Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 16, 2013

7

Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 16, 2013 

“What’s Going On?” 

News and Views from Joan Schmidt

LAGUNA ARTS PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS

Come celebrate one of the most talked about highlights of the summer! Join the Arcadia Recreation 
and Community Services Department for an adult excursion to this fantastic annual event in Laguna 
Beach on Friday, August 23rd. Historic paintings come to life in this magnificent display of art. “The 
Big Picture” is the theme for 2013. “Lights! Camera! Inaction!” Excitement is already building for the 
2013 Pageant of the Masters as it celebrates the 80th birthday of living pictures – the original freeze 
frame – at the Festival of Arts. The Big Picture will also add a cinematic spin to its world-class presentation 
with classic masterpieces that inspired legendary filmmakers. You won’t want to miss out on the 
fun as The Big Picture time-travels and goes on location around the globe in search of unforgettable 
art. Picture This … Two Shows for the Price of One. As a Pageant patron, you’ll be admitted to The 
Festival of Arts – California’s Premier Fine Art Show, absolutely free all summer long! Simply show 
your Pageant ticket at the Festival’s front gate. You’ll enjoy stunning artwork, hands-on demonstrations, 
wine tasting, and much more. Come back again and again.

The trip fee of $60 includes pageant admission, round trip transportation in an air conditioned coach 
bus and snacks. Please arrive at 5pm, the bus leaves promptly at 5:30pm from the Arcadia Community 
Center, 365 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007, and returns at midnight! For more questions, please 
contact the Recreation Office at 626.574.5113.

ARCADIA CITY ENGINEER PHILIP 
WRAY ADDRESSES CHAMBER’S 
MONTHLY MEETING AND MORE

 I may sound like a broken record, but every time I leave the Arcadia Chamber 
of Commerce’s monthly Government Forum Meeting, I carry with me an 
enormous wealth of information! This month’s guest speaker was Philip Wray, 
Deputy Director of Development Services and City Engineer for Arcadia. Mr. 
Wray’s presentation of timeline and traffic routing for the bridge construction 
over Santa Anita was so thorough. He began by explaining how there had to be 
grade separation on 
Santa Anita. The City 
approached MTA 
for funds, but twice 
was turned down. It 
was fortunate that 
Arcadia looks to 
the future and had 
accrued 5 million. 
However more 
funds were needed 
and it was put on 
the ballot in 2006. A 
two-thirds majority 
vote was needed, but 
72% of the resident 
voters approved 
the measure-voting 
for the 8 million 
assessments!

 Mr. Wray 
explained that 
during construction 
on Santa Anita 
Avenue, two lanes would be opened on the median for traffic. All businesses would still remain open. 
One challenge is building the bridge over the roadway; especially with the big hump-four feet of this 
raised area must be removed!

 During the project, another challenge is the road must be kept open-even if only two lanes. 
Businesses cannot be closed, and how will a lower road work with the businesses’ driveways? 

 Mr. Wray spoke highly of Metro Gold Line and its agreements with the City. Extensive work on 
Santa Anita will be done, close to the summer months, (May-August) when children are off from 
school. There will be NO construction during the Breeder’s Cup in November, and Metro Gold Line 
will be sensitive to Community Events.

After the Breeder’s Cup in November, Metro Gold Line Construction will move to Huntington Drive.

 Brian Mejia from Supervisor Antonovich reminded us that next Tuesday, the Water Fee will be 
discussed at the Board of Supervisors Meeting. He also mentioned that the Supervisor will hold his 
16th Annual Veterans Fair for Vets and their families at Santa Anita Park in late May.

 Olivia Lee from Assemblyman Ed Chau’s office came and gave everyone a paper listing all Legislation 
Introduced in 2013! For example, Assembly Bill (AB) 242, Internet Privacy Policies would provide a 
simple and easy way for the average consumer to understand online privacy policies by limiting their 
length and requiring them to be written in a clear and concise manner. Other noteworthy bills include 
AB 330 Student Debt, AB 477 Mandated Reporting of Elder Abuse, AB 888 State Bar Investigatory 
Powers, AB1043 Proposition 84 Water Cost Recovery, and AB 1127 Language Access to the Courts. 
If you go on line, you may find out more about these bills.

