Podcast appearances and mentions of porter ranch

Officials will gather this morning to see the former sheriff Jim McDonnell sworn in as the new chief of the LAPD. State utilities regulators are putting out a plan that could lead to the closure of the Aliso Canyon gas storage site in Porter Ranch. Four L.A. area humans have been arrested for allegedly wearing a giant bear costume to commit insurance fraud. Plus, more. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comSupport the show: https://laist.com

What's up with the husband/wife tapas bar in Porter Ranch?  Who will regulate the poor customer service?  Is secret shopping considered a form or cheating?  Steve might have triggered someone with his answer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former NBA star Lamar Odom came to the rescue for TikTok sensation Doggface who was frantically trying to get his brother in treatment for substance abuse, having secured a spot for him at a Porter Ranch rehab facility that focuses on a healthy recovery.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

State Senator Shannon Grove comes on the show to talk about SB14 moving forward and it will now be voted on by the full assembly. A Porter Ranch resident comes on the show to talk about the added gas capacity for Aliso Canyon gas fields. Moist Line Rounds 1 & 2. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More methane gas is going into the storage site above Porter Ranch – the site of the largest gas leak in U.S. history. A spotlight tonight on shaky ethics in Anaheim city government. Beyonce performs at SoFi Stadium this weekend. Plus, more. Support The L.A. Report by donating now at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com.Support the show: https://laist.com

Mayor Bass blamed the state for all the trash on L.A. freeways, so we asked Caltrans what they're going to do about it. Plus, a decision SoCal Gas says could keep your bill down has people in Porter Ranch fuming. A new idea to keep kids from going nuts at the mall - will it work? And what to know if you're heading to LAX ahead of the holiday weekend. 

SoCalGas wants to expand gas storage capacity again at the site of the largest methane leak in U.S. history. Porter Ranch residents beg the state to say no. LA's universal basic income pilot program “BIG: LEAP” provided a life-changing safety net for many Angelenos. What happens when that money goes away?

In this episode we are joined by two professional ranch brokers, Jake Hubbell and Loren Williams to discuss their recent listing of the Porter Ranch.  We also discuss the complexities of finding and listing large ranches, as well as how to market them once you have the listing. Both of these brokers bring a diverse perspective to the show based on their age difference and time in the industry.  A great podcast show with lots of solid content for anyone looking to list and sell large land property. PORTER RANCH ALC DESIGNATION UC RANCH PROPERTIES  

Join Ben and Rahul for their interview of San Francisco trial lawyer, Sarah London of Lieff Cabraser.  Sarah explains how her interest in community organizing ultimately led her to a career as a plaintiff trial lawyer.  She views the law as the ultimate weapon for promoting positive societal change.  Not long after becoming a lawyer, Sarah London found herself in Florida trying case after case against the big tobacco companies.  At first, the plaintiffs were losing every trial.  But in time, they found strategies to turn the cases around, win, and obtain large verdicts.  This experience of trying similar cases over and over provided a laboratory for better understanding of how to select juries and frame a case for trial success.  The insights gained through this process are valuable not just for tobacco litigation, but anyone who conducts jury trials.  Sarah was recently appointed as co-lead counsel for the Juul litigation.  Sarah's insights into trial lawyer are both practical and inspirational.  You won't want to miss this episode!  About Sarah London“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”Martin Luther King, Jr. A partner in Lieff Cabraser's San Francisco office, Sarah R. London is a determined, skilled, and experienced advocate for the injured, employees, and consumers.In February of 2020, Sarah was appointed to the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in the Gilead HIV Drug Kidney & Bone Injuries Litigation. In December of 2019, she was appointed to serve as Co-Lead Counsel and Liaison Counsel for plaintiffs in the nationwide multidistrict Juul e-cigarette fraud and injury litigation. In September of 2019, Sarah was appointed by Judge Judith E. Levy to serve as Subclass Settlement Counsel in In re Flint Water Cases, the federal class action lawsuit seeking justice for the over 100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan who were exposed to seriously elevated levels of lead as a result of insufficient water treatment.Sarah also serves in lead roles in women's health cases, including work as court-appointed Liaison Counsel and Interim Class Counsel in the federal class action filed on behalf of families in May 2018 against San Francisco's Pacific Fertility Center over the Center's March 2018 allegedly negligent destruction of hundreds of frozen eggs and embryos as a result of a leak in a cryogenic storage tank. Sarah also served in a leadership role in successful litigation recovering millions of dollars on behalf of women who suffered serious injuries due to complications from allegedly defective trans-vaginal surgical mesh.Sarah has been directly involved in several recent California environmental disaster cases, including litigation against Plains All American Pipeline arising out of the 2015 oil spill in Santa Barbara, and two important class action cases on behalf of homeowners and businesses that suffered economic injuries in the wake of the massive Porter Ranch gas leak, which began in October of 2015 and lasted into February of 2016.A Super Lawyers Rising Star for eight consecutive years and 2015 finalist for the Consumer Attorneys of California Streetfighter of the Year Award, Sarah has held multiple leadership positions in CAOC, including her current position on the Board of Directors. In September 2019, Sarah was appointed Chair of the Resource Board of the National Association of Women Judges.

Out of the jungle and into… the woods! We pack our camcorders, grab our tents, and homemade wooden sacraments and take an in-depth trip to Burkittsville, MD where we cover everything under the Blair sun. Hear about our histories with The Blair Witch Project, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, and Blair Witch and our thoughts on their places amongst the pantheon of horror greats and... oddities. Meanwhile, it was Lucas' bday most recently so reach out to him on the socials (or send personalized love notes to his house) and wish him a happy belated!   00:00 - 23:00ish - Intros and Friendship: Lucas recovers from a delightful birthday celebration, BLADE news, Lucas' unread emails, first look at Maxxxine, trips to Mecca (Nicole's AMC in Porter Ranch), and Austin almost ruining his phone trying to get Siri to read some crazy Lucas stuff.   23:00ish - 46:00ish - What we watched in addition to the main flick(s)!   Curtis - Polite Society   Austin - Scream VI   Cody - Evil Dead Rise (again), Renfield, and Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum   Lucas - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood   46:00ish - 1:48:00ish - The Blair Witch Project and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 SHUDdown and discussion!   1:48:00ish - End - Our next movie!

In our second episode, we sit down with Ken Collins, the “land dude.” Ken talks about his work throughout the watershed, the impact this place has had on him—and bats. These cute little animals have been his tenants at Porter Ranch, providing him with entertainment every night. Learn all about how bats are helping the land right here in Elkhorn Slough.Original music by Ross Robertson

Wayne Resnick is back! He and Jennifer Jones Lee accompany Bill for the Early Edition of Handel on the News. The three of them discuss news topics that include: CA Governor Gavin Newsom has joined in the calls for LA City Council members to resign in the wake of the racist audio leak, anti-Semitic propaganda was seen throughout the LA area over the weekend, and a somber vigil was held to honor 1 of 2 teenagers killed in a Porter Ranch crash that left 8 others injured.

Interview with Hardeep Kataria, OD, FAAO, Avant Eyes Optometry, Porter Ranch, CA. Dr. Hardeep Kataria shares with us how to harness the power of biologics from the human body. Amniotic materials and blood-derived therapies are now widely available as choices for ocular surface dryness patients.

Jennifer Jones Lee hosts your Monday morning Wake Up Call. One person has been killed and four others injured in an Orange County church attack. Firefighters have stopped the forward progress of a wind-driven fire in Porter Ranch that broke out over the weekend. And it's mental health awareness month - Alina Haupman of the Best Friends Animal Society joins the show to share how you can improve your mental health with a little furry friend...or seven.

Godly Goosebumps is a brand-new podcast hosted by Pastor Dudley Rutherford. Its purpose is to share miracles and stories that only God could orchestrate—sure to give you goosebumps as you listen in awe of what the Lord has, can, and will do! This new podcast will inspire you and give you hope. As the lead pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, CA., Dudley is a passionate communicator of the Good News of Jesus Christ. He loves to encourage others and share how God's providence, protection, and provision is so clearly woven in each of our lives, drawing us near to the Lord as we seek and serve Him!

Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant is disconnected from its power grid // Prince Andrew has finally played his rape accuser // General Motors plans to test using electric vehicles as a power backup for homes // A man who received a pig heart transplant two months ago, has died // MLBPA and the MLB continue negations amid the lockout // A park in Porter Ranch that was used in the movie ‘E.T.' could officially be named ‘E.T. Park'.

There's no two ways about it: oil spills and gas leaks are disastrous, causing massive amounts of ecological damage in a matter of days or hours. So how many occur each year? How many are actually reported, versus covered up? Listen in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

More on the CPUC tabling a proposal to change the net energy metering rules for people with solar. An update on the Porter Ranch gas leak. EDD is now having cases of disability fraud. Ghislaine Maxwell wants a new trial.

The Top Local Stories Of The Day See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we kick off North Valley November with a visit to the Porter Ranch Shopping District! Island's! Walmart! Party City! THE VINEYARDS AT PORTER RANCH!! 

