Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Pasadena Mayor Gordo to Ride With Community Leaders in 2026 Rose Parade

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Mayor Victor M. Gordo will be joined by community leaders and residents who played critical roles during the Eaton Fire and subsequent federal immigration activity when he and his family ride in the 2026 Tournament of Roses Parade aboard a rare 1937 American LaFrance fire engine.

The announcement comes as the Tournament of Roses Association prepares for the 2026 Rose Parade, themed “The Magic in Teamwork,” a message city leaders say resonates deeply after a year marked by disaster response, recovery efforts and community solidarity in Pasadena and Altadena.

Gordo, his wife Kelly, and their children, Michael and Emma, will be joined on the historic engine by individuals recognized for courage, service and compassion during some of the city’s most challenging moments.

Among the guests is Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who worked closely with Pasadena and Altadena officials during the early days of the Eaton Fire to align county resources with local needs and expand access to recovery,

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Close Up: Pearls, Gold and Pasadena Grace: The Enduring Allure of the Rose Court’s Magnificent Crowns

By KATHLEEN CASTAGNOLI

When Serena Hui Guo accepted her title as the 2026 Rose Queen on the steps of Tournament House earlier this week, all eyes were on her — and on the dazzling emblem that has come to define Pasadena royalty for more than a century.

Weighing nearly three pounds and valued at about $400,000, the handcrafted Rose Queen crown is both masterpiece and heirloom — adorned with 600 Japanese Akoya pearls, 10 Australian South Sea pearls and six carats of diamonds, all set in gold.

Created by the famed Japanese jeweler Mikimoto, known as the originator of cultured pearls, the crown has graced Pasadena’s Rose Queens for nearly two decades, linking each Royal Court to generations past in a shimmer of artistry and tradition, according to Candy Carlson, director of communications for the Tournament of Roses.

The crown and matching set of six tiaras worn by the Royal Court took roughly a year to craft by hand, according to Mikimoto spokesperson John Cotter.

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Local Flooding Possible Wednesday Night Through Thursday

A Flood Watch covering Pasadena and surrounding foothill communities, including Altadena, will be in effect from Wednesday evening through Thursday evening, according to a bulletin issued Tuesday by the National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard.

In its bulletin, the NWS reports that “a strong winter storm will bring moderate to heavy rainfall to the area Wednesday night and Thursday.”

Forecasters note that “antecedent conditions from last week’s rain” combined with the expected rainfall totals and intensities “could generate some significant hydrologic impacts.”

The bulletin adds that “debris flow are possible near recent burn scars” and warns of “a high risk of rock and mudslides in the canyons.”

The agency also states that “those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.”

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Evacuation Warning Issued for Pasadena–Altadena Foothills Ahead of New Year’s Eve Storm

Los Angeles County officials issued an Evacuation Warning at midday Tuesday for residents living in and below the Eaton Fire burn scar in the Pasadena and Altadena foothills, urging households to prepare for possible evacuation as a new storm approaches already saturated ground.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced the warning at about 12 p.m., stating it will take effect Wednesday at 11 a.m. The directive applies to neighborhoods in the San Gabriel Foothills near Altadena, an area severely damaged during the Eaton Fire earlier this year.

“Evacuation Warning for EATON FIRE burn scar area starting Wednesday December 31 11am due to possible mud or debris flows,” the Sheriff’s Department said in an Alert LA County message. “GET SET for possible evacuations… Those who need more time evacuating should consider leaving now.”

County and federal forecasters said the incoming New Year’s Eve storm is expected to fall on ground left highly saturated by last week’s atmospheric river. The National Weather Service warned that the soil has “minimal capacity” to absorb additional rainfall,

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Rose Parade: With Rain in Forecast, Rose Parade Viewers Flock to Pasadena

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Despite a rare prediction of rain in the New Year’s Day forecast, thousands of people will flock to Pasadena to snag viewing positions as early as Wednesday for the 137th Rose Parade, which could be the first one dampened by precipitation in more than 20 years.

The parade, themed “The Magic in Teamwork,” will step off at 8 a.m. Thursday for its traditional 5 1/2-mile procession along Colorado Boulevard.

People planning to camp out on the parade route to ensure prime viewing locations should be prepared for rainy conditions, with the National Weather Service predicting a nearly 100% chance of rain falling both on the parade and on people camping along the route prior to the procession. It would be the first time rain has fallen on the parade since 2006.

As usual, camping overnight along the route will only be permitted the night before the parade, on Wednesday night. People planning to camp can start claiming spaces on the sidewalk beginning at noon Wednesday,

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Strong Santa Ana Winds Prompt Advisory for Pasadena Area From National Weather Service

The greater Pasadena area is under a wind advisory through 3 p.m. Tuesday as strong north-to-northeast Santa Ana winds continue across much of Southern California, according to an early-morning alert from the National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard.

