Monday, December 15, 2025

No-Burn Order Extended Through Monday for Much of Southern California

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a No-Burn Alert for 24 additional hours Sunday, prohibiting wood burning in fireplaces and in all indoor or outdoor devices across four Los Angeles-area counties.

The alert is now in effect until at least midnight Monday and covers the South Coast Air Basin, including large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, except the High Desert and Coachella Valley.

“South Coast AQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited at any time on No-Burn Days,” the agency said.

Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems, according to the AQMD. Fine particulate matter called PM2.5 can get deep into the lungs to cause asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service are exempt from the requirement.

Monday, December 15, 2025

New Altadena Wildfire Recovery Financing District Public Meeting Set for Monday

The Altadena Wildfire Recovery Infrastructure Financing District Public Financing Authority will hold a public meeting Monday, Dec. 15, at 10 a.m., with a full agenda focused on bylaws, board leadership, and approval of a proposed infrastructure financing plan.

Altadena’s new Public Financing Authority is the governing board for the Altadena Wildfire Recovery Infrastructure Financing District, created by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors under SB 782 (Perez) as a separate local governmental entity subject to the Brown Act and state transparency laws. The Board authorized the District and its Authority on Oct. 21, with the Dec. 15 meeting set to consider bylaws, appointments, and the IFP, alongside potential actions to formally form the District and authorize a validation action.

The District is designed to use future property tax increment—not new taxes—from a defined area of unincorporated Altadena to finance wildfire recovery and resilience infrastructure after the Jan. 7, 2025 Eaton Fire. County materials describe an estimated approximately $2 billion investment envelope to rebuild and upgrade facilities,

Monday, December 15, 2025

Nation’s Largest Pro Bono Law Firm Brings Free Consumer Defense Clinic to Altadena

Residents struggling with debt collectors, foreclosure fears, or predatory lenders will have a rare opportunity to consult with top-tier legal experts at no cost this month.

The Altadena Library District is partnering with Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono law firm, to host a free Consumer Law Clinic on Wednesday, Dec. 17. The event aims to arm locals with legal strategies to fight back against financial exploitation.

Running from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Main Library Community Room, the clinic is open to adults ages 18 and older. Organizers have highlighted accessibility: “Walk-ins welcome!”

Attorneys will provide consultations on fraud, debt collection, foreclosure, home improvement loans, student loans, used car scams, and unfair business practices.

Founded in 1970, Public Counsel is supported by over 140 staff members and over 5,000 volunteer lawyers. Together, they assist more than 30,000 individuals and organizations annually.

“Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice,

Monday, December 15, 2025

Dangerous Toys to Avoid: A Pediatrician’s Guide to Safe Holiday Play

STAFF REPORT

With the holiday shopping season currently in full swing, many parents may be thinking twice about what toys to buy for their children, concerned about the potential hazards they may pose to their little ones’ health.

If you’re one of those parents, you have every right to be worried.

Every year, more than 100,000 children aged 12 and under are treated in emergency departments across the nation for injuries associated with toys, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Additionally, doctors report emergency rooms are flooded with children injured by new toys each December. That’s why it’s important to buy toys from reputable sources, and be cautious when purchasing toys online. Last year, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission seized more than 1.5 million dangerous or illegal toys, many for high lead exposure.

According to Dr. Jennifer Nguyen, a pediatrician with Pasadena-based Kaiser Permanente Southern California, play is a child’s job – it’s how they make sense of their world.

Monday, December 15, 2025

A Year After the Fire, Altadena Gathers Again at the Rose Bowl—This Time to Heal

By THERESE EDU

The last time the Altadena Town Council gathered in person at the Rose Bowl, it was December 17, 2024—a Tuesday evening holiday celebration, the first the volunteer advisory body had ever held at the storied stadium. Three weeks later, the Eaton Fire swept through their community, killing at least 19 people, destroying more than 9,000 structures, and scattering families across Southern California like embers on the wind.

On Tuesday, December 16, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Town Council members will return to the iconic stadium.

The second annual Rose Bowl holiday gathering arrives just weeks before the one-year anniversary of the January 7 blaze, a fact that is not lost on anyone involved. What was originally meant to become an annual tradition of celebration has instead evolved into more complex: part memorial, part milestone, part act of collective will.

