Friday, February 28, 2025

Ralphs and Food 4 Less Donate Thousands of Cartons of Milk, Boxes of Cereal to Local Schools and Relief Organizations

The grocers noted that milk is one of the most nutritious but least donated items to food banks

Food 4 Less/Foods Co. and Ralphs Grocery Company have donated over 35,000 cartons of shelf-stable Chobani Super Milk and nearly 1,000 boxes of General Mills cereal to schools and relief organizations in Pasadena and Altadena, the grocers announced Thursday.

“Many students rely on their school for their first meal of the day,” said Salvador Ramirez, corporate affairs manager at Food 4 Less/Foods Co. and Ralphs Grocery Company. “With so many schools and community centers impacted by the wildfires, we are grateful to be a part of this effort to donate one of the most essential staples to help feed kids and their families during such a difficult time.”

The donation addresses a critical need identified by Feeding America, which reports milk as one of the most nutritious but least donated items to food banks.

Patrick Conyers, Executive Director of Pasadena Educational Foundation,

Friday, February 28, 2025

Free Application Assistance Available Today for Wildfire-Affected Businesses, Workers

Friday event at Pacific Oaks College offers help with expiring loan, grant deadlines

Local business owners and workers affected by recent wildfires and windstorms can receive free one-on-one application assistance today for disaster relief programs with approaching deadlines.

The in-person clinic runs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. today, Friday, Feb. 28, at Pacific Oaks College, 45 W. Eureka St., Pasadena, offering direct support for applications to disaster relief funds that expire as soon as March 2.

Representatives from the Small Business Administration, Altadena Chamber of Commerce, City of Pasadena, and LA County Department of Economic Opportunity will provide personalized consultations for fire-impacted businesses and workers.

“In anticipation of the forthcoming application deadlines, attendees will receive 1:1 assistance from a business consultant to apply for the following,” according to event organizers.

The event features presentations in Classrooms 7 and 8 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., with individual consultations available in Classrooms 9 and 10.

Crucial deadlines include March 2 for the LA Region Small Business and Worker Relief Fund and March 10 for SBA Business Physical Disaster Loans.

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Altadena Chamber to Host Open Session Board Meeting With Special Guests on Tuesday

Community members invited to virtual event featuring presentations from local leaders and experts

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce will hold an Open Session Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 4 at 9:30 a.m., designed to foster community engagement and transparency. The virtual event will feature presentations from four special guests representing various sectors and aspects of community resilience and development.

“The Open Session allows the Chamber to keep members and the entire community engaged and informed while promoting transparency and encouraging community participation,” states the Chamber’s announcement.

Colonel Eric Swenson, Ph.D., from the US Army Corps of Engineers will lead the presentations, followed by Dan Davidson, Executive Director of the Altadena Business Resilience Project. Other featured speakers include Mark Goeser, CEO of Hope Ventures, and Maria Grycan, Community Service Liaison for LA County Fire Department, Division 3.

The meeting will be accessible to all community members via Zoom. The Chamber will post the link on their website two days before the event,

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Paris Hilton, GoFundMe Launch $300,000 Wildfire Relief Grant for Local Women-Owned Businesses

At the prestigious Upfront Summit, Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media Impact and GoFundMe.org will unveil a comprehensive $300,000 grant initiative to support women-owned small businesses devastated by the Eaton Fire. The collaborative effort will provide direct financial assistance and year-long support to help local entrepreneurs recover from significant fire damage.

“Supporting women entrepreneurs is deeply personal to me, as is helping those impacted by my community’s devastating wildfires. I’m so proud to support the Pasadena Women’s Business Center and help resilient female business owners recover and rebuild. This initiative continues the incredible impact we’ve already made alongside GoFundMe.org. Together, we will ensure these women-owned small businesses get the support they need to flourish,” said Hilton, Founder of 11:11 Media Impact.

The initiative will distribute $25,000 grants to 11 women-owned businesses, with funding matched by GoFundMe.org. An additional $25,000 will support the Pasadena Women’s Business Center, providing approximately 300 hours of business coaching to over 100 businesses. The program prioritizes businesses with strong recovery potential that have suffered significant property damage,

Thursday, February 27, 2025

California Insurance Commissioner Meets Privately with State Farm, Hopes to Make Rate Hike Decision Within Two Weeks

By Levi Sumagaysay, CALMATTERS

California’s largest insurer should know within a couple of weeks whether it can raise premiums on its nearly 3 million policies in the state after making its case in a face-to-face meeting with Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today.

In comments after the closed-door meeting, Lara said he would carefully consider the request, which he previously rejected. He said he hoped to reach a decision within two weeks.

