Arcadia police arrested two Arcadia High School students 16, and 15, in connection with a December 11 racial incident in which a cross was burned and anti-Asian epithets were scrawled on the front yard of a home in the 200 block of Arbolada Drive. The two boys were booked for damaging property based on ethnic origin and were released to the custody of their parents.
A recent court ruling that prohibits school districts from charging for bus service could prompt a restructuring of student transportation programs in Arcadia.
The 49-year-old Anoakia School, facing a June deadline for relocation, has opted for local print advertising. Owner Lowry McCaslin apparently wants to develop the property at Foothill Blvd. and Baldwin Ave. However, the school also has numerous city fire code violations and a building that is not up to seismic standards. The school currently has 279 students from K-8th grade.
Jef Wheeler, 26, a jazz dance teacher at Arcadia Dance Arts for two years, is currently touring with "Heart Strings" an AIDS benefit sponsored by the Design Alliance to Combat AIDS and the Design Industries Foundation for AIDS. After the Los Angeles show, the troupe will move on to Houston, Miami, New York, Boston and Washington, D. C. Organizers hope to raise $4 million for AIDS research, community education programs and care and services for AIDS patients.
Rose Hassing, 27, currently the director of volunteer services for the Pasadena American Red Cross, will become the new senior citizens supervisor for the City of Arcadia as of February 7. She is replacing Betty Harris, who retired in December after 20 years with the city's senior citizens services.
The Arcadia City Council will be asked to pass a resolution calling for an immediate halt to the recent malathion-laden helicopter assaults on the medfly. Many have expressed concerns about the repeated spraying, but health and agricultural officials insist that malathion is harmless to humans in the quantities being used.
Terrance M. Towner, former Pasadena resident and school superintendent in Los Gatos, will be next superintendent for the Arcadia Unified School District. The Arcadia Board of Education selected Towner after a 4-month search. He replaces Stephen Goldstone, who left in September to become superintendent with the Chino Unified School District. Mr. Towner will earn $91,000 per year.
Clyde Condon, Arcadia clinical psychologist, was recently named the 1989 Psychologist of the Year by Division 31 of the American Psychological Association. For the past 3 years, Condon has practiced at Arcadia Counseling and Psychiatric Associates, where about 1/3 of his patients are children.
The Arcadia Unified School District Board of Education backed the idea of a resolution calling for an immediate halt to aerial spraying of malathion. The board's actions came less than a week after the Arcadia City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking for a halt to the spraying.
Ten Arcadia High School students have been selected as National Merit finalists, placing them among 14,000 competing for the 6100 available Merit Scholarships. The seniors are Kenneth Branson, Sidney Chung, Enrique Colayco, Bonnie Flinn, Norbert Hsu, Jacqueline Luk, Douglas McCreary, Regina Momblanco, David Park and Henry Tseng.
Police have arrested nine people who are believed to be members of a San Gabriel Valley Asian gang that has been under investigation in recent months for terrorizing local Asian youths. Four adults and five juveniles were taken into custody after police linked them with a February 15 kidnapping, attempted extortion and assault.
James Domney, 49, is leaving his position as City Librarian after 11 years in this position and 18 years with the library. Kent Ross, 45, who started at the library at about the same time as Domney, was recently appointed as the new City Librarian.
Jason Koh, 13, a student at First Avenue Junior High School, was named Los Angeles Theater Organ Society Organist of the Year for his performance at the Sexson Auditorium at Pasadena City College.
Francis Ching, 60, a native Hawaiian, is retiring after 20 years as supervisor of the Los Angeles County Dept. of Arboreta and Botanic Gardens, which includes the LA County Arboretum in Arcadia.
Mayor Roger Chandler lost his bid for re-election as challengers George Fasching and Joseph Ciraulo and incumbent Robert Harbicht were elected to the Arcadia City Council. Fasching led with 27.2% of the vote, followed by Ciraulo with 22.1% and Harbicht with 19.8%.
Incumbent councilwoman Mary Young is scheduled to take the gavel as the new Mayor of Arcadia. In the election, about 22% of the city's 25,000 registered voters participated. Here are the final results: George Fasching, 27.2%, 3996, Roger Chandler, 14.7%, 2162, Joseph Ciraulo, 22.1%, 3242, Charles Chivetta, 9.4% 1368, Robert Harbicht, 19.8%, 2907, Eileen Stephan, 6.9% 1014
Mary Young, the only woman in Arcadia's history to serve 2 terms as mayor and only the second on the city council, was unanimously elected as mayor while Charles Gilb was elected mayor pro-tem by the newly formed city council.
Test scores of Arcadia Unified School District's seniors rose this year. The reading score was 294 (up 19 points) while math score was 333 (up 20 points). Since 1987-88, students moved from the 77th to the 85th percentile in reading and from the 89th to the 96th percentile in math statewide.