,840.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker recounts the emotional experience of returning to their destroyed home for the first time after the fire. They describe the physical devastation, the absence of familiar smells, and the search for any surviving belongings. The visit is marked by haunting images, such as the washer and dryer facing skyward, and the partial survival of a cactus garden. The sensory and emotional impact of the visit is vividly conveyed.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=734.0,840.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The Sacred Water Vessel and the Door Knocker","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=840.0,1047.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker shares the story of searching for a sacred water vessel brought from the Himalayas, which had been used to bless the house. Although the vessel survived, its contents were lost. The speaker also tells of finding a brass door knocker requested by the previous owner, ultimately returning it to her as a meaningful gesture. These stories highlight the search for significance and connection amid loss.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=840.0,1047.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The Irony of the Unburned Logs and Rebuilding Challenges","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1047.0,1110.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker describes the irony of finding unburned logs that had been removed from the house for safety, even though the garage and house were destroyed. They transition to discussing the process of rebuilding, including the need to document water supply and the complexities of insurance. The speaker and their spouse are determined to rebuild, but face uncertainty about costs and logistics.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1047.0,1110.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The Cost and Feasibility of Rebuilding, and Community Impact","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1110.0,1546.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker explores the financial and logistical hurdles of rebuilding after a wildfire, including rising construction costs, insurance limitations, and labor shortages. They reference expert opinions and the experiences of other disaster-stricken communities, noting that many residents may not return. The speaker emphasizes the importance of supporting those who wish to stay and the broader implications for community recovery and diversity.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1110.0,1546.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The Importance of Community and Diversity in Altadena","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1546.0,1667.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker reflects on the reasons for choosing Altadena, highlighting its diversity, sense of community, and the presence of artists and interesting neighbors. They stress that rebuilding should focus not just on physical structures but on restoring the social fabric and connections that made the community special. The speaker expresses a desire to help shape the future of the community, even as a relatively new resident.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1546.0,1667.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The Internet Company Ordeal and Closing Thoughts","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1667.0,1856.96"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669/index/90429/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The speaker recounts a frustrating experience with their internet provider, who continued to charge them for a destroyed router after the fire. Despite assurances, the issue persisted until the melted device was finally accepted and the charge removed. The speaker uses humor to address the situation and reflects on the sometimes unsupportive responses from others, closing with a sense of perspective on what truly matters after such a loss.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3578/collection_resources/164559/file/299669#t=1667.0,1856.96"}]}]}]}