Arcadia wine seller Rudy Kurniawan, 35, was arrested on suspicion of trying to sell $1.3 million worth of counterfeit wine and fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in loans.
A parcel tax in Arcadia appears to pass. Voters appear to have narrowly approved a parcel tax measure that will raise $3.4 million for the Arcadia Unified School District each year for the next five years, according to preliminary results. If the outcome is finalized, property owners would pay $228 per parcel per year in an effort to stave off additional cuts in the classroom. Measure A, which required a two-thirds vote to pass, was approved by 67.61% of those who voted in the district's boundaries. The vote should be finalized tomorrow.
Arcadia High School Apaches boys baseball team loses to Santa Barbara in the CIF-SS playoffs. Players Andrew Cordeiro and Phillip Juarez appear in photo.
Police seek San Marino High School student Mira Hu, who is believed to have run away after being dropped off at 7:30 AM at Arcadia High School for the SAT exam on Saturday.
Trouble at Santa Anita Park. According to figures taken from Equibase, Santa Anita Park's total handle was down $77.1 million, or 17.7% from a year ago. If the current trend continues, the track's all-sources handle could show a decline of more than $100 million for the 2010-2011 meet. George Haines, the president of Santa Anita Park, has other troubles, including some wet weather, a players' boycott, and the inconsistencies of a new dirt racing surface.
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.
Arcadia High School's 2019 Valedictorian Kevin Tan (photo), is headed to Harvard University in the fall on a full scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Article has photos of other Arcadia High School graduates at the 2019 commencement at Santa Anita Park.
Adams’ Pack Station in the Angeles National Forest for sale. It’s the last animal-assisted goods delivery system in SoCal. Pack donkeys carry 130 pounds of roofing material, flooring, food, tools, wood, whatever the cabin owners or renters need for their stays in Big Santa Anita Canyon, above Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Deb Burgess has owned it since 2006.
Environmental activists are calling for an independent investigation into a Los Angeles County flood control project--6 days after they failed to stop bulldozers from clearing 11.1 acres of native oak woodland for a dam sediment dump in Arcadia. The group calling for the probe includes Glen Owens, Camron Stone, and "tree-sitters" John Quigley, Andrea Bowers and Julia Posin. Los Angeles County supervisor Michael Antonovich's deputy Tony Bell said the three-year county public works planning process for the sediment project was completely open and the facts were available to the public.
Measure A seeks to repeal utility users tax in Arcadia, on the April 12 ballot. The utility users tax is a source of revenue expected to generate $7 million for the city this year. Arcadia charges residents 7% for gas, water, and electricity, and 5% for telephone on utility bills. The city estimates each household pays less than $10 per person per month on average. The tax is 12.5% of the city's $54.9 million general fund budget. If repealed, it would mean a 12.5% cut to city services, including cutting 12 police officers, closing a fire department, increasing blight, street sweeping would be reduced from weekly to every other week. Programs for children and seniors would be eliminated and library and museum hours would be reduced significantly. Larry Papp helped author the initiative.
Chinese-Americans getting political. Residents becoming more active as they back recall of Governor Gavin Newsom and other conservative efforts. Photo shows women gathering signatures outside 99 Ranch Market in Arcadia.
HRTV (Horse Racing Television) has reached agreement with independent Los Angeles broadcaster KVMD to give Southern California horse racing fans live racing television access to the upcoming Santa Anita Park winter/spring meeting.
Hundreds of teachers across the San Gabriel Valley are facing layoffs again this summer and experts say cuts could be far more drastic if a solution to the state's budget problems is not reached. About 20,000 teachers in the state have been put on notice that they could be laid off if school districts do not receive the necessary state funding. Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) sent out notices to about 16% of its teachers.
Parents and children rallied at three Arcadia middle schools, in an effort to prevent the potential layoffs of 105 Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) teachers and staff, blamed on an anticipated budget shortfall of at least $2 million next school year. Since the campaign started in late January, Arcadia Educational Foundation (AEF) has raised about $225,000, which will be presented to the AUSD. That is enough to save 3 teachers' positions.
The parents of Alice Zhang have filed a $5 million claim against the city of Arcadia, arguing the "dangerous" crosswalk on the 600 block of West Duarte Road should have been changed long ago. Alice Zhang was a pedestrian hit by a car there, driven by Bowen Du, and was killed. The parents are Ruixia "Nancy" Liang and Yongjian "Richard" Zhang. The crosswalk "has been known to be dangerous for a long time," said attorney David Casselman, who is representing the parents. The city reacted by putting in an experimental crossing signal (flashing yellow lights) that proved insufficient.
The ad (open letter to the Arcadia community) that was paid for by the three members of the Arcadia Unified School District Board of Education who are targeted for recall--Cung Nguyen, lori Phillipi, and Kay Kinsler--was printed in the Pasadena Star News August 11, 2013. Fired Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien and his supporters say the letter was a public relations bid to derail the recall effort. See hard copy of the letter in VF "Arcadia High School." See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1 and 27, August 15, 2013.
Longley Way Elementary School students return to campus after $10.4 million upgrade from Measure I bond. Upgrades include air conditioned cafeteria and classrooms equipped with smart boards, assisted hearing technology and document cameras.
Gene Simmons, frontman and singer of rock group KISS, promises to work magic at Santa Anita Park race track, with ideas for using the track for nightclubs, shopping, lifestyle attractions, concerts, and other events.