The 4th Annual Veteran's Day Celebration took place November 11 at Arcadia County Park. Sponsored by Mike Antonovich of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. In photo, veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor James R. Wire.
The 35th annual Public Schools luncheon was held at the Masonic Center to honor 26 National Merit Scholarship students. The Foothills Middle School Sixth Grade Chorus performed.
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.
Actor Doris Roberts from TV's "Everybody Loves Raymond" was the keynote speaker at a conference on aging at the Arcadia Community Center. It was sponsored by the Los Angeles Commission for Woman and the County Commission on Aging.
All the judges in Los Angeles County are in the process of voting on whether or not to consolidate the municipal and superior courts. Their decision would affect the local Santa Anita Municipal Court District.
Altrusa International, Inc. of Arcadia, an international association of business and professional women and men who volunteer to make their communities better, will host the 48th annual District 11 Conference. Dena Spanos-Hawkey, director of literacy services for Monrovia, Arcadia and South Pasadena, is the keynote speaker.
American Senior Living broke ground yesterday on the 54-unit Heritage Park, an affordable senior citizen housing project at 150 Las Tunas Drive. Rent for one-bedroom units is $484, and for doubles, the rent is $708.
An 8-foot tall bronze tribute to Arcadia's official bird, the peacock, will be unveiled August 5, as part of the city's centennial celebration. The statue will be located in the fountain at Peacock Corner, in the front of Arcadia County Park, at the southwest corner of Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue. The sculptor of the peacock is Dave Chapple and the sculpture cost $30,000.
Apache band captures praise in Arizona. The Arcadia High School Apache Marching Band and Color Guard took part in the White Mountain Apache Fair and rodeo in Arizona. The announcer said, "We are proud you are using our name." Photo caption: Wearing their new Apache-approved headdresses, members of the Arcadia high School Apache marching band tend to final details prior to the Arizona parade last weekend.
The Apache marching band will participate in the annual Festival of Bands. Dallas Massey, Apache Tribal Chairman for the White Mountain Apaches, will be the Grand Marshal of the parade.
The Arcadia Beautiful Commission presented its annual awards in a ceremony to honor residential and business owners for outstanding landscaping and overall appearances. Business owners awarded were Union 76, Sav-on Drugs, and the Baldwin Plaza.
The Arcadia Board of Education held its third student and staff recognition program, honoring members of the Arcadia Constitution Team, led by teacher Kevin Fox. Also honored were community volunteers Gary Kovacic, Bart Kimball, Bob Green, and Bob Garrett, the Science Olympiad Team, Allen Cheung for competing on the National Chemistry Olympiad Team, the Arcadia Science Bowl Team, Mathematics League, ROP, State Speech Association team, and Destination Imagination students.
The Arcadia Board of Education voted to eliminate nearly nine teaching positions from next year's budget. The jobs cut are in 9th grade math and English, and in English language support in elementary schools.
Arcadia celebrates its 100th birthday on August 5, 2003. The date reflects the anniversary of the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors certifying the results of the cityhood election. Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin was talking about creating a city as early as 1886. He wanted to name the city Baldwin. On July 27, 1903, thirty-nine residents voted for cityhood.
Arcadia City Council appointed the following: Bob Hoherd to the Arcadia Beautiful Commission, Richard Cordano and Carmine Falabrino were reappointed. James Hanrahan was reappointed to the Human Resources Commission and John Fung to the library board. David Olsen will serve on the Planning Commission and on the relocations appeal board. Michael Cook and Randy Fowler were named to the Recreation Commission. Jim Lewis and Arlene Okamoto were reappointed to the Senior Citizen Commission, as were Carol Curtis, Harlene Hamann and Dick Milefchik.
Arcadia City Council approved the first of a projected series of ten annual 5% increases in the city water rate. Sewer and trash rates will also increase.