2 articles. 1. Racing returns at Santa Anita. The historic Santa Anita racetrack reopened Friday for racing amid concerns for horse safety and the future of the track and the industry. There were no deaths in eight races Friday, which had been closed for racing since March 5.
2. Back in the saddle: racing resumes without incident after 26-day closure.
A $3 million building project to increase stable capacity by 150 stalls is underway at Santa Anita Park. Completion, which is planned before the start of the Oak Tree meeting, will bring the total number of stalls to 2,100. The project is discussed in detail.
The $4.1 million Downtown 2000 plan will restore the area along Huntington Drive from Santa Clara to 5th Avenue, as well as on 1st Ave. The project should start in June and be completed by the fall racing season.
5th grade students graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. Essay winners Alanna Mori and Kelsey Tallon read their essays during the program.
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.
12th horse dies this year from training injury at Santa Anita Park. A 2-year-old bay colt named Captain Maverick, that had yet to run a race, has died.
A 13-year-old girl named Susan Wiley was reportedly a prisoner in her home for all of her life until a social worker discovered the child abuse. Susan's parents Clark Wiley and Irene Wiley were arrested. The family home is at 6722 Golden West Avenue, in a county area of Arcadia. Susan Wiley was living in an environment of total isolation and deprivation and was malnourished. She cannot talk, is deformed, barely able to walk and is not toilet trained. She has been placed in the care of Children's Hospital. The child has come to be known by the alias "Genie." See hard copy in VF Wiley, Susan aka "Genie"
17-year-old Arcadia High School student Courtney Chou Lee has been named the 91st Rose Queen. Six other young ladies are princesses including another AHS student, Lauren Valenzuela. The Rose Queen and her royal court will reign over the 120th Rose Parade and the 95th Rose Bowl. Article contains some quotes from Courtney Lee's parents, Andrew Lee and Ulanda Lee.
23 Arcadia High School students capped third-place honors in the California State Finals of the National Bicentennial Competition. The students, in Ron Morris' advanced placement government class, last month won first place in the 22nd Congressional District contest, which included five local schools. Photo.
23 "heroes and heroines" in the Arcadia Unified School District were honored by the Board of Education in the first "Profiles in Excellence" awards. The awards were presented to "individuals who maintain a standard of excellence in their work and who represent those values and qualities which make Arcadia a special place for students." Names and positions of winners are given.
25-year old Colleen Kay Hutchins, who represented Utah in the Miss America contest, was named Miss America Saturday night. She is one of seven children of Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Hutchins of Arcadia.
28 finalists selected for the 2024 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court. Winners will be named Monday, October 2, with crowning of the queen slated for October 27. It will be the 135th annual Rose Parade. The finalists from Arcadia are Niyat Haregot, Naomi Stillitano, Shivani Wadhwa, and Danielle Workman. (Photo).
30 people were injured on opening day at Santa Anita Park when two men became involved in an altercation. One dropped a gun and this was enough to cause a wave of panic which spread through the crowd.
The 37-acre Arcadia County Park, which costs the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department $234,000 a year to operate, may be fenced off and "abandoned" if the Department is forced to slash 25% of its budget.
48th Annual Arcadia Festival of Bands will be held Saturday, November 17. The event, which showcases the finest high school instrumental music talent in Southern California, has been a proud tradition in Arcadia since 1953. Dennis Davies, who recently retired after serving 39 years as a music director in Arcadia Unified School District, has been named Grand Marshal.