Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Altadena Artist’s Glass Memorial to Eaton Fire Home Opens in Manhattan at Whitney Biennial

A 13-foot chimney built from 821 cast glass bricks recreates the sole structure surviving the January 2025 blaze

A glass reconstruction of the chimney that was the only structure left standing after the Eaton Fire destroyed Kelly Akashi’s Altadena home is now on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, part of the 82nd Whitney Biennial running through August 23.

The installation, titled “Monument (Altadena),” places the community’s fire loss explicitly on a national stage. Akashi, 43, is an associate professor in the Graduate Art program at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. Her colleague Ei Arakawa-Nash, a core faculty member in the same program since 2022, will also, separately, represent Japan at the 61st Venice Biennale with an exhibition opening May 9.

Both faculty members are now presenting work simultaneously at the Venice Biennale and Whitney Biennial.

Akashi’s Altadena home, a Spanish Colonial bungalow she purchased in 2021, burned in the Eaton Fire in January 2025,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

County Approves $5 Million to Help Wildfire-Displaced Renters Buy Homes

The state-funded program offers up to $200,000 in down payment assistance, but could serve as few as 25 households

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved nearly $5 million in state funds to provide down payment assistance to households displaced by the January 2025 wildfires, creating a homeownership pathway for renters in Altadena and other fire-impacted communities.

The motion, introduced by Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, authorizes the Los Angeles County Development Authority to accept $4,999,675 through the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s CalHome Program, according to a press release from Barger’s office. Eligible households may receive up to $200,000 or 40% of a home’s purchase price, whichever is lower.

The program’s disaster provisions expand income eligibility to households earning up to 150% of the Area Median Income — approximately $159,900 per year for a family of four in Los Angeles County, the press release states. That threshold is notably broader than LACDA’s existing homebuyer programs,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

90-Day Effort to Develop Anti-Copper Theft Strategy Underway for Pasadena, Altadena

The countywide effort formalizes coordination among law enforcement, utilities, and local jurisdictions after thieves stole 6½ miles of wire from Pasadena streetlights

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously approved a motion directing county departments to develop a coordinated strategy against copper wire, catalytic converter, and non-ferrous metal theft across the region.

The motion, authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn, calls for a report within 90 days outlining prevention strategies, enforcement improvements, and the projected impact of metal theft on upcoming international events, according to a press release from the supervisors’ offices. The directive aims to consolidate previously fragmented efforts into a unified framework aligned with AB 476, the state law that took effect January 1, 2026, strengthening penalties for metal theft and regulation of scrap metal recyclers.

The action carries particular weight for Pasadena and Altadena, both in Barger’s 5th Supervisorial District. Thieves have stolen 6½ miles of copper from Pasadena’s streetlight system since January 2023,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

LA County Warns of E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Raw Cheese Sold at Pasadena Retailers

Health officials say four of seven patients nationwide are 3 years old or younger; California dairy company declined FDA’s recall request

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Tuesday warned residents to discard RAW FARM-brand raw cheddar cheese after federal investigators linked the product to a multistate E. coli outbreak that has sickened seven people, including two in LA County.

Four of the seven patients are 3 years old or younger, according to the FDA. Two have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported

The cheese has reportedly been sold at Sprouts Farmers Market at 39 N. Rosemead Blvd. and Erewhon Market at 475 S. Lake Ave. in Pasadena, according to prior county health notices, though it has not been confirmed whether the product remains on shelves at those locations.

RAW FARM, LLC, a Fresno-based dairy company, declined the FDA’s request to voluntarily recall the cheese. It is the first time in the company’s history it has refused such a request,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

LA County Proclaims Public Defense Day, Honoring Right to Counsel at Pasadena Offices

The Board of Supervisors recognizes the 1963 Gideon v. Wainwright decision that guarantees free legal representation to those who cannot afford it

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed March 18, 2026, as Public Defense Day, recognizing the constitutional right to legal counsel and the public defenders who uphold it at offices across the county, including two branches in Pasadena.

The proclamation, authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn, commemorates the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1963 decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, which established that states must provide attorneys to criminal defendants who cannot afford one, according to an LA County Board of Supervisors press release. The LA County Public Defender operates a Pasadena office at 300 E. Walnut St., and the Alternate Public Defender maintains a branch at 221 E. Walnut St., both near the Pasadena Courthouse.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Gideon that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel is a fundamental right applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Senator Pérez Names Eaton Fire Advocate Joy Chen as 2026 Woman of the Year

The recognition highlights Chen’s role building a 10,000-member survivor network from a post-fire WhatsApp group in Altadena

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) honored Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, as the 2026 Woman of the Year for Senate District 25 during a ceremony on the California Senate Floor.

