Thursday, December 4, 2025

Altadena Family to Break Ground on Rebuild After Eaton Fire

A groundbreaking ceremony titled “Return to Raymond” will be held Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 3271 North Raymond Avenue in Altadena, marking the start of reconstruction for a longtime resident whose home and Pilates studio were destroyed in the January Eaton Fire.

Rahban Development and the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce announced the event in a press release, noting it will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is intended to spotlight both the Etter family’s recovery and broader community rebuilding efforts.

The property belonged to Kelly Etter, a certified Pilates instructor and longtime Altadena resident, who lost both her home and boutique studio in the wind-driven wildfire. “The Eaton wildfire took my home and Pilates studio and shook my sense of safety, but the groundbreaking is our collective phoenix moment—proof that resilience, community, and hope rise higher than any flame,” Etter said.

The event will feature food, live music, and a local artist creating custom illustrations of homes lost in the fire,

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Altadena’s Christmas Tree Lane Returns for 105th Year After Fire Nearly Erased It

By THERESE EDU

In the weeks after the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena in January, Scott Wardlaw didn’t know if Christmas Tree Lane still existed. Barricades and National Guard troops blocked access. The fire had killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 structures, making it the second most destructive wildfire in California history. Two-thirds of the town was gone. 

“We didn’t know what survived,” said Wardlaw, president of the Christmas Tree Lane Association. “We didn’t know if the lane survived, much less if we would be able to have an event again.” 

On Saturday, he will preside over its 105th lighting ceremony.

The deodar cedars lining Santa Rosa Avenue—planted in 1885 by the Woodbury family, Altadena’s founders—emerged from the devastation intact. When the barricades finally lifted, Wardlaw and his volunteers found the trees waiting. 

“Eventually, we were able to go in and assess the situation, and we found that the lane was going to be okay,”

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Who’s Running for California Governor? Here’s a Look at the Current Field of Candidates

By Jeanne Kuang, CALMATTERS

The game of musical chairs in the race to be California’s next governor lost another player last week.

After Democratic businessman Stephen Cloobeck — who was polling at below half a percent — dropped out of the race and endorsed Rep. Eric Swalwell on Monday, at least 10 candidates remain.

Voters are hardly to blame if the names don’t ring a bell. Though it’s wound on for more than a year now, the 2026 governor’s race remains unexpectedly wide open. In one poll released last month, 44% of surveyed voters did not have a preference for governor and no candidate polled above 15%.

The primary election is next June. Here’s a look at the field right now:

XAVIER BECERRA

If former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra was looking for attention for his campaign, he found it in the form of negative headlines.

Last month,

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

‘Not a Safety Net — a Wrecking Ball’: Local Families Still Waiting on Insurance After Eaton Fire

Nearly one year after the Eaton Fire tore through neighborhoods in Altadena, Pasadena, and surrounding communities — destroying more than 9,400 structures and burning roughly 14,000 acres, according to Cal Fire — many local families remain unable to return home.

Survivors say stalled insurance claims, not lack of funding, is the biggest obstacle to recovery.

Joy Chen, an Altadena resident and executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network (EFSN), has emerged as a central voice in that fight. The grassroots network, which Chen says represents more than 8,500 Pasadena-area survivors, is pressing Sacramento for accountability and policy reform.

At a community briefing in Altadena last month, Chen told reporters that 70% of insured fire survivors in Los Angeles County have not received benefits they are owed, according to EFSN’s internal data.

“Insurance is supposed to be our safety net — not a wrecking ball,” Chen said.

EFSN has also compiled what it says are nearly 500 firsthand reports of claim delays and denials,

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

National, California Economy to Soften Early 2026, UCLA Economists Report

CITY NEWS SERVICE

As California inches closer to a new year, the economy is expected to soften through the first quarter of 2026 before rebounding in later months as a result of a bifurcated economy, according to a UCLA economic forecast released Wednesday.

The December 2025 UCLA Anderson Forecast, a 98-page report examining economic trends, described two situations working in opposition. Some sectors of the economy will drive growth as a result of heavy investment in artificial intelligence and rising income among high-wealth households while other areas will weaken as a result of tariff-induced inflation, policy-driven uncertainty and a gradually weakening labor market.

On Wednesday, the UCLA Anderson School of Management is expected to conduct its Winter 2025 Economic Outlook conference and discuss findings of their report. Economists will give addresses on the topic “Financial Stability Amid AI & Crypto Exuberance,” presented in collaboration with the UCLA Fink Center for Finance.

