Thursday, March 26, 2026

Pasadena Community Foundation Reports $83 Million Raised for Eaton Fire Recovery in 2025

Impact report details $24 million disbursed to more than 110 nonprofit partners and the first Altadena home rebuilds now underway

The Pasadena Community Foundation raised $83 million for Eaton Fire recovery in 2025 and disbursed $24 million to more than 110 nonprofit partners serving fire survivors across Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre, according to the foundation, which released its 2025 Impact Report this week.

The 32-page report documents the 73-year-old foundation’s response to the January wildfire, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures—including over 6,000 homes and rental units—in what President and CEO Khanh Duy Russo described as a year that “called us to pivot and respond to a disaster of unprecedented scale.” Donations came from all 50 states, the foundation said.

PCF established its Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund on the morning of January 8, as the fire continued burning. In April, the foundation created the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, a supporting organization focused on long-term residential rebuilding.

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Economic Warning Signs Mount as Housing, Inflation and Growth Falter After Year One

By EDDIE RIVERA

CAR report points to rising rates, slowing home sales, weaker investment returns and persistent inflation pressures

A convergence of troubling economic signals—from an unpopular war, to elevated interest rates, and stubborn inflation to weakening housing demand and declining investment returns—is casting a long shadow over the U.S. economy one year into the current administration, according to the latest report from the California Association of Realtors (CAR).

At the center of the concern is a familiar but unresolved tension: inflation remains stubborn enough to keep borrowing costs high, even as key sectors of the economy show signs of fatigue. The Federal Reserve’s recent decision to hold its benchmark rate steady reflects that bind. Policymakers, facing renewed inflation pressures tied in part to rising oil prices and geopolitical instability, have scaled back expectations for rate cuts and raised their 2026 inflation forecast to 2.7%, up from 2.4% .

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has signaled that while the labor market remains broadly balanced,

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Scientists Turn to Ecology To Rethink Eaton Fire Recovery

A free Pasadena library panel brings a county biologist, a prescribed burn advocate, and a Caltech researcher together to discuss what the burned landscape needs next

The Eaton Fire consumed more than 9,000 structures and 14,000 acres of the San Gabriel foothills. It also burned through one of Los Angeles County’s most ecologically sensitive habitats — and 15 months later, the canyon that gave the fire its name is still closed to the public, still raw, still recovering.

On April 4, a free panel at the Pasadena Public Library’s Hastings Branch will turn the conversation from what residents lost to what the land requires. The discussion, titled “Ecological Perspectives: On the Eaton Fire Recovery Process,” brings together a county biologist overseeing habitat restoration in Eaton Canyon, the founder of a fledgling prescribed burn association for Los Angeles County, and a Caltech graduate student with wildland firefighting experience to examine the fire through a scientific lens that official recovery efforts have rarely foregrounded.

The panel’s lineup connects directly to the ecological questions that the Eaton Fire raised.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Students Step Forward

By EDDIE RIVERA

Altadena children receive new shoes following Eaton Fire recovery efforts; community partners deliver comfort, confidence and support

More than a year after the devastating Eaton fire in January 2025 upended lives across Altadena, a simple but powerful gesture unfolded Friday morning at Odyssey Charter School: 505 students were fitted with brand-new athletic shoes, each pair a small step toward normalcy.

The March 20 event, held on campus, was made possible through a partnership between nonprofit Shoes That Fit and the Pasadena Community Foundation. For many families still navigating the financial and emotional aftermath of the wildfire, essentials like new shoes remain out of reach.

Organizers said the giveaway was designed not only to meet a practical need, but to restore confidence for children returning to classrooms shaped by disruption.

“One in seven children in the United States lives in a low-income family, and shoes are one of the most expensive items for families to provide,” said Amy Fass,

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Free Breast Cancer Survivorship Program Opens Registration With April 14 Deadline

Pasadena-founded organization offers eight weeks of clinician-led support, exercise, and workshops at no cost

Registration is open through April 14 for a free, eight-week breast cancer survivorship program offered by Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley in partnership with City of Hope, according to a press release from the organization.

The Spring 2026 “Return to Wellness” program, which runs April 21 through June 11 at CSC SGV’s Sierra Madre location, is designed for breast cancer survivors between six weeks and two years post-treatment.

The organization, founded in Pasadena in 1990 and based there for more than three decades before moving to Sierra Madre in 2023, describes the program as addressing the gap between the end of active treatment and long-term wellness. The session concludes with a celebration dinner hosted by The Langham Huntington, Pasadena.

