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.
4th Annual Downtown Arcadia Patriotic Festival, an Independence Day celebration, takes place on First Avenue between Bonita Street and Diamond Street, Sunday, July 1, 5-9 PM.
$24 million winning lottery ticket purchased at Golden Donuts Place, 104 E. Foothill Blvd in Arcadia. It is unclaimed so far. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, December 25, 2014.
375 Arcadia High School Apaches are set for marching in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on January 2, 2017, and at the Rose Parade Band Fest on New Year's Eve at Pasadena City College. Band director is Mr. Seth Murray. The Apache Marching Band has performed in the Rose Parade 15 times over the past 50 years.
1980s pop group Air Supply plays at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center on January 25, 2014. Also playing this season are America (2/22), Susan Egan (3/1), and The Temptations (6/7).
2001 Arcadia homicide suspect, 72-year-old Richard Cole, arrested by Los Angeles Sheriffs Department Homicide and Arcadia Police Department, in the stabbing death of his wife, Charlotte S. Cole. She was killed September 1, 2001 on the 50 block of Las Tunas Drive, in Arcadia.
The ad (open letter to the Arcadia community) that was paid for by the three members of the Arcadia Unified School District Board of Education who are targeted for recall--Cung Nguyen, lori Phillipi, and Kay Kinsler--was printed in the Pasadena Star News August 11, 2013. Fired Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien and his supporters say the letter was a public relations bid to derail the recall effort. See hard copy of the letter in VF "Arcadia High School." See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1 and 27, August 15, 2013.
An activist group called Save the Arcadia Highlands is suing the City of Arcadia over two residential developments that Arcadia City Council approved in February, citing possible violations to "specific provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Planning and Zoning Law, filed March 12. The addresses involved are 29 East Orange Grove Avenue and 1600 Highland Oaks Drive. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 17, March 19, 2015.
An ancient Chinese maternity tradition, from the Sung Dynasty (960-1275 AD), known as "Zuo Yue Zi," is translated as "doing the month."It refers to the care of a Chinese woman during the first month after giving birth. The practice is explained here by Wei-Chen Tung, a former registered nurse at Arcadia Methodist Hospital and now an assistant professor of nursing at University of Nevada, Reno. The practice requires new mothers to follow a strict diet and rest for 3-4 weeks following a pregnancy. Tung says a lot of Chinese women still practice this, so hospitals should be aware of this part of Chinese culture. Maternity tourists--women who want to come to the United States to give birth to a full-fledged American citizen, have given rise to businesses that cater to them, such as the maternity home that was shut down in the 1300 block of South Palm Avenue in San Gabriel on March 8. It had been 5 townhomes illegally converted into a maternity home.
Anti-mansionization goes to the ballot. Zoning code issue continues as anti-mansionization group Saving Arcadia (an outgrowth of Save the Arcadia Highlands) takes it to the ballot in April 2018. At issue are Floor Area Ratios (FAR). See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 17, April 7, 2016-initiative did not make it onto ballot because of signature discrepancy.
Arcadia City Council hears public concerns over historic preservation on February 19. In 4-1 vote City Council agreed not to accept the current ordinance as is, but instead to have city staff revise it. Councilman Roger Chandler took some angry digs at local historians such as Carol Libby about the proposed ordinance. Marcello Vavala, of the Los Angeles Conservancy, said the proposed ordinance was fair because it would require consent of the homeowner to officially designate the home a historic entity.
Arcadia City Council moves toward a smoking ban at city parks and recreation areas, excluding the Par 3 Golf Course. While Council voted 4 to 1 last week in support of the concept, an ordinance is expected to be presented to the Council in May for public comment and approval.
Arcadia city is widening and improving three major downtown intersections, a $1 million project that has caused significant congestion in recent weeks. The work is taking place on Huntington Drive at intersections of Santa Anita Avenue, Santa Clara Avenue and Colorado Place. Sixty percent of the funding is by the City and forty percent by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The city is also replacing an older sewer with a new larger one on Baldwin Avenue, northbound between Huntington Drive and Duarte Road, and will repave the road. Cost about $413,000.
Arcadia city officials are cracking down on "maternity tourism" boarding houses by dedicating a full-time police detective to investigate the issue. Maternity or birth tourism is a phenomenon in which women, often from China, pay a handsome fee to have their babies in the United States, so the children can be citizens. While that is not illegal, at least five establishments have been shut down for violations, such as unlawfully operating boarding house businesses in residential zones.
Arcadia city wants ban on single-use plastic bags just 6 months before a statewide referendum goes to California voters. If adopted, it would affect approximately 36 Arcadia businesses and be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 would begin in early June and would apply to grocery stores with $2 million+ in annual sales, such as Vons, Albertsons, 99 Ranch Market. Phase 2 would include smaller businesses, like pharmacies and convenience stores, and would be implemented 6 months later. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 4, April 21, 2016.
Arcadia Dial-a-Ride service to return to seniors, disabled after years of students "monopolizing" the service. On July 1, the fare will increase from 25 cents to 50 cents per ride and will have new fixed routes. The Dial-a-Ride will be for seniors over 62 years old and riders who are disabled.
Arcadia Fire Department responded to a hazardous materials spill at San Carlos Road, on January 21, 2013 at 1:00 PM. The spill was contained and was not released into storm drain system. The substance was identified as muriatic acid. Neutralization techniques were implemented to abate the hazard.