Thursday, December 4, 2025

Altadena Poets Laureate to Host “A Wall Is Just a Wall” Reading and Open Mic

Co-laureates Sarwar and Lennon create space for healing after Eaton Fire displacement

When Lester Graves Lennon was reportedly displaced from his Altadena home of more than 30 years by the January Eaton Fire, the losses extended far beyond physical devastation. He reflected on the emotional toll of loss and displacement.

This December, Lennon and co-laureate Sehba Sarwar are channeling that grief into healing through poetry. The Altadena Poets Laureate will host “A Wall Is Just a Wall + Open Mic,” an event drawing inspiration from Assata Shakur’s poem “Affirmation,” which declares “a wall is just a wall and nothing more at all. It can be broken down.”

The reading and open mic format offers Altadena residents a collective space to process the injustice, grief, and resilience following the devastating fires. Lennon, poetry editor for Rosebud magazine, and Sarwar, who founded Voices Breaking Boundaries, were honored with a 2025 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship specifically for their project “After the Fires: Healing from Histories.”

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Senator Sasha Renée Pérez Supports State Database Reporting ‘Illegal Activity’ by ICE

Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have launched a database to report “illegal activity“ by ICE. On Wednesday, Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena, issued a statement supporting the initiative.

“California is taking action to hold ICE accountable by tracking reports of misconduct and illegal activity by agents. This new database launched by the Governor and Attorney General will provide accountability by giving the public a way to file a complaint,” Pérez said.

“I have heard from so many community members who have witnessed aggressive and potentially illegal actions by ICE agents or people posing as immigration enforcement agents,” she said.

“That’s why I authored SB 805, the No Vigilantes Act, to help community members distinguish between law enforcement and people impersonating them by requiring law enforcement to display clear identification. This new state database can be an important tool for enforcing the No Vigilantes Act. California must be able to trust that law enforcement officials are actually who they claim to be and not imposters breaking the law to prey on innocent people.”

SB 805 was signed into law on September 20 and took effect immediately due to an urgency clause.

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Altadena Candle Light Vigil Memorial Plans Confirmed for Jan. 7, 2026

A memorial event marking the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire has been confirmed for Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, at 6 p.m., according to the Altadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association.

The event, formally titled the “Altadena Candle Light Vigil,“ is being organized by the Altadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association in partnership with community groups, so far including Intentional Talk Radio, Connect 2 Rise, and Kinfolks Helping Hands. These are local civic, media, and nonprofit organizations.

The vigil is intended as a solemn remembrance of the fire that began Jan. 7, 2025, claiming the lives of 19 civilians and destroying more than 9,400 homes and other structures. Organizers describe the gathering as a “first anniversary reflection event” to honor victims, support survivors, and provide space for community-wide reflection.

Planning at this stage suggests the observance will be community-wide across Altadena. Release of additional logistical details is expected soon.

While some community posts have urged residents to stand in front of their homes with battery-operated candles,

Thursday, December 4, 2025

USC Report: SoCal Rents Expected to Keep Rising Over Next 2 Years

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A lingering housing shortage will continue to fuel rent increases for the next two years across Southern California, according to an annual USC study released Wednesday.

According to the Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast released by the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, vacancy rates remain low at Southern California rental properties, hovering around 5% in Los Angeles County and 4% in Orange County.

The forecast noted that rent rose by just 0.5% in Los Angeles County this year, settling at an average of $2,336 as of October, according to the report. The vacancy rate was listed at 5.37% as of October. The report’s authors predicted that the average rent will rise by 0.64% over the each of the next two years, reaching an average of $2,350 by October 2027.

In Orange County, the average rent as of October was $2,776, with a vacancy rate of 3.84%. The report forecast annual rent growth of 2.52% in the county,

Thursday, December 4, 2025

LA County Commission to Release Annual Hate Crime Report Thursday

In 2023, reported hate crimes in Los Angeles County rose to their highest levels on record in 43 years, increasing by 45% compared to 2022 — and Thursday, county officials are set to release an analysis of data for 2024.

The Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission on Thursday will discuss the findings of its 2024 Report on Hate Crime in Los Angeles County. The information is collected from more than 100 law-enforcement agencies, school districts, colleges and universities, and community-based organizations throughout the region.

The report provides an analysis of crime data for 2024 based on race, sexual orientation, religion, gender and disability.

Ahead of Thursday’s announcement, county officials noted that hate crimes documented in 2024 remained high, with record-high crimes targeting Black residents, Israelis, Jewish people, Latino/as, LGBTQ+ individuals, Middle Easterners, Muslims, Scientologists and women.

