Commentary: Their houses burned but they'll return, ready to write Altadena's next chapter

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They met in the 1960s on their first day of ninth grade at John Muir High School in Pasadena.They both went on to become authors.They lived next door to each other in Altadena.They lost their houses in last year’s Eaton fire.And they sat next to each other Monday night on stage at Vroman’s Books in Pasadena, bound by friendship, history and loss.Michele Zack and Michelle Huneven were there to talk about the re-release of Zack’s 2004 book, “Altadena: Between Wilderness and City,” which has been updated with references to the fire that destroyed much of the community and killed 19 people.“Wilderness and City” is a history book, so much of the discussion was about Altadena’s post-Native American passage from foothill agricultural mecca, to western expansion terminus, to modern L.A.suburb with a distinct sense of place.But past really is prologue, so the question hanging over the discussion Monday night was not about what Altadena has been, but what it will become.

Altadena has been called artsy and a bit funky and architecturally varied, but it was celebrated for three things in particular:Racial diversity, socio-economic diversity and relative affordability.All three were in jeopardy before the fire, and more so after, with thousands of lots vacant and local businesses on life support.A member of the audience noted that at the end of the first edition of Zack’s book, she addressed future uncertainties in a section titled, “Whither To, Altadena?”“Will the community retain its artistic elements, horse properties, trails, rural feel, and architectural heritage even as property values arise and the economic benefits of more density and hillside development tempt builders and political entities?” Zack wrote more than 20 years ago.“I said that in 2004 and today that question is on everyone’s mind,” Zack said Monday night.

“How are we going to rebuild? ...