Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Trade Show for Fire Survivors This Weekend

Event aims to help families displaced by Eaton Fire explore rebuilding options

Fire survivors in Altadena will have access to rebuilding resources at a community trade show this weekend.

The Altadena Rebuild Trade Show will take place Sunday, Aug. 3, at Loma Alta Park Gymnasium. The free event runs from noon to 4 p.m.

Multiple community organizations are hosting the trade show for families displaced by the Eaton Fire. Attendees can examine building materials, architectural displays and design concepts.

The event differs from typical information fairs. Visitors will be able to touch and see physical rebuilding solutions rather than just read about them.

Day One is organizing the trade show. The group aims to provide hope and confidence to residents facing post-disaster recovery challenges.

The event will showcase affordable rebuilding options and fire hardening techniques. Long-term recovery support and expert guidance will also be available.

Eight local organizations are partnering for the event: the Altadena Rotary Club,

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

LA County Board to Receive Weekly Budget Updates Amid Fiscal Crisis

New standing agenda item aims to boost transparency as county faces multi-billion-dollar pressures

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will begin receiving weekly budget updates during regular meetings as the county grapples with severe fiscal challenges.

Board Chair Kathryn Barger announced the new standing agenda item Tuesday. Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport will deliver the weekly reports.

The updates will provide real-time information about the county’s financial condition and will also address the impacts of potential spending cuts.

“Understanding the County’s financial standing in real time is critical for us to make responsible, informed decisions,” Barger said.

The supervisor said the weekly briefings would keep both board members and the public informed about fiscal realities. She emphasized the county’s commitment to transparency during difficult financial times.

Los Angeles County faces multi-billion-dollar budget pressures from several sources. Recovery costs from January wildfires have exceeded $1 billion. The county also faces a $4 billion AB 218 settlement.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Altadena Residents Seal Prayers Into Mural Layers After Devastating Wildfires

Behind a vegan café in fire-scarred Altadena, residents spent four days in July embedding their personal prayers between layers of paint on a new community mural—a ritual act of recovery that brought together a war survivor artist and a neighborhood still grappling with displacement.

The mural, titled “Prayer for the Earth,” emerged from an unlikely collaboration. John Hopkins, a 70-something café owner who has long used his former Oh Happy Day Vegan Café space for spiritual gatherings, invited artist Ekaterina Sky to create the work. Sky, who survived two wars, said she approached the project “as someone who deeply identifies with the Altadena community’s experience of disruption and resilience.”

The project, organized by Oh Happy Day founders John Hopkins and Sev Dhar, invited Altadena residents, volunteers and nonprofit groups to participate.

Over four days ending July 27, participants helped build the wall, paint Sky’s design of sacred geometry and nature symbols, and—most significantly—seal written prayers into the mural’s layers. The non-denominational prayer text at the mural’s center,

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Hands-On Summit Returns to Bring Fire Recovery Resources Directly to Black Seniors Affected by Deadly Eaton Fire

A hands-on summit returns Saturday for the second time to bring fire recovery resources directly to Black seniors struggling to rebuild after the Eaton Fire, recognizing that many lack the digital access needed to navigate online disaster assistance programs.

The Eaton Fire Senior Summit Series #2, themed “Rebuilding with Resilience,” continues its mission of supporting Black seniors impacted by the deadly fire. Hosted by Community Women Vital Voices, the event ditches web portals for printed guidebooks and replaces online forms with in-person services—including free Family Trust creation onsite—specifically designed for seniors who can’t or won’t go online for help.

“Our seniors are the most vulnerable citizens affected by the LA Fires. The Eaton Fire ranks the deadliest. We are the voice for the people who need their voices heard. The summit will provide answers,” said Lena Louise Kennedy, CEO of Community Women Vital Voices.

The Aug. 2 event will bring together elected officials including Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo,

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Federal Appeals Court Reviews Immigration Arrest Quota in Wake of Pasadena ICE Raids

A federal appeals court panel on Monday heard arguments in the Trump administration’s bid to reinstate immigration patrols across Southern California, including recent controversial detentions made in Pasadena, but issued no immediate ruling.

The hearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco comes amid heightened concern in Pasadena, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents reportedly conducted at least three documented raids in Pasadena during June and July 2025, resulting in a minimum of 12 confirmed detentions.

The first incident, in which agents detained six individuals at a bus stop near Madison Elementary School on June 18, was captured on video and widely circulated online. The action prompted vigils and protests throughout the city, with local leaders and residents expressing alarm over what they described as indiscriminate enforcement tactics.

The court is reviewing a temporary restraining order issued July 14 by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who found that roving immigration patrols were “illegally conducted without reasonable suspicion.”

