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Monrovia Survey: Let's Get a Bookstore or Housewares Store

A Monrovia city survey (though of a very small sample, 24) shows most people (i.e. 5 people) want a bookstore and the second most (3) want a housewares store like Crate and Barrel or Williams-Sonoma. http://goo.gl/bNkub
 
- Brad Haugaard

Portantino Claims Victory Over Speaker of Assembly

The staff of Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, will not be furloughed. Portantino is claiming victory in his dispute with Assembly Speaker Perez, who ordered the furlough after saying Portantino had overspent on office expenses. Portantino denied that, saying he didn't overspend and the layoff was because he voted against Governor Brown's budget. Here is Portantino's letter:
 
“This afternoon I received a letter from Speaker Perez indicating that the staff of the 44th Assembly District would no longer face unprecedented furloughs.
  
Though I am thrilled for my staff and district, I am disappointed that the Speaker is holding on to the delusion that this was anything but retaliation for my independent budget vote. 
  
It never made any sense to single out my staff and the half-million residents of the 44th A.D. because I voted my conscience.
 
As always, I remain committed to fighting for the issues that I care about and I’m glad we can now focus on taking care of business.”
 
- Brad Haugaard (from Portantino press release)

Monrovia PD Rounding Up Old Prescription Drugs

The Monrovia Police Department is taking back unwanted prescrition drugs on October 29 at the Monrovia Community Center, 119 W. Palm Avenue, in Monrovia, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
The Monrovia Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  Bring your medications to the Monrovia Community Center. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. 
 
Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
  
- Brad Haugaard (from City of Monrovia press release)

Portantino Challenges Speaker - Again

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, is challenging Assembly Speaker, John Perez, to release information about a transparency task force he, Perez, had created. Portantino wants: to know who is on the task force, when it will next meet ("Thus far," he writes, "There is no evidence that the Task Force has met or is planning on meeting"), and to be assured that the public will be able to give testimony. He says: "There is no doubt that the current effort to keep office budgets secret sends the message that there must be something to hide."


- Brad Haugaard (from Portantino press release)

East Lanes of 210 Closing Tonight | Monrovia Parks Meeting | Monrovia Reads

~ Beginning at 9 p.m. tonight, eastbound lanes will begin to be closed on the 210 near Santa Anita offramp so workers can finish the third foundation pier for the Gold Line bridge. Lanes will be completely closed from midnight to 5 a.m. Oct. 5. http://goo.gl/4EQaE
 
~ Monrovia will hold a "town hall" meeting Oct. 12 to discuss the need for recreational/park space, particularly on the south side of town. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at Greater Ambassador Church, 420 Monrovista Avenue. Call (626) 932-5584 for information.
 
~ Spaghetti Western dinner Oct. 6 to benefit Monrovia Reads. $30. Details here: http://goo.gl/oxo1x
 
- Brad Haugaard

Murder Mystery Benefit Dinner


A dinner murder-mystery to benefit the Foothill Unity Center.
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Fire Department Rescues Collision Victims

Between Sept. 20 and 27, the Monrovia Fire Department responded to 64 emergency calls, including a traffic collision on Sept. 22 in the 700 block of West Duarte Road. Victims were trapped in vehicles and the Fire Department used the Hurst Tool (Jaws of Life) to extricate one victim. All of the victims were treated by paramedics and transported to the hospital.  http://goo.gl/pYhkH
 
- Brad Haugaard

Grand Avenue Park Vandalism

During the past few weeks there has been increasing vandalism at Grand Avenue Park in north Monrovia, including "etching, tagging, burning the plastic surfaces of the playground equipment,etc." The city will sponsor a neighborhood watch meeting to try to catch the vandals. http://goo.gl/pYhkH
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Year for Business Award?

In his weekly report, City Manager Scott Ochoa writes that he hopes "this is our year" to win the Business-Friendly City award sponsored by  the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. He said it has become "an almost annual ritual" for Monrovia to be a finalist, but the city has learned and improved a lot, so "I hope and trust that 2011 is our year!" http://goo.gl/pYhkH
 
- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Street Crossings

If you want to know how the Gold Line train crossings will work, here is a video ( http://goo.gl/8CDMC ). In brief, they'll work like the rest of the street-level crossings along the line: Traffic light turns red, red lights flash, clang-clang, bars cover the width of the street and sidewalks, and train driver honks a couple times.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Arts Festival | Korean War Plaque

~ This Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9, there will be a Celebration of the Arts festival in Library Park (along with a Friends of the Library book sale), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be music, singing, dance and about 55 local artists displaying their works.



- This Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Monrovia's American Legion Post will dedicate a new plaque in Library Park to honor Korean War veterans.


- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Film Time: No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti & Judged

~ On Monday, October 10 at 6:30 p.m. see the independent foreign film at the Monrovia Library Community Room called, "No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti," about a father who fights the government to keep custody of his child. Okay, one guess: What country is this movie from? Tick, tick, tick. Bzzz! Wrong! Taiwan. http://goo.gl/KBTs7
 
~ Monrovia's New Beginnings Family Church has a new three-part video production called "Judged," on line: http://goo.gl/vgcc2
 
- Brad Haugaard

African Leader to Speak at Monrovia Church | Unity Center Fills a Truck

~ Rev. Stephen Lungu from Malawi, Africa, representing African Enterprise, will speak at the 10 a.m. service at First Presbyterian Church this Sunday, Oct. 2.
 
