Horse euthanized two days before new season starts at Santa Anita Park. Truest Reward, a 3-year-old gelding died during a period when the track was closed to workouts but open for jogging and galloping. The horse broke its left front leg on the training track, which is considered the safest surface. This is the 38th horse to die at the track since December 2018.
Third horse in three days dies at Santa Anita Park, while animal rights activists continue to push for a nationwide ban on racing. The race horses were named Tikkun Olam, Uncontainable, and Harliss. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) was given authority, in legislation backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, to suspend racing. Officials at Santa Anita Park released a statement reaffirming their commitment to horse safety. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, January 23, 2020.
Arcadia kicks off 2020 City Council election. Final candidates in District 1 are Mayor April Verlato running for reelection and newcomer Yuli J. Sira. Verlato is currently on the last year of her first term on city council and she as elected mayor her last year. She is an attorney with Verlato and Roberts law firm in Arcadia. She is a native of Arcadia, with a long list of endorsements, including former mayors of Arcadia. Sira is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker. District 4 has two candidates--longstanding council member and former mayor Peter Amundson and newcomer Paul Cheng. Amundson has completed three terms on City Council and served twice as mayor. He is an Arcadia native, with a long list of endorsements. Paul P. Cheng is a highly publicized attorney specializing in business operations and commercial realty transactions. He previously ran for Arcadia City Council in 2010. Also up for reelection is City Clerk Gene Glasco. He is running unopposed.
Holly Avenue Elementary School named as a 2020 California Distinguished School for the second time in three years by the California Department of Education.
Arcadia Methodist Hospital workers vote to unionize. The nearly 700 technical employees, nursing assistants and other workers have voted to join the Caregiver Healthcare Employees Union (CHEU). The CHEU is a sister union to California Nurses Association. The employees want to win strong union representation, better benefits and improved conditions for employees and patients.
City of Arcadia employee Tim Schwehr, Senior Economic Development Analyst, will talk to Arcadia Community Coordinating Council on February 3, 2020 about what's happening in Arcadia. In his role, he oversess efforts to attract new business and development, fosters economic growth and acts as liaison to the business community. Includes some biographical information.
Arcadia City Council elections to be held on Tuesday April 14, 2020. This will not be a district-wide election. Only registered voters in Districts 1 and 4 will receive a vote-by-mail ballot beginning March 16, 2020. Completed ballots must be postmarked by April 14, 2020. The candidates are District 1: April Verlato and Yuli Sira and in District 4: Paul Cheng and Peter Amundson.
Ed Andersen of Arcadia Historical Society will present a program about Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin to the Arcadia Community Coordinating Council on March 2, 2020.
Thoroughbred horse owner George Sharp has filed a lawsuit against Santa Anita Park saying his horse League of Shadows would have won race if veterinarin had not removed it. Sharp wants at least $90,000 in damages--the winner's share of the $150,000 purse because he believes his horse was likely to win. Sharp alleges the racetrack's owner Stronach Group has created a "culture of hysteria in the horse community by implementing ad-hoc and ever changing rules" in response to more than 40 equine deaths since December 2018.
Bradbury man Steve Chen, CEO of U.S. Fine Investment Arts, Inc. Gem Coin, and other companies, allegedly conspired to commit fraud with his Arcadia-based marketing company, to plead guilty. He promised potential investors gemstones from their mines along with valuable digital currency. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 4, February 27, 2020.
Santa Anita Park: no crimes in horse deaths report says. California Horse Racing Board's yearlong investigation into deaths of 23 horses at Santa Anita Park has determined there were no violations of animal welfare laws and no evidence of illegal medications, but exams possibly were compromised by anti-inflammatory medications. All but two of the horses that died between December 30, 2018 and March 31, 2019 appeared to have preexisting injuries caused by high-intensity racing and training. Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. said the report makes it clear that transparency is needed in the sport. She has called for the passage of the Horseracing Integrity Act, a bill that would establish a national anti-doping authority for the country.
Le Meridien hotel by Marriott in Arcadia is taking shape. Photo. The site of the former Santa Anita Inn, now razed, is the site for an ambitious new $300 million hotel and mixed-use condominium project opposite the Santa Anita Park racetrack. Contruction has been swift, but delayed a bit this week due to the rain. Developer Chateau Group USA held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the project on June 27, 2018.
Sounds of silence. Santa Anita Park like an old west ghost town as horses race without fans. No fans in attendance at the races yesterday due to the coronavirus COVID-19. Only media, owners, trainers, and essential personnel were in attendance. By Art Wilson.
Malls taking different paths with operations. San Gabriel Valley: some in the region are bucking trend and staying open, with reduced hours during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Westfield Santa Anita (in photo) is mostly empty, with only a few stores and food places open in Arcadia. While malls in many parts of Southern California have temporarily closed because of the possible spread of the novel coronavirus, Westfield in Arcadia, the Shops at Montebello, and Plaza West Covina have remained open, but with reduced hours.
Public health: staying safe in a pandemic. Experts weigh in on the practicalities of daily life during the coronavirus outbreak. The message from state officials is clear: stay home, only leave for essentials and keep 6 feet from others to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Arcadia High School student Stanley Liu, in photo, entered and earned second place at the annual Los Angeles County Science Fair, which staged its competition online this year due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Liu's project was a microfluidic device capable of pinpointing biomarkers associated with disease in human blood plasma. He will be a finalist for the International Science and Engineering Fair.