Edwin “Ed” Schreiner (68) passed away peacefully at home on January 21, 2012 after a short battle with cancer.

Ed owned the Arco Service Station at Foothill and Santa Anita from 1971 – 1984. He spent a decade as a float mechanic for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and most recently worked for the Arcadia School District.

Dedicated to the Arcadia High School music program and known as Mr. Fix-it, Ed fabricated customized instrument and uniform racks, furnished his personal trailer for transporting equipment, and extensively supported the percussion section, serving on the pit crew and traveling to regional and national competitions.
For many years during the holidays Ed delivered donated items collected from Arcadia Unified School District families to the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona, building goodwill, and ultimately developing a bond with Apache people who welcomed him, sharing special ceremonies and cultural traditions.

Ed was born on June 5, 1943 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Altadena and spent his entire life in Arcadia raising a family, working, owning businesses, and volunteering his time and skills to the community.
Ed served in the Army National Guard and later graduated from the Rio Hondo Police Academy, serving as an Arcadia Police Reserve Officer from 1983-1991.
As a businessman and Reserve Officer, he was involved with the Youth Safety Run sponsored by the Police Advisory Council for Car Clubs (PACCC).

Ed is survived by his wife of 45 years, Terry, daughters Anne (Michelle Hoy), Sandra, Carol (Rick Brandt) and Sarah, granddaughters Deanna, Samantha and Sara Gelfand, his sister Deborah Lee Schmidt, and his loyal dog, Duke, along with many relatives and friends.

A celebration of Ed’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12 in the Arcadia High School North Gym. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Arcadia High School and designated for the Ed Schreiner Percussion Scholarship.

The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce has named Alice Wang the 2012-2013 Citizen of the Year.

Alice Wang

Alice, who moved to Arcadia in 1982, has been one of the most active volunteers in the community for many years. This past year alone she is Vice President of the Arcadia Public Library Foundation; co-chair of the Assistance League of Arcadia’s Operation School Bell; Public Relations Chair for the Tzu Chi Foundation’s MWLA; a City-appointed Commissioner for the Arcadia Historical Museum, and on the board of the Arcadia Historical Museum Foundation.

She also continues to devote hours each week to the Arcadia Police Department’s Volunteers in Patrol Service (VIPS) program, which she joined in June 2008, and remains a very active member of the Arcadia Chinese Association, for which she was President in 2007-08.
If that isn’t enough, she is volunteering for the Foothill Unity Center and is being considered for a board seat there this year.

Alice’s volunteering  began at Arcadia High School from 1997-2001 while her daughter was a student, and then at ACA, Tzu-Chi, and various organizations in 2003 after she retired from her business of importing shoes.
As President of ACA, Alice was introduced to the community through ACA events. She said she made many friends with the leaders of Arcadia, which encouraged her to join many different volunteer organizations.

“As a volunteer for various organizations, I am able to provide a lot of input to ACA and lead the ACA board members to help these organizations as often as we can,” she said. “Last year I was proud to invite all the organizations to ACA’s 2011 Annual Fundraising Dinner to accept ACA’s donations, which was a great success because we were able to show what ACA has been doing for our community.”

Alice will succeed Sho Tay, this year’s Citizen of the Year, at the 2012 Citizen of the Year / Installation Dinner to be held on April 19 in the Chandelier Room at Santa Anita Park. The annual dinner event, featuring presentations by Chamber and City leaders and political dignitaries, is considered one of Arcadia’s premier events and features a silent auction.
For information and tickets, call the Chamber office at 626-447-2159.

Other recent Citizens of the Year include Vince Foley, current City Councilman Mickey Segal and his wife Lee Segal, Gail Jensen, and current Mayor Gary Kovacic.

– By Scott Hettrick

Update Jan 30, 2012: Dozens of fire tucks from numerous cities and hundreds of firefighters, dignitaries, teachers, students, and community leaders and residents lined Campus Drive Monday morning to pay tribute to Arcadia Fire Department Captain  Andy Troncale, who died Jan. 23 at the age of 52.

