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.
A 38-year-old Los Angeles man, accused of setting four arson fires in Arcadia and of carjacking a woman trying to move her car away from one of the fires, is arrested. The first fire was in a rear corridor on the second floor of The Shops at Santa Anita mall, at 400 South Baldwin Avenue at 11:40 A.M. on Friday. The other three fires were in the vicinity of the 900 block of Arcadia Avenue.
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.
Arcadia Public Library screens international films every third Wednesday of the month. Coming up on March 18 will be "11 Flowers." Bring your dinner, dessert is provided.
Arcadia's crime drops in 2019. Compared to 2018, there was a 28% drop in residential burglaries, a 17% decrease in robberies, and an 11% reduction in assaults.
Arcadia's Jason Lee donates $10,000 to Arcadia Police Foundation. He presented the check to Mary E. Hansen, the founding board member and Vice President of the Arcadia Police Foundation.
Arcadia Unified School District hosting community conversations regarding district's improvement needs. Community input is critical because it helps the school district plan how to use resources to educate and support all students. This is the seventh year of conducting this annual community conversation, via survey, through February 25 at 11:59 PM.
Arcadia will have a Patriotic Reverse Parade and Food Drive. People will drive on the parade route and wave to the "Stars of the parade" who are stationed on the sidewalk on July 2, 2021, 9-11 AM. The "stars" include firefighters, medical and police who have helped the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canned food donations will be accepted by Foothill Unity Center.
City of Arcadia to place three measures on November 8, 2022 ballot. 1. Proposed City Charter Amendment Measure. The City Charter was last amended in 1998. The citizen-led Charter Review Committee recommends updates to mirror changes in state laws since 1998 and to reflect current local government standards, to include a) mirroring changes in state laws to increase voter turnout by moving the date of regularly scheduled city council elections from April in even-numbered years to the November Statewide General Election in even-numbered years. b) recognizing the city's change to by-district elections as required by California Voting Rights Act. c) Creating a rotation of mayor and mayor pro tem positions every 9.5 months to allow all council members to serve during their term. d) Change position of City Clerk from elected to appointed. e) other amendments to streamline government, utilize technology and increase transparency. 2. Two measures to increase locally controlled funding. One measure would increase Arcadia's local tax on stays at hotels and motels from 10% to 12%--similar rate to many neighboring cities. The other measure would enact a local tax on sports wagers if sports betting becomes legal in California through State Proposition 26, also on the November ballot
A driver killed, two passengers injured when car hits power poles and a fence about 11:30 PM on Sunday, February 21, near Las Tunas Drive and El Monte Avenue.
Drive-through Christmas light show at Santa Anita Park, 285 West Huntington Drive, called Reindeer Road, produced by World of Illumination. Tickets available. The event started November 11, 2021 and runs through January 2, 2022.
Ed Andersen, president of Arcadia Historical Society, presents a local history program at Arcadia Public Library on March 11 at 2:00. The topic is The San Gabriel Valley in 1877: through the lens of Carleton Watkins (photographer).