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Portantino Says: I Told You So - Education is at Risk | Duarte City Council to Promote Monrovia

~ In a press release, Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, writes that: "Today’s numbers from the well-respected Legislative Analyst’s Office confirm what I feared all along: education funding is at risk.  Back in June, the budget was hastily adopted without vetting the impact on our students and schools.  I thought then and feel the same way now, that it was more important to get the budget right than fast.  Unfortunately, fast was the order of the day and I voted 'no'. I am hopeful that future projections are better but I am quite concerned that the risks facing our schools are too great to take without comprehensive public review."


UPDATE: From the other side of the aisle, State Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, said the budget shortfall "doesn’t come as a surprise to Senate Republicans." He said "Democrats are already seeking to sidestep the 'trigger reductions' they voted for and calling for new tax increases instead." http://goo.gl/WzjZf


~ The Duarte City Council will soon be wearing Monrovia t-shirts for a lunch or dinner engagement. (Our neighboring city council lost a friendly wager with the Monrovia City Council.) http://goo.gl/G95cY


- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Cross Country Qualifier | Headhunter Firm to Find New City Manager

~ Max Armenta is Monrovia High's first Cross Country CIF Prelims qualifier in the last 10 years.  He finished the course in 15:31.0, a personal record that placed him 34th out of 107 runners. http://goo.gl/ba4Su
 
~ The Monrovia City Council has selected the headhunter company, Bob Murray & Associates, to find a city manager to replace Scott Ochoa, who will be city manager in Glendale. http://goo.gl/o3YbJ
 
- Brad Haugaard

First Monrovia New Year's Eve Party

A band, a ball drop, beer and wine, at the First Annual New Year's Eve Party on Myrtle Avenue. http://goo.gl/Nel9q
 
- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Bridge - Possible Partial Freeway Closures



Working on the Gold Line freeway bridge abutments.

Construction on the Gold Line bridge near Santa Anita Avenue may mean partial closures of the eastbound 210 between now and Nov. 26 (except for sure not on Nov. 24 and 25), between 10 p.m. and 1 p.m. the following day. The crew will be working on the east abutment (where the bridge hits ground), including digging 18 foundation holes. They may also get some work done on the west abutment and perhaps start pouring concrete for the three main columns.
- Brad Haugaard (from Gold Line press release)



Support Monrovia's Wild Rose School at Souplantation

Help Wild Rose Elementary by having dinner at the Arcadia Souplantation on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 5-8 p.m. 20% of sales go to Wild Rose, but you gotta present this coupon: http://goo.gl/Esm6t
- Brad Haugaard

Cutting Down Monrovia Eucalyptus Trees | Holiday Parade | Reducing Pollution | Green Dot Emergency Prep

~ Fire crews from LA County Fire Camp 19 have been cutting down eucalyptus trees in Ruby Canyon, next to Monrovia homes. Monrovia Fire Department reports the trees "are notorious for their fire behavior, present a potential obstruction to flood control efforts, and having escaped cultivation and aggressively spread, they threatened to do significant damage to the diverse natural canyon wildlife habitat."
 
~ Monrovia's Holiday Parade is scheduled for Thursday, Dec, 1, starting with a tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. in Library Park. The parade begins at 7 p.m. at the corner of Myrtle and Chestnut Avenues, traveling north and ending at Myrtle and Palm. The parade is sponsored by Monrovia's Old Town merchants.
 
~ The City of Monrovia has again met the South Coast Air Quality Management District's requirement to reduce pollution caused by employee commuting. The weekly city manager's report says: "Monrovia has continuously exceeded its AVR [average vehicle ridership] target by a comfortable margin."
 
~ Seventeen Green Dot employees are currently halfway through Monrovia Fire Department emergency response training and will be graduating by the end of November.
 
 
- Brad Haugaard

Star-News Cuts Paper Size

The Pasadena Star-News, which covers Monrovia, has announced that for its paper edition it will discontinue its weekly television listings on Nov. 27, instead offering subscribers a subscription to TV Weekly magazine "at a highly discounted rate off the cover price."

OPINION: Sad... again. A little while ago the Star-News dropped its Saturday editorial page, now it is dropping TV listings (which will save it from having to print four pages). This does not seem to be going in the right direction.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Football | Profile of Green Dot CEO | Trial Starts for Killing of Monrovia Woman | Maryknoll Boutique

~ A look at the CIF-SS Mid-Valley Division football playoffs. http://goo.gl/EowKe
 
~ Profile of Steven W. Streit, founder and CEO of Monrovia's Green Dot. http://goo.gl/gcvru
 
~ Trial begins for suspect in slaying of Monrovia woman, Felicia Lee. http://goo.gl/7WIQt
 
~ Maryknoll Guild annual brunch and boutique. http://goo.gl/MP88p
 
- Brad Haugaard

Donate a Turkey for Free to Monrovia's Unity Center

Albertsons is offering a "buy one turkey and get another one free" deal. And if you don't need two turkeys, you can have the market donate the second turkey to Foothill Unity Center to give to a local, needy family. http://goo.gl/VijeN
 
- Brad Haugaard

Portantino vs. Liu?

