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.
A 38-year-old Los Angeles man, accused of setting four arson fires in Arcadia and of carjacking a woman trying to move her car away from one of the fires, is arrested. The first fire was in a rear corridor on the second floor of The Shops at Santa Anita mall, at 400 South Baldwin Avenue at 11:40 A.M. on Friday. The other three fires were in the vicinity of the 900 block of Arcadia Avenue.
56-year-old Arcadia resident Dragica Grabovac has opened a European-style restaurant that offers a touch of Croatia. It is called Cafe LuMar at 136 E. Colorado Boulevard in Monrovia.
69-year-old Arcadia resident David Tran is the owner of Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha hot sauce. Huy Fong Foods should be operational in a new $50 million, 650,000 s.f. factory in Irwindale, by September. The factory is moving from Rosemead.
The 134 - employee Dowty Avionics has been purchased by West Los Angeles based Whittaker Electronics and will close up shop this month when it is consolidated with Whittaker's Simi Valley division. It was formerly known as Resdel Engineering from 1958 - 1989.
626 Night Market, an Asia-inspired market event returns for its ninth season at Santa Anita Park Friday through Sunday, with a phased reopening and reduced capacity. Admission is $5 plus fees.
The 626 Night Market is the brainchild of 3 Taiwanese-Americans who were heavily inspired by their experiences at night markets in Taiwan. The 626 Night Market will continue at Santa Anita Park next summer.
626 Night Market spawns copycats. The concept of a Taiwanese style foodie bazaar that has been held at Santa Anita Park, has spread to Orange County, Koreatown in Los Angeles, Monterey Park, and Studio City.
The 2001 murder of grocer Adel Karas, a 48-year old Egyptian man from Arcadia, a few days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, was initially thought to have been a hate crime. He was shot at his store International Market at 1381 E. Last Tunas in San Gabriel. Now police suspect Adel Karas was the victim of extortion. The suspects are two Latinos in their mid-20s.
Adam Chu is an entrepreneur opening a seafood grill restaurant in Monrovia on April 17, at 123 East Colorado Boulevard. It will be called Big Shrimps Fish Grill. His goal is to keep menu items reasonably priced because he is also the supplier. he imports seafood under the company he founded called Five Star Seafoods. Chu moved the operations of Five Star from Arcadia to the second floor of the new building that will house his restaurant.
Aerial view east on Huntington Drive toward Arcadia from a position just west of Rosemead Boulevard. El Rancho Shopping Center and May Company Department Store can be seen as the business complex on the north side of Huntington Drive one block east of Rosemead Boulevard. Santa Anita Park Race Track can be seen on the left in upper portion of photo.
Aerial view looking down on Fashion Park from a position over intersection of Baldwin & Huntington Drive. Looking N toward Santa Anita Race Track grandstand during racing season (all of the cars parked on light-surfaced parking area are attending races.)
Aerial view looking towards San Gabriel Mountains showing intersection of Baldwin Avenue and Huntington Drive, the Santa Anita Park and training track where Santa Anita Fashion Park (currently known as Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall) was built.
Aerial view toward north from a position south of Huntington Drive near intersection with Baldwin Avenue. It shows Santa Anita Fashion Park (currently known as Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall) developed by and on property owned by Santa Anita Consolidated. The Santa Anita Park Race Track and club house can be seen in center of photo. The straight white line about one inch above the club house roof is 210 Foothill Freeway. Chantry Flats road can be seen going up into San Gabriel Mountains in distance.
Affordability: looming issue for local housing market. Increase in interest rates and tapering prices make great incentives for buyers, for now. Arcadia Association of Realtors (AAR) says the housing market was strong this spring.