Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 25, 2023

Mountain View News Saturday, February 25, 2023 

Altadena 
Man Sued 
Over $2.04 
Billion Lotto 
Jackpot 


New information and 
a lawsuit suggested the 
reasoning behind why thewinner November 8, ofthe $2.04 billion lotteryticket jackpot sold at Joe’sService Center in Altadena,
did not come forward until 
February 14.
According to news reports,
Edwin Castro identified as 
the winner that opted toreceive a onetime $997.6 
million lump sum paymentis being sued by anotherperson Jose Rivera.
Rivera states in a legalfiling that he bought thePowerball jackpot ticket 
Nov. 7, the day before thedrawing. Rivera allegedthat the winning ticket hadbeen stolen from him. He 
said a man named “Reggie”
took the ticket that day.
Both Castro and Reggie andthe California Lottery arelisted as defendants in the 
lawsuit. Rivera is asking the 
court to rightfully declare 
him the winner. 
In a statement a California 
Lottery Spokesperson said,
“California Lottery has 
the utmost confidence in 
its process… California 
Lottery remains confidentthat Edwin Castro is the 
rightful winner of the $2.04billion prize stemmingfrom the Powerball drawingin November. 
They also said that they 
are not authorized to 
investigate criminal activityamong its players. 

St. Patrick’s 
Swing BandConcert 

The community is invited 
for a wee bit o’ fun at an 
early St. Patrick’s swingband concert and dance 
Saturday, March 11, at 1:30

p.m. in the Scott Pavilion 
at the Pasadena Senior 
Center, 85 E. Holly St. 
Shamrocks, leprechaunsand pots of gold will be inabundance as the 14-pieceGreat American Swing 
Band performs musical 
favorites from the Big Bandera and beyond that willkeep the party dancing.
Light snacks will be 
available.

 The cost is only $7 formembers of the Pasadena 
Senior Center and $10 
for non-members of all 
ages. To register or for 
more information, visit: 
pasadenaseniorcenter.organd click on Activities & 
Events, then Special Eventsor call 626-795-4331. Walk-
ins will be welcome on a 
first-come, first-served 
basis and will be requiredto pay cash at the door.

 For more information visit 
the website or call 626-7954331. 


Mayor Victor Gordo Gives State of the City 


By Dean Lee

 In between discussing the mostdifficult times Pasadena faced 
during the Covid pandemic andthe city’s budget, Mayor VictorGordo took a jab, Thursday nightduring the 2023 State of the City,
at the chaos behind over a dozen 
key city staff vacancies in a shortperiod of time.
“During my two years as 
Mayor, I’ve worked with threecity managers, four police 
chiefs, two planning directors, 
three Water & Power general 
managers, two fire chiefs, intotal we had 16 interim directors 
since December, 2020,” Gordoemphasized. “And so many in anacting position, people ought tobe applying for their SAG cards.” 

He continued saying that 
instead of allowing instability;
the city worked together andachieved seamless transition 
at City Hall, “with minimalimpacts to residents.”

 During the address, themed“Together We Thrive Pasadena,” 
Gordo outlined his speech into 
parts, “Where We’ve Been,” 
“Fiscal Matters,” “Where We’reHeaded” and a lengthy closingthat included thanking his 
personal staff.

 “I want to thank all my CityCouncil colleagues, city staff —
with a special shout out to myteam in the Mayor’s Office –
Vannia, Araceli, and Jana — andall residents who work diligently,
I see many of you out there, eachday to keep Pasadena movingand thriving,” he said.

 As for the future of Pasadena,
Gordo said he is optimistic 

pointing out the relinquishmentof the 710-stub property, andthe awarding of more than $180million in Measure R fundingfrom Metro to fund critical 
infrastructure projects related totransportation.

 “Restitching our city requiresimagination, expertise in 
planning, finance, open space,
transportation, municipalinfrastructure, housing, history,
and commerce—just to name afew,” he said inviting the publicto participate in a Pasadena of 
tomorrow.

 On housing, he noted that thecity was now again part of theSan Gabriel Valley Council ofGovernments and part of 31cities of the San Gabriel Valleythat have created a housing trustfund, building “much-needed”
housing in the region.

