SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017 
VOLUME 11 NO. 51 
PASADENA EDITION 
Happy Holidays! 
Man Beaten 
by PoliceSpeaks out

 An Altadena man spoke out, 
for the first time, Wednesday 
after Pasadena Police released 
body-worn camera and dash 
cam video of the man being 
repeatedly stuck with a baton, 
breaking one of his legs, 
during a traffic stop Nov. 9 at 
an Altadena gas station.

 Christopher Ballew told 
reporters that he was filing 
a lawsuit against the city of 
Pasadena for undisclosed 
amount of money after he 
sustained a broken right leg 
and cut and bruises to his 
face. 

 Pasadena police said Ballew 
did not comply with their 
orders something Ballew 
contests. He said officers 
struck him with a baton 
before he grabbed it away 
something the video also 
shows. At one point officer 
draws his gun. 

 At the time, Ballew was 
arrested for assault on an 
officer. The Los Angeles 
County District Attorney did 
not file any charges. Police 
said they made the initial 
traffic stop for no front license 
plate and tinted windows. 

 Police also said Ballew, at 
first, was trying to walk away 
from them, although Ballew 
said he was getting gas at the 
station. 

 The police video was 
released Dec. 15 after City 
Manager Steve Mermell told 
the city council they would. 
Mermell also said he would 
reach out to the family. The 
incident first appeared on 
social media sparking public 
outcry. 

 Pasadena Public Information 
Officer William Boyer 
confirmed that officers Lerry 
Esparza and Zachary Lujan 
were involved. He also said 
the two remain on active 
duty.

 The lawsuit filed by the Law 
Offices of John Burton claims 
the officers violated Ballew 
civil rights ignoring police 
procedures and training. 


Santa BringsNeeded Toysto Crime 
Victims

 Santa and Mrs. Claus landed Case Manager Selena Palma 
Thursday in Pasadena’s North He said all the families are local said Santa and Mrs. Claus gave 
Pole (Police Heliport) handing to Pasadena. gifts to about 40 families. The 
out gifts to children impacted “We work with Peace over families were chosen by the 
by domestic violence. Violence to address domestic Case Managers. This is the fifth 

 “The Pasadena Air Operations violence in our community year of giving toys she said. 
Division in coordination with all year. The children that are Photos by D. Lee/MVNewsPeace over Violence is getting associated with Peace over 
toys to local families who would Violence, they might be victims 
not necessarily celebrate this or see violence in the home; this 
time of the year, Pasadena Chief gives us an opportunity to bring 
of Police Phillip Sanchez said.” holiday cheer, he said.”
This is very special to us.” Peace over Violence Legal 

Gilbert and Sullivan’s 
Pirates Of Penzance


 This is a warning to 
everyone about sheriff / police 
impersonators calling residents 
and saying, “There is a warrant 
out for your arrest, and if you 
don’t pay up, you’ll be arrested.” 
An Altadena resident was 
called at their house by a man 
from 626 area code, local phone 
number, saying at he was a L.A. 
County Sheriff ’s Deputy. The 
deputy told our resident they 
had two warrants for arrest 
for missing jury duty. They 
also said a $1000 cash bond 
was needed to be paid, or they 
would be arrested. 
The Los Angeles County 
Sheriff ’s Department will not 
call you to demand money 
for arrest warrants. If you are 
contacted over the phone and 
are suspicious, ask for the 
callers name and employee 
number and call our station, 
(626) 798-1131 or whichever 
police department they are 
representing and ask to verify 
the information. 
If the caller tells you to put 
money on a prepaid card and 
give him the card number. Now 
your scam-detecting radar 
is going off the charts. Police 
departments — and the federal 
government, for that matter — 
don’t tell people to pay with 
prepaid cards. You also know 
using a prepaid card is like 
paying cash — once the money 
is gone, you can’t get it back. 
More sophisticated scammers 
may have caller ID that shows 
the local police departments 
name. It may seem like reliable 
information about the source of 
a call isn’t so reliable anymore. 
Scammers can rig caller ID 
to look like they’re calling 
from the police department. 
Or, really, anywhere — even 
your own number. Don’t rely 
on caller ID. It’s not foolproof. 
Scammers can easily spoof it 
to try to gain your trust. If it 
looks like the police are calling, 
call our non-emergency phone 
number (626) 798-1131 and 
call to find out if the story is 
legit. You’ll soon learn it’s a 
scam. 
Report the imposter to the 
Federal Trade Commission at 
ftc.gov/complaint Select the 
category “Scams and Rip-offs” 
then “Impostor Scams”. 
Phone Scam 
Warning inAltadena/
Pasadena 
Impersonators are 
asking for money to 
prevent arrest. 
Pasadena Playhouse, the 
State Theatre of California, 
reinvents its theatre to present 
Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates 
of Penzance, as reimagined by 
the Chicago theatre hooligans 
The Hypocrites. This wacky 
beach party – with flying beach 
balls, rubber duckies, ukuleles, 
banjos, plastic swimming 
pools, and a tiki bar – brings the 
audience on stage for a night 
they won’t forget.

 Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert 
and Sullivan is presented 
by Pasadena Playhouse 
in association with The 

Hypocrites. It is adapted and 
directed by Sean Graney; 
co-adapted by Kevin 
O’Donnell and with 
music direction by Andra 
Velis Simon. It plays from 
January 23 to February 
18 (press opening is 
Thursday, January 25). 

SAN MARINO/SO. PAS 
Pg. 4 
SIERRA MADRE Pg. 5 
ARCADIA Pg. 6 
MONROVIA 
THE ARTS B2 
CALENDAR Pg. 2 
MORE PASADENA NEWS 
Pg. 3 
THE GOOD LIFE Pg. 9 
AROUND SAN GABRIEL 
VALLEY B1 
EDUCATION/YOUTH 
Pg. 7 
BEST FRIENDS Pg. 11 
SECTION B: 
BUSINESS NEWS 
B3 
OPINION B4 
LEGAL NOTICES B5 
FOOD & DRINK Pg. 8 
WORLD AROUND US 
Pg. 10 
After a successful run 
in New York City and 
much critical acclaim 
(including New York 
Times Critic’s Pick), The 
Hypocrites have set out to 
take over Pasadena with 
this irreverent and playful 
adaptation that celebrates 
the music of Gilbert 
and Sullivan. With its 
sappy pirates, dewy-
eyed damsels, bumbling 
bobbies and a stuffy 
Major General, Gilbert 
and Sullivan’s hilarious 
and hopeful farce follows 
the story of young 
Frederic, an orphan 
who has mistakenly 
been apprenticed to an 
ineffectual but raucous 
band of pirates, as he 
disavows the pirates’ way 
of life and falls for the 
beautiful Mabel.

 In addition, the Pasadena 
Playhouse will be 
completely transforming 
the layout of the theatre 
for the first time in 
its history. All of the 
orchestra seats are being 
removed, and in its place 
there is a deck making 
the entire orchestra 
level of the theatre a 
playing area with actors 
and audience sharing 
the space promenade 
style: everyone brought 

together to create a fun, magical 
evening of theatre.

 “I remember listening to 
Pirates of Penzance the first 
time and thinking how brilliant 
it was,” said Director Sean 
Graney. He continues, “It is 
joyful, playful and welcoming, 
which was a perfect place 
to start to remove the walls 
between actors and audience 
and get rid of the pretense of 
theatre.” 

“This production is like 
nothing you have ever seen,” 
stated Producing Artistic 
Director Danny Feldman. 
“When I saw it, I knew I 
had to bring it to Pasadena. 
The Hypocrites adaptation 
of this play is completely in 
line with our artistic goal of 
looking at classics with fresh 
eyes. However, it presented 
a challenge: How to present 
a promenade style show in 
a proscenium theatre? The 
answer: Build a new stage! 
Patrons will be surprised 
and delighted as they enter 
the Playhouse and see what 
an amazing (temporary) 
transformation it has 
undergone. In our 100 year 
history, no one has ever seen 
the Playhouse used in this way.”