The Top Local Stories Of The Day  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Forthright but also full of grace”: that could be a mantra for how we should all live our lives. It's also how Jacqui Patterson has described her ideal as she fights for environmental justice in a world that can feel like it's submerged completely in environmental injustice.From the South Side of Chicago, to Jamaica, to South Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, Jacqui has continually asked what deep, transformative change looks like. She grounds her theory of change in community-led advocacy. She envisions a world of eco-communities and works with real communities across the country who have already created elements of these utopian visions.But never does she lose sight of climate change and environmental exploitation as multipliers of injustice.Jacqui Patterson directed the Environmental and Climate Justice Program at NAACP from 2009 to 2021. Most recently, she is Founder and Executive Director of The Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership.I've had the great privilege of knowing Jacqui for the last few years, and she's an advisor on my current documentary film in post production, called Raising Aniya.In our conversation, Jacqui discusses the origins of the environmental justice movement and the importance of community-led activism, and she charts her path to a life devoted to the struggle for environmental justice.This is the first episode of the Chrysalis podcast! You can listen on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.Please rate, review, and share to help us spread the word!Jacqui PattersonJacqui Patterson is the Founder and Executive Director at The Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership. Since 2007, Jacqui has served as coordinator & co-founder of Women of Color United. She directed of the Environmental and Climate Justice Program at NAACP from 2009 to 2021. Jacqui has worked as a researcher, program manager, coordinator, advocate and activist working on women‘s rights, violence against women, HIV&AIDS, racial justice, economic justice, and environmental and climate justice. Jacqui served as a Senior Women's Rights Policy Analyst for ActionAid where she integrated a women's rights lens for the issues of food rights, macroeconomics, and climate change as well as the intersection of violence against women and HIV&AIDS. Previously, she served as Assistant Vice-President of HIV/AIDS Programs for IMA World Health providing management and technical assistance to medical facilities and programs in 23 countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Jacqui served as the Outreach Project Associate for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Research Coordinator for Johns Hopkins University. She also served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica, West Indies.  Jacqui holds a master's degree in social work from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for Interfaith Moral Action on Climate, Advisory Board for Center for Earth Ethics as well as on the Boards of Directors for the Institute of the Black World, The Hive: Gender and Climate Justice Fund, the American Society of Adaptation Professionals, Greenprint Partners, Bill Anderson Fund and the National Black Workers Center.Quotations Read by Jacqui Patterson“If you come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because, you know, and feel that your liberation is bound to mine, let's walk together.” - Lilla Watson“you have to understand, that no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land” - From "Home" by Warsan Shire“If one of us is oppressed, none of us are free.” - Unknown“the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love.” - Che GuevaraRecommended Readings & MediaTranscriptionIntroJohn Fiege “Forthright but also full of grace”: that could be a mantra for how we should all live our lives. It's also how Jacqui Patterson has described her ideal as she fights for environmental justice in a world that can feel like it's submerged completely in environmental injustice.From the South Side of Chicago, to Jamaica, to South Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, Jacqui has continually asked what deep, transformative change looks like. She grounds her theory of change in community-led advocacy. She envisions a world of eco-communities and works with real communities across the country who have already created elements of these utopian visions.But never does she lose sight of climate change and environmental exploitation as multipliers of injustice.Jacqui PattersonFor example, if a child is having a hard time paying attention in school, because lead and manganese are some of the toxins that come out of these, these smokestacks, or if a child is having a heart is not able to go to school on poor air quality days, or if the school that 71% of African Americans live in counties in violation of air pollution standards, and an African American family making $50,000 a year is more likely to live next to a toxic facility than the white American family making $15,000 a year. And we know that. But yeah, then on average, if you're living next to a toxic facility, your property values are significantly lower, and property values go directly into funding our school system. So if you have all of these challenges with being in school in the first place, learning in school, and then the school itself doesn't have the level of quality of other schools, then studies show that if you're not on grade level, by the third grade, you're more likely to enter into the school to prison pipeline.John FiegeI'm John Fiege, and this is Chrysalis.Jacqui Patterson directed the Environmental and Climate Justice Program at NAACP from 2009 to 2021. Most recently, she is founder and executive director of The Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership. I've had the great privilege of knowing Jacqui for the last few years, and she's an advisor on my current documentary film in post production, called Raising Aniya.In our conversation, Jacqui discusses the origins of the environmental justice movement and the importance of community-led activism, and she charts her path to a life devoted to the struggle for environmental justice.Here is Jacqui Patterson.---ConversationJohn Fiege  You grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Could you start by talking a bit about the neighborhood where you grew up how that shaped you and you know, being an urban environment, how you viewed your relationship to the rest of nature?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, growing up on the South Side of Chicago, been an area where it was, there was lots of, of trees, there was lots of I was just talking with someone yesterday about how how we would get excited when we would see a Blue Jay or a Robin in our trees, there were squirrels, there was an occasional rabbit, which was very exciting. And, and there was a lot like summers were all about being outside. Winters were moderately about being outside John Fiege  If there was snowJacqui Patterson  Exactly. Only if there's snow. And otherwise it was being huddled inside and and at the same time, there was the other side's being to being born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, which is that it was a gang land area with the Black P Stone Nation and the El Rukns. As the main gangs and the pressure on boys to to affiliate and the guns, as you hear the challenges you would have. So being outside was also challenged by that as well. I mean, it didn't, I don't remember it being kind of a constant thing, but I don't remember it necessarily meaning that we didn't go outside but I do remember a couple of times where, where, where there were times when they were kind of fights or so forth, it would be inside. So to put my dad was from Jamaica, so we took a trip, we went to the park often and my dad was definitely big on the outdoors. And so we would go to the park frequently, both our local park as well as sometimes going to a national park to hike.John Fiege  Oh, awesome. And, you know, that must impact your view of what the environment is to when you, you know, you see the birds in the trees and those beautiful, tree lined streets of South Side of Chicago. And at the same time, there's this, like, this potentially dangerous environment you're dealing with sometimes as well.Jacqui Patterson  Yes, it definitely, definitely makes it a mixed situation. It reminds me of when I was at a  conference of the Power Shift Network, I was moderating a panel with youth. And, and this person who was on the panel, I mean, it was a real striking and moving moment because the person was on the panel stood up and she said, You know, I would like for me being you know, I would love to be able to have the luxury to go to the park and so forth. But for me just surviving was the objective and and if I can get beyond just focusing on survival to be able to go to the park, you know, that would be a good day. And she actually started crying while she was saying that because I think it was such an emotional moment to be attacked about the very thing that you know, about the very thing that that kind of puts in stark relief, the difference in realities and what's what's kind of normal to other people would be a luxury to her.John Fiege  And survival survival is a prerequisite for enjoying the world  Jacqui Patterson  exactly, exactly.John Fiege  Well, not not only is your father from Jamaica, but you spent time in the Peace Corps in Jamaica. Yeah, which I find really, I find so interesting, because not many Peace Corps volunteers work in a country so close to their roots. Can you can you tell me about the path? This this young girl from the South Side of Chicago took to Jamaica and and how that experience influenced you?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, sure. Um, I grew up I grew up very active in the church, we'd be in the church like five days out of the week, during the summer. And, and during the winter, this at least a couple of times weekly. When during the summer, so I was always a Sunday school teacher and during the summer, I was a vacation Bible school teacher and and as I decided on my career path, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. And so and then I was watching TV one day and saw this commercial about the shortage of special education teachers. Oh, I could do that. And I decided to do that as well. And so after I, long story short, I was in Boston going to school for undergrad at Boston University. And it was. And that was when I first started to really get involved around social justice. I was working in a shelter for homeless people who were unhoused in Boston, and then also at the same time getting involved in the Housing Now movement there. Anyway, then I fast forward to deciding after I graduated to go to Peace Corps, what was interesting there in terms of the time between me going to Peace Corps and a place that I know is that to make us known was the recruiter was telling me that Jamaica was I had actually wanted to go to a place that where I could learn Spanish or French, or some other language, you know. And so she was she really put a hard pressure on me to go to Jamaica, because it has a high rate of attrition of people dropping out. And, and so she also needed like someone who was kind of specialized in special education, and it's a little bit at the back then it was almost rare to be able to do something that's so aligned with your actual career that I'd like there was someone there in my group who was a drama major in school, and she ended up being a bananas extension officer with the Agriculture Department. So it's kind of funny. So anyway, she says, Yeah, so all of that is what led to me being in in Jamaica.John Fiege  What did you see there and experience that you can connect with what you did later, you know, what you're doing now and what you did later with your work?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, so a couple things. One is, as a special education teacher in the parish of St. Thomas one situation arose where there was a whole group of three year olds who had hearing impairments because, you know, a little bit over three years ago, almost four years ago, they had an outbreak of rubella. And I guess when a mom has rubella, then it's more likely for her child to be born with a hearing impairment. And so, so I ended up being because I had taken one sign language class in undergrad, I ended up being a sign language teacher to these, these, these parents and their children, it was like a parent child group, and so helping them to be able to communicate. And so both that in and other kind of situations of people with special needs, there are who are differently abled was just struck me in terms of being a systemic issue, kind of people not having either choices and not having resources to live a thriving life, in those circumstances of being differently abled made me really think about the prevention aspect, you know, and so I, I started to decide I was coming, come back and go into, into public health, and also do a double degree one in public health, on the technical side of things, as well as one in social work, but macro level social work, to learn about community organizing, because at that point, point, it was just clear that important to community voice, community power community leadership, parallel, or, you know, at the same time, I was also kind of in Jamaica, just observing the circumstances in terms of, you know, what led there to be not the resources to have to have the rubella vaccine in a place that is so beautiful, so, so much possibility for people to be able to, to a to have the, the whether it's that natural resources to eat or the natural resources to, to provide energy for the country and all of these different things. And then also the the natural beauty that attracts, you know, millions of tourists there with all of the billions of dollars that are coming with with that. And yet we have communities where the you know, people are living in abject poverty. And so, so, so seeing that, watching films like Life and Debt that talked about structural adjustment programs, and then and then reading books, like How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, I started to really understand some of these systemic issues as well. So that was an important kind of politicization. And then the last thing I'll say is also I was there I was in a community where the water supply was contaminated by Shell Oil and the community had to push for, for justice and that situation, but in that situation, it was definitely a David and Goliath, where the community ended up getting as part of their settlement a series of ventilated improve pit latrines for the community, as well as some money given to the school for three Rs program. So that was the settlementJohn Fiege  in exchange for a billions of dollars worth of oil,Jacqui Patterson  and in exchange for having their water supply contaminated, drinking poison for several, yeah, I mean, whatever long term illnesses that was that was caused. And so these were the so these are the things these are the lessons I learned in my short time in Peace Corps, they really kind of all all contributed to the trajectory of my life since thenJohn Fiege  I find that so interesting, when there's something there's some short period of time when in when you're young, and you can find in that period of time, so many seeds that germinated later in your life. And when you're talking about Jamaican, like, I'm hearing like all of the elements of your later work. It's so interesting. Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, it is fascinating. John Fiege  So I've heard you say that climate change is a multiplier of injustice, which is, which is really beautifully succinct. Can you explain what that means?Jacqui Patterson  Absolutely. So both on the on the the whole climate continuum, we think about in terms of the drivers of climate change, and the impacts of climate change. on the driver side, you have all of the polluting practices that contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. And so the fact that these facilities are disproportionately located in BIPOC communities, whether it's coal plants, or or oil and gas refineries, or other or fracking, or it's even near roadway, air pollution, and air in the ways that that impacts all of those are disproportionately located in, in in BIPOC communities and also in trash incineration, and landfills and so forth. And I could make more, agricultural, like confined animal feeding operations, etc. So with all of those being disproportionately located communities of color, it's not only that they're emitting greenhouse gases, but they're all also emitting pollutants that that also harm that compound harm to the public health and well being of those communities. And so whether it's the sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, which is tied to asthma rates, and African American children are three to five times more likely to go to the hospital for asthma attack two to three times more likely to die of an asthma attack, or it is the mercury which is known to be an endocrine disruptor. And we know that low birth weights, infant mortality, etc, are much higher, for example, in African American communities and beyond. So there's just so many examples of these negative health impacts. But then on top of it all, we talk about multiplier as well, it's a multiplier of a multiplicity of issues. And so, for example, if a child is having a hard time paying attention in school because lead and manganese are some of the toxins that come out of these, these smokestacks, or if a child is having is not able to go to school on poor air quality days, or if the school, 71% of African Americans live in counties in violation of air pollution standards, and an African American family making $50,000 a year is more likely to live next to a toxic facility than the white American family making $15,000 a year and we know that then on average, if you're living next to a toxic facility, your property values are significantly lower and property values go directly into funding our school system. So if you have all of these challenges with being in school in the first place, learning in school, and then the school itself doesn't have the level of quality of other schools, then studies show that if you're not on grade level by the third grade, you're more likely to enter into the school to prison pipeline. So we see all of these interconnected, you know, multiplier issues, and then a multiplicity of issues that they get exacerbated. And so these are, and that's just one scenario. That is an example when we talk about the gender, gender and justice that already exist, and then on the pipelines, along the lines of the pipeline, there's a high rate of sexual assault of Indigenous women in particular, along those pipelines. Also, around the man camps that are propped up around these oil and gas rigs, there is a high rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women, there's a drug trade that's come up, there's trafficking that that happens in those areas. And, just a known level that you know that you can when googled one can see all the different statistics and stories around this. And so that's just on the driver side of the continuum. And then we go on the other side in terms of the impact. We know that climate change that, for example, when we talk about the increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events, that women are more likely to experience violence against women after disasters. Whether it's, yeah, so we saw that with the earthquake in Gujarat, the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, for sure. And even the BP oil drilling disaster where I was down there and that the, the police blotters showed a four fold increase in domestic violence in one particular area, I was sitting in Alabama, and we look at place after place, it was the same thing. And they even though the BP oil drilling disaster wasn't caused by climate change, it also was on the other driver's side of the continuum as well. So anyway, so then, then, when we talk about the the shifts in agricultural yield, we know that already, for example, 26% of African American families are food insecure. And when we have shift in agricultural yields that mean that healthy nutritious foods are going to be even more inaccessible and less affordable, than that just exacerbates what's already a bad situation for for African American families who too often live in communities where it's easier to get a Dorito or a Cheeto or Frito than kiwi or quinoa or anything. So when we, when we see that then we also see how these various chronic health conditions that are that are causing premature deaths and shorten our very life expectancy as a people. And then that has made us even more vulnerable to the impacts of of COVID-19 and has contributed to our high rates of mortality. Then when we talk about sea level rise, also communities that are less likely to be homeowners, we know that 44% of African Americans are homeowners versus 75% of white Americans, for example. And so when when you know when you have when you need to move or even impacted by disasters, all of that, being in a homeowner, you know, when you have equity you have in not only do you have equity in your home, conceivably, but you're also also some of the aid from FEMA and so forth is directly tied to being a homeowner and the work of relocation is still emerging and how that's going to be financed and what the mechanisms are going to be. ButJohn Fiege  I wonder who I wonder who wrote those, those rules?