OFFER: Valentine's Day Sale—30% off for 12 months!
Now through February 14, 2025.
The now-infamous Southern California Edison power lines spanning Eaton Canyon as seen on November 16, 2024, on a sunny day by the author (GoPro Hero 11 Black).
By Zachary Ellison, Independent Journalist
I’m offering a special Valentine’s Day Sale—30% off for 12 months! Redeemable through February 14: https://zacharyellison.substack.com/valentinesday
2025 has been a disaster so far! On January 7, I had to evacuate from Altadena. Thankfully we didn’t burn, but I’m planning on relocating for now to the Palm Springs area for new opportunities and affordability. I’m still going to cover the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in particular as well as continuing much of my prior coverage of Los Angeles. Growing up in Pasadena, I didn’t always think about wildfire; in fact, from 1993 to 2009, there were no fires that threatened the area. Many of the places of my youth are now destroyed. This last year I invested my time heavily in removing litter from the San Gabriels, including Eaton Canyon in particular, a beloved place.
In case you wish to make a one-time donation, we’ve also set up a GoFundMe after much consideration to help cover the costs of displacement and relocation:
Help Zach and Mae After the Eaton Fire
I want to thank particularly the two people who’ve supported already! There’s much talk of what local independent journalism means, but practicing it’s a whole different thing, and I couldn’t do so without the support of my partner. So if you’re feeling the love this Valentine’s Day, I invite you to take advantage of 30% off for 12 months or make a donation. Love is a burning desire, and journalism is absolutely a passion project. I couldn’t do it without the support of readers and my fellow journalists.
Subscribers will receive special access to all livestream recordings (I got Substack to finally enable it!) I’ve considered whether paid posts would be appropriate but have always decided that getting news out in general was the most overall important goal.
To date, I’ve published 4 stories on the Eaton Fire and the aftermath more broadly in Los Angeles. I also anticipate continuing to expand coverage to more California environmental sustainability issues. Last but not least, I’ll be continuing to work with
Roofless. I hope you’ll get caught up on the news if you missed any coverage!Wildfire Coverage:
Link: Part 150: A Firestorm in Los Angeles – Humanity and Environmental Disaster
Link: Part 152: Wildfire Disaster in California – Public Health and Political Climate Troubles
Link: Part 154: Displacement Disaster Politics – Individual Freedom vs. Collective Leadership
Link: Part 155: More Disaster Zone Politics – Direct and Indirect Relief and Recovery
I’m offering a special Valentine’s Day Sale—30% off for 12 months! Redeemable through February 14: https://zacharyellison.substack.com/valentinesday
Please support my work with your subscription, or for direct support, use Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, or Zelle using zachary.b.ellison@gmail.com
Zachary Ellison is an Independent Journalist and Whistleblower in the Los Angeles area. Zach was most recently employed by the University of Southern California, Office of the Provost, from October 2015 to August 2022 as an Executive Secretary and Administrative Assistant, supporting the Vice Provost for Academic Operations and the Vice Provost and Senior Advisor to the Provost, among others. Zach holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Policy and Planning from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. While a student at USC, he worked for the USC Good Neighbors Campaign, including on their university-wide newsletter. Zach completed his B.A. in History at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and was a writer, editor, and photographer for the Pasadena High School Chronicle. He was Barack Obama’s one-millionth online campaign contributor in 2008. Zach is a former AmeriCorps intern for Hawaii State Parks and worked for the City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation. He is a trained civil process server and enjoys weekends in the outdoors. Zach is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club.
