Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Average LA County Gas Price Drops For Seventh Consecutive Day

By STEVEN HERBERT, City News Service

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped Wednesday for the seventh consecutive day, decreasing six-tenths of a cent to $5.979.

The streak is the longest since a 13-day streak from Dec. 9-21, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. The average price has dropped 6.9 cents over the past seven days, including four- tenths of a cent on Tuesday.

The average price is 38.2 cents more than one month ago and $1.117 more than one year ago. It is 51.5 cents less than the record $6.494 set on Oct. 5, 2022.

Prices were rising slightly in line with seasonal norms before the joint U.S./Israel attack on Iran on Feb. 28 sent oil prices higher and drastically accelerated increases at the gas pump. Prices began to fall slightly after the announcement of a ceasefire on April 7, though subsequent peace talks in Pakistan failed to produce a deal.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Pasadena Welcomes Goats for Earth Day Celebration

A unique, family-friendly event combines environmental education with sustainable wildfire prevention in the Arroyo Seco.

The City of Pasadena and the One Arroyo Foundation are set to host a distinctive Earth Day Celebration this Saturday, inviting the community to witness an innovative approach to landscape restoration and wildfire risk reduction. The highlight of the event will be the deployment of approximately 600 goats into the Arroyo Seco, where they will embark on a targeted grazing mission across 100 acres to clear invasive vegetation. This natural method not only helps protect the beloved Arroyo but also offers a fascinating spectacle for attendees of all ages.

This free, family-friendly event promises a day filled with engaging activities designed to educate and entertain. Visitors can look forward to a charming goat petting zoo, providing a hands-on experience with the four-legged environmentalists. Educational talks with the goat herder will offer insights into their crucial work, while interactive booths, art projects, and outdoor programming from local partners will further enrich the experience.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Colburn Concerts Presents Trio Aeris for an Evening of Chamber Music

Three acclaimed artists from the Colburn School will perform works by Emmanuel, Debussy, Shostakovich, and more at Boston Court Pasadena

Pasadena is set to host an evening of chamber music as Colburn Concerts presents Trio Aeris at Boston Court Pasadena on Thursday, April 16. The program will feature flutist Martha Chan, clarinetist Andrea Caputo, and pianist Chi-Jo Lee in a performance built around works for flute, clarinet, and piano. The concert highlights a mix of early twentieth-century repertoire and contemporary composition, offering listeners a wide-ranging survey of chamber music styles.

The trio brings together artists with strong professional and academic credentials. Chan is an Artist Diploma candidate at the Colburn School and has received recognition in major flute competitions, including the Carl Nielsen International Flute Competition and the Donald Peck International Flute Competition. Caputo is an active orchestral musician who has been appointed Associate Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has performed with the Verbier Festival Orchestra. Lee, a pianist pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Colburn Conservatory of Music,

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

LA County Quality of Life Hits Record Low, UCLA Survey Finds

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County residents are less satisfied with their quality of life than at any point in more than a decade, according to a report being presented Wednesday at the UCLA Luskin Summit.

The 2026 Los Angeles County Quality of Life Index found the overall score dropped to a record low of 52, with six of the nine categories measured reaching their lowest levels on record and eight showing year-over-year declines.

“Los Angeles County residents’ rating of their quality of life has been in decline since the peak of the COVID pandemic,” Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA Luskin, said in a statement. “We’ve been through a lot in the last five years. COVID, increases in the cost of living, immigration sweeps, and the Altadena and Palisades fires have taken their toll on virtually every aspect of our lives.”

Among the lowest-rated areas in the survey were education, transportation and cost of living,

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Shepherd’s Door, Women Wealth Warriors to Host Survivor Empowerment Luncheon Thursday

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Shepherd’s Door and Women Wealth Warriors will host a financial empowerment and entrepreneurship awards luncheon Thursday honoring women who have overcome domestic violence, trauma and other hardships while working to rebuild their lives.

The event, “From Survive to Thrive,” will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 16 at the Robinson Park Community Center, 1081 Fair Oaks Blvd., and will recognize participants who have completed an eight-week financial literacy and entrepreneurship cohort designed to support long-term stability.

“The luncheon will highlight the importance of economic independence as a key step in recovery, while celebrating the progress of women who have transitioned from crisis toward self-sufficiency,” said Co-founder Tunisia Offray.

Participants bring not only professional goals, but also lived experience, strength and resilience, making the luncheon a reflection of healing and transformation.