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, as I say, we can pretty much rest assured thatJohn Fiege  they were homeowners at least,Jacqui Patterson  yeah, that's really something. So all of these things. Oh, and then finally, I'll just say to as it relates to sea level rise, combined with, combined with the frequency and severity of extreme weather events is the fact that even after we think we find out that the levee fortification is, like so many other things was tied to property values after Hurricane Katrina, where they decided to to fortify all these levees in Louisiana. they used a formula to decide which levees they were going to be fortifying first. And it was based on what the economic impact would be if the levy was overtaken, which literally legislates or institutionalizes the the disregard for the people who are the most vulnerable, just literally by definition, by design.John Fiege  Early on in the COVID pandemic, you wrote an article for Color Lines, that that connects the pandemic to climate justice, among other things.  So you write:  "Centuries of racist policy and practice have shaped the neighborhoods we live in, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, our access to education and justice, and the health care we receive (or don't). Layers of harm, generation after generation, alter our bodies at the molecular level and even the genes we pass on to our children. Those harms, past and present, render us more vulnerable to the coronavirus—and also to the longer-term crises caused by climate change."  Wow, it's really amazing how you can connect dots and wrap so much into this single paragraph. Can you talk about the importance of seeing whole systems, rather than separating out these interconnected issues in order to envision what you call deep transformative change?Jacqui Patterson  Yes, absolutely. So when we have a system that, as I said before, is doing exactly what it was designed to do by those who, as you said, designed it. And, and when we continue to try to tweak a system, which at its core has a different intention, then then what we should be seeking, which is literally liberty and justice for all, then then we have to think transformation rather than than reform. But we have a system that means that, that certain people are only more likely to live in certain communities when you have a system that says that those communities are, by definition, are the communities that are the asthma clusters, the cancer clusters, the communities where the life expectancy is shorter, too often by decades, sometimes by almost a lifetime, when we talk about infant mortality, and and, and so forth. So when we talk when we have a system where before African Americans were emancipated from slavery, there were policies that enabled white people to be able to access these grants for land for those for schools, or for farming or otherwise. So and when African Americans were emancipated, not only had they put in this in slave labor, that that to build a country that was completely uncompensated, but also didn't even have the legal rights to be able to write legal wills to pass down their property. And so not only do we have white Americans who, for whom, African Americans were part of the, their actual generational wealth, but then on top of it all, they were given all these additional aids by by the government system. And so it's clear why at this point, we have white wealth at $171,000 on average, per household, African American wealth at $17,000 per household. And then yeah, there will be a layer gender on top of it all, we have African American female headed households with the average wealth of $5. And so if we just continue to try to tweak a system that's doing exactly what it was designed to do in the first place, you know, now 400 years after the transatlantic slave trade, this is where we are. So what's going to be the increments of change? And what what, what century will there be equality if we don't actually do something transformational now?John Fiege  Yeah, I, I talk a lot about the problem with how we've set up environmental issues where, you know, if somebody wants to learn about why we have environmental problems, they're often told to go study science or to go study economics. But the best place to start really is American history. You can't separate how the systems were built from the problems they've caused, and to pretend that we can address them without acknowledging and confronting those those things is so delusional.Jacqui Patterson  Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Thank you.John Fiege  So to talk about the NAACP and the roots of the environmental justice movement. Many people consider the birthplace of the environmental justice movement to be in Warren County, North Carolina, in 1982, when 500 people were arrested, protesting the siting of a toxic waste dump for PCB laden soil and a county that was predominantly African American, and one of the poorest counties in the state. Among the coalition of community members of the Civil Rights Organizations, was the NAACP and Reverend Benjamin Chavez, who later became the executive director of NAACP. Can you talk about the importance of this moment, both for the movement and the NAACP?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, thank you. Um, yes. So one thing that is important about that, that the rise The movement in its inception is the power of the people and the importance of frontline community leadership, it was never going to be some organization or some entity that's outside of the community looking at and seeing this is wrong. And then, you know, organizing a plan and in and so forth, it was the power of the people that that really unsurface the situation that that the push for the type of change that they need to have and, and that we all need to have. And really gave rise to this movement. And so it needs to kind of go as it started in terms of the movement. And this is why we're always pushing for frontline community leadership. And so for us, that situation was critical around the the roots of the problem and the depth of the problem. And it was critical around the, in terms of just like the extreme level of contamination and so forth in the health impacts and so forth. And it was also critical in terms of the method and the ethos behind the solution of the problem and addressing it. And so for us, it just means that we, but it also was critical in terms of how long it took. And we often now when I'm doing presentations often show this kind of four image slide of three, of four toxic situations, the Flint water crisis, the Chicago Indiana arsenic and lead crisis and Eight Mile Alabama Mercaptan oil spill and then I show the Porter Ranch gas spill that happened and talk about how you know for each of the other situation it was they were decades, you know, decades and still seeking justice. Before the Porter Ranch gas spill, it was literally within a matter of months there was kept within a matter of less than a year that they were they were given $4 million in damages to this white wealthier white community versus decades and hundreds of 1000s of dollars at best for these other communities. John Fiege  Yeah, well, the coalition is the coalition around that event was, was incredible. And, you know, this kind of genealogy of civil rights within environmental justice, it seems to really be you know, NAACP is a is a huge national organization, just like the big environmental organizations. But do you see that it's kind of history and valuing and ability to work with local groups on the ground changes the way this giant national organization interacts with communities?Jacqui Patterson  I do. So for one thing, one of the things that has that drew me to the work and has kept me at the NAACP is the fact that we are accountable first and foremost to our frontline community leadership and so that that being the marching orders for for us as a program and for the association really does set it apart from from other organizations in that sense, like we do things because our state and local branches think that they are important. And so that's quite different than if you are setting an agenda and then you're deploying all of these, these these chapters to do like some other large national organizations. And so but but when we're when we're working in the environmental climate justice program, for example, we're we're out there in the branches and we're saying, like, let's, let's do a visioning session, what do you want for your community, and then now, well, we can help with political education, we can help developing a strategy. We can walk alongside you once you have your action plan of what you want to do and help connect you to resources and so forth. So that model of like, it's about what you want for your community. And then we kind of see the patterns of what people are interested in and what they're facing. And then we roll that up into a national agenda that we get res ources for on behalf of the units and that we then advocate for at the federal policy level as well. So if a community might be working on, you know, a lead crisis in their backyard, we might be helping them with how to deal with that. Then at the at the federal level, we're working on the lead and copper rule under the Clean Air Act and so forth. So that's always kind of a corresponding national agenda, but it corresponds with the leadership of our state and local units.John Fiege  Oh, that's, that's interesting. And it's such so important. Always going back to that. Yeah, accountability to the communities. So key. So can you talk a bit about your theory of change and the work you're doing, and maybe first describe what a theory of change is? And then how your theory of change has shifted over time as you've engaged ever more deeply in this work?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, thank you. So, first, the theory of change is exactly what the words imply, is the theory of how change happens in our world. So for us, and it's interesting to even when we were kind of like, formally crafting our theory of change, there was kind of the difference between the change that's needed, and how do we get there. And then there's also kind of models and theories of change that were more granular, but our broader theory of change is rooted in the just transition framework that we work with the Climate Justice Alliance, and others facilitated Movement Generation, when we, when we talk about the just transition framework, we are moving from a society that is rooted in exploitation, domination, extraction, and enclosure of wealth and power militarism, as a vehicle to do it. And so moving from that, to what we consider is a living economy, versus an extractive economy, a living economy that's rooted in principles of caring, caring for the sacred cooperation. And really, kind of honoring the earth and honoring each other, as well as really rooting it all in deep democracy. And so, for us, that means that the work that we do, in terms of how we get there is around visioning, starting with a visioning, visioning of our communities and then helping with political education so that if a community has a certain vision, then thinking about how they get there is rooted in understanding how it fits in with this broader context. And then three is then working with the community to develop a strategy to advance change. And then four is then working with communities on developing an action plan based on that strategy and their understanding of the political education, but rooted in their vision, and then we accompany folks through achieving that action plan helping along the way with connecting them to formational, technical, financial resources and so forth. And and so our overarching work as a national program is, is is around, you know, all starts and ends with with that with our community vision. And then we also work on the types of policy changes that need to shift the system. And we also work on narrative shifts, because too often narrative dictates what's happening from the very beginning, in terms of this false narrative of scarcity that has pushed so much of this notion that there's an inverse relationship between my well being and your well being I can only be well if you're not well because there's only so much to go around and so that has pervaded so much of this decision making and actions that we see and even down to, you know, our kind of extremely divided political system it is so based on that people feeling threatened people feeling fear people feeling whether it's the immigration, or it's this notion of Black Lives Matter, kind of meaning that other lives don't. So...so all of this so, so yes, a narrative shift is a critical piece as well as the policy change. And again, all rooted in the vision of our communities.John Fiege  Yeah, awesome. Yeah. And you know, as you can imagine, you know, I'm super interested in narrative and environmental storytelling and how we're telling the stories that matter. And so that really caught my eye when you talked about controlling the narrative. Can you give maybe an example of like, what does controlling the narrative mean? What does that look like?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, I'll give an example on the, the problem up to till now in terms of some of the ways of the narrative has been controlled a wedge resulted in and then on the other side, so we have everything from, you know, at that end, again with African American folks, the ways that the narratives that have been advanced, whether it's the rise of the term super predator, or the ways that the black men have been considered to be an enemy or something to be feared, or someone to be feared, and though, and how that has led to in black folks in general, but definitely black men, and how that that led has led to profiling. And then that led to, to kind of this criminalization as well as police brutality and what has resulted in state sponsored violence. I talk about how, in the context of Hurricane Katrina, how there is this image that I show where it's two white couple, and they're in these floodwaters, and then there's African American, male in floodwaters and it's the same day. Associated Press is the outlet telling the story in both cases, but the caption with the two white people is, you know, "Two residents wade through chesty floodwaters after 'finding' bread and soda in the grocery store." With African American young man it says "A young man waves through testy floodwaters after looting a grocery store." And so that kind of characterization and a difference of it is exactly what leads to this racial profiling. And then leads to that criminalization and then to, for group of families on the Danziger bridge, where they were crossing in again, trying to find food, trying to find relatives, they were going back into New Orleans, and someone called the police on them and said that they wer e, you know, probably looking to loot and so they were unarmed and the police encountered them on the Danziger bridge and killed some of them as a result so that racial profiling that image of those two folks that you know, seemingly just an image in a newspaper but what it contributes to a narrative that certain people are up to no good and so we've seen how these days they're talking about living while black all the ways, I just myself I'm staying at an Airbnb in Florida and I went outside to, anyway there's some construction going on and so they left a package in the front that they're supposed to bring around to the back anyway, so I had to go under the construction tape to get the package and as I'm walking out I hear this voice go, May I help you? And it was this lady across the street who thought that I was stealing the package I mean, so and the irony was that I had met her like a couple days ago and had a conversation with her and she just didn't remember it. So but unfortunately but so the other day there was a whole another situation with another package and I walked around the neighborhood and I saw the packages, it had been delivered to another neighbor but I didn't want to kind of walk up and look at them for sure and didn't even want to knock on the door because, and so I called the person who owns the Airbnb and I'm like, do you know the lady who lives a couple doors down you know, and then there was a whole long two hour long process where she was trying to get Jonathan the real estate age all these different things you know, just so that I could get my my packages there on this door a couple of days back. So this is the kind of difference in life, you know that and reality but that's just you know, but that could have fatal effects or someone saw me skulking around it was they would have characterized it, and, you know, considered themselves to be defending their property, and people have the right to do that. And these, you know, again, with our system, this is what results and so, so all of this go on on the negative side of narrative, but and the importance of why, you know, and then when we talk about environment, this notion of 'job killing regulations' and, and again, that's based on scarcity assuming that like the only way that people will be able to work is that if they work at least jobs that also are fatal for other like people killing pollution, you know, the post job killing regulations and so we as communities are reframing to say it is possible for us to have all the jobs that we want, it is possible for us to have it in the context of clean air, clean water. And what we, what we do often is to do that by saying that it's already happening, here's where it's happening. And it's possible for us to take this to scale. John Fiege  Well, how much of that taking back the narrative is, I mean, there's, you know, your example of Hurricane Katrina and, and the AP captions on the photos, you know, that kind of ties into this, the myth of objective journalism, and kind of these outside folks who are building a narrative that you're trying to counter, but in some ways, I'm wondering how much you have to reformulate the narrative from within your own ranks. You know, I'm thinking about early on environmental justice movement. You know, there were some communities that were pushing back against some environmental regulations, because they were concerned that the jobs in these communities were going to be reduced or or go away. And, you know, even today, we're seeing, you know, pushback from unions around the shift to to electric vehicles, because it's there gonna be fewer jobs involved. So what is that? How do you navigate that of like, people who are on your side, are also buying into some of these narratives?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, I mean, it's kind of what I just said, is really helping people to see how how all of it is possible. So that's true for whoever's on whatever side is the importance of that. And so we have, for example, put together the Black Labor Initiative on Just Transition. And, and for that initiative, we work with folks who stand to be impacted by these job shifts, that will happen and we say, okay, we need to make sure that we're supporting you who is impacted, and that you're in the driver's seat. So it's not, that's not something that's happening to you, but you're saying, here's what's happening, you know, in terms of the the needs of the earth, in our communities, and here's how I'm going to be impacted. If I don't say, Alright, this is what I want, that's going to allow us to have clean air clean water, and allow me to have a livelihood at the standard that I need to support my family. And so then both kind of making sure that people are in the driver's seat, and we're not just trying to tell them that this is better, they're actually determining that for themselves, and we're supporting that, but then also, so they, they will also be the ones who are able to educate and inform their, their peers as well. So, that's definitely what's most important, working with working with people to be able to self actualize whatever enlightenment might come, and what the path is.John Fiege  So that that's what I hear you saying is that's, that's the key element of taking back the narrative and controlling the narrative is, is telling that story within your community and having that spread. Is that accurate?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, making sure that the community themselves kind of generate the story, like really being in dialogue with the community and have having that conversation, which are always always right, always kind of results in, in the truth versus, versus people kind of parroting what's been told to them. And so for us, it's all about an organic process. John Fiege  Ok. That's awesome. Great. So, in in 2013, you released a report, a report called "And the People Shall Lead" which which is a great title. And it has, it has a subtitle, "Centralizing Frontline Community Leadership, and the Movement Towards a Sustainable Planet." So the report addresses working with big national environmental groups or big greens as you call them here.  And you open the report this way: "How often do we hear frontline communities say, “We refuse to work with Big Green A until we hear an apology for past wrongs and a commitment to a fundamental change in how they operate” Or, “Why would I want to work with Big Green B? They will take the credit for the work I do!” Or, “I'll never work with Big Green C again. They have no respect for my culture.” At the same time, we often hear mainstream enviros speak with angst, “We want to work more with grassroots groups but we don't know how to engage them.” Or, “We reached out, and they didn't respond.” Or, “This plant is bad for this community but they just don't get it! We are trying to help them.” So that really cuts to the chase and shines a light on on the history of the kind of rocky relationship between white led and Black and brown led organizations when it comes to environmental justice. What has changed and what hasn't changed since 2013?