Highlights of the report show, at present,

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

L.A. County to Issue First Certificate of Occupancy for Rebuilt Eaton Fire Home

Los Angeles County officials will issue the first certificate of occupancy for a rebuilt home destroyed in the Eaton Fire, marking a milestone in recovery efforts for the Altadena community. A media event Wednesday afternoon will highlight the achievement.

The certificate will be presented to homeowner and Eaton Fire survivor Ted Koerner, whose rebuilt residence is the first primary home completed since the wildfire. Koerner will be joined by his faithful 13-year-old dog, Daisy May, as county leaders recognize the progress made in returning residents to their properties.

Joining Barger at the event will be Mark Pestrella, director of Los Angeles County Public Works, and Amy J. Bodek, director of the Department of Regional Planning. Officials will sign the certificate of occupancy at site.

Koerner’s residence is a one-story, 2,160-square-foot single-family house featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an attached garage, and a patio trellis. The completion of the structure represents a significant step in the county’s rebuilding efforts and underscores Barger’s commitment to helping Altadena residents restore their lives after the devastation of the Eaton Fire.

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

My TRIBE Rise to Host 80s-Themed Winter Holiday Party on Dec. 3

STAFF REPORT

Local community groups are inviting Altadena and Pasadena residents to an “80s Winter Holiday Party” on Wednesday, Dec. 3, transforming a stretch of Woodbury Road into a retro-themed celebration.

The event, titled “Back to Altadena,” will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 409 E. Woodbury Road in Altadena.

The event comes as the community continues to recover from the devastating Eaton Fire, which led to the death of 19 people, destroyed more than 9,000 buildings and scorched more than 14,000 acres.

Organizers say the evening will blend holiday traditions with 1980s nostalgia, offering live music, open-mic karaoke, dance contests and family activities.

The party will feature a jam band performing 80s-inspired sets, a costume contest encouraging big hair and neon fashion, and an 80s dance competition highlighting everything from the moonwalk to breakdancing. Break-dance circles are also planned.

An international-themed holiday dinner will be served alongside a mocktail bar, cocoa,

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Supervisors to Vote on Altadena Business Concierge Program

County supervisors to tackle law enforcement transparency, street racing, Supervisor Kathryn Barger yields Chair to First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on creating a Small Business Concierge Program specifically for Altadena to help local businesses navigate county permitting, licensing and fire recovery resources, while also considering an ordinance barring law enforcement officers from concealing their identities during operations in unincorporated areas.

The program, proposed by Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, would provide “designated staff that will seek to expedite permitting and provide personalized assistance to local small businesses and commercial property owners,” according to the agenda released Nov. 26.

The motion authorizes the Department of Economic Opportunity to waive competitive procurement requirements and execute vendor agreements to support rapid implementation. It also directs the department to coordinate with the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, Altadena Recovery Task Force and philanthropic partners for “comprehensive and effective outreach and resource distribution.”

Supervisor Barger said in an April press release,

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Shop Local LA County Gift Card Program Launches to Aid Fire-Impacted Businesses

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity has launched the Shop Local LA County Gift Card Program to help small businesses devastated by the January 2025 wildfires.

The program, unveiled on Cyber Monday, allows consumers to purchase digital gift cards at shoplocal.la in denominations of $20, $50 or $100. Buyers receive bonus cards worth 50 percent of the original value — $10, $25 or $50 — while supplies last. Cards are valid for one year and redeemable only at verified fire-impacted businesses with fewer than 100 employees in Altadena, North Pasadena, Pacific Palisades, Topanga, Malibu and West Santa Monica.

Funding comes through a public-private partnership that includes a $100,000 contribution from L.A. Care Health Plan. Technology is provided by Yiftee, and fiscal administration is managed by Southern California Grantmakers.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the 5th District, said the program is designed to restore customer bases and jobs in communities hardest hit by the Eaton and Palisades fires.

“Our small businesses are the lifeline of the economy and provide needed jobs and services to our community,” Barger said.

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Fewer International Students are Coming to the U.S. What This Means for California

By Aliza Imran and Kahani Malhotra, CALMATTERS

Until this year, UCLA senior Syed Tamim Ahmad considered staying in the U.S. after graduation to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. But when the Trump administration revoked thousands of student visas last spring, he spent many sleepless nights supporting his peers as his school’s international student representative. The experience left him exhausted.

Ultimately, most student visas were reinstated following pressure from courts and judges nationwide. But the speed and intensity of the revocations — coupled with a lack of institutional support — caused distrust and anxiety for international students like Ahmad.

“After all that fiasco, I decided no, not anymore,” said Ahmad, who was born in India and raised in the United Arab Emirates.

Ahmad, an integrated biology and physiological sciences major, is now planning to go to medical school in Australia, where he said he can do research “in peace” without fearing changes to his visa status or funding.