Arcadia's new city government first formed in 1903 and its first meeting took place at Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's Oakwood Hotel, located at First Avenue and Santa Clara Road. Baldwin's hotel featured gambling and fine dining along with city government. The Oakwood Hotel burned down in 1911, and the city government moved to the McCoy Building at First Avenue and St. Joseph Street. Two years later, City Hall moved across the street to the Hibbard Building. In 1917, the first building was constructed as a City Hall at Huntington Drive and Second Avenue (?). A two-story colonial building was built for $18,000. This City Hall opened on July 13, 1918. City Hall moved in 1949 to a 13-acre parcel between Huntington Drive and the Pacific Electric railroad tracks.
Monrovia's Aztec Hotel is showcasing fine art in its non-profit Aztec Art Center Route 66 Gallery. Visitors are not just from Monrovia, but from Pasadena, Duarte and Arcadia. A painting by Manuel Barillas is pictured. The hotel is owned by Kathie Reece-McNeill. The hotel was designed in 1925 by English architect Robert Stacy-Judd and was inspired by Mayan and Aztect structures. The building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
Arcadia City Council has approved $55,000 to the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce for services such as providing information on the city to brokers, real estate agents, merchants, business people, new residents, and the general public. The Chamber prepares a monthly community calendar, a business hotline, a newsletter, an annual Civic Directory, a bi-annual map and a business directory. The city also lets the Chamber use the building they're in for no charge.
Arcadia Police Department is warning senior citizens to avoid giving out personal information and credit card information to scam artists pretending to represent official agencies over the telephone. The scammers use intimidation as a tactic.
Arcadia Weekly columnists: Susan Motander writes general news, p. 1; Mary K. Riherd writes music news, p. 14; Kevin Awakuni writes general news, p. 19.
The Arcadia Board of Education will vote on a policy change regarding the release of students' personal information to military recruiters, colleges or prospective employers. In the past, Arcadia has had an "opt-in" policy, in which parents must specifically request information be made available, particularly to military recruiters. This policy is no longer allowed under federal guidelines, so the district will adopt an "opt-out" policy, putting the burden on parents to decide when information will be withheld.
The City Council offers $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and charging of the killer(s) of Arcadia resident Charlotte Cole. The City Council offers a $15,000 reward for information leading to the killer of two hit and run victims. The victims were an elderly man and his grandson.
Ambassador Jason C. Yuen, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, will be grand marshal of the 49th Festival of Bands Parade in Arcadia.