Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Citing ‘Hurt Across Our Community,’ PUSD Superintendent Calls for Shared Vision Before Debating School Closures

In a letter ahead of Thursday’s special Board of Education meeting, Dr. Elizabeth Blanco acknowledged shortcomings in the district’s recent school consolidation process and wrote, “We can do better”

Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco wrote in a letter to the community Monday that the district must start with a larger question about what students’ learning and the district’s education system should look like before debating whether some schools should close, ahead of a special Board of Education meeting Thursday.

At that meeting, Blanco wrote, the board will consider next steps in the district’s transformation plan and will hear from the district’s demographer about enrollment projections, along with how a shared vision can guide the decisions ahead and a proposed process to engage the community in “co-designing and co-constructing PUSD’s future.”

“It has been difficult to see people who care deeply about PUSD at odds and to witness the hurt across our community,” Blanco wrote. “It is time to begin healing and to move forward.”

The letter acknowledged shortcomings in the district’s recent school consolidation process.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Pasadena Education Network Panel to Give Fifth-Grade Parents a Look at Pasadena Unified School Middle Schools

Parents of current middle schoolers will share their perspective Wednesday at Norma Coombs Elementary School in Pasadena.

Parents of fifth graders weighing Pasadena Unified School District’s middle school options can hear from families already at those schools during a Middle School Parent Panel hosted by the Pasadena Education Network on Wednesday, October 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Norma Coombs Elementary School auditorium in Pasadena.

The in-person program is designed for fifth-grade parents who want to learn more about the district’s middle school options and hear from parents whose children currently attend them, according to an announcement from the Pasadena Education Network.

Parents attending will have an opportunity to ask questions and get a clearer picture of the district’s middle schools before visiting campuses this fall, the organization said.

In its event listing, the Pasadena Education Network said the program is meant to ease some of the anxiety parents may feel and give them a frame of reference as they tour middle schools.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Pasadena Unified Expects More Than 100 Colleges at Free Fair at Pasadena Convention Center on Tuesday

Pasadena Unified School District will hold its annual College & Career Fair from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Pasadena Convention Center, where the district expects more than 100 colleges and universities.

The free fair is meant for students from elementary through high school and their families, the district said. It gives them a chance to explore higher education, discover career pathways and connect with programs that can help them plan.

Colleges from across the United States are expected to take part, according to the district. They include local community colleges, state colleges and universities, historically Black colleges and universities, private institutions and Ivy League schools.

The fair also covers jobs after high school, the district said.

Visitors can learn about career certificate programs and local job opportunities and find resources offered by community organizations.

The fair was first held at the convention center in 2013, when nearly 1,000 students and parents attended.

NEED TO KNOW

Event: Pasadena Unified School District’s Annual College &

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

County Investigates First Suspected Rabid Raccoon Since 1973

Los Angeles County health officials investigating the county’s first suspected rabid raccoon case since 1973 are urging residents countywide to avoid wildlife, a warning Pasadena officials issued twice this year after rabid bats were found in the city.

The raccoon was found in a backyard in the Westlake Village area. It reportedly appeared sick but was not aggressive toward people, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a news release Monday, Oct. 5.

Rabies exposures in the county have historically been associated with bats, the department said. It said the raccoon was likely infected by one.

All strains of the virus can infect any mammal, it said. The county has confirmed 70 rabid bats so far this year, a total the department called record-breaking.

One dog that was up to date on its rabies vaccine may have been exposed to the raccoon. The dog is under quarantine and doing well, the department said.

Four people at a worksite may also have been exposed.

Monday, October 5, 2026

Local DAR Chapter Invites High School Students to Write About Revolutionary Patriots, $300 Prize

Pasadena’s Martin Severance Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is inviting Pasadena-area high school students to write about a heroic patriot of the American Revolution in an essay contest that closes on Dec. 4.

The chapter is tying this year’s contest to the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, according to its notice a local school bulletin.

Students in grades 9 through 12 may choose a famous figure or someone less well known, including the women and children who supported the Revolution, the chapter said.

Each essay is to explain who the Patriot was, what that person did during the American Revolution, how those actions influenced its course and what the person contributed to the founding of a new nation, according to the notice.

