Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Supervisors to Vote Today on Barger’s $20,000 Reward in Jewish Center Mural Vandalism Case

CITY NEWS SERVICE

County supervisors Tuesday will consider a motion by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to offer a $20,000 reward for information leading to the person or people responsible for vandalizing a mural at the site of the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center that burned in last year’s Eaton Fire.

The mural in the 1400 block of North Altadena Drive was vandalized with swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti sometime on July 24, which was a Friday, according to the county sheriff’s department.

The mural, depicting an orange poppy as a symbol of hope, was produced by artist Miriam Hellmann, the Art Over Hate Collective, the Sparks of Kindness Youth Fund and religious school students, volunteers and community members. It was created earlier this year in response to an act of vandalism in which antisemitic graffiti was painted on a wall of the fire-damaged center.

“An attack motivated by hate against one community is an attack against us all,” Barger said in a statement after introducing her reward motion.

Monday, August 3, 2026

Elias Qualifies to Challenge Bailey for PUSD District 3 Seat

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Veronica Elias has qualified to challenge incumbent Michelle Richardson Bailey for the Pasadena Unified School District District 3 seat, setting up a November contest for one of four Board of Education seats on this year’s ballot.

According to the City Clerk’s office, Elias filed her nomination papers and qualified for the Nov. 3 election on July 30. Richardson Bailey had taken out nomination papers but had not filed or qualified as of the latest posting.

The field continues to shape up as the district struggles through several public relations crises. Several board members have been accused of corruption and violating the Ralph M. Brown Act, which governs open meetings. The district is currently in litigation against the city over the district’s efforts to cut down nearly 200 trees across the district.

District 3 is one of four Pasadena Unified board seats up for election this year.

In District 1, incumbent Kimberly Kenne qualified for the ballot July 24.

Monday, August 3, 2026

Guest Opinion | Calmatters’ Cathy Cockrum Dean: California Voters Have Approved Billions Of Dollars In Bonds. Why Don’t We Track Results?

By Cathy Cockrum Dean, CALMATTERS

Californians have consistently invested in new government programs. Over the past quarter century, voters have approved tens of billions of dollars in state bonds to build schools, improve water systems, address climate risks, expand housing opportunities and strengthen public infrastructure. Those investments shape daily life across our state.

Yet years after the votes are counted and projects are underway, it can be surprisingly difficult to answer a simple question: Did we get the results we were promised?

California has long tracked how bond dollars are spent, to guard against waste and fraud. We have yet to consistently measure whether those investments achieved the outcomes voters expected.

That distinction matters. Since 2000, the state has issued $196 billion in general obligation bonds and now has $81.8 billion bonds outstanding. This fiscal year alone the state will spend nearly $8.6 billion servicing bond debt.

These investments support priorities Californians overwhelmingly value,

Monday, August 3, 2026

Two Weeks of Free Math Studies at PCC Open a Path to Priority Registration

Finishing the opening session of the Math Success Center’s summer bridge satisfies one condition of the CAP² track, which leads to a late-start Math 004Z section

Four days of radicals and rational expressions at Pasadena City College this week are the opening conditions for a place near the front of the registration line.

The college’s Math Success Center opened the first of two free weeks of its Summer and Winter Bridge Workshops on Monday at the campus at 1570 East Colorado Boulevard, with the second to follow August 10 through 13.

The sessions review algebra and trigonometry for students heading into College Algebra, Precalculus or first-semester Calculus. Students entering CAP², a track that carries priority registration for a late-start Math 004Z section, must attend the first week, including all of the opening day, according to PCC’s Mathematics Division.

Fall classes begin August 24.

The workshops are free lectures and practice covering key concepts in algebra and trigonometry,

Monday, August 3, 2026

Westbrook Foundation’s Free Basketball Camp Draws More Than 100 Kids to Altadena’s Loma Alta Park

More than 100 young basketball players from across the San Gabriel Valley turned out at Loma Alta Park in Altadena on Friday, July 31, for a free youth basketball camp run by Russell Westbrook’s Why Not? Foundation, with Westbrook leading the training at the park.

The Altadena session ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave., and was the second that Westbook held over two days. The first was held Thursday, July 30, at the Russell Westbrook Community Court at Jesse Owens Park in South Los Angeles.

The Altadena camp was free for every participant and open to boys and girls ages 7 to 14. The foundation described the 2026 sessions as its 13th annual summer camp and part of a broader effort that has welcomed more than 1,000 young people over the years.

Westbrook said his goal is to reach young people consistently.

