The Brief

Orange County’s elected treasurer was found to have thrown office keys at a subordinate out of anger, according to an investigation county officials commissioned and funded. The report, from 2022, was obtained by LAist through a records request. Its findings were not known to county supervisors until recently.

A secretary who witnessed the incident quit her job the same day as a result, according to the report, which found the September 2021 incident was a likely violation of workplace violence policies.

It’s one of numerous complaints of mismanagement against O.C. Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich, including employee allegations documented by investigators that she’s been an “extreme micro-manager,” and allegations from the county chief executive that she has been late in pursuing $36 million in property taxes owed to the county.

O.C. supervisors now say these findings and other concerns were behind their unusual decision late last year to yank Friedenrich’s authority to oversee the investment of $17 billion in taxpayer dollars. Until recent days, they weren’t telling the public why Friedenrich — who was first elected in 2010 and has run unopposed since — had lost that authority.

Board members addressed the situation at this week’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday and released a “fact sheet” from the county CEO’s office detailing allegations. That includes investigators’ findings that Friedenrich ran a department with a “highly charged atmosphere of mistrust, suspicion and the belief that Freidenrich has engaged in demeaning, condescending and unfair behavior.”

How we got here

LAist reached out to all five supervisors for comment after receiving public records documenting the investigation, an employee survey critical of her leadership and complaints in a resignation letter by a high-ranking executive under her. Supervisor Janet Nguyen did not respond before publication.

Supervisors Katrina Foley and Vicente Sarmiento told LAist that the board pulled back Freidenrich’s authority to invest after a meeting last fall where Foley and Supervisor Don Wagner heard directly from department employees alleging that Freidenrich created a hostile work environment for her department’s staff.

“ The level of toxicity that the employees uniformly shared was alerting,” Foley said of concerns she says she heard directly from employees.

That fall 2024 meeting was the first time Foley learned of the key-throwing incident, she told LAist.

During that meeting, Foley said, the employees also told her Freidenrich’s behavior was causing widespread problems, including delays in cashing checks, a lack of training for new employees and delays in collecting $36 million owed to the county in unpaid property taxes. The alleged collection delays were in filing liens that pressure owners to pay overdue taxes, and in auctioning off properties with long-overdue tax bills.

Additionally, Foley said Freidenrich missed an important deadline to list county assets, a failure she said caused the auditor-controller to be late on the county’s comprehensive annual financial report — one of the county’s most important financial filings. These delays, Foley said, were of concern because they put at risk the county's credit rating and had the potential to delay state and federal funding if the CEO and CFO had not intervened to get the report done.

The list of allegations against Freidenrich were shared in a document prepared by the office of Michelle Aguirre, the county’s chief executive. The document, which is labeled as a “fact sheet,” was distributed to the press by Foley this week.

In a statement to LAist on Wednesday, Freidenrich said, “These allegations claim to create a pretext for disrupting my honest, ethical and effective stewardship of $17 billion in public funds.”

The allegations and Freidenrich’s response

Regarding the alleged delays in filing liens to collect property tax, Freidenrich wrote to LAist that her office has the highest collection rate in the state for the largest type of property tax. She pointed to state data, which show Orange County ranks fourth among California's 58 counties in total property tax collections. She also said that it is not cost-effective to hold annual auctions of properties whose tax bills are years overdue, another issue raised in the county CEO’s allegations. The CEO’s document says Freidenrich hasn’t held an auction since 2021, causing the county to miss out on $4.4 million.

When LAist asked Freidenrich about the allegations of a hostile work environment, including the key-throwing incident, she said: “There has never been any findings of this type of environment related to my management by the County, who investigated some isolated incidents based on allegations several years ago.”

In a written statement to LAist, Freidenrich said the key-throwing incident was due to her being a “klutz.” She said she “tripped on the way to the door to give the staff the keys. The keys flew out of my hands.”

