Los Angeles County Arboretum celebrates 75th anniversary with an Arboretum Foundation fundraiser event honoring Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger for her ongoing support. The event raised $241,000 for the education programs and care of the 125 acre Arboretum gardens and landmark structures. Also in attendance Michael Desplaines, CEO of the Arboretum, Susan Kranwinkle, Annette Castro Ramirez, and Pamela Hillings Tegtmeyer (all in photos).
Another homeless village set to open in Baldwin Park. 16-unit tiny home complex will house families in need. It's called Serenity Homes, 13167 Garvey Avenue in Baldwin Park. Senator Susan Rubio, D-West Covina, celebrated the opening with elected officials from all over the San Gabriel Valley, including from Arcadia, Azusa, Glendora, La Puente, Monrovia, San Marino, South Pasadena, Temple City and Mount San Antonio College. It is the second tiny homes village opening in Baldwin Park within a year and serves as a model for how cities can expand homeless services.
Maps shift election shapes. Redistricting offers little for Democrats to fear but comes as retirements open doors. Final maps were released yesterday to redraw boundaries for California's elected seats in Sacramento and Washington DC. The 14-member independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission's maps set up newly drawn Assembly, State Senate and Congressional maps, which must be formally approved. The maps did little to loosen Democrats' hold on Los Angeles County's state and federal districts. On the State Senate level, where the Commission is tasked with creating districts with 1 million people each, state Senator Susan Rubio's vast San Gabriel Valley District 22 loses several heavily Asian American communities, including San Gabriel, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead and Arcadia. Those communities would join Pasadena, Glendale and Altadena in Senator Anthony Portantino's District 25.
License revocation upheld for internet studios run by couple Dr. Susan Block and Maximillian Lobkowicz. City says sex therapist Dr. Susan Block and husband allow people to sleep there overnight in the business building on Las Tunas Drive that is zoned for office use. City revoked their license on July 28. The couple appealed but the city's Planning Commission upheld the decision. The couple will appeal again.
Sex therapist Dr. Susan Block is in a zoning fight with Arcadia City. Her building is zoned for office use, not residential, although building license inspectors found 10 bedrooms inside. The brick building is on Las Tunas Drive and is the business location of Saybrook Media, where The Dr. Susan Block Show is produced. Susan Block, aka Dr. Suzy, had an HBO Special "Radio Sex TV with Dr. Susan Block" in the 1990s.
Grocery Outlet Bargain Market opens new store at 104 East Live Oak Avenue in Arcadia. This location created 30 new jobs. Independent owner-operators are Chris Phillips and Amanda Sandoval.
Arcadia Chinese Association Installs New Board of Directors.
The incoming Arcadia Chinese Association Officers and Board Members for 2020-2021 are as follows:
President: Connie Qun Liao
Co-President: Diana Chang
1st Vice President: Susan Guo
2nd Vice President: Mary Huang
. 3rd Vice President: Lily Lam
Treasurer: Alice Wang
Secretary (Interim): Mary Huang
Presidential Counsel: Edward Wong
Directors: Jamie Lee, Francine Chiu, Joanna Liang, Sherry Liang, Sherman Shi, Stella Gu, Winnie Li, Arnold Chien, Sage Zeng.
Proposed two-story home at 1101 S. Fifth Avenue causes kerfuffle. At this week's Arcadia City Council meeting, the project's neighbors appealed the Planning Commission's decision to approve the design of the 3588 s.f. house. Neighbors complain of loss of light and privacy. In a 3-2 vote, the Planning Commission's decision was upheld on the conditions that the owner remove windows on the north and south sides of the second floor.
Arcadia High School student Phillip Chao awarded Gates Millennium Scholarship. It pays for his undergraduate and graduate education with all school-related expenses covered in full. The value of it could exceed $500,000.
Arcadia High School cross country runner Phillip Rocha receives most prestigious award in high school sports, the Gatorade Runner of the Year. He is the fastest runner in the country.
Teen brothers, ages 15 and 16, beaten to death in their home on 400 block of Fairview Avenue, just west of Holly Avenue. The suspect is their uncle by marriage, who is believed to have fled to China. The FBI was working with Chinese authorities. The victims appeared to have suffered "blunt force trauma." The suspect was already being sought in an attack on his wife. His wife filed a restraining order against him and began divorce proceedings.