The Los Angeles Sentinel will host the Wildfire Recovery and Rebuild Conference on Saturday, March 29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Hilton Pasadena, 168 South Robles Ave., in Pasadena.
Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires are encouraged to attend the free event, which will include continental breakfast, lunch, and childcare service. Attendees can register at www.lasentinel.net or click on the QR code on page A-5.
To learn the reasons that this newspaper is sponsoring the conference, Sentinel staff interviewed Bakewell Media President and Sentinel Executive Editor Danny J. Bakewell, Jr. Below are his responses to the questions.
L.A. Sentinel: Why do you think it’s necessary to have this event?
Danny J. Bakewell, Jr.: Because I am from the Altadena area, I know hundreds of people who have been affected by these fires and no matter how smart they are, they all seemed to have the same questions about what to do and how to move forward. So, it came to me that we needed to do something to help inform and educate as many people as we could.
LAS: It’s been 2 months since the fires. Hasn’t everyone decided what they’re doing with their property?
DJB: No, not at all. There are a lot of factors that will weigh heavily on if people decide to rebuild or move on. First and foremost is going to be do I have enough insurance money to rebuild. But that is driven on cost estimates and bids from a reputable general contractor. So, if you are close to having enough money, then you must engage an architect to at least get preliminary plans and then bid them out. Then you will really know if you have enough money to rebuild.
LAS: How did you decide the topics to cover in this conference?
DJB: The topics covered in in our conference are driven from questions and conversations I have had with friends, family and even complete strangers in our hotel over the 3 weeks we were evacuated into the Hotel Dena and then a few more have hit me since as we have been planning this conference.
LAS: Were you motivated by any specific factors?
DJB: There have been a lot of factors that have motivated me to conduct this conference. One of the biggest factors is that in talking to a lot of people I’ve heard time and time again say, “The most difficult thing I’ve ever done was to remodel my kitchen or my bathroom.”
So, if that was the most challenging thing most people have been through, just imagine what building an entire house is going to feel like. But I was also motivated by a determination to give as many people as possible the information necessary to empower them to be not only to rebuild their homes but rebuild their lives.
LAS: Who are some of the subjects covered at this conference?
DJB: There are a lot of topics that will be covered from the pros and cons of having the federal government clean your lot to what to do now to have your property re-assessed from a built-out house reduced to a vacant lot. But then what are the property tax challenges that come with a rebuild?
There will also be information about legal rights, litigation, and how to hire an architect and a general contractor. There will also be information about resources available from the state, county and federal government to help you rebuild. In addition, there will also be small tidbits of information such as if you had a Go Fund Me account you are going to have to pay taxes on that income as part of your 2025 taxes.
LAS: Is this conference designed to promote the services of certain companies?
DJB: This conference is definitely not designed to promote certain companies. It is designed to empower each and every homeowner to be able to get the right information and know the right questions to ask when they go out and do their due diligence and decide what the best decision is for you and your family in order to move forward.
LAS: Is this a money-making endeavor?
DJB: No, not at all. First, this event is free to anyone who wants to attend, while at the same time we are having it at the Hilton, a venue that comes with a lot of expenses. We also made the decision not have an Exhibition Hall, which is where we could have made money helping individual companies promote their brand or products. If it were not for the generous support of the major banks, nonprofit organizations, and many of our Taste of Soul media partners as well as my very loyal team, we could have never pulled off such an event at such a large scale.
LAS: Will people been able to talk one-on-one to get guidance?
DJB: Much of the conference will be held in the large ballroom, but we will also have small breakout sessions where people will have a more intimate experience. The banks and other participants will also be available to arrange one-on-one meetings after the conference. For example, if you like the information you receive from one of the NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) representatives, they will be available to meet with you and your family to start the evaluation process to hire a licensed and reputable architect. Or you can simply take the information and then question your own architect, empowered with information you received from a third-party professional.
LAS: Please feel free to share any additional information.
DJB: I hope that many people come out and enjoy the conference, see neighbors and friends that they might not have seen since the fires, and at the same time feel empowered and know that they are not in this alone. For 92 years, the Sentinel has been a trusted resource in this community and hope that the information they receive from this conference, they can use to begin moving forward while at the same time know it came from a caring and trusted source.