Sessions meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., according to the press release. Tuesday programming includes a clinician-led support group and exercise and strength-training class.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Third No Kings March Expected to Bring Thousands to Colorado Boulevard on Saturday

Organizers say the Pasadena demonstration is one of more than 3,000 nationwide protests planned for March 28

San Gabriel Foothills Indivisible plans to stage its third “No Kings” march along Colorado Boulevard on Saturday, sending participants from Pasadena City College to City Hall in what organizers say will draw thousands to the city’s main commercial corridor during peak weekend hours.

The demonstration marks the third time in nine months that the volunteer group has organized a mass protest in Pasadena, following events in June and October 2025 that drew more than 4,000 people. The march is part of more than 3,000 protests planned nationwide for March 28.

Participants will gather at 11 a.m. at the PCC Reflecting Pool near Colorado Boulevard and Marion Avenue. The march to City Hall begins at 11:15 a.m., led by National Day Laborers musicians, and is expected to reach the Garfield Avenue steps by noon, according to the organization’s announcement. Those who prefer not to march can go directly to City Hall at 100 N.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

ICE, Police Forum Finds Residents Seeking Reassurance

By EDDIE RIVERA

More than 200 gather as City officials face questions on policing, policy and trust

More than 200 residents filled Gilmore Hall at First Church of the Nazarene Tuesday evening, gathering for a town hall that underscored a widening gap between official assurances and everyday perceptions, as Pasadenans grapple with the presence of federal immigration enforcement.

The meeting, at times tense and deeply personal, centered on seven pre-submitted questions about the role of Pasadena police when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates in the city.

But as the evening unfolded, it became clear that the questions extended far beyond policy.

“There’s fear, there’s anger, there’s been family separation,” said Pastor Mayra Macedo-Nolan of the Clergy Community Coalition, who co- moderated the forum. “There’s real anguish in our community.”

On stage, Police Chief Gene Harris, City Manager Miguel Márquez and Mayor Victor Gordo explained the limits of local authority.

Pasadena police,

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

L.A. County Moves to Remove Chávez Name From Holiday, Facilities

FROM CITY NEWS SERVICE

Following allegations that labor leader César Chávez sexually abused multiple women, including United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to rename the upcoming Chávez holiday as Farm Workers Day and begin work to remove his name from buildings and other facilities.

The move follows similar actions being taken at the state level and by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who signed an executive order last week renaming the city’s César Chávez holiday as Farm Workers Day.

The county Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn calling for the county to rename the holiday, which is observed on Chávez’s birthday, March 31. The motion also directs county leaders to remove “the name and likeness of César Chávez from all county holiday-related events, communications and materials,” and to update existing materials accordingly. It further states that any events connected to the holiday should proceed with themes centered on farmworker justice,

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Average LA County Gas Price Continues to Rise

By STEVEN HERBERT, City News Service

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose Monday to its highest amount since Oct. 11, 2023, increasing 2.5 cents to $5.895.

The average price has risen 32 of the past 33 days, increasing $1.276, including 7.2 cents on Sunday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It rose 10 consecutive days, was unchanged March 1 and resumed rising the following day.

The average price is 27.7 cents more than one week ago, $1.23 higher than one month ago and $1.239 greater than one year ago. It is 59.9 cents less than the record $6.494 set on Oct. 5, 2022.

Prices were rising slightly in line with seasonal norms before the joint U.S./Israel attack on Iran on Feb. 28 sent oil prices higher and drastically accelerated increases at the gas pump.

The national average price rose to its highest amount since Aug.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Pasadena’s John Muir High School Named Among State’s Exemplary Dual Enrollment Programs

BASED ON A REPORT BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

John Muir High School in Pasadena was recognized Monday by state education officials as one of a small group of Los Angeles County campuses honored for dual enrollment programs that allow students to earn college credit while still in high school, according to the California Department of Education.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced that 32 schools statewide were selected as 2026 California Exemplary Dual Enrollment Award recipients. The designation highlights programs that provide early access to college courses at no cost.

The award recognizes schools that demonstrate strong partnerships between high schools and colleges, along with a commitment to equity, student support and measurable outcomes, the department said.

“By partnering with their communities, they’re opening doors and creating real opportunities for young people,” Thurmond said in a statement. “Dual enrollment programs give students a chance to explore their interests, discover what inspires them, and begin their college journey early at no cost before they even graduate from high school.”

In Los Angeles County,