Coyotl+Macehualli co-founders Brenda Contreras and Micah Haserjian stand next to local artist Pavel Acevedo outside the lending library on Eastern Avenue in El Sereno.
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Daniel Martinez
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LAist
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Topline:
El Sereno community organization Coyotl+Macehualli now has a new lending library and community space serving Northeast Los Angeles stocked with books, power tools, and much more.
Why did they do this: The organization has been doing land preservation work in El Sereno for years, but lacked a central location. Once they secured their own space they wanted to share the extra tools on hand and decided to open up a lending library.
Who can join: Anyone willing to volunteer their time or who wants to sign up for a paid membership can join.
Read on ... to learn more about this hyperlocal organization.
Everyone’s familiar with the concept of a public library. Sign up and you can check out thousands of books that would otherwise be inaccessible. But what if you need a sewing machine? Or plan to start a garden? Buying a tool just to use it once seems inefficient. So why not borrow?
That’s the idea behind the Coyotl + Macehualli lending library in El Sereno.
Lending library manager César Montero sits at the front desk of the library surrounded by items that can be checked out.
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Daniel Martinez
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LAist
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A need for the community
Coyotl + Macehualli, which means “coyote and Indigenous person” in Nahuatl, is a community organization dedicated to preserving land in Northeast L.A.
Listen
2:54
Books are just the start at this new community library in El Sereno
The lending library serves as headquarters for that mission, along with providing resources for the neighborhood and beyond.
Coyotl + Macehualli has been doing environmental justice organizing in the Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno for years. But executive director Brenda Contreras said the group lacked a central location.
Executive Director of Coyotl+Macehualli stands next to a bookshelf that was specially made for the library. The wood for the shelf comes from a Sycamore tree from Altadena and was hand crafted by local artist Ben Gonzalez.
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Daniel Martinez
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LAist
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A Coyotl+Macehualli lending library label on one of the books you can check out at the library.
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“We were itinerant and we were also collecting tools and we were talking about different ideas. So the idea of the lending library kind of originated organically.” Contreras said.
The group began searching for a place to call home at the end of last year, and got their keys to their Eastern Avenue headquarters in January.
Lending Library Manager César Montero, Executive Director of Coyotl+Macehualli Brenda Contreras, and co-founder of Coyotl+Macehualli Micah Haserjian stand below a recreation of an ancient whale found in Northeast L.A. by the artist Sandra de la Loza.
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Daniel Martinez
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LAist
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How does it work?
Manager of the lending library César Montero sits behind his check out desk with a rack of items waiting to be checked out from the library behind him.
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Then they went to work to reimagine the building into an inviting place for the neighborhood, filled with furniture and art by local artists.
The lending library was launched in June, operating between Thursdays and Saturdays.
“ Not everyone needs to buy a shovel. Not everyone needs to have a pitchfork,” said Contreras.
All of the library’s supplies come from donations. A wish list of items is taped on their outside window so people can see what they can donate – to add to their current inventory that includes musical instruments, megaphones, a sewing machine, and more.
One page of the wish list taped to the front window the Coyotl+Macehualli Lending Library
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Daniel Martinez
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LAist
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Another page of wish list items taped to the front window of the Coyotl+Macehualli Lending Library.
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Befitting any library, they also have a large collection of books with a focus on those by authors of color. Genres ranging from children's lit, to cookbooks, social justice, and local history.
Contreras says the library is open to anyone in the community. There are two membership options: Pay a yearly fee or sign up as a volunteer that contributes 30 hours of time within a 12 month period.
Members of Coyotl+Macehualli stand in the lending library as a local street vendor enters to sell them some sweet bread.
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LAist
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Before the launch of the library, the group was already using the space to work with the community. According to Contreras, the organization helped with mutual aid during the fires, housed reading groups, and offered space for different organization meetings.
César Montero, manager of the lending library, said that the library also serves as a third space.
They offer free water, snacks and Wi-Fi for anyone that stops by. They also have an abundance of locally screen printed T-shirts available for purchase.