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, thank you. Oh, that brings back memories. I haven't. Yeah, so what has changed is that those questions are less happening behind closed doors, particularly on the grassroots side. And also, what has also changed is that there have been formations that have been put together to deal directly with this issue, like the Building Equity and Alignment, no, Building Equity and Alignment for Impact one way, or like the B...Yep, that's exactly the B--Building Equity and Alignment for Impact, which is a combination of kind of these large green organizations, frontline grassroots groups, and philanthropy coming together to talk about to talk about these challenges, and how do we build more alignment recognizing that, yeah, that we know, we need it sorely. And so trying to work through some of those challenges that have been surfaced. But recognizing that, that, that the the power is in the collaboration and saying that we have to do this, we have to, we have to do this. And so that has changed, recognizing that and, and the formations to deal with it. And also certainly, what's also changed is the fact that philanthropy is supporting the need for that shift, and supporting the spaces to help to bridge those challenges. And that philanthropy is also recognizing that continuing to put, you know, millions upon millions of dollars and resources in the hands of only in the hands of big green organizations is actually exacerbating some of those dynamics and challenges. And there's a lot more of an effort to support frontline grassroots groups. So all of those things have changed, as well as the urgency of the climate clock, that it hasn't changed, but it's become much more well known. And, and therefore, as Martin Luther King says, "People are feeling the fierce urgency of now" in terms of the the nature of a critical this of kind of getting it together. So not to say that in some ways, all those things have shifted. And, and, and some and and the very same things are still being said at the same time. You know what I mean? John Fiege  RightJacqui Patterson  Yeah, so the problems persist, but at least there's an acknowledgement of them, which is the first step and some, some steps in the right direction. John Fiege  Right. It's a process. Always a process. Jacqui Patterson  Exactly Yes. John Fiege  So what does antiracism look like in the environmental movement? Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, in the environmental movement, it means that across the board and all the work that we do around the environment, we have to acknowledge and intersectionally address the impacts of racism. I famously talked about when I was doing a talk for a funder, a funder ask me to do a talk to a group of solar, like solar industry, folks. And when I gave my slides, the funder was like, "Yeah, we just want you to focus on solar, you know, and on energy. And so, so I, I said, so after kind of going back and forth with them, I was like, Alright, I'm not gonna use slides, and I'm renaming my talk. Black Lives Matter, Energy Democracy in the NAACP Civil Rights Agenda, and after I gave the talk like people, like it was kind of a well, it was an exponentially better received talk than if I had just I don't know what they what even just talking about this would mean in the context of, you know, the reality of life. But but but, but the folks in the industry really saw a new purpose and what they were seeing doing and political purpose and what they were doing, and they felt brought meaning to the work that they do. And so, so, so in some, it's first of all, kind of understanding that a) how how racism impacts how it impacts environment, environmental work and environment in the environment and b) understanding that, and that the very same systemic underpinnings that are driving climate change, are rooted in racism and so forth, and that we and if we don't kind of address these issues at their roots, we we won't be able to address climate change. And so that that's another piece that people need to understand. John Fiege  Can you talk about your work across the international borders and how it fits into what you're doing here in the US?Jacqui Patterson  Sure. Yeah. When we first went to actually one of the first things that I did, when I joined the NAACP, actually, I was already I was already going to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties in Copenhagen, before I joined the staff and so so I ended up going in kind of this hybrid role of kind of starting to join the end up starting to be a staff member of the NAACP and already planning to go as part of this project I'd started through Women of Color United looking at the intersection of gender and climate. And at that UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties will call it COP that I first encountered the Panafrican Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), and and I had been my work my work leading to working with NAACP had been International, that's the work that I do so I always had that international orientation and seeing how things are connected and so forth. But and in the context of connecting with the PACJA, done other international groups, we now have a memorandum of agreement with PACJA,. And being a part of the US Climate Action Network, which is part of the Global Climate Action Network, we we see the connections between US policies, domestic and quote unquote, foreign policy, and and everything from at those UN climate talks. Historically, no matter what administration the US has played an obstructive role always wanting to kind of commit as little as possible from an national standpoint, but then that also impacts the level of commitment across the board, if you have one group bringing it down, it kind of waters down  the the teeth and the aspirations and the ambition in the in the agreements. And so recognizing that we need to be there as us voters to hold  the delegation that's there to you and climate talks accountable for, for not weighing down because we can't like if we even if we all in the US stopped all of our emissions tomorrow, we're still in a globe. And if we're kind of weighing down the rest of the processes, then other people's a missions like yeah, we are 25% of the global emissions. So it would definitely have a significant impact. But we need to we need everybody to stop emitting in order for us to as a as a world to advance. And so the US has to be there making commitments on its own part, and it has to push for ambition with all the industrialized nations who are driving climate change for us all to be able to survive and thrive. So that's one thing. We in our connection with the Panfrican Climate Justice Alliance, we in our storytelling that we've done since then,we go there for those UN climate talks. We were in Nairobi for those conversations they've come here, and what's emerged as the story of our connections are like the same ways that countries in the Global South and BIPOC communities in the global north are least responsible for climate change. We all share... We all share the fact that we're at least responsible and we all share the fact that we're most impacted. And we all share the fact that we're the least politically powerful in terms of the decision making thats had, so we have our organizing as a bloc to say, you know, we, as global Afro descendant, leaders on environmental and climate justice, want to have a common agenda so that we are, we're pushing in concert and building power of as a global majority, in terms of BIPOC folks. And so with that, that means that we like even as I push for something here, or if our if our communities and movement here push for like stopping the burning of coal, then at the same time, we're pushing to stop global exports of coal. And at the same time, countries in Sub Saharan Africa are pushing to stop the global imports of coal. So we really we deal at all sides of that, that continuum. So those are just some...and then I'll just end with another example of kind of those connections as well. So as we talk about immigration policy, again, US being 4% of the population, but 25% of the emissions that drive climate change. But yet we have these punitive immigration policies so that when people are driven out of their nations because of disaster, or because their breadbasket has dried up as a result of our actions, on climate me on on emissions, but also our kind of imperialist actions, and the ways that the structural adjustment programs that others have made, have made those nations in, you know, uninhabitable, in some cases in some of the communities, then instead of kind of offering refuge in sanctuary, we're putting people in cages. And so while we work on better immigration policies to really so that not just, you know, so we're taking responsibility and being accountable for the actions that are driven people from their nations, but at the very least, but ideally, just because people need need they their need, and we and we have abundance, again, pushing back on that false narrative of scarcity. But then at the same time, we're also pushing for the types of policies that allow countries to be self sufficient, and able to address the impacts of climate change or avoid climate change in the first place. So through the US commitments to the UNFCCC and so forth, and that we're helping the to work with our kind of partners in the Global South, to be able to have nations where we where people don't have to kind of flee in order to survive. And I'll just end with a quote from, Warsan Shire, which is... Somali...a Kenyan, a Somali born Kenyan poet. Anyway, she says, "You have to understand that no one puts their children in a boat. Unless the water is safer than the land."John Fiege  Wow. That's a good punctuation mark. Yeah, it makes me think back to what you were saying earlier about whole systems and the absolutely importance and importance of thinking in terms of whole systems. So how is your work change since the killing of George Floyd and the blossoming of the movement for Black Lives?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, for one is gotten more, we've been just crushed by by demands that so that's one thing. And not only, the full the fulfilling the demands is kind of the least of it in terms of capacity, because we, for the most part, don't even get there. But uh, but just fielding all of their demands, as is so many and trying to filter out which ones are from people who are pushing or  are performative, because you know, they look good, which ones are people who are trying to do something because a funder is saying that they need to do this,John Fiege  What are folks asking of you?Jacqui Patterson  It's everything from just wanting to quote unquote, pick our brains. Like, "Here's what's going on in my company," like sometimes it's corporations sometimes is organizations. "Here's what's going on in my organization. Here's what I'm planning to do. Can you give them feedback on it?" That kind of thing. A lot of times is wanting people wanting us to come and speak, you know, just kind of help to educate folks. So that's another thing. Sometimes it's wanting us to recommend consultants, which is another thing. Giving feedback on on documents. And sometimes it seems like it's just so people want to be able to say that they talk to us, so it's just kind of wanting to have a conversation. Um, and then a lot of people wanting us to join, whether it's advisory groups or boards or steering committees or all these other things, because so various, various things.John Fiege  A lot of things that are asking for a lot of time. Jacqui Patterson  Yes, definitely. So there's that. On the other side, though. Some, some, some groups have come and they've said, Oh, now what you said, we see what you were saying all these years ago, and are kind of pulling, you know, dusting off some memo that I may have written way back way back when say, and actually taking it seriously now. So that's been interesting. And so that, so so on a positive side, there are there are organizations, companies and so forth that are making concrete commitments as a result of what has come. Yes. And so some folks are going beyond the statements and shifted their funding priorities shifting the way that they do the work integrating, at least a more anti racist frame into the work that they do. So that kind of enlightenment and action has definitely moved the ball in an important way. For sure.John Fiege  So social movements often focus on what's wrong and what needs to change. But sometimes, they don't spend enough time imagining what could be, and getting people excited about those dreams of alternative possibilities. I've heard you talk about creating eco communities and locally controlled sustainable food and energy systems, with the potential for communities to become the owners and beneficiaries of local distributed generation and micro grid energy systems. I personally really love this kind of thinking, can you talk about some of these specific regenerative, self reliant eco-community ideas? And in how you think about what might be called utopian visions?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, definitely. So first, as I was talking about before, in terms of the type of societal shifts that we need, we know that the way each and every one of the systems around the commons are designed have been problematic, and not delivering universally what's needed. And, at best, and then at worst, actually causing harm in the generation and the delivery of, of whatever the good is. So we talk about our energy systems, we're saying we need to shift to, to more energy efficiency, to clean energy. And we need to have a distributed system of doing so we know that not only you know, whether we've we've already talked about extensively in terms of the pollution and so forth, but the energy sector, but the other thing that's important to note is the is the the energy companies in the millions...the billions of dollars in profits that they've made and how they've, they've invested that in, and not only anti-regulatory lobbying, and anti clean energy lobbying, but also invested in groups like ALEC, that push on voter suppression, water privatization, school privatization, prison privatization, etc. And so for us, when we talk about the alternative, it is about making sure that there's affordable and accessible energy for all and it's about making sure that that becomes the focus of the energy sector, versus the focus now which is on, again enclosure of wealth and power to the tune of billions of dollars. And so that's why we feel like the whole sector needs to shift. And so that's just a little bit of background there. And so we we've been able to lift up the stories where people are developing, whether it's micro grids, or even larger grids in for example, on Navajo Nation. They're replacing the Navajo Generating Station, which was one of the largest, most polluting coal fired power plants in the country, and now they have a Navajo Nation owned a solar farm. That is creating energy in a way that don't pollute, and it is owned and operated by the Navajo Nation. John Fiege  That's awesome. Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, that's awesome. John Fiege  One thing that's exciting to me about the green new deal and similar ideas that came before it is, is the possibility for labor and sustainability to be on the same side for issues rather than constantly to be pitted against one another. What are your thoughts about how labor and justice and environment can can build solidarity as as we move into this new era?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah, so we put together this Black Labor Initiative on Just Transition for that very reason. So that we are all talking together at the same table with a common agenda, we were speaking at the coalition of Black Trade Union this meeting a couple of years ago. And when someone asked us about the Cold Blooded Report, and we spoke on that, then someone raised their hand in the audience, and they were like, "Well, we're from the United Mine Workers of America. And we kind of take exception to this Cold Blooded framing." And so we really had a chat about that. And understood where they were coming from, and really kind of talk about how we had reached out to them, we put together the Black Labor Initiative on Just Transition a couple of years before. And we would love if they consider coming back to the table there. And so they they did, and we really had a great conversation that resulted in...I was going literally from that meeting, to a meeting of the 100% Building Blocks, which is being put together by this 100% Renewable Network. And so as one of the authors of the Building Blocks, I really pushed hard for us to have a building block that's dedicated  to labor. And it was out of that conversation that I said, we need to have, like, right alongside the renewable portfolio standards and the energy efficiency standards we need to have in just right in tandem demands for high road jobs, for pensions, and for health care for transitioning workers. Like that can be like an afterthought, and "Oh, we need to do this too." It's not like, it's like, these are the things we need to do not like we need to do this too, because that automatically is like, but no, like we like these are the things we need to do. No caveat, no qualifier. Just like these are the things; renewable portfolio, standard energy, local higher provision, disadvantaged business, enterprise division, health, you know, health care, pensions and high road jobs for transitioning workers are inextricably tied prerequisites for this transition.John Fiege  Yeah, and that goes back to what you talked about before of rooting, the work in the dialogue with with multiple groups, multiple people, multiple stakeholders, and finding truth through that negotiation discussion, rather than imposing it in some theoretical way on top of other people.  So when the internet started to roll out in the 1990s, and 2000s, there was this, what was called the digital divide. Well, you know, wealthier, whiter, more urban communities got access to computers and the Internet, poorer communities, more rural communities, communities of color, were often not at the negotiating table and left out of the digital revolution. Some people are concerned that the rapid shift to green energy could cause a similar divide. Maybe you know, you could maybe call it a "green divide." What's your view on, on how this concern is playing out? And what do you see as the key elements to understanding what's going on and what to do about it?Jacqui Patterson  Yeah. So before what I was talking about one of the groups wiping off the dust off of a memo I had written some years ago, it was on that very thing, basically saying that, you know, how we need to have leadership of frontline groups in the new energy economy. And again, similar to what I was just saying about Black labor and labor in general, that it can't be an afterthought, like you can't continue to focus as a sole industry on quote-unquote, the low hanging fruit or this false notion that "a rising tide lifts all boats." And so that's all to say that, uh, that we need to make sure that we're working with with, with the, with the policies to make sure that we have clean energy in terms of universal access, we have to make sure that we're working with communities to make sure that they understand what the routes are to be able to access, we have to work with these regulatory agencies, whether it's for FERC, or, or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or the PCs and the PSCs, to make sure that they are, that they're holding these utilities accountable for practices that are pushing us to where we need to go as a society towards clean and efficient energy. So all of that needs to happen in concert to make sure that we don't have those kinds of separations, in terms of who acts who's accessing it, who's paying the price. John Fiege  That your narrative doesn't get co opted by people with a furious intention for using that narrative. That's exactly ridiculous. Yeah. Well, going back to young Jackie, growing up in the south side of Chicago, how has your thinking changed since then, about who you are, and about your relationship to the rest of life on the planet?Jacqui Patterson  Hmm. One is, I see that...for one thing I now understand in a way that I now understand the relationship between whether I turn the light switch on, you know, this, this relationship to this larger world, like this, literally the implications of turning my life switch on and were, like, tracing that back to its roots, and then tracing it out to its impacts. Similarly to, if I "throw something away"  knowing know where that will go and what its impacts will be like. So now just from being that innocent child who, who didn't, who didn't have a sense of that larger world, now I see all of that. And see like my, my, the importance of my individual actions, but then the importance of my actions as a part of a collective, and the and the possibilities of a change as a change agent, and shifting from a person who kind of life happened to me, to someone who is actually able to influence what's happening in in the world in a different way. So that's a major shift. Also, just like the innocence of childhood, I was were aware of racism fairly early on, because it was a constant refrain with my mom, and so forth. My brother, a