Chen was recognized for transforming a post-fire WhatsApp group into what EFSN describes as the nation’s largest fire survivor recovery network, now connecting more than 10,000 Eaton, Palisades and Malibu fire survivors and allies, according to the organization’s website.

The network says it has helped unlock over $100 million in delayed insurance payouts deposited into survivor accounts during its first year.

The annual Woman of the Year program, founded in 1987 and organized by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, recognizes 120 women statewide each March — one from each of the state’s 40 Senate and 80 Assembly districts.

Pérez presented Chen with a framed resolution during the ceremony,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Pasadena Assemblymember Urges State Budget Funding for Eaton Fire Soil Testing

Harabedian tells budget panel that fire survivors need contamination data to decide whether to return home

Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) urged state lawmakers at a recent budget hearing to include funding for comprehensive soil contamination testing in the state budget, arguing that Eaton Fire survivors in Pasadena and Altadena cannot make informed decisions about returning home without it.

The push highlights a gap between the scale of contamination risk and the testing resources available. The Eaton Fire destroyed 9,414 structures, according to Cal Fire damage assessments, yet the EPA has committed to testing soil at only 100 properties, according to an EPA press release issued in January 2026. LA County allocated up to $3 million for lead testing through its Lead Paint Hazard Mitigation Program, according to the LA County Department of Public Health, but that program was expected to run through December 2025.

“The state has already allocated two and a half billion dollars for Los Angeles wildfire recovery,”

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

PUSD Students Take the Stage in Eight Spring Musicals Across Pasadena and Altadena

The spring musical season at Pasadena Unified School District opens this week, with eight middle and high school productions set to run across Pasadena and Altadena through May 15, 2026.

The district’s annual lineup spans eight campuses, eight titles, and nearly two months of performances — beginning Thursday at Thurgood Marshall Secondary School, which will present Alice By Heart March 19-21. In Altadena, Eliot Arts Magnet will mount Bring It On! The Musical March 26-28, giving that community its own moment in the season. The Altadena middle school’s production is among the most closely watched events of the spring lineup: Eliot was among the schools directly affected by the January 2025 Eaton Fire, according to a statement on the school’s own website.

The full 2026 schedule, as announced by PUSD, is:

• Thurgood Marshall Secondary School — Alice By Heart, March 19-21
• Eliot Arts Magnet (Altadena) — Bring It On! The Musical,

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

PUSD School Consolidation Survey Closes Wednesday as Advisory Committee Narrows Options

Residents have two days to weigh in on priorities; nine schools already removed from consideration

The Pasadena Unified School District’s community survey on potential school consolidation closes Wednesday, March 18, giving families across Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre two days to submit input on a process that could reshape the district by the 2027-28 school year.

The “Transforming PUSD” survey, which opened March 3 and was extended by Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco, seeks community priorities as a 33-member advisory committee evaluates options to address the district’s projected $30 to $35 million budget shortfall for 2026-27. The survey is one of several input channels; the district also planned two town halls, seven committee meetings open to the public, and Board of Education meetings with public comment, according to district materials.

The Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee voted March 9 to remove nine schools from the list under consideration for closure or consolidation. Those schools include John Muir High School, Pasadena High School,

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

County Board Mulls Extending Rent Protections, Approving Pasadena Humane Deal for Altadena

Nearly $5 million in state homebuyer aid and continued fire-recovery contracts also on Tuesday’s agenda

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on extending anti-price-gouging protections for wildfire-displaced renters and formalizing a no-cost agreement with Pasadena Humane to continue animal care and control services in Altadena and surrounding unincorporated communities.

The items are among several on the March 17 agenda that directly affect Altadena residents still contending with the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, which destroyed more than 9,400 structures beginning January 7, 2025. The Board will also consider accepting nearly $5 million in state funds for homebuyer downpayment assistance, adopting new street sweeping traffic regulations in Altadena, and continuing emergency fire-recovery contracts.

The price gouging extension, submitted by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, would push protections through April 28, 2026, under California Penal Code Section 396. The provision caps rent increases at 10 percent above pre-emergency levels and prohibits excessive hotel and motel rates. The motion also proposes raising the rental price formula for housing not rented within one year before the emergency from 160 percent to 200 percent of fair market rent set by the U.S.