Saturday, September 19, 2026

Fire-Resilient Design Unveiled for New Eaton Canyon Nature Center

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Plans for a new wildfire-resilient Eaton Canyon Nature Center were taking shape Friday after Los Angeles County officials unveiled a design featuring fire-resistant materials, sprinklers and curved walls intended to divert windblown embers.

The proposed horseshoe-shaped building includes an open-air interior courtyard, roof and eave sprinklers, a fire-resistant stone and steel exterior, curved walls designed to divert windblown embers and slow strong wind gusts, and on-site water tanks, according to the county Department of Parks and Recreation.

The design and location were developed with community input and consideration of wildfire resiliency and the canyon’s historic, tribal and cultural legacy, county officials said.

Architects Anne Mooney and Ludwing Juarez of Sparano + Mooney Architecture presented the design Wednesday during a “From Ashes to Action” panel discussion at the Los Angeles County Arboretum attended by more than 100 people.

The planning incorporates modeling of 100 years of fire, wind and flood patterns to help determine the site and design,

Saturday, September 19, 2026

Altadena Musicians and Fire-Displaced Makers Anchor Pasadena ARTWalk’s Sunday Close

An Altadena nonprofit born out of the January 2025 Eaton Fire will have a place on the stage Sunday, Sept. 20, as the 18th annual Pasadena ARTWalk closes its two-day run on Green Street.

Kevin Sandbloom performs from noon to 2 p.m. under the banner of Altadena Musicians, the group Brandon Jay founded after his family lost their home and recording studio in the fire. He is one of three ARTWalk acts booked through the nonprofit, and the fair’s roster also includes Altadena makers who lost homes and studios and have since found their way back to their work.

The free fair runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, on Green Street between Los Robles and El Molino avenues in Pasadena’s Playhouse Village, with more than 180 hand-selected artisans. Organizers suggest 561 E. Green St. as a midpoint. Sunday’s music runs from Felipe Saray at 11 a.m. through Sandbloom at noon, Rusty Perez from 2 to 4 p.m.

Saturday, September 19, 2026

Pasadena Greek Festival Runs Through Sunday With Food, Dance and a New Second Stage

The Pasadena Greek Festival reaches its final day Sunday, Sept. 20, closing a three-day run at Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church with Greek food, dance performances and an evening raffle.

The festival is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday at the church, 778 S. Rosemead Blvd. in east Pasadena. Admission is $5, and children under 12 enter free; wine tastings are separately ticketed.

Sunday’s program includes Greek mixology at 5 p.m., church tours at 5 and 7 p.m., a dance performance at 8 p.m., and the raffle winner announced at 8 p.m. New this year, the festival added a second stage for cooking demonstrations, cookbook signings and music built around the bouzouki.

Organizers date the festival to 1959 and say it draws more than 10,000 people a year to the east Pasadena church grounds, about 90 percent of them neither Greek nor Orthodox, with more than 200 parish volunteers running it. 

“Everything really is made with love by people in our community,

Friday, September 18, 2026

Campaign: Harabedian Endorses McNamara for PUSD Board Seat in District 7

California State Assemblymember John Harabedian has announced his endorsement of Dennis McNamara for the open District 7 seat on the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) School Board, according to the McNamara campaign.

“Dennis cares about Pasadena, our students, and our schools,” Harabedian said. “He takes the time to understand the issues that matter to our community, and I trust him to bring that thoughtful approach to the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education. I’m proud to endorse him.”

District 7 is one of three Pasadena Unified races on the Nov. 3 ballot. It is the only one with no incumbent running, after Dr. Yarma Velázquez did not file for reelection. The winner will join a seven-member board. The seat is decided by plurality, so the candidate with the most votes wins outright, with no runoff.

McNamara responded that he is running to restore PUSD to a place of prominence and pride.

“I’m running to restore PUSD to a place of prominence and pride by focusing on academic achievement,

Friday, September 18, 2026

Altadena Musicians Take Three of Six Stage Slots as Pasadena ARTWalk Returns to Green Street This Weekend

Three of the six musicians booked for this weekend’s Pasadena ARTWalk will perform under the banner of Altadena Musicians, the nonprofit Brandon Jay started after his family lost their home and recording studio in the Eaton fire.

The 18th annual ARTWalk takes over Green Street between Los Robles and El Molino avenues on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free, more than 180 hand-selected artisans are booked, and the roster includes Altadena makers who lost homes and studios in the January 2025 fire.

Céleigh Chapman opens Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by Ryan Vosika from noon to 2 p.m. Kevin Sandbloom plays Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. All three are listed under Altadena Musicians on the organizer’s schedule. Rusty Perez performs both days from 2 to 4 p.m., Ricky England both days from 4 to 6 p.m., and Felipe Saray opens Sunday at 11 a.m.

