Ben Tansey
Ben Tansey is a journalist and author. He grew up in the South Bay and is a graduate of Evergreen State College. He worked in Washington State as a reporter in a rural timber community and for many years as an editor for a Western electric energy policy publication based in Seattle.
Pasadena Republican Club Appeals Dismissal | Push for Civil Rights Claim Against Justice Center
The Pasadena Republican Club is appealing a US District Court ruling that dismissed its civil rights claims against the City of Pasadena and the...
Citrus Quarantine Affects South Pasadena and Surrounding Areas
South Pasadena, Pasadena, Alhambra and other San Gabriel Valley areas generally east of Figueroa St. are now within an expanded citrus quarantine zone that...
Big Changes Slated for Rialto Theatre | Owner Reboots Delayed Repairs, Grants Mosaic Long-Term...
Under new arrangements worked out between the Shomof Group, owner of South Pasadena’s historic Rialto Theatre, and its current tenant, the Mosaic church group,...
‘Families on Fremont’ Speaks Out | Fatality Shines Light on Local Traffic Issues Deemed...
As they were being inundated with the plaintive pleas of citizens aggravated by the latest fatality on Fremont, the South Pasadena City Council on...
Acres of Revitalization: The 625 Fair Oaks Property | An In-Depth Look at the...
The 2.6-acre site of a sleepy brick office building in downtown South Pasadena is slated to become the location of four new residential buildings...
Advocates Push for Marquez Shooting Material | City Council Remains Silent
South Pasadena official -- the new mayor, a councilmember and the city attorney’s office -- this week all continued to refuse to comment or...
Defining ‘Wrongful Eviction’ Remains Vague | Tyson Family of Doctors Rescinds then Reinstates Tenant’s...
For a couple days, Christine Bullard could breathe easy.
The “no fault” 60-day eviction notice her building manager handed her Oct. 22 had turned the...
Future of 710 Freeway ‘Stublands’ | City of Pasadena Discusses Opportunities and Possibilities
When it comes to the future of the 710 Freeway stub in Pasadena, “nothing has been decided” according to sixth district Pasadena Councilman Steve...
Evictions Rescinded | One Landlord Reacts Positively Citing Pressure from City and Tenants
“Effective immediately, any current resident who received a 60-day notice to vacate can ignore that notice.”
That was the note worried residents at the 32-unit...
Eviction Moratorium | South Pasadena Passes Ordinance With Caveats
Saying it had only recently been made aware of a spike in “no cause” 60-day eviction notices and 30-day rent increases, the South Pasadena...
City Confuses Voters | Where to Vote at Which Poll, Where?
A city announcement about polling places in South Pasadena for the Nov. 5 election provided incomplete and imprecise information, frustrating some voters. In addition...
City Summons the Press | Hanscom Drive Inspection Warrant Explained
The January 11, 2018 sewage spill on Hanscom Dr. in South Pasadena was the fault of homeowner Alison Smith, city officials told reporters Friday...
Measure C Confusion | Innocuous Ballot Measure Cause for Concern for Many
“I am voting ‘no’ on Measure C,” South Pasadena City Clerk Evelyn Zneimer said last week. Her position may not come as much of...
Resident Humiliated: Police Officers Used by City Code Enforcement in an Intimidating Show of...
Three South Pasadena police officers showed up at the home of Alison Smith Thursday morning at 1700 block of Hanscom Dr. They had a...
UPDATE: VICTORY – After Decades of Fighting: LEGISLATION IS NOW SIGNED INTO LAW THAT...
Article updated to include City of South Pasadena Mayor, Dr. Marina Khubesrian's comments on 710 Freeway Extension
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The Governor signed two bills Saturday night that...
CPA Signs Biggest Deal to Date | Doubles Renewable Capacity
The Clean Power Alliance on Oct. 3 made its single largest acquisition of clean, renewable energy by signing for the output of a large...
Metro Projects Neglected | Watchdogs Claim Funds to Cities Shorted
South Pasadena’s transportation watchdogs say Metro shorted San Gabriel Valley cities in both the amount of money and kinds of projects the agency approved...
Metro 110 Freeway Hookramp | Costs Escalate as City Receives $32 Million for Project
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) on Sept. 26 approved $32 million for modifications to the SR-110/Fair Oaks Avenue interchange in...
UPDATE: South Pasadena Police Confirm it has Possession of Marquez Shooting Bodycam Video
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 4 declined to release the South Pasadena Police Department body camera footage and other records pertaining...
CPA Still Violating Troublesome Rate Pledge | Temporarily Lowers Most Rates
The board of the Clean Power Alliance, the new community choice aggregator now serving about a million former Southern California Edison customers in Los...
Mayor Loses her Cool at City Council | Heated Exchange with Citizen
In the small upstairs office where they gather around a cramped table before repairing to the first floor council chambers, citizen Madeline Di Giorgi...
UPDATE: ‘Crossroads South Pasadena’ | Government ‘Adrift,’ New Group Warns
Update Sept. 18 to include city's comments
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Moved by a sense of “growing community concern about the quality and course of South Pasadena city government,”...
710 Bills Sent to Newsom | Portantino and Holden Receive Overwhelming Senate Support
The two measures aimed at putting the final stake in the heart of the 710 North freeway both passed the state legislature in the...
MOSAIC CHURCH | Operating at the Middle School: Agreement is Drafted
At its meeting tonight , the South Pasadena Unified School District is set to consider a contract for up to five years allowing the...
Caltrans Keeps Grip on 710 Stubs | Amended 710 Bills Open Possibilities and Pitfalls
Twists and tweaks to the legislation affecting the future of the SR 710 North corridor continued last week as both Senator Anthony Portantino (D-25)...
710 Bills Gain Approval | Clock Starts on ROD as ‘Closing the Gap’ Nears
In the state legislature’s annual purge of pending legislation Aug. 30, two bills related to the future of the SR-710 corridor were approved. Each...
Police Shooting Body Cams Confirmed | Vanessa Marquez Coverage
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department this week confirmed that South Pasadena police officers present during the officer-involved shooting of actress Vanessa Marquez were wearing...
UPDATE: Vigil for Vanessa Marquez FRIDAY | Questions Still Linger on Anniversary of Fatal...
UPDATE: A candlelight vigil has been organized to take place Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.. The memorial will take place in front of Marquez's former...
Holden Looks to Save Bill | Ensuring 710 Removed from State Highway Plan
With only days to go before an Aug. 30 legislative deadline, Assemblyman Chris Holden is working to save AB 29, his bill to eliminate...
Lawsuit Too Hot for LA Federal Judges | Local Political Group Claims Unfair Treatment
A lawsuit filed by the Pasadena Republican Club (PRC) against a public service group run predominantly by local judges and other legal professionals has...
