West
Southern California community members return for first time to site where church burned down ahead of Easter
Community members in the Pacific Palisades area in Los Angeles County returned on Good Friday to the site of a 103-year-old church that burned down in January during the Southern California wildfires.
And while the Community United Methodist Church’s building is nothing but rubble and ashes at the moment, Pastor John Shaver told Fox News Digital Saturday it will remain a “community without walls” until it’s rebuilt.
“As many share familiar ancient words worldwide, ‘Christ is Risen!,’ we know these words of hope are for the Pacific Palisades Community United Methodist church family, the people of Pacific Palisades, the Altadena community and all who need the strength to keep moving forward worldwide,” Shaver said. “This great gift of hope gives us the fortitude to rebuild, and, in the meantime, we will strive to be a faith community (even without walls) that is a center of hope and healing for our neighbors near and far.”
Shaver, who had led the church for just six months before it burned down, three years after its centennial celebration, gathered with a handful of community members at the site Friday before they embarked on a cross walk through the neighborhood.
FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP SHARES GOOD FRIDAY MESSAGE AHEAD OF EASTER
Pastor John Shaver carries a cross during a cross walk by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades Friday in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
They stopped at nine locations in the devastated neighborhood, reading Bible verses at each stop to represent a different part of Jesus Christ’s path.
“On this Easter Sunday, even though we know there are still significant challenges to come, we give thanks for the hope God gives us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Shaver told Fox News Digital.
He added that the Community United Methodist Church “wants to share God’s love and hope through our words and service to everyone. We hope that by being the hands and feet of Christ, we can build bridges of unity with others throughout the amazing city of Los Angeles.”
The church was built by the same people who founded Pacific Palisades more than a century ago and, over the decades, it has borne witness to weddings, funerals, community gatherings, sports competitions, holiday celebrations and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Members of the Community United Methodist Church listen to a prayer by Pastor John Shaver during a cross walk. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Inspired by the Chautauqua social movement of the 1920s, the founders started a “peace movement,” building the church and offering arts, music and cultural programs to residents, Shaver told The Associated Press.
The congregation has continued services since the fire at other sites, but it was its first time back to the site Friday.
FRANKLIN GRAHAM SHARES HOPE MESSAGE IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON EASTER SPECIAL: ‘GOD HASN’T FORGOTTEN THEM’
Shaver, along with most of his congregation, lost his home in the Palisades Fire.
Carli Wright plays music for a church prayer during a cross walk by the Community United Methodist Church of the Pacific Palisades Friday. (AP Photo/William Liang)
The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, which was further inland near Pasadena, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and businesses and killed 29 people, including a congregant of Shaver’s church.
Shaver remembered 85-year-old Annette Rossilli during the cross walk and stopped in front of the rubble where his own house once stood. His family moved into the home last July.
“It’s also a reminder how much of what we have, we take for granted,” Shaver told the AP.
And while the church burned down, the community was able to save important parts of it like stone tiles, a metal cross that stood atop its tower and another stone cross.
Shaver said the church will try to find ways to incorporate those items when the new church is built.
Shaver said the cross walk was also a reminder of “how much of what we have, we take for granted.” (AP Photo/William Liang)
Thomas Knoll, a resident who didn’t attend the church and isn’t religious, told the AP he attended the event because it felt “like sort of a funeral for Pacific Palisades.”
Knoll also lost his home.
The church before the fires (Google Maps)
“The whole story of crucifixion and resurrection is appropriate here,” he said. “This town will be rebuilt, but it’s going to take a long time.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — According to a new audit, the San Francisco Zoo violated city rules by spending $12 million on projects without required approval.
The report looks at the zoo’s finances from 2019 to last year. It claims the zoo was operating under a budget deficit for years while dealing with failures in management and financial planning.
Zoo officials must get permission from the city’s Park and Rec Commission for projects worth more than $50,000.
The report also details claims from zoo employees, saying the zoo has a toxic work environment because of favoritism and discrimination.
KRON4 received the below statement from the zoo’s CEO.
We appreciate the thorough work of the audit team and welcome recommendations that will strengthen the Zoo’s operations and long-term sustainability. Many improvements are already underway, and we are committed to implementing the remaining recommendations. We are grateful to the Mayor, Supervisor Melgar, and Rec and Park for working with us on a responsible loan structure that gives the Zoo the ability to continue this progress and fully deliver on the audit’s recommendations.
San Francisco Zoo CEO Cassandra Costello
The zoo is facing a more than $6 million budget deficit.
Ken Roczen led Hunter Lawrence into Round 16 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver with a four-point advantage and a newly acquired red plate. With Lawrence’s win and the reduction of three points, the two riders head to Salt Lake City in a winner-take-all scenario.
Lawrence won his heat, while Roczen finished third in Heat 2.
Lawrence took the feature lead early, and once he sniffed clean air, he steadily increased his gap on second.
“It’s good,” Lawrence told Peacock’s Will Christien. “[At the] five-second board, I’m just so excited. Let’s go out, have fun, and do what I love to do. It couldn’t have been much better than that.”
