Long-time resident J. Lyle Cunningham, Arcadia Citizen of the Year in 1983 and former president of the Arcadia Rotary Club, died on December 15th at Methodist Hospital of natural causes. He was 82. Mr. Cunningham was actively involved in the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, the Arcadia Red Cross, the Church of the Good Shepherd and Arcadians for Arcadia.
Theresa Eskola, 63, head housekeeper at the 87-room Motel 6 across from the Santa Anita Park race track, is the first employee to work 25 years for the hotel chain. Her gifts included $2500 in $100 bills, a limousine ride and the day off. Photo.
The 76 members of the Arcadia Fire Department raised $14,521 for victims of the Bay Area earthquake by giving up one shift of paid vacation time each. The money will be donated to Santa Cruz County through the Arcadia chapter of the American Red Cross.
About 1500 people went to a hearing before the county Commission on School District Organization to discuss the possible transfer of Sierra Madre schools from the Pasadena Unified School District to the Arcadia Unified School District. The hearing is the first step in a long process that involves approval by the state Board of Education and local voters before an area can transfer to another school district.
The Arcadia Unified School District has about 130 new elementary school students this year, prompting district officials to hire 4 new teachers, combine classes and add portable classrooms.
The Arcadia City Council approved a 5% tax on interstate and international telephone calls over the strong objections of residents. The tax, which will cost about $.40 per person per month, is expected to generate $225,000 in city revenues, which will help close the gap between the city's general fund expenditures and revenue.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency won a $495,000 settlement for removing toxic waste from 1.6 acres of downtown Arcadia land it bought from Clifford C. Bong and Co. last year. The agency sued Bong in April of 1988 to recover the money it spent to dispose of soil contaminated with high levels of lead, cadmium and hydrocarbon wastes. The agreement was reached two days before the June 27 trial was to begin.
Russell J. Ribb, former superintendent for the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District, has been named to serve as Arcadia's interim school superintendent. Elaine Boyce of the School Service of California, a Sacramento-based consulting firm, has been hired to recruit a new superintendent.
An application for state funds to make $8.5 million worth of repairs in 6 Arcadia schools is moving ahead. Funds for the repairs, from the Leroy F. Greene State School Building Lease-Purchase Program, a bond measure, have been exhausted. However, another bond issue, coming up in the June 1990 election, is expected to pass and provide money to continue the program.
Dr. Stephen Goldstone, Arcadia Unified School District Superintendent, is leaving his post here for a similar position in Chino. He says it is an advancement for him since Chino has about 23,000 students, compared to Arcadia's 7500.
The Arcadia City Council unanimously supports a 5% utility tax on interstate and international telephone calls. The proposed tax will cost about $.40 per person per month.
Two recent Arcadia High School graduates, Maret Bower and Peter Sawires, each won $1500 in an essay contest held by the Azusa Landfill Reclamation Company. The purpose of the contest was to think of ways to maintain a suitable environment in the San Gabriel Valley.
An international businessman was abducted from his Arcadia home and later released the same evening after his abductors demanded he pay them $1 million. He was told that he would be contacted the next day with instructions about where to put the money, but no money has been paid. This is the first kidnapping of this type in Arcadia, although there have been four other kidnappings in the San Gabriel Valley since last October.
About 40 members of the Arcadia Chinese Association protested in front of the Chinese Consulate General offices, condemning the Chinese government for killing unarmed students in Beijing.
The Chinese School in Arcadia, with about 85 children, is geared to teaching Chinese children about their cultural heritage, music history, language, customs and traditions. See hard copy in VF "Schools - Private."