A 2-year-old legal battle between the city of Arcadia and Taboo Gentlemen's Club, a strip club, will most likely result in the club being closed or sold off by April, 2009. The federal court case started when the city revoked Taboo Gentlemen's Club's business license for breaking the city's adult business codes. The club's owners Bill Badi Gammoh and Chawkat Jajieh sued in response, claiming city and police had obstructed business and violated their civil rights. The city's adult business ordinance prohibits lap dances, sexual contact, private dance booths and direct tipping. It requires licensed dancers to perform on an elevated stage.
25-year-old entrepreneurs Dustin Nicolarsen and Michael Thomas co-own The Derby, the historic Arcadia steakhouse. The two give back to their community by hosting a fundraiser to benefit their high school.
A $30 million plan to provide standardized breathing equipment for every fire department in Los Angeles County has been suspended after a lawsuit alleged the contract process was mishandled and firefighters complained about the quality of the equipment. Arcadia-based Allstar Fire Equipment is suing the city and county of Los Angeles, contending the contract process was improperly handled in a manner that ignored firefighter input and unfairly favored the winning bidder, L.N. Curtis and sons.
A 30-year old man was shot in an apparent robbery in the parking lot of 99 Ranch Market on Wednesday, April 13, 2005. He was pronounced dead at Huntington Memorial Hospital. The suspect got away.
Amanda Mosher, a Pasadena area native and Arcadia business owner, recently won the 2005 Los Angeles Music Award for female singer/songwriter of the year. She is also the co-owner of Sugar Glider Studios in Arcadia.
Arcadia-based J. Foley Enterprises, owner of Clearman's Village shopping center at Huntington Drive and Rosemead Boulevard, has proposed building a Kohl's Department Store and refurbishing the Galley Restaurant (The Boat). Residents have complained to the County Planning Commission about the potential blocked view of the San Gabriel Mountains and increased traffic.
Arcadia City Council adjusts an ordinance pertaining to massage therapists. The ordinance originally required 500 hours of training for a massage therapist to have a license in the city. The council decided to let currently employed therapists substitute on the job hours for any shortage in training under 500 hours. The Council also dropped a requirement for windows in rooms where therapy is provided and decided therapists will not be required to wear white. The therapist will be required to have an identification card in his/her possession but will not be required to display it.
Arcadia City Council has adopted an ordinance officially awarding a cable television franchise for the city to Altrio Communications. Adelphia was the last cable provider.
Arcadia City Council members voted to place a 45-day moratorium on all new license applications for businesses that supply massages as a secondary service such as spas, acupuncturists and chiropractors. Arcadia will also stop issuing new licenses to massage therapists. Arcadia is overwhelmed by the surge in license applications and concerned about the possibility of prostitution. The ban could be extended for up to one year.
Arcadia City Council rejected objections filed by Los Angeles County and declared a redevelopment district for South Arcadia. The district, which covers business properties along Las Tunas and Live Oak, will be operated as a non-contiguous part of the Arcadia downtown redevelopment district. The City Council declared the area does suffer from both economic and physical blight, and hope to spend $12 million to upgrade the district.
Arcadia police are calling this past holiday season quiet in terms of criminal activity. The one crime of note was the bank robbery of Citizen's Business Bank on First Avenue on December 31, 2001.
Arcadia resident Maggie Campbell, 45, is featured as a business leader. She is President and CEO of the Old Pasadena Management District, working to keep Old Pasadena a vibrant town.
Arcadia resident Olivia Wong, 19, is a college student on a paid internship at College Works Painting. She will learn to run all aspects of a small business.