A recent meeting between Asian parents, police and school district members was quite successful, School Board Member Robert Kladifko told the Board. He said recent fights between Asians and Caucasians at the Arcadia High School and the Arcadia Library were not racially motivated.
Inter-racial problems at Arcadia High School are not as bad as they have been made out to be, according to 2 Associated Student Body officers, but the problems there are, they said, can be blamed on both Asians and Caucasians.
Responding to a report of tensions between Caucasian and Asian students at Arcadia High School, Superintendent of Schools, Elbert Souders said the problem is "very small" and is being addressed by the district.
Arcadia Council PTA is joining with Parent Alert in sponsoring two town meetings to encourage parents and other citizens to join a community-wide campaign aimed at fighting school age substance abuse. Meeting to be held at 7:45 P.M. on succeeding Wednesdays, Nov. 2 and 9 at First Avenue Junior High School auditorium.
Arcadia Unified School District fights for fair funding in Sacramento at the 2018 California State Parent Teacher Association (CA PTA) Legislation Conference.
There was a large crowd of parents at the school board meeting where the closure of two elementary schools was discussed. The board will make its final decision after the public hearings have been held on December 10 and January 8.
Arcadia in 1989 is a changing city. Officials estimate Asians now comprise 15 to 17 % of the population and 27% of the student body. Minorities, including Hispanics, blacks and American Indians total 35% of the school enrollment.
There appears to be some progress in contract negotiations between the Arcadia Unified School District and the Arcadia Teachers Association. Though officials were reluctant to talk about specifics, fear of a strike by the teachers has been allayed.
City of Arcadia officials will be traveling to China and Taiwan two two weeks to foster a sister-city relationship by meeting with local government officials there to learn more about government services, residential development and the culture in an effort to better serve Arcadia. More than 50% of Arcadia residents are of Chinese and Taiwanese heritage. The trip tentatively set for March 9-April 1 will cost an estimated $65,000 with $20,000 of it donated by Chinese companies. See VF Sister City.
A message supporting embattled former Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien, sent by a concerned parent named Michael Yamane, was forwarded to the police by a school board member. Yamane's email urged the district to reconsider its firing of O'Brien, accuses district officials of abusing employees, lying about a CIF-SS investigation into O'Brien's program, and suggested officials might be breaking state law. Yamane is concerned about his constitutional right to free speech, after his email was forwarded to police. Yamane is also a proponent of the "Recall Arcadia" campaign, which seeks to recall three school board members.
At a meeting of about 200 Anoakia School parents, directors of the school, which has operated on the former estate of Anita Baldwin for 48 years, explained the reasons the school wants to relocate after June 1990. Lowry McCaslin, who owns the property, wants to develop the 20 acre estate.
Parents attending the school board meeting pressed for increased substance abuse education. The board expressed a reluctance to expand the program at the expense of more basic courses.
Arcadia officials will meet with Santa Anita Park's majority owner Frank Stronach, to talk about the mall project that fell through with Caruso Affiliated, and to see if Stronach still envisions a high end retail project to develop on the track parking lot.
None of the three Chinese-American candidates received enough votes to win one of the three open seats in Tuesday's Arcadia City Council elections. With the departure of Mayor John Wuo, who was the second Chinese-American to be elected to the council, Arcadia, an ethnically diverse city, is reverting to an all Caucasian council for the first time in 12 years. Many in the Chinese community prefer to relay a concern to someone of their own race and culture "because this person understands what they say, what their concern is based on," former council member Dr. Sheng Chang said. Councilman Roger Chandler, however, believes that the city has enough volunteers, associations and resources to facilitate communication and to aptly handle any issue that could come up.
Arcadia High School coach James O'Brien, who has led the cross country team to two CIF State and three CIF-Southern Section championships, has been fired. He was told the reason was, "We want to go in a different direction." He will remain a teacher at Arcadia High School.
If Oak Tree is not held at Santa Anita Park this fall, as it has for the last 41 years, it would be a significant hit to the city of Arcadia and the region, city officials said. Last year, the city of Arcadia made $185,000 from the Oak Tree meet's betting handle. In addition, the city would suffer the loss of tens of thousands of dollars in sales tax and hotel bed tax revenue. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) denied Oak Tree Racing Association's request to run its five-week fall meet at Santa Anita Park after horse owners, trainers, and a racetrack expert expressed concerns about the synthetic surface. Oak Tree officials say they are moving forward to make arrangements to run the meet at Hollywood Park.
Male suspect (in sketch) sought for harassing children, with bear hugs and pelvic thrusts, near Dana Middle School and Arcadia High School. He is described as Asian, chubby, between 16 and 20 years old, and 5-foot-seven inches tall.
The Arcadia Council PTA in cooperation with Parent Alert has organized evening programs for parents of all 5th and 6th grade, junior and senior high school students. The programs are designed to offer education on drug abuse.