Writer Charles Cooper continues his series of articles called "Memories of Arcadia" with a history and description of the U.S. Army Balloon School that was at Camp Ross (or Ross Field) in Arcadia during World War I. The balloon school was located on the current site of Arcadia County Park.
The city has taken its first step toward condemning part of a desirable downtown block to make way for the expansion of the Rusnak Mercedes Benz. The City Council voted unanimously to move forward with eminent domain proceedings against Arcadia Self Storage, a four-story building on Huntington Drive just west of Santa Anita Avenue. This building is one of five under threat of condemnation.
Plans are underway for "Peacock Corner" at the fountain and entrance at Arcadia County Park at Santa Anita Avenue and Huntington Drive. The bronze peacock will be 8 feet tall.
Harris & Associates will design streetscape and landscape improvements for the Santa Anita Entry Corridor, meaning Santa Anita Avenue from Huntington Drive to the Foothill 210 Freeway and on areas adjacent to the Santa Anita Avenue and Baldwin Avenue freeway ramps. The project will include pavement work. The contract for the project is for $107,211.
Manny Romero, the owner of Rod's Grill, wants voters to pass a ban on auto sales on the block bounded by Santa Anita Avenue, Huntington Drive, and Morlan Place. The city wants to buy out his property under eminent domain.
The fountain at Peacock Corner (southwest corner Santa Anita Avenue and Huntington Drive) is taking on a new look. Student volunteers are placing small mosaic tiles on the facade of the fountain. Local interior designer Shirley Farris volunteered to coordinate the project.
The Tower of Light, a stained glass window at the Santa Anita Church, was partially shattered by a rock in a possible burglary attempt early in the morning on Tuesday, June 28. Reverend Terry Keenan is pictured.
Residents and business owners are upset and question tree removal in the city parking lot north of Huntington Drive, east of Santa Anita Avenue, commonly called the Post Office lot. Arcadia Development Services removed over one dozen trees that were damaging pavement and irrigation systems.
An upscale senior citizens' residential community has been proposed on the site of Santa Anita Inn. The project is called Huntington Pointe and will include 260 units. It would be owned by Huntington Partnership and E.D.I., which owns and operates Santa Anita Inn.
The proposed site for Arcadia's Gold Line station is just east of Santa Anita Avenue, at the First Avenue/Santa Clara intersection. City leaders want to separate the railroad tracks from the street.
Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. was awarded $2.7 million in a lawsuit against Huntington Ambulance Service. He claims that Huntington's treatment of him after a riding accident in which he broke two bones in his neck and a spinal injury, caused him to end his career. The Ambulance company is not affiliated with Huntington Hospital.
An 8-foot tall bronze tribute to Arcadia's official bird, the peacock, will be unveiled August 5, as part of the city's centennial celebration. The statue will be located in the fountain at Peacock Corner, in the front of Arcadia County Park, at the southwest corner of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue. The sculptor of the peacock is Dave Chapple and the sculpture cost $30,000.
A history of the Van de Kamp's windmill atop the Denny's Restaurant currently at the northeast corner of Santa Anita Avenue and Huntington Drive. The Arcadia windmill was built nearly 40 years ago as part of an architectural movement called programmatic architecture, or roadside vernacular, wherein the buildings reflected their tenants. See hard copy in VF "Buildings."
The City Council will likely approve Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita's mall expansion for the outdoor section known as The Promenade if Westfield can resolve parking issues that will arise during construction.