Sunday, May 11, 2025

Altadena Future Fair, Focused on Community Rebuilding, Wraps Sunday

Final day offers resources for residents recovering from devastating January wildfire

Today the Altadena Future Fair concludes its two-day run today at the Pasadena Convention Center, offering free community resources to help residents rebuild after the catastrophic Eaton Fire. The fair, operating from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., brings together architects, builders, innovative materials vendors, mental health providers, and local businesses to support the thousands of residents displaced by the January disaster.

“Our goal is to ensure that every resident has the resources, support, and community strength to recover and thrive after this disaster,” said Toni Raines, Host of “Toni Talks” and Systems Consultant at Altadena Talks Foundation.

Today’s fair showcases vendors specializing in fire-resilient building materials, including non-combustible insulation, lightweight concrete alternatives, solar energy systems, and fire-rated windows and roofing.

The event also offers workshops, speakers, a locals market for businesses that lost physical locations, and a dedicated kids room.

Community support remains a central focus of the fair.

Friday, May 9, 2025

City Council, School Board to Address Eaton Fire Recovery Efforts

Joint meeting will also tackle affordable housing plans for educators and Jefferson Campus use

Pasadena city government and school district officials will meet next week to coordinate recovery efforts stemming from the Eaton Fire, which has affected both city infrastructure and school operations.

The Pasadena City Council and Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education will hold a special joint meeting on Monday, May 12, at 6:15 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber to discuss pressing issues facing the community, with the fire recovery taking center stage.

The five-item agenda indicates officials will discuss their “partnership, coordinated response, and recovery efforts related to the Eaton Fire” as item 2.

The joint session will provide updates on the partnership between the City and PUSD regarding the joint use of Jefferson Campus.

Item 4 will cover affordable housing initiatives for PUSD teachers and staff. This discussion will include an overview of funding available from Measures R and EE,

Friday, May 9, 2025

“Not in Our Lifetime”: Pasadena Catholic Clergy Stunned by Historic Selection of First American Pope

Just one day after telling a parishioner an American pope wouldn’t happen “in our lifetime,” Fr. Tony Gomez of Pasadena’s St. Philip the Apostle Church found himself stunned by the historic election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in the Church’s 2,000-year history

The historic election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history, has sent shockwaves through Pasadena’s Catholic community, with local clergy expressing astonishment at a development they never expected to witness.

Three Catholic priests from Pasadena parishes have shared their initial reactions and hopes following the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025. Their responses capture the historic significance of the first American pope and the unexpected speed of the conclave’s decision after just two days of deliberation.

This papal election represents a watershed moment for American Catholics and the global Church.

Friday, May 9, 2025

Transmission Tower in Eaton Canyon Removed by So Cal Edison

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A transmission tower suspected of starting the Eaton Fire in January has been removed by Southern California Edison and the parts are being moved to a warehouse Thursday to be tested in a lab.

A helicopter lifted a part of a transmission tower out of Eaton Canyon on Wednesday, footage from ABC 7 shows, and a second part of the tower was moved about an hour later.

“This is all part of an effort to get as much information as we can to have a thorough and transparent investigation into the cause of the Eaton Fire,” Dave Eisenhauer of Southern California Edison told Eyewitness News.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Southern California Edison with the transmission tower at the center of the filings.

Los Angeles County, the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre and many Altadena homeowners are among those suing Edison for being responsible for the fires starting.

The Eaton Fire started Jan.

Friday, May 9, 2025

Other States Are Showing California How To Protect Its Budget Without Cutting Needed Services

By Chris Hoene, CALMATTERS

As California leaders and advocates enter prime budget negotiations, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised proposal may soon provide clarity, revealing an expected shortfall and a lot of uncertainty driven by federal leaders.

At the same time, Californians are facing real and growing needs, driven by rising housing costs, persistent inflation and new pressures like tariffs.

We’re also still waiting to see what happens with the federal budget, as Congress and the president make it a priority to cut health care, food and other vital benefits, while spending billions on tax cuts for the rich.

Newsom’s May revision must reflect the urgency that Californians are feeling. This is not the time to pit programs and people against each other. It is time for leaders to put people first and advance a vision for California that lies in stark contrast to that of federal leaders.

