Monday, March 31, 2025

Pasadena School Board Faces Mounting Pressure Over Teacher Cuts

Hundreds rallied last week against layoffs which will affect educators displaced by Eaton Fire

Hundreds of teachers and community members rallied outside Pasadena Unified School District headquarters to protest planned layoffs of 120 teachers, a move the demonstrators say will further devastate a community still struggling to recover from the Eaton Fire.

The March 27 protest, organized by United Teachers Pasadena (UTP), coincided with a regularly scheduled Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education meeting and drew television and radio media outlets as protesters lined both sides of Del Mar Avenue holding signs, blowing whistles and chanting slogans.

“We’re here at the Board meeting to voice our opposition to the cuts,” said UTP President Jonathan Gardner. “We believe it’s already harming our schools. We can see the drop in morale and all the different impacts this is already having.”

The layoffs are part of Pasadena Unified School District’s response to a $37 million budget deficit, exacerbated by declining enrollment and the expiration of COVID relief funds,

Monday, March 31, 2025

Pasadena Unified, County, State Offices Closed, But City of Pasadena’s Open, For César Chávez Day Monday

Most state and many County offices will be closed for César Chávez Day on Monday, March 31, but all City of Pasadena departments will be open and ready to serve the public.

Pasadena Unified School District schools will close Monday to honor Chávez. Pasadena City College will also be closed for the holiday.

All banks in Pasadena are open on Monday and all U.S. mail services will be operational. The Pasadena Post Office will open.

In Los Angeles County, all courts, libraries and schools are normally closed for César Chávez Day but Eaton Fire-related recovery services will continue.

César Chávez Day is not among the 11 public holidays each year during which Pasadena suspends all non-essential City services.  The full list is on the City’s website.

The state of California has regularly observed César Chávez Day since 2000 by closing schools and state offices even before President Barack Obama proclaimed it as a federal commemorative holiday in 2014.

Monday, March 31, 2025

Bailey’s Place Foundation to Host Eaton Fire Recovery Event, Aims to Raise $400,000

Resource event in Pasadena will also raise funds for families, rebuilding, and scholarships

Nonprofit Bailey’s Place Open Door Foundation plans to rally community members at “Together We Rebuild: Eaton Fire Recovery,” a resource and fundraising event set for Saturday, May 10. Held at Friendship Pasadena Church, the event seeks to raise $400,000 — $300,000 to support essential expenses for fire-affected families and $100,000 in scholarships for first-time college students at John Muir High School and Pasadena High School.

“Our venue, Friendship Pasadena Church, is the oldest Black church in Pasadena and a historic landmark where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke—a fitting location to unite the community in strength and resilience,” event organizers pointed out in a statement.

The event, scheduled for 9 a.m. through 3 p.m., will offer various services including rebuilding assistance with guidance for homeowners on financial aid, insurance claims, and construction resources; fire prevention and home safety information; financial relief resources and counseling services, according to organizers.

Monday, March 31, 2025

Symposium to Address Housing Crisis for Thousands Displaced by Eaton Fire

Community coalition organizes expert panels, resource fair for residents seeking interim housing solutions

A local coalition will host a symposium this week aimed at developing immediate housing solutions for thousands of residents still displaced by the devastating Eaton Fire.

The Altadena Coalition announced the Interim Housing Symposium will take place Wednesday, April 2 from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at their headquarters at 409 E. Woodbury Road in Altadena.

Former Pasadena Mayor and State Assemblymember Chris Holden will host the fair.

The event comes as thousands of locals remain without stable housing in the wake of the Eaton Fire evacuations. Thousands face potential homelessness without proper intervention, according to organizers.

“Our goal is to prevent mass homelessness by crafting practical, inclusive, and scalable solutions—especially for renters, uninsured families, and multigenerational households excluded from traditional recovery programs,” the coalition said in its announcement.

The symposium will feature a resource fair designed to connect attendees with local,

Monday, March 31, 2025

Newsom Signs Executive Order to Accelerate Underground Utility Placement

By André Coleman, Managing Editor

Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order late last week that will speed up the recovery of communities devastated by the January fires in Los Angeles County, including Altadena, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades.

The order suspends certain permitting and review requirements to expedite the rebuilding of utility and telecommunication infrastructure, including efforts to bury power lines underground.

“We are determined to rebuild Altadena, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades stronger and more resilient than before,” Newsom said. “Speeding up the pace that we rebuild our utility systems will help get survivors back home faster and prevent future fires. California’s electric utilities must be part of the solution to this problem.”

Some local residents in Altadena are in the early stages of the rebuilding process after the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of homes in that area. Additionally, 17 people were killed, and thousands of acres were burned.

Since the fire, some residents have called for utility wires to be placed underground.

