Foul weather foils New Year's Day racing at Santa Anita Park--its New Year's Day racing was canceled 5 1/2 hours before first post after a light rain fell through much of Saturday's card and intensified throughout the night and into Sunday morning (January 1).
California Attorney General Rob Bonta allows lawsuit over Arcadia City Council appointment to proceed. HQH Chinese American Equalization Association and Arcadia Voters Rights Group are suing to challenge the appointment of Michael Danielson, representing District 5, which was vacant after the death of Council Member Roger Chandler. Danielson's term expires upon certification of the November 8 election results.
Arcadia City Council poised for historic changes. In a pair of firsts, the Arcadia City Council will have majority of women and three Asian-American members on the dais. New council members are:
District 2--Sharon Kwan
District 3--Eileen Wang
District 5--Dr. Michael Cao
See hard copy in VF City Council (2020-2029)
Arcadia-Monrovia VFW Post 2070 celebrates 90 years of community service. On Saturday, October 2, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2070 Arcadia-Monrovia commemorates nine decades of offering support and services for all veterans especially those in Monrovia, Arcadia and Duarte.
Arcadia faith leaders voice support for peaceful protests. Members of Arcadia Interfaith Action Group--representing the Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faith community--vehemently condemn the "senseless murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer." The group recognizes "that people of color are much more likely to be the victims of such violent treatment by law enforcement personnel."
Breeders' Cup: Derby winner horse named Practical Move dies. Another horse, Geaux Rocket Ride, that was scheduled to run in next weekend's Breeders' Cup classic was seriously injured during a workout at Santa Anita Park.
Arcadia Announces Limited Reopening of City Facilities by Appointment. The City of Arcadia is reopening City Hall to the public for services by appointment only for essential activities in response to the revised Safer at Home Order issued by Los Angeles County on May 13, 2020. These include building permits, inspections, and planning related services. Tennis courts are now open for modified use. All players must abide by posted rules and those who ignore the guidelines will not be allowed to play.
New York's Carnegie Hall hosts young musicians from San Gabriel Valley's Classical European Music Academy Los Angeles (CEMALA). A list of young people who performed include a few from Arcadia--Allen Chen, Andrea Li, Evan Girard-Sun, Farrah Chan, Halley Wang, Ngai Zou, and Sunny Xu.
Arcadia's historic Derby Restaurant may be relocated. A mixed-use project may take the place of The Derby and Embassy Suites at 211 East Huntington Drive - 233 East Huntington Drive. Local historian Sandy Snider expressed concern that the 99 year-old building may end up being razed. George Woolf bought the Derby in 1938, originally named Proctor Tavern when it operated in 1922. Councilman Paul Cheng supports the relocation of The Derby. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 2, August 13, 2020 for "The Derby-what's next?"
Two articles
1. Ramon Vazquez, the jockey on race horse Practical Move, gets edge in Santa Anita Derby.
2. Bob Baffert earns win with race horse Faiza in Santa Anita Oaks race.
Flames continue north to homes. Residents evacuate as Bobcat Fire jumps Highway 2, tops mountain ridge, menaces Antelope Valley. The 50,539-acre fire which once primarily threatened San Gabriel Valley foothill communities after it started on September 6, jumped Highway 2 overnight and continues to spread north, putting Antelope Valley under an evacuation warning. Evacuation warnings were still in place for parts of Monrovia, Arcadia, Duarte, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Pasadena, and Altadena, though evacuation orders in parts of Sierra Madre and Arcadia were lifted Wednesday.
Housing grades given by Southern California News Group. Every city and county in California has state-mandated targets for how much additional housing it needs across a range of affordability levels. Many are failing to meet those targets, especially for lower-income housing. Arcadia has received an overall D grade. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A14, November 28, 2021.
Review by Merrill Shindler - Asian market is authentic. 99 Ranch Market chain has hundreds of good things at its multiple San Gabriel locations, including one in Arcadia. Its mission is to offer authentic Chinese ingredients to underserved Chinese-American communities across America.
Asian-Americans face cultural barriers in health care. Patients and workers say hesitancy for services is rooted in communication. USC Arcadia Hospital uses a handheld device and tablet computer to aid patients in translating the medical services they seek.
A 38-year-old Los Angeles man, accused of setting four arson fires in Arcadia and of carjacking a woman trying to move her car away from one of the fires, is arrested. The first fire was in a rear corridor on the second floor of The Shops at Santa Anita mall, at 400 South Baldwin Avenue at 11:40 A.M. on Friday. The other three fires were in the vicinity of the 900 block of Arcadia Avenue.
Electrical accident blamed for deadly house fire in unincorporated county area near Arcadia that left 3 people dead and 2 others injured. It happened to a two-story home in the 5300 block of Tyler Avenue.
Interview with author Brad Pearson who wrote the book The Eagles of Heart Mountain. He tackles the injustice of Japanese-American incarceration through the exploits of a World War II camp football team. Article mentions many evacuees were detained at Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia before being shipped out.
Chen Suen becomes first Asian American fire chief in Arcadia. He takes over from Barry Spriggs who retired November 8, after 29 years of service. Suen is an Arcadia resident. He emigrated from Taiwan. He graduated from Arcadia High School, and attended Loyola Law School, UC Irvine, and Santa Ana College, before spending the last 18 years with Arcadia Fire Department.