Monday, March 24, 2025

With LaVar Burton, Books, and Cotton Candy, Altadena Library Reopens in Storybook Style

By EDDIE RIVERA

Community celebrates their gathering place

The only thing missing from the Altadena Main Library’s grand reopening on Saturday was a rainbow to read under, and a special visor to see with.

Hundreds of community members packed the library grounds to celebrate its post-fire resurrection — and to see actor and literacy hero LaVar Burton, who brought a touch of “Reading Rainbow” magic to a town still recovering from the Eaton Fire. 

State Assemblymember John Harabedian introduced Burton with an audience sing-along of the theme from “Reading Rainbow.” 

“I can’t sing, but you all can!,” he said. 

Burton, who played Giordi La Forge on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” (and wore that weird cool visor to see things), called Altadena a “very, very special place” and drew cheers as he read to a crowd of eager kids and grateful parents. “The American dream is alive and well in Altadena,” he said. “Today,

Monday, March 24, 2025

California Considers More Homeless Shelter Oversight after CalMatters Investigation

By Lauren Hepler, CALMATTERS

A new state bill would add more oversight to California homeless shelters after a CalMatters investigation exposed that many taxpayer-funded facilities are plagued by violence, mismanagement and low sucess rates.

The bill would build on an existing state law that was supposed to add basic checks on homeless shelter safety and sanitation. Previous CalMatters reporting found all but a handful of cities and counties have ignored the law.

Under the new proposal, local governments would be required to perform annual inspections of taxpayer-funded shelters, and cities and counties could lose state funding if they fail to correct code violations or keep neglecting to file mandatory reports. Shelter operators would also have to do more to inform residents of their rights to file complaints.

The oversight push comes amid a statewide boom in homeless shelters. California governments have spent at least $1 billion to more than double the state’s emergency shelter beds since 2018, 

Monday, March 24, 2025

Post-Wildfire School Plan, Bond Oversight Top PUSD Board Agenda Thursday

District to address Altadena Arts Magnet reopening criteria following devastating Eaton Fire

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education will consider a plan Thursday outlining safety requirements before Altadena Arts Magnet School can return to its home campus following January’s devastating Eaton Fire.

The meeting, scheduled for March 27 at the Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room, will address three important matters: the post-wildfire recovery plan, an oversight consolidation proposal for school bonds totaling over $1.4 billion, and a mid-year academic performance update.

Resolution 2811 establishes conditions for reopening Altadena Arts Magnet, which was spared direct fire damage but remains surrounded by approximately 75 burned properties within 250 yards of the campus.

“Dozens of families and staff from Altadena Arts Magnet School lost their homes or were displaced as a result of the Eaton fire,” according to the resolution, which calls the wildfire “the second most destructive in California history, destroying over 9,000 homes and buildings.” The school subsequently saw the highest number of student withdrawals in the District post-fire.

Monday, March 24, 2025

County’s Mental Health Department Will Launch ‘2025 Take Action’ Campaign Benefiting Pasadena Residents

The nation’s largest mental health department will kick off the initiative today with events planned throughout May

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) will launch its 2025 Take Action for Mental Health L.A. County campaign today, an efoort which will offer important services to residents across the County, including Pasadena. The campaign begins with a kickoff event at St. Anne’s Conference and Event Center in Los Angeles at 1 p.m. on Monday and will preview nine countywide events scheduled throughout May for Mental Health Awareness Month.

“LACDMH has a special emphasis on addressing co-occurring mental health disorders and other health problems such as addiction,” notes Dr. Lisa H. Wong, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, who will be present at the upcoming campaign launch.

As the nation’s largest public mental health department, LACDMH directly operates more than 85 programs and contracts with numerous providers throughout Los Angeles County. With an annual budget exceeding $4 billion and over 7,400 budgeted positions,

Monday, March 24, 2025

Hearing Date to be Set for Man Charged in Fatal Pasadena Hit-and-Run

Altadena resident faces multiple felony counts after crash that killed two

A preliminary hearing date is scheduled to be set on Tuesday, March 25 for Jeffrey Butler, an Altadena man charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed two people in Pasadena last year.

Butler, 30, faces two felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death or serious injury. He is also facing a parole violation charge. Butler has remained in custody since his arrest in October 2023.

Authorities allege Butler was driving a stolen Lincoln Navigator SUV that collided with a Nissan Versa at the intersection of North Raymond Avenue and Penn Street on October 18, 2023, at approximately 9:17 p.m.

The crash killed Antonio Mendoza-Hernandez, 63, of Los Angeles, who was pronounced dead at the scene. A second victim, Veralice Yanira Membreno Orellana, 33, of Altadena, later died at a hospital from injuries sustained in the collision.