State Farm General — the state arm of the national State Farm Group — had asked to increase homeowner premiums an average 22% on an interim basis outside the usual approval process under California insurance law. It wants to bypass the rate hearing that would normally be required, saying it has been waiting for the Insurance Department to approve rate increases it requested last year, and that payouts from the Los Angeles County fires have worsened its financial position.

In the request, made at the beginning of February, the company said it wants to start charging customers the “emergency” rate increases in May. 

Thursday, February 27, 2025

LA County Secures $14.5 Million for Wildfire Relief for Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Workers

New funding will support small businesses and workers affected by Palisades and Eaton fires

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD), has secured $14.5 million in new funding to help small businesses, nonprofits, and workers recover from recent wildfires. This financial boost includes $10 million from Governor Gavin Newsom and $4.5 million from FireAid, expanding the County’s ability to provide critical support to communities affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.

“I applaud Governor Newsom for his critical investments in our region’s recovery,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena.

“This funding will provide much-needed relief to workers and small business owners who have faced incredible hardship due to recent wildfires. By expanding support through the LA Region Small Business and Worker Relief Funds, we are helping to rebuild livelihoods and strengthen our local economy. I look forward to continued collaboration to ensure that all those affected receive the assistance they need.”

Thursday, February 27, 2025

FireAid Donates $8 Million for Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery

Relief funds target households, workers and businesses affected by Eaton and Palisades fires

Los Angeles County has received $8 million in wildfire relief grants from FireAid to provide direct financial assistance to residents, workers and small businesses impacted by recent wildfires. The donations will fund multiple relief programs addressing different aspects of recovery, with applications for household assistance opening today and running through March 12.

FireAid was organized in response to the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires. The nonprofit initiative raised an estimate $100 million in a star-studded January 30 concert.

“Los Angeles County is deeply grateful to FireAid and everyone who supported the January 30 benefit concert—residents, nonprofits, and all who stepped up to help,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Your generosity and compassion remind our impacted communities that they’re not alone—we’re in this together, and we’ve got their backs as they recover and rebuild.”

The largest portion of funding includes $2.5 million for the LA County Household Relief Grant program supporting residents displaced by the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Thursday, February 27, 2025

LA County Supervisors to Review Homelessness Programs, Arts Initiatives at March 4 Meeting

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will address several significant issues affecting County residents at their upcoming meeting, including homelessness initiatives, arts education programs, and budget presentations.

The regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in Board Hearing Room 381B at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, California 90012. The meeting will begin with an invocation led by Reverend Cassie McCarty from Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital, followed by a presentation of pets for the County’s Pet Adoption Program.

A key agenda item includes a presentation by the Executive Director of the Homeless Initiative on the implementation of homelessness missions and emergency proclamation tools. The report, originally requested in October 2023, was continued to March 25, 2025 at the February 18 meeting, although it remains on the March 4 agenda as a set matter for 11:00 a.m.

Supervisor Solis is recommending the Board proclaim March 2025 as “Arts Education Month”

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

PUSD Trustees to Consider 151 Preliminary Position Cuts, But Final Layoffs Typically Reduced

California education code creates two-step process that often lowers initial numbers significantly

Pasadena Unified School District trustees will review proposals to eliminate 151.6 full-time equivalent positions for the upcoming school year at Thursday’s board meeting. The resolutions represent an early step in California’s structured layoff process, which typically results in fewer actual job losses. 

The California Education Code mandates school districts issue preliminary layoff notices by March 15, followed by finalized decisions by May 15. 

During this two-month window, several mechanisms typically reduce the number of affected employees. 

“Districts over-propose to avoid missing March 15 deadlines, ensuring they retain legal flexibility,” according to district documentation explaining the layoff process. 

The current proposal includes 117.6 certificated positions and 34 classified positions. Based on historical patterns, final actual layoffs could lkely affect about 100 employees after accounting for vacant positions and staff departures.

State law prioritizes seniority in determining which employees ultimately lose positions. Longer-tenured staff can “retreat”

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy Among Park Projects to Receive Funds From $17 Million Grant to Increase Green Space

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County officials Tuesday announced 13 recipients of Measure A competitive grants totaling $17 million to support the purchase of new parkland across the region.

Among the recipients is the Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy, for Altadena.

The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) hosted a news conference and an event downtown to celebrate the grant recipients, emphasizing the funding’s role in expanding green space, protecting natural habitats and enhancing climate resiliency.

“Whether it’s for hundreds of acres of open space or small neighborhood parks, investments by the Regional Park and Open Space District directly serve residents in every part of the county,” L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said in a statement.

The grants will fund the creation of more than 623 acres of new parkland, with more than 50% of funding directed toward communities with high park needs to promote equitable access to open space.