Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How fast are Altadena fire survivors getting permits and new homes?
And check out Jumpin Joz at Edwin Mills in Pasadena - FREE - Wednesday 12/17 from 6-10pm on the Altadena Patch calendar
Greetings Altadena! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How fast are Altadena fire survivors getting permits and new homes?
- How wildfire relief is helping bring back a beloved Altadena café
- How a Sundance short captures Altadena’s life after the Eaton fire
Also on today's calendar: A Christmas Carol and 5 more events.
Find out what's happening in Altadenafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Altadena? Post it to Altadena photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Altadenafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny and very warm, with a high of 78 and low of 52 degrees.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny and pleasant, temps: high: 76, low: 55.
- Thursday: Partly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 77 and low of 54 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Newsom tours LA wildfire recovery efforts, presses Trump for funds (heysocal.com) — Altadena residents rebuilding after the Eaton Fire are seeing faster permits, new Habitat for Humanity homes, and 20 preapproved house plans ready for use locally. Gov. Gavin Newsom toured Altadena and Pacific Palisades, highlighted LA Rises funding, and pressed the Trump administration for billions in long-delayed federal recovery aid that would further support local housing and reconstruction. 
2. LA County closes grant program, gives out $23.4 million in relief to businesses affected by wildfires (pasadenastarnews.com) — Altadena’s Cafe De Leche and other local businesses are getting crucial county grant money to rebuild after the devastating Eaton fire, with every eligible applicant now funded. The program delivered $23.4 million to affected businesses and workers, and owner Anya Schodorf says the support will help restore the beloved Lake Avenue gathering spot for neighbors.
3. 2026 Sundance: Amandine Thomas, Nash Edgerton, Cristina Costantini, Liza Mandelup & Tawfeek Barhom Among 54 Selected Shorts! (ioncinema.com) — A new Sundance-selected short documentary spotlights Altadena residents still grappling with whether it’s safe to return to homes contaminated by toxic ash after the devastating Eaton fire destroyed more than 9,000 local structures in January 2025. The film, Still Standing, follows neighbors weighing health risks, loss, and resilience, bringing national attention to an ongoing Altadena recovery story.
4. Los Angeles Is Bouncing Back After the 2025 Wildfires—Here's How to Visit Responsibly (travelandleisure.com) — Altadena is still rebuilding from the devastating Eaton Fire, with key spots like the Town and Country Club, Mariposa Junction, and several favorite cafes and restaurants now reopened to visitors. The piece explains how tourism dollars can support recovery in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, notes which parks and shopping areas remain closed, and offers guidance on visiting respectfully while the neighborhoods heal.
5. These 5 Good News Stories Are the Antidote to 2025's Rage Bait (rd.com) — One of this year’s standout feel-good stories features Steve Carell quietly funding prom tickets for hundreds of Pasadena and Altadena high school students whose families lost homes and businesses in the Los Angeles wildfires. The broader roundup also highlights inspiring philanthropy, athletic achievement, and creative humanitarian efforts that pushed back against 2025’s steady stream of grim headlines.
📸 Around Altadena
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Altadena
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Jumpin Joz at Edwin Mills in Pasadena - FREE - Wednesday 12/17 from 6-10pm
Edwin Mills by Equator, 22 Mills Pl, Pasadena
6:00 pm
Wednesday December 17
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Computer Classes
Harbor Gateway Branch Library Harbor City -
3:00 pm - A Christmas Carol
A Noise Within Theatre , 3352 E Foothill Blvd , Pasadena
11:00 am - KW Pasadena Career DAY - KSCORE
Keller Williams Pasadena , 199 S Los Robles Ave Suite#130 , Pasadena
11:00 am - Dungeons and Dragons for High School
Playa Vista Branch Library
4:00 pm - December Monthly Meetup
Chao Doi Thai Restaurant , 680 N Los Robles Ave , Pasadena
6:30 pm - English Conversation With Ronnie
Playa Vista Branch Library
10:00 am - Bleep Comedy at Ice House Comedy Club - California Room
The Ice House , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
7:45 pm
Wednesday December 17
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
📣 Altadena Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Walk-in Tutoring With Dennis
Harbor Gateway Branch Library Harbor City -
12:30 pm - Read With STAR Volunteer Suze
Harbor Gateway Branch Library Harbor City -
6:00 pm - Grand Center Stage Christmas Party Graduation Concert — VATCHE & TAMAR MANOUKIAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Cultural Center , 2495 E Mountain St , Pasadena
7:00 pm - Computer Classes
Harbor Gateway Branch Library Harbor City -
3:00 pm
Tuesday December 16
Wednesday December 17
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Altadena PatchAM possible:
- LA Fire Justice — (626) 684-3315
Holding Southern California Edison Accountable
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Firefighters respond to a structure fire in Leimert Park, with smoke visible from a unit and a knockdown of the fire achieved.
11:04PM on Dec 14: Thirteen units are responding to a structure fire on South Leimert Boulevard in Los Angeles. (Nextdoor )
- Panda Restaurant Group posted a job opening for Assistant Manager (P1-1357572-4) in Altadena. Apply here.
- Cost Plus, Inc. - World Market posted a job opening for Seasonal Stock Associate in Pasadena. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Altadena here.
Ok Altadena! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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