The assignment matches the topic of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution’s Patriots of the American Revolution High School Essay Contest, which the society launched in preparation for the 250th anniversary. The national contest is open to students in grades 9 through 12 in public,

Monday, October 5, 2026

Pasadena Unified to Remove Trees at John Muir High School for Gym and Pool Project

Pasadena Unified School District will begin removing trees at John Muir High School in Pasadena this week to make way for a gym and pool modernization, the district said.

The district announced the work in an Oct. 4 message to the school community, saying the project is moving into construction after years of planning. 

Tree removals tied to Eaton Fire soil cleanup drew protests at the same campus in July, along with a stop notice from the city of Pasadena.

The modernization includes a new 40-meter pool and pool deck, upgraded workout gyms and locker rooms, and new team and instructional spaces, the district said. 

It also includes improved accessibility, a new entry and lobby, and landscaping, the district said. 

The renovation was the largest active project in the district’s bond program as of May, at approximately $52 million. Interior demolition and pool deck work were under way at the campus in May.

The trees set for removal stand within the project’s footprint and must come down for construction to proceed,

Monday, October 5, 2026

League of Women Voters Hosts Pasadena Unified Candidate Forum at District Headquarters

The Monday evening forum takes place in Board Room 236 at district headquarters

The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area holds its Pasadena USD candidate forum Monday, October 5, at Pasadena Unified School District headquarters.

The forum takes place in Board Room 236 at PUSD Headquarters, 351 S. Hudson Ave. Its co-sponsors include PEN, the Pasadena PTA Council, Voces Unidas and CAC.

A separate League forum for Trustee District 3 is scheduled for Monday, October 19, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive.

Send questions about the forum to forums@lwv-pa.org. The forum runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, October 5, 2026

Metrolink Fare Increases to Take Effect

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Metrolink fares for one-way tickets and its SoCal Day Pass will increase Monday, marking the regional rail system’s first fare increase in 13 years.

One-way ticket prices will increase by an average of 14%, while the SoCal Day Pass will cost $19 on weekdays and $12 on weekends and holidays, according to Metrolink.

Nearly 80% of one-way ticket purchases will increase by no more than $1, while less than 1% will increase by more than $2, officials said.

The Metrolink Board of Directors approved the fare adjustments in June. Agency officials cited rising operating and maintenance costs, reduced post-pandemic ridership and declining state and federal funding.

“Metrolink has worked hard to keep fares affordable while the cost of operating and maintaining our regional rail system has continued to rise,” Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said when announcing the changes. “These pricing adjustments are one step in a broader effort we are taking to responsibly address those pressures and support Metrolink’s long-term financial sustainability,

Monday, October 5, 2026

State’s Power Grid Manager Issues Restrictive Notice

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Southland power providers will be monitoring the electrical grid Monday as a prolonged heat wave drives up demand, with customers being urged to conserve energy to help reduce the strain on the system.

The California Independent System Operator, or Cal-ISO, which manages the state’s power grid, has issued a “Restricted Maintenance Operations” notice from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, urging suppliers “to avoid taking actions which may jeopardize generator and/or transmission availability.”

“We are not forecasting any supply shortfalls at this time, but wanted to prepare consumers in the event that we need to call a Flex Alert,” the agency said Friday. “We will continue to monitor forecasted demand and supply conditions and will provide additional updates as necessary.”

A Flex Alert is issued when Cal-ISO believes power demand may exceed supply and calls for voluntary conservation by residents. If conditions worsen, additional emergency alerts could be issued, potentially leading to rolling blackouts in the most critical power-shortage situations.

Sunday, October 4, 2026

What’s Coming to Charles White Park: A Look at Altadena’s Major Park Rebuild

The five-acre project will bring a recreation center, Disney-designed playground, water features, lighted pickleball courts, public art and extensive landscaping to the fire-damaged park.

Charles White Park is slated for a $10.5 million transformation that will add a recreation center, redesigned playgrounds, water features, lighted pickleball courts, public art and new landscaping to the five-acre west Altadena site as the community rebuilds from the Eaton Fire.

County plans call for remaking the largely passive neighborhood park on Mountain View Street into a more active recreation, cultural and community space, with new facilities for children and families, improved accessibility and gathering areas.

The redevelopment was already being planned before the January 2025 fire, according to Los Angeles County. The project now combines that earlier redesign with the replacement of facilities lost in the disaster.

The park’s two playgrounds and restrooms burned in the Eaton Fire, while its broad lawns and trees were mostly spared, the county said. The planned improvements extend beyond replacing what was destroyed.