When Freidenrich spoke to investigators in spring 2022, she also told them she tripped and the keys fell out of her hand. The investigators did not find her account credible, stating in their report: “The evidence supports a finding that Freidenrich intentionally threw keys.”

Freidenrich also told LAist she has never previously heard a complaint of lack of staff training. Gaps in employee training were mentioned in a 2021 county performance audit of her department — a finding she provided a written response to at the time — as well as in a union summary of an employee survey it conducted later that year.

Asked for comment, the county CEO’s office said Freidenrich’s comments didn’t address the specific complaints LAist was reporting on.

“The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s responses appear to deflect rather than respond to the specific questions asked by the LAist,” said a statement Wednesday from the office.

“The CEO’s office has been working since 2017 to address long-standing and pervasive issues with the Treasurer-Tax Collector that has been thoroughly vetted in our eight-page fact sheet that we provided to the Board of Supervisors prior to yesterday’s Board meeting,” the statement read.

“Through the PRA process, media outlets have also received reports that further illustrate a long-standing pattern of dysfunction that have caused harm to the department and the employees who work there.”

Public comments from supervisors this week

Orange County Civic Center

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Yusra Farzan

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LAist

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County supervisors discussed concerns about Freidenrich at their regular board meeting on Tuesday in Santa Ana.

“ I do not ... relish bringing these items up in a public setting, which show the mismanagement and improper behavior of the Treasurer Tax Collector,” Doug Chaffee said. Chaffee declined to respond to LAist's separate requests for comment.

“But the board cannot simply sit idly by while a county elected department creates an environment which is ripe for fiscal mismanagement, plus the welfare and well-being of our county employees being put at risk.”

Supervisor Wagner, who also declined to respond to LAist, said at Tuesday's meeting that he and Foley first learned of the scale of alleged mismanagement when they met last fall with a dozen high-level employees who work for Freidenrich.

“They were telling us stories that were hair curling about that office. And that's what finally prompted us to act,” Wagner said, referring to the board’s decision to yank the investment authority from Freidenrich.

About the treasurer’s department

Freidenrich oversees a staff of dozens who collect about $9 billion each year in property taxes, according to state data. She also serves as the banker for public school and community college districts and the county government.

And until the end of last year, she oversaw the $17 billion investment pool for taxpayer funds held by the county, school districts and community college districts. That’s the only part of her job the supervisors can take away, because the rest of her duties are assigned to her under state law as an elected official, according to the county CEO’s office. She remains responsible for the duties assigned to her by law, including collecting taxes, a spokesperson for the CEO’s office said.

When she was elected in 2010, she jumped from managing fewer than 10 full-time staff as Huntington Beach’s elected treasurer to overseeing about 100 employees at the county in her first year, according to data published by the state.

A county spokesperson told LAist that a professional coach was hired to work with Freidenrich when the investigation report was completed in 2022. The county paid $2,200 for the coaching, she said, and also over recent years provided additional internal coaching by Colette Farnes, the county’s HR director, and Michelle Aguirre, the interim county CEO.

Details of the workplace violence investigation

The probe into Freidenrich’s department was conducted by a law firm the county hired following complaints from employees “of abusive conduct and retaliation” by Freidenrich. The report — dated April 29, 2022 — is marked “confidential.” LAist obtained it earlier this month from the CEO’s office through a public records request, citing court precedent requiring release of such investigation reports.

“The allegation that Freidenrich threw office keys at [employee name redacted], in violation of the County's Workplace Violence Prevention Policy, is SUBSTANTIATED,” states the report.

A temporary secretary quit the day of the incident because of Freidenrich’s actions, according to the report, citing testimony by Freidenrich and a witness.

Other employees corroborated the key-throwing incident, according to the report, and investigators did not find Freidenrich to be credible in claiming the keys accidentally flew out of her hands.

The investigation report also stated that among employees there is a belief that “Freidenrich has engaged in demeaning, condescending, and unfair behavior. Complainants contend that Freidenrich created this situation through conduct that is punitive, abusive, and belittling, and that Freidenrich excessively monitors and micromanages employees, thus resulting in a chilling effect on the entire workplace.”