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Parents Can’t Figure Out How California Schools Are Doing. Newsom’s Plan To Fix That Stalls

By Adam Echelman, CALMATTERS

In his first year as governor, Gavin Newsom made the creation of a comprehensive, statewide education data system one of his top priorities, but its debut is behind schedule.

In 2019, he launched the Cradle-to-Career Data System, a multi-year initiative to collate data from preschools, K-12 districts, colleges and job training programs, culminating in a series of public dashboards that track students’ progress. A few years later, during his 2022 re-election campaign, “cradle to career” was the tagline of his education platform.

“This was a signature initiative by the governor,” said Alex Barrios, the president of the Educational Results Partnership, an education data nonprofit. “You’d think taxpayers would be asking: “Where is this thing?’”

The Cradle-to-Career team initially said the public would have access to some of the data by the spring of 2024, mostly through a website that would show the progress of specific school district students through college and their first few years of employment.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Signs Executive Order to Begin Dismantling Dept. of Education

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Local union demanding congress ‘step up to protect local students at this critical time’

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an Executive Order to begin dismantling the Department of Education.

The move creates a myriad of questions for parents, school administrators and student loan holders.

“The executive order dismantling the U.S. Department of Education creates uncertainty for all school districts, including PUSD,” said Hilda Ramirez Horvath. “It is too soon to say exactly how this will impact our students, but we are closely monitoring to evaluate any potential effects on our schools.”

According to Horvath, last week, a district team met with the U.S. Department of Education’s Disaster Recovery Unit on the campuses of Altadena Arts Magnet and Eliot Arts Magnet to discuss support for schools following the Eaton fire.

The future of that assistance is unclear, according to Horvath.

“We are committed to providing a quality education for every student and continuing to meet their learning needs,”

Friday, March 21, 2025

LeVar Burton Beams Into the Altadena Library Saturday for Community Celebration

Special event marks reopening after Eaton Fire closure

The Altadena Library District will welcome the community back to its Main Library with a special reopening celebration on Saturday, March 22, following a temporary closure due to the Eaton Fire. The event, running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature a reading by actor and author LeVar Burton, support for local businesses, music, and family-friendly activities.

“We’ve been partnering with local agencies and organizations to support our community,” said Nikki Winslow, District Director. “Now that we’ve reopened Main, we can provide much-needed resources directly to Altadenans. Our libraries are gathering places for people to come back together and connect with friends and neighbors. We want to be a symbol of hope and recovery for our community as it rebuilds.”

Burton will read his children’s book, “The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm,” at 11 a.m., which offers an important message for families to talk about trauma and healing. He has also donated copies of the book for an entire grade of Altadena students.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Fire Debris Removal Right Of Entry Forms Due in 10 Days

Property owners must submit Right of Entry forms by March 31 to participate in free cleanup

Property owners affected by the catastrophic Los Angeles County wildfires that began in January have just over one week (until March 31)  to submit Right of Entry (ROE) forms to participate in the debris removal program. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting the cleanup at no out-of-pocket cost to eligible property owners, but can only proceed once owners opt in by completing the required paperwork.

“The collection of ROEs is a critical component of recovery operations because work cannot begin until a property owner opts into the program by submitting a completed form to the County,” states the official announcement.

Debris cleanup for the Los Angeles Hurricane-Force Firestorm began in January when the Federal Emergency Management Agency assigned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USACE to survey, remove, and dispose of debris from properties burned by the wildfires.

Phase 2 of the debris removal program began on February 11,

Friday, March 21, 2025

Instacart Delivers Essential Supplies To Local Schools Affected By Wildfires, Starting Friday

Initiative aims to support over 15,000 students recovering from natural disaster

Instacart will launch the first delivery of its ‘Classroom Carts’ initiative with an event at Altadena Arts Magnet Elementary on Friday, March 21, bringing essential school supplies to students affected by the Los Angeles fires. The delivery marks the final phase of a nationwide donation campaign supporting 28 impacted schools across the region.

The truckload of supplies includes colored pencils, art supplies, notebooks, water bottles, craft paper, charging ports, and backpacks for the elementary school that serves more than 450 students from TK through 5th grade.

Altadena Arts Magnet is temporarily located at the Allendale Campus in Pasadena as communities work to recover from the fires.

Powered by the generosity of Instacart users nationwide, the Classroom Carts program encourages people to donate essential supplies to the impacted LA area public and charter schools through the Instacart App. The initiative supports more than 15,000 students across Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and Pasadena,