The 35th annual Public Schools luncheon was held at the Masonic Center to honor 26 National Merit Scholarship students. The Foothills Middle School Sixth Grade Chorus performed.
Altrusa International, Inc. of Arcadia, an international association of business and professional women and men who volunteer to make their communities better, will host the 48th annual District 11 Conference. Dena Spanos-Hawkey, director of literacy services for Monrovia, Arcadia and South Pasadena, is the keynote speaker.
Law Day was held Saturday at the Arcadia Public Library. The City of Arcadia and the Arcadia Chinese Association sponsored the program. Residents got to ask for free legal advice from community lawyers.
48th Annual Arcadia Festival of Bands will be held Saturday, November 17. The event, which showcases the finest high school instrumental music talent in Southern California, has been a proud tradition in Arcadia since 1953. Dennis Davies, who recently retired after serving 39 years as a music director in Arcadia Unified School District, has been named Grand Marshal.
Joe Miller writes a semi-regular column called Rotary Corner in Arcadia Weekly. It covers activities of the Arcadia Rotary Club and Rotary International. The page number varies by the issue.
The State Department of Finance estimates Arcadia's population as 54,200 as of January 1, 2001. The 2000 Census figured Arcadia's population as 53,054.
Results of the new state test called the CAT-6 (California Achievement Test), which replaces the old SAT-9 test, show that around 70% of the students at each grade level in the Arcadia schools are in the national norm of 50th percentile in reading, and half or more of these students tested at or above the 75th percentile. Each grade level has a breakdown, and comparison with Monrovia students.
Arcadia City Councilman Gary Kovacic will take over as mayor at the next City Council Meeting. He will serve through October 21 and then the position will rotate to John Wuo (October 21-January 4), Mickey Segal (January 4-April 20). Gail Marshall was mayor through April 15 of this year. All council members are rotating to the position of mayor during the city's centennial.
Santa Anita Park Race Track owner Frank Stronach has met with city officials about Arcadia's concerns with the track expansion plan and future sessions will be held. The concerns centered around plans to build new barns on the north side of the property, the internal connections between the track and Westfield Shopping mall traffic and people, and architectural compatibility with the track.
Arcadia Public Library will have a new conference room constructed and will remodel the existing room into offices and a work area. An office will be created for the Friends of the Library. This is the first phase and the contract was awarded to K & S Design for $106,500. Phase 2 of the project, to be completed at a later date, will include a teen center and an enlarged international language area.
Arcadia's 100th birthday festivities will begin in January with the city's float entry in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. Riders on float include Jon Dorian Shafer, Lane Barcham and Alison Chien. Other activities for the centennial year are outlined.
On April 4, First Avenue PTA held their Honorary Service program and talent show. Many parents and a teacher were honored including 6th grade teacher Linda Davis, and Shuchen Tay, Jim and Sandy Rider, Jeff and Mary Ann Laun.
Foothills Middle School teacher Karen Gollhardt and Holly Avenue Elementary School teacher Emily Burke are named Teachers of the Month for January and February.