The advisory, issued at 4:29 a.m., includes the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains and nearby communities such as La Cañada Flintridge, Mount Wilson and the Angeles Crest Highway — areas that directly border Pasadena and funnel winds into the city.

The National Weather Service said winds in the affected zones are blowing between 20 and 35 mph, with gusts reaching 40 to 50 mph. A second advisory covering the Western San Gabriel Mountains and the Interstate 5 and Highway 14 corridors warns of even stronger gusts, up to 55 mph.

Forecasters said the winds may knock down tree limbs and could cause a few power outages. Unsecured outdoor items may be blown around, and the agency urged drivers — especially those operating high-profile vehicles — to use extra caution.

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

City Releases Map of Street Closures, Traffic Impacts and Timing

Colorado Boulevard will close to motor vehicles at 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve as the city prepares for the 2026 Tournament of Roses Parade.

The boulevard will remain closed through staging and post-parade cleanup, reopening by 2 p.m. on New Year’s Day.

A midnight 5K race will bring additional restrictions. The run from Pasadena Avenue to Hill Street will require cross-traffic closures at eight intersections beginning at 11 p.m.: Pasadena Avenue, El Molino Avenue, Fair Oaks Avenue, Marengo Avenue, Los Robles Avenue, Lake Avenue and Wilson Avenue. Those intersections will reopen when the race concludes.

Staging areas for the 5K will close even earlier. Streets from St. John Avenue to DeLacey Avenue and from Marengo Avenue to Euclid Avenue will shut down at 6 p.m. Dec. 31.

North-south crossings along the parade route will be closed to all traffic from 10 p.m. Dec. 31 through 6 a.m. Jan. 1, then restricted to emergency vehicles only until 2 p.m.

Sierra Madre Boulevard will be closed to southbound traffic from 10 p.m.

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Forecasters: Expect a Wet New Year’s Rose Parade

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Santa Ana winds expected to continue gusting across much of the Southland on Tuesday, beginning a week of unsettled weather that is forecast to include more rain in the saturated region, including the likelihood of significant rain falling on the normally sunny Rose Parade in Pasadena.

The National Weather Service has extended wind advisories for the Los Angeles area through 3 p.m. Tuesday followed by rainy weather on Wednesday.

“A return to wet weather is expected Wednesday as moisture from off the coast of Mexico gets pulled up into southern California,” said the NWS. “Onset time is still in question, but no later than Wednesday evening. Some light rain is possible as early as Wednesday morning, especially far western areas as the hi res models show the initial trajectory farther to the west over the Channel Islands and Central Coast, but then shifting east during the afternoon and evening.”

The windy conditions will give way to rain by mid-week,

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Year in Review: Trump Drives Uncertain California Economy

By Levi Sumagaysay, CALMATTERS

California is ending the year in much the same way it started: uncertain about what impact President Donald Trump’s policies and actions will have on its economy.

Immigration raids and the threat of them negatively affected the state’s residents, communities and labor markets in different industries. Farmworkers and farmers are anxious about the future. Citizens and noncitizens of Los Angeles and surrounding areas lost work after the raids, according to one study.

California, home to some of the nation’s busiest ports, had to deal with ever-changing tariffs. The agricultural and wine industries worried about higher costs and their ability to maintain relationships with their export partners, who received not just tariff threats but other presidential rhetoric. For example, Trump’s talk of annexing Canada angered some Canadians and affected tourism into the state and the rest of the nation.

The tech industry dealt with a mishmash of policies that included Nvidia agreeing to revenue-sharing with the federal government;

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

What Did California Lawmakers Talk About This Year? These 10 Bills Sparked Hours of Debate

By Ryan Sabalow, CALMATTERS

Most bills in the California Legislature are barely talked about in public before lawmakers take action, often after secret negotiations with lobbyists.

But a handful of controversial proposals broke through the usual rushed process, drawing hours of testimony and intense public lobbying from some of the state’s most powerful organizations that spend millions of dollars to get their way, according to an analysis of CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database, which tracks every word spoken in the Legislature.

That’s compared to the overall 2025 average, which showed lawmakers and advocates spent just 32 minutes publicly talking about each of the 1,657 bills that were discussed in at least one hearing.

These were the 10 most debated bills of the 2025 regular legislative session, according to Digital Democracy.

(Note: Advocacy groups listed below may have changed their positions as the bills were amended.)

Bill: Assembly Bill 715

Lead author: Democratic assemblymembers Dawn Addis of San Luis Obispo and Rick Zbur of Los Angeles.