October has been declared Adolescent Drug Abuse Education Month honoring the efforts of Parent Alert, a community group whose goal is to encourage residents to educate themselves regarding the problems of drug abuse. Activities of the group and programs scheduled for the month are outlined.
Parents attending the school board meeting pressed for increased substance abuse education. The board expressed a reluctance to expand the program at the expense of more basic courses.
Arcadia Council PTA is joining with Parent Alert in sponsoring two town meetings to encourage parents and other citizens to join a community-wide campaign aimed at fighting school age substance abuse. Meeting to be held at 7:45 P.M. on succeeding Wednesdays, Nov. 2 and 9 at First Avenue Junior High School auditorium.
Friends of the Arcadia Library and their guests will gather on Thursday, May 26 to hear Sandy Snider, whose topic will be "Elias Jackson 'Lucky' Baldwin: California Visionary," the title of her latest book, at the Arcadia Library.
Members of Parent Alert accused the Board of Education of dragging their feet in developing curriculum aimed at educating students on substance abuse. Such a curriculum is required by the California Health and Education Code. The district has been out of compliance with the code for more than 3 years.
Seven of the 10 City Council candidates gave their views on redevelopment, English, the proposed tennis club in North Arcadia, and other topics at a luncheon meeting of the Arcadia Republican Women's Club.
Enrollment in Arcadia schools, for the 8th school month declined compared to the same month last year. Enrollment overall, slipped from 7,553 to 7,419.
A group of Arcadia parents have quietly formed and organization to try to reduce teenage alcohol and drug abuse. Still in its formative stages, the yet-unnamed group has proposed serving as chaperones at teen functions, distributing a "caution statement" to local liquor stores, and to establish drug and alcohol-free contracts between parents and teens.
Edie O'Hair is in charge of the battle against overdue books at the Arcadia Library. Approximately 1,500 overdue notices are logged each month with a grand total of about 5,000 missing books.
A popular fishing lake in Arcadia (Peck Road Water Conservation Park) was closed Thursday when 1,000 gallons of a gooey asphalt and water mixture oozed into it after 15,000 gallons of the substance leaked from a nearby Irwindale Plant.
Creative Academy of Learning, an Arcadia day care center, almost went out of business last year and now owes the Arcadia Unified School District 4 month back rent.
In the face of astronomical insurance rates, Arcadia is seriously examining joining other cities to form what would in effect be a small insurance company. Arcadia Finance Director, Jerry Shuster, said the insurance rate for 1985-86 shot up 500% from costs last year.