The report states that the evidence supports many complaints from staff “regarding Freidenrich’s condescending behavior and occasionally demeaning conduct, as well as the excessive micromanaging.”

A few weeks after the investigation report, the county’s human resources director noted the findings in a “cease-and-desist” letter to Freidenrich.

“The independent investigator’s findings raise serious concerns about your treatment of Treasurer-Tax Collector employees,” wrote Farnes, the human resources director.

“Physical violence in a County workplace will not be tolerated,” Farnes added.

“As the County’s Chief Human Resources Officer, I am obligated to instruct you to cease and desist from any and all verbal or physical conduct that violates County policy,” she continued. “As an elected Department Head, it is your duty to provide a safe, healthy, and positive working environment for the County’s employees assigned to you.”

Freidenrich told LAist that she disagreed with the investigation’s findings “but accepted it, retained an executive coach and moved on.”

“Taxpayers expect me to do my official duties in a common-sense, efficient and cost-effective manner and to keep public funds safe …” she added, “from time to time, over the past 14 years, I have had to hold some [department staff members] accountable to ensure that the processes in the office are meeting the high standards expected by taxpayers.”

The records the county disclosed to LAist, which include the employee survey and performance audit, show numerous other allegations of mismanagement by Freidenrich in recent years. One is a resignation letter from early 2024 by a high-ranking executive. She alleged that Freidenrich caused high turnover in the department through a “dysfunctional organizational culture.”

The letter was written by Jennifer Burkhart, who resigned in January 2024. She wrote that Freidenrich’s “obsessive micromanagement, paranoia, dishonesty, and bullying” and “disregard for County employees” made for an unhealthy work environment. She added that these issues and Freidenrich’s “unrealistic expectations of perfection and continual criticism” contributed to high turnover within the department.

Concerns about high turnover were also separately highlighted by the county audit and employee survey.

The audit found that Freidenrich’s department had a “significantly higher” share of employees leave their jobs compared to other departments, resulting in a higher workload for remaining staff. About one-third of all staff left the department in 2019, the report found.

Later that year, an Orange County Employees Association survey of 30 employees found that Freidenrich was overly involved in low-level work processes and caused inefficiencies within the department, according to a report summarizing the responses. Employees surveyed by the union said processes and directions changed often. In the survey, employees used words like “Toxic,” “Unhealthy,” “Hostile” and “Fearful” to describe the department’s culture.

Why is the board taking more action now?

Despite the investigation report being provided to the county HR director in spring 2022, two county supervisors told LAist they only learned of it toward the end of 2024.

Sarmiento told LAist that employee concerns about a hostile work environment compelled him to “ reconsider” Freidenrich’s authority over the investment pool.

The board voted in late December to not renew Freidenrich’s investment authority starting in the new year. At that point, Sarmiento said he was aware of general information about challenges at the department — “ the turnover rates, some of the employee comments. But I didn't know with specificity what some of the specific incidents were.”

Since then, Sarmiento said, he has learned more details from the CEO’s office.

Foley said she and other supervisors learned of the mismanagement allegations against Freidenrich last fall at the same time they were learning of problems with former Supervisor Andrew Do’s handling of taxpayer dollars. Do pleaded guilty in October to a bribery scheme to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors, following an LAist investigation and federal probe.

“ One of the cultural shifts that's happening on the Board of Supervisors is to do away with what I think has been a historical failure to take into consideration employee complaints,” Foley said. “We are no longer allowing those complaints to just sit to the side and be ignored.”

The board, she said, will now take action on staff complaints so issues don’t fester and become a scandal.

“ It's a new board, a new CEO, new management,” she said when asked why it took so long for the board to be alerted. “All I can do is move forward.”

Even so, Foley said the Board of Supervisors is responsible for monitoring Freidenrich’s actions as a county official.

