Home Care In Pasadena, CA

Pasadena can expect a brief spell of warm, summer-like conditions early this week, before a shift in weather patterns ushers in a cold, rainy storm, according to the National Weather Service.

The short-term weather outlook is for warm sunny days until Wednesday, ahead of an incoming storm.

Temperatures are expected to soar into the upper 70s, with these figures around 10 degrees above the seasonal average. Skies will remain mostly clear to partly cloudy, with occasional high clouds drifting overhead.

Wednesday, temperatures will plummet by approximately 10 degrees compared to Tuesday. This drop in temperatures will be accompanied by increasing cloud cover, setting the stage for the approaching weather disturbance.

The storm system is slated to enter the region overnight Wednesday, bringing widespread rain and gusty winds, and is expected to last through Saturday.

Friday’s high is expected to be just 59.

Another storm system arriving by Sunday is expected to follow. This subsequent system could potentially affect the area into the following Tuesday, bringing additional rounds of rain.

Here is the latest weekly forecast from the National Weather Service as of 3:12 a.m. Monday morning:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 75. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. East northeast wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of rain after 10 pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.

Thursday: Rain. High near 59. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Thursday Night: Showers likely, mainly before 10 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Friday: A chance of showers, mainly after 10 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59.

Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Sunday: A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

Though miles from the beach, Pasadena sometimes has the feeling of a resort town—perhaps a product of its status as exactly that around the turn of the 20th century. The city is stocked with historical charm, from the shops in Old Town to the graceful Gamble House, while located only a short drive from hilly hikes and mountainous wilderness. There’s still plenty of excitement behind that relaxed disposition; after all, this is the home of the Rose Bowl and the Rose Parade.

Pasadena’s prominence isn’t exactly exactly a secret—after all, it’s one of the oldest and wealthiest cities in Los Angeles County. But after enough celebrity home purchases, exciting restaurant additions and, uh, the opening of an Erewhon, the area has attracted a bit more attention from outsiders, garnering a guide in Vogue and even a place in The New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2024” list.

Where exactly is Pasadena?

Pasadena, Los Angeles’ northeast neighbor, sits at the foot of the scenic San Gabriel Mountains. If you’re visiting by car, you can reach the city at the end of the winding 110 freeway, as well via the 134 and 210 (most of the city’s culinary and cultural destinations are south of the 210 in Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District and South Lake).

Pasadena is among SoCal’s most transit-friendly cities with six Metro light rail stops along the A Line, as well as Metro, Pasadena Transit and Foothill Transit buses. The sizable city shares borders with Sierra Madre, Arcadia, San Marino, South Pasadena, Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge and Glendale, as well as Los Angeles neighborhoods Eagle Rock and Highland Park.

What will you find in Pasadena?

There are arguably more great things to do in Pasadena than almost any other area of L.A., whether you’re looking to visit a museum (including the Norton Simon Museum, Gamble House and USC Pacific Asia Museum) or stroll through the manicured gardens and gateways to rugged wildnerness that border the city.

The walkable Old Pasadena is most people’s main destination thanks to its highly walkable cluster of upscale stores in architecturally handsome old buildings, and noteworthy restaurants like Italian go-to Union and cheesery Agnes. The increasingly exciting Pasadena Playhouse anchors the Playhouse District, an extension of the downtown area that boasts the standout Bar Chelou among its tenants. In recent years, there’s been more activity north of the freeway, as well, with casual hangouts on Washington Boulevard near Lavender & Honey Espresso Bar, and on Lincoln Avenue by Tex-Mex taco spot HomeState.

If you only do one thing

Though technically just outside city limits in San Marino, the Huntington Library is a must visit. Its distinctly themed gardens are easily the most stunning manicured outdoor spaces in SoCal, especially its recently expanded Chinese garden, and the library and museum are equally impressive.

California’s relaxed COVID isolation guidance marks a milestone in public health messaging about the pandemic: Even newly infected people no longer need to isolate if they have no symptoms, or they can leave home sooner if the illness starts improving quickly.

