Arcadia resident Henry"Red" Austin, who helped start the private Highpoint Academy in Pasadena and worked as a dentist in Alhambra for more than 25 years, died Thursday at the age of 69.
23 "heroes and heroines" in the Arcadia Unified School District were honored by the Board of Education in the first "Profiles in Excellence" awards. The awards were presented to "individuals who maintain a standard of excellence in their work and who represent those values and qualities which make Arcadia a special place for students." Names and positions of winners are given.
The 9-person team of Arcadia High School placed 3rd out of 73 teams in the county's 41st annual Academic Decathlon, thus performing the best ever in Arcadia High School history. The decathlon consists of speech, math, science, fine arts, social science/history, economics, language, literature and essay competitions.
The National Foundation for Advancement in Arts has named Arcadia High School senior Elaine Kao as one of 105 winners of awards for achievement in dance, music, theater, visual arts and writing.
Arcadia High School student Asha Jayasinghe is known for her astonishing speed. She won the National Jesse Owens Championship in the 400 meters and was inducted into the Jesse Owens Hall of Fame as a junior athlete. She is profiled.
James Val, 39, an elementary school teacher, has received two Emmy nominations for his documentary work and is currently working on a film script with two other writers.
Kay Okamoto, 73, a former World War II intern in a Wyoming relocation camp, relived the experience after seeing the current film "Come See the Paradise", which features two of her grandsons, Brian and Scott, working as extras in two scenes.
The Arcadia Educational Foundation presented a check in the amount of $50,000 to school district officials. The money will be used for various video instructional devices. The A.E.F. is profiled.
Business woman Monty Lindsey, a community leader and active volunteer, was selected in late January as the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. She is profiled.
The memory of Monsignor Gerald M. O'Keefe, the founding pastor of Holy Angeles Parish in Arcadia, was honored recently at a rededication ceremony. The church history is profiled.
The Arcadia Police Department's cadet program is profiled, including the stories of several cadets, especially 21-year-old Arcadia resident Sandra Schreiner.