“You don't have to come here and buy something,” he said. “But I think just having people use the space and take ownership of it. I think that's beautiful.”
Executive Director Brenda Contreras poses with one of the many t-shirts Coyotl+Macehualli has made and has on site at the lending library. This shirt design was done by local Indigenous illustrator Samantha Morales Johnson (Tongva)
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LAist
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For example, they want to collaborate with the local middle schoolers to help decorate the space as part of a long-term community art project.
“We are going to ask them to envision how they view their neighborhood,” said Contreras.
Ultimately, the library is meant to be a source of positivity, something the whole of L.A. needs particularly after the fires, and in the wake of the recent immigration raids.
”The space is here for anyone that wants to contribute to it and that wants to build,” said Montero.
Coyotl+Macehualli co-founders Brenda Contreras and Micah Haserjian stand outside the Tool and Book Lending Library on 3347 Eastern Avenue in El Sereno.
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Daniel Martinez
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LAist
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Details
Coyotl + Macehualli Tool and Book Lending Library Location: 3347 N. Eastern Ave, Los Angeles, California 90032 Hours: Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published December 29, 2025 6:03 PM
Orlando Garcia started playing clarinet at Monrovia High School and will march in his second Rose Parade as the drum major of the Tournament of Roses Honor Band. "Having a live audience to just enjoy the music you make and cheer you on, it adds to the feeling of making music," Garcia said. "It's entertainment, but it's to express ourselves."
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Mariana Dale
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Topline:
You can hear the 2026 Rose Parade theme, which is “The Magic in Teamwork,” reflected in the music of the ensembles performing at Bandfest on Tuesday.
Why it matters: This is your opportunity to see marching bands from around the country — and Mexico and Japan — before their 2026 Rose Parade performance. Plus, the forecast for Tuesday is much sunnier than New Year’s Day.
Connecting to the theme: The Tournament of Roses Honor Band’s performance includes the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” and High School Musical’s “We’re All in This Together.” Drum Major Orlando Garcia said the musical theme makes him remember the smoky skies and power outages that followed January’s wildfires. “ ”We can come together and make great music,” Garcia said of his bandmates, students from Pasadena City College and local high schools. “Just as we always come together and get through everything.”
How to watch: There are two performances at Pasadena City College’s Robinson Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are $26.50 for adults and free for children 5 and younger.
Read on ... to see more pictures of the Honor Band.
Bandfest is an opportunity to see marching bands from around the country — and Mexico and Japan — before their 2026 Rose Parade performance.
“This is the granddaddy of them all,” Tournament of Roses Honor Band Director Peter Huerta said of playing in the parade. “It is viewed all around the world. Everybody is watching you. Every little detail has to be perfect.”
Adriana Del Toro lined up outside Pasadena City College’s Robinson Stadium on Monday to watch her niece play the trumpet in the Los Angeles Unified School District All-District High School Honor Band.
“I'm living my childhood dream through her,” Del Toro said. ”When I was in high school, I always wanted to try out for a band, but I never did it because I was too shy. So I told her, as long as I can, I'm going to be here and support her.”
Some performances incorporated the 2026 Rose Parade theme, “The Magic in Teamwork.”
For example, the Tournament of Roses Honor Band’s performance includes the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” and High School Musical’s “We’re All in This Together.”
The Pasadena City College marching band and musicians from 62 local high schools make up the ensemble.
The 250-member Tournament of Roses Honor Band includes the Pasadena City College marching band and musicians from 62 local high schools.
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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Drum Major Orlando Garcia said the teamwork theme makes him remember the smoky skies and power outages that followed January’s wildfires.
“We can come together and make great music,” Garcia said of his bandmates, students from Pasadena City College and local high schools. “Just as we always come together and get through everything.”
Attend Bandfest
When: Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Where: Pasadena City College’s Robinson Stadium, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. Park at Lot 4.
Tickets:Available online. $26.50 for adults and free for children 5 and younger.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson is this year's Grand Marshal for the 137th Rose Parade in Pasadena. We have tips on making the most of the parade in person.
