Arcadia City Budget elements explained for Chamber government affairs. Administrative Services Director Hue Quach says horse race revenue for capital improvements down millions per year.
Revised cell phone tower proposed by Verizon at Church of the Transfiguration at 1881 S. First Avenue denied. Arcadia Planning Commission voted 3 to 1 to adopt Resolution No. 1970 to deny the proposal.
Unanimous Arcadia City Council acts to place local funding measure, known as the “Arcadia Public Safety, City Services and Accountability Measure” on the June 2019 ballot to maintain public safety and other city services. City staff and the Citizen’s Financial Advisory Committee have indicated Arcadia has a multi-million dollar structural deficit.
Gary Kovacic is Arcadia's mayor for the sixth time since 1998. Mayor Pro Tem is Roger Chandler. Mayor Kovacic is in the final year of a second consecutive four-year term. Due to term limits, he will have to step away from Arcadia City Council for at last two years after he concludes his current term as mayor, next April.
Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) Deputy Superintendent Robert Leri has resigned. Arcadia High School Principal David Vannasdall will take on the additional role of Deputy Superintendent March 1 and leave his job as principal at end of school year to become Deputy Superintendent. Other personnel changes within the school district. AUSD is trying to cover a projected $7 million annual budget deficit with a proposed 5-year parcel tax. Arcadia Educational Foundation is doing its annual solicitation.
Seven candidates for two seats on Arcadia City Council: Paul Cheng, April Verlato, Bob Harbicht, Peter Amundson, Dr. Sheng Chang, Burton Brink, and Paul Van Fleet.
Metro to improve 210 Freeway barriers, after a series of crashes over the last 2 years involved cars and trucks landing on the Gold Line tracks. Metro plans to install taller, stronger barriers and a detection system on 6 miles of right-of-way down the middle of the 210 Freeway in Pasadena and Arcadia.
Less than 48 hours after the official debut of the pilot episode of HBO's "Luck" series, the cable television network has already ordered a second season. It is filmed at Santa Anita Park and various locations in Arcadia, including Rod's Grill, among other cities in the region. Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte star in it.
Arcadia tackles coyote issues at February 7 City Council meeting, deciding to trap and kill them. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wrote a letter to Mayor Tom Beck with a plea to not trap and kill but to use deterrents instead.
Feasibility study for the provision of outside fire responses services to Sierra Madre commissioned. Arcadia City Council, led by Mayor Sho Tay, approved the study to be conducted to weigh the pros and cons of providing fire suppression services to the City of Sierra Madre.
Don't forget to send in your ballots, Arcadians. The April 10 Arcadia City Council election ballots were sent to all registered voters on March 12. Voters can mail them or drop them off at Arcadia City Hall, 240 W. Huntington Drive. Brief summary of each candidate is given.
Senator Dianne Feinstein weighs in on Santa Anita Park tragedies. In a letter to California Horse Racing Board, she called for racing to be suspended at Santa Anita Park after the deaths of twenty-three horses since late December.
PETA sues Arcadia over cruel plan to snare, slaughter coyotes. In the lawsuit, PETA alleges that because City Council voted to approve the plan on February 21 without first performing an environmental impact assessment, which is required under the California Environmental Quality Act, its decision is illegal. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A3, March 4, 2017.
Racing returns to Santa Anita Park and another tragedy strikes as horse named Arms Runner fell on the dirt track crossover and had to be euthanized. This was the 23rd horse death since December 23. Trumpeter Jay Cohen was back after three months out with Bell's Palsy.
Lost in translation: ballot error in Chinese language instructions on the mail-in ballot, directing voters to choose up to 3 City Council candidates, in the race for only 2 open seats in the April 10 election.
Arcadia salutes "National Vietnam War Veterans Day" March 29, with a Certificate of Proclamation to Arcadia City Clerk Gene Glasco, the Founder of the Arcadia Vietnam War Memorial Monument in the Arcadia County Park.
City of Arcadia in partnership with Arcadia Chinese Association, will offer a free Ask-a-Lawyer Program on Saturday, May 19, 10 AM - 1 PM at the Arcadia Public Library, to celebrate Law Day. This is the 20th consecutive year this free public service has been offered by the City of Arcadia and Arcadia Chinese Association.