Federal attorneys argued the stops were legal and based on probable cause,

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Court Hearing Set for Woman Convicted in Fatal Altadena Shooting

Case of Mesha Arshaz Dean to Be Reviewed in Criminal Courts Building

A court hearing is scheduled Tuesday for Mesha Arshaz Dean, a woman convicted of second-degree murder in a fatal shooting in Altadena.

The hearing will take place at 8:30 a.m. in Department 110 of the Criminal Courts Building, located at 210 W. Temple St.

Dean, then 25, was convicted on March 26, 2012, for the fatal shooting of Monroe Miles Jr., 32, during a confrontation in 2007.

According to court documents, Dean and her girlfriend Vanessa Marie Ochoa traveled from Nevada to Altadena on the day of the shooting.

Miles was caring for Ochoa’s 4-year-old son Manaen while the boy’s father was out of town at the time of the incident.

Dean was arrested two days after the shooting, on March 20, 2007, in Las Vegas with Ochoa and the child.

The boy was found unharmed.

In August 2010,

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Pasadena Nonprofit Announces Plans Second Annual Clothing Sale for Children’s Healthcare

Event coincides with National Thrifting Day to support medical services for uninsured families

Young & Healthy will hold its second annual clothing sale next month to raise money for healthcare services provided to low-income children and families.

The Aug. 16 event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 136 W. Peoria Street in Pasadena. The sale falls on National Thrifting Day.

Shoppers will find new and used clothing, shoes and accessories for all ages. The timing appeals to families preparing for back-to-school shopping.

Vintage fashion influencer Annette Vartanian returns this year to curate designer pieces. Her section will include brands such as Diane von Furstenberg, St. John, Isabel Marant and Oscar de la Renta.

“Whether you’re making a fashion statement, reducing waste, or giving back—this event gives you the chance to do all three,” said Shelley Boyle, interim co-executive director of Young & Healthy.

Money raised supports the nonprofit’s work with underserved children in the greater Pasadena area.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

LA County Supervisors to Vote Tuesday on Ordinance Prohibiting Masked Law Enforcement

Proposal would require federal agents, officers to display visible identification during public interactions

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on an ordinance that would prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while on duty in unincorporated areas like Altadena.

Supervisor Janice Hahn’s motion comes after residents reported disturbing encounters with plainclothes or masked agents since ICE raids began in early June. Many agents refused to identify themselves or display official credentials.

The proposed ordinance would prohibit law enforcement officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks or personal disguises while interacting with the public. Limited exceptions would include medical protection, fire and smoke safety, or undercover operations.

The measure would also require all law enforcement officers to visibly display identification and agency affiliation while performing duties in public spaces within unincorporated County areas.

“These incidents have sparked fear and confusion over potential impersonation and abuse,” according to Hahn’s motion.

ICE raids began in Los Angeles County on June 6.

Monday, July 28, 2025

Wildfire Survivors in Altadena and the Palisades Face Second Crisis: Insurance Delays

Delayed payments, denied claims and rate hikes are compounding financial and emotional fallout from January’s wildfires

Survivors of the January Palisades and Eaton wildfires are confronting a second catastrophe: delayed, denied or slashed insurance payouts that have stalled recovery and pushed many toward financial ruin.

Former Insurance Commissioner and current U.S. Representative John Garamendi condemned the crisis as “systemic bad-faith behavior” that “undermines the very promise of recovery” at a July town hall in Altadena.

The California Department of Insurance launched a formal market-conduct exam into State Farm’s claim practices in June, following more than 1,000 complaints. Survivors detail experiences of repeated adjuster turnover, below-market estimates and unexplained denials.

One homeowner, writing to Commissioner Ricardo Lara via the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, reported, “We’re on our seventh adjuster. Each time we make progress, another one shows up and says we have to start over.”

Survivors describe “fantasy” rebuild estimates pegged at $350 per square foot—about 40 percent below market rates,

Monday, July 28, 2025

The Eaton Fire: Recovery, Recrimination, and Resilience

The aftermath of the January Eaton Fire remains the single most dominant issue shaping the social, political, and economic landscape of Pasadena and Altadena, according to a recap of top news stories last week.

Many of last week’s top topics and trends circled around recovery on multiple fronts, from contentious financial negotiations and grassroots healing initiatives to the starkly divergent futures facing different segments of the fire-scarred region.

On the immigration front, raid and detention fears and a report that the Huntington Hospital Chief of Staff’s husband was taken into custody by ICE added to the local tension.

The Compensation Battleground: SCE, Politicians, and Lawyers

The biggest news of last week on the Eaton Fire front was the newly announced Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program from Southern California Edison (SCE). Rather than being received as a step toward financial resolution for many people, the program has been met with immediate and sharp criticism.

Local attorneys have publicly cautioned that the program could “further victimize people who lost”