 On March 14, from 5pm-7:30pm, there will be a MEGA MIXER at the 500 Speedway Drive, 
Irvindale. This great event will have 8 participating Chambers of Commerce including Arcadia, 
Azusa, Duarte, El Monte, Irvindale, Monrovia, Rosemead and Temple City. Cost is $10 for Chamber 
members; $15 for Non-members. Food will be provided and drag racing can be viewed from 5-10pm. 
RVP (626) 447-2159 or online at www.ArcadiaCaChamber.org See you there!


FLASHLIGHT EGG HUNT FOR TEENS

ARCADIA PAR 3 GOLF COURSE!

FRIDAY NIGHT, MARCH 29, 2013

All Middle School and High School students are invited to bring their flashlights and 
baskets to search for eggs in the dark at the Arcadia Par 3 Golf Course, 620 East Live 
Oak Ave., Arcadia on Friday, March 29th! Separate Middle School and High School 
areas will be sectioned off for students to have the best chance of finding the “Special 
Eggs”. Prizes range from restaurant gift certificates to amusement park tickets! 
Don’t forget to bring your current student ID in order to redeem the prize for finding 
a “Special Egg”. All parents in attendance will have opportunities to compete with 
other parents to win prizes for their teens. Make it a family evening and come out to 
participate in this free event! Parent Contest: 7pm/Egg Hunt: 8pm Sharp! For more 
information please call 626.574.5113! Or go on-line to the City of Arcadia’s website: 
www.ci.arcadia.ca.us. 


DERBY DAY 
5K WALK/
RUN

Saturday, April 6 is the Derby Day 
5K Walk/Run! This year's event includes, 
custom medals to the first 
5,000 finishers, starting from an 
authentic starting gate, one of LA's 
most scenic 5K courses through 
the Arboretum and finish on the 
track, post-race beer garden, and 
complimentary admission to Santa 
Anita Derby Day.

Arcadia Police Blotter

For the period of Sunday, March 3rd, through 
Saturday, March 9th, the Police Department 
responded to 974 calls for service of which 108 
required formal investigations. The following is a 
summary report of the major incidents handled by 
the Department during this period.

Sunday, March 3:

1. At approximately 9:00 a.m., an officer 
responded to the 100 block of El Dorado Street 
in regards to a report of mail theft. The reporting 
party observed a suspicious subject remove mail 
from two mailboxes at the location. The officer 
made contact with the suspect and discovered she 
was under the influence of a controlled substance 
and had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. 
The 36-year-old Hispanic female was arrested and 
transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 


2. At about 4:30 p.m., an officer responded 
to Sephora at the Santa Anita Mall, 400 South 
Baldwin Avenue, in reference to a theft report. 
The suspect concealed merchandise inside her 
purse and then waited in line to return an item 
she previously purchased. After the transaction, 
she exited the store without making payment for 
the concealed items. The 25-year-old Asian female 
was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City 
Jail for booking. 


Monday, March 4:

3. Around 2:45 a.m., an officer made 
consensual contact with a subject walking in the 
area of Gate Five of the Santa Anita Race Track, 
285 West Huntington Drive. An investigation 
revealed the subject was under the influence of 
methamphetamine. The 22-year-old Hispanic 
male was arrested and transported to the Arcadia 
City Jail for booking. 


4. Just after 3:00 p.m., an officer, dressed 
in plain clothes and driving an unmarked police 
vehicle, observed a suspicious male subject 
perform cosmetic repairs on a vehicle in the 
parking lot of CVS, 1401 South Baldwin Avenue. 
An investigation revealed the subject convinced 
an elderly couple to allow him to fix their bumper 
using spray paint in exchange for a cash fee. The 
31-year-old Chinese male was never issued a 
business license. Further investigation is being 
conducted by the Detective Bureau for possible 
elder abuse by theft or fraud. 


