Saturday, April 4, 2026

Pasadena Village Distributes $450,000 in Cash Grants to Older Adults Displaced by Eaton Fire

A team of nine older adults designed the process that awarded grants of up to $8,175 to 61 residents in Altadena and Pasadena

Sixty-one older adults still displaced by the Eaton Fire have received direct cash grants from Pasadena Village, a Pasadena-based nonprofit, totaling $450,000 and funded by the California Community Foundation.

The grants, ranging from $5,000 to $8,175, went to residents ages 55 and older in Altadena and Pasadena who remain displaced nearly 15 months after the fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed at least 19 people in January 2025. More than 40 of the 61 recipients identify as Black or African American, according to a press release issued by Pasadena Village and the California Community Foundation.

A recovery team of nine older adults designed and carried out the distribution process, according to the press release. The California Community Foundation awarded the $450,000 grant to Pasadena Village in November to provide direct cash assistance to wildfire survivors in the two communities.

Saturday, April 4, 2026

“Bunnychella” Hops Into Altadena Saturday

Attendees of all ages are invited to create bunnies Saturday to help rebuild the collection destroyed in the Eaton Fire

The Bunny Museum plans to host a free clay-sculpting event Saturday at the fire-damaged Altadena site where more than 60,000 bunny-themed artifacts were destroyed during the January 2025 Eaton Fire.

The event, listed as “Clay Bunnychella” on a community calendar, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2605 Lake Ave., according to the listing. Attendees of all ages and skill levels are invited to sculpt clay bunnies and donate them to help rebuild the nonprofit museum’s collection. The event is free.

The Eaton Fire swept through Altadena on January 7 and 8, 2025, destroying more than 9,400 structures and killing 19 people across 14,021 acres, according to Cal Fire. The Bunny Museum was among the last buildings in the area to burn, according to prior Pasadena Now reporting.

“We stayed up all night with a garden hose saving the museum and the apartment building to the north of the museum,”

Saturday, April 4, 2026

Rose Bowl Hosts Special Beeping Easter Egg Hunt for Blind and Visually Impaired Children

By THERESE EDU

Blind and visually impaired children will have a Rose Bowl egg hunt all to themselves for a half hour on Saturday morning — hunting for eggs by sound and touch in a private window that the Rose Bowl and Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services carved out with the Braille Institute, now in its second year.

The Beeping Egg Hunt runs from 9 to 9:30 a.m. on April 4 at 1001 Rose Bowl Dr.  Advance online registration is required at brailleinstitute.org; the Braille Institute sends a confirmation email upon registration. The event is completely free. Check in begins at 8:30 a.m.

By 9 a.m., more than 200 beeping and chirping eggs and 300 seven-inch high-contrast eggs filled with fidget toys, sensory toys, and scented Play Doh will be scattered across the field. The general public will not enter for the broader Egg Bowl festival until 11 a.m.

The event is now in its second year at the Rose Bowl — and it was the Rose Bowl and the city,

Friday, April 3, 2026

Pasadena & Altadena Honorees Featured in Rep. Judy Chu’s 2026 Congressional Women of the Year Ceremony

Two Pasadena residents and two Altadenans are among the local leaders who will be recognized Saturday, April 4 at 10:00 a.m. at Rep. Judy Chu’s 16th Annual Congressional Women of the Year Awards Ceremony, an event honoring women across the San Gabriel Valley who have contributed to their communities through service, leadership, or organizing and mobilizing their neighbors.

The ceremony is scheduled for April 4, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arcadia Community Center, 365 Campus Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007.

The honor, now in its 16th year, is awarded to women nominated by residents of the 28th congressional district of California.

Pasadena honorees are Vannia De La Cuba and Christy Zamani, who will be joined by Altadenans Joy Chen and Gayle Nicholls-Ali.

Other awardees include Diana Sanchez of Arcadia; Suzanne Goldberg of La Canada; Cindy Kuo of Monterey Park; Hon. Gretchen Shepherd Romey of San Marino; Hon. Janet Braun of South Pasadena; and Samantha Yu Chang of Temple City.

Friday, April 3, 2026

Clergy and Fire Survivors Plan Good Friday March to Edison CEO’s Pasadena Home

Coalition demands $200,000 per household in emergency housing relief, separate from the utility’s compensation program

A coalition of local clergy and Altadena fire survivors plans to march from the Caltech campus to what organizers target as the Pasadena home of Edison International CEO Pedro J. Pizarro on Friday afternoon, demanding $200,000 in emergency housing relief for every household displaced by the Eaton Fire.

The 1 p.m. procession, intentionally planned to occur on Good Friday, represents the latest escalation in a monthslong campaign by fire survivors who say Edison has not provided adequate housing support to families still displaced by the January 7, 2025, blaze.

