About 44 residents of Newcastle, Australia will be here for several days - going to the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl Game. One of their girls will ride on Arcadia's Rose Parade float. Many civic affairs are planned.
An earthquake registering 5.5 on the Richter scale hit Australia's southeast coast at 3:28 PST on Wednesday, December 27, 1989. Newcastle, Australia's fifth largest city, suffered the majority of damage as 11 were known to have died. A city of 500,000, Newcastle has the largest concentration of heavy industry in the country.
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.
The Arcadia City Council has voted to disband its Sister City Commission. However, this does not affect Arcadia's sister city relationships with Newcastle, Australia, or Tripolis, Greece.
Arcadia City Council hears residents' concerns about large housing development and its associated loss of native sycamore trees. Council official abandons China and Taiwan (sister city) trip for now.
Arcadia is considering a cultural exchange with a new sister city. A contingent from Zehlendorf, Germany, visited Arcadia recently to explore the possibility of a mutual exchange and to discover common interests.
Arcadia will devise a program to celebrate its centennial next year with its sister city of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Next year will mark the 30th year of the sister city relationship.
Arcadia will receive a coveted international city award for its sister cities program with Newcastle, Australia, in ceremonies on Saturday, July 21, at the conclusion of the 24th annual Sister Cities International Conference in Denver, Colorado.
California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) warned City of Arcadia of gift limits regarding the trip to China and Taiwan that city officials are planning for cultural learning and sister city relationships. See VF Sister City.
Chinese firms donate $20,000 to City of Arcadia. Several city officials and employees might use it for business travel to China and Taiwan in hopes of fostering sister-city relationships. City employees plan to meet with government officials in China and Taiwan to learn more about government services, residential design and the culture in an effort to better serve Arcadia. The two companies that donated this money are Companhia de Comercial Dingyuan Limitada and Sichuan Arrow Recovery Technology Company Ltd. See VF Sister City.
City of Arcadia officials will be traveling to China and Taiwan two two weeks to foster a sister-city relationship by meeting with local government officials there to learn more about government services, residential development and the culture in an effort to better serve Arcadia. More than 50% of Arcadia residents are of Chinese and Taiwanese heritage. The trip tentatively set for March 9-April 1 will cost an estimated $65,000 with $20,000 of it donated by Chinese companies. See VF Sister City.
Councilman Gary Kovacic has suggested that Arcadia establish a sister city relationship with Whiteriver, the main community on the White Mountain Indian Reservation, upon which the White Mountain Apache Tribe live.
Experts question donations for travel. Delegation from Arcadia City Hall given $30,000 from two Chinese firms and one local developer for trip to Asia, including Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in China and Taipei, Taiwan. Government and ethics experts say the cash donations to the City of Arcadia for this trip raises concerns about transparency and influence. The trips are designed study sister city relationships, learn about the culture and talk to Chinese and Taiwanese officials. Those traveling include Mayor John Wuo and his wife, Council Sho Tay and wife, Councilman Tom Beck, City Attorney Stephen Deitsch, City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto, Fire Chief Kurt Norwood, Recreation Director Sara Somogyi, Public Works Director Tom Tait, and George and Sandy Wuo, who are relatives of the mayor. See VF Sister City.
Former mayor Charles Gilb and former City Commission Dean Efsthathiou are appointed City Ambassadors at Large to Arcadia's two sister cities Newcastle, Australia and Tripolis, Greece.
A group under the direction of the Arcadia Friendship Club will visit Tripolis, Greece, Sister City of Arcadia. A special proclamation honoring Tripolis' Mayor Tasos Sehiotes and Greek Independence Day has been prepared for presentation.