Episode 23 of After the Ashes arrives in the season of light and at a moment when much of what we’ve been saying here for months is finally breaking into the broader news cycle. As Hanukkah begins this week, we reflect on what it means to light the candles this time of year. We move through a wide-angle media roundup—from national coverage echoing long-standing warnings, to Emecka of Rhythms of the Village on the cover of Inc. Magazine, to year-end conversations shaping how Altadena’s story is being told beyond the neighborhood. We also discuss what remains absent from much of that coverage, including the harder realities that resist seasonal framing.

We break down the recent County EIFD meeting on the new CRD and growing community pushback around governance without meaningful oversight or public input. We dip back into the issues brewing with our water mutuals, including a Las Flores Water Co shareholder meeting cancelled at the last minute and the quiet accumulation of power going on behind the scenes. 

We close with this episode’s Small Business Shout-Out: Little Red Hen, Altadena’s oldest running Black woman-owned business, operating continuously since 1946. Despite decades of service, community recognition, and media visibility, rebuilding after the fire remains uncertain. If you are able, please consider giving to Little Red Hen’s GoFundMe to support their rebuilding efforts, and follow @littleredhen_altadena on Instagram for updates and the latest.