The coalition said it wants the utility to advance emergency funds separate from its existing compensation program, which requires participants to waive their right to sue.

Organizers listed the destination as South Hill Ave. Pizarro, a Caltech alumnus and trustee, has lived in Pasadena for decades, according to independent media reports.

The procession was being organized by figures who have been active in Eaton Fire recovery efforts,

Friday, April 3, 2026

Four Development Projects Head to Altadena Land Use Committee on April 7

A fire-recovery center, a 54-unit apartment complex, a car wash and a gas station site are all on the agenda for the virtual meeting

Four development proposals for Altadena will go before the Altadena Town Council’s Land Use Committee at a virtual meeting on April 7, giving residents a chance to weigh in on projects that could reshape the Lincoln, Windsor, and Woodbury corridor.

The proposals, clustered along a section of West Altadena, range from a 1,600-square-foot community center designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban to a 54-unit mixed-use apartment complex to a proposed express car wash. Each will receive a dedicated public comment period at the 7 p.m. Zoom meeting.

The Land Use Committee is advisory only — its recommendations go to the full Altadena Town Council, which in turn advises the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, where final land-use decisions are made.

The most advanced project on the agenda is CORE’s Center for Community at 2231 Lincoln Ave.,

Friday, April 3, 2026

County Experiencing Record Number of Flea-Borne Typhus Cases

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A record number of flea-borne typhus cases have been reported in Los Angeles County, with 220 cases so far this year, and nearly 90% of patients requiring hospitalization, health officials said Thursday.

According to the county Department of Public Health, cases have been reported countywide, but localized outbreaks were confirmed in the Los Angeles Central City area, Santa Monica and Willowbrook.

“Flea-borne typhus can cause serious illness, but it is preventable with simple steps,” Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer, said in a statement. “With cases at an all-time high and most requiring hospitalization, it’s critical that people take simple steps now, such as routinely using flea control on their pets, avoiding contact with stray animals, and preventing wildlife from living in or around their homes.”

Health officials said 187 cases were reported in 2024 in the county. Symptoms generally appear within one or two weeks of infection, and can include fever, headache, rash and body aches.

Friday, April 3, 2026

Regional Leaders Launch Foundation to Protect Public Health Amid Spending Cuts

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Amid nearly $50 million in spending reductions for public health, Los Angeles leaders Thursday announced a privately funded foundation to protect such services for residents.

The organization, known as The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, held its inaugural board meeting Thursday at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Health advocates and community leaders came together to create the group in response the county experiencing a nearly $50 million decrease in funding for services and its health workforce. The reduction in public health funding at the federal, state and local level has resulted in the closure of seven public health clinics, which have impacted the county’s most marginalized communities, officials said.

Foundation members say they will work to create a new source of revenue that will be dedicated to public health services such as disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, emergency preparedness and response. Their second goal is to ensure that L.A. County can continue serving all residents,

Friday, April 3, 2026

LA Superior Court Warns of Traffic Text Scam

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Residents were being warned Friday about an ongoing text-message scam falsely claiming recipients owe toll road fees or traffic fines and purporting to be from the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

“Spam texts claiming toll and traffic violations requesting payment are not from the Court,” officials said in a statement.

The court “continues to receive reports of spam texts, often including a link or QR code for payment, that have been sent to the public informing them that they have a traffic ticket or toll violation that they must pay ….,” according to the statement. “The public is advised that these texts do not come from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County.”

Officials said the court never requests payment by text message and urged the public not to click on links, scan codes or provide personal or credit card information.

A Scam Alert page has been set up on the court’s website where users can view examples of reported messages in a “Scam Library”

Friday, April 3, 2026

Second Round of Fund Launched to Help Businesses Buy Property

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County officials Friday are moving ahead with the second funding cycle of a program aimed at helping small businesses and nonprofits acquire commercial properties and stabilize neighborhood business corridors.

The county Department of Economic Opportunity, in partnership with Genesis LA Economic Growth Corporation, will make about $2.6 million available through the Commercial Acquisition Fund, including $1 million in discretionary funding from Supervisor Holly Mitchell for projects in the county’s Second District, according to a statement.

The program offers forgivable financing to support property acquisitions by small businesses, nonprofit organizations and mission-aligned developers, with the goal of reducing displacement and promoting long-term economic growth in local communities, officials said.

The effort builds on the first funding cycle, officials said, which distributed $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to support seven property acquisitions, creating space for 39 small businesses, three nonprofits and more than 125 creative workspaces.

“LA County’s Anti-Displacement Commercial Acquisition Fund allows communities to directly own and shape the future of their neighborhoods —