Sunday, January 11, 2026

Pasadena Protest Draws Hundreds in Saturday Action Targeting ICE

CITY NEWS SERVICE and PASADENA NOW

Several hundred protesters gathered at Garfield Avenue and Colorado Boulevard from around noon to 2 p.m. Saturday as part of a nationwide “ICE Out for Good” weekend of action responding to recent ICE-involved shootings.

The Pasadena demonstration was one of multiple California rallies connected to fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including the deaths of Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Kevin Porter in Northridge, California.

Local organizer San Gabriel Foothills Indivisible emphasized their call for ICE accountability and urged the demonstrators to be peaceful.

Chants heard at the Pasadena gathering included “No ICE, No KKK, No Fascist…,” reflecting broad anti-ICE sentiments tied to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and recent incidents.

The arrest of a Pasadena immigrant advocate fueled additional ire amid national tensions over ICE’s urban presence.

The Pasadena demonstration was peaceful. A similar gathering in Sierra Madre reportedly drew 300.

In Los Angeles,

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Altadena Candlelight Vigil to Mark Eaton Fire Anniversary at Venue That Burned, Reopened

The Altadena Town & Country Club, a 116-year-old institution whose clubhouse was destroyed in the Eaton Fire and which partially reopened in September, will host a community candlelight vigil Sunday evening marking one year since the disaster.

The program, organized by the Altadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association and community partners, will be emceed by 94.7 The Wave morning host Greg Mack and feature performances by a children’s choir and the Benn Family Band, an Altadena family who lost their home in the fire and later appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with food and beverages; the ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Free shuttle transportation will be available from Lake Avenue and Mendocino Street.

The event is also being coordinated by Connect 2 Rise Inc., Kinfolk Helping Hands, and Intentional Talk Radio Network, according to organizers.

“Altadena Town & Country Club may have burned, but our community’s unshakeable bonds cannot be broken,” organizers said in an invitation to residents.

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Mayor Addresses Arrest of Job Center Director, Condemns ICE Presence in Pasadena on Eaton Fire Anniversary

Mayor Victor Gordo issued his first official remarks Saturday about the arrest of Pasadena Community Job Center Director Jose Madera by Pasadena police on Jan 7.

Madera was detained and questioned at Pasadena Police Dept. Headquarters on N. Garfield Avenue Wednesday following allegations raised by a federal ICE agent.

Pasadena officers arrested Madera for  misdemeanor obstructing a peace officer, issued him a citation, and released him.

Gordo said he was concerned that ICE had chosen the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire, a day of remembrance, to come into Pasadena.

The mayor committed to a thorough investigation of the incident and the actions of Pasadena police.

Here is Mayor Gordos’ statement in full:

“On January 7, José Madera, a beloved community leader and the Director of the Pasadena Community Job Center was questioned and detained by Pasadena Police following allegations raised by a federal ICE agent who had entered our community that day. While José was released immediately after processing,

Saturday, January 10, 2026

A Moment to Connect: Muir High School Students Gather for One-Year Eaton Fire Commemoration

By EDDIE RIVERA

On a sunlit campus carrying the emotional weight of loss, students at John Muir High School gathered Wednesday for what school leaders intentionally avoided calling a memorial.

Instead, the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire was marked with a community resource fair — one of several events held across Pasadena and Altadena that day — offering school supplies, handmade gifts, food, and, perhaps most importantly, a chance to reconnect.

“This was really more about the community,” said Principal Dr. Lawton Gray, noting that many students at Muir were directly affected by the fire.

Hundreds of students were displaced, their lives disrupted by evacuations, temporary housing, and loss. Rather than speeches, the campus front lawn was filled with booths and laughter and informal conversations. “We wanted to give the kids a chance to get together, see people they know, and just be together,” Gray said.

The event was organized with help from retired art teacher Cynthia Lake,

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Saturday Fundraiser at Fire-Victim-Owned Wine Bar Supports Altadena Rebuilding

Three days after the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire, a local wine bar whose owner lost their home in the blaze is helping to raise money for Altadena recovery efforts, placing the venue at the center of a pattern of local business owners personally affected by the January 2025 disaster who continue serving their communities.

The event, hosted by owner Lucy Tarin, starts Saturday at 2 p.m. and plans to feature musical performances by Gerardo Morales, a flamenco guitarist with more than 20 years of professional experience who studied at Pasadena City College and the Pasadena Conservatory and serves as a teaching artist at the Neighborhood Music School in Boyle Heights. He performs from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Alex Sanchez, a Los Angeles-based jazz-pop cellist trained at Berklee College of Music, performs from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Open mic, poetry, and raffle segments fill the intervals between performances, with a final music slot from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. featuring performers to be announced. Pasadena’s ‘favorite band,’ the NextDoors will close the evening at 7:30 pm.

