Shannan Davis, who said she works at the First Presbyterian Church Preschool at the corner of Myrtle and Foothill, has reported on Facebook that the preschool will be closing, apparently at the end of this school year, according to discussion on the post.
- Brad Haugaard
~ Receive a report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Equity and Inclusion that basically says Monrovia does not have any unjust or unfair policies, practices, and procedures.
The staff report says: "The Committee's sole function was to review with the community to determine whether any policies, practices, and procedures of the City of Monrovia are unjust or unfair; create structural barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion in City governance, employment, or enforcement; or perpetuate systemic racism in City government and provide a report back to the City Council with any recommendations for change the Committee deems advisable for consideration."
The committee, formed after the killing of George Floyd, not only didn't report any such flaws, but was complimentary of city departments. It made 44 recommendations . The report is here: https://is.gd/BpgJho
~ Receive a mid-year budget update. Basically, property tax is fine. Sales tax is "better than originally expected." Hotel bed tax (TOT) has been "the most impacted," but city staff is hopeful it will improve as travel picks up. Plus, some small increases and decreases in expenditures. https://is.gd/M2igYq
~ Proclaim May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. https://is.gd/a683S9
- Brad Haugaard
In his latest report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Dylan Feik reports:
~ On May 3 Chick-fil-A and Starbucks will begin the environmental public review and comment period for their proposal to construct and operate two new drive-thru restaurants at the southwest corner of Huntington and Encino Avenue (former Claim Jumper restaurant site).
~ The reason the city requires filming permits is because of incidents like this: A resident without a permit filmed a fictitious SWAT team breaking into a house, complete with the sound of guns and the use of tear gas. Neighbors were - ahem - concerned. Even charitable and student films must obtain a permit so neighbors can be notified and concerns addressed.
~ Electric vehicle charging stations will soon be installed in Old Town and should be available by summer. The public ones will be at Public Parking Lot #4, in the 100 block of E. Lemon.
~ The ad hoc Committee on Equity & Inclusion will present its recommendations to the City Council at its Tuesday, May 4, meeting. The five-member committee was formed to determine if any city policies, practices, or procedures are unjust or unfair.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
You can now preview the items Rotary Club of Monrovia will have on auction. See the items here: https://trellis.org/monrovia-rotary There are currently 60 items to bid on and more are expected, so check back for updates. The fundraiser for the club's service projects will be held from May 1-16. Bidding starts 9 a.m. on May 1 and closes at 6 p.m. on May 16. You can also follow Rotary on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/MonroviaRotary or Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/monroviarotaryclub.
- Brad Haugaard
The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.
New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.
View photos of adoptable pets and schedule a virtual adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every day at 5:00 p.m. for the following day.
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.
- Brad Haugaard
Lunch today at Mimi’s, at Huntington and Mayflower. Got the Quiche Lorraine for $13.99 and a cup of coffee for $2.99. It was delicious and filling - took some home for dinner. 
Myrtle Avenue in the 1920s looking north at Lemon. The Candy Shop at left. Baxter Building at right. Photo by William Ward.. See full details here. From the William Ward collection. Identifying information from Kim Ward Anderson.
~ Consider adopting a board policy regarding English language learners, as recommended by the California School Boards Association.
~ Congratulate:
~ Declare:
~ Condemn:
"The Armenian Genocide, the Rohingya in Myanmar, Darfuris in Sudan, the Holocaust, the Rwandan Genocide, and the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria are part of a growing list in recent history that depict the atrocities committed by man."
- Brad Haugaard
Except the Monrovia City Council says it has been doing very little of that for Monrovia, and has actually been doing less and less of it over the past four years. So now the council wants the city to join a similar program administered by LA County, where it believes it will get a better deal.
"The City of Monrovia believes our community, as well as those of Duarte and Arcadia, have been underserved by FWDB administration and operations, particularly in terms of job training for MAD residents and the equitable sharing of WIOA [federal] funds."
Arcadia and Duarte, by the way, are also thinking of pulling out of the Joint Powers Agreement, which is made up of Arcadia, Duarte, Monrovia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena.
The city says that Monrovia, Arcadia, and Duarte (MAD) make up 39.2 percent of the population of the FWDB, but are only getting 26.5 percent of the money, while Pasadena, with 48.3 percent of the population, gets 66.3 percent of the money. Also, it says FWDB uses nearly 60% of its total budget for administrative expenditures and only 40% for its services. [Comment: 60% admin costs seems extremely high.]
For the city to withdraw and join the county's program involves a public comment period, which ends May 9. You may comment by email to PIO@ci.monrovia.ca.us.
If the county is cool with Monrovia joining, the switch will also need to be approved by Sacramento.
This motion to withdraw was approved by the City Council: https://is.gd/1vYlJK
This is the application to join LA County's program: https://is.gd/Q3vlEr
- Brad Haugaard
~ On May 14 through May 16, people can grab a meal from a restaurant in Old Town and join the Picnic Pavilion Celebration at Library Park. Throughout the day, Monrovia students and Centre Stage will provide entertainment. Participants must sit at a table or in a designated park pod, and are encouraged to bring their own seating. There will also be free horse drawn carriage rides through Old Town and a free photo booth.