Monday, March 31, 2025

Hearing Date to Be Set for Alleged Eaton Fire Looters

Pair accused of burglarizing evacuated homes faces felony charges

A preliminary hearing date is scheduled to be set Tuesday, April 1 at 8:30 a.m. for two defendants charged with looting homes during January’s devastating Eaton Fire in Altadena.

Lucia Jilrara Perez, 36, and Rudy Salazar, 19, face two counts each of first-degree residential burglary. The scheduling hearing will take place in Department H of the Pasadena Courthouse at 300 E. Walnut St.

Prosecutors allege the pair entered two evacuated homes and stole property on Jan. 8, 2025, at approximately 2:30 p.m., while mandatory evacuation orders were in effect due to the wildfire. They were apprehended while allegedly attempting to enter a third residence.

The defendants pleaded not guilty during their arraignment on Jan. 10, 2025, at the Pasadena Courthouse.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has emphasized the severity of crimes committed during emergencies and has vowed to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Church to Distribute Financial Aid to Eaton Fire Victims Today

LIFT International Church offering support to affected community members

LIFT International Church announced it will distribute financial aid today to community members affected by the recent Eaton Fire.

The distribution will take place at 11 a.m. as part of LIFT’s newly launched Financial Aid Support Program. The church is located on the Westminster Presbyterian Campus at 1757 N. Lake Avenue in Pasadena.

Qualified applicants who have submitted their information through the LIFT International portal will receive funds to address immediate needs, helping to alleviate financial strain and promote financial stability resulting from the wildfire that impacted the Altadena and Pasadena communities.

“At LIFT International Church, we believe in the strength of community and the importance of providing support where it’s needed most,” said Dr. Anthony McFarland, pastor of LIFT International Church. “This financial aid program is a testament to our commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of our community members.”

The initiative reflects the church’s ongoing commitment to empowering and uplifting individuals in need of support and care as the aftermath of the California Wildfire,

Sunday, March 30, 2025

LA County Schedules Weekly Meeting on Eaton Fire Recovery

Supervisor Barger to update residents on rebuilding efforts Monday

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger will host the next weekly community meeting on Eaton Fire recovery efforts on Monday at 4 p.m., with updates on debris removal, permitting and rebuilding support.

The meeting, which will be held both virtually and in-person to maximize accessibility, continues a series of sessions that have served as a forum for residents affected by the fire to receive information and submit questions about recovery resources.

“I encourage you to submit questions ahead of time by Sunday, March 30 at 1 p.m. so we can make sure to answer them and provide you with the latest information about recovery,” Barger said in a statement.

Previous meetings have addressed concerns about delays in debris removal, affordability of rebuilding and issues with evacuation alerts that contributed to fatalities in west Altadena. Barger has used the platform to provide updates on expedited permitting through a one-stop center in Altadena and plans for modernizing infrastructure to enhance resilience against future disasters.

Friday, March 28, 2025

California Lawmakers Seek to Change CEQA (Again)

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

A handful of legislators rallied near the state Capitol Thursday to promote what they’re calling an “extremely unsexy,” but important, bipartisan bill package intended to put California’s housing development into overdrive.

But one bill stands out for its potential to turn a landmark state environmental law on its head.

As CalMatters’ Ben Christopher explains, a proposal by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks would exempt most urban housing developments from the California Environmental Quality Act. Known as CEQA, the law requires government agencies to review and disclose the environmental impact of any public project, including new housing developments.

If the bill by the Oakland Democrat becomes law, it would mean:

• No more environmental lawsuits over proposed apartment buildings;
• No more legislative debates over which projects should be exempted from CEQA;
• Environmental justice advocates, construction unions and anti-development neighborhood groups can’t use CEQA to delay development.

Friday, March 28, 2025

PUSD Board Grapples with Teacher Layoffs, Fire Recovery in Marathon Meeting

Altadena Arts Magnet likely to remain at temporary campus amid safety concerns following Eaton Fire

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education dealt with contentious issues surrounding teacher layoffs and fire recovery during a marathon 6-hour Thursday night public meeting that stretched past midnight.

Dozens of teachers, students and parents packed the Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room to protest the District’s decision to lay off 115 teachers, with many speakers urging the Board to reconsider the cuts.

“These layoffs are harming us, the students, because of all the drastic changes happening in our lives right now,” wrote student Consuelo Martinez in a journal entry read during public comment. “Many teachers have lost their homes and now the District is saying they might have to take their jobs away too.”

The Board also discussed a measure allowing Altadena Arts Magnet School to remain at its temporary Allendale Elementary campus until January 2026, responding to parent and staff concerns about returning to their original campus that sits near areas devastated by the January Eaton Fire.