“Small, local businesses are the lifeblood of Route 66...With these grants, the Trust is helping these small businesses preserve their historic properties or enhance their legacy on this highway that attracts visitors from all over the world.” The National Trust is pleased to announce that 25 grants, in all eight states that Historic Route 66, have been awarded through the Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Program. Meet the grantees: (fb)

In early January 2025, multiple wildfires tore through the Los Angeles metropolitan area, scorching tens of thousands of acres across the region, destroying some 15,000 homes and businesses, and severely polluting the air. In the days that followed, The Oinkster—a beloved neighborhood restaurant in Eagle Rock—quickly transformed into a hub for relief efforts, offering not just free meals but comfort and familiarity to a shaken community. In 2024, The Oinster received a Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant, a joint program of the National Trust and American Express, which allowed the restaurant to complete a number of site upgrades, including repaving the parking lot to repair numerous potholes. Months later, that parking lot became a central gathering place for local car clubs to organize cleanup crews and distribute aid across affected neighborhoods. (fb)