Captain Andy Troncale

A Caisson engine carried Troncale with a procession of family and firefighters from Santa Anita Avenue to Holly Avenue. After nearly 30 years of service, Troncale retired in 2009 after being diagnosed with advanced stage colon cancer. A procession carrying the casket in a Caisson engine will leave the Station 105 headquarters on Santa Anita Avenue at 9:15 a.m. and proceed west on Campus Drive past El Monte Road, where Troncale’s family will join the remainder of the walk to Holy Angels Catholic Church, 370 Campus Drive. A funeral service mass will be held at Holy Angels from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., followed by a procession to Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary at 3888 Workman Mill Road in Whittier for a graveside service from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. A reception will be held at 2 p.m. at Fire Station No. 106 in Arcadia, 630 South Baldwin Ave. Andy Michael Troncale, born April 8, 1959, began his career as an explorer with Los Angeles County Fire Department at age 16 and also worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) prior to being hired by Arcadia Fire Department in 1979. He received several awards during his career, including the City of Arcadia Exceptional Service Award and Arcadia Fire Department Firefighter of the Year. Andy is survived by his wife of 25 years, Debbie, and their three sons, Clark (22), Chad (20), and Clint (16). “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith,” he said. Born to parents Steve and Evelyn Troncale and raised in Covina, CA, Andy graduated from Covina High School in 1977 and attended Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, CA, where he studied fire science. Andy later earned his Bachelor Degree from Cal State Long Beach. Andy’s smile and sense of humor endeared him quickly to all who crossed his path. His greatest love was his family. He married the love of his life, Debbie (Clark) in 1986 and had three sons, Clark, Chad and Clint. He also loved animals, especially his dogs Cocoa and Gigi. Andy’s interests included model trains, fishing, baseball, football, hockey, weightlifting and bicycle riding. Andy enjoyed cooking Italian food using family recipes and was a barbeque expert. Andy is predeceased by his mother, Evelyn, and his brother, Steven. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Debbie, and their three sons, Clark (22), Chad (20), and Clint (17), his father, Steve, sister, Paula, in-laws Robert and Diane Clark, brothers-in law, nieces and nephews. A viewing will be held on Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 4:00 – 7:00 (Rosary at 5:00 pm) at Douglass & Zook Chapel of Remembrance Funeral Home, 600 E Foothill Blvd, Monrovia, CA 91016. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or to the Andy Troncale Benevolent Fund by mail through the Los Angeles Firemen’s Credit Union, 815 W Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041 or online at www.firefamilyfoundation.org.

See 75 photos from the procession here on Facebook/ArcadiasBestNews.

Arcadia figure skater Mirai Nagasu skated for the U.S. Figure skating National Championship Saturday night in San Jose.

Update Jan 28, 2012: Eighteen-year-old Nagasu finished fifth in the short program Thursday and seventh overall after the free skate Saturday night.

She was the highest-ranked U.S. skater at the 2010 Olympics, finishing fourth.

Nagasu was featured in an article in the Los Angeles Times Thursday.

Nagasu’s parents own and operate the Kiyosuzu restaurant at 921 S. Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia.

– By Scott Hettrick

I can’t say enough about Arcadia High School freshman Emily Zheng, perhaps the most intelligent, mature, multi-talented, sweet, sincere, and self-motivated teenage volunteer I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Carol Libby said it perfectly when she called her a “jewel.”

I first met Emily when she won a writing contest at our first Arcadia’s Best Foundation One Community, One Book program in fall 2010. Soon after, she volunteered to help with our Arcadia Historical Society programs. She then began regularly submitting very thoughtful blogs for my ArcadiasBest.com web site and spent hours assisting at the first Arcadia’s Best Patriotic Festival last summer. She shows up consistently to volunteer at our Arcadia Chamber of Commerce office on days off school when other kids are relaxing or entertaining themselves, all the while maintaining an incredible academic, musical, and extra-curricular schedule.

Thank you Mayor Gary Kovacic for recognizing and giving recognition to Emily at tonight’s City Council meeting, which is shown in the 3 1/2-minute video below, also including photos of Emily’s volunteer work and Emily’s eloquent comments of appreciation to the Mayor.

– By Scott Hettrick