Friday, May 9, 2025

College Football Playoff Foundation and Partners Pledge $1.5 Million To Restore Eliot Arts Magnet School

CFP Foundation, bowl partners, and supplies company School Specialty join forces in historic collaboration following Eaton Fire destruction

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation, in partnership with its six major bowl games and educational products company School Specialty, has pledged a total of $1.5 million toward the restoration of Eliot Arts Magnet School in Altadena, ravaged by the Eaton Fire in January.

The commitment, announced on Thursday at McKinley School of the Arts—Eliot’s temporary home—marks the first time ever that all six CFP bowl partners have joined forces to support a single community recovery effort.

“We are grateful to have so many generous partners willing to come together to help our friends in Pasadena and at Eliot Arts Magnet School,” said Britton Banowsky, executive director of the CFP Foundation. “It’s a historic moment as all of the CFP Bowls are aligned to support this very important project.”

The CFP Foundation will pledge a minimum of $1.2 million with the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic,

Thursday, May 8, 2025

LA County Board of Supervisors to Vote on Firefighter Pipeline for Formerly Incarcerated and Oil Drilling Phase-Out

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider expanding employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated wildland firefighters and advancing the County’s transition away from urban oil drilling during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

The meeting will take place at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, in Board Hearing Room 381B.

Supervisors Solis and Hahn are proposing the creation of a Career Development Intern – Wildland Fire Firefighter specialty position to provide entry-level employment opportunities for individuals with wildland firefighting experience who were previously incarcerated. The proposal would direct several County departments to develop a pipeline program connecting individuals released from custody with workforce opportunities in the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The motion includes provisions for robust training programs with certifications for wildland, structural, hazardous material, and Emergency Medical Technician skills. It also directs the Public Defender and Alternate Public Defender to develop a proposal for expediting expungement assistance for program participants.

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Sycamores to Break Ground on New Children’s Crisis Programs in Altadena

Project aims to address rising youth mental health needs with expanded crisis services

Health care and social services provider Sycamores announced it will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, May 16 for new Children’s Crisis Programs at its El Nido campus in Altadena.

The nonprofit’s expansion responds to unprecedented increases in youth depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts by creating dedicated facilities that include crisis beds, a Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit and a Children’s Psychiatric Health Facility to strengthen the crisis care system for young people in the Altadena/Pasadena area and across Los Angeles County.

“Too many children and teens in crisis are falling through the cracks of a fragmented mental health system. Sycamores’ new Children’s Crisis Programs will help change that,” Sycamores explained in their announcement of the project.

The groundbreaking ceremony will mark the renovation of existing buildings at the El Nido site to accommodate these essential new services.

Special remarks will be delivered by Assemblymember John Harabedian (41st Assembly District),

Thursday, May 8, 2025

California’s Fourth-Ranked Economy Is Also Tops In Unemployment, Poverty And Deficits

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

California’s economic output has surpassed $4 trillion a year and in doing so slipped past Japan to become, were it a nation, the globe’s fourth largest economy, surpassed only by the United States, China and Germany.

The news was an opportunity for Gov. Gavin Newsom to exercise his penchant for braggadocio.

“California isn’t just keeping pace with the world — we’re setting the pace,” Newsom declared. “Our economy is thriving because we invest in people, prioritize sustainability, and believe in the power of innovation.”

It was also an opportunity for Newsom to take another shot at President Donald Trump, saying, “while we celebrate this success, we recognize that our progress is threatened by the reckless tariff policies of the current federal administration. California’s economy powers the nation, and it must be protected.”

If California’s economy is booming, as Newsom boasts, one might wonder why the state’s unemployment rate is the third highest in the nation,

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Four Months After Eaton Fire Erupted, LA County Supervisor Reaffirms Support for Wildfire Survivors

Barger highlights rebuilding efforts, mental health resources on anniversay date

Wednesday marked four months since the Eaton Fire erupted and began its massively destructive and deadly rampage through Altadena and surrounding foothill communities. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger marked the occasion by announcing new initiatives to speed up recovery efforts and provide mental health support to survivors.

“Four months later, our residents are still facing tremendous pressure,” said Supervisor Barger. “The financial burdens of rebuilding, combined with the emotional toll of losing homes and memories, have created a stressful and uncertain environment. One of my top priorities is to make sure the County is doing everything possible to lift those burdens and walk alongside my constituents during their recovery.”

Barger recently introduced and passed a motion establishing a Unified Permitting Authority to streamline and centralize all permitting efforts related to fire recovery. The new framework aims to improve coordination, reduce delays and create accountability to one entity for all County Departments involved in the process.