Friday, July 25, 2025

LA County Investigates Measles Case in Traveler

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Public Health officials have confirmed a case of measles in a traveler who passed through Los Angeles International Airport while infectious earlier this month.

County Department of Public Health officials warned that people may have been exposed, with the risk of infection higher for people who are not immunized against measles.

According to health officials, the patient was at LAX on July 5, but the exact time and flight information were still under investigation. The patient is also believed to have visited the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 5711 W. Century Blvd., between 7:30 p.m. July 5 and 1 p.m. July 7.

Health officials warned that people who were at those locations during those times could be at risk of developing measles between seven and 21 days from exposure. Such people should verify their vaccination status and monitor themselves for symptoms.

“Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can linger in the air and on surfaces,

Friday, July 25, 2025

Fire-Scarred Altadena Residents Gather This Weekend to Paint Prayers on Community Mural

A healing art project transforms collective trauma into hope and environmental awareness

Four months after the Eaton Canyon fires devastated in Altadena, residents will gather this weekend to create a unique community mural that transforms personal loss into collective healing. 

The “Prayer for the Earth Mural” project, led by environmental muralist Ekaterina Sky, invites fire survivors to write their prayers directly onto a mural that will be ceremonially sealed in gold, offering a therapeutic outlet for community resilience.

“The most meaningful realization has been how deeply people long for community, especially after loss,” said Sky. “This project is about more than art, it’s about collective healing.” 

The four-day project, organized by local business owners John Hopkins and Sev Dhar from the former Oh Happy Day Vegan Café, will unfold from July 24 to 27. Participants will construct a mobile wall, paint a base design, and culminate in a Sunday evening ceremony where community members will write their prayers,

Friday, July 25, 2025

Altadena Rotary Announces Quarterly Fire Recovery Grants to Boost Community Rebuilding Efforts

The Rotary Club of Altadena has announced the recipients of its second-quarter Altadena Rotary Fire Recovery Grants, reinforcing its commitment to helping the community rebuild after the devastating Eaton Fire.

Managed through the Restore Altadena initiative, the grant program offers awards ranging from $500 to $5,000, exclusively to 501(c) nonprofit organizations or to efforts sponsored by them.

All funded projects must be executed within the unincorporated Altadena area and demonstrate both tangible impact and community need. While matching funds are encouraged, they are not required, and grants may also support components of broader efforts.

Applications are evaluated quarterly, with upcoming deadlines on September 30 and December 31. The application is available through the Rotary’s official website, and donors can support the effort through the dedicated platform at givebutter.com/EatonFireARC..

The latest slate of awards backs a cross-section of recovery efforts—from mental health programming and digital literacy workshops to musical instrument replacement, gardening education and direct financial relief to displaced families.

Friday, July 25, 2025

Edison’s Eaton Fire Payout Plan Draws Sharp Criticism From Local Lawyers

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

One day after Southern California Edison announced a Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program, local attorneys took the program to task and intimated the program could further victimize people who lost their homes in the deadly Eaton Fire.

“Their supposed fund is woefully lacking in detail … designed to vastly underpay the victims,” attorney Richard Bridgford of Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian said in an interview with CBS Los Angeles.

Bridgford noted that similar direct-payment programs from other utilities have offered only a small percentage of actual rebuilding costs.

“In our experience … providing $0.40 on the dollar or less of the true cost to rebuild,” Bridgford said.

Bridgford said timing of SCE’s offer will likely sow confusion before official cause determinations, telling the Los Angeles Times it could “make people panic so they don’t get adequate representation.”

A separate voice in the legal community, Pasadena attorney Doug Boxer, also cast doubt on the program’s promised efficiency.

Friday, July 25, 2025

LA Architects Relocate Historic Homes to Support Altadena Wildfire Recovery

The project provides affordable, timely rebuilding solutions while preserving architectural heritage and reducing landfill waste

Los Angeles-based architecture and interiors firm Omgivning has launched the Historic House Relocation Project to help families rebuild on fire-damaged lots in Altadena by moving salvaged homes from across the region. The initiative preserves historic character, reduces landfill waste and offers a faster, more affordable alternative to traditional new construction, according to the firm.

“This is the most sustainable way to rebuild, by not throwing an entire house into the landfill,” said Creative Director Morgan Sykes Jaybush. “It’s also a great way to bring some historic character back to these neighborhoods which have suffered so much loss. And in addition to being a quicker solution, it’s a more affordable option; we estimate that these moves are half to two thirds of the cost of a new build.”

The first house to be relocated is a 1911 Craftsman-style, 2,400-square-foot, four-bedroom home formerly located at 1853 Taft Ave.

