The Monterey Park Planning Commission has approved a massive retail project at Hellman Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard despite objections from Alhambra neighbors. Kam Sang Co., of Arcadia, is the developer.
Public employees' retirement and pensions are costing cities up to 25% of the city budget. In March, CalPERS announced its stock portfolio had lost 39.8%. Costs for retirees are ballooning and El Monte and West Covina budgets have been hit hard from the recession. Arcadia, which had the fourth highest pension costs of the 24 cities surveyed, spent $6.7 million last year for its 357 current employees and retirees. The city's general fund budget is $46 million.
Dick Martinez and John Murphy of the Arcadia Rotary Club are shown in a photo at the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, Japan, with their copy of the Pasadena Star News.
Local city governments in the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier are realizing the future costs of pensions and retirement benefits for their employees. The costs will be enormous and city governments need to save money for their future obligations. Arcadia's retiree medical cost is $375,062 this year and its unfunded health liabilities for current employees and retirees is $10.3 million. Unfunded health liability is the amount that would be needed to pay for all health obligations to current employees if they were to retire today, and for all retirees. Other cities' obligations are shown in a chart.
Robert Seares, born in Pasadena in 1909, had an amazing career as a journalist, photographer, and police official. He was chief of police in Arcadia and remained there for 15 years until retirement. He wrote a memoir called "Eighty Years: a Memoir." A copy is in the Pasadena Museum of History library.
As Assemblyman Tim Leslie sang his Arcadia High School alma mater school song, the State Assembly on June 5th rejected a bill that would bar California public Schools from using Native-American names for their mascots.
Firefighters rescued a 7-year old boy from an upstairs bedroom as fire engulfed the home at 70 W. Las Flores Ave. They were unable to save a man and woman inside the house, who were found dead.
The city Planning Commission approved a plan for a senior citizen condominium complex across the street from the Santa Anita Park race track. It will be 78 units. A 58-year old motel will be demolished.
A 16-year old boy was in custody Saturday after leading Irwindale police on a chase in a stolen car that ended when his vehicle collided with another car, killing its driver, 32-year-old Michael Lam of Monterey Park.
The Arcadia City Council has agreed to create new positions for deputy fire chief and fire division chief in the fire department. The salary range is $93,000-116,000 for the deputy fire chief and $85,000-105,000 for the fire division chief.