 That project has already been 
a hit everywhere it has played 
with critics and audiences 
alike: in Chicago, Berkeley, 
Olney, Maryland (Washington 
D.C.), Cambridge, Louisville, 
and currently New York. The 
Hypocrites were previously 
represented in Los Angeles with 
their production of Our Town 
directed by David Cromer and 
starring Helen Hunt at The 
Broad Stage.

Tickets are now on sale at 
pasadenaplayhouse.org or by 
calling 626-356-7529. 

Holiday Safety Reminders


 
The City of Pasadena 
provides the following tips 
and reminders to help ensure 
you have an enjoyable Holiday 
Season.

 Above all, use common 
sense, celebrate responsibly, 
always designate a driver if you 
plan to drink alcohol, drive 
defensively and, please, if you 
see something, say something 
by calling (626) 744-4241,
or 9-1-1 for life-threatening 
emergencies. In addition, our 
Police, Fire, Public Health and 
Water & Power Departments 
provide the following 
additional suggestions.

 When out shopping for those 
last-minute gifts and food 
items, always be aware of your 
surroundings. Keep an eye on 
your wallet, purse, credit cards, 
receipts and don’t flash a lot of 
cash! Ask for help if carrying 
a lot of packages to your car; 
or walking alone at night and 
avoid parking in isolated spots. 
If possible, have your children 
stay with a trusted family 
member, friend or babysitter 
while you go out shopping, 
especially if you plan to go to 
crowded malls or shopping 
centers. If you do take your 
children with you, make sure 

they stay close at all times and 
they know to go immediately 
to a store clerk or security 
officer for help if they become 
separated.

 Keep valuables out of sight 
while stored in your car. Keep 
doors locked and windows up 
when parked. Always have 
your keys out and ready to use 
to get into your car. Be alert as 
you exit and return to your car. 
Keep your car in good repair 
and ready for bad weather if 
taking a holiday trip.
Getting packages delivered? 
Track them, require a 
signature—or ask a neighbor 
to help, or agree to help your 
neighbor. Going out of town? 
Put a hold on mail and send 
packages to a mail facility for 
later pickup. Keep lights on a 
timer.

 For your holiday meals, 
make sure hot food stays hot 
and cold food stays cold. If in 
doubt, don’t serve it. Be sure 
to keep an eye on your guests’ 
alcohol consumption. Getting 
someone a taxi or a shared ride 
is cheap compared to the loss 
of a life, lawsuits and drunken 
driving arrests.
The holidays can be an 
incredibly stressful time for 
many people. 

Free Christmas 
Tree Recycling

 Make tree recycling a part of 
your post-holiday tradition. 
The City offers an easy way for 
you to “Go Green” with your 
Christmas tree. Thanks to your 
help, the City last year collected 
more than 10,000 trees for 
recycling, saving valuable 
landfill space and generating 
protective landscaping mulch. 
Drop off your tree from 7 a.m. 
to 2 p.m., Tuesday Dec. 26, 
2017 until Thursday, Jan. 4 at:

• Easton Blanche Park, 3100 E.
Del Mar Blvd., parking lot on 
Millicent Way
• Robinson Park, 1081 N.
Fair Oaks Ave., parking lot on 
Morton Street 
From Jan. 2-12, 2018, residents 
can also place trees at curbside 
for recycling. Christmas 


trees will be collected on your 
normal service day.

 Remember, all ornaments, 
lights and stands must 
be removed. Flocked and 
fire retardant treated trees 
are acceptable. For more 
information, call the Citizen 
Service Center at (626) 744-7311 
or online at cityofpasaadena.
net/publicworks.

 Remember, no bulky pickup 
now to Jan. 20. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com