A $9 million budget has been proposed for 1975-76. City manager Lyman Cozad feels that no tax increase will be necessary due to the higher valuation of city property.
A 13-year-old girl named Susan Wiley was reportedly a prisoner in her home for all of her life until a social worker discovered the child abuse. Susan's parents Clark Wiley and Irene Wiley were arrested. The family home is at 6722 Golden West Avenue, in a county area of Arcadia. Susan Wiley was living in an environment of total isolation and deprivation and was malnourished. She cannot talk, is deformed, barely able to walk and is not toilet trained. She has been placed in the care of Children's Hospital. The child has come to be known by the alias "Genie." See hard copy in VF Wiley, Susan aka "Genie"
25% of a $10,000 goal for the new Jerry Broadwell children's room has been pledged. A benefit concert will be held on December 17 at the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium and proceeds will be shared by the High School and the Broadwell Fund.
The 50,000 square foot property on the northeast corner of Wheeler and First has been sold for $215,000. The former owners were Robert and Phyllis Walker. The site will be used for the corporate headquarters for HTL Industries and a two story office building to be built by Jeff Jons and Jim Kuhn. Hoy an Kehler's Arcadia Van Lives, presently on the site, will relocate.
$51,942 for a park at 6th and Longden and $90,000 for one at Colorado have been granted by the State Beach, Park, Recreational and Historical Facilities Bond Act of 1974.
After 2 months of classes, enrollment for Arcadia schools is down 400 from last year at this time. The only enrollment increase has been in grades 4-6.
All work on the east end of the Foothill Freeway in Pasadena should be completed in mid-February. Trains have been using the freeway median since August 12, 1975.
An addition to the High School Little Theater has been approved for a bid of $67,350. The addition will be used for set design, etc. The $20,000 cost increase over what had been tentatively set did not please the School Board.
An association of various discontented areas seeking to secede from Los Angeles County has been formed, but the San Gabriel Valley has not yet joined. The six proposed counties are: San Fernando Valley, Canyon, Chumash, Santa Monica, South Bay and Peninsula.
An extensive biography of George Watts, who has been named acting City Manager, succeeding Lyman Cozad who left to become manager of the League of California Cities.
Approximately 110 slides depicting Arcadia's history have been made into a slide show and are now available to check out along with a written narration.
The April apportionment of the cigarette tax, highway users tax and "in-lieu" motor vehicle license fee has been distributed. Arcadia received $15,988, $34,441 and $76,778 respectively.
The Arboretum has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Institute of Museum Services. The money will be used for a computerized system to inventory and store information on the Arboretum's plant collection.
Arcadia, along with several other communities in the San Gabriel Valley, face termination of animal control services now rendered by the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society. This agency will discontinue services as of June 30, 1978.
The Arcadia Board of Education has been studying the legal status and requirements of driver education. So far driver education has not been offered at Arcadia High School this year.
The Arcadia City Council denied the application of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness for a religious solicitation certificate. The application has been before the Council for 18 months. Public hearings were held, and the council requested financial statements which were never produced.
Arcadia has been officially approved by the American Revolutionary Bicentennial Committee as a Bicentennial city. Such approval is necessary before the city can participate in the many functions and activities of the ARBC.