Friday, July 25, 2025

Rose Bowl Stadium to Host Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway

Event aims to help families affected by Eaton Fire disaster

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena will host its second annual back-to-school celebration Aug. 3, distributing 2,500 backpacks to local families.

The Dena Community Backpack Giveaway promises 2,500 supply-filled backpacks for families from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students and families affected by this year’s devastating Eaton Fire disaster will receive priority support.

Five organizations joined forces for the initiative: the Rose Bowl Institute, LOV Olive Branches, Neighborhood Servants, Pasadena Educational Foundation and the City of Pasadena.

Inside the stadium, students will browse backpack selections in the West Locker Room while parents explore resources in the vendor fair at the East Locker Room.

Outside, the Court of Champions becomes a festival wonderland with games, activities, an arcade truck and ice cream.

“We are proud to welcome the Rose Bowl Stadium community back for year two of this meaningful back-to-school initiative,” said James Washington, Rose Bowl Institute president.

Friday, July 25, 2025

Redfin Pegs City of Los Angeles Wildfire Damages at $51.7 Billion

The cost of January’s Los Angeles wildfires has soared to an estimated $51.7 billion in impacted housing within Los Angeles city limits, according to Redfin’s newly released July 24 valuation report. This week’s report focused specifically on properties in the City of Los Angeles and omits Altadena/Eaton-Fire damage as well as every other part of unincorporated L.A. County.

Redfin’s analysis identified roughly 11,000 homes within Los Angeles city limits affected by the blazes, with a typical pre-fire home value of $3.7 million (Redfin, July 24, 2025). The figure—among the highest in recent California wildfire history—focuses exclusively on homes inside city boundaries and does not account for damage in county areas like Altadena.

A prior Redfin report issued January 17 included Altadena and Pasadena, but its figures were preliminary and too soon after the event to present a complete picture.

Local agents and residents say the financial toll in Altadena remains under-assessed.

“Everybody in Altadena thought they were going to rebuild, but depending on their situation,

Friday, July 25, 2025

High School Students to Lead Wildfire Oral History Effort at Pasadena ‘Listening Session’ on Saturday

Altadena residents impacted by recent wildfires are invited to share their personal stories during a community oral history listening session hosted by the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) on Saturday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Part of the Wildfire Youth Media Initiative, the event centers on 18 high school journalists—nine from the greater Altadena area and nine from Pacific Palisades—trained by USC faculty to collect oral histories of the fires and their aftermath. The recorded stories will be archived by the Los Angeles Public Library and featured across USC-produced podcasts and short-form content, with potential publication by LAist and KCRW.

“Wildfires have upended lives, destroyed homes, and left lasting emotional and environmental damage,” Geoffrey Baum, senior fellow at USC Annenberg CCLP, said in a statement. “Through this initiative, we aim to honor those experiences and create space for healing and civic memory.”

Attendees will rotate through five question-based story stations organized around themed reflections,

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Local Attorneys Push Back Against Southern California Edison’s Wildfire Compensation Proposal

STAFF REPORT

Attorneys are criticizing the Southern California Edison wildfire compensation program announced Wednesday, likening it to previous efforts by Pacific Gas & Electric that left victims inadequately compensated.

“Experience suggests that these direct payments for victims are neither quick, nor easy, nor equitable,” said Doug Boxer, a Pasadena attorney who has represented thousands of wildfire victims in other major fires. “PG&E offered a similar program and wildfire victims ended up receiving inadequate compensation, and it didn’t happen fast.”

Fellow attorney Mikal Watts, a fire origin expert and trial lawyer known for securing groundbreaking settlements, said Edison appears to be accepting responsibility for the fire.

“After six months of denying responsibility, we are pleased for our clients that Edison has finally reversed course and now acknowledges what we have already proven — they started the fire and need to pay for the damage it caused,” Watts said.

Watts and Boxer will address the issue at a public town hall meeting on Thursday,

Thursday, July 24, 2025

School District Open House Discusses 110-Unit Workforce Housing Development on Former Roosevelt Elementary Campus

By EDDIE RIVERA

First public open house draws nearly 100 hopeful PUSD employees and staff members, along with concerned local homeowners

The Pasadena Unified School District is moving forward with plans to transform the closed Roosevelt Elementary School campus into a 110-unit workforce housing development, with district officials citing staff recruitment and retention as primary drivers for the project.

The District held its first community open house for the project on Wednesday evening for nearly 100 people in a sweltering Arroyo Room at the Brookside Golf Club, where the air conditioning had just failed.

The development—planned for the campus that shuttered in 2021—represents what Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco describes as a solution to a critical staffing challenge.

“Some of our staff drive over two hours a day to get to work,” Blanco said, explaining the district’s motivation for the project.

As Blanco also pointed out, more than 120 PUSD employees lost their homes in the Eaton Fire.