Monday, June 1, 2026

Pasadena and Altadena Voters Head Into Final Day of Early Voting Ahead of Tuesday’s Primary

Today — Monday, June 1 — is the final day of early in-person voting before Election Day tomorrow, June 2. Here is everything Pasadena and Altadena voters need to know.

How You Can Vote Today

Los Angeles County voters in Pasadena and Altadena have three ways to cast or return their ballot:

• Vote in person at any Vote Center in LA County (not just in your neighborhood — any voter can use any county location)
• Drop off your completed mail-in ballot at any of the 400+ official 24-hour Ballot Drop Boxes countywide
• Mail your ballot — but it must be postmarked by Election Day, June 2, and received by June 9

Today’s hours for Vote Centers: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Election Day, June 2, all Vote Centers will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ballot Drop Boxes close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters who missed the May 18 registration deadline can still register in person at any Vote Center through same-day Conditional Voter Registration.

Monday, June 1, 2026

Altadena Unveils Its Largest Mural Ever, a Monument to Fire, Memory and Mountains

By EDDIE RIVERA

Town dedicates a mural for the ages

More than 200 Altadenans came together Sunday, May 31, 2026, to dedicate what organizers are calling the community’s largest public mural — a sweeping visual chronicle of the Mount Lowe Railway painted along the Altadena Crest Trail near the Cobb Estate, and a testament to the fire-scarred community’s history and future.

“From Rails to Trails: Echo Mountain,” created by muralist Austin Scott and commissioned by Waleed and Erin Delawari, was painted on a newly constructed wall at the Delawari family’s property — a wall that replaced the wooden fence the Eaton Fire destroyed when it also took their home and one of their goats.

More than 80 community volunteers contributed nearly 1,000 combined hours over 36 consecutive days to bring the mural to life. The dedication, presented by the nonprofit organization 24LA, ran from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. along the Altadena Crest Trail east of Canon Boulevard above Loma Alta,

Monday, June 1, 2026

New CalFresh Work Requirements Take Effect

New federal work requirements for some CalFresh recipients take effect Monday, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles County residents who rely on food assistance benefits.

CalFresh, California’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides food assistance to low-income individuals and households. County officials said about 1.5 million residents are enrolled, though an estimated 320,000 more may be eligible but are not receiving benefits.

Under the updated rules, certain adults ages 18 to 64 who do not have dependent children younger than 14 in their household will be required to complete at least 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month, of work, job training or volunteer activities to continue receiving benefits beyond three months in a three-year period.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services launched a monthlong outreach campaign on May 1 to raise awareness of the changes and help residents understand how the new requirements could affect eligibility, enrollment and renewal procedures.

“L.A.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Tuesday Is Election Day — Vote Centers Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Across Los Angeles County

California’s statewide primary determines who advances to the November general election for governor, Congress and a slate of local offices

Tuesday is the California statewide direct primary election, and voters across Los Angeles County have one last chance to weigh in on the candidates who will appear on November’s general-election ballot for governor, congressional seats, the state Legislature and a roster of local offices.

All Los Angeles County vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Any registered Los Angeles County voter can cast a ballot at any of the more than 120 vote centers across the county, regardless of where in the county they live. Voters still holding a vote-by-mail ballot can drop it off at any vote center or at any of the more than 400 official 24-hour drop boxes maintained by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk; mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than June 2 to be counted.

Election officials are urging voters not to rely on the mail at this late stage.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Guest Opinion | Francesca Mariani: The PUSD Board Made the Right Decision on the Equity Report

At a recent Pasadena Unified School District board meeting, I asked a simple question about the district’s proposed Equity Impact Analysis related to school closures:

Where exactly is the equity analysis?

The document prepared by Total School Solutions discussed facilities, staffing reductions, operating costs, and consolidation scenarios. But much of it read less like a true equity analysis and more like a financial and facilities report with the word “equity” placed on the cover page afterward.

Equity is not simply about balancing spreadsheets. Equity asks deeper questions: Who bears the burden of these decisions? Who loses access? Which communities face disproportionate disruption? And are existing inequities being reinforced rather than reduced?

Those questions were largely missing.

Transportation, Geography, and History Matter

The report contained little meaningful analysis of transportation impacts, commute patterns, walking access, or how families actually navigate PUSD’s open-enrollment system.

If schools south of, or near, the 210 freeway corridor are closed,

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Altadena Library’s Open Mic Night Returns to Callisto Tea House Monday

All ages and all genres welcome at the bring-your-own-talent night in the tea house’s intimate front room

The Altadena Library’s monthly Open Mic Night migrates to Callisto Tea House on Monday evening, an arrangement built on partnership between the library and one of the neighborhood’s best-loved gathering spots. All ages are welcome, all genres are fair game, and the audience is asked only to listen well.