The event, supported in part by Pasadena Federal Credit Union, will include lunch and opportunities for attendees to connect with community leaders,

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Older Americans Month Celebration Planned for Victory Park

The May 20 event is expected to feature live performances, fitness demonstrations, and dozens of exhibitors serving older residents

The Senior Commission is scheduled to review and approve updates to its work plan on Tuesday, including the latest planning details for the commission’s annual Older Americans Month celebration, a citywide event set for May 20 at Victory Park in Pasadena.

The event, planned from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is being organized by the commission’s Ad Hoc Committee on Objective #1, which includes Commissioners Chelsea Mason, Dion Ferguson, Katie Brandon, Mari Berkemeier, and Jeanine Hernandez. As a strictly advisory body to the City Council, the Senior Commission’s event planning is carried out in coordination with city staff and depends on city approvals and logistical support.

According to work plan updates presented at the commission’s March meeting, Commissioner Brandon reported that the event has secured 18 sponsors and in-kind supporters and has raised $16,900 to date, not including city support. Brandon stated that additional sponsorships are still being sought to support remaining event costs.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Caltech’s Theater Program Brings Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ to Pasadena, Reimagined in 1950s California

Theater Arts at Caltech, known as TACIT, will stage a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” April 23–26 at Ramo Auditorium on the Caltech campus.

Directed by Brian Brophy, TACIT’s longtime director, the production transplants Chekhov’s 1901 drama from provincial Russia to mid-1950s California. According to a production description posted by TACIT, the adaptation was co-created by the company and serves as “a fresh exploration between aspirations and reality, yearning for a better future, and the comic-tragic cost of inaction.”

Chekhov’s original play follows three sisters — Olga, Masha, and Irina — who are stuck in a small town far from Moscow, the city they associate with a more fulfilling life. Over the course of four acts, the characters grapple with stagnant careers, unhappy marriages, and the slow erosion of their hopes, never quite managing to act on the changes they say they want. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1901 and is considered one of the foundational works of modern drama.

Monday, April 13, 2026

Burned Into the Record: Altadena’s Fire Stories Reach a UCLA Classroom

A KBLA journalist who has spent a year reporting from the burn scar will deliver a guest lecture in a UCLA course co-anchored by the Altadena Historical Society and west Altadena’s Bob Lucas Memorial Library

The conversations James Farr has spent more than a year recording on the edges of Altadena’s burn scar — raw, unfiltered accounts from fire survivors and displaced families — are headed to a UCLA graduate classroom.

Farr, host of KBLA Talk 1580’s “Conversation Live: Altadena Rising,” will deliver a guest lecture Tuesday evening at UCLA as part of the university’s Urban Humanities Initiative, in collaboration with cityLAB-UCLA, according to a press release from KBLA. The graduate-level course draws on partnerships with the Altadena Historical Society and the Bob Lucas Memorial Library in west Altadena — two institutions that have been active in the effort to preserve what the Eaton Fire took and document what comes next. Historical Society president Veronica Jones said the invitation carries meaning for the community.

Monday, April 13, 2026

Guest Opinion | Chris Holden: I Wrote the Law That Was Supposed to Protect Altadena. The CPUC Broke It.

I grew up in Pasadena. I raised my family here. For more than 36 years I served this community, on the City Council, as Mayor, and in the State Assembly. I know the streets of Altadena. I know the families who lived on them.

On January 7, those streets burned. 19 people died. More than 9,000 structures were destroyed. The cause was a 102-year-old Southern California Edison transmission line, damaged in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and abandoned by Edison ever since, left standing above a canyon full of dry brush. California’s regulators had the power to address it. They chose not to.

I know this because I wrote the law that gave them the tools to do something about it.

In 2019, I authored Assembly Bill 1054. At the time, California’s largest utility, PG&E, had filed for bankruptcy after its equipment caused a series of catastrophic wildfires, including the 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85 people. With PG&E in bankruptcy,

Monday, April 13, 2026

Open Mic Night Returns to Callisto Tea House

Altadena Library collaboration brings community together for an evening of expression

The Callisto Tea House, in collaboration with the Altadena Library, is set to host its popular Open Mic Night on Monday, April 13, offering a vibrant platform for local talent and community engagement. This recurring event invites individuals of all ages and artistic genres to share their music, stories, and spoken word poetry in a supportive and encouraging atmosphere. The evening promises to be a celebration of creativity, where neighbors can gather to cheer on each other’s work.

The Open Mic Night has become a cherished tradition, fostering a sense of camaraderie and artistic expression within the Pasadena and Altadena communities. Participants are encouraged to bring their instruments, their voices, or their latest literary creations to the stage. The event emphasizes inclusivity, welcoming a diverse range of performances from seasoned artists to first-time presenters. It’s an opportunity to connect with fellow residents and experience the rich cultural tapestry of the area.