After more than 12 year of negotiations between Arcadia, Sierra Madre and LA County officials, Orange Grove Avenue will get new pavement, storm drains and sidewalks between Michillinda and Santa Anita Avenues.
26 local schools earn high honors, the 2023 California Distinguished Schools award, including Hugo Reid Elementary, Camino Grove Elementary, Highland Oaks Elementary, Rancho Learning Center, Baldwin Stocker Elementary, Holly Avenue Elementary and Longley Way Elementary School from the Arcadia Unified School District.
Teachers and parents at Camino Grove and Holly Avenue elementary schools are in communication with the Arcadia Board of Education to restore the School Improvement Program.
One boy representing each of the following schools in a group picture: Highland Oarks, Hugo Reid, Camino Grove, Baldwin Stocker, Santa Anita, Longley Way, Bonita Park, Holly Avenue. Each boy is wearing a sports team tee-shirt with school's name and number imprinted. Four boys stand in the back row and four boys kneel in the front.
Longden Avenue in Arcadia has had a lot of street construction over the last three years, including construction of wheelchair ramps, missing sidewalks, palm trees removed, and new 30 inch water main.
All Arcadia Unified School District's elementary schools earn historic acclaim in California's coveted 2023 Distinguished Schools Program. The award winning Arcadia elementary schools are Hugo Reid Elementary, Camino Grove Elementary, Highland Oaks Elementary, alternative learning program Rancho Learning Center, Baldwin Stocker Elementary, Holly Avenue Elementary and Longley Way Elementary School.
Four Holly Avenue Elementary School teachers are moving on. Gary Sego is retiring, Robin Fox is moving to First Avenue Middle School, Heather Madla is moving to Foothills Middle School, and Kristine Iwashita-Morris is going back to Hugo Reid Elementary School.
At a Sierra Madre City Council meeting, Arcadia and Sierra Madre residents spoke against a joint plan by the two cities to widen Orange Grove Avenue to 40 feet.
Approximately 147 students who have attended Hugo Reid will be transferred to Holly Avenue next year if the proposal is passed by the school board. The transfer and boundary change are designed to alleviate over-crowding at Hugo Reid.
Arcadia is sprucing up nicely. Phil Wray, Arcadia City Engineer, says the city has been making improvements to road medians. He is proud to share that, "We just finished our median island re-landscaping project from Michillinda to Baldwin." More drought-tolerant plants were planted on the median. The same re-landscaping will be done for the road median on Baldwin Avenue to Holly Avenue. Future projects include rehabilitation of pavement from Santa Clara Street to Fifth Avenue.
The Hugo Reid Drive closure will have its final determination April 14. At present it is a one-way street as a result of fatal accidents some years back.
A report to the Board of Education indicates that the Elementary Childhood Education (ECE) program has not lived up to its expectations. ECE schools in Arcadia are Camino Grove, Longley Way and Holly Avenue.
Arthur Tucker, former Arcadia school administrator, died September 15 after a long bout with cancer. Tucker served as Principal at Holly Avenue, Highland Oaks and Camino Grove Schools.