The 49th Annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design "Empty House Party" draws a crowd of nearly 500 design enthusiasts and architecture aficionados in Arcadia, at the showcase home designed by architect Roland E. Coate, Sr. The house was built in 1941 for furniture executive C. Lawrence Barker, of the former furniture company Barker Brothers.
57-year-old Richard Henry Solis of Arcadia faces two felony counts of grand theft from elder and six counts of petty theft from elder. The alleged crimes involved Solis claiming the victims had injured him with their vehicles and then asking for money for medical expenses or stealing their belongings, reportedly stealing $100,000 from the victims.
A 61-year-old construction worker who died after being run over by a bulldozer while working to level a vacant residential lot in Arcadia last month was identified as Sirpriano Dorame-Martinez of South Gate. The accident took place April 15 in the 900 block of Monte Verde Drive.
69-year-old Arcadia resident David Tran is the owner of Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha hot sauce. Huy Fong Foods should be operational in a new $50 million, 650,000 s.f. factory in Irwindale, by September. The factory is moving from Rosemead.
The 626 Night Market is the brainchild of 3 Taiwanese-Americans who were heavily inspired by their experiences at night markets in Taiwan. The 626 Night Market will continue at Santa Anita Park next summer.
The 2001 murder of grocer Adel Karas, a 48-year old Egyptian man from Arcadia, a few days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, was initially thought to have been a hate crime. He was shot at his store International Market at 1381 E. Last Tunas in San Gabriel. Now police suspect Adel Karas was the victim of extortion. The suspects are two Latinos in their mid-20s.
The 2010 All-Area Girls Tennis was named. Those from Arcadia High School are Caroline Young, Michelle Zhu, Francis Dean, Annie Tung and Elizabeth Lieu. Coach of the Year is Jerry Dohling. An Arcadia High School girl on the second team is Nadia Pacheco-Amaro.
2010 U.S. Census data shows that 12 San Gabriel Valley cities, including Arcadia, saw the percentage of owner-occupied homes rise, something that experts said was extremely uncommon following the housing crisis. 63.1% of Arcadia's homes are owner-occupied, while 36.9% are occupied by renters. Other cities' figures are shown in chart. Arcadia's vacancy percentage is 5.3%. Vacancy rates are determined by the U.S. Census Bureau by sending out canvassers to homes that did not respond to Census mailers.
2011 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) scores show a majority of area schools are progressing. California's STAR program assesses public school students' knowledge of the math, English and science in grades 2 through 11. At Arcadia Unified School District, these are the percentage of students who scored proficient or advanced in core subjects: English-Language Arts 83.9%; History 76%; Mathematics 82.4%; Science 84.7%; Science end of course 80.4%. STAR scores from other area schools are given.
Abandoned pet turtles, specifically red-eared slider turtles that are native to Louisiana, are turning up at the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia (shown in photograph), Huntington Library, and local golf courses. It is illegal to buy turtles less than 4 inches long and to dump them. They threaten to push out the state's only native turtles species in urban and natural waters here.
Adams’ Pack Station in the Angeles National Forest for sale. It’s the last animal-assisted goods delivery system in SoCal. Pack donkeys carry 130 pounds of roofing material, flooring, food, tools, wood, whatever the cabin owners or renters need for their stays in Big Santa Anita Canyon, above Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Deb Burgess has owned it since 2006.
The ad (open letter to the Arcadia community) that was paid for by the three members of the Arcadia Unified School District Board of Education who are targeted for recall--Cung Nguyen, lori Phillipi, and Kay Kinsler--was printed in the Pasadena Star News August 11, 2013. Fired Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien and his supporters say the letter was a public relations bid to derail the recall effort. See hard copy of the letter in VF "Arcadia High School." See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1 and 27, August 15, 2013.
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.
Alan Weeks, a retiree who rode the last Pacific Electric Red Car that went through this area in 1951, visits the Arcadia Gold Line Station at North First Avenue and Santa Clara Street.
American Pharoah's trainer Bob Baffert and his wife Jill donated $150,000 to three charities. Jockey Victor Espinoza, who rode American Pharoah to win 2015 Triple Crown, donated all his earnings from Belmont Stakes race to City of Hope.
The American Red Cross chapter in Arcadia has laid off 10 of 11 employees, citing a large budget deficit. Chapter officials say all services will continue, with help from staff from the Los Angeles and San Gabriel/Pomona Valley chapters. Most of the laid off staff were trainers who taught first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Americans of Japanese descent gathered at Santa Anita Park yesterday to reflect on the dark period of history when Santa Anita Park was the largest assembly center for interned Japanese-Americans. Nearly 20,000 were processed at Santa Anita Park and sent to internment camps. Several people who were once incarcerated at Santa Anita Park were among those who gathered there at the Cherry Blossom Festival Southern California's 11th Annual Camp Stories Award Show and Auction.
An 81-year-old West Covina man, Hao Liang, was struck and killed by a car when he was walking across Santa Anita Avenue, south of Duarte Road, last Wednesday, December 18, approximately 5:36 PM, at La Sierra Drive. The driver was a 36-year-old Monterey Park woman.