A group of Arcadians in the 1970s who dreamed of building a civic auditorium to stage live theater productions in town will finally see $100,000 of the funds they raised decades ago used for that purpose.
Superintendent Dr. Joel Shawn confirmed to ArcadiasBest.com that the money assigned in 1993 by the volunteer Arcadia Auditorium Foundation to the Arcadia School District (then under Superintendent Terrence M. Towner) will be used as the final $100,000 needed to complete the nearly $25 million Performing Arts Center scheduled to open this fall at Arcadia High School.

But this isn’t all; funds raised by the Foundation resulted in donations of more than $60,000 to school music programs prior to 1993 and even more has been generated in the past 19 years from interest on the $100,000, all used for myriad music program needs ranging from rental fees for venues, transportation, etc.

Joe Sargis, one of founders of Arcadia Auditorium Foundation in 1977

One of the founders of the Arcadia Auditorium Foundation, Joe Sargis, explained the origins and evolution of the project and the fundraising in the following guest blog:

Arcadia old-timers probably wonder about the money that was raised for an auditorium.

It was early 1977 and Floretta Lauber was serving as Arcadia’s first woman Mayor. A performing arts void existed in Arcadia and the community envisioned building an auditorium. As usual, Charles Gilb responded to head up an effort. Randy Stoke volunteered the legal services of Latham & Watkins and the Arcadia Auditorium Foundation was formed. Trustees were Charles Gilb, President; School Board member Gloria Horstman, Secretary; and Joe Sargis, Treasurer.

Although the amounts may seem small, they were enormous in those days. Excitement built and activities began with the Winslows hosting a dinner to raise more than $400. A black tie dinner yielded more than $1,400, and more than $4,900 was received from individual donations.

The premier function was the Jog-A-Walk-Atorium held at the high school with the money pledged for persons jogging and walking. It was an absolute carnival atmosphere extravanganza with widespread community support. The very successful event raised an incredible sum of more than $58,000.

Unfortunately, as time passed there was insufficient support for a bond issue to build an auditorium.

Up until 1993, the Foundation had earned bank interest of more than $105,000. During that period, grants of more than $62,000 were made to the school district in support of its music programs. This was consistent with the purpose of the Foundation.

In 1993, the Foundation ceased to exist. The remaining funds of more than $108,000 were passed on to the school district, with $100,000 placed in a Trust and restricted for use only if an auditorium was built. All interest earned on the restricted funds continued to support school district music programs. The Foundation total administrative expense during those 16 years was a $20 filing fee. Its records have been placed with the Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum.

The recent Measure I Arcadia School District bond issue has provided funding to create a performing arts center at the high school. When it opens in the fall of 2012, the magnificent facility will greatly exceed any and all dreams of an auditorium for Arcadia. The school district plans to use the restricted $100,000 for the ending expenses of the construction.

The Foundation was another example of community participation and generosity of Arcadia old. It provided grant support for music programs for more than 30 years and it is fitting that Foundation money will provide the ending of the Performing Arts Center creation.

– By Joe Sargis

The Arcadia Rotary Club contributed to Arcadia Methodist Hospital’s dream of a new five-story patient tower with a generous donation of $25,000 to the project.

Photo courtesy of Larry Stewart

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by Anne Donofrio-Holter
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The North Tower, as it’s called, opened recently with 155,000-square-feet of new work space housed on six floors, including a basement.

“During the 2008-09 Rotary year, I recommended the donation to our board of directors and they approved a pledge of $25,000 to be paid over a three-year period,” said Rotary past president Bruce McCallum. “The funds were used to completely furnish a patient room in the North Wing.”
The club’s donation is recognized by a nameplate installed outside a fourth floor patient room.

“Our club is very proud to make this donation to Arcadia Methodist Hospital and happy for our role in helping those patients that will benefit from the hospital’s expansion,” said McCallum. “This is but one example of the many significant contributions the Arcadia Rotary Club has made in its 85 years of existence to the City of Arcadia.”

When your everlasting life comes to a stop and your heart beat grows still, you want to say that you have accomplished something in life and you want to be able to say, “I have learned something priceless from my life experience.”

Benjamin Liu of Camino Grove Elementary

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by Benjamin Liu, a 5th grader at Camino Grove Elementary
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Before you pass away, you want to know that your life was not a wasted experience. Life is something you do not want to waste. It matters if people want to clutch this experience in their hands, explore it, and bring joy to themselves and others.

