Blog archive
May 2025
A Board Director Perspective
05/02/2025
A Death Valley Adventure
05/02/2025
Ask an Architect
05/02/2025
Message from the President
05/02/2025
My 15-Minute City
05/02/2025
Neighboring Anew
05/02/2025
Scam Red Flags
05/02/2025
Sir Beckett, A Woman's Best Friend
05/02/2025
Volunteer Appreciation: Giving a New Level of Love and Caring
05/02/2025
April 2025
At Dawn II
04/30/2025
Family Hunt for Our Old House
04/30/2025
Getting Mail, A Glimmer of Altadena Spirit Showing Through
04/30/2025
My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
04/30/2025
Mysteries, Yes
04/30/2025
No Exit by Bob Heinrich
04/30/2025
Pasadena Village
04/30/2025
Sunday Morning Coming Down by Kris Kristofferson
04/30/2025
The Pasadena Civic Center
04/30/2025
Upon Hearing Your Building is up for Sale by Gabriel Cortez
04/30/2025
Status - April 28, 2025
04/28/2025
Art From the Ashes
04/24/2025
Informal Discussion on Current Events
04/23/2025
Gratitude for the Village: Supporting Me Through the Fire
04/14/2025
The Log in Our Eyes
04/13/2025
Evacuation and Soot
04/07/2025
March 2025
About Senior Solutions
03/28/2025
Building a Bridge With Journey House, A Home Base for Former Foster Youth
03/28/2025
Come for the Knitting, Stay for the Conversation... and the Cookies
03/28/2025
Creating Safe and Smart Spaces with Home Technology
03/28/2025
Finding Joy in My Role on The Pasadena Village Board
03/28/2025
I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
03/28/2025
Managing Anxiety
03/28/2025
Message from Our President: Keeping Pasadena Village Strong Together
03/28/2025
My Favorite Easter Gift
03/28/2025
The Hidden History of Black Women in WWII
03/28/2025
Urinary Tract Infection – Watch Out!
03/28/2025
Volunteer Coordinator and Blade-Runner
03/28/2025
Continuing Commitment to Combating Racism
03/26/2025
Goodbye and Keep Cold by Robert Frost
03/13/2025
What The Living Do by Marie Howe
03/13/2025
Racism is Not Genetic
03/11/2025
Bill Gould, The First
03/07/2025
THIS IS A CHAPTER, NOT MY WHOLE STORY
03/07/2025
Dramatic Flair: Villagers Share their Digital Art
03/03/2025
Empowering Senior LGBTQ+ Caregivers
03/03/2025
A Life Never Anticipated
03/02/2025
Eaton Fire Changes Life
03/02/2025
February 2025
Commemorating Black History Month 2025
02/28/2025
Transportation at the Pasadena Village
02/28/2025
A Look at Proposition 19
02/27/2025
Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Pasadena Village Board and Its Role
02/27/2025
Beyond and Within the Village: The Power of One
02/27/2025
Celebrating Black Voices
02/27/2025
Creatively Supporting Our Village Community
02/27/2025
Decluttering: More Than The Name Implies
02/27/2025
Hidden Gems of Forest Lawn Museum
02/27/2025
LA River Walk
02/27/2025
Message from the President
02/27/2025
Phoenix Rising
02/27/2025
1619 Conversations with West African Art
02/25/2025
The Party Line
02/24/2025
Bluebird by Charles Bukowski
02/17/2025
Dreams by Langston Hughes
02/17/2025
Haiku - Four by Fritzie
02/17/2025
Haikus - Nine by Virginia
02/17/2025
Wind and Fire
02/17/2025
Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025
Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025
Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025
Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025
Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025
Living the Mission
02/05/2025
Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025
Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025
Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025
Villager's Stories
02/05/2025
A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025
Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025
Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025
January 2025
At Dawn by Ed Mervine
01/31/2025
Thank you for Relief Efforts
01/31/2025
Needs as of January 25, 2025
01/24/2025
Eaton Fire Information
01/23/2025
Escape to San Diego
01/19/2025
Finding Courage Amid Tragedy
01/19/2025
Responses of Pasadena Village February 22, 2025
01/18/2025
A Tale of Three Fires
01/14/2025
Ask an Architect
By Karen BagnardPosted: 05/02/2025
There was an impressive turnout at the Village’s event presenting the American Institute of Architecture’s program for members of the foothill communities who were burned out in the Eaton Fire. This event, hosted by Pasadena Village, was attended by Villagers as well as members of our community.
Kirstyn Booneau, a partner of the 67-year-old Pasadena architectural firm, PBWS Architecture, was the presenter. With clarity, she was able to organize the various aspects of a rebuild using slides and graphs. She knew full-well this is a complex process that we are all challenged with.
The Q&A period was excellent with many important questions about insurance, funding, tax assessment and very unique individual situations, Kirstyn was able to direct the participant to the agency that could answer questions outside of her realm of expertise.
The program that Ask An Architect is offering is invaluable to those of us who have never even considered building from the ground up. Doing this after such a devastating fire is even more complicated. The program offers the help of an architect to navigate the process, avoid common pitfalls and offer the opportunity to consider all viable options for a rebuild.
Wayne April was the Villager who spotted information about this program and sent it out to all the Villagers who had lost homes. My daughter, Chelsea, was the first to register for the program and we have been working with a wonderful architect, Aaron Olko from the beginning.
Villager Marlane Forsberg was the next one to reach out to learn more. “This program is excellent, and the presentation offered me even more considerations to look into. I am very happy with the architect who is working with me. He has spent time at my property to help me understand its unique features.”
Virgi Merriam also attended the program and found it very interesting. “The complex presentation was well-organized and made clear the various aspects of a rebuild, as well as areas of responsibility.” She is looking forward to the slides so that she can share the information in greater depth with her husband, John, who is visually impaired.
There were five architects in attendance at this event, including Aaron Olko. Each one was fully engaged with participants asking questions after the program.
Pasadena Village is working with the City of Pasadena to collaborate to offer another public presentation of this program. The American Institute of Architects Chapter offers one-on-one architect consultations for wildfire rebuilding. They also have a comprehensive Disaster Response Toolkit which maps out the typical phases of recovery and the architect’s roles in each. You can download the Toolkit from this site or request a free consultation through the “Ask an Architect” link.