An update on the settlement for the Porter Ranch gas leak with Matt Packuko from Save Porter Ranch. The FBI says that murder numbers are up 30% in major cities in 2020 nationwide. One of Trump's former press secretaries has a new book. Nicholas Cage got kicked out of a Vegas restaurant.

Pres. Biden got his COVID-19 Pfizer booster shot. There has been vaccine resistance from both the LAFD and the LAPD. There's been a major development in the Porter Ranch gas leak case. Police shot & killed someone at the US Surf Open over the weekend.

Here's your morning news: $1.8B settlement in 2015 Porter Ranch methane leak; Newsom signs law making mail in voting universal and permanent; California versus Texas in the quality of life debate. Support the show: https://support.laist.com/laistnav

What's happening today: Protestors in Porter Ranch call for the shutdown of natural gas storage site; Jaime Jarrín, legendary Dodgers broadcaster, will retire in 2022; Workers and public health experts ask Gov. Newsom to extend COVID sick leave benefits; Two outdoor dining bills on Gov. Newsom's desk. Support the show: https://support.laist.com/laistnav

What's happening today: Congresswoman Karen Bass enters race for L.A. mayor; Attorneys for Porter Ranch families who fled from methane leak say they've reached a $1.8 billion settlement; Two biggest Hollywood talent agencies announce merger; How much longer will COVID be with us? Support the show: https://support.laist.com/laistnav

Orchids are beautiful plants to bring into your home! I recently visited an orchid farm (Gubler Orchid Farm in Landers, CA), and purchased a few new orchids. This inspired me to dive deep into orchid care, and I'm sharing what I learned with you in this episode. I share general information about orchids, best practices for caring for your orchid, and orchid warning signs for potential issues. Orchid Resources I recommend in the episode are: 1. American Orchid Society's Identify Your Orchid Website: : http://www.aos.org 2. Find your local Orchid Society or Botanical Gardens offering Orchid classes and shows 3. Find your nearest Orchid Farm like Gubler Orchid Farm. They host events and special sales throughout the year, and they sell their own orchid potting mix and fertilizer. 4. Use apps like iNaturalist, PictureThis and Google Lens to ID your orchid. I end the episode with a Meditation Moment featuring nature sounds recorded at the creek in Limekiln Canyon in Porter Ranch, CA. It is a special park in a shaded canyon with little frogs and tadpole seasonally. Enjoy!

歡迎通勤家族週一晚上9pm，在Clubhouse上跟我與Peddy一同閒聊、練習英語！快加入 15Mins 通勤學英語直播室吧~   每日英語跟讀 Ep.K201: About Animals - Bear cub strolls aisles at Southern California   Shoppers were startled last weekend to see a bear cub browsing the offerings at a Los Angeles supermarket. 洛杉磯一間超市的購物者上週末驚見一隻小熊在瀏覽產品。 Video aired by CBS 2 shows the small bear strolling the aisles on Saturday at the Ralphs store in the Porter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley. 哥倫比亞廣播公司2台放送的影片顯示，這隻小熊週六在聖費爾南多谷波特牧場地區的「勞爾夫」商店走道漫步。 After sniffing around inside, the bear eventually walked out the front doors. 在裡頭到處聞聞以後，這隻熊最後從前門走了出去。 The California Department of Fish and Wildlife found the 120-pound animal hiding under a trailer at a construction site behind a nearby Walmart. 加州漁業和野生動物局發現這隻120磅的動物躲在附近一間「沃爾瑪」商店後面一處建築工地的拖車底下。 The bear was tranquilized and released into the Angeles National Forest, the department said. 該局說，這隻熊被麻醉後在洛杉磯國家森林裡釋放。   Next Article   Elephants in India enjoy fruit feast ahead of World Elephant Day 印度大象在「世界大象日」前享用水果大餐 After an evening walk under overcast skies with rains not far away, elephants rescued from circuses and temples in India are treated to a feast of their favorite fruits and vegetables to celebrate World Elephant Day, which falls on Aug. 12. 在某一個烏雲密布、雨勢逼近的晚上步行之後，從馬戲團和寺廟中獲救的印度大象，被請吃一頓牠們最愛的蔬果大餐，慶祝8月12日的「世界大象日」。 A lavish spread of watermelons, bananas, papayas and pumpkins is laid out for the Asian elephants at a sanctuary near the banks of the Yamuna River. 大量的西瓜、香蕉、木瓜和南瓜被放置在這些亞洲象面前，地點位於靠近亞穆納河河堤的一處庇護所。 Most of the 28 elephants at the center suffer from chronic illness and various ailments ranging from abscesses, cataracts, blindness and joint pain, the result of years of abuse in captivity. 該庇護所的28頭大象中，大部分都有慢性疾病和各種病痛，包括膿瘡、白內障、失明和關節疼痛，那是長年被囚禁的後果。 The number of wild Asiatic elephants, primarily found in India and parts of South and Southeast Asia, has fallen to under 50,000, just 15% of its historic average, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. 根據世界自然基金會，主要生活在印度、部分南亞和東南亞地區的亞洲象，數量已降至5萬頭以下，僅歷史平均數量的15％。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1466710; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1467645

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We'd love to see you at Shepherd Church for their amazing fireworks show. Last year, we didn't have any firework shows due to COVID-19. Over the last month, a lot of the traditional firework shows around L.A. have been scheduled at places like the Hollywood Bowl, the Rose Bowl, and Disneyland. Our pick for the best spot to check out 4th of July fireworks in the SFV this year is Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch. For all the details about the event, check out this link. To hear my full message, watch this short video.

Hey everyone, Today we are actually going on a walk! We haven't done this since our 2nd episode, but today was a nice day out and we figured it was time to take it back to the roots. So we walked to the store and talk about what we are looking forward to in the summer, how growing up feels, the change in social media due to TikTok & Covid, and our thoughts on Linkedin as a "professional" social media platform. Summer officially starts on June 20th, which is next Sunday! We are excited but also dreading the extreme heat that we have to deal with here in California. Maybe we will hit up the beach sometime. We also reflected on how we used to look forward to summer in our youth, and how that is changed now that we are adults. Then we really wanted to know if short-form content (less than 1 minute) is here to stay. The beginning of Covid marked the era of TikTok. It was already on an upward trajectory, but the lockdown accelerated its growth. Now more than ever, people were stuck at home consuming massive amounts of content, the easiest being TikToks. This also lowered the barrier to entry, which means there were more creators and consumers to enjoy the content. IS this just a moment or are micro contents here to stay? Lastly, Linkedin has completely changed our professional lives. It is a powerful networking platform, and it also allows you to showcase your skills and services. It is like a free landing page that allows you to be found, connect with others, and establish authority. You can see us walking the streets of Porter Ranch in Sunny California, we hope you enjoy & We will see you in the next one :) Recorded on a GoPro Hero 7, and Rode Micro Go.

Here's what it means to be a buyer in today's market. As you most likely know, right now we have one of the most competitive real estate markets in U.S. history—definitely the lowest inventory we've ever seen. If you're a buyer, what does this mean for you? It means you have to be a lot more competitive and aggressive. We're seeing a lot of buyers remove all of their contingencies (loan, inspection, appraisal, etc.) just to make sure their offers are competitive, in addition to where they need to be price-wise and down payment-wise. For example, we just wrote an offer for a client on a Porter Ranch home that was $100,000 over the list price. We removed the inspection contingency from the offer, but the seller ended up accepting an offer that removed all contingencies. Additionally, the buyer made their initial deposit non-refundable. If they backed out, they would've lost that money. “The buyers who are being very aggressive are the ones who are getting their offers accepted.” That's the type of aggressiveness we're seeing from buyers because inventory is so low and competition is so high (even in higher price points). It's not uncommon for a lot of listings to have 60 to 125 showings and snag anywhere from 10 to 20 offers over just two days. Knowing this, the buyers who are being very aggressive are the ones who are getting their offers accepted.  If you want to make an offer on a home with a traditional 21-day loan contingency, 17-day appraisal contingency, and/or 17-day inspection contingency, your offer won't be accepted. A lot of buyers are surprised by the fact that it's not just the down payment and price that matter in an offer; the terms and conditions matter too. Because of the type of market we're in, sellers can dictate these things as well.  What about sellers? In the video above, I'm standing in front of a Northridge townhouse that one of our clients was able to sell through our database because the client didn't want a lot of people walking through her property. We were able to find her a buyer and close for top dollar. If you're a seller looking to do the same thing, give me a call. There's an 80% chance my team and I know somebody in our database who'd be willing to buy your house.  If you have any questions about the buying or selling process or the market in general, feel free to reach out to me as well. I'd love to hear from you.

We are facing a massive inventory crisis in our San Fernando Valley market! At the end of 2020, it was announced that we had the lowest number of homes available for sale ever recorded in the national market. The same story played out here in our San Fernando Valley market. To have a balanced market where appreciation can progress naturally, you need to be working with about six months of inventory. At year's end, we were hovering between a one- and 1.5-month supply of inventory, which is insanely tight. Now, it's gotten even worse; we're trying to get by with just 0.5 months of inventory—aka two weeks! Throughout the entire San Fernando Valley, we have less than 1,000 homes for sale.  In Granada Hills, our most recent snapshot showed just 16 properties for sale out of almost 14,000 single-family units. In Porter Ranch, it's not much better; we have 28 homes for sale right now, as opposed to the 40 we logged toward the middle of last year. Again, keep in mind that there are roughly 13,000 single-family units total in Porter Ranch. Now that you know the numbers we're working with, you have a better sense of what we mean when we say it's worse than we thought. “It's clear that the demand is massive; what we need right now is more homes to sell.” Many of our clients thought the market would change post-election and at the start of a new year, but that's hardly been the case. Instead of seeing a curb in demand, we've noted more buyers jumping into the market to take advantage of low interest rates. Bidding wars are erupting all over the place, and our listings are no exception. The home you can see behind me in the video garnered over 120 showings and 22 offers before heading into escrow for $100,000 above its original list price. It's clear that the demand is massive; what we need right now is more homes to sell.  Now, you may be thinking, “Scott, I'd love to sell my house and move up, but it seems like things are impossible on the buying side.” While there's no denying the difficulties of this market, the good news is that the strategies we're implementing for our buyers have seen success. We're helping buyers win out even with contingent offers.  If you want to sell your property and buy a better home in the San Fernando Valley, please reach out to us. The first step would be to take advantage of our free home valuation tool, then give us a call so we can go over some of the strategies we're using to get deals done in today's market. By learning about your specific buying or selling needs, we can craft a plan that helps you cut through the craziness and get some peace of mind.