More specific analyses and breakdowns are expected Thursday.

Helen Chin and Robin Toma, president and executive director of the commission, respectively,

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Survey: Californians Less Concerned About Homelessness

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

There are still people living on streets and sidewalks throughout the state, but Californians are starting to care a little less about the issue of homelessness, according to a recent survey.

Only 37% of Californians asked in October said they were “very concerned” about homelessness — down from 58% in 2019. Another 41% of Californians surveyed this year said they were “somewhat concerned.” That’s according to a survey of 1,707 people by the Public Policy Institute of California.

And while 20% of Californians said homelessness was the state’s top issue in 2020, just 6% said so this year. The drop was most notable in the Bay Area, where 28% of residents said they were very concerned about homelessness, compared to 63% in 2019.

Even so, most Californians still regularly see evidence of the homelessness crisis in their communities. More than half said they cross paths with an unhoused individual every day,

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Altadena Vistas Apartments, Homeless Services Funding Lead County Supervisors’ Dec. 9 Agenda

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday, Dec. 9, with a wide-ranging agenda that includes major housing appropriations, juvenile justice reforms, and local funding for Altadena Vistas Apartments. Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, is scheduled to participate in several items.

The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles. It will be televised Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 11 p.m. on KLCS. Supporting documents are available at the Executive Office and online at bos.lacounty.gov. Accessibility services, including ASL interpreters, Braille, and translation, are available upon request.

On the Los Angeles County Development Authority agenda, supervisors will consider authorizing up to $4.37 million in HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds for remediation and renovations at Altadena Vistas Apartments. The complex was damaged in the Eaton Fire, and the action would allow the Authority to execute loan documents and subordinate financing to support repairs.

Supervisors will vote on appropriation adjustments transferring more than $1.35 billion into the new Department of Homeless Services and Housing.

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Community Healing and Restoration Grant Initiative Brings $8 Million to Fire Survivors

The initiative prioritizes emotional, spiritual, and social recovery alongside physical rebuilding

Pasadena Community Foundation, in partnership with the California Community Foundation and other donors, on Wednesday announced $8 million in grants to more than 60 programs aiding survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. The Community Healing and Restoration Grant Initiative prioritizes emotional, spiritual, and social recovery alongside physical rebuilding.

PCF contributed $1 million to the partnership, supporting eight programs in their entirety and four with joint funding from CCF. In total, 11 programs in the Greater Pasadena area will benefit. The grants represent the latest round of aid from PCF’s Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund, launched Jan. 8. Together with its supporting organization, the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, PCF has distributed more than $20 million in fire response grants to date.

The initiative responds to findings from the California Community Foundation’s LA Wildfires Recovery Needs Assessment, which surveyed more than 630 community organizations in April. Survivors reported ongoing challenges with housing,

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Top SoCal Edison Leaders to Address Eaton Fire Compensation at Town Hall Hosted by Black Clergy

Edison International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro and Southern California Edison Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Funmi Williamson are scheduled to appear at a community town hall in Pasadena on Saturday, Dec. 6, according to an announcement from organizers.

Plans call for the meeting to run from 10 a.m. to noon at First AME Church, 1700 N. Raymond Ave., where Black clergy, community leaders, and residents will discuss Southern California Edison’s wildfire recovery compensation program, enacted to address the destruction caused by the Eaton Fire.

The announcement said the town hall will provide information about eligibility and claims processes for those directly affected, while also exploring ways to build long-term relationships between Edison and the local Black community.

Rev. Dr. Larry E. Campbell, pastor of First AME Pasadena, is scheduled to facilitate the event.

Topics listed on the agenda include accurate information about the compensation program, general eligibility and the claims process, and strategies for building a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Altadena Family to Break Ground on Rebuild After Eaton Fire

A groundbreaking ceremony titled “Return to Raymond” will be held Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 3271 North Raymond Avenue in Altadena, marking the start of reconstruction for a longtime resident whose home and Pilates studio were destroyed in the January Eaton Fire.

Rahban Development and the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce announced the event in a press release, noting it will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is intended to spotlight both the Etter family’s recovery and broader community rebuilding efforts.

The property belonged to Kelly Etter, a certified Pilates instructor and longtime Altadena resident, who lost both her home and boutique studio in the wind-driven wildfire. “The Eaton wildfire took my home and Pilates studio and shook my sense of safety, but the groundbreaking is our collective phoenix moment—proof that resilience, community, and hope rise higher than any flame,” Etter said.

The event will feature food, live music, and a local artist creating custom illustrations of homes lost in the fire,