Dr. Charles H. Strub brought horse racing back to Arcadia. After the state made it legal again in 1930, Anita Baldwin tried to revive her father, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's dream of a Santa Anita Racetrack. She worked with Joe Smoot but he couldn't achieve this, even though Arcadia City Council licensed his Santa Anita Jockey Club. San Francisco dentist Charles H. Strub (pronounced Stroob), owner of the San Francisco Seals baseball team, got a license for the Los Angeles Turf Club and founded Santa Anita Park with Hal Roach and other promoters. The track was designed by Gordon Kaufman and opened December 25, 1934.
Arcadia Chamber of Commerce takes Bank of America, Ralphs Grocery Co., Albertsons and Washington Mutual to task for not joining the Chamber of Commerce.
Arcadia City Council has approved a 10% increase in the amount of city funds allocated to the Chamber of Commerce. The total will be $55,000 this year. The Chamber also receives subsidized rental in a city-owned building.
Arcadia City Council has approved $55,000 to the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce for services such as providing information on the city to brokers, real estate agents, merchants, business people, new residents, and the general public. The Chamber prepares a monthly community calendar, a business hotline, a newsletter, an annual Civic Directory, a bi-annual map and a business directory. The city also lets the Chamber use the building they're in for no charge.
Beth Costanza, Executive director of the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, has received positive feedback from chamber members after she published a piece called "Arcadia's meanest spirited businesses," in which she took to task such companies as Washington Mutual, Bank of America, Ralphs and Sav-On.