Monday, September 29, 2025

Six Pasadena Public Schools Receive State Recognition for Behavioral Programs

District earns platinum, gold and silver awards from California coalition

Six schools in the Pasadena Unified School District earned statewide recognition from the California PBIS Coalition for their behavioral intervention programs.

John Muir Early College Magnet received the highest platinum award. Three schools earned gold recognition: Madison Elementary School, Blair High School and Rose City High School.

Two schools received silver awards: Altadena Arts Magnet and Sierra Madre Elementary School.

The California PBIS Coalition recognizes schools that create supportive learning environments through positive behavioral practices.

PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports. The framework helps schools promote social, emotional and behavioral practices based on research evidence.

Schools use multiple tiers of intervention to create safe and equitable environments for students and communities across California.

The California PBIS Coalition operates through regional technical assistance centers in Southern, Central and Northern California. These centers work with the national Center on PBIS.

The coalition provides training for school teams and coaching for district implementation.

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Altadena Residents to Share Conservation Success Story at Sept. 29 Event

Local environmental advocates will present a community-led conservation success story Monday evening at the Altadena Community Center, detailing how grassroots organizing halted a proposed sports complex and influenced Los Angeles County land use policy.

The event, titled “Stewards of the Land,” is hosted by AltadenaWILD and scheduled for Sept. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The community center is located at 730 E. Altadena Drive.

According to a statement from the nonprofit, the presentation will outline how residents opposed a sports development along Chaney Trail and helped shape the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan, which now guides growth away from fire-prone zones and protects ecological resources.

Michael D. Bicay, AltadenaWILD president and astrophysicist, and Kristen Ochoa, president of the Chaney Trail Corridor, will describe how trail cameras and ecological surveys have documented post-fire regrowth and wildlife migration. Their findings contributed to the withdrawal of Polytechnic School’s application to build athletic facilities on 13 acres of the 80-acre Nuccio’s Nurseries site.

The property lies within a state-designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and borders the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Locals Turn To Each Other To Build Back Stronger

Pasadena nonprofit Day One brings together families for skill-sharing, bike repair, and sustainable rebuilding strategies at Sunday event

When the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena and Pasadena communities in January, it didn’t just destroy homes—it transformed how local organizations think about disaster recovery. Sunday, Day One will host a community brunch that puts fire survivors themselves in charge of designing solutions for rebuilding stronger and more sustainably.

The Resiliency Studio Brunch, running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 28, at Day One’s lawn facility at 175 N. Euclid Ave. in Pasadena, offers fire-impacted families hands-on workshops in sustainable living skills.

The free, family-friendly event features five workshop stations including bike repair, composting, clean cooking demonstrations, rain gardens, and wildlife-friendly landscaping, along with birdhouse building activities and seedling distribution through Crop Swap LA.

A panel discussion on sustainable rebuilding practices and Zone Zero policy will complement the hands-on activities.

“The Resiliency Studio vision actually started out of having a hub where folks can learn about sustainability,”

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Eaton Fire Survivors to Connect with Rebuilding Experts at Victory Park Fair

Two community groups host their second resource event on Sunday as recovery efforts gain some momentum eight months after devastating Eaton Fire

Scores of Altadena residents affected by January’s devastating Eaton Fire are expected to gather today at Victory Park in Pasadena for “Rebuild Fair: Take 2,” connecting homeowners with architects, contractors, insurers and financial advisors. The event, running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., aims to help families navigate the complex rebuilding process as the community works to recover from the epic disaster.

Rebuild Fair: Take 2 will give fire survivors and homeowners a chance to connect with experts and get answers about construction, insurance, permitting and financing, says event organizers Rebuild Altadena and Action Altadena, two community-based groups formed to assist homeowners after the fire.

The fair comes at an important moment in Altadena’s recovery. The pace of rebuilding has faced challenges.

Today’s event at Victory Park, located at 2575 Paloma Street, features one-on-one consultations with architects and engineers familiar with local building codes.

Sunday, September 28, 2025

How Bad Is California’s Housing Shortage? It Depends On Who’s Doing The Counting

By Ben Christopher, CALMATTERS

Imagine you’ve finally taken your car to the mechanic to investigate that mysterious warning light that’s been flashing on your dashboard for the past week and a half.

The mechanic informs you that your car’s brake fluid is too low. Dangerously low. Your brake fluid supply, he says, has reached “crisis” levels, which sounds both scary and very expensive.

Naturally, you would prefer that your car have a non-critical amount of brake fluid. “How much more do I need?” you ask.

“A quart,” the mechanic responds. “No, actually, three quarts. Or maybe seven gallons — but only routed to your rear brakes. Actually, let’s settle on half an ounce.”

Such is the situation with California’s housing shortage.

