Friday, May 30, 2025

Altadena Petition Demands Environmental Testing at Arts Magnet School After Eaton Fire

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

More than 300 Altadena residents have signed a petition calling on the Pasadena Unified School District to conduct comprehensive environmental testing and remediation at Altadena Arts Magnet Elementary School, after the destructive Eaton Fire tore through nearby residential and commercial properties.

The school’s Calaveras Street campus lies within 250 yards of more than 75 structures destroyed in the blaze, including several businesses—such as laundromats and grocery stores—known to release hazardous chemicals when burned. While the District has performed some limited surface testing for ash and soot, petitioners argue that no meaningful indoor environmental testing has been completed, raising serious concerns about student and staff safety.

The petition urges the District to hire a Certified Industrial Hygienist to conduct full-spectrum testing for contaminants often found after urban wildfires. These include substances like asbestos, lead, and dioxins, as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals commonly found in industrial products such as fire retardants,

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Local Congresswoman Demands FEMA Expand Housing Aid As Eaton Fire Survivors Face Ongoing Crisis

Federal and state officials clash with California congresswoman over need for direct rental program in Los Angeles County

U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) demanded expanded federal housing assistance Tuesday for survivors of January’s devastating Eaton Fire during a roundtable with 15 community groups and emergency management officials, criticizing current aid programs as insufficient amid ongoing displacement. The May 27 event at Altadena Library included representatives from Federal Emergency Management Agency, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and nonprofits, according to a statement from Chu’s office. 

Chu urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to activate its Direct Lease program, which would allow the agency to rent apartments directly for displaced residents unable to secure housing through existing vouchers. The fire destroyed nearly 13,000 homes, with more than half the losses in Altadena and surrounding communities, displacing over 20,000 residents, her office reported May 28. 

“Survivors of the Eaton Fire are slipping through the cracks,” Chu said at a press conference following the roundtable,

Thursday, May 29, 2025

CA Continues Fight With Other States Over Reproductive Care

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in 2022, California lawmakers moved quickly to make the state a “safe haven” for reproductive health care. But while California has some of the strongest laws ensuring abortion rights, other states’ restrictions can make performing or seeking the procedure from California doctors more complicated.

On Tuesday California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with 19 other attorneys general, urged the American Medical Association to do more about protecting prospective OB-GYNs seeking certification. To become board certified, OB-GYN candidates must travel to Dallas, where the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology is headquartered, to complete their in-person certifying exam.

Under Senate Bill 8, Texas has a near-total ban on abortions and penalizes abortion providers. Because of this, the attorneys general argue that the in-person requirements lead some candidates from their states to fear for their legal and physical safety in Texas.

Thursday, May 29, 2025

SoCal Grocery Workers Union Announces Strike Authorization Votes Next Week

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The union representing more than 30,000 grocery workers in Southern California Wednesday announced an upcoming strike authorization vote following alleged labor violations by Kroger and Albertsons.

United Food and Commercial Workers members at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions will start taking unfair labor practice strike authorization votes the first week of June, the union said.

Results will be announced after voting ends and members are informed on June 11, UFCW said.

“When we started negotiating with Kroger and Albertsons on a new contract in February, we came to the table willing to put in the time and work to get a fair deal,” according to the union. “But instead of working with us towards a reasonable contract, our employers would rather disrespect us to our faces, offer proposals that grossly underestimate our value and their wealth, and engage in multiple labor violations.”

UFCW says that Kroger and Albertsons’ alleged unfair labor practices include unlawful surveillance of members who have been active in the campaign for a new contract,

Thursday, May 29, 2025

LA County Supervisors Set to Tackle Mental Health Bed Crisis and Homelessness at Tuesday Meeting

May 6 agenda includes reports on mental health care, homelessness missions, and funding for stranded sea mammals

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will convene Tuesday, May 6, to address pressing issues affecting County residents, focusing on mental health and homelessness.

The Board will receive a report on the Continuum of Care for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Beds, while Supervisor Barger introduces a motion to streamline mental health bed reporting. A report on homelessness missions will be continued to June 3 at Supervisor Horvath’s request.

Supervisors Horvath and Hahn propose emergency funding for the Marine Mammal Care Center, allocating $100,000 immediately and identifying up to $600,000 for 2025-26 to address stranded marine mammals affected by toxic algae blooms.

