The 6th annual fall racing meeting closed November 3 and the directors of the Oak Tree Racing Association held a celebration. Vice President and General Manager Ray Rogers is pictured.
10-year-old Arcadia resident Natalia Sanchez-Nigolian started a "Save the Trees" fund to maintain trees on Paloma Drive, where she lives. She plans to start an environmental club at Hugo Reid Elementary.
The 1980 Oak Tree Racing Association season set records in attendance, parimutual handle, wagering and horsemen benefits. Awards for the meet are enumerated: John Henry was voted Horse of the Meeting. Sandy Hawley won the riding championship.
All four "tree-sitters" arrested while protesting the destruction of an 11-acre oak woodland in Arcadia appeared in Alhambra Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to one count each of trespassing and obstruction a police officer. They are John Quigley, 50, of Glendale, Julia Jaye Posin, 23 of Venice Beach, Travis Jochimsen, 28, of Lancaster and Andrea Bowers, 45 of Los Angeles. They rejected an offer of community service and payment of restitution from the District Attorney's office. The four will appear in court again April 22 for a pre-trial hearing.
The Arcadia City Council has approved an ordinance specifically laying out the responsibilities of property owners to assist in the maintenance of street trees.
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 has been named a Tree City USA for the ninth year. To be a Tree City, a community must have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance.
Arcadia hosts inaugural holiday tree lighting and dedication on Saturday, December 5 at 5:00 PM at Arcadia Transit Plaza at corner of Santa Clara Street and North First Avenue. Features the dedication of the Deodar Cedar as the official Holiday Tree by the Arcadia City Council and the Arcadia Beautiful Commission.
The Breeders' Cup announced that its internationally recognized thoroughbred horse racing event will be hosted by the Churchill Downs race track in Louisville, KY in 2011 for the second consecutive year. Breeders' Cup spokesman Jim Gluckson said, "It became a difficult situation to select Santa Anita Park for 2011 with the problems that occurred with the cancellation of Oak Tree lease."
Bulldozers finished demolishing the 11 acres of oak tree woodlands in Arcadia, at the Los Angeles County Santa Anita Dam Sediment Placement Site yesterday. Four environmental activists, called "tree-sitters," were booked on trespassing and obstruction, then were later released. Los Angeles County Public Works said demolishing the 179 trees to make room for sediment dredged from nearby dams is a flood control effort necessary to ensure public safety. The bitter debate continues. Activists claim the project was not transparent to the public and media.
California Governor Jerry Brown declares a state of emergency in response to the recent windstorm that caused about $75 million in damage, primarily in the San Gabriel Valley. The declaration allows city governments to be reimbursed for up to 75% of the cost of the damage through state and federal agencies. It also allows state agencies to assist in the recovery.
The California Horse Racing Board authorized Oak Tree Racing Association to have its traditional fall meet at another thoroughbred venue in Southern California since the association's use of Santa Anita Park is still uncertain. MI Developments, which is chaired by Frank Stronach, recently voided Oak Tree's contract after acquiring the race track from Stronach's Magna Entertainment Corp (MEC) through federal bankruptcy proceedings. Oak Tree's director Sherwood Chillingworth said, "If we can't make a deal with Santa Anita...we can take our dates and run them in Hollywood or Del Mar."
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) delayed a decision on conflicting requests for 2011 racing dates from Santa Anita Park and Oak Tree Racing Association. The CHRB urged Santa Anita Park, Hollywood Park and Oak Tree to get together to come up with a plan that works for the good of the industry.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) denied a license to Oak Tree Racing Association to run its fall meet at Santa Anita Park after representatives from the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the California Thoroughbred Trainers said they opposed having Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park due to safety concerns, saying they prefer Hollywood Park. Sherwood Chillingworth, executive vice president of Oak Tree, said he was moving forward to make arrangements to run the fall meet at Hollywood Park, but did not rule out the possibility that the board could change its mind.
The California Horse Racing Board has approved fall racing's return to Santa Anita Park, in 2011, after a 1-year hiatus, but this time Oak Tree Racing Association will not be running the show. Oak Tree could participate, but would not operate the Directors Room or handle the money raised for the industry.