“ We have a legal duty to supervise the official conduct of all county officials, including the county treasurer,” she said. “And this is as it relates specifically to functions and duties of county officers relating to assessing, collecting, safekeeping, management, or disbursement of public funds.”

The shadow of a painful history

The board’s supervision of the treasurer position — or the lack thereof — has been the subject of controversy in the past.

In the 1990s, two of the then-supervisors were indicted by a grand jury for failing to properly safeguard public funds handled by former O.C. Treasurer Bob Citron. His high-risk investments lost $1.6 billion in O.C. taxpayer dollars and prompted the largest local government bankruptcy in U.S. history up to that point.

The county’s 1994 bankruptcy prompted slashes to programs for people in need, including canceling half of the county’s contracts with therapists serving thousands of families at risk of child abuse, the New York Times reported at the time.

An appeals court later dismissed the indictments against the supervisors, but the memory of the bankruptcy lives on.

“ We've seen — many, many years ago — predecessors of ours allow what turned out to be too much independence at the treasurer-tax collector role,” Wagner said during Tuesday’s board meeting.

“ We have suffered through some incredibly difficult and painful lessons when the Board of Supervisors does not act quickly and decisively  when exercising our authority as it relates to public finance,” Chaffee said.

This story will be updated. Check back for details.

Southern California will ring in the new year with a pair of storms that will douse the Rose Parade and possibly prompt evacuation orders in recent burn scar zones.

The heaviest rain is expected to fall across Los Angeles on Wednesday night and into Thursday, New Year's Day, according to the National Weather Service.

The ground and roads are already saturated from last week's winter storm, meaning there's a high risk of mudslides, rock slides and other hazards.

"Because of the saturated, really wet soils, we do have that high risk for downed trees with really any wind as well as rock slides and mud slides," Ryan Kittell, meteorologist at NWS, said. "In those vulnerable canyons and hillsides, there's about a moderate risk for flooding and at least shallow debris flows for recent burn scar areas."

L.A. County has already issued evacuation warnings for burn scar areas beginning 11 a.m. Wednesday. That includes communities in the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Rainfall projections

It's supposed to be one of the wettest New Year's Days in decades, according to the National Weather Service. Here are the projected rain levels:

• Los Angeles: 1.53 inches
• Oxnard: 1.00 inches
• Santa Barbara: 0.80 inches
• San Luis Obispo: 0.57 inches

As another storm heads towards Southern California, the National Weather Service shared New Year's Day rain facts.

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Courtesy of the National Weather Service

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The storm will also bring what is likely to be the first time rain to fall on Pasadena’s Rose Parade since 2006.

Snow levels through New Year's Day are expected to remain above 8,500 feet, then drop to around 7,500 feet on Friday.

Evacuations and closures

Due to increased hazard of mudslides and debris flows, evacuation warnings will take effect at 11 a.m. Wednesday in burn zones across L.A. County, including Palisades and Eaton fire areas.

Sign up for L.A. County's emergency alerts for notifications here.

Traffic conditions

Officials urge drivers to avoid the roads as much as possible through Thursday.

See latest road conditions in Southern California

Forecast

This atmospheric river is expected to slightly weaker than last week's, but take this latest round of storms seriously. The ground is already saturated which means we’re at a higher risk for downed trees, rockslides and mudslides.

Understanding National Weather Service warnings

Here’s an excerpt from our guide to understanding flood warnings, if any are issued:

• Flood advisories are how the NWS begins to raise the alarm. The goal is to give people enough time to take action.
• Flood watches are your indicators to get prepared to move.
• A flood warning is issued when a hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening. When one is issued for your area, you need to get to higher ground immediately.
• A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is coming or in progress. Flash floods are sudden and violent floods that can start within minutes.

