Thursday, November 13, 2025

Free Vaccine Clinic Offers Multiple Immunizations to Altadena Residents

Event partnerships with local pharmacy to provide flu, COVID shots and vaccines for seniors

A free vaccine clinic will open its doors to all community members next week, offering everything from flu shots to specialized immunizations for older adults.

Pasadena Village and Webster’s Community Pharmacy are hosting the clinic Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event takes place at 2333 Lake Ave.

No appointment is necessary. The clinic is open to everyone.

Attendees can receive flu shots and the latest COVID vaccine. Adults 65 and older have additional options: tetanus, RSV, shingles and pneumonia vaccines.

The collaboration aims to make preventive health care more accessible. Webster’s Community Pharmacy is handling the vaccinations at no cost to participants.

The timing comes as flu season intensifies and health officials continue encouraging updated COVID immunizations. Having multiple vaccines available at one location removes barriers for busy residents.

Those with questions can contact Webster’s at (626) 797-1163.

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Federal Government Shutdown Ends, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits to Resume

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

More than 17,000 Pasadena residents receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assistance will soon find some relief.

The federal government shutdown ended Wednesday after President Donald Trump signed a funding package to reopen agencies, clearing the way for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that did not go out in early November to be released as federal systems come back online.

For Pasadena, where roughly 11% of households rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and food insecurity remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, the shutdown intensified pressure on already stretched local resources. In the two weeks since the benefits failed to load, Pasadena food pantries reported some of their heaviest demand since early 2021.

According to Pasadena officials, the Friends In Deed Food Pantry, Foothill Unity Center, Salvation Army Pasadena Corps, and Lake Avenue Church’s pantry program all saw sharp increases in walk-ins and emergency requests.

The House voted 222–209 Wednesday to approve the deal to reopen the federal government after a record 43-day shutdown.

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Guest Opinion | Dr. Elizabeth Blanco, PUSD Superintendent, and Jennifer Hall Lee, President, PUSD Board of Education: Protecting Students in a Time of Hard Choices

The Pasadena Unified School District is at a critical moment. Earlier this fall, the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) required our district to submit an updated, Board-approved Fiscal Stabilization Plan (FSP) by December 5, 2025, identifying $30-35 million in reductions and/or new revenue for 2026-27 to ensure the district remains financially stable in the coming years.

To confront this challenge, we are guided by PUSD’s Graduate Profile, developed by this community, which calls for graduates who are critical thinkers, strong communicators, and culturally competent global citizens with a heart for their communities. Together with our district’s commitment to equity, these form our north star and guide our every decision and action.

At our Town Hall on November 10, 10th-grader Matea Miyake-Trapp, a student leader and member of the PUSD Student Think Tank, placed students at the center of the conversation.

“Now is the time for bold and visionary leadership,” she said. “We, as student leaders, call upon everyone, the Superintendent and Board,

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

AI-Powered Tools Like Google Lens Pose Cheating Challenge For CA Classrooms

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

First unveiled in 2017, Google Lens enables users of Google devices and software to look up physical objects, translate text and conduct visual searches within seconds. But with the proliferation of artificial intelligence, its use inside the classroom is posing a challenge among teachers and potentially harming students’ ability to learn effectively.

As CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones explains, millions of California’s 5.8 million K-12 students use Google laptops known as Chromebooks. AI-powered tools such as Lens have made it easier for students to cheat on digital tests by allowing them to highlight text on their laptops and having Lens spit out near-instant explanations or interpretations.

Dustin Stevenson, a high school English teacher at the Los Angeles Unified School District, said he noticed students in his class, who were previously struggling throughout the semester, were suddenly acing tests following the latest update to Lens.

For William Heuisler, a high school ethnic studies teacher in L.A.,

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

‘Principal for a Day’ Program Strengthens School-Community Bonds

Annual event gives Pasadena’s leaders firsthand insight into classroom recovery and growth

The Pasadena Educational Foundation hosted its annual Principal for a Day event on Nov. 5, uniting civic, business and community leaders across Pasadena Unified School District campuses in a show of support for local education.

The initiative, now in its 19th year, aims to deepen relationships between schools and the broader community by granting participants a direct look into classroom life and fostering understanding of ongoing educational efforts.

This year’s program held particular significance as schools and families continue recovering from the Eaton Fire, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of students and educators as they work toward normalcy.

“The Principal for a Day program serves as a powerful bridge between schools and the broader community,” said Patrick Conyers, executive director of the Pasadena Educational Foundation.

“It allows participants to see the important work being done in classrooms and to understand the value of investing in our schools.”

