The Breeders' Cup, known as the world championship of horse racing, was held at Santa Anita Park last Friday and Saturday. The event has helped the local economy in Arcadia, with an estimated $50 million spent on restaurants, hotels, wagering, taxis, etc.
Motel 6, which was damaged during the June 1991 Sierra Madre earthquake, is reopening. The 87 room hotel at 225 Colorado Place was gutted and completely rebuilt with new furnishings.
Monrovia's Aztec Hotel is showcasing fine art in its non-profit Aztec Art Center Route 66 Gallery. Visitors are not just from Monrovia, but from Pasadena, Duarte and Arcadia. A painting by Manuel Barillas is pictured. The hotel is owned by Kathie Reece-McNeill. The hotel was designed in 1925 by English architect Robert Stacy-Judd and was inspired by Mayan and Aztect structures. The building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
An exhibit at the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum spotlights Route 66. It features photographs of motels, restaurants, and some ephemera. It runs until March 28, 2009.
The addition of a new hotel on the corner of Second Avenue and Santa Clara Street in Arcadia would bring an additional 159 rooms to an area which already boasts eight hotels along a one mile stretch of the Huntington Drive corridor.
Jack Howard Colnot II, the former treasurer of the Sierra Madre- Arcadia-Monrovia Youth Soccer League has pleaded not guilty to a charge of grand theft involving the misuse of $43,000 in league money.
A September grand opening is tentatively planned for Heritage Park Arcadia, a 54-unit development at 150 W. Las Tunas Drive. It provides housing for low income seniors and meets the special needs of elderly.
Construction will start in October on two four-story hotels on North Second Avenue. The Hilton Garden Inn and Fairfield Suites were given final approval by City Council Tuesday.
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.
Marriott seeks two hotels in Arcadia. Andrew Chang, of Continental Assets Management, and owner of Santa Anita Inn, is proposing to build two Marriott hotels on the property. His proposal seeks to add 110 rooms to the West Huntington Drive property and would include a six-story Residence Inn and a four-story Fairfield Inn and Suites (Marriott brands). The Santa Anita Inn was built in 1955. The project will require approval from the Planning Commission and City Council.
A class action lawsuit filed against the city of Arcadia and Extended Stay Hotels claims the city "improperly levied a daily room tax" on guests staying beyond 30 days and violated state and local law.
Asian-American group angry after Los Angeles Police Department revokes march permit. Arcadia Businessman Kin Hui, CEO of Singpoli Group, LLC and Singpoli Capital Corp. said LAPD's decision to revoke a permit that would have allowed about 1,000 people to march on Sunday in protest at Los Angeles City Hall sends the message that Asian voices and rights are less valuable than others in the community. The march was to be in support of New York City police officer Peter Liang, a rookie officer involved and indicted by grand jury, for fatal shooting of 28-year-old Akai Gurleyan, an unarmed Brooklyn man. LA Police say the rally permit was withdrawn because it would conflict with the planned Fiesta Broadway, which is expected to draw 30,000 to downtown LA this weekend.
In an opinion piece, writer Frank C. Girardot laments the suicide of Hunter S. Thompson. He shot and killed himself on Sunday, February 20, 2005. He had written two of his famous works, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and "Strange Rumblings in Aztlan", when he lived in an Arcadia hotel in 1971.
Arcadia-based Girl Scouts Mt Wilson Vista Council has launched a $3.9 million fundraising campaign to deal with the councils growth in the San Gabriel Valley. Marlee Matlin is the honorary campaign chair.
Mount Wilson Vista Girl Scout Council will host a benefit dinner to raise funds for its "Pathway to Promise" program. The program reaches out to girls in underserved areas such as Montebello, El Monte, Rosemead and San Gabriel.