California’s stance is even looser than that of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which advises isolating for at least five days after the onset of symptoms or, if asymptomatic, after the first positive test.

The changing recommendations, which have gained attention as the winter COVID wave shows signs of cresting in California, underscores the evolving nature of the coronavirus threat.

But they come with one vital warning. Health officials say infected people who venture out need to mask up. If they don’t, they could easily transmit the coronavirus to others.

California

Jan. 29, 2024

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious disease expert, said he thinks California’s new isolation guidance makes sense, but “the only sort-of worry I have is that people are not going to do the mask part, but they’re just going to focus on the fact that you don’t have to stay home for five days.

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“People focus on what has changed, but they don’t focus on what hasn’t changed,” Chin-Hong said. “Masks should really be part of normal life, like if you’re sick or you have symptoms, put the mask on — regardless of what you have; it could be COVID, a cold, RSV, influenza.”

The guidance says masks should be well-fitting and have optimal filtration; ideally, an N95, KN95 or KF94 model.

It’s also important that those who do have symptoms test themselves.

“Some days, it might be an allergy, but some days it might be that you did pick up COVID,” said Dr. Daisy Dodd, an infectious diseases specialist with Kaiser Permanente Orange County.

California’s new guidance says that people who have COVID-19 symptoms need to isolate and test themselves. An early negative test may not mean the person doesn’t have COVID; the CDC suggests testing again two and four days after the onset of symptoms.

Those who test positive but remain asymptomatic need not isolate but must wear a high-quality mask when around others for 10 days after the first positive test.

Those who do develop symptoms — such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose or body aches — can end their isolation period once their symptoms are mild and improving, provided they haven’t had a fever for 24 hours without using medication. Still, they need to wear a mask for 10 days after the onset of symptoms.

Whether symptomatic or not, those with COVID can stop wearing a mask before 10 days if they test negative on two consecutive rapid tests, taken at least one day apart.

Los Angeles County also recommends waiting for a negative rapid test before leaving isolation within the 10 days following the first symptoms. A negative rapid test result is not needed on Day 11 or after.

Some experts have criticized California’s looser isolation guidance. On social media, Michael Mina, chief science officer for eMed and an epidemiologist formerly with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, wrote that it “essentially encourages” infectious people to “return to work/school & infect others.”

“It is outrageous,” Mina wrote. “They advise: if no fever, but blazing positive rapid test, no worries, go back to work/school!”

Mina suggested that a better approach would be to ask people to isolate for a period “no more and no less” than they are a risk to others — a decision that can be made when the person tests negative on a rapid test as they recover. Rapid test results are “real personalized empirical data correlated with being infectious,” Mina wrote.

Others note that the new state guidance hasn’t resulted in a severe public backlash. And many residents haven’t been following official guidance for a long time anyway, thinking it doesn’t make sense to stay home if they feel fine.

“That’s part of the thing: People are doing this anyway, so you might as well give them best practices,” Chin-Hong said, stressing mask use for those infected.

Science & Medicine

Jan. 25, 2024

The guidance, issued Jan. 9, has been echoed by local officials in recent weeks amid a significant wave of coronavirus infections. State and national data posted by the CDC suggest that levels of the virus in sewage are at the highest point since the first Omicron wave two winters ago.

The wave of illness has been noticeable in causing more workers to call in sick. Many describe miserable illnesses with intensely sore throats that feel like they’re studded with shards of glass, coughing fits that leave them winded and body aches that make them feel as if they’ve been hit by a truck.

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California clinicians this winter have noted patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and flu at the same time.

Notably, there are fewer incidents of severe acute COVID-19 illness than there were in the early years of the pandemic. New COVID-19 hospitalizations are at the lowest points for a winter season since the pandemic began. It’s likely that vaccinations, natural immunity from past infections and the development of medications such as Paxlovid have made the disease much less risky. However, any bout with the illness presents the risk of developing into long COVID.

