Monday, December 8, 2025

School Board to Install Tina Fredericks as President Amid Fiscal Crisis

Leadership transition comes weeks after contentious budget cut vote

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education will install new leadership Monday evening, with Trustee Tina Fredericks set to become board president as the district navigates an ongoing fiscal emergency and continued recovery from the Eaton Fire.

The organizational meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m. at the district’s Hudson Avenue headquarters, will see Fredericks replace outgoing President Jennifer Hall Lee, who led the seven-member board through a divisive vote last month that slashed millions from the 2026-27 budget—eliminating dozens of positions.

Dr. Yarma Velázquez is slated to serve as vice president, with Trustee Patrice Marshall McKenzie as board clerk. Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco will continue as board secretary, according to the agenda.

The transition places new leadership at the helm of a district the Los Angeles County Office of Education has warned faces a “structural crisis,” with projected deficit spending of $149.4 million between 2025 and 2028.

Monday’s special meeting agenda contains no substantive policy items—only organizational business including approval of the 2026 meeting schedule,

Sunday, December 7, 2025

New Developer-Built Home is First of Eaton Fire Rebuild in Altadena

Nearly one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of homes across Altadena, the first developer-built home has been listed for sale.

The property at 3245 Arrowhead Drive is the first of 15 single-story homes planned by San Diego-based New Pointe Communities, a real estate development and building firm, and being marketed by Compass agents Jeff Salcido of Pasadena and Mark Marquez of San Diego.

It will go on the market for $1,899,990.

The coordinated New Pointe Communities rebuilding effort is among the largest currently underway in Altadena, with an estimated $20 million to $40 million in new housing inventory expected to reach the market over the next three months.

The first completed home is scheduled for move-in by February 2026.

Compass’s Pasadena office will host a “Caravan Cool Down + Meet the Builder” event at the Arrowhead Drive property on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is described in company materials as a “dusty shoe walkabout” offering a preview of construction activity throughout the cul-de-sac.

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Against the Odds, Altadena Holds 105th Christmas Tree Lane Lighting Ceremony

By EDDIE RIVERA

Memories and thousands of colorful bulbs light up Santa Rosa Avenue in Altadena on Saturday night

On a chilly Saturday evening, the deodar cedars of Santa Rosa Avenue — their branches once scorched by ash and wind, their nearby surroundings dotted with vacant lots and burned-out foundations — flickered back to life in a radiant green-and-white glow. For more than five blocks, from Mariposa Street to Woodbury Road, thousands of holiday bulbs emerged from the dark, flooding the historic lane in the warm, hopeful light of the 105th annual Christmas Tree Lane lighting ceremony.

It was more than a holiday spectacle. For many, Saturday’s light-up was defiance against loss and mourning after a trauma that nearly erased their town.

The tradition of illuminating Santa Rosa Avenue stretches back to 1920, when a local merchant and the Pasadena Kiwanis Club first strung electric lights along a short stretch of deodars originally planted in the 1880s. Today,

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Agency Extends No-Burn Order for Much of Southern California

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a No-Burn Alert Saturday, prohibiting wood burning in fireplaces and in all indoor or outdoor devices across four Los Angeles-area counties through at least Sunday.

The alert covers the South Coast Air Basin, including large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties except the High Desert and Coachella Valley.

“South Coast AQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited at any time on No-Burn Days,” the alert said.

Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems, the AQMD said. Fine particulate matter called PM2.5 can get deep into the lungs to cause asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

This is the seventh No-Burn Day the South Coast AQMD has issued in the 2025-26 season from September through the end of April for ozone,

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Black Clergy Host Southern California Edison Leaders at Pasadena Town Hall Today on Eaton Fire Compensation

Edison International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro and Southern California Edison Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Funmi Williamson are scheduled to speak today at a community town hall in Pasadena on wildfire compensation tied to the Eaton Fire, according to an announcement from organizers.

The meeting, hosted by the Black Clergy coalition and First AME Church Pasadena, is set for 10 a.m. to noon at 1700 N. Raymond Ave. Organizers said the event will provide information about Southern California Edison’s wildfire recovery compensation program, enacted to address destruction caused by the Eaton Fire.

Rev. Dr. Larry E. Campbell, pastor of First AME Pasadena, is scheduled to facilitate the discussion. The announcement said the agenda includes accurate information about the compensation program, general eligibility, the claims process, and strategies for building long-term relationships between Edison and the Black community. Southern California Edison has expressed a commitment to listening and engaging with residents.

