Friday, June 5, 2026

Pasadena Unified Sends Off Class of 2026 in Five Ceremonies at Civic Auditorium

Five ceremonies across two days at the Civic Auditorium sent off seniors from every district high school

The seniors who walked across the stage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium this week were juniors when the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena and took five of their district’s campuses with it.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the Pasadena Unified School District held five commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2026, graduating seniors from the Center for Independent Study, Rose City High School, Blair High School, John Muir High School, Thurgood Marshall Secondary School, and Pasadena High School. The ceremonies came less than 18 months after the January 7, 2025, fire destroyed five PUSD campuses in Altadena, closed schools for weeks, and displaced thousands of students across the district.

The two-day schedule began Wednesday, June 3, with a combined ceremony for the Center for Independent Study and Rose City High School at 2:00 p.m., followed by Blair High School at 6:00 p.m. Three more followed on Thursday,

Friday, June 5, 2026

Some Medi-Cal Dental Patients in Pasadena Face Coverage Loss on July 1

A state budget cut eliminates routine dental benefits for adults without satisfactory immigration status; emergency care will remain

Starting July 1, California will eliminate full-scope dental coverage for Medi-Cal members aged 19 and older who do not meet federal immigration requirements, according to the California Department of Health Care Services.

The cut, enacted as part of the state’s 2025–26 budget, will leave affected adults with coverage only for emergency dental procedures — treatment for severe pain, infections, and extractions. Routine preventive and restorative care will no longer be covered.

The Pasadena Public Health Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services have posted notices on social media alerting residents to the change and urging those affected to use their remaining benefits before the deadline.

The change applies to adults classified as having “unsatisfactory immigration status,” a category that includes undocumented individuals, green card holders with fewer than five years of residency, DACA recipients, holders of Temporary Protected Status,

Friday, June 5, 2026

Wells Fargo Extends Mortgage Forbearance to 27 Months for Eaton Fire Homeowners

Altadena residents with Wells Fargo mortgages can request the extension by contacting their servicer

Wells Fargo will extend mortgage forbearance to a total of 27 months for customers directly impacted by the January 2025 Eaton Fire, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced June 3 — offering Altadena homeowners up to 12 months of additional relief beyond what California law currently requires.

The extension means qualifying Wells Fargo customers who are still paying mortgages on fire-destroyed properties can pause those payments for a total of 27 months from the date of their original request. Homeowners must contact their Wells Fargo servicer to request the additional time. No forms are required, according to the EPA announcement.

Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena, welcomed the move in a statement issued the same day. “The extension of mortgage forbearance for wildfire survivors is welcome news for families who continue to navigate the long and difficult road to recovery following the Eaton Fire,”

Friday, June 5, 2026

California’s Population is Stagnating as Immigration and Birth Rates Decline

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

California’s population exploded during and immediately after World War II, from 6.9 million in 1940 to 19.9 million in 1970, thanks to waves of migrants from other states drawn to California’s surging economy and the famous postwar baby boom.

California absorbed its 13 million new residents by expanding its public infrastructure of schools, colleges, highways, parks and water systems and by welcoming immense private investment in new housing, new retail complexes, new factories and new office buildings.

Population growth slowed in the 1970s in the aftermath of the baby boom and as an economic evolution, from manufacturing to technology and services, changed the job market. The leading politician of the decade, Gov. Jerry Brown, declared that California had entered “an era of limits” and major infrastructure expansion was no longer needed.

However, the 1980s saw a new population surge, driven by immigration from other countries and a new baby boom. California’s population jumped by 6 million — 5-plus million of them babies — during the decade,

Friday, June 5, 2026

Dinosaurs Built From Bark and Branches Arrive at Descanso Gardens

The La Cañada Flintridge botanical garden opens a new installation of Cretaceous Period sculptures alongside its prehistoric plant collections

The dinosaurs have arrived at Descanso Gardens, and they are made of plants.

Life-sized sculptures of Cretaceous Period dinosaurs and early mammals — crafted from natural materials by the Kentucky-based studio Applied Imagination — went on display this week in the Train Garden and Ancient Forest at the 150-acre botanical garden in La Cañada Flintridge, about five miles from Pasadena. A three-day opening weekend running Friday through Sunday features fossil discovery tables, dinosaur puppet demonstrations from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and hands-on activities for children, all included with regular garden admission.

The sculptures will remain on display through the end of the year, according to the gardens’ event listing. But the opening weekend’s special programming — the puppet performances, the fossil tables, the Little Explorers children’s activities — runs only through Sunday.

