Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Adoptable Dogs Coming to Altadena Sheriff’s Station Friday

Pasadena Humane brings afternoon adoption event to the community

For Altadena residents thinking about adopting a dog, the dogs are coming to them.

Pasadena Humane, the nonprofit organization that provides animal control services for Altadena, will bring adoptable dogs to the Altadena Sheriff’s Station on Friday, January 24, for an “Adopt a Faithful Friend” event. The three-hour gathering, held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in front of the station offers community members a chance to meet dogs and begin the adoption process without making the trip to Pasadena Humane’s main shelter on Raymond Avenue.

Pasadena Humane provides animal care and control services for 11 communities, including Altadena.

All adoptions through Pasadena Humane include spay or neuter surgery, microchipping, and age-appropriate vaccinations, according to the organization. New adopters also receive a complimentary wellness exam with a partner veterinarian.

The event falls during Pasadena Humane’s “Dog Days of Winter” promotion, which runs through January 25 and offers $26 adoption fees for dogs 6 months and older.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Pasadena Library Asks Patrons: How Do You Use Your Library?

Statewide survey runs January 26-31 to capture patron experiences across California

For the parents who bring toddlers to storytime. For the job seekers updating resumes on library computers. For the students who need a quiet place to study. Pasadena Public Library wants to hear from all of you.

The library will be participating in “Every Story Counts,” a statewide California initiative asking patrons to describe how they use their local library.

The survey runs January 26-31 and the survey form will be available on the library’s homepage. For a system serving residents through 10 branch locations, the feedback could help shape how resources and services reach the community.

“The Pasadena Public Library staff work hard to provide our community with a wide range of programs and services,” Library Director Tim McDonald said in a statement. “We want to know more about not only how and why our community uses the library, but to hear from the community directly about their own library experiences.”

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Free Business Mentors Arrive in Altadena as Owners Navigate Post-Fire Recovery

SCORE event offers personalized guidance on financial recovery and growth nearly one year after the Eaton Fire

A lot of rules that help homeowners don’t apply to small businesses recovering from wildfires. Insurance laws that give families upfront payouts don’t cover the shop owner who lost equipment. Customers who fled the Eaton Fire haven’t all come back.

Nearly one year after the fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures in Altadena, small business owners are still navigating these gaps — and today, some free help is arriving.

SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer business mentors, is hosting a drop-in resource event at Alta Design Works, 409 E. Woodbury Rd., from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, called “Rebuilding Altadena,” offers fire-affected entrepreneurs personalized advice on financial recovery, business growth opportunities, and marketing from experienced business professionals, according to SCORE materials.

“A lot of rules for homeowners insurance don’t apply to businesses,” Daniel Harlow, an Altadena business owner whose office was destroyed in the fire,

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Report: $16,000 Contractor Equipment Theft Reported in Altadena Fire Rebuild Zone

Thieves stole $16,000 worth of equipment from contractors rebuilding an Altadena home damaged in the Eaton Fire, according to CBS Los Angeles.

The theft occurred at the Altadena residence of longtime community member Jim Osterling, whose property is located about half a mile from where the Eaton Fire ignited in Eaton Canyon.

The equipment belonged to contractors performing reconstruction work on his fire?damaged property, according to the CBS report.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Altadena Station told CBS the burglary may have been “a random crime of opportunity.”

Separately, the station also reported that Altadena recorded two residential burglary reports in December 2025, compared with 12 in December 2024.

Osterling told CBS that the theft involved more than one contractor vehicle.

“They broke into another truck right there,” he said. “That worker came out and saw them and chased them.”

He also said thieves have also targeted his neighbors’ construction sites.

Osterling condemned the thefts affecting reconstruction workers.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Storyteller Brings Lunar New Year Magic to Altadena

Professional storyteller Barbara G. Wong celebrates Year of the Horse with free cultural program for children ages 6 and older

The Altadena Library District will welcome professional storyteller Barbara G. Wong on Thursday, January 29, for a free Lunar New Year celebration aimed at introducing local children to cultural traditions and the significance of the Year of the Horse.

“Storyteller Barbara G. Wong spins magical tales about dragons, ducks, a magic pot and more,” according to the official event description. “Learn about New Year customs and the lucky foods to eat to welcome the Year of the Horse!”

Wong brings substantial credentials to the program. She began her storytelling career as an Artist-in-the-Schools for the Hawaii State Department of Education and now performs “multicultural tales and personal stories with audiences of all ages in libraries, schools, museums, and festivals throughout southern California,” according to the district.

