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.
2001 Arcadia homicide suspect, 72-year-old Richard Cole, arrested by Los Angeles Sheriffs Department Homicide and Arcadia Police Department, in the stabbing death of his wife, Charlotte S. Cole. She was killed September 1, 2001 on the 50 block of Las Tunas Drive, in Arcadia.
After a five-year hiatus, Arcadia City Council is considering reinstating a policy that would let property owners pay to be assigned a more auspicious house number, which some believe would improve the value of their home. The number 4 in a street address is considered a bad omen in many Asian cultures. In Mandarin language, the word "four" sounds like the word for death, while the number eight is considered lucky, because it sounds like the word for prosper. Arcadia's Asian population is approaching 60% and most potential buyers will be Asian. In a 3-2 vote, Arcadia City Council endorsed the move in principle and directed staff to report back on the costs involved.
An 18-year-old male was stabbed to death at a strip mall in the 1300 block of S. Golden West Avenue in Arcadia. Juan Lorenzo, age 31, and Jose Antonio Cruz Ramirez, age 26, both of San Gabriel, were arrested and booked on murder charges. Both suspects work at Money Pot Shabu Shabu Restaurant.
Anti-mansionization candidates snag seats on Arcadia City Council. Peter Amundson received 4122 votes and April Verlato received 4077 votes to become the two new city council members. Bob Harbicht received the third highest number of votes.
Arcadia bids farewell to board members and welcomes newly appointed. Maki Hsieh, the Director of Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation, is leaving Arcadia for Seattle. Newly appointed are Gary Brewer (Arcadia Beautiful Commission), Kaitlyn Jeong (Human Resources Commission), Brad Thompson (Planning Commission) and Peter Chu (Recreation and Parks Commission).
Arcadia certifies city council election victories for John Wuo and Gary A. Kovacic. The results were certified this week after election officials were able to verify and count 661 of the remaining 681 ballots of the April 10 election. There were 105 ballots that had to be disqualified because voters selected more than 2 candidates in the all-mail election. At least some of those were caused by an error in the ballots' Chinese-language instructions that directed voters to select no more than 3 instead of 2 candidates, prompting the city to send out correction notices. Gene Glasco was elected City Clerk. Measure D, the hotel room tax, passed.
Arcadia city council election results undecided after city receives 999 more ballots yesterday. The second and final count will be completed on April 21. Tentative results had Peter Amundson and April Verlato in the lead, but Bob Harbicht is trailing not far behind. There were 2 seats to be filled.
Arcadia City Council made three appointments to the Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association (AIA) board of directors. They are Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager and Development Services Director, Tim Schwehr, the city's Economic Development Analyst, and Peter Amundson, City Council member.
Arcadia City Council today will once more reconsider whether to allow customer-requested address changes in light of concerns about a Chinese superstition involving the number four. Since the number four sounds like the word for death in Mandarin and is considered unlucky, some realtors and residents have argued that addresses that end in the number four are more difficult to sell and affect home prices. The cost of processing an address change would be about $2600.
Arcadia election heating up: candidate forum next week. There are two open seats on council for 4-year terms and the City Clerk position is open for a 4-year term.
Arcadia firefighter Mike Herdman died instantly after falling from a cliff in the Sespe Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest. The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office said Herdman died in a fall from the edge of the mountain or cliff. It was ruled an accidental death. See also Arcadia Weekly, July 3, 2014, p. 1, 20.
Arcadia. Is horse racing addicted to drugs? Medication use is widespread, and critics say it contributes to deaths like those at Santa Anita Park. Half of the three dozen horses that died at Santa Anita Park in the 12 months before the current meet were on at least one anti-inflammatory medication, a major focal point in the investigation into equine deaths at the racetrack. Critics argue overuse of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs, masks the injuries of horses and increases the chances of a fatal breakdown. The California Horse Racing Board’s research indicates 90% of breaks stem from preexisting injuries. Animal rights organizations say these medications likely contributed to the deaths of 23 horses at Santa Anita Park since the season began December 26, 2018.
Arcadia Library Board of Trustees appoints Mary Beth Hayes as interim Director of Library and Museum Services, following the sudden death of Jackie Faust-Moreno. Mary Beth Hayes has been employed by the City of Arcadia since 1989 and is currently Library Services Manager.
Arcadia man Larry Roger Beck, 66 years old, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for killing his girlfriend's toddler son in Louisville, Kentucky 43 years ago. He admitted to shaking the 20-month old Michael Sanders, which was a factor that caused the child's death.