11 Arcadia High students named National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalis
Arcadia High School continues its 28-year streak of seeing a double-digit number of students represented in the renowned National Merit Scholarship Program. This year, 11 Arcadia High students are counted among less than 1% of high school seniors across the nation that have been named 2022 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, who now have the opportunity to vie for one of nearly 7,500 scholarships that collectively total close to $30 million.
26 local schools earn high honors, the 2023 California Distinguished Schools award, including Hugo Reid Elementary, Camino Grove Elementary, Highland Oaks Elementary, Rancho Learning Center, Baldwin Stocker Elementary, Holly Avenue Elementary and Longley Way Elementary School from the Arcadia Unified School District.
26-year-old Arcadia man Lucas Naccarati still shaken by deadly toll and tried to help people around him at a Travis Scott concert in Houston, TX where people were trampled to death.
The 33rd Annual Crystal Ball to benefit USC Arcadia Hospital was held on November 5 at the Pasadena Convention Center and raised $694,000 for the USC Arcadia Hospital Foundation. Paul Rusnak of Rusnak Auto Group was honored.
The 70th annual Arcadia Festival of Bands set for Saturday, November 18. It has grown into one of the most popular marching band reviews in Southern California and is the longest-running event of its kind in the state. Photo of Arcadia High School Band and Color Guard. Kevin Sherrill is the Band and Percussion director at Arcadia High School. The parade's grand marshal is retired Arcadia Fire Department Captain Neil Conrad.
2023 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade's Rose Court profiled with their hobbies. Sahanna Rajinikanthan, one of the Royal Court, is from Arcadia and enjoys baking. She made it to the state championship for the VEX Robotics Competition and enjoys volunteering as a singing coach in the language of Araneri, passing on her Indian culture to her students.
2023 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court eager to uphold traditions. The 2023 Royal Court has been selected. They are Salia Baligh, Sahanna Rajinikanthan, Bella Ballard, Zoe Denoncourt, Michelle Cortez-Peralta, Uma Wittenberg, and Adrian Crick. Sahanna Rajinikanthan is from Arcadia High School.
The 2024 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court has a Halloween moment. They spent the evening trick-or-treating at the Tournament House in Pasadena. Naomi Stillitano of Arcadia, who was crowned the Rose Queen last week, was dressed as Cupid from the movie "Valentine's Day."
All Arcadia Unified School District's elementary schools earn historic acclaim in California's coveted 2023 Distinguished Schools Program. The award winning Arcadia elementary schools are Hugo Reid Elementary, Camino Grove Elementary, Highland Oaks Elementary, alternative learning program Rancho Learning Center, Baldwin Stocker Elementary, Holly Avenue Elementary and Longley Way Elementary School.
An honored tradition: 2023 Pasadena Tournament of Roses unveils Royal Court. The seven members receive $7500 in educational scholarships. They are Salia Baligh, Sahanna Rajinikanthan, Bella Ballard, Zoe Denoncourt, Michelle Cortez-Peralta, Uma Wittenberg, and Adrian Crick. Sahanna Rajinikanthan is an Arcadia resident and a senior at Arcadia High School.
Anita Baldwin statue to be unveiled at Le Méridien Hotel in Arcadia
The Anita May Baldwin statue at the Le Méridien Hotel will be unveiled on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021 at 11 a.m. Anita is the daughter of city founder, Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin. The statue will be featured on the opposite end of the Huntington Drive islands’ hotel property.
“We are very excited to be bringing Anita back to Arcadia,” said Mayor Sho Tay in a statement released by the city. “I would like to thank the Shen, Liu and Chen Families, Jeff Lee, the Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Foundation, Heather D. Gibson and Margaux L. Gibson, and the Arcadia Historical Society, for their generous donations.”
“On behalf of the Baldwin family, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Arcadia City Council, the Arcadia Historical Society, the Le Méridien Hotel and all those who have supported this effort to pay homage to my great-great grandmother, Anita May Baldwin,” said Margaux Gibson. “This magnificent statue of Anita will showcase a strong woman who was ahead of her time. I am proud to call Anita May Baldwin my great-great grandmother, and I am truly proud to be a part of this historic project.”
The Anita statue was sculpted by local artist and southern California native Alfred Paredes — who created the Lucky Baldwin statue on the corner of Huntington Drive and Holly Avenue — and is aptly named, “A Legacy of Charity” in honor of Anita’s contributions to life in early Arcadia and throughout California.
Application deadline looms for Arcadia small-business grants totaling $1 million. The applications are due December 29, 2022 and the program is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The grants can be used for physical improvements to a company's place of business, updating digital marketing and branding and other improvements focused on attracting new customers. Contac Arcadia Economic Development Division for more information.
Arcadha High School welcomes community to Spring Preview Open House on Thursday, 4:00-6:30 at 180 Campus Drive. All are invited to see what it's like to be a student at Arcadia High School.
Arcadia adopts comprehensive pension management plan, saving $85 million. It addresses the City's $154 million in unfunded pension liabilities. It focuses on:
-use of reserves to prepay existing liabilities
-refinancing existing debt to lower interest rates to free up cash flow
-prepaying costs with surplus funds from voter-approved Measure A sales tax increase
-financing long-term capital improvements
-using pension obligation bonds to lower the overall costs of pensions
-negotiating for more employee cost-sharing.
See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 3, February 27, 2020
Arcadia announces City Council redistricting mapping tool and public hearing schedule. Residents can use this portal to draw a map and a community of interest for the city and submit it to City Council.
Arcadia Announces Limited Reopening of City Facilities by Appointment. The City of Arcadia is reopening City Hall to the public for services by appointment only for essential activities in response to the revised Safer at Home Order issued by Los Angeles County on May 13, 2020. These include building permits, inspections, and planning related services. Tennis courts are now open for modified use. All players must abide by posted rules and those who ignore the guidelines will not be allowed to play.
Arcadia announces public hearing on city council redistricting, where draft maps will be reviewed. It will take place on March 1, 2022 at City Council Chambers, 240 West Huntington Drive, at 7:30 PM.