Community leaders observed classrooms where learning continued with care and creativity,

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Guest Opinion | School Board Trustee Dr. Yarma Velázquez: Real Leadership Requires Facing the Deficit

Pasadena Unified is facing a $35 million deficit that will require difficult decisions. This is not just a matter of numbers — it is a test of priorities. Those numbers represent people, programs, and opportunities for students. How we respond will determine whether we can protect the heart of public education in our city while planning responsibly for the future.

As a trustee, I take this crisis seriously. And as difficult as it is to confront, our duty is to do so transparently and collectively — through open discussion and shared problem-solving.

I have introduced several board resolutions designed to begin that conversation. The Optimal School Size resolution proposes aligning schools with enrollment ranges that support equity and academic programs. The Maximizing the Existing Footprint resolution expands the district’s asset-management plan to evaluate all district properties, ensuring that every site — even those currently in use as schools — contributes directly to student learning or community benefit. A third resolution focuses on state-level reforms to address the rising costs of special education.

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Fuller Seminary Opens Doors to Prospective Students With Campus Experience Day

Event offers chance to explore theological education through chapel, faculty meetings and campus tour

Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena will welcome prospective students to experience campus life firsthand during an open house event next week.

The seminary is hosting a day-long program Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its campus at 135 N. Oakland Ave.

Visitors will start with a morning coffee reception. They’ll attend chapel services alongside current students and faculty.

The program includes presentations from admissions staff and faculty members. A complimentary lunch is provided.

Campus tours will showcase the seminary’s facilities throughout the day.

The event targets both those exploring theological education and individuals ready to apply. Fuller describes itself as “a unique place to learn, grow, and live out your calling.”

Registration is required and available online. The seminary can be reached at (626) 584-5484 or recruitment@fuller.edu for questions.

The open house offers a comprehensive look at daily life at one of the nation’s largest multi-denominational seminaries.

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Union Station Homeless Services Launches Turkey Drive to Feed Families This Thanksgiving

STAFF REPORT

Union Station Homeless Services (USHS) is calling on the community to help collect 975 frozen turkeys for families in need this Thanksgiving, as part of its long-running Dinner in the Park tradition.

The Turkey Drive will take place Nov. 17 and 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the USHS Adult Center, 412 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Donations of frozen turkeys will help ensure thousands of residents across the San Gabriel Valley can enjoy a holiday meal amid rising food insecurity.

USHS leaders say the need is greater than ever, with millions of Californians losing access to SNAP benefits and food prices continuing to climb. Last year, the nonprofit served more than 6,000 Thanksgiving meals, and demand is expected to double in 2025.

“The loss of SNAP support doesn’t just impact individual households,” said Katie Hill, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services. “It increases food insecurity for entire neighborhoods and communities. We need everyone’s help to make sure that no plate is left empty this Thanksgiving.”

In addition to the Turkey Drive,

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Colorado River Talks Hit Crunch Time. What’s At Stake For California Water?

By Rachel Becker, CALMATTERS

The clock is ticking down to a federal deadline Tuesday for California and six other Western states to reach the broad strokes of a deal portioning out supplies from the parched Colorado River.

Officials at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the federal stewards for the river under the Department of the Interior, have threatened to impose their own plan if the states can’t agree how to manage the river after 2026, when the river’s current rulebook expires.

Dire projections that another dry year could send the basin’s major reservoirs plummeting to alarmingly low levels have ramped up the urgency, and the tensions.

But, after two years of fraught negotiations, the states remain at an impasse. Those in the river’s lower basin — California, Arizona, and Nevada — are clashing with Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico upstream. A key point of contention is how much each basin must scale back their use of the overtapped river as climate change further squeezes supplies.

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Pasadena Unified’s $30.5 Million Savings Plan to Steady Its Finances Would Reach Classrooms, Offices and Playing Fields

STAFF REPORT

At a Nov. 13 special meeting, district staff will present a Fiscal Stabilization Plan that assembles $30,498,314 in savings toward a required $30–$35 million target, with the largest share coming from campus-level reductions ranked by a representative advisory committee

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education will review a fiscal stabilization plan Thursday that identifies $30.5 million in budget reductions and new revenue, meeting the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s financial requirement to cut $30 million to $35 million to avoid state intervention.

The proposed plan combines $25 million in spending cuts with approximately $5.6 million in new revenue and grant funding, according to a 105-page presentation released Monday afternoon. The board will discuss the proposals at a study session Thursday and is scheduled to vote Nov. 20 on which measures to implement.

The county office conditionally approved PUSD’s 2024-25 budget and has set a Dec. 15 deadline for the district to submit a first interim financial report demonstrating progress toward fiscal solvency.