Colorado Boulevard Newspaper team at an event in Pasadena (Photo – Janine G.)
By Wafic Khalil
As the founder and publisher of Colorado Boulevard, I’ve witnessed our team cover disasters and triumphs throughout the years. Each piece reminds us of the vital role that local journalism plays in our communities.
One moment in particular comes to my mind. It took place during our almost 24/7 coverage of the Bobcat Fire. I woke up that morning at 7:00 am with an uneasy smell of smoke in my bedroom. I checked my phone, and one team member’s email from Monrovia had come in a few minutes earlier with a photo of a clear, sunny morning with the mountains on fire! She stated that some residents along the foothills were walking outside on that sunny day, while monitoring the fire. Another team member living in Sierra Madre confirmed the same. That was in direct contrast with what we were experiencing in Pasadena. A reader in Santa Monica (apparently monitoring our coverage) commented around 6:55 am on seeing a big cloud of smoke forming in the distance. Was the wind pushing the smoke away from the mountains towards L.A., I wondered? I reached out to a team member in Alhambra, and she confirmed smoke had started reaching them slowly. I asked her to send a photo of the mountains. With all these points of references, we sensed what was going to happen. We published an early update stating what we knew, along with the contrasting photos. At the same time, a team member residing in Altadena sent us a photo of his homemade device made out of a filter he had purchased at Altadena Hardware the day before, taped to his box fan. It was simple, yet useful. We called hardware stores in the surrounding areas, and all confirmed that specific filter sizes were out of stock. We published a photo of the homemade fan filter with instructions on how to do it and with any size filter. One of our interns prepared tips to help limit exposure to smoke. It was promptly published that morning. Around 11:30 am, an Unhealthy Air Quality advisory was officially issued for the Southland.
That’s what true local news looks like. From disasters to quirky and fun events, along with highlighting the good work at our own local public schools, we are here to report authentically and accurately. We all live here. We do not outsource our stories abroad. We are real people reporting on the communities we live in.
We want to do more!
Every headline, every story, every insight shapes our understanding of the world around us.
For over 11 years, we’ve been your trusted source for reliable, in-depth news that matters. From local developments to enlightening events, from investigative reporting to human interest stories, our commitment is to bring you the truth, unfiltered and unbiased.
Now, more than ever, we need your support. Below, you will find a way to help if you’re able. We want to be able to cover every single City Hall and School District meeting in the area. We will be your eyes and ears, highlighting the goodness in our communities while calling out the powers that be.
By subscribing, you help us continue to deliver quality journalism that keeps you informed, empowers you to make decisions, and hold the powers to be accountable. Please consider joining our community of readers who value thoughtful, accurate, and impactful news.
Sincerely yours,
Wafic
Publisher/Editor in Chief
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