17-year-old Arcadia High School student Courtney Chou Lee has been named the 91st Rose Queen. Six other young ladies are princesses including another AHS student, Lauren Valenzuela. The Rose Queen and her royal court will reign over the 120th Rose Parade and the 95th Rose Bowl. Article contains some quotes from Courtney Lee's parents, Andrew Lee and Ulanda Lee.
A 19-year-old man who was killed in a house fire in Arcadia was identified as Cheng Ming Dai of San Gabriel. A 16-year-old remains in critical condition and may be arrested and charged with arson. The house was located at 130 West Longden Avenue.
Arcadia-based Dr. Monique Williams has agreed to plead guilty to the unlawful distribution of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, aka Oxycodone. She admitted to writing prescriptions for people she did not examine and people that did not need it.
Arcadia High School has been honored with the 2002 BRAVO award for excellence in arts education by the Music Center of Los Angeles. The award recognizes art programs, including music and drama. Notable people Garry Marshall and Gayle Wilson, wife of former California governor Pete Wilson, attended the gala event.
Arcadia police officers honor Albert Matthies, the city's only police officer killed in the line of duty, with a ceremony and a plaque, 80 years after his death. The plaque is on the 1000 block of North View Avenue.
Arcadia Weekly columnists:Jake Armstrong writes general news, p. 1; Patrick Basham provide commentary, p. 3; Charles Cooper reports on Arcadia news, p. 1, 18; John LaRocca reports on real estate, p. 20; Bill Lee reports on real estate, p. 20; Eph Konigsberg reports on fruits, p. 24; Julia MacKenzie-Miller and Terry Miller write restaurant reviews, p. 8; and Luis Romero writes general news, p. 1.
Arcadia Weekly columnists: Susan Motander writes general news, p. 1; Mary K. Riherd writes music news, p. 14; Kevin Awakuni writes general news, p. 19.
Attorney Michael Mayock, representing convicted client Billy Cottrell, seeks a verdict reversal for the 2003 fire-bombing of sport utility vehicles (SUV) at a San Gabriel Valley automobile dealership. He says the jury did not know about Cottrell's Asperger's Syndrome, a neurological disorder. Cottrell's prison situation is 'nightmarish.'
Authorities say an E-mail unlocked a door into a string of vandalism and arson cases at SUV dealerships and led to the arrest of William Jensen Cottrell.
Billy Cottrell, a Cal Tech graduate student who took part in a fire bombing spree that caused millions of dollars in damage to SUV dealerships in the San Gabriel Valley, was sentenced to more than 8 years in prison. See inset for chronology of ecoterror events.
A black-tie centennial ball was held in Ayres Hall at Los Angeles County Arboretum, with a Greek theme. Dinner was catered by The Derby Restaurant. Pictured at Pamela Blackwood (Chairman of the Centennial Ball committee, George Fasching, Susan Guirguis, Mayor Gary Kovacic, Gail Marshall, Mickey Segal, John Wuo, Bob Margett, Jim Helms, Floretta Lauber, Robert Harbicht, Edward Butterworth and Charles Gilb.
Cal Tech student William Jensen Cottrell, allegedly connected with an ecoterrorist group in connection with vandalism at Rusnak Mercedes-Benz and other car dealershships in the San Gabriel Valley, was arrested by the FBI.