Haig's Kabob House presents HYE JAMS RADIO with Paisan Kapitan and Kristina coming to you from an exclusive home in Porter Ranch, California.In this Episode, Kristina teaches Paisan the meaning of Tash Tush and even shows him a few dance moves--or was it Paisan showing Kristina moves??? Check it out and enjoy!

Here's why a winter home sale makes so much sense this year. Despite COVID, the winter months are a perfect time for you to sell your home. As we begin the holiday season, it makes even more sense for you to sell your home now rather than waiting until spring.  Throughout 2020, COVID has created a sense of urgency with buyers to purchase homes while interest rates are low. With inventory also low, home prices are up because supply can't keep up with demand.  The numbers over the last 35 to 40 days suggest that buyer demand remains very strong. ShowingTime's data demonstrates that showings are up 62% from December 2019 to December 2020. We've been seeing a similar trend here, particularly in the Thanksgiving numbers. Our market is still really strong for home sellers even during this time of year. “Home prices are up because supply can't keep up with demand.” At the time of writing, there is less than a one-month supply of homes in the San Fernando Valley, just 28 homes for sale in Porter Ranch, and 37 in Granada Hills. Even though we're in the holiday months, focused buyers want to get into a new place now and you can take advantage of that demand by listing.  Waiting until spring means waiting for more competition. When you take a look at what's transpiring right now, the activity suggests that we might not see a market like this in the future.  If you have any questions for me about the market or real estate in general, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Five years ago, an old well casing broke at the SoCalGas-owned Aliso Canyon gas storage facility near Porter Ranch, Los Angeles. Some 100,000 metric tons of methane unfurled into the air. It became the largest gas leak in American history. Many residents believe it led to long-term health effects such as chronic coughs and even cancer. They have unexpectedly become environmentalists, and they want the Aliso Canyon gas facility shut down.

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                                                            What are the three mistakes that you need to avoid if you're buying a home in Porter Ranch? When it comes to buying a home in Porter Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, there are three key mistakes you need to avoid: 1. Failing to consider the commute time. Obviously, COVID has altered commute times here in Los Angeles, but now that things are starting to creep back toward normality, many people are back out on the roads, which increases transit times. When you're looking to buy a home, you need to factor in how long it will take you to get to and from work, as well as any factors that could increase or decrease that time. You can go on Google Maps and plot out your routes beforehand just to make sure the travel is feasible for you. “You need to be pre-approved before you go out to look at homes.” 2. Worrying about getting a great deal. We all want our clients to get a great deal, but being fixated on a great deal isn't the right approach. You need to focus on the fact that the home you're buying is where you're going to live and raise your kids for a long time. The neighborhood you're looking in is going to determine what type of lifestyle you'll be able to lead.  3. Putting the cart before the horse. By that, I mean we often see a lot of buyers who want to go out and look at properties before they've actually been pre-approved. If you fall in love with a $750,000 house but then find out you're only pre-approved for $600,000, you'll be very disappointed. We've also had clients who were looking at a $700,000 home when it turns out they were pre-approved for up to $900,000, meaning they could have been looking at a lot more options. If you have questions about buying a home or anything else to do with real estate, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We'd love to help you.

Zillow doesn't know these three things about home values in Porter Ranch. Like so many real estate portals on the internet, Zillow provides an estimate of a home's value called a Zestimate. However, there are many things that Zillow does not or cannot take into account when it comes to the value of your home: 1. Market conditions. Since it operates based on an algorithm, Zillow's Zestimate doesn't truly take into account what's going on in the marketplace. We're currently in a very strong seller's market, and what the closed escrows are actually closing for doesn't reflect what's happening in the market. Closed escrows reflect conditions anywhere from 45 to 70 days prior. Right now, you need to focus on active listings, pendings, and under-contracts, which are the numbers that will give you a better idea of what's happening. “It's so important to have a real estate professional by your side.” 2. Tax records. Zillow's algorithms are based on public information, which is often incorrect. In the tax records, your home may show up as a 3-bedroom, even if you have a 4-bedroom house. Easements and permanent additions also might not show up in the public record.  3. Renovations. Zillow doesn't know whether the roof you have on your home is on its last leg, if you've just installed a brand-new HVAC system, if you've remodeled your kitchen, or if you have an original home from 1955 where nothing has been changed except the garbage disposal. If you've done a lot of upgrades to your home, there's a good chance that Zillow isn't going to give you a very accurate estimate. This is why it's so important to have a real estate professional by your side. If you want to know the true value of your home or have any other real estate questions, feel free to reach out to us.

Welcome to Episode 147 with guest Annie Cho, A Democratic candidate to represent the 38th District in the California Assembly. Annie Cho is a resident of Porter Ranch. She immigrated to the United States from South Korea at the beginning of the 1970's when she was in the 5th grade. She attended California State University, Los Angeles while working two jobs eventually obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. She has had a successful career in communication work as well as a second career in real restate. Annie is a community advocate and has been involved in local community and grassroots organizations for some time. Now, she has decided to run to be a representative in the California Assembly. I found Annie to be extremely smart, sometimes almost thinking too much when I would ask her a question on policy. Still, being thoughtful about policy decisions can be a good thing. We talked about her plans to help the 38th district, what her goals as an Assemblymember would be, and being an immigrant as a kid. But what I really found striking about Annie was her confidence in the election. She was eager to commit to doing another podcast after the Primary. I distinctly said, "if you get through the primary" and she was quick to correct me by saying "When I win the primary" That type of confidence is something any good leader should have. Click on the link below to view a video version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juy4z7G3eYs

Here's my review of California's favorite Gus's BBQ and their amazing menu staples. The recently opened Porter Ranch location of Gus's BBQ is a prime cut above the competition. I had the pleasure of chowing down on an entree of brisket, pulled pork, and fried chicken, complemented by fresh greens and creamy mac n' cheese. It was a must-have dining experience that I recommend to everyone! Here are some helpful things that potential patrons should know before visiting Gus's:  Happy hour is Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Monday's weekly special: an oversized, smoked, bone-in beef rib with two sides, only $27.95  Tuesday's weekly special: specialty burger with fries and an old-fashioned  Since I have a soon-to-be 4-year-old, I know the parental pain of ordering a full meal for your child only to have them not eat it. Thankfully, at Gus's, they have a plethora of options for kiddos. One of my favorites is the grilled cheese plus a side of fruit and french fries for just $5.95! You can't even get that much at a fast-food restaurant for that price.  There are also many great beers on tap, and their wine and spirits selection is top-notch. “Happy hour is Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.” One of the most impressive things about Gus's BBQ is that all of their meats are very juicy. The fried chicken just melts in your mouth, and the blend of seasonings on it strikes a rare balance of flavor.  No knife is necessary to cut through the tender brisket. There's also no such thing as a thinly sliced piece of brisket at this restaurant. On the side, the greens were cooked perfectly and seasoned well, while the mac n' cheese was not too heavy.  Here's a little bit about how Gus's approaches the art of Southern barbecue—and boy, will it leave your mouth watering:  “All of our meats are seasoned overnight and smoked low and slow over whole pecan logs for up to 16 hours. Our rubs and sauces are made from scratch daily, and when it comes to inspiration, we look toward the simplicity of a true Southern kitchen and let the food speak for itself.” Make sure you stop by Gus's BBQ in the vineyards and Porter Ranch. When you're not busy savoring some Southern-style delights and want answers to your real estate questions, feel free to reach out to me by phone or email. I'm always happy to help.

Brandii Grace is a resident of Porter Ranch. She is married and is the mother of a small child. Born in Long Beach, Brandii grew up in extreme poverty living with her grandmother sometimes even experiencing homelessness. But Brandii worked hard for her family, eventually managing to graduate from Western Washington University. She has since had a successful career in computer programming. Brandii has designed video games and now teaches the methods to do so. She is also one of the few women in the world to create and sell a tech startup in the video game industry. Brandii has been active in politics for most of her life beginning as a child and is currently a member of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council. Now, she is running for the California Assembly. This has presented quite a few challenges for anyone who has entered the race. Until the Katie Hill controversy, it looked like Democrat Christy Smith was going to easily keep the seat for at least another two years. But now that Christy has chosen to run for Congress, several candidates have emerged to run for the seat. All of faced the same problems. They have found themselves running for a seat which wasn't expected to have a need to be filled. So the race has happened quickly, surprisingly and with only a small window to raise funds before the jungle primary. I met with Brandii the last week of January. I found her to be extremely knowledgeable of the issues we discussed and extremely interesting as a person. It's not often that you see someone rise from homelessness to the level of success which she has achieved. She was also just a lot of fun to talk to. Let's face it, she programs video games, so yes, Geek Alert! We also discussed everything from Star Trek to Pokemon and people, you have to listen to the whole podcast if for any other reason to hear her do the Pokemon Team Rocket rap in Japanese. Click on the link below to watch a video of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B9p-ust4HE

Episode three!!! We dive into the controversy that is Sesame Street! Our weeks were busy and entertaining, or at least they were to us!

Evacuation orders for the Saddleridge fire have been lifted. How are Porter Ranch residents getting back to their lives, after the fire burned some 8000 acres and destroyed dozens of homes?

Looking for the best place to take your trick or treaters this coming Halloween? Allow me to share my top pick. Fall has arrived and Halloween is just around the corner. As such, many of you are probably on the hunt for some great local “haunts” to take your little ones trick or treating. Well, here in the North Valley, you'll find fewer better places to enjoy Halloween night than the neighborhood between San Fernando Mission and Tribune right here in Porter Ranch. The decorations are truly a sight to behold, and the homeowners there are eager to make every Halloween an experience to remember.  If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Everything you need to know about the fires... Gary and Shannon speak with reporters out in Porter Ranch, Riverside County, and Sylmar about the fires burning and how to stay safe/what to do moving forward. KFI's Monica Rix also reports live from shelters filled to capacity during the Saddleridge fire... And more!

If you don't have plans this Fourth of July, I have a family-friendly celebration you might be interested in. If you're looking for something fun to do with your family this Fourth of July, the Shepherd (of the Hills) Church here in Porter Ranch is holding their 21st annual 4th of July Spectacular, and I'm inviting you to come on down and join the festivities.  Their 21-minute fireworks finale after sundown is the main event, but there are plenty of fun activities taking place beforehand that both kids and adults can enjoy, including: Face painting Sprinkler zones  A youth cadet parade from the LAPD and the LAFD A flyover conducted by vintage World War II aircrafts The gates open at 4:30 p.m., and some of the city's favorite food vendors will be waiting for you, but you're welcome to bring your own cooler of food and drinks if you so desire. Just keep in mind that all bags and containers will be inspected before entry.  To learn more about the 4th of July Spectacular, click on this link. If you don't live close by and you don't want to worry about parking, it might be a good idea to use Uber or Lyft, or else park near the premises and walk the rest of the way there. “Their 21-minute fireworks finale after sundown is the main event, but there are plenty of fun activities taking place beforehand that both kids and adults can enjoy.” If you want to know about some other great locations to watch fireworks in Southern California this Fourth of July, check out this link.  No matter where you go, we want to wish you a happy and safe Independence Day! If you have any questions about this event, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd be happy to help you.

The Vineyards Shopping Center is nearly complete. Here's a quick update on what's going on and what you can expect in the coming months. Today I'm coming to you from the Vineyards Shopping Center at Porter Ranch. I'm standing in front of Nordstrom Rack, the first store to open here in the area. The next big opening is going to be Whole Foods, which is relocating from a 27,000 sq ft. building to a 44,000 sq ft. right here at the Vineyards Shopping Center on May 22. You can learn more about the grand opening, which will feature music, free samples, and more, here. The next two to open up are going to be Pete's Coffee and Ulta Beauty, which are both set to open in the next one to two weeks. Three more restaurant tenants have already signed on to come here: Kava Grill, Lure Fish House, and Gus's BBQ. A lot of other tenants are in the final stages of signing their leases here at the Vineyards, but we can't announce them at the moment. Expect those announcements in the next few weeks as the shopping center is finished. “Whole Foods is opening on May 22!” A lot of you have asked me about the AMC theater that was scheduled to open around the 4th of July with 900 seats, a bar, and more. Unfortunately, due to the torrential rains we've seen this spring, it will probably push the opening date back a few weeks or a month until later in the summer. They have to wait for the ground to dry out to finish construction.  The Hampton Hotel is scheduled to open in 2020 with 100 rooms, and Kaiser Permanente's building is opening up later this year as well. That's the latest news and notes for the Vineyards here in Porter Ranch. You can stay fully up to date with what's going on at their website here. If you have any questions for me in the meantime about the Vineyards or about real estate in general, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

It's almost time for our second annual Doggy Photo Day, and you're invited to join us. Our second annual Doggy Photo Day is coming up on April 6 at Porter Ranch in Viking Park, and you are cordially invited.  From 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., we'll have a professional photographer on hand to take photos of you and your family pet. We'll even provide costumes so every pet looks sharp.  “The proceeds of every sale will be donated to an animal rescue organization.” If you plan on attending, you can register online at www.doggyphotoday.com. We'll also be raffling off prizes, including a gift basket from Nectar of the Dogs winery, a local winery that donates a portion of their proceeds to local pet charities, a $50 gift card from Petitude, which is a local pet store, and a $50 gift card to Best Buy.  The proceeds of every sale will be donated to an animal rescue organization. We hope to see you there! In the meantime, if you have any questions about this event, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'd be happy to speak with you.