Lawrence cut the championship deficit to a single point heading into the season finale. The two riders each have five victories.
If Lawrence and Roczen manage to tie in points, which will happen if they finish in the middle of the pack with Lawrence on spot ahead of Roczen, the tiebreaker would come down to second-place results. Lawrence finished second five times early in the season; Roczen has two runner-up results.
Meanwhile, Roczen had a modest start and had to come through the pack. Once he settled into second, he lost the tow of the leader, and ultimately lost more than 12 seconds to Lawrence.
Returning from an injury suffered in Cleveland, Eli Tomac thrilled the hometown crowd with the final podium position. He stalled his bike in sand in the opening laps but executed Beast Mode in the middle stage of the feature.
Fourth-place Malcolm Stewart and Chase Sexton rounded out the top five.
In-Race Notes
Jorge Prado earned the holeshot, but Lawrence took the lead quickly.
Roczen slotted into fourth on the opening lap. There is a five-point gap between first and third in Supercross scoring.
But Roczen secured second from Prado on Lap 3, and trimmed three points from the gap.
Roczen lost 4.5 seconds to Lawrence as he made his way into second.
The third title contender, Cooper Webb, took third from Prado on Lap 5.
Lawrence had the flow in the opening laps. He extended his lead to 6.2 seconds on Lap 7.
Tomac stalled in the sand and fell outside the top five, but found his rhythm and climbed to fourth on Lap 8. Webb lost a position to Prado earlier in that lap.
Lawrence was on a rail, forcing Roczen to ride on the edge of his comfort zone.
A little further back in the field, Justin Barcia was sixth on Lap 10 in his second race back.
Tomac secured third from Prado on Lap 12.
Roczen fell to eight seconds behind on Lap 13. Eight minutes remained on the clock.
The top three settled into a rhythm with seven minutes on the clock. The gap between them was slowly widening.
Cooper and Dylan Ferrandis tangled while challenging for sixth.
One lap later, Webb tangled with Jorge Prado, and both riders lost momentum. Webb hit the dirt and dropped outside the top 10. That ended his dim hope of securing a fourth Supercross championship.
Malcolm Stewart moved into fifth.
One lap later, Stewart grabbed fourth from Sexton.
In all the chaos, Justin Barcia (eighth) climbed into the top 10 in his second race after returning from a scary crash in the season opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh is day-to-day with “general soreness” after being pulled from the lineup before Saturday’s game, manager Dan Wilson told reporters after a 3-2 loss in 10 innings against the Kansas City Royals.
Wilson said Raleigh underwent imaging, though he did not specify what on, and the team will assess their star catcher’s status Sunday.
“We’re trying to be as cautious as possible,” Wilson said.
Raleigh was originally slated to start at catcher and bat second in the middle game of the three-game series, but he was scratched from the lineup about 90 minutes before first pitch.
Mitch Garver got the start in place of Raleigh and went 1 for 4 at the plate and struck out three times, including to lead off the 10th inning.
Saturday’s game was the first Raleigh has missed this season. He had started 32 of the previous 33, including 25 at catcher, and came in as a pinch-hitter in the only game he didn’t start.
Raleigh is batting .186 with a .652 OPS, seven homers and four doubles this season. He has hit five home runs in his past 10 games.
Raleigh finished as the American League MVP runner-up during a record-setting campaign in 2025. He led baseball with 60 home runs, setting single-season MLB records for most home runs by a catcher and switch-hitter, as well as the Mariners’ single-season homer mark. Raleigh also drove in an AL-best 125 RBIs while hitting .247 with a .948 OPS.
The Mariners added a third catcher to their 26-man roster shortly after Raleigh was scratched from the lineup. Jhonny Pereda was called up from Triple-A Tacoma and infielder Will Wilson was placed on the 10-day injured list with fractured left thumb.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• Seattle Mariners to honor Randy Johnson with statue in 2027
• Mariners promote pitcher from Double-A to majors
• A factor that can help Cole Young earn All-Star nod
• Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Miller, Robles and more
• Seattle Mariners place Matt Brash on IL, recall lefty reliever
-
World2 minutes agoExamining NATO: Inside the ‘commitment gap’ as US carries alliance deterrence
-
Politics8 minutes agoDem Senate candidate Sherrod Brown claims he supports ‘closing the border’; GOP says record proves otherwise
-
Health14 minutes agoLongevity experts reveal ‘flicker method’ that could help you feel years younger
-
Sports20 minutes agoLegendary WWE tag team duo departs company in latest wave of cuts
-
Technology26 minutes agoData broker opt-out steps widows should take in 90 days
-
Business32 minutes agoConsumers sue to block Paramount-Warner Bros. deal
-
Entertainment38 minutes agoOlivia Rodrigo hosts ‘SNL’ and debuts new song, while Aziz Ansari takes on Kash Patel
-
Lifestyle44 minutes agoFor Clockshop’s Kite Festival, build a newspaper kite using The Times’ Weekend section