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 2-year-old legal battle between the city of Arcadia and Taboo Gentlemen's Club, a strip club, will most likely result in the club being closed or sold off by April, 2009. The federal court case started when the city revoked Taboo Gentlemen's Club's business license for breaking the city's adult business codes. The club's owners Bill Badi Gammoh and Chawkat Jajieh sued in response, claiming city and police had obstructed business and violated their civil rights. The city's adult business ordinance prohibits lap dances, sexual contact, private dance booths and direct tipping. It requires licensed dancers to perform on an elevated stage.
A 3-year-old boy died when the car he was riding in was struck by a stolen vehicle being chased by Arcadia Police. The suspect that stole the car has been identified as Sara Bravo, 26, of La Puente.
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.
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.
The 5 princesses for the Arcadia float for the 1994 Rose Parade are Michelle Anderson, Danielle Didier, Michele Garrett, Allison Hannegan and Lianne Mead.
A 5-year effort to put $1.5 million worth of computers, laser disc players, videocassette recorders and other high-tech teaching tools into Arcadia classrooms was kicked off by the Arcadia Educational Foundation, an independent fundraising group.
5 year old Arcadian Jeff Kettle got his wish to tour the Arcadia Police Department. Jeff, who is suffering from lymphoma, has only a 5-20 percent chance of living a year.
7-year-old Maria Lugo Rocha of Sinaloa, Mexico, is recovering after a surgery to remove a bone tumor from her chin, performed last week at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. LIGA International, a non-profit group of medical experts, pilots and volunteers, helped to bring the girl to Arcadia to have the surgery.
9-year-old Maria Lugo came to Arcadia Arcadia Methodist Hospital from Mexico to have a steel plate removed from her chin. It was a follow-up surgery to a softball-size tumor removal she had in April, 2008, at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. Dr. Jon Tyrell, a member of LIGA International, and Dr. B.S. Chandrasekhar operated on her. LIGA International is a non-profit group of medical experts, pilots and volunteers who travel to clinics in Sinaloa, Mexico several times a year.
The $10.5 million renovation project at Santa Anita Fashion Park has begun, with a formal ground-breaking ceremony to be held January 26. The project is expected to last 10 months.
10 year-old Arcadia resident Eddie Drain, who lost his hair after chemotherapy treatments, got a boost from his baseball league teammates when they got together and shaved their own heads.
10-year-old Arcadia resident Natalia Sanchez-Nigolian started a "Save the Trees" fund to maintain trees on Paloma Drive, where she lives. She plans to start an environmental club at Hugo Reid Elementary.
A 12-inch steel-jaw trap was found buried in a condominium flower bed. Such traps are illegal in California. The trap was found next to a house where a smaller device crushed the toes of a cat last week.
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.
12-year old Kyrsti Chavez from Arcadia, will be singing the National Anthem for the Metro Orange Line Extension opening on Friday, June 29, in Chatsworth.