Arcadia teachers are eligible for mini-grants of $100-300 under a program being implemented by the Arcadia Rotary Club. The program will provide funds to district teachers for special projects beginning in February. All teachers, from kindergarten to 12th grade, are eligible to apply.
First Avenue Junior High has been nominated as a 1990 California Distinguished School by the State Department of Education. First Avenue will be one of six schools in Los Angeles County to be so nominated.
The Arcadia School Board accepted $26,365 in state funding to prevent alcohol and drug use among elementary school students. The money, available on 1/0/90, is being allocated under the Comprehensive Alcohol and Drug Prevention Education Program (CADPE), targeting 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in every district in California.
Arcadia High School students accepted a third-place trophy for their performance in the 40th Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon. The third-place award is for the North Los Angeles County region. Countywide, Arcadia ranked ninth, compared with its fourth-place finish in 1988.
Last year, Foothills Junior High students raised $800 for the Peace Corps to go to Lamotrek Atoll, Micronesia, an island in the South Pacific. The Peace Corps Partnership Program allows American schools, clubs and organizations to fund small projects, typically less than $1500. The money will be used to construct a basketball court.
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.
The 1989 Arcadia Tournament of Roses Royal Court includes Jenny Chan, a Cal Poly Pomona freshman; Kathleen Lecher, a Maranatha High School senior; Jennifer Worsley, 16, Elyse Douglas, 17 and Tricia Stonecipher, an Arcadia High School senior.
The Arcadia Unified School District again ranked among the top 10% of statewide districts in the latest California Assessment Program (CAP) results. CAP scores were based on tests given to 3rd and 6th grade students last May in math, reading, and writing as well as tests given to 8th-graders in reading, math, history and science.
The Los Angeles County Commission on School District Organization voted 9-0 to deny Sierra Madre's petition to join the Arcadia School District. The matter will go to the state Board of Education, which may take 3-4 months to make a decision.
The Arcadia Police Department's non-emergency business telephone numbers have been changed to the following: Front desk, 570-5150; Administrative offices, 574-5178; Investigation division, 574-5160. The change is due to the switch to Pacific Bell Centrex System which gives priority to emergency services in the event of an emergency.
The Arcadia City Council approved a 6% hike in building fees, such as building permits, conditional use permits, and request for modifications. The increase, set for November 17, will be used to offset the 6% salary hike that city employees received in the 1989-90 budget.
About 1500 people went to a hearing before the county Commission on School District Organization to discuss the possible transfer of Sierra Madre schools from the Pasadena Unified School District to the Arcadia Unified School District. The hearing is the first step in a long process that involves approval by the state Board of Education and local voters before an area can transfer to another school district.
Robert Shortell, 80, attended the World of Poetry's fifth annual convention in Washington, D.C., where he was honored with a Golden Poet Award. Shortell was a history and social studies teacher and sometime coach at Arcadia High School for 21 years.
A shuttle service with Chinese-speaking drivers will begin in November between San Gabriel Valley, including Arcadia, and the LA International Airport.
The Arcadia City Council has grounded a proposal that would have allowed hang glider pilots to land their grafts on an unused LA County floodplain in the north end of the city. The 30 pilots of the Mr. Wilson Soaring Society need a landing site because the one used for the last 8 years in Pasadena has been developed with the new Pasadena Rose Court homes.
Arthur Farr, 46, the band and orchestra leader at Dana Junior High School, has been named the Arcadia Unified School District's 1990 Teacher of the Year. Farr has been teaching band and orchestra at Dana for 23 years, as well as coaching the basketball team and teaching physical education. (NOTE: This article incorrectly identified him as "Allen", but the error was corrected in the issue of October 1.)
The Arcadia Unified School District has about 130 new elementary school students this year, prompting district officials to hire 4 new teachers, combine classes and add portable classrooms.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency is looking for developers to submit building proposals for 2 new major development projects on 5 acres of downtown property. The agency wants to house corporate headquarters, business and professional offices, retail stores and restaurants.
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.