The consent calendar includes 61 items, featuring:

• Support for Assembly Bill 851, prohibiting unsolicited offers to purchase residential property in certain ZIP codes
• Enhanced transparency for Care First Community Investment funding
• Proposals for reducing population at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall
• Ensuring access to education for immigrant students
• Labor nominees to the Governance Reform Task Force
• Cancellation of the May 20 Board meeting

The Board will consider reward motions for unsolved murders and proclaim May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month,

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Altadena Community Organizations Host Support Day for Local Residents

Event offers free food, supplies and community connections at Fair Oaks Burger location

Multiple community organizations will host a support day Thursday to provide free food, supplies and essentials to Altadena residents while fostering neighborhood connections.

The Altadena Community Care Support Day runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fair Oaks Burger, located at 2560 Fair Oaks Ave. The event features giveaways, meals and various vendors and organizations on site.

Organizers recommend residents register by Tuesday, May 27, for priority access to the event. Registration is available at bit.ly/ccareday, and participants should take a screenshot of their confirmation message after submitting the form.

The event is hosted by several organizations including Watchit Growing, Food for Health, Home of Kings & Queens, Feed the Children and Baby 2 Baby. Home of Kings & Queens is identified as a nonprofit in event materials.

The support day represents a collaborative effort among local organizations to address community needs and strengthen neighborhood ties in the Altadena area after the Eaton Fire.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

California Lawmakers Halt Hundreds Of Bills With New Spending As Deficits Loom

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

State legislators on Friday halted hundreds of bills with new spending attached from advancing. Why? The Legislature again underwent its relatively opaque process known as the “suspense file.” Hanging over lawmakers’ heads is the expected $12 billion state budget deficit that is projected to worsen due to federal tariffs and increased state health care spending.

The Assembly and Senate’s appropriations committees hold these proceedings twice a year. As CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang and Yue Stella Yu explain, 32% of 1,098 measures were held in the committees on Friday — meaning those proposals are essentially dead or shelved for the year.

• Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat and chairperson of the Assembly appropriations committee: “Many good bills are going to fall by the wayside today. We are not in a year where we can be expanding programs, developing new offices, new agencies, new departments and expanding our footprints.”

The Assembly trimmed about the same number of bills compared to last May,

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

A Program Paying California Jurors $100 A Day Would End Abruptly Due To Newsom’s New Budget

By Joe Garcia, CALMATTERS

In his attempts to solve a multibillion-dollar state deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new budget plan would terminate a legislative experiment that increased pay for juries in an effort  to make them more fairly represent the communities they serve.

Since September, jurors in seven counties have been eligible to receive $100 per day while serving on a jury, a significant improvement to the statewide norm of $15.

The Jury Duty Pilot Program originated from a law Newsom signed three years ago. Killing it early would save about $27.5 million, according to Newsom’s latest budget proposal.

Funded as a two-year program, the legislation required the Judicial Council, the agency that oversees all of California’s courts, to study juror data and produce a report on how the increased per diem impacts overall jury diversity.

Now after just eight months, several pilot program counties have moved to end the increased stipend after Newsom’s revised budget proposal came out in May.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Pasadena Unified and Teachers Union Reach Tentative Three-Year Agreement

Deal includes salary increases for child development teachers, expanded leave benefits despite District’s fiscal challenges

The Pasadena Unified School District announced Tuesday night it reached a tentative agreement with the United Teachers of Pasadena on May 23 that would establish a three-year contract through 2026-2027. The deal, which required member ratification and Board approval, concludes months of negotiations aimed at improving working conditions while managing budget constraints.

“The District is pleased to announce that tentative agreement has been reached on a number of articles, hence closing the 2024-25 negotiation season, pending member ratification and approval by the Board of Trustees,” District officials stated in a May 27 communication.

The agreement was reached during the parties’ 11th meeting, and encompasses changes to 11 articles in the collective bargaining agreement, including significant salary increases for child development teachers.

Ten-month child development teachers would receive a 6.91% increase, while twelve-month teachers would see a 14.9% raise, funded through Fund 12 federal dollars designated for child development programs.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Fire Victims Awaiting Refunds Urged to Update Addresses with LA County Assessor

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Assessor’s Office is urging victims of the area’s wildfires Wednesday to update their mailing addresses to ensure they receive property tax refund checks, noting that some payments are being returned to the office as undeliverable.

According to the office, mailing addresses on record for many fire victims are invalid because they are for homes that were destroyed in the fires, and residents have not updated their information to provide their current location.

People can update their address with the assessor’s office online at assessor.lacounty.gov/homeowners/change-mailing-address.

“Getting relief into the hands of wildfire victims is a top priority for our office,” Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang said in a statement. “We understand how devastating these fires have been, and we are committed to making sure impacted property owners receive the support they’re entitled to. But we need their help in updating contact information so that relief can reach them without delay.”

Following the January fires,