When you open the heavenly gates after you pass away, there are three questions you will be asked to gauge if you have done what you wanted in life. Whether you believe or not, you should always keep these three questions in mind.
The first question is: Have you experienced joy in your life? The answer to this question tells if you have really had fun in your life in any way, and enjoyed having this experience beside you. It proves that you did not waste arguably the best experience you may ever have. Don’t turn your life into junk, but make it worth something.

The second question is: Are you proud of what you have done? This question tells if you were really confident of what you did in your life. Do you think what you have done in this experience is right and are you proud of what you covered in life? Many people want to know in their mind that they are proud of what they accomplished in this priceless valuable life. Do not put a big stone on your shoulder, but really think about these two questions, as they are always someone’s goals of life.

The third question is: did you bring any joy to other people’s lives? Bringing joy to other people is like blossoming a flower. Life is for everybody and without some qualities, people will have to live in misery. Everybody must work together to sustain these qualities to make the world an experience that everybody is able to enjoy. Always try your best to bring joy to someone else in your life, and to make others happy for the better. We know that our own life is important, but we should always do our best to help others have their own great journey.

On your way out of the life journey, be sure to respect and show deep kindness to the friends and family who have aided you along the path. Open yourself to the world and express the thankfulness of being able to live and being able to experience joy when many others could not. Giving thanks to those who have helped you spotlights your true kindness and respect for them. This is an important rule before you pass away, because people know that you are thankful for all the times that they have helped you for the better. Remember this and never forget it. Do not ever leave someone that has helped and aided you with the feeling that you never appreciated what they did for you. Always show that you are thankful for others’ kind actions.

In conclusion, before you let go of life, make sure that you bring joy to your life, do things for the better that you can be proud of, and show respect for those who have helped you along the way. Don’t let life slip away from your hands for the worse. Always remember to open your heart to the world and accomplish the goals of your life. Joy is not found in one man nor a group of men, but in all
men.

As Charlie Chaplin once said. “You, the people, have the power to create happiness. You, the people, have the power to make life free and beautiful, and to make it a wonderful adventure.”
Don’t waste life.

It is said that our teachers are teaching the next generation. Why is it so important for us to go to school?
Most of our economists, presidents, billionaires, and even Ivy League students know that every step they take and every time they succeed it is because of their knowledge taught by someone. Teachers are special people that play a great role in our life.

Benjamin Liu of Camino Grove Elementary

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by Benjamin Liu, a 5th grader at Camino Grove Elementary

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What makes your child successful? Who inspired them?
Always remember, behind every successful person is a fabulous teacher. Our President and past Presidents of the United States did not gain all the knowledge and wisdom themselves. Behind them was always a great teacher or teachers, someone who taught them and inspired them.

We know for a fact that a good teacher is priceless and that we should always press on to support them. Ask this question to yourself: In the future, when your children are adults they will take the place of architects, scientists, etc.; don’t you want them to be amazing and well-experienced? We don’t want someone that makes wrong decisions to be our President and we want a future successful generation.

Why should we support teachers?
Imagine that all of our inspiring teachers left the world. How big of an impact does it make to all of us?  We would suffer immensely without having the teachers that make an enormous difference to this world.  Everybody reading this article should know that instructors and teachers make our world a better place and it is said that jobs and the economy all depend on them to generate intelligent people.

Maybe less people would become scientists or electricians because of the big education loss that come back to affect their lives.  Teachers give off something tremendous that cannot be redeemed by anything. They pass on knowledge, which is an important thing that will be beneficial to you forever. Maybe without knowledge you would be a cashier when you were really meant to be a paleontologist.

Is it reasonable that you donate money or even lend a hand to one of these teachers who make a difference in our life? Budget cuts occur in every school these days. Some teachers got laid off and kids would sometimes struggle to learn due to the lack of qualified teachers.

Classroom populations would expand because of the decreasing number of the teachers. Imagine raising your hand for ten minutes just to wait for yourself to be called. By not getting enough education support from the teachers, students would miss very important education concepts that would very well be used in the future.

Students keep a steady pace to learning what they need for their future. Donating money to save more teachers is a great way to support them and students. By doing this, you will help many future students. By giving students a great education, it means a brighter future and that is the best way a parent could do to help a child. So please step up and make a difference.

My name is Michelle Ann Gearhart-Pash and I am a six-time breast cancer survivor.
I was born on June 22, 1956 in Los Angeles to my wonderful parents Gerard and Mary Gearhart. We moved to Montebello in 1962.

