Tuesday, April 21, 2026

PUSD’s State of Schools Address Set for Wednesday in Altadena

Board President Tina Fredericks will deliver her first annual address as the district faces layoffs, a multimillion-dollar deficit, and a review of 14 campuses

The Pasadena Unified School District will hold conduct the annual State of Schools 2026 address Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary School Auditorium at 593 W. Woodbury Road in Altadena.

Board President Tina Fredericks will deliver the address — her first State of Schools since the Board elected her president on Dec. 8.

The address comes during a period of Board actions on District finances and structure. In November, the Board voted to cut $24.5 million from the 2026-27 budget. On Feb. 26, trustees approved layoff resolutions that would eliminate more than 160 certificated positions, along with classified positions. The District has said it faces a structural budget deficit of $30 million to $35 million for the coming fiscal year.

On Jan. 22, the Board also approved a planning process that will determine whether the Pasadena Unified School District closes or consolidates some campuses.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

City, PUSD Highlight Joint Push for Solar Expansion and Clean Energy Goals by 2030

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Pasadena city and school officials highlighted a growing partnership on clean energy initiatives Monday during a joint meeting, outlining plans to expand solar power, improve energy efficiency and collaborate on long-term sustainability goals.

Leaders from the Pasadena City Council and the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) stressed the importance of working together to meet ambitious targets, including the city’s goal of achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030.

Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) officials presented a wide-ranging overview of programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including investments in solar energy, battery storage and energy efficiency. The city has committed $20 million toward an initial phase of municipal solar projects at multiple sites, including libraries and utility facilities.

“Partnering with PUSD is going to be really helpful to meeting our goals and challenges,” PWP General Manager David Reyes told officials, noting that collaboration will be key to scaling renewable energy efforts across the city.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

State Mortgage Relief for Eaton Fire Survivors Now Reaches $100,000. A May 9 Workshop in Altadena Can Help Them Access It.

A free full-day event at The Collaboratory brings housing grants, estate planning and construction services to homeowners still rebuilding after the January 2025 fire

In February, California raised the ceiling on its wildfire mortgage relief program from $20,000 to $100,000 — more than a year after the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of Altadena homes. On May 9, residents who may not know they qualify can find out in one place.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County and the Restore the Legacy LA Coalition are co-hosting a free Rebuilding & Recovery Workshop at The Collaboratory, 540 W. Woodbury Road, Altadena, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. According to NHS, the event will offer on-site access to the CalAssist Mortgage Grant Program, NHS grants and lending services, free estate planning legal services, low-cost construction management, and technical support for selecting a general contractor or architect.

The workshop serves survivors of the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which burned 14,021 acres and destroyed at least 9,414 structures in Altadena and adjacent areas,

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Racial Justice Practitioner Takes His Work to Sunday’s Church Pew

Center for Restorative Justice director brings nearly 30 years of Pasadena-rooted reconciliation work to First United Methodist this week

For nearly 30 years, John M. Williams Jr. has made his living in the space where most people don’t want to sit — the uncomfortable, unresolved middle of conversations about race.

His Pasadena-based organization, the Center for Restorative Justice, calls it creating “soft places for hard conversations.” The phrase sounds gentle. The work is not.

Williams has consulted with churches, universities, and nonprofits on becoming more equitable organizations, according to a church press release. He teaches at Azusa Pacific University and Life Pacific College. According to a church press release, he also serves on the board of Greenline Housing Foundation, the Pasadena-based nonprofit that has been working to keep families of color from losing land and homes in the wake of the Eaton Fire. And in recent months, he has been part of the coalition pushing Pasadena to formally reckon with the families displaced decades ago to make way for a freeway that was never built.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Lagging in Polls and Fundraising, Betty Yee Drops Out of California Governor’s Race

By Jeanne Kuang, CALMATTERS

Former state Controller Betty Yee dropped out of the governor’s race on Monday, saying she couldn’t see a path to get donors and additional support from undecided voters with six weeks left before the primary.

“It was becoming clear that the donors were not going to be there,” she said. “Even some of my former supporters just felt like they needed to move on as well.”

She did not immediately endorse another candidate, but said she would do so in the next few days. Six Democrats and two Republicans are leading in polling ahead of the June 2 election.

Yee was one of the earliest to enter the race, announcing her candidacy more than two years ago. She ran on her experience handling the state budget and her family’s middle-class, immigrant background.

