The Arcadia City Council has rejected the Asian Pacific American Legal Center's request that the city revoke a rule limiting the amount of space foreign languages can occupy on business signs. Councilman Robert Harbicht noted that the ordinance has been on the books for several years and the city has not received a single complaint about it.
The Arcadia City Council will review a study of a possible ordinance pertaining to commercial signs in foreign languages at its July 2 meeting. It has been suggested that foreign language signs be translated into English.
A proposed ordinance regulating foreign languages and English on business signs in Arcadia will not only require that English be included-it also will require English cover the largest part of the sign.
Many of the local Chinese community, including members of the Arcadia Chinese Association, said they support the city council's decision to keep an ordinance requiring 2/3 of any business sign to be written in Roman letters.
Updated homeless ordinance in Arcadia raises more questions than answers. Arcadia installs 65 "No Camping" signs within city limits. The anti-camping ordinance, updated in 2021, makes accommodations for people experiencing homelessness that are camping by necessity, but does so in a way that is consistent with case law and includes restrictions on where, when and in what manner camping is allowed on public property.
A report by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center found that Asian Americans in Southern California lag behind the general population in voter turnout. The report also provides city-specific electorate and turnout numbers. Asian American voters in Alhambra, Arcadia, and Rosemead made up roughly one-third of the electorate.
A proposed ordinance to control open parties calls for a permit to be secured from the Chief of Police at least three days in advance. It aims to control groups of 50 or more. Wedding receptions would be exempt.
The Library Board approved a budget of $5000 to purchase more Asian reading materials. Rose Hwang, the librarian in charge of the Asian language collection said the money will buy at least 600 new books.
For the fifth straight year, more than two dozen local lawyers and judges will provide pro-bono consultation for the public on Saturday, May 3 in observance of Law Day. The free legal clinic will be at the Arcadia Public Library.
Asians make up more than 47% of the city's total population of 53,421. The largest group is Chinese-American. John Wuo discusses what makes Arcadia such an attractive city for Asians.
Medical hub marks rebirth, rebrand at USC Arcadia Hospital. In July the 119-year-old Methodist Hospital of Southern California officially became USC Arcadia Hospital. It's a new era for the 348-bed hospital on Huntington Drive. The "new hospital" will build on the history of Methodist, which operated in Arcadia for more than 50 years, and grow into a "one-stop."
Arcadia is going to have to pay more money to fight a continuing legal challenge to its ordinance forbidding two-story newsracks commonly used by purveyors of sexually-oriented publications.
More than a mascot. Schools: When a Native American group urged Arcadia High to stop using the Apache as a symbol, officials made it an educational issue to be studied--and decided by--the Student Council. Members of the Arcadia High School Student Council are scheduled today to recommend whether to keep their school mascot, the Apache warrior which has been used for 45 years.
Arcadia city council will vote on an ordinance prohibiting loitering by members of street gangs. The ordinance defines a "criminal street gang" as three or more people with a primary activity to commit offenses, such as murder, assault, robbery, or drug-related crimes. There are eight active Asian gangs within the city.
More than 100 people showed up at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse to offer their visions of how new legislative district maps ought to take shape--in a region critics say has become the most gerrymandered in the state. Eugene Lee, an Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) representative, said it is important for members of the public to participate in redistricting, describing historically low voter participation levels among Asian-Americans in the west valley. Lee said the community he works with are hoping to keep Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Arcadia, San Marino and Temple City together; in the east, the community of interest includes Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, Walnut and Diamond Bar. The voter-approved California Citizens Redistricting Commission is working on an August 15 deadline to submit final maps of new congressional, state Senate and Assembly districts, based on Census data and public input hearing.
Registered sex offender John Anderson, a 50-year old whose last known address was in Pomona, could be responsible for at least 80 burglaries in Arcadia over the past seven years. A picture of the suspect is included.
Eight Arcadia High School students stood in front of the city police station waving signs at motorists to protest Arcadia's teen curfew after one of them was stopped for roller skating on the street at night. The curfew ordinance has been in effect for more than 20 years and prohibits people under the age of 18 from loitering on streets and in public places between 10 PM and sunrise.