Pasadena Tournament of Roses announces 2024 Rose Queen Naomi Stillitano, a senior from Arcadia High School. She is the 105th Rose Queen, lives in Arcadia, is co-president of Italian Culture Club, a dancer and actress with the Arcadia Stage Theater. Born and raised in Italy for 7 years, with goal to create her own fashion brand, interested in studying fashion design. The Rose Queen and the Rose Court act as ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community, and the greater Los Angeles area. Each Royal Court member receives a $7500 educational scholarship.
28 finalists selected for the 2024 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court. Winners will be named Monday, October 2, with crowning of the queen slated for October 27. It will be the 135th annual Rose Parade. The finalists from Arcadia are Niyat Haregot, Naomi Stillitano, Shivani Wadhwa, and Danielle Workman. (Photo).
An episode of cable television channel AMC's show "Mad Men," that was filmed on location at Rod's Grill on Huntington Drive in Arcadia, last October, was shown this past week on the network. The episode is called "Far Away Places" and stars Jon Hamm as Don Draper, and Jessica Pare, as his wife. In this period drama, they are supposedly at a Howard Johnson's motor lodge (motel and restaurant).
Santa Anita Racetrack back in the day. A stroll down memory lane courtesy of Arcadia Historical Society and Arcadia's Best. Photo shown of Clara Baldwin Stocker and her friends at her father's Santa Anita Racetrack in 1907. Clara Baldwin Stocker had a house on Foothill Boulevard and an establishment called "Clara Villa."
Non-profit group Free Animal Doctor seeks to build a full service non-profit veterinary clinic at Santa Anita Park racetrack through donations and crowdfunding. The website is FreeAnimalDoctor.org.
Obituary/death notice. Services set for Robert Young, the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association President on September 5 and September 6. He died July 17.
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.
Dance instructor Ricky Sun and Evoke Dance Group, and amateur dancers ranging in age from 5 to 75, formed the first ever "Flash mob" of 100 dancers to appear at historic Santa Anita Park race track. They broke out in a choreographed routine to publicize Relay For Life. The flash mob was organized by the Chamber of Commerce.
Vehicle pursuit and residential burglary arrests of Kevin Pollard, 24, and Brian Bradley, 23, both of Pasadena, on April 6, 2016 in the 1000 block of Singingwood Drive.
Arcadia Host Town Committee met with the Trinidad-Tobago Head of Delegation Candy Berman-Harper and Trinidad policeman and fireman Ferdinand Bibby. Arcadia is one host town for the upcoming Special Olympics, which run July 25-August 2. There will be 100 Special Olympians, coaches, and mentors from Trinidad-Tobago and Kyrgyz Republic staying in Arcadia and enjoying meals, programs, and tours around town. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 16, March 12, 2015.
Hale Corporation to break ground August 13 on medical building in Arcadia. It will be a four-story office building, built as a joint-venture partnership with The Stronach Group. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A3, August 20, 2013 and Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, August 15, 2013.
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.
Update on Jay Cohen and other Santa Anita news. Joan Schmidt writes that former beloved Santa Anita Park trumpeter Jay Cohen has Bell’s Palsy, which has caused paralysis of the right side of his face. Jay was born in Camden, NJ. Includes other biographical information. Jockey Ruben Fuentes was voted “Jockey of the Week” by Jockeys’ Guild Foundation Detox. Happy 98th birthday to Santa Anita Park worker John Shear, who still has no intention of retiring.
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.
Foothill Gold Line construction update. The Gold Line light rail from Pasadena to Azusa has now surpassed 85% complete. Overview of bridge construction, track completion, grade crossings, and train testing. Substantial completion of entire project remains on schedule for late September 2015, when the project as a whole will be turned over to Metro for pre-revenue service. Metro will decide when the line will open for passenger service.
City of Arcadia Development Services Department launches Arcadia EDGE, an online customer service portal that provides permit assistance and access to tools and information relating to development and permitting. It stands for Electronic Development Gateway. Arcadia EDGE features the ability to schedule a building inspection for an active building permit, view building inspection schedules, look up permit history on a specific address, report a code violation, apply for a business license, and more.