California Philharmonic Orchestra officials held a press conference and said they do not know why the county decided to end a 15-year run of concerts at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden with them. The press conference was held at Cal Phil's new office in Arcadia. In attendance were Cal Phil founder and Music Director Victor Vener, his son Andre Vener (the orchestra's CEO), Robert W. Miller (member of the Cal Phil board), Michael Arnold (principal clarinetist), Barbara Hicks (volunteer) and 20 protesters who had picketed at the Arboretum, in reaction to the ouster of the orchestra.
Obituary/death notice. James W. Robinson, also known as John W. Robinson, author of hiking guide Trails of the Angeles: 100 Hikes in the San Gabriels, has died at age 88.
Arcadia jet fighter pilot Richard Norton killed in Twentynine Palms crash. He was a U.S. Marine and a major. He died in the F/A-18C Hornet crash on July 28, during a training exercise.
Police are seeking three men who attacked, robbed and carjacked a mother and son in front of their home in the 200 block of West Lemon Avenue. The crime occurred on March 4, before 9:30 PM, as they pulled into their driveway. The suspects got away in the victims' blue 2006 Lexus.
Arcadia man Larry Roger Beck, 66 years old, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for killing his girlfriend's toddler son in Louisville, Kentucky 43 years ago. He admitted to shaking the 20-month old Michael Sanders, which was a factor that caused the child's death.
Spotlight on multi-specialty law firm Vincent W. Davis & Associates, based in Arcadia, with six offices throughout the Los Angeles area. Founder and lead attorney is Vincent W. Davis. His firm represents just ordinary people. 90% of the firm's clientele is blue collar workers.
DUI (driving under the influence) is suspected in fatal freeway crash. An allegedly drunk Tatsukiho Sakamoto, 37 of Arcadia, ignored signs and cones indicating the 10 Freeway was closed, and drove his Toyota RAV4 through the closure, fatally striking 21-year-old road worker Connor McDermott Penhall. Penhall is son of hall of fame motorcycle racer and actor Bruce Penhall.
Tatsuhiko Sakamoto, 37 of Arcadia, was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony drunken driving and driving with a blood-alcohol level above .08. He allegedly drove onto a closed freeway in Baldwin Park while drunk and killed a 21-year-old road worker named Connor McDermott Penhall. Penhall is son of hall of fame motorcycle racer and actor Bruce Penhall.
Food critic Merrill Shindler favorably reviews Izakaya Tonchinkan, a Japanese restaurant at Arcadia Plaza, a mini-mall at 713 W. Duarte Road, just off Baldwin Avenue.
Santa Anita Park to honor Ambrosio Maldonado's family legacy with a birthday party. Members of the Maldonado family have worked at the racetrack since 1934. Ambrosio was employed as a masonry laborer from 1945 to 1972. His father, Elpidio Maldonado worked there 1934 until 1967. Ambrosio's son Jerry Maldonado worked 1988 to 1995. Jerry's brother Joe worked there 31 years and Joe, Jr. is currently employed. See also VF "Santa Anita Park-People" (item #32).
Arcadia resident in the 700 block of Camino Grove Avenue finds the body of a stranger in his swimming pool. The dead man is 35-year old Greg Tser-Ming Chen of Arcadia. Foul play was not initially suspected in the death. Chen's dog, a golden retriever, which was not on a leash, was found in the backyard too. Chen leaves behind a wife Maggie, who is pregnant with the couple's second child, and a toddler-aged son. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A3, August 9, 2013.
Arcadia Chamber of Commerce will introduce candidates who represent Arcadia in the U.S. Congress in a forum at 8:00 AM, August 2, at 388 W. Huntington Drive. Longtime Arcadia resident and Republican candidate Jack Orswell is confirmed to speak and Democratic candidate Judy Chu is expected to attend.
Hale Medical Center office building planned at 289 W. Huntington Drive in Arcadia breaks ground. Construction began last week on the $20 million four-story medical office building in the southern parking lot of Santa Anita Park that will connect to Arcadia Methodist Hospital via a footbridge.
A mysterious white substance appeared on desktops at Fortanasce and Associates Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine's office building overnight, prompting hazardous-materials crews to investigate before declaring the scene safe. The substance was identified as potash bentonite, a harmless clay. Because someone broke into the building on the 600 block of W. Naomi Avenue to leave the powder, police are investigating the incident as a burglary.
Hong Kong Supermarket, a New York-based company, will open a 25,000 square feet market at 935 W. Duarte Road, at the Mon-Arc Retail Shopping Center. It is the fifth Hong Kong Supermarket in the San Gabriel Valley, specializing in imported Asian groceries. It will serve customers from both Monrovia and Arcadia. Asians account for 10.9% of Monrovia's total population while Arcadia's Asian population is at 58.9%.
Arcadia City Council gave preliminary approval for a proposed $18.5 million, four-story medical office building to be constructed near Methodist Hospital on about 4 acres of Santa Anita Park's expansive southern parking lot. Dick Hale's development firm Hale Corporation, has a joint venture with Santa Anita Park's owner The Stronach Group, to use part of the race track's under-used property at 289 W. Huntington Drive for the roughly 70,000 s.f. building.
Taking the A Train: Metro nixing colors. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority is getting rid of the colored names of the train lines and switching to letter names. The transition period will begin in about nine months, during which both colors and letters would be used, then the colors will be phased out. The revamped Blue Line to Long Beach will become the A Line. The Red Line subway will become the B Line. Parts of the Green Line will become the C Line. The Purple Line will become the D Line. The Orange Line bus rapid transit in the San Fernando Valley will be the F Line. The Silver Line rapid busway will become the G Line. The Gold Line light rail from Azusa to Los Angeles will be renamed once the downtown Regional Connector is completed at the end of 2021 or early 2022.
Shock of brothers' deaths still lingers. John Ziska is trying to find ways to cope with the deaths of his sons JD and Brian Ziska, two former star quarterbacks at Arcadia High School, whose deaths in the past year have left many in their hometown of Arcadia reeling. This fall, the Arcadia High School football program has ceremonies planned to honor them. Last summer JD Ziska died of a stroke at age 35. Brian Ziska had a massive heart attack.