For nearly a decade now, the Legislature has been churning out bills, Attorney General Rob Bonta has been filing lawsuits and Gov. Gavin Newsom has been revamping agencies, dashing off executive orders and quoting Ezra Klein with the explicit goal of easing the state’s chronic undersupply of places to live.

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Pasadena League Day With State Sen. Pérez Will Spotlight Immigration Enforcement Response

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez will headline the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area’s League Day on Saturday, Sept. 27, addressing how California is responding to aggressive immigration enforcement and what local residents can do to support affected communities.

The event, titled League Day, September 2025 – Responding to Immigration Enforcement, will run from 10 a.m. to noon at the Blinn House, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena. Parking is accessible via Madison Avenue.

According to the League, the program will explore three central questions:

• How can we respond to aggressive immigration enforcement when it is happening nearby?
• How is our local and state government dealing with the difficult issue of immigration enforcement?
• What are some ways that we, as League Members, can help affected immigrants?

Pérez, who chairs the Senate Education Committee and previously served as mayor of Alhambra, will discuss SB98, a bill she authored to protect schools and families during immigration enforcement actions. She is the youngest member of the California State Senate and has been active in passing legislation aimed at safeguarding constituents.

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Altadena Fire Failures to Be Reviewed by L.A. County Supervisors Tuesday Following Release of After-Action Report

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will review findings Tuesday from a county-commissioned report detailing emergency alert and evacuation failures during January’s Eaton and Palisades wildfires, which killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 properties across Altadena, Pacific Palisades and nearby communities.

The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles. The report will be discussed as a set item at 9:45 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room.

The “Independent After-Action Report,” released Thursday by the Board and authored by the McChrystal Group, found that outdated policies, staffing shortages and fragmented communication protocols hindered emergency response. In Altadena, nighttime fire conditions, limited situational awareness tools and power outages contributed to chaotic evacuations and left many residents with little or no warning.

The report identified no single point of failure but cited systemic vulnerabilities, including unclear evacuation authority and incomplete alert messaging. Some Altadena residents evacuated based on neighbor warnings rather than official guidance,

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Huntington Health Launches Free Flu Shot Clinics Across Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino and South Pasadena

As the 2025–2026 flu season begins, Huntington Health is urging Pasadena residents and neighbors throughout the San Gabriel Valley to take proactive steps to protect themselves and their families by offering a series of free, walk-in flu vaccination clinics across the region.

The clinics are open to the public and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations or appointments are needed, and insurance isn’t required. Vaccines will be administered to individuals who meet the following criteria: no moderate or severe acute illness (with or without fever), no severe allergy to the influenza vaccine, and no history of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Children ages 9 to 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to provide consent.

A standard-dose vaccine will be provided; high-dose vaccines recommended for individuals 65 and older will not be available. Supplies are limited at each site.

Clinic dates and locations include:

• Sept. 25, 9–11 a.m.: South Pasadena Senior Center, 1102 Oxley St., South Pasadena
• Sept.

Friday, September 26, 2025

School Board Greenlights Start of Labor Agreement Negotiations, Faces Pressure Over Staffing and Safety

The Pasadena Board of Education on Thursday authorized district leaders to begin negotiations on a sweeping labor pact with local building trade unions, while parents and teachers pressed trustees on staffing shortages, school safety, and class consolidations that have roiled campuses in the wake of the Eaton Fire.

By unanimous vote, the board approved a resolution directing Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco or her designee to enter into talks on a Community Workforce Agreement (CWA) that would set uniform terms for wages, benefits, and hiring on upcoming bond-funded construction projects

District officials said the move is intended to ensure labor stability and expand opportunities for local and small businesses as more than $1 billion in facilities projects get underway.

Union representatives filled the boardroom, urging adoption of enforceable local-hiring goals and apprenticeship pathways for students.

“This is an opportunity to build not just schools, but also trust, opportunity and equity.” said Ronald Matthews, a local hiring coordinator, who pushed for binding targets for small business participation and female workers.

Friday, September 26, 2025

Bill That Would Have Allowed AT&T To End Landline Service Held

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

A bill that would have allowed AT&T to end traditional landline service in Pasadena and the rest of the state has stalled.

The state’s Senate Appropriations Committee has held AB 470.

The bill would have allowed AT&T to drop its “carrier of last resort” obligation requiring it to provide copper-wire phone service to anyone who wants it.

A committee chair or the committee itself can “hold” a bill, which usually means it will not get a vote and therefore will not advance to the full chamber.

According to older Americans only 5% of Californians have landline services and most of them are senior citizens.

AT&T, which reported $12.3 billion in profit last year, says its carrier-of-last-resort duties cost $1 billion annually.

Last year, AT&T applied for a waiver that would have allowed it to stop servicing traditional landlines in California.

Older copper wire-based telephone systems lines would have been replaced with faster and more advanced technology that is not compatible with landlines.