Three women were violently robbed in a span of a week in the 99 Ranch Market parking lot at 1300 S. Golden West Avenue. In two of the incidents, a passenger leaned out of a car to grab purses, and in the other incident, two men pushed a woman to the ground, kicked her in the face and stole her purse.
Caltech graduate Tyler Johnson, who had been identified as a suspect in the firebombing and vandalism of more than 130 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) at automobile dealerships in the San Gabriel Valley in 2003, has died in an avalanche while hiking in the Corsian mountains in France on December 26, 2009. Johnson has been a fugitive for the past six years. Surveillance cameras captured Johnson and William ("Billy") Cottrell spray painting environmental slogans on the cars at Rusnak Mercedes Benz in Arcadia in 2003. Cottrell was convicted.
Arcadia ice skater Mirai Nagasu is going to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Friends and family send her off with a party at Arcadia Presbyterian Church. She will skate in the singles competition starting February 23, 2010.
Six candidates are running for three seats on the Arcadia City Council. They are Bob Harbicht, Paul Cheng, Mickey Segal, Peter Amundson, Jason Lee, and Sho Tay. They each answer the questions, "What should be done to improve the city's fiscal situation?" and "How should the city handle the Caruso mall proposal at Santa Anita (Park)?" The election will be in April.
Police are seeking three men who attacked, robbed and carjacked a mother and son in front of their home in the 200 block of West Lemon Avenue. The crime occurred on March 4, before 9:30 PM, as they pulled into their driveway. The suspects got away in the victims' blue 2006 Lexus.
Six candidates vying for three seats on the Arcadia City Council have raised more than $250,000 in campaign contributions. The candidates are Bob Harbicht, Paul Cheng, Mickey Segal, Peter Amundson, Jason J. Lee, and Sho Tay. The amounts raised for each candidate are given. The election will be on April 13, 2010.
Arcadia property owners will be asked to renew a street lighting fee schedule and assessment in June, when funding is set to expire. Officials warned that without an extension of the lighting assessment district, the city would lose about $420,000 a year. Unless the assessment is renewed, the city might have to cut services such as police protection, fire and emergency medical response services, library services, and recreation programs. Arcadia property owners currently pay 40% of street lighting repair and maintenance costs, while the city covers the other 60%. That would remain unchanged in the new assessment district, but the amounts each household pays will be different. Family households in residential neighborhoods will be charged $28.44 a year, while single-family homes along major thoroughfares will pay $16.73 a year.
Honorary degrees were awarded to Japanese-American former Pasadena City College students who had their educations cut short by internment during World War II. Japanese-American "nisei" students at what was then Pasadena Junior College never got the chance to graduate with the Class of 1942. One honorary graduate, Fusae Hamane (died in 1997), born and raised in Pasadena, was told to report to Santa Anita Park race track before being sent to a camp in Gila Bend, AZ. The graduation came 68 years later.
City clerks often earn six figure salaries. Pasadena has the highest paid clerk in the San Gabriel Valley with an annual salary of $143,006, and 10 cities have clerks that make more than $100,000. The City Clerk is responsible for all city records and for orchestrating city elections. Arcadia's city manager Don Penman said the role of city clerk as chief record keeper is essential and the pay is justified because of the level of responsibility the position demands. Arcadia's city clerk is paid $90,870 per year.
The Arcadia County Park swimming pool will be closed for the summer, to be demolished and rebuilt at a later date. The pool is 70 years old and officially known as the Norman S. Johnson Aquatic Center. On July 19, a chlorine spill sent 17 children to the hospital. The repairs would cost $80,000, so the County chose to not reopen the pool for the three weeks left of this summer.
The American Red Cross chapter in Arcadia has laid off 10 of 11 employees, citing a large budget deficit. Chapter officials say all services will continue, with help from staff from the Los Angeles and San Gabriel/Pomona Valley chapters. Most of the laid off staff were trainers who taught first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Federal legislation aimed at bringing more teachers back in the classroom is providing Pasadena-area school districts with more than $12.3 million, according to the California Department of Education's preliminary figures. Many district officials are wary of immediately using the money to hire teachers, saying they will likely have to lay off the teachers next year. The money comes from President Obama's $26 billion Jobs Bill for teachers and other government jobs. A chart shows preliminary allocations to San Gabriel Valley school districts. Arcadia Unified School District is scheduled to receive $1,667,871.
Faithful fans, such as Antonio Reyes, are missing the presence of Oak Tree Racing at Santa Anita Park this year. He says he will watch on television and bet off-track. Oak Tree is running at Hollywood Park in Inglewood starting today and next year too.
Thirty-one finalists have made the cut for the 2011 Royal Court for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. The girls from Arcadia are Jaslyn Elders, Giselle Hillier and Tatyane Berrios. The seven member Royal Court will be announced Monday, October 11, and the Rose Queen will be chosen from the final seven on October 19.
Arcadia police have seen an increase in "distraction burglaries" in recent weeks and advises residents not to open the door to strangers. In this type of crime, the burglar is invited into a home after gaining the trust of the victim. While talking to the victim or using some other ruse to distract the resident, a second person enters and burglarizes the home. This has happened on the 300 block of Joyce Avenue and on the 1400 block of Rodeo Road.
Arcadia city officials will consider changes to its General Plan, a 25-year blueprint for land-use decisions. The new plan aims to revitalize the city's downtown (First Avenue and Huntington Drive) as well as the Live Oak Corridor in the city's southern end. "We're making it easier to develop the downtown and the area around the (future) Gold Line station," said Council Bob Harbicht. If approved, it would allow for mixed-use commercial and residential complexes, commercial square footages could double and the height limit would increase from 40 to 45 feet.
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.
Los Angeles County agrees to a minimum 30-day moratorium on its plan to cut down 11.1 acres of oak and sycamore woodland for a dumping site for debris dredged from the Santa Anita Dam. The site is below Arcadia's Wilderness Park. During this time, opponents to the project will be looking at alternatives and the county will communicate the project's impact to the environmental community.
Four men try to rob an Arcadia couple outside their home near Lovell Avenue and Camino Real Avenue. They are in the jewelry business and just got home after attending a trade show. The couple believe the robbers followed them home. Anyone with information should call Arcadia police detectives.
Spotlight on multi-specialty law firm Vincent W. Davis & Associates, based in Arcadia, with six offices throughout the Los Angeles area. Founder and lead attorney is Vincent W. Davis. His firm represents just ordinary people. 90% of the firm's clientele is blue collar workers.