Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Burned Off the Morning Schedule, Goat Yoga Returns to the Gamble House Lawn at Dusk

Pasadena’s landmark Craftsman home hosts its sixth season of goats-and-yoga sessions, now on summer evenings

On the back lawn of one of Pasadena’s most carefully preserved houses, a small herd of miniature goats will spend a Saturday evening this month climbing over people who came to stretch.

Goat Yoga returns to the rear lawn of The Gamble House on Saturday, July 25, with two sessions at 5:00 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. — a shift into the evening after spring classes met at 9:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. The Gamble House Conservancy operates the landmark, which is owned by the City of Pasadena, and says the series is now in its sixth season. The sessions take place on the fourth Saturday of each month through October. 

The one-hour sessions are led by certified yoga instructor and Gamble House docent Tina Lenert. The goats — Nigerian Dwarf kids brought by Hello Critter — wander the lawn during class; the Pasadena Weekly described them as rescued.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

William Hoffman Signs Southern California Guidebook at Vroman’s

The Pasadena stop is one part of a wider effort to route travelers toward the region’s overlooked corners

Author William A. Hoffman will discuss and sign copies of his guidebook, “Exploring Southern California: 80 Outings for the Urban Adventurer,” at Vroman’s Bookstore on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The book lays out 80 self-guided excursions across Southern California, each built around itineraries, maps, historical background and nearby attractions. Mascot Books, the book’s publisher, presents each outing in a two-page format and lists the book at $24.95.

Hoffman, a Los Angeles County native with a background in urban planning, has spent years leading in-person walking and van tours under the name “Hoffy Tours,” according to earlier reporting by the Argonaut and Los Angeles Downtown News. Those outlets reported that Hoffman has led tours through Downtown Los Angeles — including stops at Olvera Street, Disney Hall, Bunker Hill, Broadway’s historic theaters, Little Tokyo and Chinatown — as well as through Laguna Beach and the Orange County coast.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

County Supervisors Agree to Explore Program for Purchase of Rental Properties by Tenants, Groups

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors directed its staff Tuesday to develop a program that would give qualified affordable-housing organizations the first chance to purchase residential properties when they are placed on the market.

The board asked that staff return in 180 days with the proposed program, known as a Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, or COPA. The program is envisioned to eventually expand into a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, offering initial purchase rights to tenants of rental properties, tenant associations or other qualified buyers.

“Los Angeles County has been a strong residential investment destination since the early 2000s, which is demonstrated through its steady increase in property appreciation over the past two decades as well as short transaction timelines and the consistently higher sales price above asking across all property types,” according to a motion by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Holly Mitchell. “Without policy intervention, existing renters face potential displacement risks as housing costs keep rising beyond affordability.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Fighting Mosquitoes With Mosquitoes: SGV Mosquito Match Begins in Bassett, CA

San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District launches innovative mosquito control program using non-biting male mosquitoes to reduce invasive Aedes aegypti populations.

The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District (SGV Mosquito) will be launching its sterile insect technique (S.I.T.) program, SGV Mosquito Match, in the unincorporated community of Bassett beginning July 7. SGV Mosquito Match will release non-biting male mosquitoes to reduce populations of invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by targeting the female mosquito’s ability to produce successful offspring. Female mosquitoes of this species can transmit diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya and are difficult to control using traditional methods alone, posing a potential public health threat to the community.

SGV Mosquito Match uses male mosquitoes because they do not bite and do not transmit diseases. Specifically, it will utilize EPA-approved WB1 male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium found in 70% of insects worldwide. These bacteria effectively make the males incompatible with wild female mosquitoes and unable to produce viable offspring.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Free Altadena Rotary Concerts Return to Renovated Loma Alta Park July 11

Seven Saturday shows mark the second summer season since the fire-recovery rebuild

The Rotary Club of Altadena will open its 29th season of free Saturday-night concerts July 11 at Loma Alta Park, the Eaton Fire-damaged county park that reopened last year after a $3.4 million renovation.

The seven-Saturday series, staged in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, runs through August 22 at lower Loma Alta Park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. The Rotary Club will sell beer and wine at each show, according to Pasadena Now and Altadena Now’s reporting on this year’s lineup.

Loma Alta Park was damaged in the January 2025 Eaton Fire and closed before reopening May 17, 2025. It was the first Los Angeles County park to reopen after the fire, according to reporting by Pasadena Now, Altadena Now and heysocal.com at the time of the reopening.