“Just to inspire and impact people,”

Monday, August 3, 2026

Touching Lives: Cancer Survivors and Caregivers Turn Their Stories Into Art

Cancer Support Community, founded in Pasadena in 1990, says a portion of sales will return to the free classes that produced the pieces

Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley is partnering with the Baldwin Avenue Gallery to present Touching Lives: Embracing Strength Through Art in the Face of Cancer, a three-week art exhibition celebrating the strength, creativity, and resilience of individuals whose lives have been impacted by cancer.

Running from esarly next month (September 3–26), the exhibition showcases original artwork created by cancer survivors, caregivers, and others affected by cancer. Featuring paintings, photography, ceramics, fiber arts, mixed media, and sculpture, the collection reflects deeply personal stories of healing, hope, perseverance, and connection.

The exhibition is the culmination of a series of art workshops held throughout the year at CSC. Led by local artists and volunteers, these workshops provided participants with a welcoming space to process their cancer experiences through creative expression. Many of the works on display were created during these classes.

Monday, August 3, 2026

Blood Drive at the Collaboratory Arrives During Only the Second National Blood Supply Crisis in Red Cross History

Pasadena Village, the Eaton Fire Collaborative and the American Red Cross are co-hosting Monday’s drive in Altadena, and free rides are available

The American Red Cross has applied the word crisis to the national blood supply for only the second time in the organization’s history, after the supply fell nearly 25% in June and summer donations dropped to a four-year low, according to a Red Cross release issued July 27.

On Monday, three organizations will open a donation site in Altadena together.

Pasadena Village, the Eaton Fire Collaborative and the Red Cross are co-hosting a drive at the Collaboratory, the community hub at 540 W. Woodbury Road that opened in October 2025 as the physical home of the Eaton Fire Collaborative’s recovery operations. Organizers say they need 25 donors for the drive to meet its goal, according to the Pasadena Village event listing.

The Eaton Fire, which ignited January 7, 2025, destroyed more than 9,000 structures across Altadena,

Monday, August 3, 2026

Jade Marlin Foundation to Give Away Free Backpacks in Pasadena on August 15

By THERESE EDU

School supplies and face painting offered at 900 N. Lake Ave.; children must attend to receive a backpack

The Jade Marlin Foundation will hand out free backpacks and school supplies at a Pasadena giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 15, one of several back-to-school events across the region as families prepare for the new school year.

The Pasadena-based nonprofit will run the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 900 N. Lake Ave., the North Lake Avenue site where it has held past giveaways. Children must be present to receive a backpack, according to the foundation’s event listing and regional back-to-school guides.

The giveaway will also include free face painting for children, according to a back-to-school guide published by LA Magazine and the foundation’s own listing on Eventbrite, where families are asked to register in advance.

A promotional flyer distributed by the foundation lists the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area, Wescom Financial, the County of Los Angeles and the Pasadena Community Job Center as sponsors,

Sunday, August 2, 2026

Chris Holden’s Block Party Marks 27th Year, Focused On Eaton Fire Recovery

The 500 block of East Jackson Street in Pasadena closed to traffic Saturday afternoon, Aug. 1, for a neighborhood block party that has drawn residents from across the city for three decades.

The free event ran from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. between Los Robles Avenue and El Molino Avenue. Former Pasadena Mayor Chris Holden has hosted it since his years on the Pasadena City Council. This year it was presented by LA Fire Justice, the Pasadena-based legal and community advocacy coalition Holden leads as chief executive.

Organizers billed the gathering as the 27th. Holden said the count is probably low.

“Now you fast forward to what we’re calling the 27th, but I think in reality, this is probably the 30th,” he said. “We just lost some time along the way.”

The program was organized around recovery from the Eaton Fire, the January 2025 wildfire that devastated Altadena and damaged parts of Pasadena and Sierra Madre.

Sunday, August 2, 2026

League of Women Voters to Brief Commission on Voter Outreach and Election Security

A civic engagement presentation prepared for the Aug. 5 meeting covers ballot access, election safeguards and how to spot misinformation

The League of Women Voters is scheduled to present a civic engagement briefing to the Commission on the Status of Women when the commission meets Aug. 5, walking members through voter outreach strategy, election security procedures and techniques for identifying misinformation online.

Martha Zavala, League Past President and Voter Services Director, is scheduled to deliver the presentation as an information item under New Business. The commission may take action on any item listed on it as it deems appropriate following consideration and discussion of the matter.

The presentation, titled “Engaging Voters & Why Informed Women Are Shaping What’s Next,” is subtitled a guide to showing up, speaking up and protecting rights at the ballot box, and is labeled a 2026 civic engagement briefing carrying the tagline “Every Voice. Every Vote.”

The opening section argues that being an informed voter is a form of power,