Caridad Papa is 110 years old, a super centenarian, whose wish is no more wars. She is a longtime parishioner of Holy Angels Catholic Church in Arcadia. She is a former resident of Arcadia. She grew up in The Philippines, married, raised 5 children, and settled in California. Candy Colayco is her daughter.
Mall buyer a local resident. Wen Shan Chang, 71, of Bradbury, is new proprietor of The Shops at Santa Anita, formerly owned by Westfield. It was sold in August for $537.5 million. The property is at 400 South Baldwin Avenue and is now called The Shops at Santa Anita. Mall is 1.48 million square feet. Chang purchased it from France-based Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in a sale considered the largest for a mall in the U.S. since 2018. The Arcadia mall site has been thriving through Asian retailers catering to the large Asian community in Arcadia and San Gabriel Valley.
Gold Line has a new name. Now it is called the L Line, but it will be split to become the A Line or the E Line in 2022 after Metro's Regional Connector Project is finished.
Two corporate executives found guilty in first-ever criminal prosecution for failure to report under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Simon Chu, 68, of Chino Hills, and Charley Loh, 65, of Arcadia, found guilty. They sold defective dehumidifiers manufactured by Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai in China. See hard copy in VF.
Flash-mob robbers target Macy's at The Shops at Santa Anita, the mall in Arcadia. At least 5 people with large bags ransacked a macy's store on Tuesday during a flash-mob robbery. Arcadia Police Department responded to the mall at 400 block of Baldwin Avenue at 1:10 P.M. They stole various boxed sets of perfume, ran, and drove away in a black 4-door sedan.
Unveiling of Anita May Baldwin statue brings peace and beauty. Anita May Baldwin was dedicated down the road from the statue of her father, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin. The statue was unveiled yesterday at the official grand opening of the Le Meridien Hotel on Huntington Drive in Arcadia. The statue is called "A Legacy of Charity," made by artist Alfred Paredes.
Fans commiserate in closing of their beloved bookstore. 78-year-old Karen Kropp, owner of The Book Rack, a bookstore in Arcadia, has closed the store on First Avenue, after taking over the reins 18 years ago. Declining sales worseneed by the pandemic, as well as her upcoming 80th birthday, precipitated the closure. The store's address was 204 South First Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006.
Highland Oaks Elementary School's Club program connects students with interests and friends. Baton Twirling Club, Coding Club, Food Crafts Club, and Hawks Nest Community Building Club, are just a sample of the over 20 clubs offered there. Patricia Mattera, now in her 7th year as Highland Oaks Principal, first gained inspiration for the student clubs from her previous work experience.
Congressional races: a look at the positions taken by candidates in local districts. In District 28, Democratic Rep. Judy Chu, is now running to represent a recently redrawn district that includes Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead, and Arcadia. Her major issues include education, foreign policy, small business, and transportation. Her opponent is Republican Wes Hallman, a pilot and senior vice president of Strategy and Policy for the National Defense Industrial Association.
Los Angeles County stores, worship services okay to open with restrictions on capacity, behavior, after weeks in a slow and cautious gear amid the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Los Angeles County's health order amended yesterday aligns itself with state guidance, allowing in-store retail sales and worship services that have gone silent since the initial shutdown on March 19.
Arcadia resident and LAUSD educator Jenny Lu writes book encouraging girls to enter STEM fields. Her book is titled Emma Ren: Robot Engineer and is aimed at children ages 4-8.
Arcadia Public Library hosts workshop on January 18, 2020 called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, based on the KonMari Method, developed by author Marie Kondo. The presenter is Tiffany Ng.
Los Angeles County passes 25,000 deaths from Coronavirus (COVID-19), says Los Angeles County Public Health officials. The death toll was the latest indicator of the sweeping impact of the unpredictable, swiftly spreading delta variant.
Santa Anita-based 'Free Animal Doctor' continues to help pet owners with needed services. Now entering its second year, Free Animal Doctor, a non-profit provides free veterinary services to dogs and cats, and is located in Santa Anita Park's parking lot 7. It opened on September 15, 2020. Free Animal Doctor utilizes Crowdfunding to raise monies for specific pets. Co-founder is Sam Bernardo. Spaying and neutering are available. See freeanimaldoctor.org or call 626-487-7129 for more information.
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).
Drive-through Christmas light show at Santa Anita Park, 285 West Huntington Drive, called Reindeer Road, produced by World of Illumination. Tickets available. The event started November 11, 2021 and runs through January 2, 2022.
A woman shot to death, on 210 Freeway in Arcadia, was the target, CHP says. 35-year-old Bertha Hernandez was shot and killed on September 4, 2021. The suspected shooter, Sidney Terrance Johnson, is Hernandez's ex-boyfriend.
Arcadia resident, Ruixue "Serena" Shi, gets 20-year sentence for Coachella Valley fraud involving $22.8 million in funds for a condominium and hotel complex called Hyde Resorts and Residences Coachella Valley. Shi was president and owner of Global House Buyer (GHB), a China-based real estate development company, and also was CEO of the Beverly Hills-based company Hyde Morgan Development, LLC. Chinese investors in the Hyde project were falsely promised visas through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.
Black employee settles race case. Worker at Arcadia store alleged discrimination when demoted and transferred by Forever 21, the clothing retail store. Plaintiff Monica Fowler held position of team lead at Arcadia store in Westfield Santa Anita mall from September 2018 through September 4, 2020 when she was demoted and transferred. Araz Berberian is co-defendant.