Read more: Flash Flood Warnings? Watches? Here’s What You Need To Know

Tips for driving in the rain

Advice on driving in the rain:

• Check weather and road conditions all along your planned route.
• Slow down.
• Keep a wider-than-usual distance between your vehicle and the one in front.
• Don't drive through standing water — as little as 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars, and two feet can carry away SUVs and trucks.
• Make sure tires are fully inflated.
• Check windshield wiper blades and replace if necessary.

Read more: What you should do if you end up driving in a flooded area

Downed tree, power line or flooded road?

Dial 911 in an emergency.

However, if you need to report a flooded road or a downed tree, you can call the following non-emergency numbers:

• L.A. city: Dial 311 for a flooded road or downed tree. Call (800) DIAL-DWP if you see a downed power line.
• L.A. County: (800) 675-HELP
• Ventura County: (805) 384-1500
• Orange County: (714) 955-0200 or visit here.

If you're in L.A. County and need sand bags, you can find some at local fire houses.

Staying safe when the winds are high

• Watch for traffic signals that may be out. Approach those intersections as four-way stops.
• Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage; do not use candles because they may pose a fire hazard.
• If you’re in a vehicle with a fallen power line on it, stay in the vehicle and remain calm until help arrives. It is OK to use your cellphone to call 911. If you must leave the vehicle, exit away from downed power lines and jump from the vehicle, landing with both feet together. You must not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Then proceed away from the vehicle by shuffling and not picking up your feet until you are several yards away. 
• Water and electricity don’t mix. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Do not step in or enter any water that a downed power line may be touching.
• Do not use any equipment indoors that is designed for outdoor heating or cooking. Such equipment can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
• If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.
• Leave the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed to keep food as fresh as possible. Place blocks of ice inside to help keep food cold. Check food carefully for signs of spoilage. 
• Check on your neighbors to make sure everyone is safe.

Tips on staying warm

• State law requires residential units to have heating systems that can keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 70 degrees. That means every dwelling unit and guest room offered for rent or lease should offer heating equipment.
• Use heat smartly to save money: Cranking heaters can be expensive. If money is tight, be judicious about how and when you use your utilities. For example, only use heaters at night or only set the thermostat to around 70 degrees.
• Open and close those vents: If you have central A/C, look at where the vents are around your home. Are any open in places where you don’t stay long? Practice opening and closing those so warm air only goes where you need it (most vents should have a small toggle lever). Humidifiers can also help you warm things up — and it’s useful to add moisture into our dry air.
• Adjust your wall heaters: If you have a wall heater, you can change the output by adjusting the knob (usually at the bottom). Since wall heaters can only warm the areas where they’re placed, it’s essential to close doors to rooms you won’t be in so hot air doesn’t get wasted.
• Turn on your ceiling fan (really): If you have a ceiling fan, try turning it on. This sounds counterintuitive, but there’s science behind it. TSince hot air floats up, your fan can help move it around. For warming, your fan should spin clockwise to create an updraft. Not all fans will have this option.
  

Sign up for emergency alerts

• L.A. City: Notify L.A.
• L.A. County: Ready L.A. County
• Ventura County: Ready Ventura County
• Orange County: AlertOC
• Riverside County: AlertRivCo
• San Bernardino County

How we're reporting on this

WHO IS REPORTING THIS

This is a developing story. We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think fire, police, government officials and reporters on the ground). Sometimes, however, we make mistakes or initial reports turn out to be wrong. In all cases, we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available.

It was the everyday moments of saying hello to neighbors. The soundtrack of crashing waves on the walk after dropping the kids off at school. The feeling of cruising down a street filled with trees decorated in lights during the holidays.

These are some of the memories Angelenos shared with LAist in response to our survey asking Pacific Palisades and Altadena residents what made their neighborhoods special before the fires.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades fires, LAist is highlighting, and illustrating, community stories as the region works to rebuild.

To do this, we read through dozens of responses to our survey and spoke to a handful of people directly to help tell their stories.

Here’s some of what they shared, and what they want to always remember.

The magical neighborhoods

For Palisades resident Kelly Sullivan, some of her most cherished memories are what she described as the simple, fleeting moments that capture the magic of “Pali.”