 Gordo ran through a list ofcritical needs in the communitythat included continued 
support for the PUSD, violenceprevention and crime reduction,
renovation of the Central 
Library. He also welcomed 
Protomer is a subsidiary of EliLilly, and a Caltech spinoff,
that seeks to cure diabetes,
The General Motors DesignCenter, as well as, Xencor, 
a biotechnology company 
engineering technologiesfor patients with cancer andautoimmune diseases. Theyrecently established their newCorporate Headquarters on 
Halstead St. he said.

 As for fiscal matters, Gordo 
said the financial position ofPasadena is stable although the 

Senior Center to ExploreChristopher Isherwood 

 
Author and playwrightChristopher Isherwood, whosesemi-autobiographical novel 
“Goodbye to Berlin” inspiredthe musical “Cabaret,” will bethe topic of a special CulturalThursdays event presented bythe Pasadena Senior Center via 
Zoom on Thursday, March 16 at2 p.m.

 Sara S. Hodson, curator emeritusfor the Huntington Library,
will lead the presentation titled“Christopher Isherwood and theCalifornia Dream.” 
Born in England in 1904,
Isherwood emigrated to the 

U.S. in 1939 and lived in 
Southern California until his 
death in 1986. He spent some 
time in Berlin beginning in1929, which prompted the twonovels – including “Goodbyeto Berlin” – that comprised his“Berlin Stories.” After his move 
to California, he recognized thestate as a land of opportunity –
a place where, as a gay man, hecould escape the strictures of hisnative Britain and find personaland spiritual fulfillment. 
This event is free for members 
of the Pasadena Senior Center 
and only $5 for nonmembers. Toregister or for more information,
visit: pasadenaseniorcenter.
org and click on Lectures andClasses, then Informational 
Lectures or call (626) 795-4331. 

Everyone who registers will 
receive an email link to join theZoom discussion.

 In addition to online classes,
onsite events and other activities,
members and nonmembers of 
the Pasadena Senior Center are 
encouraged to visit the websiteregularly for a quarterly onlinemagazine, free food delivery forolder adults in need, COVIDupdates specifically for olderadults and more. 
The center is an independent,
donor-supported nonprofit 
organization that has served 
older adults for more than 60 
years. Beginning Monday, Mar. 
6, extended spring and summerhours will be Monday throughFriday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
and Saturday from 8 a.m. tonoon. Rooms are sanitized after 
each use. Masks are optional. 

city’s budget is not immune toinflation.

 “For the General Fund, normalinflation of 2 percent equates 
to approximately $6 million 
for one year; therefore, currentinflation of 4 – 6 percent canhave an impact of $12 – 18million, which is why we havebeen monitoring it so closely,” 
he explained stating that thecurrent fiscal year the GeneralFund is almost at $303 million,
up from $267.2 million last year.
Unemployment remains verylow with business continuing tohire he said.

 The Rose Bowl, golf coursesand convention center have all 
seen a rebound after millions in 
lost revenue from the pandemiche said.

 The half-hour address took 
place at the Kaiser PermanenteSchool of Medicine. 

Library toHost Korean 
Classical 
Music & Dance

 The South Pasadena Public 
Library and The Music Center 
announce the upcoming 
performance of Korean 
Classical Music and Dance 
Company today at 1:00 PMat the Library CommunityRoom, located at 1115 ElCentro Street, South Pasadena,
CA 91030. As part of the SouthPasadena Public Library’s 
continuing efforts to offer the 
community both entertainingand educational experiencesthrough live performance,
the South Pasadena Public 
Library will host this specialpresentation, which is 
presented in conjunctionwith The Music Center’s Arts 
Grown L.A., a communitycollaboration created to 
deepen and expand the reachof free artistic events and 
performances throughout L.A.
County.

 An intricate, stylized fandance in the finest tradition 
of the Korean court and 
a thrilling drum dance 
featuring unison drumming 
on suspended drums are justtwo of the offerings that gracethe rich and varied repertoireof this exquisitely costumedensemble. Under the artistic 
direction of Don Kim, KoreanClassical Music & Dance 
Company performs the 
ceremonial and social dances 
that are an integral part ofKorean culture. This splendidly 
costumed ensemble boasts 
a rich and varied repertoireof exciting dances that arepresented with the grace andelegance characteristic of thisancient traditional dance form. 
The performance also includestraditional music played 
on authentic Far Eastern 
instruments.

