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.
Veterans group and Arcadia Mayor April Verlato celebrate World War II veteran Jack McEwan's 100th birthday. He was a pilot on a B-17 bomber from 1942-1943.
Arcadia Public Library hosts workshop for freelancers building values-focused business on Thursday, January 30, with speaker Jackie Lam, an Los Angeles-based content marketer and freelance writer.
Arcadia Police Department S.W.A.T. Team busted a marijuana cultivation operation in the 300 block of Walnut Avenue. Three suspects, Xiaoshen Zhang, Te Zhang and Peng Song were arrested. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 3, 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.
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.
Locally oned Chick-Fil-A to open in Westfield Santa Anita today. Restaurant will employ upwards of 50 team members. The owner of this franchise location at Westfield Santa Anita mall, in the food court, is Zach Zimmerman. He was born in Mission Viejo and graduated with a business economics degree with a minor in education from University of California Irvine.
Arcadia's Senior Economic Development Analyst Tim Schwehr to discuss growth in the city at Arcadia Community Coordinating Council on February 3 at Church of the Good Shepherd, 400 West Duarte Road.
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.
University of Southern California (USC) student Xiaoke Ying, a sophomore from Arcadia, will compete in the television game show Jeopardy! College Championship on April 6, 2020 for a $100,000 grand prize.
Gusty Santa Ana winds wreak havoc to local business and residents in Arcadia. The patio outside the restaurant Matt Denny's Ale House was destroyed by the heavy winds.
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.
Arcadia Unified School District has a Latino Literacy middle school program. Nearly seven years ago, the Latino Literacy program started at the elementary school level by Alejandra Worozaken, Catherine Merel and Andrea Mendoza. Then four years ago, the program expanded to the middle school level and Perlita Guzman has been working hard since then to get Latino families to meet weekly for six weeks. All families have the opportunity to learn from various speakers and specialists about topics such as college admissions, high school, trending topics about today's youth, and life experiences in general.
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.
Arcadia adopts comprehensive pension management plan, saving $85 million. It addresses the City's $154 million in unfunded pension liabilities. It focuses on:
-use of reserves to prepay existing liabilities
-refinancing existing debt to lower interest rates to free up cash flow
-prepaying costs with surplus funds from voter-approved Measure A sales tax increase
-financing long-term capital improvements
-using pension obligation bonds to lower the overall costs of pensions
-negotiating for more employee cost-sharing.
See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 3, February 27, 2020
Elections in Arcadia: what you need to know. The election for Arcadia City Council members in District 1 and District 4 is on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. It is a mail-in ballot, which can be dropped off no later than 8:00 PM on Election Day. In District 1, incumbent April Verlato is seeking re-election and is being challenged by businesswoman Yuli Sira, a real estate agent and partner in a local engineering company. In District 4, incumbent Peter Amundson seeks re-election and his challenger is Paul Cheng, an attorney
City of Arcadia receives over $1.5 million in annual revenue from Santa Anita Park, according to a report from Keyser Marston Associates, which was commissioned for the city's Economic Development Division. Over the next five years, the racetrack is estimated to generate $7.5 million in sales tax, pari-mutuel revenue and property tax. According to the report submitted in the fourth quarter of 2019, Santa Anita Park is responsible for 1,160 jobs annually.
The Marching bands in the 2021 Tournament of Roses Parade have been announced. Arcadia High School's Apache Marching Band and Color Guard will participate in the 2021 Rose Parade. See also Mountain Views News, p. 3, March 7, 2020.