Arcadia resident Harry Frank Scolinos, who is a Republican, will try to best Adam Schiff in the candidacy for the 29th Congressional District in November 2004.
"A Late Summer Night's Dream" was the theme of a benefit party organized to raise funds for the los Angeles County Arboretum. A detailed description of the entire evening is given.
Arcadia City Clerk June Alford, who has served in the elective office since 1988, will retire at the end of her current term in April. City Council approved the creation of a new job of Chief Deputy City Clark with a salary of $5600/month.
Frank Rubio, a 77-year old Temple City resident, was found dead in the side yard of a house in the 500 block of Las Tunas Drive. He had wandered away from a concert park and was missing for about 10 days. He appeared to have died from exposure.
Since he purchased Santa Anita Park in 1998, Frank Stronach has added five tracks to his stable and grouped them under a spin off company called Magna Entertainment Corp.
Public employees' retirement and pensions are costing cities up to 25% of the city budget. In March, CalPERS announced its stock portfolio had lost 39.8%. Costs for retirees are ballooning and El Monte and West Covina budgets have been hit hard from the recession. Arcadia, which had the fourth highest pension costs of the 24 cities surveyed, spent $6.7 million last year for its 357 current employees and retirees. The city's general fund budget is $46 million.
In an opinion piece, writer Frank C. Girardot laments the suicide of Hunter S. Thompson. He shot and killed himself on Sunday, February 20, 2005. He had written two of his famous works, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and "Strange Rumblings in Aztlan", when he lived in an Arcadia hotel in 1971.
Vandals who were refused entry to a private party at the Arcadia All-Pro Athletic Club allegedly used spray paint to damage several businesses and an apartment complex on Duarte Road.
Santa Anita Park's parent company, Magna Entertainment Corp., faces the threat of bankruptcy amid mounting losses and a $600 million debt burden. The current racing season and status are unaffected. Frank Stronach of Magna Entertainment Corp. said he was looking for partners for the track.
Local city governments in the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier are realizing the future costs of pensions and retirement benefits for their employees. The costs will be enormous and city governments need to save money for their future obligations. Arcadia's retiree medical cost is $375,062 this year and its unfunded health liabilities for current employees and retirees is $10.3 million. Unfunded health liability is the amount that would be needed to pay for all health obligations to current employees if they were to retire today, and for all retirees. Other cities' obligations are shown in a chart.
South Pasadena and Arcadia Edison customers lost power as a result of winds of up to 45 mph at times. Some households regained power but some Arcadia customers remain without power.
Rubik's Cube craze culminates in the U. S. Rubik's Cube Championship competition at Caltech. Local middle school student Shotaro "Macky" Makisumi clocked the fastest time but could not claim top prize because he was born in Japan. Local Frank Chang also competed.
Dr. William "Bill" Kaplan, the first geneticist at City of Hope, died November 6 of heart failure. During his retirement, Kaplan helped direct volunteers who ran Arcadia Public Library's bookstore.