An earthquake registering 5.5 on the Richter scale hit Australia's southeast coast at 3:28 PST on Wednesday, December 27, 1989. Newcastle, Australia's fifth largest city, suffered the majority of damage as 11 were known to have died. A city of 500,000, Newcastle has the largest concentration of heavy industry in the country.
Long-time resident J. Lyle Cunningham, Arcadia Citizen of the Year in 1983 and former president of the Arcadia Rotary Club, died on December 15th at Methodist Hospital of natural causes. He was 82. Mr. Cunningham was actively involved in the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, the Arcadia Red Cross, the Church of the Good Shepherd and Arcadians for Arcadia.
Theresa Eskola, 63, head housekeeper at the 87-room Motel 6 across from the Santa Anita Park race track, is the first employee to work 25 years for the hotel chain. Her gifts included $2500 in $100 bills, a limousine ride and the day off. Photo.
Susan Clavey, the mother of Tanya Clavey (the 16-year old girl who died following a 400-foot plunge off the Santa Anita Canyon Road) asked the Arcadia City Council to close the road's gate at dusk to prevent further fatalities. The gate, normally locked at 10 PM, was unlocked when the accident occurred at 10:15 PM.
Herb Fletcher, 71, a longtime Arcadian best known for questioning city government, advising local newspapers and comforting senior citizens, died of a heart attack at Arcadia Methodist Hospital.
In essay tests given to California seniors last December, Arcadia students scored 273 on a scale of 400, compared to a national average of 250. However, when compared to similar districts such as Beverly Hills, San Marino and La Canada, Arcadia is ranked in only the 23rd percentile, meaning that 77% of the districts scored higher. This is of interest since San Marino had the highest score in the state.
Qualified low and moderate-income homeowners may receive up to $7500 for the rehabilitation of single-family owner-occupied homes through the Arcadia Planning Dept.'s Housing Rehabilitation Program. This program is financed with Community Development Block Grant Funds, and monies are available on a first-come first-served basis through June 30, 1990.
Susan Robertson, 48, a 4th grade teacher at Hugo Reid School for 26 years, died on July 4 after an 11-year battle with cancer. Mrs. Robertson graduated from USC in 1963 and worked for the Arcadia Unified School District, teaching at Hugo Reid School for her entire career.
The Arcadia Unified School District's high school dropout rate was 1.13% for the 1987-88 school year. Erroneous figures previously released by the state Dept. of Education had the figures at 7.05% to 15%.
Helen Schrader, former editor of the Arcadia Tribune, was honored at a reception. She is moving to Georgia. Article outlines her career as a journalist.