Open Mic Night begins at 6 p.m. Performers can sign up to read a poem, share original songwriting, try out new stand-up material, or step up to the mic with whatever they have been working on. The collaboration between the library and Callisto has become a regular fixture in the Altadena Library’s calendar of programming hosted at community partners — a slate that also includes monthly crafting gatherings and tea-tasting sessions at the tea house.

Callisto Tea House specializes in loose-leaf teas and afternoon service in a small storefront along Altadena Drive. The room is well-suited to acoustic performance: low ceilings,

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Altadena’s Largest Mural Comes Out from Behind the Scaffolding Sunday

From Rails to Trails: Echo Mountain” — 85 feet of hand-painted history — unveils along the Altadena Crest Trail

Eighty-five feet long, roughly eight feet high, and entirely hand-painted: at 700 square feet, “From Rails to Trails: Echo Mountain” is the largest mural in Altadena’s history. On Sunday afternoon, the community will finally see it without scaffolding.

Created by Altadena-based muralist Austin Scott with the help of more than 80 community volunteers over 36 consecutive days, the mural traces the history of Mt. Lowe and the Mount Lowe Pacific Railway that once carried visitors into the San Gabriel Mountains. Illustrated animals, hidden details and local landmarks — the ruins of Echo Mountain Resort, Ye Alpine Tavern, Cobb Estate — run the length of the wall. Located along the Altadena Crest Trail near the base of the Sam Merrill Trail, the painting is visible to hikers passing the rebuilt home of resident Waleed Delawari, who commissioned the work after his family’s previous home was lost in the Eaton Fire.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

PUSD Board Recognizes Voces Unidas as Official Parent Group for Latino Families

Pasadena Unified School District trustees unanimously recognized Voces Unidas as an official district-affiliated parent group Thursday, giving the group official district recognition as a parent organization for Latino families who said they want stronger representation, clearer communication and a more organized role in district decision-making.

The Board of Education approved the group during its May 28 meeting after a presentation from parent leaders and district family engagement staff. The agenda described the item as a proposal to approve Voces Unidas as an official PUSD parent group intended to strengthen family engagement, communication and collaboration between families and the district in support of student success and district priorities.

Nancy Molina, representing the district’s Office of Family and Community Engagement with Shannon Mumolo, introduced Voces Unidas as a group of parents seeking to strengthen partnership, belonging and the voices of Latino families in PUSD. The group asked the board for recognition as an official district parent organization.

Diane Riveros, president of Voces Unidas, told the board the group was formed by Latino parents across PUSD to improve connection,

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Resource Fair for Fire-Displaced Artists Opens Today at Altadena Recovery Hub

Organizers say a March survey found creative workers still lack workspace, income stability and community connections 17 months after the Eaton Fire

A free resource fair for artists and creative workers displaced by the Eaton Fire opens today at The Collaboratory, the Altadena recovery hub where organizers say they will offer wellness services, art workshops, live performances and networking to a community still struggling nearly 17 months after the January 2025 disaster.

“Creative Workers Rising: A Resource Fair for Fire-Impacted Artists” runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 540 W. Woodbury Road, according to an Eventbrite listing by the Arts & Culture Coalition of Altadena, which organized the event with the Eaton Fire Collaborative. Admission is free. Registration is requested through Eventbrite.

The event grew out of findings from ACCA’s March 2026 Creative Worker Survey, which organizers say showed artists continue to lack financial support, stable income, creative workspace and community connections, according to a statement provided to the newsroom. Specific survey results,

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Altadena Musicians Holds Record Shop Event for Eaton Fire Survivors in Pasadena

The nonprofit has placed more than 1,500 instruments and 1,300 albums into the hands of wildfire survivors since January 2025

The nonprofit Altadena Musicians will hold a free Record Shop Open House and Record Drive on Saturday at 1 p.m. at its Pasadena venue, offering Eaton Fire survivors the chance to select vinyl records to replace collections destroyed when the January 2025 wildfire leveled more than 9,400 structures in Altadena.

The all-ages event at 1260 Lincoln Ave. #1300, Pasadena, CA 91103 features live music, food, vendors, and a record shopping session at the organization’s Backyard Party space, according to an announcement from the nonprofit. The organization has described the event as a “Record Shop Launch Party / Open House” on its Facebook page. NPR reported in January 2026 that a free record shop was already operating at the venue, suggesting Saturday’s event formalizes public access to that resource.

Altadena Musicians was founded by Brandon Jay, a music composer whose credits with wife Gwendolyn Sanford include “Weeds,”