The Book Rack, a bookstore that has served Arcadia for 40 years, is closing. The owner Karen is retiring. Doors close permanently on February 23, 2024. The store's address is 204 South First Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006.
Meet Rose Queen Naomi Stillitano. Profile on the Arcadia High School senior, who is ready to welcome new year in style going down Colorado Boulevard. See hard copy in VF Tournament of Roses. See also: Learn more about the 2024 Rose Court's six princesses, p. A5.
Singers Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken perform at Arcadia Performing Arts Center on Saturday, 9/23/2023. They were two of the favorites on the second season of TV show American Idol. Studdard won the American Idol competition and Clay Aiken was the runner up 20 years ago. The tour is called "Twenty, the Tour."
El Monte man gets 21 years for killing boss at newspaper's office. Zhong Qi Chen, 64, of El Monte, was sentenced. He pleaded guilty in March to the voluntary manslaughter of Yining Xie, of Arcadia, at The China Press in Alhambra at 2121 W. Mission Road, Alhambra, CA.
El Monte man pleads guilty to killing boss in office. Zhong Qi Chen, 63, pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his boss Yining Xie, 58, of Arcadia, at a newspaper office in Alhambra in 2018, at The China Press, 2121 W. Mission Road, Alhambra, CA.
Santa Anita Park faces suits from former Human Resources head over COVID-19 protocols. Plaintiff Jill Eknoian-Lopez alleges she was forced to resign in 2021 after experiencing a backlash when she complained the company was not following a safe coronavirus protocol. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 15, March 23, 2023.
Diners line up to get last meal at Rod's Grill in Arcadia. Restaurant that has served generations of people closes on Sunday (yesterday). Hundreds of diners made a final pilgrimage to Rod's Grill in Arcadia at 41 W. Huntington Drive, along Historic Route 66. Rod Wellman started the restaurant in 1946 in Alhambra. The Arcadia location opened in 1957 offering 10 cent coffees and 40 cent slices of pie a la mode. Wellman's sons Barry and Brian took over years later, then Manny Romero bought it about 25 years ago and kept its vintage vibe. Romero was an immigrant from Mexico. He died in 2021. Television shows such as This is Us, Mad Men, Last Man Standing, and Luck, had filmed episodes there. See hard copy in VF. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A3, A4, February 9, 2023.
Arcadia City Council approves a temporary permit for an inflatable Fun Box play area in the parking lot of The Shops at Santa Anita mall (formerly Westfield Santa Anita mall, name was changed in 2022). It will run from March 1 through May 23. The Shops at Santa Anita is at 400 S. Baldwin Avenue.
Interior view of Rod's Grill showing customers eating at counter and at tables in booths. Also pictured are some waitresses and cooks, as well as two of the historic photos that the restaurant displayed on its walls. Rod's was located at 41 W. Huntington Drive in Arcadia, along Historic Route 66, from 1957 through February 2023.
Interior view of Rod's Grill showing customers eating at the counter, sitting in colorful turquoise seats. Waitresses and cooks can be seen in the kitchen area, as well as a portion of two of the historic photos that the restaurant displayed on its walls. Rod's was located at 41 W. Huntington Drive in Arcadia, along Historic Route 66, from 1957 through February 2023.
Exterior view of Rod's Grill showing the west side of restaurant, its sign, customers waiting outside, and the street signs where it was located, the corner of Huntington Drive and Morlan Place. Rod's was located at 41 W. Huntington Drive in Arcadia, along Historic Route 66, from 1957 through February 2023.
Exterior view of Rod's Grill showing the south side of restaurant with its rock mosaic wall and both the sign on the front of the building and the pole sign bearing its name that stands on the west side. Customers can be seen waiting outside. Rod's was located at 41 W. Huntington Drive in Arcadia, along Historic Route 66, from 1957 through February 2023.
Driver is arrested after 7-Eleven rammed. Monrovia man Sterling Williamson, 23, was arrested on suspicion of murder after he created a disturbance at a 7-Eleven store at 1003 South Baldwin Avenue on November 24, 2022, then allegedly crashed his car through the doors and tried to flee. There were no injuries.
National Hockey League news-Jason Robertson signs a new deal with Dallas Stars. He is a restricted free agent, is 23-years-old, and was born in Arcadia.
A second Interstate-210 shutdown August 17 through August 23. Major closure for the San Gabriel River Bridge Hinge Replacement Project, affecting eastbound 210 Freeway at the Interstate-605 and Irwindale Avenue.
210 Freeway closure five days affecting eastbound Interstate-210 from Wednesday, August 17 through Tuesday, August 23 for the San Gabriel River Bridge Hinge Replacement Project.
City of Arcadia continuing Concerts and Movies in the Park Series with an event every Thursday from June 23 through August 4 at 240 West Huntington Drive, on the lawn between Arcadia City Hall and Arcadia Police Department. This Thursday's concert will be performed by The Smokin' Cobras, followed by the movie Mulan.
Anita Baldwin statue to be unveiled at Le Méridien Hotel in Arcadia
The Anita May Baldwin statue at the Le Méridien Hotel will be unveiled on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021 at 11 a.m. Anita is the daughter of city founder, Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin. The statue will be featured on the opposite end of the Huntington Drive islands’ hotel property.
“We are very excited to be bringing Anita back to Arcadia,” said Mayor Sho Tay in a statement released by the city. “I would like to thank the Shen, Liu and Chen Families, Jeff Lee, the Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Foundation, Heather D. Gibson and Margaux L. Gibson, and the Arcadia Historical Society, for their generous donations.”
“On behalf of the Baldwin family, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Arcadia City Council, the Arcadia Historical Society, the Le Méridien Hotel and all those who have supported this effort to pay homage to my great-great grandmother, Anita May Baldwin,” said Margaux Gibson. “This magnificent statue of Anita will showcase a strong woman who was ahead of her time. I am proud to call Anita May Baldwin my great-great grandmother, and I am truly proud to be a part of this historic project.”
The Anita statue was sculpted by local artist and southern California native Alfred Paredes — who created the Lucky Baldwin statue on the corner of Huntington Drive and Holly Avenue — and is aptly named, “A Legacy of Charity” in honor of Anita’s contributions to life in early Arcadia and throughout California.
Live Oak Library reopens new space at a new address. Previously located at 4153 East Live Oak Avenue in Arcadia, it is now 1.1 miles to the west at 22 West Live Oak Avenue. It has undergone a $7.3 million refurbishment.