Lower levels of severe illness were a big part of California’s rationale for loosening the isolation guidance. Prior guidelines were set when Californians “had little immunity” and there were a “large number of hospitalizations and deaths that overwhelmed our healthcare systems,” officials wrote. “We are now at a different point in time with reduced impacts from COVID-19 compared to prior years.”

California

Jan. 9, 2024

California’s winter wave appears to have either plateaued or started to decline.

For the week to Jan. 20, there were 2,975 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, down 10% from the prior week. The seasonal high thus far was 3,746 for the week that ended Dec. 30. This was lower than the prior winter’s peak of 5,260 during the last week of 2022.

The first two winters of the pandemic were the most deadly for California and strained hospital systems. The peak for new hospitalizations during the first winter was 16,663, for the week that ended Jan. 9, 2021.

In Los Angeles County, virus levels in wastewater appear to be plateauing. For the week that ended Jan. 13, the most recent available, levels reached 67% of last winter’s peak.

However, in the San Jose area, virus levels as of Jan. 21 were at their highest level for the winter, comparable to the first Omicron wave two years ago.

Statewide data from Kaiser Permanente indicate that COVID-19 may be plateauing, flu is on the way up, and respiratory syncytial virus might be starting to come down, Dodd said.

In L.A. County, flu and RSV levels have lowered but remain elevated, the Department of Public Health said.

Dodd continues to recommend COVID-19, flu and RSV immunizations.

While COVID-19 has become less deadly, it remains a significant public health challenge. Since Oct. 1, at least 24,000 COVID-19 deaths have been reported nationally, including at least 1,900 in California.

“COVID-19 continues to cause more hospitalizations than influenza and respiratory syncytial virus,” the CDC said in a statement last week.

Flu is also playing a significant role at emergency rooms.

“Right now, more people are going to emergency departments to get care and being diagnosed with flu than COVID-19,” the CDC said.

PASADENA, Calif.— Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) reports a case of dengue in a Pasadena resident who did not travel outside the United States. This is the first confirmed case of dengue in California not associated with travel and is instead an extremely rare case of local transmission in the continental United States. The risk of exposure to dengue for residents is very low and standard precautions are effective at preventing all mosquito-borne illnesses, including dengue.

PPHD is conducting surveillance and field teams have visited a Pasadena neighborhood to offer information for preventing mosquito breeding around their homes and preventing bites. In addition, the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District has deployed traps to assess the mosquito population and, importantly, testing to date has not identified any Dengue infected mosquitos. Testing of mosquitos from additional traps will continue over the next few weeks.

A person can be infected with the dengue virus from an infected Aedes mosquito. Although Pasadena is home to the Aedes mosquito, the disease is not established (endemic) in California. In the U.S., dengue cases are typically seen in travelers who have visited countries where dengue is found.

“Pasadena Public Health Department has been conducting surveillance and investigation of mosquito-borne diseases in Pasadena for years,” stated Dr. Matthew Feaster, PPHD Epidemiologist. “Our work so far, in partnership with the Vector Control District, gives us confidence that this was likely an isolated incident and that there is very low risk of additional dengue exposure in Pasadena.”

Reducing mosquito populations decreases the chances of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and West Nile Virus. Mosquitos only need a small amount of stagnant water to breed, which can quickly result in mosquito breeding sites around your home and yard.

We urge the community to follow standard precautions to reduce mosquito populations and the risk of mosquito-borne diseases:

To prevent mosquito bites, PPHD recommends:

Symptoms of dengue may be mild or severe and include fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, and body aches. Symptoms typically last two to seven days and although severe and even life-threatening illness can occur, most people recover after about a week. There are no specific medicines or vaccines to prevent this disease. Treatment is supportive and may include rest, fluids, and monitoring for early signs.

“Pasadena is working with healthcare providers to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of dengue infection and is coordinating prevention efforts with local and state public health officials,” stated Interim Health Officer, Dr. Parveen Kaur. “Eliminating mosquito breeding sources is essential to reducing the spread of mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.”

San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District representatives will be available on Saturday, October 21 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. to answer any questions or concerns relating to mosquito activity at (626) 814-9466.