KCSN news anchor Manny Luissi covers the afternoon's top stories, including the shooting death of three men in Porter Ranch, the death of Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld, and the death of Dodgers legend Don Newcombe.

Do you have questions about the bible, marriage, prayer…you can contact me at BibleMomming.com/contact or Paula@BibleMomming.com. I would love to hear your questions. Then, I’ll be answering them at one of our monthly Bible Momming Chats. They are the first Friday of the month. You can get all the details by joining the Facebook Bible Momming group or the Bible Momming newsletter. This week, I’m talking with singer-songwriter Mandi Pinto. She’s a mom of two beautiful daughters and an extraordinary worship leader. We will be talking about her newest album Hold My Everything as well as what was going on with her family while she created and released it. Mandie heard the call to minister through music and set out to sing at churches throughout the United States. God has given her the blessed privilege of leading and/or performing at churches and other venues all over the United States. Mandie has independently recorded and released eight solo albums in the last 26 years. Mandie is an accomplished songwriter, with several of her songs winning notable awards in the Billboard Song Contest and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Mandie has recorded for Nintendo, NAMCO, Toyota, Disney and the theme song to Miss Spider on Nickelodeon, as well as many children albums. She attends and serves as a Worship Leader at Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, CA. When not serving at Shepherd Church, Mandie leads worship and/or performs at churches and conference centers weekly across the country. In the midst of prepping and releasing her latest project, her daughter Bridget was diagnosed with brain cancer. You will want to stick around and hear Mandie’s story which is so amazing that I had to give it two episodes. If you have ever wondered where God is when suffering happens, this episode isn’t to be missed. I talk with Mandie about her favorite music ministry experiences and what it’s like to be an independent artist who creates and funds her own albums. She also candidly shares what it was like to discover that her daughter had brain cancer while also creating a worship-filled album. For more info on Mandie go to MandiePinto.com Get her album, Hold My Everything. She mentioned a helpful tool to connect with people who prayed for Bridget called, The Caring Bridge. 

It's been the subject of comedians, the famed cartoon "The Simpsons" and so much more. We're talking the DMV - some would argue not exactly the happiest place on earth...but we are going to tackle the long lines, the REAL - ID mandates and go In Depth on it all.  And the special election results in Ohio...what's the takeaway lesson here...we'll take a look at our political crystal ball.. And, why can't the Wasps in England sober up? Later in the show, the Aliso gas leak that effected Porter Ranch...SoCal Gas reaches a settlement in the millions but is it enough for the victims? We go indepth.  Plus, Elon Musk's Tesla Tweet -- he wants to take his company from public to private...why the sudden change? And....all those cute dogs, cats and critters at the L-A animal shelters need homes. Why are the numbers maxing out? We'll tell you about the "puuuurfect incentives" shelters are offering to find homes. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What safety measures do you have in place? As clinicians, we may not think about personal safety as a concern, and we certainly hope it’s never an issue, but we should be proactive and prepared. We’ve never had safety issues as a podcast topic before, but there have been many conversations about this in the STC Facebook Community. Adriana Alejandre is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Porter Ranch, CA. She has learned some practical things related to safety, so she’s here to share about screening clients and staying present around safety concerns. She has also had conversations with law enforcement officials and gotten some great tips about using apps and technology to help with this very important topic. Join us! www.sellingthecouch.com/session162

If you are planning on doing a home inspection before you list your home, you should know that it may not be worth the time and money. One of my recent home sellers asked about getting a pre-listing home inspection before they put their home on the market. Is it a good idea? The answer is: not necessarily. Even if you order an inspection of your own, a buyer will also have one after the home is listed. This will cost another $500 to $1,200 depending on the inspections that they complete. When buyers hire their own inspector, they want to get their money's worth, so be assured that they will find many other problems with the home. No two humans are going to find the same exact issues. While you think that you will be prepared by getting a pre-listing inspection, you could still be facing many other issues that you have no idea about. Ultimately, the decision to get a pre-listing inspection is up to you. If you are the type of person who prefers to have a little peace of mind that is afforded to you by a pre-inspection, then, by all means, get one. You may find some issues you were unaware your home had. If you are the kind of person who really wants perfection, though, then there is no such thing. A buyer is still going to inspect the home on their own with their own inspector and find their own set of issues. “No two humans are going to find the same exact issues in a home.” If you do choose to inspect your home and you find something which you choose to not take care of, you will be obligated to disclose those issues in a disclosure. At the end of the day, you may make the situation worse because the buyer was not investigating that part of the house. You may end up disclosing everything which came up in the home inspection that you already paid for. In most cases, you are better off leaving the inspection to the buyer. This is what their due diligence period is for. In the meantime, you can work with a professional such as myself to make sure your home is prepared to sell. If you have any additional questions about this topic or are interested in buying or selling a home in Porter Ranch, please feel free to contact me. I would be happy to speak with you.

DIRTY BOMB, set against the Battle of the Bulge, depicts the true story of how Jewish concentration camp inmates sabotaged the development of Hitler's V2 Bomb at the cost of their lives. Signing his own death wish, a concentration camp prisoner sabotages the construction of the V-2 bomb against the Nazis, while American soldiers struggle to advance against the Germans. The film was produced by Jennifer Tung, Stefan Simon and Brian Kelly Jones. Executive producers include Peymaneh Rothstein, Emad Asfoury, and Robert Shaye. Mikael Sharafyan was the costume designer. The film's score was composed by Alan Derian (MADAME SECRETARY). DIRTY BOMB NORTH AMERICAN Premiere SCREENING: FUSION SHORTS 1 – TUE., JUNE 12 @ 5PM WRITERS: Valerie McCaffrey DIR: Valerie McCaffrey PRODS: Jennifer Tung, Brian Kelly Jones, Stefan Simon, Bob Shaye, Scott Kim, Natalya Yonathan, Susan Printz CAST: Ido Samuel, J. Michael Trautmann, Stefan Simon, Dallas Hart, Hunter Doohan, James Babson, Robert Arce, Connor Linnerooth, Matt Otstot, WIndy Hamilton, Tara Soojian ABOUT JENNIFERActress//Producer Jennifer Tung has worked in the film and television industry for more than 20 years and is best known for her roles in successful J.J Abrams Television series, "Alias" (2001-2006), working opposite Director Quentin Tarantino, and "Kung Pow, Enter the Fist" with Steve Oedekerk (2002). Jennifer has also appeared in episodes of many popular T.V. shows such as "Beverly Hills: 90210", "The Pretender", "E.R.", "NYPD Blue", "Charmed," among others. In addition, she has had roles in the feature films,"What Lies Beneath", and Star Trek: Insurrection". She was Executive Producer of the multi- award winning short film, "Shadows and Light", as well as Producer, Social Media and Crowdfunding Organizer on such ambitious projects as "Harbinger Down" By Alec Gillis/Studio ADI and "The Yellow Feather", which have been, to date, the highest funded films in their categories in Kickstarter history. Her recent projects include producing three independent films, "The Black Gloves", "Remember the Sun", and "Dirty Bomb". Ms. Tung is the youngest woman to be crowned Miss Chinatown USA at the age of 17 in 1991. She also served as Goodwill Ambassador, representing The Chinese Americans of the USA traveling throughout China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and abroad with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Jennifer will talk about: Her background as actress and producer What made her decide to join DB production team? What spoke you about this story? As an activist in daily life, what is important to her? The Porter Ranch Gas Leak and the impact on Jennifer's life In October of 2015, Southern California saw the biggest gas leak in U.S. history, which drastically effected the thousands of residents of Porter Ranch and the surrounding areas. SoCal Gas claims there are no long term effects, but the people have continued to struggle daily. This is Jennifer Tung's story, a prominent member of the entertainment industry, and there are thousands of stories like hers. Watch the video, spread the word, call for ACTION. #PorterRanchGasLeakWATCH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKNFpjCOCKg

Low inventory in the San Fernando Valley brought a new average record for sellers. But, will these averages continue? Today we are going to give you a much-awaited update on what is happening in the Porter Ranch and San Fernando Valley real estate markets. As has been the case for quite some time, inventory is low. Supply in the 91326 ZIP code is sitting at about 69 homes out of 11,700 single family units. That translates to under a two months' supply of inventory across Porter Ranch and most of the San Fernando Valley To have an even market, you need about 7,000 homes in the entire San Fernando Valley. Then neither the seller nor the buyer has a distinct advantage. In February of this year we only had 958 total listings in the entire San Fernando Valley, and only about 45 of those were in the 91326 ZIP code. As a result, we are still seeing multiple offers on well-priced homes. We saw a new record of $700,000 being made in February for the median price point for a home in the San Fernando Valley. That's up from $675,000 back in November of 2017. Meanwhile, the average price across all of Los Angeles County sits at $585,000. “We saw a new record of $700,000 being made in February for the median price point for a home in the San Fernando Valley.” Price continues to rise despite the 0.5% rise in interest rates we saw back in January. This interest rate hike made many people reflect on whether to buy. Many of these people will likely be priced out because of the future interest rate hikes that we are expecting later this year. Quick movement of homes staying on the market for 32 days in the 91326 ZIP code is consistent for the majority of the San Fernando Valley as well. Nearly half the properties are experiencing multiple offer situations. If the homes are priced right, you have way more demand than you have supply. During the Great Recession, many people found good deals when the interest rates were under 4%, and they are now reluctant to sell their homes even though they are buying new properties. The inventory shortage being created is what is really fueling the increasing prices. If you have any questions about the current market, please feel free to call me or email. I look forward to speaking with you.

What can you expect from the 2018 real estate market? Let’s take a look at the 2017 market recap and see which market trends may continue this year.Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search   Looking to sell your home?  Free Home Price EvaluationIt’s time to recap what happened in the 2017 real estate market. I also have a forecast of what you might be able to expect in 2018 for Porter Ranch and the San Fernando Valley. 2017 started off with very low inventory. There were only about 47 properties for sale out of 11,600 single-family units. We ended the year with slightly less inventory. That low inventory really fueled the market—not just here in Porter Ranch but all over Southern California. When you look at the inventory in 2017, it stayed very low the first half of the year. In June, as spring transitioned into summer, inventory doubled from what it was at the beginning of the year. Still, it just wasn’t enough to satisfy buyer demand. Even though inventory increased in the summer, that inventory got gobbled up. From the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2017, inventory decreased by 24% and the average price in San Fernando Valley went up 13% in most neighborhoods. In most neighborhoods, there is only two to two and a half months of inventory in most areas. As a result, most prices are going up. Low inventory really fueled the 2017 real estate market. In order to have a healthy market, there need to be about 7,500 homes for sale in the San Fernando Valley. If you look at the total amount of inventory at the end of 2017, we only had about 1,700 homes for sale. That is down from the 2,200 homes for sale at the end of 2016. You can see more details about the 2017 real estate market in these charts. So, what can you expect in 2018? I think the 2018 market will be more of the same. There is very little inventory and economic growth in the San Fernando Valley as a whole economically. A lot of people are priced out of areas like the West Side, Pasadena, Glendale, and the South Side of the Valley. As a result, more people are moving up to the North Side of the Valley, where they can get more house for their dollar. Homes are moving quickly in this area because they are more affordable and there is a lot of competition. I predict that we will see about 5% to 9% growth in both neighborhoods. If interest rates go up, that could have an impact on our market. We’re also keeping an eye on how the new tax reform bill will impact real estate here in the San Fernando Valley. We’ll have more information about that in our next video. Do you want to know how much your home is worth in the 2018 market? You can get a free market evaluation here. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any other real estate questions. I would be happy to help you!