Saturday, January 10, 2026

LA County to Host Altadena Rebuilding Workshop Saturday

Los Angeles County will host a rebuilding and recovery workshop in Altadena on Jan. 10 to support Eaton Fire survivors with free financial counseling, estate planning, contractor selection guidance and technical assistance, according to event materials from Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County.

The workshop, organized by NHS LA County and the Restore the Legacy LA Coalition, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Collaboratory, 540 W. Woodbury Avenue in Altadena.

The event marks the one-year anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades fires, which devastated Los Angeles County on Jan. 7, 2025. According to the source materials, the workshop aims to help wildfire survivors navigate the rebuilding process, access financial resources and prevent displacement in communities facing gentrification pressure and predatory real estate speculation.

Services will be provided in English and Spanish and include step-by-step guidance on financing options such as mortgage relief and grant programs; free estate planning services including living trusts and wills; architect and general contractor selection advice;

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Altadena and Pasadena Youth Event Saturday Marks Year After Eaton Fire

As Altadena and Pasadena continue recovery efforts one year after the Eaton Fire wrought destruction across both communities, LIFT Altadena announced a free youth event aimed at support, connection, and healing. 

“Rock the City” is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 10, beginning at 5 p.m., with doors opening at 4 p.m., at 1757 N. Lake Ave. in Pasadena. 

The one-afternoon event is open to youth ages 15 to 24 and will feature live musical performances, worship, games, complimentary food from Chick-fil-A, mental health services, free counseling, and cash and gift prizes. 

Pastor Anthony McFarland of LIFT International Church, one of the organizers with LIFT Altadena, said in a statememt that the event is intended to remind young people “that they are seen, supported, and deeply valued” after the past year. 

He described the gathering as “a night of joy, restoration, community connections and a powerful way to kick off the new year together.”

Cash and gift prizes will be awarded to churches and individuals who register and bring the most students,

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Altadena’s Cars and Coffee Marks Wildfire Anniversary With Fundraiser for Lost Datsun

For the past year, a group of classic car enthusiasts has gathered every Saturday morning in Altadena, turning their shared grief into mutual support. This Saturday, January 10—marking the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire—Altadena Cars and Coffee is extending their gathering from its usual two-hour window to a full six-hour fundraising event.

The group’s origin story reflects the deep wounds the fire left on the community. When Dave Stone walked through the fire-devastated neighborhoods, he was struck by the loss. “You notice two things: cars and chimneys, but in particular it was the cars for me. It really wrecked me and broke my heart, and so I thought, what could I do to help people? And, that’s how this started.”

What began as a therapeutic gathering has evolved into something larger. Stone, who runs the “Not EV Altadena” Instagram account, posts twice weekly stories about lost vehicles and their owners, helping families fundraise for replacements.

This Saturday’s extended event—running from 8 a.m.

Friday, January 9, 2026

November Unemployment Rates in LA, Orange Counties Steady in November

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 5.7% in November, below the rate of 6.1% a year ago, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department.

The 5.7% rate was the same as September, the last month figures were available from the EDD.

Civilian employment in the county was at 4.82 million in November, while unemployment was at 292,000. The civilian labor force was 5.12 million.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.5% in November, the same rate as one year ago. The comparable estimates for the nation were 4.6% in November, and 4.2% during the same period last year.

Total non-farm employment in Los Angeles County increased by 19,600 jobs between October and November, and up 11,300 over the year.

Industry sectors that posted the largest month-over job reductions included construction (down 2,400), information (down 1,700), professional and business services (down 1,300), leisure and hospitality (down 1,100),

Friday, January 9, 2026

Sen. Pérez Condemns ICE Raid in Altadena on Eaton Fire Anniversary

State senator denounces immigration enforcement disrupting community memorial in Altadena

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, D–Pasadena, denounced federal immigration enforcement activity in Altadena on Wednesday, calling it “Yesterday marked another deeply troubling moment in our federal government’s war on immigrants.” 

“Locally, ICE desecrated a sacred moment of community mourning when federal immigration agents returned to Altadena on the one–year anniversary of the deadly Eaton Fire. At the very moment our community was gathered to remember the 19 lives lost in the fire, federal immigration enforcement intentionally launched another raid of terror in our town,” Pérez said. 

“These chaotic raids are never justified, but it’s especially cruel when they target our friends and loved ones, including some of the very people who are doing the physical and skilled work to help us recover and rebuild from this disaster.”

“In California, we value all people including our immigrant neighbors who play a vital role in our state and contribute greatly to the cultural fabric and economic success of our state,” she added.