Arcadia resident, 17 year-old Nikolas Smalldridge, is a Boy Scout from Troop 169 in Temple City. He is collecting baby items to fly from El Monte Airport to the House of Ruth Pregnancy Care Center in Cottonwood, Arizona. He has a private pilot license.
Arcadia Girl Scout Daisy Eleanor Massey was named one of three statewide ambassadors of the Got Milk Scouts Photo Contest. She is pictured on Got Milk? billboards.
Arcadia Rotary Club and Arcadia Chinese Association (ACA) announce plans to restore Fort Rotary, a two-story western-style Boy Scout fort in the foothills behind Monrovia. This is historic, the first coordinated project between these two organizations. Architect Kevin Le from Le Architecture in Monrovia, has already volunteered his time to help. The project is expected to cost up to $140,000. So far, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has pledged $25,000, ACA has pledged $25,000 and Arcadia Rotary has pledged $22,000 on behalf of Mary Hansen of Arcadia.
Arcadia based Cub Scouts go Supernova. Four Scouts recently earned the highest accomplishment a Cub Scout can receive for science, technology, engineering and math. Gianni Carrano, Vincent Docimo, Ian Parsons and John Short, fifth graders at Holy Angels School in Arcadia and members of the school’s Cub Scout Pack 114, achieved the Supernova Award.
Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles celebrated the centennial birthday of the national organization with a party at the Arcadia Service Center, 100 E. Wheeler Avenue. Sylvia Wikle, 84, who has served for the past 75 years, and Victoria Hung Brooker, 15, in photo together.
Two Arcadia homes found by Arcadia Police Department to be used for indoor marijuana growing operations in the 1800 block of South Baldwin Avenue and the 300 block of West Woodruff Avenue. Gao Ming, 46-year-old male from Arcadia, Jia Hui Shen, 27-year-old male from El Monte, and Lan Lau, a 34-year-old female from Arcadia, were arrested and booked at Arcadia City Jail.
Santa Anita Park opens today. It kicks off its 75th winter/spring meeting with its first post at noon. The 79-day race meeting continues through April 22.
Santa Anita Park jockey Victor Espinoza wins Triple Crown on a race horse named American Pharoah, the first jockey in 37 years to win it. He is the first Latino and the oldest to win the Triple Crown. He credits prayer, sleep, and sheer grit.
Frank Stronach, chairman of MI Developments, the owner of Santa Anita Park, says he is optimistic his company can work out a new deal with developer Rick Caruso to build an outdoor mall at Santa Anita Park, even though he voided a 2005 joint-venture agreement with Caruso in April to build the Shops at Santa Anita mall in the race track's parking lot.
Veteran paddock guard at Santa Anita Park, John Shear, will be honored on October 1, for his heroic act of shielding a 6-year-old girl from a runaway horse on March 12, 2011, with a race named "The John Shear Hero Purse." The race will include a winner's circle ceremony in which 90-year-old Shear will be recognized.
HBO, the cable network will start filming the first episodes of a horse racing series starring Dustin Hoffman on October 31, at Santa Anita Park. The series is called "Luck," about the various players of horse racing. Filming for the first year's episodes is expected to run through mid-April.
Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach, who is about to become the sole owner of Santa Anita Park, said he hasn't ruled out talking to developer Rick Caruso about reviving a project to build an outdoor mall in the race track's parking lot. Last week Caruso announced that he is no longer pursuing a development deal with Santa Anita Park's outgoing owner, MI Developments, Inc. (MID), for the upscale Shops at Santa Anita. Stronach is the outgoing chairman of MID.
Arcadia City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Roger Chandler said he wouldn't want the basketball courts rebuilt because he doesn't like the "type" they attract. The old courts have been demolished already and City Council eventually recommitted to an improvement plan that permanently eliminates Eisenhower Park's basketball courts. Chandler's comments prompted an immediate uproar from residents in attendance. Council member April Verlato said his use of the phrase "the type" could be perceived as racist but doesn't think he meant it that way, but he should apologize. The renovated park will cost nearly $6.3 million, including a baseball diamond and large picnic area.
Santa Anita Park honors longtime Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants scout George Genovese today by naming the 10th and final race "Happy 90th George Genovese."
Santa Anita Park owner Frank Stronach met with about a dozen horse trainers to discuss the track's racing surface. Stronach announced that he would not replace the synthetic Pro-Ride track yet, but will stick with it until he gets the ability to run the track with less state regulations. He wants free enterprise, which he may never get. In the meantime, drainage problems and injuries persist on the synthetic track. Stronach said he'd be back in April to discuss the issue more.
Demonstrators occupy Arcadia City Council meeting and call for resignation of Mayor Pro Tem Roger Chandler. They spoke out against removal of basketball courts from Eisenhower Park. Some called Chandler to resign because of his August 20 remarks that he didn't like the "type" of people the courts attracted. Chandler accused Mayor April Verlato of orchestrating the protests.
Santa Anita Park's 18th annual Derby Day 5K Walk & Run attracted a record 5,683 participants last Saturday. The 5K benefits several charities, including Pasadena-based Ability First, the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), Arcadia High School Athletic Boosters Club, Arcadia Historical Museum, and Arcadia Explorer Scouts.
Eagle Scout Daniel Black of Boy Scout Troop 104 will present a silver bell to Mayor Peter Amundson and City Clerk Gene Glasco (founder of the Arcadia Vietnam Memorial Monument) at the September 5 City Council meeting.