Gloria Baghdassarian, event coordinator at Jackalope Arts,

Friday, September 18, 2026

Pasadena Unified Opens Survey on Priorities for Its 2027-2030 Accountability Plan

Pasadena Unified School District has opened a community survey focused on on priorities for its 2027-2030 Local Control and Accountability Plan.

California’s Local Control Funding Formula requires every district to adopt the plan. It sets goals and guides the use of state funding against eight state priorities. It runs three years and is updated annually. Responses will help guide the topics prioritized in upcoming focus groups and community sessions, the district said.

The survey takes about 10 minutes and is anonymous. It is open to secondary students, parents and guardians, and staff, in English and Spanish. Hanover Research, an independent firm working with the district, is collecting responses and reports them only in grouped summaries.

Four in-person sessions follow, the first at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, at district headquarters. A draft plan is due in mid-May 2027 and goes to the Board of Education in June 2027.

NEED TO KNOW
Event: Pasadena Unified School District 2027-2030 Local Control and Accountability Plan community survey.

Friday, September 18, 2026

Latino Heritage Parade Returns to Pasadena Streets After a Year Off

The Oct. 10 procession steps off at Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, a year after organizers set it aside

A parade will lead Pasadena’s Latino Heritage celebration for the first time in two years, stepping off at 4 p.m. Oct. 10 at Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, according to the City of Pasadena.

The 28th annual Latino Heritage Parade and Festival continues at 5 p.m. in front of Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., and runs to 9 p.m. It anchors a month of free programming marking National Latino Heritage Month in a city where 34% of residents are Hispanic or Latino and 41.9% of residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home, according to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts.

The parade’s return follows a year without one. The Pasadena Latino Heritage Committee canceled the 2025 parade, citing “the current issues impacting our beloved community,” and held only a festival, on Oct. 11,

Friday, September 18, 2026

Governor’s Program Provides New Funding Options for Disaster Survivors

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Gov. Gavin Newsom started a program Thursday designed to help disaster survivors, including those from the Eaton and Palisades fires, access additional funding to help speed rebuilding.

The Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Program offers financing tools to help reduce the cost of rebuilding, connect homeowners with trusted lenders, and improve loan options for low- to moderate-income households, Newsom said.

Announced earlier this year, the program was developed in response to feedback from survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires, according to the governor. The $100 million program was funded through the state budget.

On Tuesday, Newsom signed legislation targeting smoke remediation and extending mortgage protections for wildfire survivors.

“California will not leave survivors to navigate recovery alone,” Newsom said in a statement. “With the launch of this recovery fund, we’re turbo-charging efforts to help families get back home and communities rebuild faster. I’m proud of the work we’ve done with the Legislature to make this fund possible,

Friday, September 18, 2026

LA County Issues Temporary Ban on Data Centers Across Unincorporated Areas

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County’s planning director Thursday ordered an immediate prohibition on the development of large-scale data centers that power artificial intelligence in unincorporated areas of the county.

Department of Regional Planning Director Amy Bodek issued the directive in a memorandum Thursday, saying it is intended to serve as interim guidance for planning staff while the county moves toward codifying the prohibition in its zoning regulations.

Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda Solis said she introduced a motion in April addressing public health and environmental concerns surrounding data centers. The motion was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors.

“I introduced it in response to concerns raised by San Gabriel Valley residents who were understandably concerned about the effects of data centers in their communities, concerns that have since been reflected nationwide,” Solis said in a statement Thursday.

“As a necessary next step to address these concerns, the county’s report back on that motion identified zoning changes that would prohibit these facilities.

Thursday, September 17, 2026

District Attorney to Meet Altadena Residents on Fraud and Crime Following the Fire

The county’s top prosecutor joins a community meeting on protecting Eaton survivors during the recovery

When Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman comes to Altadena on Tuesday, Sept. 22, the subject won’t be the Eaton Fire itself. It will be the people his office says have tried to profit illegally  from it.

The Pasadena NAACP, working with the District Attorney’s Office, will host a town hall focused on the fraud and crime the announcement says can target survivors during recovery: contractor fraud, financial elder abuse, vandalism, looting and rent gouging. The branch announced the event on its Facebook page, framing it as a chance for residents to “get informed, ask questions, and learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones during the recovery and rebuilding process.”

For Hochman, the appearance connects to work his office has been doing in the burn zone for more than a year. In December 2025, prosecutors announced charges against people accused of contracting without a license inside the Eaton Fire disaster zone — cases the office said at the time remained under investigation with the Contractors State License Board.