Pasadena Symphony announces Brett Mitchell as new music director, beginning a 5-year tenure on April 1. The Pasadena Symphony makes up half of the Pasadena Symphony and Pops Organization, and officials said Michael Feinstein will continue as conductor of the Pasadena Pops, which presents an annual summer concert series at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
USC Arcadia Hospital announces leadership changes. The appointments will "better serve its community and align with Keck Medicine of USC health system." Colleen Wilcoxen, is now chief nursing officer. Robert Begg has been named Vice President of Human Resources and will supervise workforce training and development. Beginning January 29, Lisa Johnson will serve as the USC-AH chief quality officer.
Pasadena Tournament of Roses announces 2024 Rose Queen Naomi Stillitano, a senior from Arcadia High School. She is the 105th Rose Queen, lives in Arcadia, is co-president of Italian Culture Club, a dancer and actress with the Arcadia Stage Theater. Born and raised in Italy for 7 years, with goal to create her own fashion brand, interested in studying fashion design. The Rose Queen and the Rose Court act as ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community, and the greater Los Angeles area. Each Royal Court member receives a $7500 educational scholarship.
Arcadia announces free transportation options during 2023 Breeders' Cup. Free fares on Arcadia Transit Fixed-Routes and Dial-a-Ride Service on November 3 and 4, for residents and visitors.
Rod's Grill, Arcadia's beloved classic diner, announces its closure after nearly 70 years. Closing date will be Sunday, February 12, 2023. It is located at 41 West Huntington Drive, along Historic Route 66. The diner began as a small chain of restaurants in 1946, with the Arcadia location opening in 1957.
National Merit Scholarship Foundation announces 2023 semifinalis from Los Angeles County. The Arcadia High School students are Ian Chan, Kevin Y. Hu, Cassie Kao, Weber C. Lin, Tin P. Nguyen, Carolyn Sun, Ashley K. Te, Nathan Vuong, Avari Wang, Phoebe Wang, and Stephanie H. Wang.
Santa Anita Park to host Breeders' Cup for a record 11th time, in 2023. Local horsemen were overjoyed at the announcement. Santa Anita Park is still the only track to host the Breeders' Cup for 3 consecutive years, in 2012-2014.
Arcadia Methodist Hospital set to announce partnership with USC. Bryan Green (or Brian Green) will discuss the hospital's new partnership with USC at the Arcadia Community Coordinating Council meeting on April 4. Includes biographical information on Green.
Arcadia announces public hearing on city council redistricting, where draft maps will be reviewed. It will take place on March 1, 2022 at City Council Chambers, 240 West Huntington Drive, at 7:30 PM.
Westfield Santa Anita kicking off Lunar New Year Celebration on Thursday, January 20. It's the Year of the Tiger. Arcadia Mayor Sho Tay will join Westfield representatives and community partners to unveil a 7-foot-tall golden tiger as the centerpiece of this year's Center Court decorations. A gold "wishing well" will be installed so shoppers can donate to Asian Pacific Community Fund. Westfield will announce a Gift with Purchase promotion.
Arcadia announces City Council redistricting mapping tool and public hearing schedule. Residents can use this portal to draw a map and a community of interest for the city and submit it to City Council.
Beacon Media announces launch of Hey Media, targeted at younger consumers. Along with original reporting, hey Media will aggregate content from other local, regional and national sources to keep readers informed on issues that impact their communities, with a focus on social justice and impact issues.
Stein Mart's bankruptcy to eliminate most stores. The combined effects of a challenging retail environment coupled with the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have caused significant distress in Stein Mart's business. More than 40 retailers have filed for Chapter 11, including more than two dozen retailers who filed since the pandemic began, such as America's oldest retailer Lord & Taylor, J. Crew, J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, among others. Papyrus, a mall-based retailer of stationery and upscale greeting cards announced in January it would be closing all 254 of its US and Canadian stores, including 19 in Southern California (including Arcadia at Westfield Santa Anita mall).
WeChat ban may jolt lives of many. Chinese-Americans use apps for communication, delivery services, payments, appointments, news. In an executive order last week, President Donald Trump announced a ban on Chinese social media apps Tik Tok and WeChat. WeChat is heavily used by Chinese in Arcadia, Alhambra, San Gabriel. WeChat is an unofficial channel of the City of Arcadia. WeChat is the backbone of Chinese social organizing, from business to political movements.
Local school districts just say 'no' to physical school reopenings.
Last week, the L.A. County Department of Public Health and the L.A. County Office of Education (LACOE) issued new guidelines and protocols for opening K-12 schools in the new academic year. Public Health stated that, given current health data, we must all prepare to remain in a remote learning environment in the new school year.
In response to the feedback from a survey, Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) will offer a 100% online option in the core curriculum for K-12 students during the upcoming school year. “This online option will vary from the emergency remote learning model that was temporarily in place for Spring 2020 and have increased live interaction as a foundational feature,” PUSD officials said.
“We cannot and will not take chances with the health and safety of our students and staff. Pasadena Unified will open in a 100% distance learning model on Aug. 17,” Superintendent Brian McDonald said.
The Arcadia Unified School District has been planning multiple contingencies for their reopening plan that will allow the district to flex and adjust plans as guided by Public Health and LACOE.
On Thursday, Arcadia Unified School District announced it will be utilizing distance learning to start the year. Their full update is on the district’s Facebook page and website.
Taste of Arcadia Has Been Canceled. Last Thursday afternoon, the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce announced the cancellation of Taste of Arcadia 2020, which would have been held on Sept. 28.
The Taste of Arcadia is an annual event which showcases local food vendors and other businesses in a festive atmosphere at the L.A. County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Normally, the event sees over 1,500 members of the public attend to sip and sample food, wine and distilled liquors. This might be the first time the event has been canceled in its nearly 40 year history.