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.
Aerial photo of Charles Bluth's new home, named Peacock Manor. Under construction, the house is being built on 7 1/2 acres and will contain 24 rooms and 8 baths.
After years of lengthy and frustrating negotiations, Arcadia is close to signing a new franchise agreement with Group W cable television company. An agreement, if reached, would more than double the size of the city's cable system and finally allow Arcadians who live south of the 210 freeway to receive service.
Although its financial needs are not being met, Arcadia Methodist Hospital reports, the medical facility has decided to continue as a trauma center as long as financially feasible.
Although owners of horse-size lots in Southeast Arcadia recently lost a battle before the City Council to extend a moratorium on subdivisions in the area, one leader of the group says they will continue their fight on 2 fronts: a lawsuit against the city and the formation of a new citizen's group to put initiative measures on the city ballot to limit development of Arcadia.
Amy Nelson and Kathleen Ashenfelter, both 16,toured the Soviet Union for 3 weeks with the People to People Friendship Caravan, a program which takes 1600 American youths to 50 Soviet cities. It is the largest student educational program in the history of the US and USSR.
An apartment fire caused the death of a 7-year-old boy despite the efforts of bystanders. The boy's mother and sister escaped injuries. The fire apparently started with a Christmas tree.
An Arcadia man who didn't like a group of church Christmas carolers singing on his front lawn, brandished a gun at the group and threatened to kill them unless they got off his property. Police surrounded his house for an hour before he surrendered.
An emergency ordinance opens the sale of fireworks to other groups besides the American Legion which has had the only permit for many years. Council said it acted to avoid charges of permitting a monopoly.
Anoakia School plans to relocate to another city. The Fire Department has cited the school with many violations in the past year. Last month the Department closed a group of 10 classrooms for being unsafe.
Arcadia Board of Education candidate, Gene Shepherd feels it is unfair that he and 3 other candidates were not interviewed (as they had been in past years) by Arcadians for Arcadia. A spokesman for the group said it was pointless to interview Shepherd since the 3 incumbents "are doing a good job" while Shepherd "hasn't proven himself."
The Arcadia Board of Education granted pay raises to two groups of employees: California School Employees Association members (non-teachers, non-administrative employees) and confidential employees (executive secretaries and others who handle confidential materials).
The Arcadia Board of Education has offered the California School Employees Association and the Arcadia Pupil Support Services Association a 4.7% raise for 1985-86. The Employees Association is made up of secretaries, custodians and non-teaching personnel while the Services Association is made up of psychologists, nurses, counselors, reading teachers, etc.
The Arcadia branch of the California School Employees Association and the Board of Education have come to an agreement on a new contract that will give the non-teaching, non-administrative employees a 5.755 raise retroactive to July 1, 1986.
Arcadia business people apparently favor a no-smoking ordinance in principle, but might have difficulty with it in practice, according to a Chamber of Commerce survey recently delivered by City Manager George Watts. Sixty percent favored an ordinance controlling smoking. However, 60% also said they would not be able to provide segregated areas for smokers and non-smokers.
The Arcadia City Council appointed Thomas C. Clark to the Planning Commission and approved an ordinance reducing the number of members on the commission from 7 to 5.
The Arcadia City Council has decided not to reappoint Gary Kovacic to the Planning Commission. In a related story, Robert Harbicht's recent proposal to reduce the size of the Planning Commission from 7 to 5 members seems likely to be approved.