Tuesday, March 5:

5. At approximately 10:05 a.m., an officer 
was dispatched to the Arcadia Police Department 
front counter regarding a forgery report. The 
victim explained she ordered a box of checks and 
never received them in the mail. An inquiry with 
her bank revealed three of the checks had been 
cashed, totaling $1,160. The suspect(s) identity 
remains unknown. 


6. Shortly after 11:00 a.m., Police and City 
personnel conducted an inspection of a residence 
in the 1700 block of South Baldwin Avenue, in 
regards to a complaint of the residence being used 
as a boarding house. The investigation revealed the 
property, equipped with eight bedrooms and ten 
bathrooms, displayed characteristics of a boarding 
house. Further investigation is being conducted. 


Wednesday, March 6:

7. Around 4:20 p.m., a juvenile female, 
walking in the 1200 block of South Third Avenue, 
was approached by a male subject on foot. The 
subject asked her if she could help him read a 
note and handed her a piece of a paper which read 
“Scream and something will happen.” The suspect 
took the victim’s cell phone and ordered her to 
walk away without looking back. The suspect is 
described as a clean shaven Asian male, between 
30 to 40-years-old, approximately 5’9” tall, 165 
lbs., with black short hair, wearing blue jeans and 
a white short-sleeved collared shirt. An area check 
for the suspect met with negative results. 


8. At about 11:40 p.m., an officer observed 
a male subject using his cell phone while driving 
and conducted a traffic stop in the 900 block of 
West Huntington Drive. The 20-year-old Hispanic 
male driver provided false information; however, 
a records check revealed he and the 25-year-old 
Hispanic female passenger had a total of eight 
outstanding warrants. Both suspects were arrested 
and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for 
booking. 


Thursday, March 7:

9. At approximately 9:10 a.m., an officer was 
dispatched to the westbound 210 freeway off-ramp 
and Baldwin Avenue in regards to a three-party 
traffic accident. As party-one exited the off-ramp, 
he was unable to stop at the red light due to driving 
at an unsafe speed and wet road conditions. His 
vehicle collided into party-two, who then struck 
another vehicle and came to a stop after striking 
the median. Minor injuries were reported. 


10. Shortly before 6:00 p.m., an officer 
responded to Macy’s at the Santa Anita Mall, 400 
South Baldwin Avenue, in reference to a theft 
report. A male subject entered a fitting room and 
layered two pairs of pants underneath the pants 
he was wearing. The 18-year-old Hispanic male 
exited the store without making payment. He was 
arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail 
for booking. 


Friday, March 8:

11. At about 0:41 a.m., an officer made 
consensual contact with a male subject standing 
in front of Ralphs, 16 East Live Oak Avenue. 
The subject was charging his cell phone using an 
exterior wall outlet. A search of his person revealed 
he was in possession of a controlled substance and 
drug paraphernalia. The 37-year-old Hispanic 
male was arrested and transported to the Arcadia 
City Jail for booking.


12. At almost 8:20 p.m., officers responded to 
a disturbance call in the area of First Avenue and 
Bonita Street. A man, determined to be under the 
influence, was arguing with another subject and 
yelling profanities. The subject behaved erratically 
and resisted arrest. After medical clearance, the 
29-year-old Asian male was transported to the 
Arcadia City Jail for booking. 


Saturday, March 9:

13. Around 1:46 p.m., an officer was 
dispatched to a residence in the 1100 block of 
La Cadena Avenue regarding a report of grand 
theft from a vehicle. Unknown suspect(s) fled 
undetected with a laptop, iPod, clothing, and 
jewelry. The victim forgot to lock the doors. No 
one saw or heard anything suspicious. 


14. At approximately 6:00 p.m., an officer 
responded to the 500 block of South Second 
Avenue in regards to a residential burglary 
report. The victim explained she noticed 
property missing from her garage two days prior. 
An investigation revealed unknown suspect(s) 
may have entered the garage after another family 
member left the garage door open. No evidence 
was located.