Michelle A. Gearhart-Pash

I had a wonderful childhood with lots of love and was always encouraged to be the best that I could be.
In July 1983 I met my husband Bob Pash, the love of my life. We got married in August 1991.

Now, I will tell you the rest of my story. In April 1988, at the age of 31, I discovered a lump in my left breast while taking a shower. I never thought that it could be breast cancer since there was no breast cancer in my family.
There was one thing I knew for sure, that I was going to City of Hope. With all of their medical knowledge and outstanding doctors, I knew that was the medical center where I wanted to be treated. The biopsy confirmed all of my worst fears when the lump was discovered to be malignant. After having a lumpectomy and seven weeks of radiation, I had a positive attitude and said, “I am going to beat this.” My high spirits and confidence worked like magic for me and my family. I always felt that I was in control.
After five years of being cancer-free, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief and my family did the same. I continued with my happy life as a new wife and a wonderful daughter. Then in April 1999, eleven years after the first bout with breast cancer, the dreaded disease returned to my right breast (I discovered the lump); again, a lumpectomy and several weeks of radiation.
I did not let this get me down. I said, “I beat this once and I will beat it again.”

Two months later we learned that my mom had a brain tumor. I had to fight hard this time, to be there for my mom and dad, because they were always there for me. We all stayed strong and said lots of prayers.
Seven months later, in November 1999, I found a lump in my left breast. I thought, this cannot be happening to me. It was breast cancer. I had a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery on December 6, 1999, followed by radiation and good old chemotherapy. I always had a smile on my face and told jokes. I never gave up. I am a survivor. My spirits always were high and my confidence never left me.

I could tell you about the chemo, but let me move on with my wonderful life that I was going to enjoy. In June 2000, we discovered my mom had a second brain tumor. Thank God neither of her tumors was malignant. I was at the hospital with my mom the whole time. My energy was not back yet, but I never complained and never lost my spirit. My mom recovered and we began to normalize our lives.

This story does not end here. In October 2000 I discovered a lump under my arm. The cancer was now in my lymph nodes. Here I go again with more chemotherapy and radiation. Three weeks after my therapy was over, I had a stem cell transplant with high dose chemo. (I have had so much chemo; my car license plate is “CHEMO QT.”)
Although this was a grueling experience, I did not give up fighting this cancer. I was discharged from the City of Hope Hospital on May 2, 2001. Not being one to sit around and feel sorry for myself, I spent the summer raising $8,000 for the City of Hope breast cancer run.

In August 2001 my father was diagnosed with lung cancer. He lost his battle with cancer and passed away on December10, 2001, He also was a patient at City Of Hope. Now, my mom, my husband and I had to find a way to go on without my dad. This was not easy.

Then, on March 17, 2005, my mom passed away.
My parents are now gone but they left me with the Strength, Courage and the Will to Survive.

This brings me to March 2008; I found another lump in my left breast (yes, this was after a double mastectomy). It also was malignant and the fight is on again. The difference is it was only me and my husband fighting this fight. Did we do it? Of course we did. I have already told you I am a survivor. Just to make sure you are counting right, we are at the fifth diagnosis.
I must have an aversion with odd numbers, so guess what happened in June 2008? I found another lump in my breast. It was another cancer. Although extremely rare, breast cancer can occur after a mastectomy. It has happened to me, twice. It is interesting to note that each of these six diagnoses was a new breast cancer and not a reoccurrence. You would think that I would stop checking myself for lumps, but not me. Remember, I am a survivor. I have been a patient of City of Hope for 23 years and I still have a very positive attitude. I am an extremely active person who enjoys walks, volunteer work and shopping. (My husband always says that I have a black belt in shopping.) To me, sitting around the house and feeling sorry for your self is counter-productive to fighting a disease like cancer.

There are many more details I could share, some of which are actually humorous, but I’ll save them for another time. I watch some of those reality shows on television and I think to myself, you don’t have to eat bugs or fight alligators to be a survivor. Just ask me. What I’ve accomplished is not particularly complex or secretive. All it takes is the right attitude, love and support from friends and/or family, and a little divine intervention; or if you prefer, luck. All of this, coupled with the excellent care and treatment at City Of Hope, has been a winning combination for me over, and over, and over…… I pray that it will work for others.

– by Michelle A. Gearhart-Pash