Starting a new Business? Register your name at
FileDBA.com
@pasindependent
arcadiaweekly.com
News, Art, Opinions and Community Events Since 1996
Muddy Mess Covers La Canada
Story on Page 8 This home was one of nearly 50 damaged during mud flows out of the Station Fire burn area following Saturday's rain. - Photo by Terry Miller
Candidate Endorsed by Eight Museum Exhibit Uncovers Local Former Mayors of Arcadia
Tuskegee Airman
25-year Arcadia resident and community leader Sho Tay recently declared his candidacy for election to the Arcadia City Council, pitting him against a field of seven other candidates vying for three potentially open seats. With an April 13 election date a little over two months away, Tay's announcement for city council has already garnered an impressive array of supporters including endorsements from no less than eight former mayors. All former mayors of the City of Arcadia, Ed Butterworth, Jack Saelid, Floretta Lauber, Barbara Kuhn, Jim Helms, George W. Fasching, Gail Marshall a nd Bob Ma rgett have all offered their endorsement. In addition to these endorsements, Tay argues
Thursday, February 11 - 17, 2010 Volume XV, No. IX
Arcadia’s Playhouse Gold Line Takes its Billboard Final Bow After more than 90 the Pasadena PlayUnveiled years house closed its doors SunWith the October 2009 passage of Metro’s 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension is slated to receive critical funds to break ground on construction of the line’s next phase (Phase 2A) from Pasadena to Azusa in June 2010. The more than $800 million allocation represents an important early win for Measure R funds that will translate into new jobs, increased economic investment and new public transit options in the region. Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board members joined a coalition of city elected and business leaders to commemorate this achievement and the coming of the Foothill Extension Phase 2A project. Officials unveiled the fourth of six station signs in the
day night Feb. 7 following a final performance of Camelot. The closure was a result of the theatre's need to “explore viable options of financial reorganization, including bankruptcy, to determine a responsible solution for its ongoing operations”. The entire staff of 37 was laid off last Thursday. E xecut ive Di rector Stephen Eich, and Creat ive Director Sheldon Epps hugged on stage at a bittersweet moment in the history of the Playhouse. “We firmly believe it would be irresponsible to continue to operate in the same financial patterns of the past,” Stephen Eich, the executive director of the playhouse, said in a st atement , adding t hat the theater will explore bankruptcy and financial reorganization.
Continued on Page 10
Continued on Page 4
Arcadia High School Government Team Wins State Championship
By Susan Motander
that his years of extensive leadership and continued to contribution to many Arcadia organizations and act ivit ies makes him a “logical pick to take on the challenges and idiosyncrasies of local government.”
The Monrovia Historical Museum is hosting its annual tribute to Black History Month. A special reception will be held on Sunday, February 14 from 1 to 5 p.m. This year the exhibit if the cooperative effort between the museum and the Monrovia-Duarte Black Alumni Association. According to Mark Still, the curator of the museum, said the Association was assisting the museum by putting together artists and artistic displays. He said “It is a joy to add the Black Alumni Association to our growing list of community friends.” Jimmy O’Ballens, a member of the association
Continued on Page 3
Continued on Page 6
Candidate Sho Tay, pictured here with former Arcadia Mayor Floretta Lauber
By Nuria Mathog
Last Friday, Arcadia High’s student government team took first place in the 2010 California “We the People” tournament, securing the state championship for the first time in thirteen years. The team will advance to the national competition in Washington D.C. this April.
For the thirty seniors on the team, colloquially known on campus as “Gov Team,” the Sacramento victory was far more than a trophy and a gold medal— it was the culmination of countless hours of hard work and effort. After qualifying at the regional level in midDecember, the team had been diligently rehearsing for the state competition,
often devoting as many as twenty hours a week to independent preparation. In addition to in-class study and unit meetings outside of school, members participated in weekly practice sessions at the Arcadia City Council Chamber, where they received constructive feedback from local lawyers. Continued on Page 8