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Damian Dovarganes
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AP
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Topline:
The Rose Parade is right around the corner, and thousands of people are already preparing to flock to Pasadena for the New Year’s Day festivities. One curveball: It seems likely to be the first rained-on parade in 20 years.
Why it matters: Whether you’ll be camping out the night before, or heading over with blankets in tow in the early morning hours, here’s what you need to know this year.
Why now: In its 137th year, the parade theme is “The Magic in Teamwork," and with a theme like that there's only one choice for Grand Marshal: Laker icon Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. sharp.
Read more ...about parking, public transit, tickets, and so much more.
The Rose Parade is right around the corner, and thousands of people are already preparing to flock to Pasadena for the New Year’s Day festivities.
In its 137th year, the parade theme is “The Magic in Teamwork,” with Laker icon Earvin "Magic" Johnson as the Grand Marshal. It kicks off at 8 a.m.
Whether you’ll be camping out the night before, or heading over with blankets in tow in the early morning hours, keep in mind that the weather is currently forecast to be rainy. Yes, that's rare. If it does pour on the parade it will be the first time in 20 years and before that it had been 50 years since the last rainy parade day.
Here’s what you need to know this year.
Parade details and closures
The Rose Parade route lasts two hours, with its 5.5-mile journey starting at Green Street and Orange Grove Boulevard.
The floats, bands, and horses will head north along Orange Grove at a slow but steady 2.5 mph pace before turning east onto Colorado Boulevard for a majority of the show. It’ll then head north onto Sierra Madre Boulevard, wrapping up at Villa Street.
Police and city officials will start closing off part of the route to cars as early as 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, through 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 1.
That includes Colorado Boulevard from Orange Grove Boulevard to Sierra Madre Boulevard, and Sierra Madre Boulevard to Paloma Street. So if you’ll be hosting viewing parties or are overdue for a delivery, Tournament of Roses officials recommend telling everyone to arrive before the closures kick in Wednesday night.
Unless you have a need to be in the area during the parade, you might want to avoid this stretch of the city until it's all over.
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If you’ll need to drive to or through the downtown Pasadena area, you can use:
Walnut Street or the 210 Freeway for east-west travel north of Colorado Boulevard
Del Mar Boulevard or Cordova Street for east-west travel south of Colorado Boulevard
There will be limited crossing for north-south travel during the closure (see map for details)
Please note: There will be a 5K race at midnight to celebrate the New Year from Pasadena Avenue to Hill Street. Several intersections will close to cross traffic at 11 p.m. Dec. 31 and re-open at the end of the race event at about 2 a.m., including Pasadena, Fair Oaks, and Marengo avenues (see full list on map.)
Tickets
You can still snag grandstand tickets — we found ones from $80 to $130, depending on where you want to sit. You’ll need to have your ticket handy.
The Rose Parade of 2022 represented a long-awaited return to Pasadena's New Year’s tradition.
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The parade is scheduled to begin promptly at 8 a.m. Organizers recommend that ticketholders aim to be seated by 7 a.m. In order to do that, you should plan to arrive in the area by at least 6 a.m. to give yourself plenty of time to work through the crowds and traffic.
Note that there is a "clear bags only" policy in place for grandstand seating at the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl game and several other events. You can find details here.
Curbside seating and camping
Curbside seating is free, and lots of people will set up shop and camp overnight, which is only allowed on Dec. 31. If you’ll be bringing your kids or teens along, they need to be with an adult during the overnight hours.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the parade without paying for seating. You just need to plan. And plan to arrive early!
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You can grab your sidewalk spot starting at noon Dec. 31, but all your blankets and chairs have to stay on the curb until 11 p.m., at which point you’ll be able to move up a bit closer to the blue “honor-line.” Tents, sofas, unoccupied chairs, and boxes that can be used as stools or seats are not allowed along the route.
You can warm up with a small elevated barbecue, but it needs to be away from buildings and you have to have a fire extinguisher available. Bonfires and fireworks are banned, period.