Kelly Sullivan, a resident of Pacific Palisades, stands on the destroyed secret sidewalk near the neighboring El Medio bluffs in October 2025. It was one of her family’s favorite spots to visit.

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LAist

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A colorful phoenix windchime hangs from a charred tree branch in mid October 2025 in the secret sidewalk, which was destroyed by the Palisades Fire.

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Courtesy from Kelly and Noel Sullivan

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One of her favorite spots was a path off Abramar Avenue by the El Medio bluffs that neighbors called the “secret sidewalk.” The path, which was destroyed in the fire, now borders the remnants of a home that burned to the ground. Tree branches used to curve down, creating a tunnel, and Sullivan remembers the gentle clanking of windchimes tied to the branches that filled the air.

“There was a sign that said 'secret sidewalk' as you’re walking down. We'd stop and touch all the chimes,” said Sullivan, who used to visit the spot with her family. “You’d have all these beautiful sounds as you’re walking down, and you’d sit on that bench and just listen to them all.”

An illustration of the secret sidewalk before it, and a nearby home were destroyed. This is a special place for Kelly Sullivan, her family, and others in the neighborhood.

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David Rodriguez

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To Sullivan, the secret sidewalk had an almost storybook-like look. She said it was a special place for the people in the neighborhood.

A couple miles northeast from the secret sidewalk, Rachel Jonas and her family often visited the Marquez Business Block, a hometown strip of stores in Pacific Palisades that included a deli, restaurant, nail salon, karate studio and pharmacy.

"We practically lived there with our kids,” Jonas said. “It was the kind of place where you'd see the same people over and over.”

An illustration of the now destroyed Marquez Business Block in Pacific Palisades. Rachel Jonas, her family, and their neighbors often visited the local shops.

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David Rodriguez

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Jonas’ home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire, and she and her family now live in Tennessee with her in-laws as they work to rebuild.

Rob Fagnani and Rachel Jonas in front of where their Palisades home stood.

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Courtesy of Rob Fagnani and Rachel Jonas

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“It wasn't the fanciest but [it] had such an incredible community feel,” said Jonas, describing the business block. “They had annual block parties where there'd be a face painter, a bounce house, etc. It was just the best.”

Residents from both Pacific Palisades and Altadena shared stories in our survey about how great each place was to have a childhood. Julia Goodwine, 16, told us what made Altadena so special to her was the community.

She cherishes memories of biking down to her family's home, which was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, and spending summer evenings at the library. Sometimes she would watch horses go by at Loma Alta Park or sit on the grass with a book. When she was in middle school, she would play baseball near the base of the park’s hill by a Chinese Elm tree with her dad.

An illustration of Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane where many homes were destroyed. The street and lighting ceremony attract many to walk and drive up and down the street admiring the lights on the cedar trees.

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One of her favorite places in Altadena is Christmas Tree Lane on Santa Rosa Avenue, where some homes along the street were destroyed in the fire. About a year ago, shortly before the fires, she got her driver’s license and would drive down the street every night to look at the lights.

“I remember the lights [were] so beautiful. I could just kind of sit, look at the trees, then think about the day, think about my problems,” Julia said. “It was really a beautiful experience.”

Being close to nature in L.A.

A place of peace. A place close to nature. That’s how many survey respondents described their communities before the fires.

An illustration of the Via Bluffs looking toward Santa Monica. Pacific Palisades resident Sue Pascoe would often visit these bluffs with her dogs on their walks around the neighborhood before her home was destroyed in the fire.

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For Sue Pascoe, walking her dogs along the Via De Las Olas Bluffs in Pacific Palisades was a treasure.

She would pass by the different-styled homes and streets lined with trees. Now, the neighborhood has been mostly destroyed by the Palisades Fire, including Pascoe’s home of three decades.

“You can see dolphins, you can see the waves, you can get the wind. The wind is so great up here. Beautiful breezes. You can see the ships going out,” Pascoe said. “It’s a marvelous place to walk.”

