Aaron Sharp of Port Hueneme posted a time of 15:01 to win his third straight Santa Anita Derby Day 5K at Santa Anita Park last Saturday. It was the 20th anniversary of the race.
The abandoned rail bridge over Colorado Boulevard in Arcadia will be removed because it could not accommodate the two-track light rail system and the Gold Line Construction Authority determined it was more efficient and cost effective to remove the structure than to widen it or add a second structure directly adjacent to the ole one. Bridge demolition was the first significant construction effort for Foothill Transit Constructors (FTC) and the alignment project. The Construction Authority will have three open houses in the next two weeks to update the community.
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.
AMPS Sports with Aaron Valdez. Surging Arcadia Apaches cross country team seeks to take league finals by storm. Seven boys on the Arcadia cross country team are shown in photo.
Animal Pest Management Services, Inc. will conduct a peafowl census in Arcadia during the week of May 20. The results and courses of action to contain the peafowl population will be given to City Council to review.
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.
Arcadia and Monrovia will be split into two assembly districts in the redistricting plan signed by Governor Gray Davis last week. Under the new plan, the 59th District, currently represented by Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, will move 84% of Arcadia and 40% of Monrovia to Assemblywoman Carol Liu's 44th District. The new plan is still being challenged in court. Senate district boundaries were also modified but did not affect Arcadia.
Arcadia Association of Realtors cancels city council candidate forum that had been scheduled for March 7 at the Arcadia Public Library. But since the city elections have moved from "at large" elections to district elections, the public would be better served by other, upcoming district-specific forums.
Arcadia attorney, former mayor Jim Helms, receives "Business Icon" Award from Arcadia Chamber of Commerce CEO Scott Hettrick and Arcadia Historical Society President Gene Glasco for his dedicated work as an attorney since 1952. Jim is also a former Mayor of Arcadia (1971-1972), Arcadia Chamber President and Arcadia Citizen of the Year 1979 and 2004.
Arcadia Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) sponsors local Arcadia girls' week at Tech Trek Science and Math Camp June 14 through June 20 at Whittier College. The girls will explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses and careers.
Arcadia Chamber of Commerce launches new networking campaign. Pop-Up mixers are held monthly at Arcadia bars whose owners are Chamber members. The first one was at Monkey Bar at Westfield Santa Anita mall, January 9. Pop-Up mixers are not advertised in advance, instead information is posted through social media within days of the event. RSVPs are not necessary.
Arcadia Chamber of Commerce opened its 50-year-old time capsule which was buried when the iconic chamber building was built in 1965. It contained some film which deteriorated. A new time capsule was buried.
Arcadia Citizen’s Financial Advisory Committee releases last report. The committee, an independent, ad-hoc advisory body of civic volunteers empaneled by the City Council to review the City’s General Fund long-range financial forecast and provide recommendations to the City Council for cost containment and/or revenue enhancements, recently released its final report. The 40-page report includes 15 recommendations to Arcadia City Council to address the $8,000,000 structural budget deficit. A key recommendation is for the city to consider increasing the city’s local sales tax rate by ¾ of one cent in order to maintain current levels of services.
Arcadia City Council approves $30,000 for officials' trip to China and Taiwan. The purpose is to foster a better understanding of Asian culture in order to better serve Arcadia, which is heavily populated by residents from China and Taiwan. Establishing sister city relationships with Chinese and Taiwanese municipalities is another goal of the trip. See VF Sister City.
Arcadia City Council approves Arcadia Highlands land development projects at 29 East Orange Grove Avenue and 1600 Highland Oaks Drive. The larger scale new construction of mansions will replace existing homes. The primary bone of contention came down to whether or not property owners' rights to maximize their investment and exercise freedom to build as they see fit should prevail over homeowners associations and residents concerned with maintaining a neighborhood's traditional aesthetic character while protecting neighboring properties' scenic views and privacy.
Arcadia City Council delays vote on Arcadia Highlands home building projects. Council will address the matter again on February 3, to allow for more time to vet newly received petitions from area residents and a detailed letter from an attorney representing a leading opponent of the developments, that the City received last week. Both projects, one at 1600 Highland Oaks Drive, the other at 29 East Orange Grove Avenue, and both designed by Robert Tong of Arcadia-based Sanyao International Inc., involve the demolition of vintage homes to make room for larger residences.
Arcadia City Council has adopted an ordinance officially awarding a cable television franchise for the city to Altrio Communications. Adelphia was the last cable provider.
The Arcadia City Council has approved a 12-month pilot program to expand its Dial-a-Ride service to include a new non-emergency medical appointment transportation program for seniors and disabled persons. The program includes service to five hospitals outside the city limits--Huntington Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park, City of Hope Medical Center and Santa Teresita Hospital, both in Duarte, and Mountainview Dialysis Center in Monrovia.