Overall homeless numbers remain steady. A count has identified how many individuals are homeless in a city-by-city count. 4555 in all, in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys, remained about the same as last year's count. Arcadia has 106, up from 77 last year.
The 2024 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court has a Halloween moment. They spent the evening trick-or-treating at the Tournament House in Pasadena. Naomi Stillitano of Arcadia, who was crowned the Rose Queen last week, was dressed as Cupid from the movie "Valentine's Day."
Housing grades for Los Angeles County jurisdictions. Every city and county in California is required to plan for adequate housing across income levels. This is Southern California News Group's fourth housing permit report card. Arcadia has received an overall D grade, same as last year.
High school baseball rankings. Arcadia High School is ranked 4th. Last season the Apaches were one of the area's best teams, finishing 22-5 and winning the Pacific League with a perfect 14-0 record. Advanced to the second round of the Division 1 playoffs, losing to Harvard Westlake.
Judge rejects Bob Baffert's stay, delays suspension to April 4. Kentucky Horse Racing Commission suspended trainer Bob Baffert for questions surrounding dead race horse Medina Spirit having the corticosteroid betamethasone in his system when he won the Kentucky Derby last year. Medina Spirit has been stripped of that title.
Diners line up to get last meal at Rod's Grill in Arcadia. Restaurant that has served generations of people closes on Sunday (yesterday). Hundreds of diners made a final pilgrimage to Rod's Grill in Arcadia at 41 W. Huntington Drive, along Historic Route 66. Rod Wellman started the restaurant in 1946 in Alhambra. The Arcadia location opened in 1957 offering 10 cent coffees and 40 cent slices of pie a la mode. Wellman's sons Barry and Brian took over years later, then Manny Romero bought it about 25 years ago and kept its vintage vibe. Romero was an immigrant from Mexico. He died in 2021. Television shows such as This is Us, Mad Men, Last Man Standing, and Luck, had filmed episodes there. See hard copy in VF. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A3, A4, February 9, 2023.
Decorated vet to celebrate 100th birthday. U.S. Air Force vetean Edward Lopez was a fighter pilot in both World War II and the Korean War. Born in Los Angeles and living in Arcadia for more than 50 years, he is one of the last living members of the Air Force's 365th Fighter-Bomber Group known as The Hell Hawks, a reserve fighter squadron in the U.S. Marine Corps. See hard copy in VF People.
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.
WeChat ban may jolt lives of many. Chinese-Americans use apps for communication, delivery services, payments, appointments, news. In an executive order last week, President Donald Trump announced a ban on Chinese social media apps Tik Tok and WeChat. WeChat is heavily used by Chinese in Arcadia, Alhambra, San Gabriel. WeChat is an unofficial channel of the City of Arcadia. WeChat is the backbone of Chinese social organizing, from business to political movements.
Two more horses die after injuries at Santa Anita Park. Jockey Joe Bravo was hospitalized after a tumble on horse Decorated My Life. Decorated My Life and Merit Song are the names of the horses euthanized. Six animals in all have been euthanized this year at the racetrack where twelve died last year. Santa Anita Park officials have said they've made major improvements in horse safety after 2019, when forty-two horses died at the track.
Bob Baffer, horse trainer, is denied stay of suspension by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. He has been suspended for 90 days, effective March 8 through June 5, and was fined $7,500. He was trainer of Medina Spirit, a horse that is now deceased but tested positive for the steroid betamethasone following the Kentucky Derby last May 1. Medina Spirit was stripped of the Kentucky Derby crown and collapsed and died on December 6, 2021 of a heart attack after a trianing run at Santa Anita Park.
Horse racing regulations lead to fewer equine deaths. Fatalities in California have been cut in half in 2 years and plummeted to the lowest levels since 1990 as a result of reforms implemented after dozens of death at Santa Anita Park in 2019. The reforms in the last two years include strict limitations on use of whips by jockey, a prohibition on most medications before races, installation of new imaging technologies to catch injuries sooner, more opportunities for veterinarians and stewards to sideline horses and a mandatory requirement for trainers to participate in the postmortem.
Back on track. Santa Anita Park resumes racing today, still minus spectators and with several precautions. The last time there was racing was March 27, when the track was shut down by Los Angeles County Health Department to slow the spread of coronavirus. Some of the most important protocols include: restricted zone that will house jockeys, valets and essential personnel, all trainers, employees and essential racing personnel must wear face cloths covering their nose and mouth and practice social distancing, all trainers, employees and essential racing personnel must wear a race-day wristband signifying they passed the daily health screening.
Santa Anita Park will stay closed; Derby to be rescheduled. Santa Anita Park will remain closed for live racing, at least through the upcoming weekend, as a result of last week's order by the Los Angeles County Health Department in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More than 1700 horses are stabled at Santa Anita Park and are cared for by more than 750 people who live and work at the track. A track press release said, "We will continue to work with county officials and health authorities to familiarize them with the protocols already in place and our plans to protect the health and safety of the community who works with the horses and calls Santa Anita home."
Stuck in the backstretch. At Santa Anita Park racetrack, coronavirus cuts off horse caretakers from the outside world More than 750 backstretch workers at Santa Anita Park now live and work in isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They sleep in worn dormitories, sometimes in pairs, tucked among the barns. New restrictions bar visitors. There is a sense of anxiety in the community about the novel Coronavirus and the future of their jobs. No cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus have been reported at Santa Anita Park, which ceased racing last month, but there isn't any proactive testing either. The worries have to do with the track being shut down, or trainers moving to other states and these workers having nowhere to work or stay. If they lose their jobs, they lose their medical benefits and will be struggling.
L.A. COUNTY - 4 schools granted waivers to reopen - Classes are allowed for the youngest students at private campuses. Four private schools in Los Angeles County can start welcoming students in transitional kindergarten through the second grade back to campus.
The list, made public Wednesday, marks the first time area schools have been given the go-ahead to reopen for their youngest students under a waiver program the county approved late last month.
The schools that have been granted the waivers are Holy Angels School in Arcadia, Kadima Day School in West Hills, Los Encinos School in Encino and Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Ann in Los Angeles.
The county is only granting up to 30 waivers per week, with priority given to schools that serve more low-income students. The waivers are to be distributed equally between the five districts in the county.