~ Foothill Unity Center succeeded in filling a Goodwill semi truck with donated items, and got funds for the Center, thanks to everyone who donated and volunteered, and especially the Monrovia Fire Department, which helped with the final loading.
 
- Brad Haugaard

Friends of the Monrovia Public Library Book Sale

Friends of the Monrovia Public Library will hold a book sale, Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9 in Library Park and the Library Community Room, sharing a weekend event with the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts "Celebration of the Arts." Several thousand books and media will be on sale.
 
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, the sale will feature the famous “$2 a Bag” sale. Purchase a grocery bag for $2 at the door beginning at 3 p.m. and then fill the bag with your selections.There will also be a repeat of the $5 Bag Sale. Purchase a Friends canvas bags for $5 and fill it with free books. Cash and checks only
 
An exclusive preview sale for members of the Friends of the Monrovia Public Library will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 8. Memberships may be purchased at the door.
 
Sale tables will be restocked daily. The Friends Store will remain open during the sale for additional bargains- some at half-price. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Monrovia Public Library. 
 
For more information, call (626) 932-5555, Ext. 3124 or visit www.friendsofmonroviapubliclibrary.org 
 
- Brad Haugaard (from press release)

Monrovia 30, South Hills 34 :-(

Monrovia football loses third in a row. Sigh. http://goo.gl/3avU9 and http://goo.gl/Li7oF
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Businessman George Horst Has Died


Long time Monrovia resident and businessman, George Horst has died. He passed away peacefully at home on September 15, 2011, under the care of his family and Vitas Hospice. The inurnment took place privately on September 23, 2011 at Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia, CA. His memorial service will take place at First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 East Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, CA on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 4:00 PM.
George Horst Machulla was born in Glatz, Germany on August 7, 1941 during War World II. During the invasion by the Russians of the area where he was born, his mother, and grandmother fled with him the area on foot. It took them several months to arrive in Frankfurt, Germany. Life was very difficult in Germany after War World II and through the Lutheran Church they obtained passage as refugees to the United States. A U.S. troop transport vessel by the name of “USS General W. C. Langfitt” was provided to bring all the various refugees coming from Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and after cruising the Atlantic for several weeks they finally arrived in New York on August 1955. The group that arrived on this vessel went through Ellis Island. Once there, George and his mother, Lore, took the train to the West arriving at Union Station in Los Angeles in 1955 and settling in Monrovia, CA.
After graduating in 1959 from Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte High School, George worked for several years for Alta Dena Dairy in Monrovia in the milk plant, and then started his own business. He retired at age 62 and managed his commercial property in Old Town Monrovia.
George is survived by his wife of 46 years, Heidi, two sons, Robert (27) and Reiner (23) his mother, Lore Meyer and a brother, Steven Meyer. Three sisters, Gisela, Ute, and Ingrid, various cousins, nieces and nephews that reside in Germany.
- Brad Haugaard 

Lunch at Archie's Cafe


Lunch at Archie's Cafe, a new place a couple blocks east of Myrtle on Foothill, in the Certified Market center. (Our cat's named Archie and we wondered if he had a business going on the side. No, not him.) Cash only. Got the BBQ beef sandwich and a sweet iced tea, though the specialty appears to be a pastrami dip sandwich. Food was okay.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia vs South Hills | Volleyball | Switchblade | Business Showcase | Discards Fundraiser

~ Football: Tonight Monrovia vs. South Hills at Monrovia, 7 p.m. http://goo.gl/eQMHM
 
~ South Pas over Monrovia in volleyball. :-( http://goo.gl/Pvlr4
 
~ A review of "Switchblade," a killer drone from Monrovia's AeroVironment. http://goo.gl/CE8Ql
 
~ Tonight - with the family festival on Myrtle - a business showcase ( http://goo.gl/s3YIM ) featuring these businesses: http://goo.gl/Uawgg
 
~ Saturday (Oct. 1), bring good, usable discards to Albertson's Monrovia from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and help the Foothill Unity Center Auxiliary make its Goodwill fundraiser a success.
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Plans to Buy Six Replacement Police Cars

At its October 4 meeting, the Monrovia City Council will consider buying a Chevy Tahoe and five Crown Victoria Police Interceptors for $152,725 as replacement patrol vehicles, plus spending $23,066 to get them decked out with sirens and lights, and another $1,810 for lettering and graphics. http://goo.gl/mq3Gy

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Bridge Foundations: Two Down, One to Go


The second Gold Line 210 bridge foundation has been completed. (It took the concrete from 45 trucks - 400 cubic yards.) One more foundation to go. Construction on the third foundation begins Friday, Sept. 30. http://goo.gl/korZg
- Brad Haugaard