Applied Imagination, which has been building what it calls “botanical architecture”

Friday, June 5, 2026

Altadena Community Center to Reopen Saturday With Free ‘New Beginnings’ Open House

Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger and the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs will host a free community open house Saturday, June 6, to welcome residents back to the newly renovated Altadena Community Center at 730 E. Altadena Drive.

The event, titled “New Beginnings,” runs from noon to 4 p.m. and marks what DCBA describes in a press release as the reopening of a longstanding community gathering place being reimagined as a resident-focused service hub for Altadena. It is part of DCBA’s yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary and is the first community open house at the Center under DCBA operations, which began January 1, 2025 — just days before the Eaton Fire.

According to the press release, visitors will be able to tour the facility, meet representatives from County departments and community organizations, receive free blood pressure and glucose screenings, enjoy complimentary refreshments, and learn about resources to support recovery and rebuilding efforts following the Eaton Fire. The event will also give residents an opportunity to share feedback that DCBA says will help shape the Center’s future programming and services.

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Over 700,000 Los Angeles County Primary Ballots Remain Uncounted

More than 700,000 ballots from Los Angeles County’s June 2 statewide direct primary election remain uncounted, the county’s elections office reported late Wednesday, meaning the count released so far is officially preliminary and any close contests could still shift as the remaining ballots are processed.

That’s not an issue when it comes to Pasadena City Councilmember races, which Pasadena Now called on election night itself. Incumbents Vice Mayor Jess Rivas and Councilmembers Justin Jones and Jason Lyon each won handily.

Dean C. Logan, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, announced the update included 77,521 ballots processed since election night, and the total count now stands at 1,395,987 — 23.69 percent of registered voters, the office said.

But the count is far from over. The office put its preliminary estimate of outstanding ballots at 713,180 — roughly a third of the more than 2.1 million ballots received countywide so far, counted and outstanding combined. The overwhelming majority are mailed: an estimated 700,000 Vote by Mail ballots,

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Altadena-Raised Grammy Winner Joins Pasadena POPS for Summer Arboretum Series

Jazz vocalist Carmen Bradford headlines the July 25 Rat Pack concert as the POPS opens a five-show season under a new conductor

The Pasadena POPS opens its 2026 Rusnak Summer Concert Series on June 20 at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, launching five outdoor evenings of orchestral music under Resident Pops Conductor Larry Blank — the organization’s first season without Michael Feinstein leading the POPS after a tenure the Pasadena Symphony Association describes as spanning more than a decade.

Among this summer’s performers is Carmen Bradford, who grew up in Altadena and won a Grammy Award in 2024 as a featured vocalist on “Basie Swings the Blues” with the Count Basie Orchestra. Bradford performs July 25 in “A Toast to the Rat Pack,” alongside jazz vocalists Steve Lippia and Todd Murray in a program of songs associated with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Blank, a Broadway composer, conductor, and orchestrator who has been nominated three times each for the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award,

Thursday, June 4, 2026

PUSD Cancels June Meetings Tied to Schools Consolidation

The Pasadena Unified School District announced it has canceled several June meetings tied to its school consolidation process after the Board of Education voted against accepting a draft Equity Impact Analysis report in late May.

The district emailed the school community Wednesday, June 3 with information about changes to the upcoming school board meeting schedule.

At its May 28 meeting, the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education voted 6-1 against accepting the draft Equity Impact Analysis report presented as part of the school consolidation process.

As a result, previously scheduled public hearings, a board retreat related to the report and board action on the process will not proceed as previously planned, according to the district.

“The district and Board are taking time to consider the best path forward as we continue planning for our district’s long-term future,” the email said.

The June 11 public hearing on the draft Equity Impact Analysis Report has been canceled. The district noted that public hearings on the LCAP and the budget will take place as scheduled.

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Pasadena Nonprofit Seeks Backpacks and Supplies for 400 Students Before August Distributions

Friends In Deed’s annual drive serves families from its Food Pantry, with donation deadlines starting July 24

Friends In Deed is seeking donations to provide backpacks and school supplies to more than 400 students from its Food Pantry community, the Pasadena nonprofit said in a press release. Distributions are scheduled for two consecutive Saturdays August 1 and August 8 at the organization’s headquarters at 444 E. Washington Blvd.

The annual Back-to-School Backpack & Supply Drive targets children from low-income families in the Pasadena and Altadena areas, according to the press release. The supply list is recommended by schools in both communities. Last year, the organization distributed more than 400 backpacks and fully stocked supply bags, according to Friends In Deed; this year it is asking the community to match or exceed that number.

“There is nothing quite like handing a kid a backpack filled with everything they need for the year ahead,” said Tim Nistler, Director of the Food Pantry at Friends In Deed.