Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy of Arcadia was among state lawmakers who did not support Assembly Bill 60 which would have allowed undocumented immigrants to get a drivers license. Governor Davis vetoed the bill.
About 1,000 local Taiwanese-Americans protested a proposed anti-secession law Saturday outside the Chinese Consulate General office in Los Angeles. Arcadia resident James Liang was one such protester.
Arcadia and Monrovia will be split into two assembly districts in the redistricting plan signed by Governor Gray Davis last week. Under the new plan, the 59th District, currently represented by Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, will move 84% of Arcadia and 40% of Monrovia to Assemblywoman Carol Liu's 44th District. The new plan is still being challenged in court. Senate district boundaries were also modified but did not affect Arcadia.
Assembly bill AB858, also known as the Jerry Ballesteros Act, is now going to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. It is a bill introduced by Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles), calling for a ban on the use of Native American tribal names, specifically Apaches and Comanches, as school mascots. The Arcadia Board of Education opposes the bill. Arcadia leaders say the use of the name Apaches is a gesture of respect. Arcadia High School has a close relationship with the White Mountain Apache tribe, which supports the use of the name. This year's bill is different, in that last year's bill left a small loophole if the name is used respectfully.
Council opposes tribal mascot bill. Arcadia city council voted to oppose AB 2115 or any other legislation that would block Arcadia High School from using the Apache name and mascot.
Chinese American Business Association community speakers David Lee and Kirk King of Arcadia talk about how Chinese are reticent to protest the immigration reforms, but they are deeply divided on the issues.
Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles) has reintroduced her bill to ban the use of Native American names for school mascots. The bill was defeated in the last session, with opposition from the city of Arcadia and the Arcadia Unified School District. The act lists only two tribal names as specifically banned - Apaches and Comanches -- along with terms such as Redskins, Chiefs, Braves and Papooses. Under AB858, the only schools exempted from the ban are those under the regulation of tribal councils.
Board wants to keep Apache name. The Arcadia Board of Education voted unanimously to oppose AB 2115, a bill that would forbid Arcadia High School from using the Apache mascot.
Arcadia Planning Commission voted 5-0 to reject a proposal for a crematory to be built on First Avenue, next to Arcadia Mortuary at 500 S. First Avenue. The application came from Jim Larkin, who operates Arcadia Mortuary. The proposal drew criticism from neighbors and other Arcadia residents, with pickets.