Photograph of Mayor Don Pellegrino, Fire Chief Jerry Gardner, Arcadia Police Department Capt. Gordon Schneiders going over plans of new emergency dispatch and 9-1-1 communications center during groundbreaking ceremonies held last week.
City Council has approved a new project called Postal Alert. It provides for special stickers to be placed in mail boxes. When the mail carrier notices signs of trouble such as uncollected mail, he notifies his supervisor who directs a follow up. After October 1, participants may obtain a registration card and instructions from Arcadia post offices or the Senior Citizens office.
Arcadia stresses emergency preparedness ACTION. ACTION stands for Arcadians Caring Together Improves Our Neighborhoods. The purpose of the Emergency Preparedness Program is to prepare and respond effectively to major emergencies by establishing and maintaining an emergency management system which coordinates preparedness, response and recovery phases for natural and technological disasters and national security emergencies.
As the United States goes to war with Iraq and the threat of retaliatory terrorist attacks raised the national threat level to High Risk Orange, the cities of Monrovia and Arcadia are prepared for the worst. City officials are talking about emergency response. The city has developed the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), where representatives from all city departments can gather to organize and respond to any emergency.
Twin brothers Steve and Scott Carwile bring their family mattress-making business to Arcadia. The company is called Vivetique Sleep Systems and their products are all natural with no polyester or synthetics.
Don Alcorn, a 20-year veteran of the Arcadia Police Department, has been named to the new post of Emergency Services Coordinator by the Arcadia City Council. Alcorn's job is to prepare an emergency plan that will cover any aspect of any possible disaster, from earthquake to fire to nuclear disaster.
How can you help the Arcadia Educational Foundation? The Arcadia Educational Foundation (AEF) is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1981 in response to substantially reduced federal and state funding for California public schools, administered by parent and community member trustees, to raise funds for Arcadia Unified School District. AEF runs the annual summer school program, offers $25000 in teacher grants each year, funds district-wide phone and text communication system, and has also funded teacher positions due to state-wide budget cuts.
Fundraising efforts (primarily via direct mail solicitation) by the Arcadia Educational Foundation have yielded $45,000 to be used for a new science lab at Arcadia High School and $20,000 to buy mini-computers for Arcadia grade school students.
The cities of Arcadia and Monrovia jointly purchased the Opto-MARK voting system for $12,000. The system replaces the Data Hole Punch Card and will be used on alternating years by each city.
Significant changes to Arcadia Transit System include ending the dial-a-ride service and switching to fixed route system. The dial-a-ride program will remain in service to seniors and the disabled.
Baldwin Realty's property management division is developing a Web page and e-mail system to allow instant communication with the homeowners associations it represents.
Thanks to new technology at the Arcadia Public Library, individuals who are blind or visually impaired can be well read. The Reading Edge scans printed text, converts it into synthesized speech and then reads it aloud. Photo.