The event marks an important contribution to community programming as the Altadena Library District enters a significant transition period.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Author Taleen Voskuni Brings ‘Our Ex’s Wedding’ to Vroman’s

Bay Area novelist joins multimedia journalist Nona Melkonian at Pasadena’s landmark bookstore for a free January 22 talk and signing

An Armenian American wedding planner, a smugly charming winery owner and what one reviewer calls “the record level of awkwardness” come to Pasadena when author Taleen Voskuni visits Vroman’s Bookstore to discuss and sign her new romantic comedy “Our Ex’s Wedding.” Kirkus Reviews calls the novel “Voskuni’s best yet” and praises it as “raucous and riveting.”

The free event, “Taleen Voskuni, in conversation with Nona Melkonian, discusses & signs ‘Our Ex’s Wedding,'” is set for Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena. Voskuni will be joined by moderator Nona Melkonian, a multimedia journalist, red carpet host, event host and content creator who is her middle school friend and founder of Melkoni Media.

“Our Ex’s Wedding” is Voskuni’s third romantic comedy, following “Sorry, Bro” and “Lavash at First Sight.” Her debut earned starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Booklist,

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Don’t Just Endure Life. Love It Again.

Late January is a challenging time of year. The dark days, coupled with pressures of self-improvement and waning new year resolutions, can lead to feelings of failure or being “stuck” in life. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. Shannon Clark, PhD, focuses on helping her clients love their lives again.

“Feeling stuck isn’t a failing,” says Dr. Clark. “It’s a call to dig deeper and understand what you need to feel joy again.”

Dr. Clark explains that when someone feels stuck, it takes an exhausting amount of endurance to get through the day, the week, and the year. While this feeling can strike anyone at any age, Dr. Clark finds it to be especially prevalent for millennials in their thirties and forties. It’s a unique stage in life where focus is shifting from checking boxes to wondering if those were even the right boxes to be checking. Whether it’s career stress, relationship challenges, growing families, or broader issues, those dealing with this feeling often suffer in silence and shame.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Altadena Town Council Sets First 2026 Meeting for Tonight, With Fire Recovery, Public Safety on Agenda

Residents can attend in person or watch on YouTube as officials report on Eaton Fire Recovery Fund, land use, and wildlife conditions

The Altadena Town Council convenes tonight at 7 p.m. at the Altadena Community Center with a packed agenda that includes reports on public safety, fire recovery efforts, and land use.

The meeting serves as the primary civic forum for this unincorporated Los Angeles County community, which continues to rebuild after the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures one year ago.

Tonight’s session includes an update on the Altadena Eaton Fire Recovery Fund Advisory, a Land Use Committee report, and presentations from Sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol officers, and Los Angeles County Fire Department officials.

Captain Marquez of the Altadena Sheriff’s Station, Officer Keller of the California Highway Patrol, and Maria Grycan, community services liaison for LA County Fire Department Division 3, will deliver public safety reports.

The council will also hear from Brian McGinnis, a senior planner with the LA County Department of Planning,

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Pretrial Hearing Set Tuesday for Altadena Man Charged in 2021 Double Stabbing

Robert Cotton faces two murder counts in the deaths of his mother, a Pasadena City College employee, and uncle

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Pasadena Courthouse for Robert Cotton, the Altadena man charged with fatally stabbing his mother and uncle at their shared home nearly five years ago.

Cotton, 36, faces two counts of murder with an allegation of using a knife as a deadly and dangerous weapon in the March 22, 2021, deaths of Carol Anne Brown, 67, and her brother Kenneth Wayne Preston, 69, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The hearing is scheduled in Department B of the courthouse at 300 E. Walnut St.

The case gained attention because a colleague of Brown’s partially witnessed the attack during a Zoom call with other Pasadena City College employees. The colleague saw a man dragging another man into the living room and called 911 to report a possible kidnapping, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Walkout Demonstration Brings Pasadena Into Nationwide Protest Tuesday

Participants plan to gather at The Paseo at 2 p.m. and walk Colorado Boulevard as local part of an estimated 1,000 protests nationwide marking one year since Trump’s second inauguration

A demonstration is planned for this afternoon along Colorado Boulevard sidewalks as locals join over 1,000 coordinated walkouts across the country, organized by Women’s March and the 50501 Movement to mark the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.

The “Free America Walkout” asks Pasadena-area participants to leave work, school, or commercial activity at 2 p.m. and gather at The Paseo, the open-air shopping center at 300 E. Colorado Blvd. From there, demonstrators intend to walk the sidewalk between Raymond Avenue and Lake Avenue, organizers said.

Participants are instructed to stay on sidewalks, allow pedestrian traffic to flow, and obey all street signs and signals. Organizers said they have invited Pasadena Police Department to maintain a presence and facilitate the demonstration. “This is a peaceful walk,” according to promotional materials distributed by the organizers.