What can you expect from the 2018 real estate market? Let's take a look at the 2017 market recap and see which market trends may continue this year. Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell your home? Free Home Price Evaluation It's time to recap what happened in the 2017 real estate market. I also have a forecast of what you might be able to expect in 2018 for Porter Ranch and the San Fernando Valley. 2017 started off with very low inventory. There were only about 47 properties for sale out of 11,600 single-family units. We ended the year with slightly less inventory. That low inventory really fueled the market—not just here in Porter Ranch but all over Southern California. When you look at the inventory in 2017, it stayed very low the first half of the year. In June, as spring transitioned into summer, inventory doubled from what it was at the beginning of the year. Still, it just wasn't enough to satisfy buyer demand. Even though inventory increased in the summer, that inventory got gobbled up. From the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2017, inventory decreased by 24% and the average price in San Fernando Valley went up 13% in most neighborhoods. In most neighborhoods, there is only two to two and a half months of inventory in most areas. As a result, most prices are going up. “LOW INVENTORY REALLY FUELED THE 2017 REAL ESTATE MARKET.” In order to have a healthy market, there need to be about 7,500 homes for sale in the San Fernando Valley. If you look at the total amount of inventory at the end of 2017, we only had about 1,700 homes for sale. That is down from the 2,200 homes for sale at the end of 2016. You can see more details about the 2017 real estate market in these charts. So, what can you expect in 2018? I think the 2018 market will be more of the same. There is very little inventory and economic growth in the San Fernando Valley as a whole economically. A lot of people are priced out of areas like the West Side, Pasadena, Glendale, and the South Side of the Valley. As a result, more people are moving up to the North Side of the Valley, where they can get more house for their dollar. Homes are moving quickly in this area because they are more affordable and there is a lot of competition. I predict that we will see about 5% to 9% growth in both neighborhoods. If interest rates go up, that could have an impact on our market. We're also keeping an eye on how the new tax reform bill will impact real estate here in the San Fernando Valley. We'll have more information about that in our next video. Do you want to know how much your home is worth in the 2018 market? You can get a free market evaluation here. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any other real estate questions. I would be happy to help you!

@MrMoKelly fills in for Gary and Shannon, Disneyland power outage and removal of "Do Not Disturb" signs remind Mo of his trip to Disneyland jail, Porter Ranch residents claim new gas leak, New law would allow for free rides when you're drunk

We’ve seen some great trends in the real estate market so far this year. Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on.Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search   Looking to sell your home?  Free Home Price Evaluation It’s been awhile since we’ve given you a market update for Porter Ranch and the San Fernando Valley. There are a few statistics we’ve been tracking that we wanted to give you an update on.Back in March, the median price in the San Fernando Valley jumped to $671,500. It’s been sticking around that level since then. We’re still seeing a lot of low inventory, which is keeping the market very strong.Back in June, we saw a spike in inventory. In the three months since, we’ve seen a considerable drop as buyers continue to take advantage of the opportunity to buy with a low interest rate. We had 92 properties for sale in Porter Ranch in June, but we only have 75 on the market right now.The average time for a home to sell for the San Fernando Valley as a whole is 39 days, but it only takes an average of 32 days in Porter Ranch. The key to a quick sale is pricing. If a home is priced right, it should be sold within a week or two.The key to a quick sale is pricing. Only 2% of home sales in the San Fernando Valley are coming from foreclosures these days. With that being the case, you’re starting to see certain neighborhoods hit their pre-2007 highs in terms of home values. The California Association of Realtors predicts a more healthy appreciation of 2% to 4% this year. That’s all we’ve got for now. If you have any questions about the market or anything else related to real estate in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Learn from experienced practitioners about the importance of rediscovering the Great Commandments to love God and your neighbors, some of the blessings, and the challenges and ways to overcome those obstacles.Lynn Cory leads Neighborhood Initiative, which brings together pastors and congregations to show the love of Jesus in neighborhoods where they live. He is author of Neighborhood Initiative and the Love of God and The Incarnational Church (with Lyle Randles). He served as the associate pastor of the Valley Vineyard in Reseda, California, from 1987 until April of 2015. Before that, he pastored a house church and was the college pastor at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California. He and his wife, Jo, live in Porter Ranch, California and have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren.

Even though interest rates have shot up considerably since December, we are still in a strong seller’s market. Homes in the San Fernando Valley and Porter Ranch are selling quickly and we expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future. Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search   Looking to sell your home?  Free Home Price EvaluationOne question that we’ve been getting bombarded with on pretty much a daily basis is, “Why are we still in a seller’s market if the rates have gone up dramatically since December?” There are several reasons why the San Fernando Valley and Porter Ranch areas are still in a seller’s market. A few of them stand out in particular.First, we have extremely low inventory. Right now, we have just 1.5 to 1.7 months of available inventory in most neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley. In Porter Ranch, there are just about 60 properties for sale out of the 11,409 single-family units that are in the area. For comparison, there were over 300 properties for sale during the foreclosure crisis in 2008.Secondly, you are seeing a situation where homeowners are moving up but not selling. They were able to secure such a low rate when they bought the property originally that it makes sense for them to keep it, rent it out, and qualify for a new home. As a result, there is less inventory coming on the market.The lack of new construction at entry-level price points is disappointing. There isn’t a lot of new construction taking place right now, either. Part of it is because of zoning laws, part of it is because there isn’t any more space to build out in the San Fernando Valley. The homes that are being built don’t cater to the largest pool of buyers in the entry-level market. This includes buyers who are coming back into the market after a past foreclosure and buyers who are coming from other areas in the market like Pasadena, Burbank, and Glendale. The latter group is getting a lot more bang for their buck in areas like Porter Ranch and Granada Hills.Don’t anticipate anything changing in the near future. We should be in a strong seller’s market for a while now. Despite the fact that rates have gone up a bit, we are still seeing more and more buyers come to the market in order to lock in rates before they go up even more.If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. I would love to hear from you.

Today I’m bringing you the latest market update for the San Fernando Valley and Porter Ranch.Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search   Looking to sell your home?  Free Home Price EvaluationWhat’s going on in our local real estate market?Last time, we let you know that inventory was incredibly low. It has gone up a bit in the spring buying and selling season, but it is still very low. At the end of March, there were only 2,100 homes for sale in the entire San Fernando Valley. In Porter Ranch at the end of March, there were only 45 homes for sale out of 11,409 single-family homes in the area. That number actually went up above 60 at the beginning of April, but due to the number of buyers looking for homes, that number has already reduced into the low 50s. I expect that trend to continue and repeat itself over the course of the next few months because buyers are anxious to take advantage of current interest rates. The number of homes currently under contract in the 91326 zip code is 55. The number of homes that have actually closed in the 91326 since the beginning of 2017 is 94. The amount of homes that have actually closed throughout the San Fernando Valley is down significantly from last year to this year, which again has a lot to do with the lack of inventory we’re currently seeing. If you’re not priced correctly, don’t be surprised if you end up sitting on the market for awhile. If homes are priced correctly, we are still seeing multiple offers across the board. Buyers are being picky and cautious so if you’re not priced correctly, don’t be surprised if you end up sitting on the market for awhile. If you have any questions about the market or real estate in general, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you!

Even though interest rates have shot up considerably since December, we are still in a strong seller's market. Homes in the San Fernando Valley and Porter Ranch are selling quickly and we expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future. Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell your home? Free Home Price Evaluation One question that we've been getting bombarded with on pretty much a daily basis is, “Why are we still in a seller's market if the rates have gone up dramatically since December?” There are several reasons why the San Fernando Valley and Porter Ranch areas are still in a seller's market. A few of them stand out in particular. First, we have extremely low inventory. Right now, we have just 1.5 to 1.7 months of available inventory in most neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley. In Porter Ranch, there are just about 60 properties for sale out of the 11,409 single-family units that are in the area. For comparison, there were over 300 properties for sale during the foreclosure crisis in 2008. Secondly, you are seeing a situation where homeowners are moving up but not selling. They were able to secure such a low rate when they bought the property originally that it makes sense for them to keep it, rent it out, and qualify for a new home. As a result, there is less inventory coming on the market. “THE LACK OF NEW CONSTRUCTION AT ENTRY-LEVEL PRICE POINTS IS DISAPPOINTING.” There isn't a lot of new construction taking place right now, either. Part of it is because of zoning laws, part of it is because there isn't any more space to build out in the San Fernando Valley. The homes that are being built don't cater to the largest pool of buyers in the entry-level market. This includes buyers who are coming back into the market after a past foreclosure and buyers who are coming from other areas in the market like Pasadena, Burbank, and Glendale. The latter group is getting a lot more bang for their buck in areas like Porter Ranch and Granada Hills. Don't anticipate anything changing in the near future. We should be in a strong seller's market for a while now. Despite the fact that rates have gone up a bit, we are still seeing more and more buyers come to the market in order to lock in rates before they go up even more. If you have any questions for us, don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. I would love to hear from you.

In telling the stories of the two worst man made disasters in Los Angeles history, the St. Francis Dam and the Porter Ranch gas leak, the LA Meekly boys inadvertently create the third worst man made disaster in Los Angeles history.

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

In The Digital Human: Home Aleks asks what turns a space into a place and whether we really need bricks and mortar anymore, when home can be anywhere you can go online. Aleks visits Porter Ranch just outside of Los Angeles where residents were told to evacuate because of a gas leak. Linda Matthies decided to stay despite fears over her health. Her sense of home focuses strongly on the comforts of home and her many possessions acquired over her lifetime. Her sense of home is very much tied up with the physical. In contrast Josh Surtees was able to create a digital space that he could call home. Josh moved to Trinidad to work as a journalist. He fell in love and when his girlfriend moved to London after two months they created a virtual home through skype and successfully continued their relationship. In Downtown LA Aleks meets Elvina Beck a digital nomad who has started a company allowing millennials to rent a communal pod with wifi access that they can make home. For her home is mobile, as long as there is online access, home can be anywhere. Architect Sam Jacobs understands the important link between home and identity. He argues that the division between the private realm iof home and the public realm is breaking down because people are exposing their identities online. Home is now one of the places that you can in fact broadcast your identity to a much wider audience. Travel writer Pico Iyer realised when he saw his home in California burn to the ground that home is not about bricks or mortar or access to wifi but should be found within ourselves. The idea of the 21st entury house, is not actually that old so will digital technologies change how and were we decide to live in the future. Produced by Kate Bissell.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

Dr. Sandra Steingraber and Alex Nagey of Food and Water Watch talk the Porter Ranch methane disaster and how methane from fracked gas continues threaten the planet and communities.

This Week’s Featured Interviews: Dr. Diane Sandler is doctor of Oriental medicine and a craniosacral therapist who has been practicing in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles for three decades. Her focus has been to support her patients in co-creating optimum health through lifestyle changes and deep core work that lead to cellular change....

Health strategies to best safeguard from Porter Ranch toxins & radioactive radon, or Fukushima radiation in food. With Dr. Diane Sandler and Kimberly Roberson, founder of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network and a Certified Nutrition Educator.

The producers of a deceptive sting video targeting Planned Parenthood got a big surprise this week when a Grand Jury found the healthcare organization innocent - but indicted the filmmakers instead. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the turning of the tables on the anti-abortion activists who made the film. Also: The beginning of the end of the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, fallout from environmental disasters in Flint and Porter Ranch, and the latest developments in Election 2016 on both the GOP and Democratic sides.  

Health strategies to best safeguard from Porter Ranch toxins & radioactive radon, or Fukushima radiation in food. With Dr. Diane Sandler and Kimberly Roberson, founder of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network and a Certified Nutrition Educator.

There's no two ways about it: oil spills and gas leaks are disastrous, causing massive amounts of ecological damage in a matter of days or hours. So how many occur each year? How many are actually reported, versus covered up? Listen in to learn more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Nuclear Hotseat #238 - SPECIAL: Porter Ranch/Radon Radiation Risk w/ Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps and Cindy Folkers, local politician Richard Mathews, environmental attorney Terry Lodge. http://ow.ly/WZbzp

Nuclear Hotseat #238 - SPECIAL: Porter Ranch/Radon Radiation Risk w/ Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps and Cindy Folkers, local politician Richard Mathews, environmental attorney Terry Lodge. http://ow.ly/WZbzp

Full program devoted to the radon risk hiddenin the methane gas leak disaster at Porter Ranch in Los Angeles.  This Week’s Featured Interviews: Kevin Kamps is the Nuclear Waste Watchdog for Beyond Nuclear.  He gives an overview of the problems created by radon and suspicions about its impact on the people of Porter Ranch. Cindy...

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Nathan, Mike, and Mahler talk about Error Code 451, the GABA neurotransmitter, refugees, Juniper Networks, amphibious drones, Islamophobia, AZeducation, SpaceX, Porter Ranch, Moses-EL, Sandra Bland, and more.

Like Autism Live on Facebook at http://facebook.com/autismlive    Autism parents Shannon Penrod and Jim Miller visit Toys R Us to check out some of the featured toys in this year’s Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Children.  Looking for a toy that helps build communication skills?  Finger skills? Listening? Gross Motor?  Creativity, Social Skills, Thinking, Listening or Visual Motor skills?  Find great toys reviewed by Lekotek in this wonderful resource published each year by Toys R Us!  Shannon and Jim have a blast checking out great toys from Melissa & Doug, LeapFrog®, Learning Resources and more!!   Special thanks to Toys R Us and Toys R Us in Porter Ranch, California.