~ To celebrate Monrovia's 135th birthday residents can paint a rock and donate it as part of a permanent installation at Library Park. Paint a rock that is no more than 3 inches long. When dry, drop it off at the Monrovia Community Center (119 W. Palm Ave.). Rocks must be received no later than 4 p.m. on May 7. Before the Monrovia Days weekend they will be installed in the north-east portion of the park.
~ Monrovia Days Family Adventure at Home, a three-day challenge. Registered participants will receive special activity kits that includes arts and crafts, special games, challenges and activities. Upon completion of each challenge, participants will earn limited edition birthday badges. Registration is required and limited and is now open here: https://is.gd/lmCKbT (click on Special Event > Monrovia Days Family Adventure at Home)
- Brad Haugaard
~ The Library, Community Center and City Hall should be open in the coming weeks. On Monday, May 3, the Monrovia Public Library will open for limited, in-person services by appointment only, Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., and Thursday-Saturday, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Call, text, email, or drop by to make an appointment to use a computer or get personalized support from a librarian. Curbside service will still be available. Initially, browsing will be unavailable.
~ Feik said contractors will make emergency repairs in Canyon Park, reevaluate Canyon Park conditions, and hopefully open this summer.
~ Yard sales are now permitted, but you must obtain a permit. To obtain a permit, please submit a Yard Sale Permit Application (here: https://is.gd/JmQHMo). For questions, contact the Neighborhood & Business Services Division at 932-5582.
- Brad Haugaard
For Superintendent Thorossian's full report, see here: https://is.gd/PDEHZn
- Brad Haugaard
Here's another virtual tour of the trail leading to the waterfall in the still-closed Monrovia Canyon Park.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
The adoption fee for cats is $100. All cat adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.
New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.
View photos of adoptable pets and schedule a virtual adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every day at 5:00 p.m. for the following day.
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.
- Brad Haugaard
Ward's Photo Shops. William Ward was the unofficial city photographer in the 1920s-1940s.. See full details here. From the William Ward collection. Identifying information from Kim Ward Anderson.
The Reopening of Secondary Schools begins Monday, April 19 and we are so excited for the return of our secondary students for in-person instruction. Monrovia Unified is working hard to ensure a welcoming environment for our students, as their return to school will feel vastly different to years past.
Throughout the week, our secondary schools have provided communications to families regarding cohort assignments and have been conducting campus tours for sixth- and ninth-grade students, as well as students who are new to Monrovia Unified.
To prepare our students and families for their return, our school sites have also hosted seminar classes, with instructional videos and virtual assemblies.
Students will be asked to submit a daily health screening prior to arriving on campus and their temperature will be checked before entering campus. Within campuses, directional signs and floor markers have been placed to ensure social distancing and proper movement through hallways.
Arrival and dismissal procedures vary by school and those plans have been communicated to families. Should you have any questions, please contact your individual school site.
As we move forward with the reopening of our secondary schools, the health and safety of our entire school community remains our priority. We are hopeful that as Los Angeles County continues moving toward the minimal risk yellow tier, Monrovia Unified can begin exploring options for end-of-the-year, in-person student activities, and commencement ceremonies.
Though we do not have information on these events yet, we will share plans as soon as they become available.
Please continue to practice health and safety protocols, and we will see some of you on Monday for the Reopening of Secondary Schools!
Sincerely,
Dr. Katherine Thorossian
Superintendent
Here's an online survey: https://is.gd/cmS0rk
And a Zoom workshop on Environmental Justice on April 29, at 6 p.m. https://is.gd/xUrnIK
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia businesses (and other county businesses) with fewer than 100 employees can get a free 30-day supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees on April 27, from 11-4 at Santa Anita Park.
But businesses have to sign up in advance. Do that here: ppeunite.org/sign-up
PPE Unite is a joint public/private effort to give small businesses and organizations access to needed personal protective gear to keep their staff and employees safe. The program gives access to PPE, promotes PPE use, and provides additional resources for businesses.
- Brad Haugaard
If you want to know why people are being forbidden to park in a location that appears perfect for people to park without disturbing the neighbors, it is because it was a condition the city had to meet to get an easement to allow the trail to be opened. See here for details: https://is.gd/T5hUX2.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovians John Watson and Hal Leavens have won the Community Champions Award from the California Parks and Recreation Society.
For 18 years, John and Hal have spent one Saturday a month going door to door to welcome new residents to Monrovia. They have visited well over 10,000 families, spending about 30 minutes with the new families reviewing a packet of information highlighting the programs, events, services, and clubs in town.