Pascoe is the editor and owner of the local Circling the News site, where she writes about the Westside, including Pacific Palisades. She often meets with other residents to talk about how things are going and to support one another.

She said the people are what made the Palisades so special.

“Kids, schools, religion, made this a very, very good place for families,” Pascoe said. “I think people recognized how good it was for families and that’s why they moved here.”

Altadena resident Elizabeth Gonzalez said she misses the backyard view of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Her parents bought her childhood home in Janes Village in Altadena in 1995. The home is one of a handful left on its block in West Altadena. It was professionally remediated after the fires.

Elizabeth Gonzalez grew up in a home in the Janes Village neighborhood in West Altadena. The home she was renting with her family in Pasadena was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

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Gonzalez rented a home in Altadena for 13 years with her husband and children. It was destroyed in the fire. Now, she said, her family will most likely live in an RV in the driveway of her parent’s surviving home until they can get stable housing figured out .

“It’s hard for me to believe that block after block is gone,” Gonzalez said. “Old wise trees, luscious lawns and charming old homes are gone.”

An illustration of a sign found in West Altadena's Janes Village neighborhood that shows a drawing of the architecture of the homes.

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David Rodriguez

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Gonzalez always admired the architecture of the Janes Village homes in Altadena, which she said looked like the cartoon homes in classic Disney movies. She was about 12 years old when they first moved into the neighborhood.

"They’re little cottages,” she said, remembering the homes. “They’re pointy and kind of interesting looking … As kids we thought they looked like the Snow White house.”

“Somehow my parents ended up living somewhere that is [visually] very close to the small towns in Mexico that they grew up in,” Gonzalez said. “I always thought that was pretty cool.”

Another Pasadena resident, Rebecca Rea, remembers the community and connection she found in nature in Altadena on her miles-long walks before the Eaton Fire.

An illustration of Altadena wildlife, including a bear, mountain lion, parrot and coyote, along with poppies. Bears are often found around the Altadena foothills, and parrots can be heard flying around or in the trees.

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David Rodriguez

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Rea would go on 12-mile walks starting from Lake Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, walk toward the hills and end on Altadena Drive. She appreciated the different homes and small businesses that used to line her route, including the Rancho Bar, a local dive bar that was destroyed in the fire, and the wildlife that lived in the mountains.

“I knew every garden. I knew every tree. I made friends with the coyotes for heaven’s sake,” Rea said. “It was just so very, very beautiful.”

The next chapter

Many who responded to our survey wondered about what comes next.

They shared a hope that Altadena and Pacific Palisades will rebuild and not be remembered only for the deadly fires, but for what makes these places special to Los Angeles.

“It’s going to take a long time to rebuild what it once was,” said Julia, the teen from Altadena. “But I think we have such a great community here that we can rebuild to be something better and brighter than we were.”

The annual Polar Bears Plunge at Cabrillo Beach could look a little different this year as the beach in San Pedro remained closed as of Tuesday afternoon.

Every year on New Year's Day, swimmers take a frigid dip into the ocean water, marking the beginning of the new year. But in 2026, that plunge might not happen.

Cabrillo Beach has been closed to swimmers since last Wednesday after 100,000 gallons of sewage contaminated the water, according to public health officials. Officials continue to urge swimmers to stay out of the water and to not make contact with wet sand.

But organizers of the annual plunge say the beloved tradition will go on, even if that means no swimming. That includes the yearly king and queen coronation, hot cocoa and pastries.

“We are just playing it by ear, I know that there is testing for the water being done, but we have not heard back,” Lisa Guerr, president of the Cabrillo Beach Polar Bears club, told LAist. “We are leaving it up to our lifeguards to have the most up-to-date information and make the decision for us. As of now, we are continuing on as planned.”

What’s going on in the water? 

