A drainage problem forced the cancellation of horse racing at Santa Anita Park since three inches of rain fell yesterday. The track has had to cancel racing 12 times since the synthetic track was installed two years ago. In 2006, the California Horse Racing Board banned dirt surfaces from thoroughbred tracks. Santa Anita Park has tried two synthetic tracks but the surfaces have not worked out. Officials announced they will replace the synthetic surface before the Oak Tree Meet in the fall.
Three women were violently robbed in a span of a week in the 99 Ranch Market parking lot at 1300 S. Golden West Avenue. In two of the incidents, a passenger leaned out of a car to grab purses, and in the other incident, two men pushed a woman to the ground, kicked her in the face and stole her purse.
The City of Arcadia is using $646,000 in federal stimulus funds for repairs, repaving, re-striping and adding bicycle lanes on Santa Anita Avenue, north of Foothill Boulevard. The city has received $534,000 in stimulus money to retrofit City Hall with an energy-efficient heating and cooling system and $80,000 for equipment and training for its police department. Sometime in late spring, officials plan to widen intersections along Santa Anita Avenue, adding turn lanes or through lanes at Foothill Boulevard, Live Oak Avenue and Duarte Road.
Caltech graduate Tyler Johnson, who had been identified as a suspect in the firebombing and vandalism of more than 130 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) at automobile dealerships in the San Gabriel Valley in 2003, has died in an avalanche while hiking in the Corsian mountains in France on December 26, 2009. Johnson has been a fugitive for the past six years. Surveillance cameras captured Johnson and William ("Billy") Cottrell spray painting environmental slogans on the cars at Rusnak Mercedes Benz in Arcadia in 2003. Cottrell was convicted.
Local Arcadia ice skater Mirai Nagasu, a 16-year-old who is home-schooled, is part of the United States ice skating team going to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics. She has no aspirations for a medal, but is fulfilling a dream by just going to compete. Two years ago, when Nagasu was a freshman at Arcadia High School, she won the 2008 U.S. title in St. Paul, MN.
Gayle Brewer, a 26 year-old Arcadia resident, runs a Pasadena-based business called Celia Caseta Inc. She provides professional makeup services. She plans to open locations in Arcadia and Northridge.
Arcadia residents may vote again on street lighting fees. Under the new proposal, single family homes on arterial streets would pay about $17 a year, while those not on arterial streets would pay about $27 a year, making the assessments more fair. Voters in 2008 rejected a proposal to fund the lighting and now the city is considering another mail-in vote.
Six candidates are running for three seats on the Arcadia City Council. They are Bob Harbicht, Paul Cheng, Mickey Segal, Peter Amundson, Jason Lee, and Sho Tay. They each answer the questions, "What should be done to improve the city's fiscal situation?" and "How should the city handle the Caruso mall proposal at Santa Anita (Park)?" The election will be in April.
Santa Anita Park owner Frank Stronach is coming to town this weekend to meet with local horsemen to talk about the state of the sport. He'll also meet with an engineer to discuss the pros and cons of a proposed new racing surface consisting of dirt, sand, and a small amount of fiber. He says it is a very safe surface. The question remains, who will foot the bill for it, since Stronach's Magna Entertainment Corporation (MEC) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year.
Santa Anita Park owner Frank Stronach met with about a dozen horse trainers to discuss the track's racing surface. Stronach announced that he would not replace the synthetic Pro-Ride track yet, but will stick with it until he gets the ability to run the track with less state regulations. He wants free enterprise, which he may never get. In the meantime, drainage problems and injuries persist on the synthetic track. Stronach said he'd be back in April to discuss the issue more.
Police are seeking three men who attacked, robbed and carjacked a mother and son in front of their home in the 200 block of West Lemon Avenue. The crime occurred on March 4, before 9:30 PM, as they pulled into their driveway. The suspects got away in the victims' blue 2006 Lexus.
Art Wilson recaps the Santa Anita Handicap "Big 'Cap" race that took place yesterday. Included is a photo of race horse "Misremembered" and jockey Martin Garcia, who won the Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap.
Arcadia police officer Luis Vicuna received the Arcadia Police Department's Life Saving Medal last week for helping save the life of 76-year old James Chen, who collapsed at the Arcadia Sports Fitness Club late last year. Pictured are Arcadia Police Chief Robert Sanderson, Officer Luis Vicuna and Captain Gene Gioia.
The Adams' Pack Station, owned by Deb Burgess, in the Chantry Flat area, 3 miles up a road starting from the top of Santa Anita Avenue in Arcadia, fights to remain open as it faces costly upgrades required by the Los Angeles County Health Department. Forest authorities want it to remain a historic landmark, which would limit the amount and types of renovations that can be done.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has voted to fully fund the $690 million Gold Line Foothill Extension, from Pasadena to Azusa, and to complete it by 2014, with money from Measure R. Measure R was approved by voters in the November 2008 election. It created a half-cent county sales tax intended for transportation projects. The MTA has the funding for the first phase of the Gold Line light rail to Azusa. The first phase is an 11-mile extension that includes stops in Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa.
Real estate developer and Arcadia resident Henry Nunez (in photo) started a hunger strike on Easter to draw attention to the importance of Arcadia's upcoming City Council elections. He is fasting and drinking only liquids and wants "a record turnout" in Tuesday's election for three city council seats and he wants people to vote for his choices--Peter Amundson, Paul Cheng and Sho Tay.
Six candidates vying for three seats on the Arcadia City Council have raised more than $250,000 in campaign contributions. The candidates are Bob Harbicht, Paul Cheng, Mickey Segal, Peter Amundson, Jason J. Lee, and Sho Tay. The amounts raised for each candidate are given. The election will be on April 13, 2010.
Arcadia's Catrina McAlister wins the 3200-meter invitational during the 43rd Arcadia Invitational track and field event. She clocked a personal-best time of 10 minutes, 27.86 seconds.