The rebuild, backed by Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office and philanthropic partners,

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

State Senator to Meet with Altadena Chamber Members Friday

Pérez will discuss fire recovery and Sacramento priorities at Chamber gathering

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez will meet with Altadena Chamber of Commerce members and community leaders Friday evening at Maxwell House in Pasadena, discussing business recovery and legislative priorities 18 months after the Eaton Fire.

The gathering, scheduled for 6 to 7 p.m., gives Chamber members and community leaders a chance to discuss local business concerns with Pérez, who represents the 25th Senate District, which includes Altadena, in Sacramento.

Pérez, a Democrat and former mayor of Alhambra, was elected to the Senate in November 2024 and is the youngest member currently serving in the chamber. She chairs the Senate Education Committee and also sits on the Senate Budget Committee, the Budget Subcommittee on Education, and the committees on Environmental Quality, Human Services and Public Safety. Her district stretches across roughly 20 San Gabriel Valley communities, including Pasadena, Alhambra, Glendale and Arcadia, in addition to Altadena.

Fire recovery has been central to her first term.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Altadena Fire Survivor Says Unlicensed Contractor Took $18,000, Left Home Repairs Incomplete

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

An Altadena woman whose home was damaged in the 2025 Eaton Fire said she was victimized by an unlicensed contractor who took thousands of dollars and failed to complete promised repairs.

Pamelia Lawson told KNBC News that she was approached by a contractor shortly after the Eaton Fire damaged her home, one of more than 1,000 properties affected by the January 2025 disaster. The individual offered to repair her home at what she believed was a reasonable price.

“I do feel like they saw a person that was really in need of some type of help and guidance,” Lawson told KNBC News. “This was so new. We’ve never experienced a fire, and I think I was totally taken advantage of.”

Lawson said she paid the contractor $18,000 before losing contact with him after he cashed her checks. Photographs she shared with NBC News showed what appeared to be unfinished work.

Her experience comes as authorities increase enforcement against unlicensed contractors accused of targeting wildfire victims in Southern California.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Heat Advisory Issued for Pasadena, Altadena Through Friday

County health officials urge precautions as high temperatures raise risk of heat illness in the San Gabriel Valley

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Pasadena, Altadena and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley that will remain in effect from Tuesday, July 7 through Friday, July 10, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The advisory means hot weather is expected to cause discomfort and could lead to heat-related illness for vulnerable residents, including older adults, young children, pregnant women, people who are sick or have chronic conditions, people who live alone, pets, outdoor workers and athletes, the department said in its statement.

Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County health officer, said in the county’s statement that heat causes more deaths in the U.S. each year than floods, storms and lightning combined. Davis said those most likely to become ill during the heat include older adults, young children, outdoor workers,

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Arboretum’s 12th Annual Plumeria Festival Set for July 17-18

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden will hold its 12th Annual Plumeria Festival on Friday, July 17, from 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a press release from the Arboretum

The festival is centered on the Arboretum’s Plumeria Grove, which the Arboretum describes as the largest public plumeria collection in the western continental United States, with more than 100 trees. The grove is located on Tallac Knoll at the Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia.

The event will include more than 20 plant and merchandise vendors, guided tours of the grove, talks from gardening experts, live entertainment, lei-making, and food trucks, the release said. Admission is included with paid general admission to the Arboretum, which is $18 for adults, $14 for students with ID and seniors 62 and older, and $8 for children ages 3 to 12; children 2 and under and Arboretum members are admitted free, according to the Arboretum’s website.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

New State Law Lets LA County Prosecute Labor Traffickers and Wage Thieves Across County Lines

Legislation sponsored by the county’s district attorney closes a jurisdictional gap in wage theft and trafficking cases

Employers who traffic workers or steal their wages across county lines can now be prosecuted in the county where those workers lived, where their employment agreement was entered into, where any portion of the work was performed, or where the offending business operated, under a bill that has been signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom and takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The measure, AB 1583, was sponsored by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and co-sponsored by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. It was authored by Assemblymember Chris Rogers, D-Santa Rosa, and passed the Legislature unanimously with bipartisan support.

The bill closes a loophole that has made it difficult for prosecutors to pursue cases spanning more than one county — for instance, when a victim lives in one county but was hired or worked in another.