Santa Anita Park enjoyed its most successful opening day ever. Attendance, including the satellites, was 75,071 and $10,795,574 was wagered. In Arcadia, 65,164 passed through the turnstiles, betting $9,275,840.
Local 280 of the Parimutuel Guild of California voted not to strike Santa Anita Park on opening day. The track had made contingency plans in preparation for the threatened strike but the clerks endorsed the proposed contract raising clerks pay at satellite wagering sites.
5,133 attended the first day of inter-track wagering at Santa Anita Park where wagering was offered on racing at Del Mar. $1,069,980 was wagered on the simulcast races. Santa Anita Park is one of 10 off-track wagering satellites.
Arcadian Bob Knox has been scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 5 for 18 years. He has been awarded the "Good Scout Award" by the San Gabriel Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America.
Santa Anita Park race track will be the site of a preview of equestrian events for the 1984 Olympics on Friday, July 27, 1984. The Community Olympic Preview Open House will be held just prior to the opening of the Equestrian Olympic Games at the race track. The public will witness the layout of the venue as well as demonstrations of Olympic equestrian events.
Ernie Harrington, principal of Santa Anita Elementary School has retired. He joined the district staff in 1950 as a fourth grade teacher. Santa Anita School will not be opening in the fall.
Drive-In Liquor closed its doors to make way for a mini-mall. When the mall opens next year, the liquor store will be among the 7 new shops at the corner of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue.
The Board of Education voted to allow negotiations to continue to allow Creative Academy of Learning to keep its doors open. The private day care center is located at the Bonita Park School.
An Arcadia resident for 35 years and married 40 years to world famous jockey Johnny Longden, Hazel Longden was one of the first women to become a licensed horse trainer. She is the first woman to train a stakes winner at Santa Anita Park.
Theresa Eskola, 63, head housekeeper at the 87-room Motel 6 across from the Santa Anita Park race track, is the first employee to work 25 years for the hotel chain. Her gifts included $2500 in $100 bills, a limousine ride and the day off. Photo.
The Olympic Preview held at Santa Anita Park race track July 27 drew 6,000 spectators, including Britain's Prince Philip. The prince, who is president of the Federation Equestre Internationale, the international organization for Olympic equestrian competition, walked out on one end of the field and waved to the crowd during a brief appearance.