Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Community Rebuilding Event Combines Practical Aid, Small Business Revival and Mental Health Support for Fire Victims

In an uncommon approach to disaster recovery, local organizations are combining practical rebuilding assistance with mental health support and small business revival at an upcoming community event.

The “We’re All in This Together” gathering will feature everything from architectural consultations on affordable building to expert panels with celebrity moderators.

“We hope to give hope — to show everyone that Altadena and Pasadena will rebuild stronger and better than ever, while holding on to the charm, style, diversity, and people that make this community special,” said organizer Caitlin McHugh Stamos of CivicSoul.org.

The all-day event is scheduled for March 1st from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Philip the Apostle School and Parish.

For McHugh Stamos, the initiative hits close to home.

“Half of the block that I grew up on burned,” she shared in a recent interview. “It’s really important to me to see this community held and supported and built back in a way that upholds the beautiful diversity that it has always had.”

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Is The US In A Constitutional Crisis? California’s Attorney General Says Not Yet

By ANA B. IBARRA, CALMATTERS

California Attorney General Rob Bonta sees a constitutional crisis looming as lawsuits play out over the Trump administration’s boundary-testing executive orders, but the Democrat so far believes the country has not passed that threshold.

A crisis would require “a blatant, egregious failure to comply with a clear court order” by the Trump administration, Bonta said Tuesday at a gathering in Los Angeles with five other Democratic attorneys general.

That, Bonta said, hasn’t happened yet.

His opinion was one of the few points of disagreement between him and his counterparts from Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. They spoke to reporters at a roundtable during their two days of meetings in L.A.

Some of Bonta’s colleagues went further than him in indicating that they believe the nation is already undergoing a constitutional crisis. They spoke a day after news reports showed a federal judge found that the Trump administration continued to withhold some federal funds,

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

How A 1995 California Court Ruling That Restored Immigrant Rights Could Backfire In 2025

By DAN WALTERS, CALMATTERS

California has the nation’s largest population of undocumented immigrants with roughly 1.8 million people. Over the last three decades, Californians’ attitudes about that fact have undergone an astonishing swing.

Hostility reached a peak in the early 1990s, demonstrated by passage of Proposition 187 in 1994 by a 3-2 margin. The measure would have required police to check the legal status of people they encountered and barred public services, including education, to those who could not prove citizenship or legal residency.

It was the centerpiece of Republican Gov. Pete Wilson’s campaign for a second term, contending that undocumented people were overwhelming the state’s budget.

However, support for a crackdown was not confined to GOP voters. Not only did many Democrats — then as now the largest bloc of voters — vote for the measure, but a Legislature dominated by Democrats passed anti-immigrant laws, such banning driver’s licenses.

Soon, however, public sentiment and the political atmosphere began to change.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Federal Agencies Begin Fire Debris Cleanup on Private Properties, Hailed As Major Milestone

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Efforts to clear debris from residential properties in the Eaton and Palisades burn areas were continuing Wednesday, with the start of such operations hailed as a major milestone achieved in record time.

“Today we take another step toward rebuilding not just homes and businesses, but hope itself,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Regional Administrator Bob Fenton said at a news conference Tuesday at the Eaton Fire burn area in Altadena.

He said the debris-removal process “is about making properties safe, restoring the land and preparing for what comes next.”

FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with L.A. County and impacted municipalities, began debris-clearance work Tuesday on properties of survivors who submitted a form, known as a Right of Entry form, to remove fire-damaged structures such as concrete and metal, ash and hazardous trees.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the beginning of Phase 2 debris-removal work was occurring with “unprecedented” speed, beginning just 35 days since the fires erupted.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

The Day-By-Day, Play-By-Play Forecast For This Week’s Potent Inbound Rain Storm

A storm system will drench Pasadena and Altadena with several rounds of steady rainfall and possible thunderstorms through Friday, before conditions improve for the weekend.

Forecasters expect persistent rain to begin Wednesday, with rainfall totals building significantly through Thursday when 1 to 2 inches could fall. Gusty south winds up to 20 mph will accompany the heaviest precipitation, with thunderstorms possible late Thursday night into early Friday morning.

The wet weather pattern is predicted to gradually wind down Friday, giving way to partly cloudy skies Friday night and mostly sunny conditions by Saturday when temperatures will climb to around 65 degrees. The break in rainfall offers residents a respite after what could amount to over 3 inches of rain during the three-day stretch.