To find your local vector district agency and for tips on mosquito prevention and approved mosquito repellents visit SoCalMosquito.org. Additional information regarding dengue is available from the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Pasadena Public Health Department is coordinating with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, two partner local health jurisdictions in the Los Angeles region.

Stay connected to the City of Pasadena! Visit us online at CityOfPasadena.net; follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook; or call the Citizen Service Center Monday through Friday during business hours at (626) 744-7311.

Jan. 18, 2024 Updated 8:15 PM PT

The owner of Vroman’s, a historic independent bookstore in Pasadena, is looking to sell both of its locations in the city, along with Book Soup in West Hollywood.

The bookstore, the oldest in Southern California, was founded in 1895 and has been under the same family’s ownership for more than a century. Its current owner, Joel Sheldon, who is nearing his 80th birthday, announced his intent to sell early Thursday, adding that he is retiring after nearly 50 years of leading the establishment.

“Vroman’s deserves new ownership with the vision, energy, and commitment necessary to take it successfully into the future,” Sheldon wrote in a statement shared on the store’s social media accounts. He acknowledged the change in ownership as “a time of some uncertainty” but also expressed “optimism and excitement for what the future can bring for Vroman’s and our community.”

Along with its original flagship, Sheldon also intends to sell the Vroman’s in Pasadena’s Hastings Ranch shopping center and Book Soup in West Hollywood, as first reported in the Pasadena Star-News. Sheldon told the publication that he has 123 employees at the flagship Colorado Boulevard location, 13 in Hastings Ranch and 18 at Book Soup.

“We will take the time needed to find the right new ownership — someone who shares our core values and who is committed to preserving Vroman’s as a community treasure,” the statement continued, adding that they hope to “avoid any kind of disruption” to its customers and dozens of employees.

Vroman’s acquired Book Soup, a West Hollywood mainstay since 1975, almost 15 years ago.

Booksellers at Book Soup unionized in the summer of 2022, following other independent bookstores throughout California, including Bookshop Santa Cruz, Moe’s Books in Berkeley and Skylight Books in Los Feliz.

The Book Soup union sought wage increases and additional staffing; among its concerns were disability access, fairer distribution of labor, greater transparency from leadership, and “democratic decision making in the workplace,” according to a social media post from 2022. As of October, the union was still bargaining with Sheldon and the store’s management. It was not immediately clear whether they had reached an agreement.

The union drive came on the heels of financial struggles at the stores, largely brought on by a recession and COVID-era lockdowns. Vroman’s had continued operating at the height of the pandemic to stave off losses.

Vroman’s Chief Executive Julia Cowlishaw, who joined the group of stores at the start of 2020, told The Times in a statement that its recent economic challenges and its staff’s organizing did not play a role in the decision to sell.

“Joel has explored succession options over the years and has finally decided it is time to retire,” she said. “We believe that the right new person or people exist to continue the legacy.” Cowlishaw added that they remain just as committed to the success of Book Soup as they are to their Vroman’s locations.

When discussing possible buyers in his interview with the Star-News, Sheldon said they are first considering bids from local figures — entrepreneurs, families or an investment “group of younger people who would really look forward to this.”

“We want someone who really appreciates Vroman’s and wants to continue it as a community resource,” he said.

In 1895, Adam Clark Vroman, an ex-railroad worker, bibliophile and photographer, new to the San Gabriel Valley, partnered with J.S. Glasscock, and began to sell off Vroman’s large book collection from its storefront on Colorado Boulevard.

The store quickly became a community hub in the growing city, drawing traveling dignitaries, engineers, scientists, men of finance and New York book editors as customers. The store would become a favorite of celebrated science fiction author and Pasadena native Octavia E. Butler, and would host Presidents Clinton and Carter and literary figures Ray Bradbury and Joan Didion.

“Booksellers are optimists and entrepreneurs,” Cowlishaw said, “and while there is some uncertainty, we also see possibility.”

Former Times staff writer Dorany Pineda and contributing writer Lynell George contributed to this report.