Sunday, June 21, 2026

Region Marks the Summer Solstice With Its Longest Day of the Year

The first day of astronomical summer brings more than 14 hours of daylight to Pasadena and nearby foothill communities

Pasadena enters astronomical summer today, Sunday, June 21, as the summer solstice brings the city its longest stretch of daylight of the year and a late-setting sun over the San Gabriel Valley.

The solstice occurs at 1:24 a.m. Pacific time, when Earth’s Northern Hemisphere is tilted as far toward the sun as it will be this year. For Pasadena residents, that means roughly 14½ hours of daylight, with sunrise that started at around 5:40 a.m. and sunset shortly after 8 p.m.

Unlike the calendar used for meteorological seasons, which treats summer as beginning June 1, the solstice marks the astronomical start of summer. It is tied not to temperature, but to Earth’s orbit and axial tilt — the same mechanics that produce the changing length of days throughout the year.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory describes the June solstice as the point when the Northern Hemisphere receives its longest days and shortest nights of the year.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Water Company Association Asks Pérez To Strike Provisions in Mutual Water Rate Bill It Says Threaten Privacy

The California Association of Mutual Water Companies on Friday called on State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez to strike provisions it says threaten privacy and safety from her bill imposing new transparency and notice requirements on mutual water companies that raise rates, the same day the senator held an Altadena news conference promoting the legislation as a safeguard for Eaton Fire survivors facing rising water costs.

The association’s statement, issued hours after Pérez’s morning news conference, framed a dispute that has tracked the measure through the Legislature.

Pérez and Los Angeles County officials describe the bill as a transparency and consumer-protection measure for customers of private, customer-owned water systems, while the industry group says provisions would endanger the privacy and safety of the volunteer board members and shareholder customers those systems serve.

The bill remains under consideration in the Legislature.

In a statement issued Friday, Adán Ortega, the association’s executive director, said he attended Pérez’s news conference and argued that the measure reaches well beyond the community where it has drawn attention.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Pasadena to Host Second Free World Cup Watch Party at Civic Plaza for Mexico-Czech Republic Match

The City of Pasadena and the Pasadena Center Operating Company will host a second free public watch party at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium Plaza on Wednesday, June 24, screening Mexico’s final World Cup group-stage match against the Czech Republic.

The event builds on the City’s June 12 watch party at the same plaza for the United States-Paraguay opener and continues Pasadena’s public programming tied to the region’s role as a 2026 World Cup host city.

The plaza at 300 E. Green St. opens at 4:30 p.m., with the game starting at 6 p.m.

The City said the street and plaza will be transformed into a community event space featuring food trucks, family-friendly activities, soccer-themed games, a merch customization station, music, and a beer garden with drinks for purchase. Seating is limited, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and to represent their favorite soccer team.

The match is Mexico’s final Group A fixture of the tournament and will be played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Pasadena Quilting Bee Invites Residents to Stitch Democracy-Themed Squares for Nation’s 250th Birthday

A national quilt project arrives in Old Pasadena this Saturday with a two-hour workshop open to all skill levels

Pasadena residents can pick up needle and thread Saturday morning to design quilt squares tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary, as the Quilt for Democracy Project hosts a quilting bee at the Armory Center for the Arts.

The two-hour workshop, running from 10 a.m. to noon on June 20, is part of a national effort that the project says has collected quilt squares from participants across the country, according to promotional materials published in the Robert Hubbell Substack newsletter. Participants will design and create quilt tops intended, in the project’s words, to “celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday and our dreams for democracy’s future.”

No sewing expertise is required. The project’s promotional materials describe the event as open to “beginners, artists, activists and the quilting-curious.”

The venue itself adds to the event’s accessibility. The Armory Center for the Arts, a nonprofit visual arts organization housed in Pasadena’s historic 1932 National Guard Building,

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton’s ‘Califordable’ Tour Stops in Neighboring South Pasadena Today

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is set to hold a “Califordable Town Hall” in South Pasadena at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The event is part of Hilton’s statewide “Califordable Town Hall Tour,” a series of more than 25 stops launched Jan. 21 in Redwood City. The format includes remarks by Hilton followed by an audience question-and-answer session focused on affordability issues such as housing, health care, energy and other rising costs.

Hilton advanced to the Nov. 3 general election after finishing second in the June 2 open primary and will face Democrat Xavier Becerra.

A UC Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll cited in the source material showed Becerra leading Hilton 52% to 31% among registered voters.

Hilton has centered his campaign on affordability, including taxes, housing, energy prices and health-care spending.

“Everything is too expensive in California. We’re going to cut people’s costs,” Hilton said.

The research report identifies South Pasadena’s housing costs as an example of the affordability issues Hilton highlights.

