🌱 Patch AM: How a neighbor-built network is speeding fire-resilient rebuilding near Arcadia

Good morning Arcadia! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How a neighbor-built network is speeding fire-resilient rebuilding near Arcadia
• Who stole this Arcadia family’s Christmas basketball hoop?
• See how Arcadia’s band shined on Pasadena’s biggest parade stage

Also on today's calendar: Jouyssance presents "Joyeux Noel" and 6 more events.

Today's riddle: I got fired from the M&M factory. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Occasional afternoon rain, with a high of 61 and low of 54 degrees.
• Sunday: Cloudy, showers around; cool, temps: high: 61, low: 51.
• Monday: Mainly cloudy, showers around, with a high of 63 and low of 50 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Local man founds Rebuild Altadena from ashes of Eaton Fire (heysocal.com) — A year after the devastating Eaton Fire, an Altadena-led rebuilding effort is also closely watched by residents in nearby Arcadia’s Highland Oaks area, who saw flames threatening their homes that night. Rebuild Altadena is coordinating designers, engineers, and vetted contractors, hosting quarterly fairs, and pushing agencies to cut fees and delays so hundreds of burned-out families can return to safer, more fire-resilient homes.
   

2. Los Angeles family asks for return of basketball hoop stolen from their home just days after Christmas (cbsnews.com) — An Arcadia family is asking for help after a newly assembled basketball hoop, a Christmas gift for their three children, was stolen from outside their home just days after the holiday. Security video shows two people dismantling and taking the hoop, and the family has filed a report with Arcadia Police while pleading for the thieves to simply return it, no questions asked.
   

3. WATCH: Marching band highlights from the 2026 Rose Parade in Pasadena (dailynews.com) — Arcadia residents can cheer on the Arcadia Apache Marching Band and Color Guard, which proudly represented Arcadia in today’s 2026 Rose Parade in Pasadena. A new video roundup showcases their performance alongside top bands from across the country and around the world, all navigating the famous TV corner turn on Colorado Boulevard.
   

4. What's Next for the Rose Court After the Parade? (coloradoboulevard.net) — Two Arcadia High School students, including Rose Queen Serena Guo, are part of this year’s Rose Court, representing the community well beyond parade day. They’ll spend the year visiting hospitals, attending local events, honing public-speaking skills, and receiving scholarships and mentorship as ambassadors for the Tournament of Roses and role models for young women regionwide.
   

5. So Let Me Get This Straight: You Built A Turbocharged GT Out Of A Ford Pinto (theautopian.com) — Decades ago, Huntington Ford of Arcadia helped turn humble Ford Pintos into surprisingly quick, wedge-shaped “Pangra” sports coupes using body, suspension, and turbo kits. This nostalgic deep dive revisits how that Arcadia dealership briefly made a local name in tuner culture, alongside other wild Pinto body conversions that tried to turn an economy car into a head-turner.
   

📸 Around Arcadia

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 Arcadia

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Tuesday January 6

• Smarty Pants Storytime
  Live Oak Library - Meeting Room
  12:00 pm
• Walk-in Tutoring With Dennis
  Harbor Gateway Branch Library Harbor City -
  12:30 pm

Wednesday January 7

• Walk-In Tutoring With Margie
  Playa Vista Branch Library
  10:00 am
• Walk-In Tutoring With Cheri
  Playa Vista Branch Library
  10:00 am
• Walk-In Tutoring With Bo-Gay
  Playa Vista Branch Library
  10:00 am
• Walk-In Tutoring With Pat
  Playa Vista Branch Library
  10:00 am
• Baby Storytime
  Live Oak Library - Meeting Room
  10:30 am
• Computer Classes
  Harbor Gateway Branch Library Harbor City -
  3:00 pm

Sunday January 11

• Jouyssance presents "Joyeux Noel"
  St Luke's Episcopal Church , 122 California Ave , Monrovia
  4:00 pm

📣 Arcadia 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

Saturday January 3

• Knitting and Crochet Club
  Harbor City - Harbor Gateway Branch Library
  1:00 pm
• Swim Crew: January - Monrovia, CA 2026
  Santa Anita Family YMCA , 501 Mountain Ave , Monrovia
  6:00 pm
• Ice House Comedy: The Twin New Year Show (chinese show)
  Ice House Comedy Club , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
  7:30 pm
• Ice House Comedy: The Twin New Year Show (English Show)
  Ice House Comedy Club , 24 N Mentor Ave , Pasadena
  9:30 pm

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 Arcadia PatchAM possible:

• LA Fire Justice — (626) 684-3315
  Holding Southern California Edison Accountable
• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• EXTREMELY URGENT 🚨
  HAIL MARY‼️ At risk of euthanasia tomorrow moring 1/2 ‼️ LATTE Behavior: Friendly, sweet, and eager to connect. Latte enjoys human companionship and… (Nextdoor Holly Avenue Santa Anita)
• 🚨 RUNNING OUT OF TIME‼️
  NICHOLAS #A5745661: 8 months old, male Queensland Heeler, 34 pounds, Owner surrender on 12-20. Sweet pup Nicholas has no idea why or how he ended up… (Nextdoor Holly Avenue Santa Anita)

• California Pizza Kitchen posted a job opening for Dishwasher in Arcadia. Apply here.
• Macy's, Inc. posted a job opening for Retail Support Associate - Ready to Wear, Santa Anita - Part Time in Arcadia. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Arcadia here.

Ok Arcadia! 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 kept throwing out all the W’s.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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