“What matters to me most is the partnership this Town Council has with the Rose Bowl and their willingness to host us again for this special event,”

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Sunday, Altadena Nursery Concludes Tree Giveaway to Help Restore Canopy Lost in Eaton Fire

Plant Material, a California native plant nursery located at 3081 Lincoln Avenue in Altadena, will conclude its two-day tree giveaway on December 14, 2025, as part of its annual Winter Market. The event is aimed at helping restore the community’s tree canopy, more than half of which — and by some estimates as much as 70 percent — was destroyed in the Eaton Fire earlier this year.

Before January Eaton Fire, Altadena had approximately 28,000 trees; today, only about 10,000 remain after fire damage and debris removal.

Plant Material said it has secured about 1,000 native trees donated by its growing partners for the giveaway.

According to a December 5 announcement on the nursery’s website, residents affected by the fire were invited to register through a Google Form, which could take up to 24 hours to validate. Once approved, recipients could select up to two trees free of charge.

The inventory included Engelmann oak, coast live oak, canyon oak, California buckeye,

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Healing Through Vinyl: Altadena Musicians Host Fire Relief Concert Sunday

On Sunday, December 14, 2025, Pasadena’s Healing Force of the Universe record store and event space is scheduled to open its doors for a gathering that blends music, memory, and resilience. Billed as both the “Healing Force of the Universe Record Donation Show” and “Acoustic Holiday Singalong,” the event invites neighbors to restore what was lost in the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires earlier this year: not just instruments, but the vinyl collections that carried emotional ties across generations.

The concert is organized by musician and composer Brandon Jay—whose credits include Orange is the New Black and Weeds—founder of the nonprofit Altadena Musicians, alongside venue owner Austin Manuel. Jay and his wife, Gwendolyn Sanford, are themselves survivors of the Eaton Fire, which destroyed their Altadena home and studio and claimed approximately 150–200 instruments.

Jay, who performs under the solo moniker Quasar (sometimes listed as “Quazar”), will be joined by Pasadena pop-rock band Sanglorians, featuring fellow fire survivor and Ozma founding member Daniel Brummel,

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Altadena SBA Disaster Loan Center to Close Wednesday

In Altadena, the Small Business Administration outpost so important to Eaton Fire recovery is set to close this week. The SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the Altadena Community Center, along with a second location in Pacific Palisades, will permanently shut doors Wednesday, Dec. 17, according to the agency.

The Altadena site at 730 E. Altadena Drive has operated since June 2, 2025, after earlier centers in Pasadena and on West Woodbury Road closed. It has offered in?person help with disaster loan applications, portal access, and document submission for wildfire survivors. Hours before closure are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed weekends. The Pacific Palisades site at Ronald Reagan Palisades Post 283, 15247 La Cruz Drive, has kept weekday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended Saturday hours on Dec. 6 and Dec. 13.

The SBA said declining demand for walk?in services and a transition to online support prompted the decision. “When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers perform an important role by assisting small businesses and their communities,” Chris Stallings,

Saturday, December 13, 2025

No-Burn Order Extended Through Sunday for Much of Southern California

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a No-Burn Alert for 24 additional hours on Saturday, prohibiting wood burning in fireplaces and in all indoor or outdoor devices across four Los Angeles-area counties.

The alert is now in effect until at least midnight Sunday and covers the South Coast Air Basin, including large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, except the High Desert and Coachella Valley.

“South Coast AQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited at any time on No-Burn Days,” the agency said.

Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems, according to the AQMD. Fine particulate matter called PM2.5 can get deep into the lungs to cause asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service are exempt from the requirement.

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Altadena Workshop to Aid Eaton Fire Survivors Moves to The Collaboratory

Survivors of the Eaton Fire will gather Saturday, Dec. 13, for a “Rebuilding & Recovery Workshop” hosted by Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County and the Restore the Legacy LA Coalition. The event runs from 11 a.m. to at least 4 p.m. The program is designed to provide financial, housing, and rebuilding support to residents affected by the January 2025 wildfire that devastated Altadena and nearby communities.

Organizers confirmed a critical location change: while initial announcements listed Pasadena Presbyterian Church on East Colorado Boulevard, the workshop will instead take place at The Collaboratory, 540 West Woodbury Road in Altadena. The updated venue information appears on NHS LA County’s official website.

Saturday’s program will provide survivors with step-by-step guidance on how to finance rebuilding, including access to mortgage relief and grant programs. Attendees will receive advice on selecting architects and contractors, with experts available to explain vetting and bid processes. Free estate planning services, including living trusts and wills, will be offered to fire survivors.