Officials blame a sewer pipe in Carson for causing the spill, which was stopped last Wednesday, according to the L.A. County Sanitation District. The district said the cleanup at the site was completed the next day.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said staff collected water samples for testing and that they noticed yesterday that the closure signs at the beach were removed.

That signage has since been reposted and lifeguards were notified, officials told LAist.

The county said touching the water during a beach closure may cause illness, especially in children, the elderly and susceptible people.

According to the county, “swimmers should avoid water contact at the posted areas of the beach until the hazardous condition has ended."

Soon after President Donald Trump’s inauguration last January, his administration took a series of actions that touched virtually every aspect of public education in Southern California.

While some of those policies have since been paused or rolled back, the changes left many educators and families nervous and frustrated.

Here’s a round-up of some of the big moments from 2025.

Immigration fears keep students out of school

In April, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security showed up at two LAUSD schools to conduct what officials at the agency described as “wellness checks” on some immigrant students. The agents were turned away.

Widespread immigration sweeps started in L.A. a few months later.

Local school leaders, parents and students have said that fear has at times kept kids from attending school and high school principals across the country reported similar experiences.

We’ve also seen acts of resistance. As early as February, students walked out to protest Trump’s policies. Teachers and volunteers with organizations like Union del Barrio began patrolling neighborhoods near schools to sound an alarm if there was any suspected immigration enforcement activity.

Schools have also provided additional resources, including busing for students afraid to walk to school and know-your-rights training for parents.

Immigration concerns also stretched into early childhood education. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in July that children without legal status would be barred from Head Start programs. That directive was paused by the administration, and then rejected by a federal judge.

An inspirational message decorates the wall of a Head Start classroom.

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Cory Turner

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NPR

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Federal budget cuts hit hard

The administration made a number of budget cuts to agencies that serve students and their families.

Early in the year, the administration slashed Department of Education staff.

The department also made steep cuts to its civil rights office in March, which already faced a backlog of complaints. Seven of 12 regional Office for Civil Rights branches were shuttered, including one in San Francisco, which handled complaints filed in California. The cases involve families trying to get services for students with disabilities, allegations of bias related to race and religion, and claims of sexual violence.

Many attorneys with the Office for Civil Rights were called back to work in December as the backlog of complaints became untenable.

The administration also restructured its funding of homeless services, meaning that the future may be even rougher for L.A. families seeking housing. Data reviewed by LAist show the number of unsheltered L.A. County children and families rose in 2025.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program was eliminated in 2025. The end of the program sunsets a long-standing celebration of local school achievements. LAist preserved the records of California winners.

And the shutdown this fall over the federal budget also ensnared children and others who rely on food assistance from SNAP and WIC. In some cases, school districts invested in expanded meal programs to help make up for lost meals.

Diversity, equity and inclusion were targeted

The Trump administration has also sought to eliminate language associated with historically under-served communities across public education:

• Some Head Start centers were told to avoid words like “Black,” “minority,” and “trauma” in their funding applications.
• Under pressure to avoid certain terms, educators in TK-12 have had to figure out different approaches to improve academic outcomes and mental health for Black students.
• Colleges and universities such as the University of Southern California have eliminated “diversity, equity and inclusion” as stated values.

Trump also took other actions. He issued an executive order to end public service loan forgiveness for people who work at places that “advance illegal immigration, terrorism, discrimination and violent protests.”

Public higher education in California also found itself in unfriendly territory

In March, the Justice Department announced an investigation into University of California campuses related to allegations of antisemitism.

A few months later, the Justice Department revealed the results of an investigation into UCLA, alleging it found “indifference” to “a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students” — much like at Harvard, Columbia and other elite universities. To settle those and other claims, the Trump administration demanded $1 billion from UCLA.

The National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health froze hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding that had been allocated to the university’s researchers. This cut funding for a wide variety of projects — everything from research into pediatric cancer to how our gut microbiome affects our health.

Most of UCLA’s frozen research funding was restored by late September, following court orders. The UC system is still in negotiations with the Trump administration.