Most importantly, don’t forget to drink water and dress for cool temps and the possibility of rain. (You can always sit on that extra jacket).
Given the weather conditions, it's important to note that the rules call for no umbrellas. The City of Pasadena advisers parade goers to use rain jackets and ponchos, which they optimistically describe as "a great alternative so everyone can enjoy the show!"
Pasadena city officials are reminding people than umbrellas are not allowed along the Rose Parade route ahead of a forecast of rain on the parade for the first time in 20 years.
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LAist's Sharon McNary, a longtime Pasadena resident who has offered great tips on making the most of the parade in the past, points out this might be a very popular year for what she calls "The People’s Grandstand.”
That said, Sharon notes "it’s kind of a locals-only institution. Fans create their own little wooden seats that fit nicely into the notches in the stones lining the sloped wall of the 210 Freeway overpass over Sierra Madre Blvd. In the rare rainy year, they have shelter, and in the more typical warm years, they have shade. And they get to view the spectacle of the taller floats folding themselves down to fit under the overpass and opening back up on the other side."
Local craftspeople make small wooden seats that fit in the mortar notches in the sloped wall under a the 210 Freeway overpass at Sierra Madre Blvd.
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Parking
There is no parking allowed on the parade route, but you can purchase reserved spots. Pasadena recommendations include Sharp Seating, the city itself, and LAZ Parking. Parking at Metro rail stations are another option you can check on before you head out.
Authorities urge that you pay for parking in advance to guarantee your spot. Otherwise, parking is on a first-come, first-served basis and of course that supply is limited.
Once again: Arriving extra early is your best bet so you can avoid the traffic hassles and any unintended GPS glitches. Authorities warn: "Please do not rely upon your GPS as road closures will be in effect and may not reflect on the GPS application."
The last time it rained, in 2006, the bleachers were far less packed than usual.
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Anne Cusack
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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All parking meters are free and time limits will not be enforced on New Year’s Day, and overnight parking restrictions will not be enforced until 2 a.m. Jan. 4, according to the city. But keep an eye out for red curbs, “No Parking” signs, fire hydrants, and driveways, as the usual restrictions still apply. You don't want to risk getting your vehicle towed.
Public transportation
Where possible, public transit might be your easiest way to go, and Metrolink will be offering special early morning hours on the San Bernardino, Antelope Valley, Orange County, Ventura County, and 91 Perris Valley lines for the parade. (Note that Metrolink’s Riverside County Line is not running on New Year’s Day.)
From the Metro website: "On New Year’s Eve and early New Year’s Day (Dec. 31 to Jan. 1), we’ll be running service all night on the A, B, D and E Lines with additional early morning service to help get you to Pasadena on time for the parade, which begins at 8 a.m. sharp." Metro will also have buses traveling to areas near the route and Rose Bowl game.
These are the A Line stations in Pasadena that closest to the parade:
Del Mar Station (walk .3 miles north to the parade route)
Memorial Park Station (walk .2 miles south)
Lake Station (walk .4 miles south)
Allen Station (walk .4 miles south)
Metro will also have buses traveling to areas near the route and Rose Bowl game, which you can find more information on here
Metro is offering free fares on buses, trains, Metro Bike Share and Metro Micro from 4 a.m. Dec. 31 until 3 a.m. Jan. 1. For Metro Bike Share, use code 123125 on New Year’s Eve. For Metro Micro riders, use promo code RING26.
Accessible viewing
Three street-level viewing areas are reserved for people with disabilities and up to four of their guests.
Each of those areas along the parade route will have a section with audio descriptions for visually impaired people and another with sign language interpreters.
Diane Gagnon among Rose Parade floats on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.
Please note: no seats are provided, so you’ll need to bring your own arrangements.
There’s also limited wheelchair accessible grandstand seating sold through Sharp Seating.
Rose Bowl game
The Rose Bowl game, the oldest of bowls dating back to 1902, immediately follows the parade. The Rose Bowl Stadium parking lot opens at 4 a.m. Jan. 1 and the stadium gates open at 10:30 a.m. The game starts at 1 p.m.
