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arcadiaweekly.com
Thursday, December 24, 2015 - December 30, 2015
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COMPLIMENTARY COPY VOLUME 19, NO. 52
Charles Meier, Paradiso Float Designer, Is to the Manor Born: ‘Downton Abbey,’ That Is
BY TERRY MILLER According to a press release, acclaimed drama “Downton Abbey” on Masterpiece on PBS will get a special treat on New Year’s Day when a new float celebrating the show debuts in the 127th Rose Parade® on Jan. 1, 2016. The Crawley family estate has been painstakingly recreated for the float, complete with a magnificent landscape depicting English rose gardens and rolling green lawns and a 1919 Bentley driven by the family chauffeur. The float, themed “The Final Adventure” (a nod and a wink to the Rose Parade’s theme of “Find Your Adventure”), celebrates the final season “Downton Abbey” on PBS beginning Jan. 3, 2016, at 9 p.m. eastern time. The float will feature more than 60,000 roses in 20 different varieties, including velvety Roseberry and Cherry O; fragile pink Titanic and Priceless; and English garden roses, rarely seen on Rose Parade floats. Oriental lilies, snapdragons, hypericum, and a variety of orchids will provide accents throughout the garden. SEE PAGE 4
“Downtown Abbey” float will roll down Colorado Blvd. Jan. 1, 2016 as an homage to the season’s finale - design by Charles Meier of Paradiso Floats.
Arcadia Council Does Not Pursue Ballot Initiative on Homebuilding Rules BY JOE TAGLIERI
The petition campaign has collected more than 2,000 signatures, April Verlato estimates. – Photo by Terry Miller
As the city’s effort to update the zoning code continues into the new year, the Arcadia city council briefly considered sponsoring its own voter initiative to rival a measure from residents that is currently the subject of a petition to qualify for an upcoming election ballot. However, at a study ses SEE PAGE 16
- Photo by Terry Miller
Arcadia High’s Historic March to Pearl Harbor
BY TITUS WU
In early December, the marching band of Arcadia High School (AHS) had the distinct honor of being selected as the sole representative of the state of California in the 74th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii. The band’s five-day trip to the island state consisted of the parade, a performance
on the USS Missouri, and many tours of historical and cultural sites. The Apaches are the first civilian band ever allowed to perform on the iconic battleship. “This is a huge honor to be selected to represent the state of California, the city of Arcadia, and Arcadia Unified School District with pride,” said assistant AHS band director Seth Murphy. The trip, however, was
more than just a performance. It was also an opportunity to learn about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the historical context surrounding it. Prior to the trip, the entire band participated in a lecture by AHS history teacher Oliver Beckwith to learn about Pearl Harbor, the sites they would visit, and Hawaii itself. SEE PAGE 17