A progressive who supported continuing the state’s greenhouse gas reduction mandates, Yee also emphasized her ability to balance the budget and spoke often about the importance of growing the state’s economy and auditing state programs for fraud.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Preservation Group Urges Caution as PUSD School Closures Are Weighed

Pasadena Heritage asks the school district to consider historic value and community impact as officials weigh campus closures

A local historic preservation organization urged the Pasadena Unified School District to consider the architectural and community significance of its campuses as officials weigh possible school closures and consolidations driven by fiscal and staffing challenges.

In a statement, Pasadena Heritage said it had “watched with concern the ongoing discussions” by the District and called on officials to acknowledge and embrace the historical, architectural and cultural value of school properties, many of which were designed by architects “among the most notable practitioners of their generation.”

The group acknowledged the financial and operational challenges facing the District, including long-term attendance, fiscal and staffing constraints, and described the broader role campuses play in their communities.

“These campuses are more than educational centers, as they are communal gathering places, sources of information and recreation, and character-defining elements of the neighborhoods they serve,” the organization said.

Pasadena Heritage urged the District to explore the potential for protection,

Monday, April 20, 2026

Eaton Fire Litigation Gains Momentum as the Trial Date Approaches

Momentum is building in the Eaton Fire litigation, as the January 25, 2027 trial date approaches. Recent developments in the litigation signal that the case is moving into a more defined phase — one that could shape how and when survivors recover damages.

For many impacted families, this shift represents more than just legal progress. It marks a point where the path forward is becoming clearer, and where important decisions may soon need to be made.

The lead Eaton Fire case was filed by Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, entitled Gursey v. So. Cal. Edison. Southern California Edison, the defendant in the case, has not been found liable, and the claims remain subject to court proceedings.

As the case continues to advance, attention is turning toward how large-scale wildfire claims like these are typically resolved.

Legal experts from the firm Bridgford, Gleason and Artinian point to two common pathways: a mediation protocol, or the establishment of a settlement fund.

A mediation protocol is a structured negotiation process where claims are resolved through a phased mediation process.

Monday, April 20, 2026

Two Men Charged With Unlicensed Contracting in Altadena’s Eaton Fire Zone Back in Court Monday

Pasadena Courthouse, Dept. H | Monday, April 20, 2026

A preliminary hearing date is scheduled to be set Monday for Edgar Geovanni Lopez Revolorio and Guillermo Ramirez, two of five men charged with felony counts of working as unlicensed contractors in the Eaton Fire disaster zone in Altadena.

The proceeding is set for Dept. H at the Pasadena Courthouse, 300 E. Walnut St.

Lopez Revolorio, 42, of Arleta, and Ramirez, 54, of Pomona, each face one felony count of contracting without a license during a state of emergency, a violation of California Business and Professions Code Section 7028.16. The statute makes it a felony to perform or offer contractor services on structures damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster for which the governor has declared a state of emergency.

Ramirez faces the more serious potential consequences of the two defendants. In addition to the contracting charge, prosecutors allege he has two prior felony convictions, including a strike prior.

Monday, April 20, 2026

Altadena Town Council to Take Up Infrastructure Presentation, SCE Letter Vote at Tuesday Meeting

Agenda includes committee reports on Eaton Fire recovery, land use and renter protections, with public comment available at the Altadena Community Center

The Altadena Town Council will hold its regular April meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Altadena Community Center, with a Los Angeles County Public Works infrastructure presentation, a scheduled vote on a letter regarding Southern California Edison, and committee reports spanning Eaton Fire recovery, land use and renter protections on the agenda.

The meeting at 730 E. Altadena Drive will be streamed live on the Pasadena Media YouTube channel, according to the Council’s published agenda. It is the Council’s first regular monthly meeting following the March 17 session, whose minutes are scheduled for approval by Recording Secretary Sylvia Vega.

Chair Nic Arnzen will open the meeting and seek approval of the agenda following a flag salute led by Gayle Nicholl-Ali and roll call by Vega.

Arnzen, Treasurer Darlene Greene and Corresponding Secretary Kim Yu are scheduled to deliver officer reports.

Monday, April 20, 2026

Alarmed by Dating App Violence, California Lawmaker Proposes a ‘Scarlet Letter’

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

A bill to protect people on online dating apps from violence has critics arguing that the measure would put a “scarlet letter” on certain users.

But that’s a feature, not a bug in the proposal.

The Senate’s public safety committee this week passed a bill that would require online dating services to run criminal background checks on California users. If the user is a registered sex offender or has been convicted of a violent felony, domestic violence, an assault or a hate crime, the dating service must “place a flag” on the user’s profile to let others know.

Bill author Sen. Caroline Menjivar said that “dating apps have not provided an adequate level of safety for their users.” At the hearing she cited a 2019 Columbia Journalism Investigations survey that found that more than a third of women polled said they were sexually assaulted or raped by someone they met on a dating app.