A quick scan turned up tickets that are still available for the Indiana vs. Alabama matchup for a little as $130.90 and as much as $2,683.13.
General parking is available in certain lots at the stadium, with spots going for $69 that you buy it in advance.
For public transportation, you can take the Metro A line and exit at the Memorial Park station. You can find more information here about getting to the stadium.
Please note: the stadium has a clear-bag policy, which means backpacks, purses, and camera cases are not allowed.
If you want more info
If you’re dying for more details, you can download the official Rose Parade app here or here. You’ll be able to see the full line-up, maps, and get more information about the participants.
If you skimmed over the rules and your car gets towed on New Year’s Day, you can call (626) 577-6426 from 5 p.m. Dec. 31 until 6 p.m. Jan. 1.
And if you still have questions that have not been answered here, you can try the visitor hotline at (877) 793-9911.
Keep up with LAist.
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Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment and digital equity reporter.
Published December 29, 2025 4:02 PM
Money from a potential new tax could help pay for hiring more firefighters.
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Patrick T. Fallon
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Getty Images
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Topline:
A petition proposing an additional 0.5% sales tax in the city of Los Angeles was approved for circulation. The plan is for funds to go to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
What’s the process: The petition must receive more than 139,000 signatures by April to qualify for the November ballot.
What happens if it makes the ballot: If approved by voters, the money would help pay for hiring firefighters, equipment, facility upgrades and more. The ordinance would be to “supplement, not replace,” the department’s current funding.
Read on … for more on LAFD’s need for funding.
L.A. shoppers could see an additional 0.5% sales tax that would help fund the Los Angeles Fire Department.
A petition to get the sales tax on next year’s General Election ballot was approved by the City Clerk on Dec. 26 for signature gathering.
If approved by voters, the money gathered from the tax would help pay for hiring firefighters, equipment, facility upgrades and more. The ordinance would be to “supplement, not replace,” the department’s current funding, according to the ordinance.
In a statement, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City said the LAFD is half the size needed to keep LA safe.
"Due to decades of underinvestment, our fire department currently operates with the same number of firefighters as in the 1960s, six fewer stations, and five times the call load,” the union representing the city’s firefighters said.
What we know
The petition must gather more than 139,000 petition signatures by mid-April for the initiative to be on the upcoming November ballot.
If voters approve the ordinance, the funds generated by the tax would be kept in a separate account. It would also require annual audits and a citizens’ oversight committee to monitor spending.
More on the fire department’s needs
An LAist report found the department is one of the smallest for a big city in the U.S.
According to the department, there are 106 fire stations — six fewer than in the 1960s — and 3,412 sworn firefighters — only 33 more than in 1965.
In 2024, the International Association of Fire Fighters conducted a “Standards of Cover” report on the LAFD. It found that the department had overwhelming needs, according to the union.
The report concluded that for L.A.’s current population, LAFD should have 7,360 firefighters – 4,000 more than its current force. It also identified that the department needs 52 new fire stations, dozens of new dispatchers, EMS stations and more.
What about the city's budget?
In June, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a $13 billion budget that included cuts to LAFD's street medicine teams. The department's budget is $76 million —higher than last year's to allow fire officials to hire more firefighters and buy new fire trucks. The 9% increase in the fire budget is the highest among departments.
Rob Reiner (center) and wife Michele Singer Reiner and son Nick Reiner attend an event at The Grove on Aug. 9, 2013 in Los Angeles.
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Michael Buckner
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Getty Images for Teen Vogue
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Topline:
The L.A. County medical examiner on Monday sealed the autopsy records of Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner, who were stabbed to death earlier this month in their Los Angeles home.
The move was ordered by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and keeps the details of how the Hollywood couple died hidden from the public’s view for now.
The context: The Los Angeles Police Department requested the move, which is common in homicide investigations. The Reiners’ son Nick has been accused of killing his filmmaker father and photographer mother.
Rob Reiner directed “This Is Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally” and "A Few Good Men," among more than a dozen other films.