Friday, June 19, 2026

Pasadena Unified Board Votes to Continue Eaton Fire Soil Cleanup, Acts to Save Up to 57 Protected Trees

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to continue removing fire-contaminated soil at 11 district sites while authorizing staff to evaluate whether as many as 57 protected trees in the work zones can be spared.

The decisions came in a charged meeting during which a community member announced a lawsuit against the district and district parents, residents, and soil scientists voiced opposition to the remediation projects, during public comment.

The vote on the action item authorizes the district to press ahead with soil remediation tied to the Eaton Fire — work the district says state regulators have determined is necessary to protect public health — while adding two amendments that commit the district to weighing tree-retention alternatives site by site, except for protected trees the board said would disrupt the regular operations of schools and/or student life.

The actions came amid an unresolved dispute between the board and some members of the public over whether the toxic cleanup requires cutting down trees at all.

Friday, June 19, 2026

Juneteenth Weekend Events Planned Across Pasadena and Altadena

Juneteenth observances across Pasadena and Altadena on Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20, will include a community hike, scholarship luncheon, blues performance, outdoor night party, concert, comedy shows, festival, community fair and roller skating celebration. 

The events begin Friday morning in Altadena and continue through Saturday evening at Pasadena City Hall, with several programs free to attend and others requiring advance tickets or reservations. 

The Altadena Historical Society will open the Friday schedule at 8:30 a.m. with a Juneteenth hike on the El Prieto Trail. The 3.2-mile round-trip community hike will include the unveiling of a new public bench dedicated to the legacy of Robert Owens, described in the event listing as an early Black pioneer, and the region’s Indigenous people. The bench was created by Eagle Scout candidate Elias Silva. Participants will meet at the JPL East Parking Lot in Altadena. The event is free. 

At noon Friday, the Altadena Historical Society will hold its 6th Annual Juneteenth Celebration and Scholarship Luncheon at Loma Alta Park,

Friday, June 19, 2026

Crews Pour First Concrete Footings in Pasadena’s Central Library Retrofit

The city says the seismic project remains on schedule, with the closed landmark due to reopen in 2028

Construction crews poured the first concrete footings in the basement of Pasadena’s Central Library on Wednesday, June 10, according to a City of Pasadena project update reported by Tim McDonald, Director of Libraries and Information Services.

The pour, which the City called a major milestone, set the first new foundation concrete beneath a civic landmark that has been closed to the public since 2021. Voters approved $195 million for the work through Measure PL in November 2024, and the City says the project remains on schedule for completion in 2028.

The footings went into zones where excavation and rebar installation were already finished, according to the update, published June 17 by the Pasadena Public Library. Excavation, rebar installation and roof tile removal are all proceeding on schedule, the City said, describing the project’s momentum as steady and consistent. Crews are working through the 120,000-square-foot building zone by zone,

Friday, June 19, 2026

Pasadena, Altadena Face Dangerous Midweek Heat, National Weather Service Warns

Pasadena and Altadena residents should prepare for several days of dangerous temperatures next week, with the National Weather Service issuing an Extreme Heat Watch from Tuesday morning through Thursday evening for the San Gabriel Valley and the western San Gabriel Mountains.

The federal weather agency said in its statement that temperatures could reach up to 100 degrees, with the hottest conditions expected next Wednesday and Thursday.

Forecasters warned that the heat poses a high risk of illness, especially for young children, older adults, people without air conditioning, and anyone active outdoors.

According to the National Weather Service, the heat will build as a ridge from an upper high near the Arizona–New Mexico–Mexico border pushes into Southern California beginning Monday.

Atmospheric heights are expected to rise to about 594 decameters, roughly 8 decameters above normal, compressing the marine layer to 1,000 feet or less. This will greatly reduce low clouds in the valleys, including inland areas such as Pasadena and Altadena.

Friday, June 19, 2026

Juneteenth Commemorative Community Hike Planned for Friday on El Prieto Trail

A Juneteenth Commemorative Community Hike will set out at 8:30 a.m. Friday, June 19, 2026, leading participants along the El Prieto Trail in the Angeles National Forest for a 3.2-mile round-trip walk to a newly installed memorial bench honoring Robert Owens, one of the earliest Black landowners and entrepreneurs in Los Angeles County, and the Tongva people.

Hikers plan to gather at the JPL East Parking Lot on Explorer Road, near 2755 N. Windsor Ave., Altadena, the staging point for the Altadena Historical Society’s morning event. The lot sits just north of the I-210 Windsor Avenue/Arroyo Boulevard exit; drivers travel about one mile north before turning left into the parking area.

The out-and-back route follows the single-track El Prieto Trail, a moderate canyon path known for rocky stretches, stream crossings, steep inclines and intermittent shade. The full trail gains roughly 738 feet of elevation. Dogs are welcome. The trail is heavily used by mountain bikers. No restrooms are available at the trailhead.

The hike concludes at the El Prieto Canyon Trailhead area,