 Visit the Library website at:
southpasadenaca.gov/libraryfor information about services 
and programs. 

Hilton Als Joins HuntingtonLibrary Fellowship Program 

 
The Huntington Library,
Art Museum, and BotanicalGardens announced last week 
that Hilton Als (pictured)—
Pulitzer Prize–winningwriter, theater critic for The 
New Yorker magazine, andcurator—is the inauguralHannah and Russel KullyDistinguished Fellow in theHistory of American Art.

 “We are thrilled to have 
Hilton join our distinguishedfellowship program and 
play an important role in 
the intellectual life of The 
Huntington,” said ChristinaNielsen, Hannah and 
Russel Kully Director of 
the Art Museum. “Hilton’s 
extraordinary intellectual 
range—across artistic, 
literary, and performance-
based genres—combined 
with his deeply human 
approach to some of the mostpressing issues of our time,
will help us re-imagine theway we see ourselves and ourcommunities through TheHuntington’s wide-rangingcollections in art, botanicalscience, and the library.”

 Als will join a community ofresearch fellows sponsored byThe Huntington’s Researchdivision.

 As a fellow, Als will research,
conceive, and develop 
an exhibition and publicprograms that will draw onThe Huntington’s art, history,
literary, and botanical 
collections. The fellowshipruns the course of calendar 
year 2023, with potentialfuture projects to be realized 
in later years, and it will beoffered on an annual basis.

 This fellowship continuesAls’ relationship with TheHuntington beyond “The 
Hilton Als Series,” a trio of 
British contemporary art 
exhibitions that he curated 
in collaboration with the Yale 
Center for British Art and 
exhibiting artists Celia Paul,
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, andNjideka Akunyili Crosby.
The final installment, which 
features Akunyili Crosby, ison view in the HuntingtonArt Gallery through June 12.

 “I am honored to continue 
collaborating with The 
Huntington through 
this fellowship,” Als 
said. “The Huntington’smultidisciplinary holdingsare unparalleled and inviteexploration across scholarlyfields, as well as soul-
searching of a vast scope.”

 In addition to the “Hilton Als 
Series,” his curatorial projectsinclude “Joan Didion: What 
She Means” (Hammer 
Museum, Los Angeles,
2022–23); “Toni Morrison’sBlack Book” (David Zwirner,
New York, 2022); “Alice Neel, 

Uptown” (David Zwirner,
New York, 2017), selectedby three of Artforum’s criticsas one of the 10 best shows 
of the year; “Desdemonafor Celia by Hilton” (withCelia Paul, Gallery Met, 
New York, 2015); “Self-
Consciousness” (with PeterDoig, VeneKlasen/Werner, 
Berlin, 2010); and “Cold 
Water,” an exhibition of 
paintings, drawings, and 
videos by performers (withJustin Bond, La MaMa 
Galleria, New York, 2009).

 Als became a contributor 
to The New Yorker in 1989, 
writing pieces for The Talkof the Town. He became a 
staff writer at the magazinein 1994 and a theater critic 
in 2002. He won the Pulitzer 
Prize for criticism in 2017 for 
his work there. Before joiningThe New Yorker, Als was a 
staff writer for the VillageVoice and an editor-at-largeat Vibe. His first book, The 
Women, was published in1996. His critically acclaimedbook White Girls, which 
discusses various narratives 
of race and gender, won theLambda Literary Award andwas a finalist for the National 
Book Critics Circle Award in 
2014. His most recent book, 
My Pinup (New Directions,
2022), is a nonfiction work 
exploring desire, Prince, andracism.

 Als has received numerous 
awards and recognitions.
Most recently, he was namedthe 2022 Katie Jacobson 
Writer-in-Residence by theCalifornia Institute of the 
Arts and received the 2022 
Clark Prize for Excellence 
in Arts Writing. In 2021, hewas voted into the American 
Academy of Arts and Lettersas well as the American 
Academy of Arts and 
Sciences. Als received the 
City College of New York’sLangston Hughes Medal in2018.

 Als is a teaching professor atthe University of California,
Berkeley, and an associate 
professor of writing at 
Columbia University’sSchool of the Arts; he has 
taught at Yale University,
Columbia University, 
Wesleyan University, and 
Smith College. 


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