Organizers described the town hall as an opportunity for homeowners, clergy,

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Pasadena Congresswoman Blasts CDC Panel Vote to End Universal Hepatitis B Vaccine for Newborns

Rep. Judy Chu, who represents Pasadena and surrounding communities in Congress, sharply criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after it voted 8-3 to eliminate the long-standing universal recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.

“Doctors, public health officials, and the scientific community agree that the Hepatitis B vaccine is safe, effective, and essential to protecting infants from a virus that can silently lead to lifelong liver disease, cirrhosis, and cancer,” Chu said in a statement released from Washington, D.C. “Changing this policy is reckless and dangerous. It will make America sicker.”

Chu, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, warned the decision would disproportionately affect Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

“This decision will also disproportionally impact the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community who make up only 7% of the U.S. population, yet account for 60% of chronic hepatitis B cases.

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Agency Declares No-Burn Day for Much of Southern California

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a No-Burn Alert effective Saturday, prohibiting wood burning in fireplaces and in all indoor or outdoor devices across four Los Angeles-area counties.

The alert covers the South Coast Air Basin, including large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties except the High Desert and Coachella Valley.

“South Coast AQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited at any time on No-Burn Days,” the alert said.

Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems, the AQMD said. Fine particulate matter called PM2.5 can get deep into the lungs to cause asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

This is the sixth No-Burn Day the South Coast AQMD has issued in the 2025-2026 season from September through the end of April for ozone, and from November through the end of February for fine particle pollution when air quality is forecast to be poor.

Saturday, December 6, 2025

LA County Public Health Affirms Hepatitis B Vaccine Guidelines

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Despite a vote Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee to remove a recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, Los Angeles County officials affirmed they will continue following existing state health guidelines.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it will adhere to the California Department of Public Health guidelines on hepatitis B vaccination, which recommends that all children receive hepatitis B vaccine as early as possible. There are no modifications to immunizations schedules or vaccine availability for county residents, at this time, according to officials.

For more than three decades, universal hepatitis B birth dose vaccination has been a cornerstone of perinatal hepatitis B prevention in the United States, according to DPH.

“As with all other immunizations, medical providers work with each family to ensure families are informed of the recommendations and reasoning for the vaccine before any medical services are provided to infants,” DPH said in a statement.

Saturday, December 6, 2025

First West Altadena Home Rebuilt After Eaton Fire Receives Certificate of Occupancy

Under Friday mornings’s clear skies and bright December sun, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger joined the Dyson family at their West Altadena property to celebrate a milestone many in the community have been longing to see: the first certificate of occupancy issued for a home fully rebuilt in West Altadena after the devastating Eaton Fire.

Throughout the morning, friends of the Dyson family—many of them fellow fire survivors—stopped by to offer congratulations, tour the new home, and draw inspiration for their own rebuilds.

“This house is a symbol of hope,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “Standing here today with the Dyson family reminds us that West Altadena can—and will—recover. Their resilience represents the spirit of this community. Their story deserves to be told and remembered.”

During the event, Supervisor Barger was joined by John, Darlina, and Deborah Dyson, along with Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.

Pestrella signed and issued the certificate of occupancy on site, marking the official return home for the Dyson family.

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Pasadena Educational Foundation to Award $323,552 in Grants to PUSD Teachers

Pasadena Unified School District teachers and principals will receive $323,552 in grants from the Pasadena Educational Foundation at the PEF Teacher Grants Celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at the Brookside Clubhouse, 1133 Rosemont Avenue, in the Arroyo.

The grants, supported by the College Football Playoff Foundation, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, Disney, Catching Hope Foundation, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, LA2050, Ares Management, and The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, will benefit thousands of students across Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.

This year’s awards also highlight the essential role teachers play in strengthening learning environments and student support following the Eaton Fire. More than 250 educators will be honored, representing 201 teacher-led projects across the district.

In addition to individual teacher awards, the celebration will recognize 12 school-wide grants, along with funding for PUSD Children’s Centers, Mental Health Services, Twilight Adult School, the Student Wellness department, and Health Programs.

Special recognitions include the Jarratt Brunson Memorial Award for Literacy, honoring a PEF founder who helped establish the Teacher Grant Program;