The Arcadia County Park swimming pool will be closed for the summer, to be demolished and rebuilt at a later date. The pool is 70 years old and officially known as the Norman S. Johnson Aquatic Center. On July 19, a chlorine spill sent 17 children to the hospital. The repairs would cost $80,000, so the County chose to not reopen the pool for the three weeks left of this summer.
The new Norman S. Johnson Aquatics Center at Arcadia Community Regional Park (Arcadia County Park) is officially open and was celebrated yesterday by county supervisor Michael Antonovich and other local officials. The nearly $10 million project replaced the old 50-meter pool with a 6,150 s.f. competition swimming pool, and a 6,300 s.f. recreation and therapy pool with an integrated splash pad.
Sex offender Jaime Elvis Elizondo, 35, of San Gabriel, was sentenced this week to 30 years to life in prison for molesting a 5-year-old girl at a mall bookstore in Arcadia in 2008.
Arcadia High School football team coasts to a 39-13 victory against Bonita in the CIF-Southern Section S. E. Division first round. Myles Carr is the senior quarterback.
56-year-old Arcadia resident Dragica Grabovac has opened a European-style restaurant that offers a touch of Croatia. It is called Cafe LuMar at 136 E. Colorado Boulevard in Monrovia.
Business profile of Move It Aerobics Studio, an exercise facility that offers fitness classes for overweight students. Michele Silence is the owner. Her business is located at 40 E. Live Oak Avenue.
Santa Anita Derby runs today. A race horse named Creative Cause is the 6-to-5 favorite to win today and may be the West Coast's top Kentucky Derby prospect. With Jockey Joel Rosario (photo).
Metro Foothill Gold Line crossing gates snarl traffic. Faulty part that was recalled worldwide blamed for malfunctions. There are 14 at-grade crossings throughout the 5 cities along the new extension: Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa (has two stations). Arcadia has only one at-grade crossing, but some cars were stuck at the crossing for 5 minutes or more. Each of the cities is working closely with Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority to synchronize traffic signals with train crossings to improve traffic flow.
$24 million winning lottery ticket purchased at Golden Donuts Place, 104 E. Foothill Blvd in Arcadia. It is unclaimed so far. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, December 25, 2014.
Trainer Bob Baffert had a brush with death last year, but is healthy now and will participate in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic. Race horse Paynter (shown in photo with Baffert) will run the $5 million classic at Santa Anita Park.
Arcadia couple Edward Chen, aka Jianqiao Chen, Jian Qiao Chen, and Jian Chen aka Jing Jiang and Jean Jiang, accused of fraud involving defrauding investors through EB-5 visa schemes. The couple's companies raised more than $22.5 million from 45 Chinese investors, purportedly to build an interior design center in Ontario and a condominium building in Los Angeles. See also "Arcadia couple faces court hearing for stealing $12 million," Arcadia Weekly, p. 1,3 October 5, 2017.
Voters choose Tom Beck (District 2) over challenger Bob Harbicht, for City Council seat. Incumbent Roger Chandler (District 5) narrowly defeats challenger Joyce Platt. Preliminary numbers are in. This is the city's first district-based election.
John Pomazi of Temple City owns a business called Antique Radios at 125 E. Santa Clara Street in Arcadia. He collects and repair antique radios. He may have the only business of this kind in the San Gabriel Valley.
Arcadia incumbents appear to hold onto their seats. Semi-official results of City Council election. District 2-Tom Beck (northwest area, the neighborhoods surrounding Santa Anita Park on the north and west); District 5-Roger Chandler (the southeast area).
Arcadia's proposed plastic bag ban has been tabled until after the outcome of a similar statewide referendum on the November election. Mayor Tom Beck first introduced the ordinance. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 17, May 5, 2016.
Ron Charles, 61, who has been president of Santa Anita Park for 5 1/2 years, is resigning. His final day is today. General Manager George Haines will take over as interim president while MI Developments (MID) searches for a replacement.
Miss Junior Taiwan Verena Wong, 5, of Arcadia (photo) and Miss Taiwan Paula Wu of Palo Alto together give away toys to preschoolers at La Casa de San Gabriel Community Center. They also presented the center with a $3000 check from Chinatrust Bank.
Registered sex offender Jaime Elvis Elizondo, who was convicted of assaulting a 5-year-old girl inside an Arcadia bookstore in 2008 and sent to prison in September, was beaten to death in his cell at High Desert State Prison. Prime suspect is Elizondo's cellmate Steven Cisneros.