The Wilderness Park, now to be known as the Arcadia Wilderness Preserve, will be open to the general public on weekdays and to non-profit organizations and small groups that have reservations on weekends.
The City Council has temporarily closed Wilderness Park on weekends (at least until September 7) because of overcrowding. About 200-300 visitors use the park each weekend, although it has a capacity for 100 people and 50 parking spaces.
Dylan Shen completes Eagle Scout project in Arcadia Wilderness Park. He restored the historic fire circle there. The Fire Circle was first presented to the City in April 1964.
A Braille Trail has been developed by the Arcadia Junior Women's Club at Wilderness Park. Approximately 25 species of plants and animals will be marked along the trail.
A $600,000 grant from the Azusa-based San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountain Conservancy, plus $200,000 of in-kind amenities provided by the County Department of Parks and Recreation, will help fund a face lift for Peck Road Park at 5401 Peck Road.
"Mother Road"-clear road ahead to make Route 66 a historic trail. A bill that passed the House of Representatives by unanimous vote June 5, could make Route 66 a National Historic Trail, meaning the 2400 mile road that passes through 8 states, could get federal dollars for preservation, promotion and rehabilitation. Part of the road runs through Arcadia.
The Firefighters' Associations of San Marino, San Gabriel and South Pasadena helped to raise $17,000 in scholarship money for the young daughter of Mike Herdman, who died from a fall in the wilderness.
A parkland plan proposes linking 17 miles of trails and natural habitat in an uninterrupted loop running through the heart of the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier area. The two rivers, the "strands" of the necklace, would culminate at Whittier Narrows and be linked at the top by a "clasp"--a trail running through Hanson Quarry. The entrance to Peck Road Water Conservation Park, a former gravel quarry located in Arcadia may be made more inviting under the plan.
More than 11 acres of pristine native oak woodland at the Arcadia/Monrovia border, adjacent to Wilderness Park, are scheduled to be cut down to create a dumping ground for sediment dredge from the Santa Anita Dam, in a Los Angeles County Public Works project. The dam gets cleared out every 20 years or so. About 500,000 cubic yards of dirt and debris clogging the dam will be removed. Glen Owens, a founder of the Big Santa Anita Historical Society and a Monrovia planning commissioner, said the dirt shouldn't be dumped in one of only two native woodlands left in the San Gabriel Valley. Arcadia Councilman Bob Harbicht wants to hold a meeting with the city and county public works officials to clarify plans for the dirt dispersal.
Arcadia veterinarian Sarah Richter euthanized an abused horse found on a trail near the San Gabriel River in Norwalk. The injuries were too serious to treat.
Horseracing TV (HRTV) is the only national television network in the San Gabriel Valley. It is run out of a small studio at Santa Anita Park race track and shows 15 hours per day of live racing content from Santa Anita and 14 other tracks.
Another homeless village set to open in Baldwin Park. 16-unit tiny home complex will house families in need. It's called Serenity Homes, 13167 Garvey Avenue in Baldwin Park. Senator Susan Rubio, D-West Covina, celebrated the opening with elected officials from all over the San Gabriel Valley, including from Arcadia, Azusa, Glendora, La Puente, Monrovia, San Marino, South Pasadena, Temple City and Mount San Antonio College. It is the second tiny homes village opening in Baldwin Park within a year and serves as a model for how cities can expand homeless services.
Santa Anita Park opens the 2010-2011 season with a new $3 million dirt surface on its track. The on-track attendance was 34,268, which was 1,400 less than last year. Trumpeter Jay Cohen calls the horses to the gate (photo).
Santa Anita Park will be hosting the coveted 2012 Breeders' Cup World Championships. The Stronach Group took full control of the race track from MI Developments at the end of June. The two-day event will generate some revenue for the city and bring a lot of exposure to the San Gabriel Valley.