- Brad Haugaard
The equipment will be installed at the City Corporate Yard, 600 S. Mountain; City Hall, 415 S. Ivy; City Police Department, 140 E. Lime; and City Parking Lot #4, 100 block of E. Lemon. https://is.gd/0rZmL2
- Brad Haugaard
The MODA apartment complex next to the Monrovia train station has been sold for $100 million. https://is.gd/BtBjtR
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Gustavo Menezes, the grant's lead principal investigator, teaching students in a civil engineering class at Cal State LA. (Photo by J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)Monrovia resident Gustavo Menezes, professor of civil engineering at Cal State LA, will coordinate a $2 million project designed to transform STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.
The college has been awarded a $2 million grant by the National Science Foundationto improve undergraduate education in STEM through a new model of teaching and learning.
The four-year grant will enable the university's College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology to create Eco-STEM, a healthy education "ecosystem" designed to facilitate learning for all students regardless of their backgrounds.
The new model aims to shift the mental model of faculty, develop the capacity of department chairs and program coordinators, and reform the teaching evaluation system to promote a culture of reflection and self-improvement.
Source: Cal State LA press release
- Brad Haugaard
Openings on: Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, Community Services Commission, Library Board, Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board (MOTAB).
- Brad Haugaard
Lunch at Chicken King Express, in the mini shopping center on the north side of Foothill just east of Mayflower. Got the Chicken Kebob Plate for $12.50 and a Coke for $1.50. Very nice. 
The police department released this statement:
There has recently been concern about meat and other food items being discarded in the area of the Norumbega Loop. These concerns were shared with the Monrovia Police Department (MPD) and other City of Monrovia departments, including our contracted animal control partners, the Pasadena Humane Society (PHS). As a result, over the past month the Monrovia Police Department has responded to numerous calls for service and taken the suspicious meat packages and other food items as evidence. With the help of PHS, samples of the recovered meat were submitted for chemical testing at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at U.C. Davis. In addition a sample was sent by a private citizen to the same laboratory. We have now received all of these reports completed by the laboratory, which confirmed that there was no evidence of poison or other tampering in any of the submitted samples.
We hope that this news will assuage any fears that any person(s) is/are deliberately attempting to poison or harm any animals, either domestic or wild. It appears the person(s) is/are simply attempting to feed wildlife in the area. Feeding or attempting to feed wildlife is a violation of Monrovia Municipal Code section 6.30.010 , which states that "No person shall feed or in any manner provide food for one or more non-domesticated mammalian wildlife, including but not limited to bears, deer, mountain lions, coyotes, raccoons, opossum, mice, rats, skunks, squirrels or feral cats."
We will continue to monitor the situation and work with our partners at PHS as needed to abate the problem. If anyone sees someone leaving meat or other food out for wildlife in violation of MMC 6.30.010, please contact our MPD Communications Center at 256-8088 for a police response. With regards to any meat or other food items found by citizens, at this point we believe it would be safe to treat it as garbage and dispose of it accordingly. Should any citizen not feel comfortable doing this, MPD will respond and collect the meat or other food item as provided for under our policy manual. As always, contact the us with any questions or concerns about this issue.
- Brad Haugaard
The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.
New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.
View photos of adoptable pets and schedule a virtual adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every day at 5:00 p.m. for the following day.
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.
- Brad Haugaard
Photo by Sam Moqadam on Unsplash
Marian McGlocklin, the five-year-old daughter of Monrovians Sara and Paul McGlocklin, has a rare genetic disease called Niemann Pick Type C, which can be fatal.
An experimental drug called Adrabetadex seems to have made a dramatic improvement for Marian, but the drug's manufacturer has announced that after October Adrabetadex will no longer be available, saying that clinical trials give no clear evidence that the drug helps.
Ten doctors have written the company urging it to continue making it, and Marian's parents fear she will die if the drug is discontinued. https://is.gd/k3eCuE
- Brad Haugaard
Early Monrovia film studio located by the current Station Square with Ben Webster, Director. Photo by William Ward. See full details here. From the William Ward collection. Identifying information from Kim Ward Anderson.
~ Consider modifying the board's policy on student board members (they only have a vote that expresses their opinion). Here are a couple substantive changes: "Student Board member(s) may make motions that may be acted upon by the Board, except on matters dealing with employer-employee relations," and, "Student Board members are expected to attend Board meetings in their entirety, read agenda documents provided to them, and ask questions of the Superintendent when agenda items are not understood prior to the meeting." https://is.gd/j5H5fW
~ Recognize:
- District staff being honored as "Employee of the Month" for April: Hermann Goss, Cafeteria Manager and Shirley Conde, Intervention Teacher (Monroe Elementary); and Hector Flores, Custodian and Rob Cady, Teacher, (Santa Fe Computer Science Middle School).
- The Food Services Department for serving 1,000,000 meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Elementary Task Force for ensuring a safe return to school for elementary students and staff.
~ Consider adopting a memo of understanding between the City of Monrovia, Monrovia Unified School District, and Centre Stage Productions for the 2021 Monrovia Days Program. https://is.gd/bgs1pn
- Brad Haugaard
The application has several letters supporting the proposed new hours, but several residents of Linwood Avenue, just south of the gym, have indicated their opposition, mostly citing noise as their objection. https://is.gd/WGzWwf
- Brad Haugaard
