Duarte students revisit how Rotary Club defied status quo and changed law. Duarte Rotary Club was kicked out of Rotary in 1978 for admtiting women as members. The group fought the ruling for 9 years before winning its case at the US Supreme Court in 1987. Rotarians Mary Wilson of Duarte and Rosie Mares of Arcadia, among others, celebrated this historical victory during International Women's Day.
Santa Anita Park will stay closed; Derby to be rescheduled. Santa Anita Park will remain closed for live racing, at least through the upcoming weekend, as a result of last week's order by the Los Angeles County Health Department in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More than 1700 horses are stabled at Santa Anita Park and are cared for by more than 750 people who live and work at the track. A track press release said, "We will continue to work with county officials and health authorities to familiarize them with the protocols already in place and our plans to protect the health and safety of the community who works with the horses and calls Santa Anita home."
Arcadia High School students see continued success in National Merit Scholarship Program. Twenty Arcadia High School students have earned a spot in the 2021 competition. Over the past 25 years, Arcadia High School has had more than 600 National Merit Scholar semifinalists.
Arcadia High School young television newscasters beat virus shutdown. Student journalists work from home to fill void for classmates. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced schools to close but journalism students worked from home to put together an informative, inspiring newscast called The Quarantine, for their more than 3000 classmates who are home during the crisis.
Los Angeles County hospitalizations for coronavirus slip below 800 as decline continues. Number in intensive care also down from previous day; 48 more people die.
Homeless forum in Arcadia spawns communication and compassion. It was held at the Performing Arts Center and designed to provide information on homelessness in Arcadia and giving community members a chance to share ideas and concerns. The Homelessness Resource Hub, now closed, had been offering services such as showers, laundry, free WiFi, charging stations, food, clothing, case management, and more at the city's PAR 3 Golf Course parking lot.
Sriracha lovers feel the heat as shortage persists. Huy Fong Foods, Inc. reports no relief in sight because of drought in Mexico. The hot chili sauce with the rooster logo is experiencing a shortage of red jalapenos peppers. This week the Arcadia branch of 99 Ranch Mareket had the 17-ounce bottle on sale for $5.98, down from $7.99. Huy Fong Foods is located in Irwindale.
Arcadia High School receives several local donations after hosting 27th annual Orchestra Benefit Dinner, a rundraising event for Arcadia Music Club. Jason Lee is pictured. He is an Arcadia City Council candidate.
Los Angeles County Arboretum selects new CEO, Michael Desplaines. He has more than two decades of experience in historic property development and restoration, public garden management, environmental education and fundraising. He begins in July. He previously served as president and CEO of the Norfolk Botanical Garden in Virginia. He replaces Richard Schulhof, who retired after 14 years as CEO.
San Gabriel Mountains: Bobcat Fire grows, but Arcadia lifts evacuation warning. The fire has burned more than 19,796 acres. as of yesterday evening. It was 0% contained.
Arcadian Ken Nute sued the Velvet Turtle Restaurant after a meal he ate there gave him a case of food poisoning. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services found 24 health code violations.
Native American tribes seek expansion of national monument with more than 100,000 acres. Indigenous leaders say more parts of the San Gabriel Mountains are "sacred lands." They are calling on the Biden administration to go further in protecting the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
Arcadia Woman's Club celebrates the 90th year of the construction and dedication of their clubhouse. The club is also applying for historical preservation landmark designation for its clubhouse. One of the club's first civic projects was establishing a library in Arcadia in 1914. After receiving approval from the county, a small library building at the southeast corner of First Avenue and Indiana (Wheeler) Street was established. Arcadia Police Chief Nakamura and Event Chair Marilyn Daleo attend and are in the photo.
Stuck in the backstretch. At Santa Anita Park racetrack, coronavirus cuts off horse caretakers from the outside world More than 750 backstretch workers at Santa Anita Park now live and work in isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They sleep in worn dormitories, sometimes in pairs, tucked among the barns. New restrictions bar visitors. There is a sense of anxiety in the community about the novel Coronavirus and the future of their jobs. No cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus have been reported at Santa Anita Park, which ceased racing last month, but there isn't any proactive testing either. The worries have to do with the track being shut down, or trainers moving to other states and these workers having nowhere to work or stay. If they lose their jobs, they lose their medical benefits and will be struggling.
Businesses rejoice as Coronavirus restrictions are relaxed. On Friday, California met the vaccine equity goal that allowed public health jurisdictions in Los Angeles County, including Pasadena, to move into the less restrictive red tier of the state’s reopening roadmap on Monday. As Los Angeles County geared up for some semblance of familiarity after an extraordinary 12 months of lockdown, the defining red tier reached is a delineating moment for better days ahead. The staggering loss of life, political turmoil and concerns of becoming another statistic weigh heavily on the minds of Southern Californians as we enter into the next phase of reopening businesses which we used to take for granted. As of Monday, indoor dining, movie theatres and other businesses were allowed to reopen with limited capacity — restaurants at 25% for example.
Santa Anita Park to delay start of fall meet, due to poor air quality of Bobcat Fire, to September 25. The Red Cross is using Santa Anita Park as the evacuation zone for people, including many of our horsemen, whose homes are less than 2 miles from here.
Millions take part in annual earthquake drill called The Great Shake Out. From schools to food banks, Los Angeles County learned how to drop, cover, and hold. Municipalities whose local government employees participated include Arcadia, Glendale, Glendora, Culver City, Cudahy, Inglewood, Lakewood, Diamond Bar, Covina, Burbank, and many more.
Santa Anita Park cancels Friday racing due to recent storms. Friday's card will be redrawn Saturday and held February 15. Santa Anita Park V.P. and General Manager Nate Newby said more than 10 inches of rain fell in Arcadia since Sunday afternoon.
Highland Oaks Elementary School's Club program connects students with interests and friends. Baton Twirling Club, Coding Club, Food Crafts Club, and Hawks Nest Community Building Club, are just a sample of the over 20 clubs offered there. Patricia Mattera, now in her 7th year as Highland Oaks Principal, first gained inspiration for the student clubs from her previous work experience.
Obituary/death notice. Arcadia leader Roger Chandler dies. Law enforcement professional (more than two decades in LA Sheriff's Department, Chief of Police for LA Housing Authority, created Hawaiian Gardens Police Department) and longtime resident served 24 years on Arcadia City Council.