Here is the latest forecast for Pasadena as of 3:14 a.m. on Wednesday, February 12, from the National Weather Service:

Wednesday: Rain. High near 54. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Powerful Storm Expected Starting Wednesday

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Local authorities are urging residents Wednesday to prepare for what could be a potentially dangerous storm set to slam the region, potentially triggering flooding, mudslides or debris flows, particularly in the recent wildfire burn zones.

“I want to really urge everyone to take the alerts seriously here,” National Weather Service meterologist Ariel Cohen said during a Tuesday morning news conference with Mayor Karen Bass at Los Angeles City Hall. “… We have a return to some potentially dangerous weather conditions across the area. Most places are not going to experience those dangerous weather conditions, and it’s possible we get through this rain event without any significant problems, but the potential is there. And those across the region … are encouraged to be taking the weather alerts seriously.”

The NWS has already described the multi-day storm system as likely to be “the biggest precipitation producer so far this season.”

Cohen said it will be the “most significant storm”

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Red Cross Still Exploring Options For Moving Evacuation Center

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

According to the American Red Cross, the nonprofit is now considering a “couple of options” for placement of the evacuation center, which is scheduled to close at the convention center.

“We’re considering facilities that will suit the needs of the households in our care currently,” said Mary Simpkins, assistant director of external relations for this disaster relief operation.

“There are a couple of options that are being considered and that will be finalized.”

Simpkins told Pasadena Now an announcement will be made after everything is finalized. She did not provide additional information about possible locations.

The Red Cross generally works with local government and other organizations to determine when it is safe and appropriate to close these centers based on recovery efforts. The timeline also depends on the needs of the affected population.

Last week, a spokesperson from the group told Pasadena Now the group was searching for a location in Altadena,

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Altadena Golf Course to Serve as Staging Area For Collection of Hazardous Materials From Fire

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

The former Altadena Town & Country Club Golf Course will serve as a staging for the temporary storage of hazardous materials collected from the Eaton fire burn footprint.

The Club itself was destroyed by the Eaton Fire early last month.

According to a lease agreement effective February 8, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the County of Los Angeles have signed a lease agreement for the additional staging area at the Altadena Golf Course. This is the third staging area that EPA will use for the materials.

Staging areas have also been established at Farnsworth Park in Altadena and Duarte.

“EPA is working to remove hazardous materials from the burn footprint of the Eaton fire as safely and efficiently as possible,” said Tara Fitzgerald, EPA Pacific Southwest Incident Commander for EPA’s Emergency Response to the Los Angeles Wildfires. “Securing this third staging area in Altadena means that EPA will be able to move more hazardous materials from an uncontrolled environment into a controlled environment daily to allow residents to move through the recovery process as quickly as possible.”

The Eaton Fire broke out on Jan.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Los Angeles County to Consider Increasing Price Gouging Penalty to $50,000

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote on a motion Tuesday to increase the penalty for price gouging to a maximum of $50,000 per violation.

In last week’s meeting, the board had directed the Office of County Counsel to draft the motion.

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who introduced the motion, had said the recent L.A. County wildfires burned more than 16,000 structures, many residential, and displaced tens of thousands of people.

“Price gouging laws have been in effect limiting the amount of money that can be charged for goods and services including rent,” Horvath said, “Yet, there are bad actors who are taking advantage of this crisis.”

She cited a study by Rent Brigade that found thousands of potential violations, including in areas not affected by fires, in just the first 11 days since the blazes broke out Jan. 7.

Board Chair Kathryn Barger, who co-authored to the motion, said she had witnessed a disturbing trend of price gouging in the area preying on the most vulnerable communities.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Federal Agencies Set to Begin Fire Debris Cleanup on Private Properties Tuesday

By JOSE HERRERA, City News Service

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin removing fire debris starting Tuesday from private properties damaged or destroyed by the January wildfires, officials announced Monday.

The two federal agencies in partnership with L.A. County and impacted municipalities will enter the properties of survivors who submitted a form, known as Rights of Entry, to remove fire-damaged structures such as concrete and metal, ash and hazardous trees.

During a news briefing, federal officials noted the announcement represented a major milestone in the wildlife recovery process.

“Residents in impacted areas will notice an increase in truck traffic, equipment movement and work crews over the coming days, weeks and months,” said Col. Eric Swenson, commander of the USACE’s Recovery Field Office. “We do ask for your patience and understanding as we work to remove debris and reduce the long-term risk for the entire L.A. County community.”

Right of Entry forms are available at any FEMA Disaster Recovery Center and online at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/.