Will Anthony Portantino (who represents part of Monrovia in the state Assembly) challenge State Senator Carol Liu? http://goo.gl/TXV55
 
- Brad Haugaard

How to Help Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center

A cheat sheet for how you can help Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. http://goo.gl/UKXnj
 
- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Church's Chicken


I noticed that the KFC on Foothill in Arcadia is gone, so thought I'd check out an alternative, Church's Chicken on Huntington at Shamrock. Got a two-piece spicy. Crunchy breading and quite tasty. Maybe not super healthy, but tasty.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Veterans Day Celebration


Veterans Day celebration in Library Park. Including a Nisei Congressional Gold Medal winner from one of the very-highly decorated ethnic Japanese (Nisei) units that fought in Europe during World War Two. Also, the unveiling of a plaque honoring Korean War vets.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Wins Rio Hondo Title :-)

Monrovia High defeats South Pasadena in football, 34-22, winning fifth consecutive Rio Hondo title. http://goo.gl/MgcBE
- Brad Haugaard

Will Your Street Be Paved? | Buying Radios and Computers

At its Nov. 15 meeting ( http://goo.gl/a76wy ) the Monrovia City Council will ...

~ Consider paying Copp Contracting $523,172.50 for the fiscal year 2011-2012 to do street resurfacing. Streets to be repaved:

- Walnut Ave. from Monterey Ave. to Fifth Ave. – 2,740 Linear Feet
- Sunset Place between Violet Ave. and Foothill Blvd. – 2,270 Linear Feet
- Bella Vista – 433 Linear Feet
- Stedman Place from Foothill Blvd. to Hillcrest Blvd. – 2,760 Linear Feet
- Encino Ave. from Duarte Road to south City Limits – 765 Linear Feet
- Fifth Ave. from Colorado Blvd. to Chestnut Ave. – 1,140 Linear Feet
- California Ave. from Duarte Road to Hurstview Ave. – 485 Linear Feet
- Wildrose Ave. from Canyon Blvd. to California Ave. – 430 Linear Feet

~ Consider buying portable radios and accessories from Motorola for $148,686.88, and ruggedized Panasonic mobile computers from CDCE Engineered Solutions for $64,935.13, and paying Day Wireless $7,472.00 to install the lot. Mostly paid for by a grant from Uncle Sam. http://goo.gl/V1TbI

- Brad Haugaard

New Monrovia City Manager by May 2012?

Regarding City Manager Scott Ochoa's own replacement (he's moving on to Glendale), Ochoa estimates that if Monrovia hops on it, "it is conceivable that the new city manager could begin in Monrovia as early as May 1, 2012." He adds: "A worst case scenario might be a July 1, 2012, start date." Also, he says it could cost up to $27,000 for a headhunter firm, plus $60,000 to $90,000 (through next May) to pay for an interim city manager. All of it paid for by not having to pay him. http://goo.gl/VsHCu
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia PD: Slipping From the Second Story | Lightless Bike to Drug Bust | Grand Thefts

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Nov. 3-9. - Brad Haugaard]
 
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 504 service events, resulting in 107 investigations.  Following are the highlighted issues and events.   To see a complete listing of crimes reported, go to http://www.crimemapping.com/map/ca/monrovia for crime mapping.

 
Arson - Suspects Arrested
On November 3 at 3:43 p.m., police received a call reporting smoke coming from the railroad tracks at Monterey Avenue.  An animal control officer was near the tracks and saw three juveniles leaving the tracks near the smoke.  Officers responded and were able to detain the three juveniles.  During the investigation, the officers were able to determine that the juveniles not only set this fire, but were also responsible for four previous fires set on the tracks over the past several weeks.  The juveniles were brought to the station and Juvenile Hall was notified.  Juvenile Hall requested the juveniles be cited and released. 
 
Grand Theft Auto - Suspects Arrested
On November 4 at 12:41 a.m., an officer observed a suspicious vehicle eastbound in the 500 block of West Huntington.  A license plate check revealed the vehicle was stolen.  The officer stopped the vehicle in the 100 block of East Evergreen and detained four occupants.  The vehicle was part of a sting operation through the California Highway Patrol's Taskforce for Regional Auto-theft Prevention (TRAP).  CHP was notified and responded to the scene.  CHP TRAP officers took the suspect into custody and stored the vehicle.  Two other occupants were arrested, one for a misdemeanor traffic warrant and the other for a no-bail warrant out of Monrovia.  The fourth person complained of chest pain and was taken to a hospital.
 
Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision - Suspect Arrested
On November 4 at 2:28 a.m., officers responded to the 1800 block of Ninth Avenue regarding a traffic collision.  A driver hit a parked vehicle.  The driver was determined to be intoxicated and was arrested for driving under the influence.
 
Medical Assist
On November 4 at 7:45 p.m., a woman was sitting on the window sill of her second floor apartment in the 400 block of East Foothill and fell from the window onto the patio below.  When officers and paramedics arrived, she was conscious and was able to tell the officers she had not been pushed; she simply lost her balance and fell.  Neighbors were questioned and said they did not hear any disturbance from the apartment.  At this time, no foul play or crime is suspected.
 
Hit & Run on Private Property
On November 5 at 3:51 a.m., officers responded to the 100 block of East Huntington regarding a hit and run collision.  An employee who works night hours came out to his car to find it had been struck and shoved up onto the walkway from the parking lot area. He did not know when the incident occurred and no suspects were observed.  There was white paint transfer found on the car.  Apparently, the suspect cut through the parking lot and struck the car, then fled the scene.  An area check was conducted, but the suspect vehicle was not located.
 
Drug Activity / Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - Suspect Arrested
On November 5 at 10:29 p.m., an officer stopped a bicyclist for not having lighting equipment at night.  During the contact, the bicyclist admitted to having drugs and a pipe on his person.  The suspect was patted down and found to be in possession of methamphetamine and a drug pipe. The suspect was arrested.
 
California Highway Patrol Activity in Monrovia / Driving Under the Influence /   Pursuit - Suspect Arrested
On November 6 at 8:29 p.m., the CHP was involved in a pursuit of a suspected drunk driver.  The suspect exited the 210 Freeway at Myrtle and the pursuit eventually terminated in an alley behind a bar in the 1500 block of South Myrtle.  The suspect fled on foot, but was apprehended by CHP Officers in the 100 block of East Pomona.  The CHP did not request Monrovia Police Department's assistance during this incident.
 
Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested
November 6 at 10:11 p.m., an officer on patrol observed an intoxicated subject behind the wheel of a stopped vehicle that was blocking the roadway in the 500 block of West Chestnut.  The engine was running and the driver told the officer he had driven from El Monte.  The officer arrested the driver for driving under the influence.  The suspect's criminal history revealed he had three other DUI arrests within a 10-year period.  The suspect was charged with felony driving under the influence.
 
September 29, 2011, Vehicle Burglary - Suspect Arrested
On November 7, an officer on patrol in the 600 block of East Huntington recognized a suspect wanted for vehicle burglary.  The suspect was with two other subjects.  The officer detained the subjects and subsequently arrested the wanted suspect.  The vehicle burglary occurred on September 29, 2011, at an apartment complex parking structure in the 100 block of West Colorado.  Fingerprints were lifted at the scene from the vehicle and a suspect was identified.  The detective assigned to the case notified patrol of the suspect's identification and the suspect was located on November 7.
 
Vehicle Burglary
On November 9 at 5:17 a.m., a caller reported his vehicle broken into overnight.  The vehicle was parked in a parking lot in the 700 block of West Huntington.  The vehicle had been locked and secured. 
 
Petty Theft from a Vehicle
On November 9 at 8:11 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 1300 block of South Primrose regarding a theft from a vehicle.  The victim reported that he parked his vehicle in his driveway at approximately 4:00 p.m.  He left the vehicle unlocked and the windows were cracked about 2 inches on both sides.  Overnight, the suspect(s) entered the vehicle and took his wallet, which was left in the driver side compartment. 
 
Graffiti Vandalism
On the morning of November 9, three locations called to report vandalism that had occurred overnight.  The locations had been vandalized with similar graffiti.  The vandalism occurred in the 500 block of Fallen Leaf, 600 block of South Shamrock and the 100 block of East Chestnut.  Investigation continuing. 
 
Grand Theft Auto Recovery
On November 9 at 4:42 p.m., an officer drove by a suspicious vehicle parked in the 300 block of Genoa.  He conducted a DMV check on the vehicle's plate and it returned as stolen out of Sacramento on November 6, 2011.  The vehicle was recovered.
 
Driving Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance - Suspect Arrested
On November 9 at 5:35 p.m., a caller reported a subject who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs trying to start his vehicle at Myrtle and Foothill.  A second caller reported the subject drove off east in his vehicle.  Officers responded, located the vehicle and stopped it east of Myrtle.  The investigation revealed the subject was under the influence of a controlled substance and he was arrested and taken into custody.
 
Grand Theft Auto
On November 9 at 8:33 p.m., a 2005, 4-door, white Chevy Silverado was reported stolen from the 800 block of Bonita.  The crime occurred between 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
 
Grand Theft Auto
On November 9 at 8:50 p.m., a 2000, white Honda Civic was reported stolen from the 500 block of West Huntington.  At 10:40 p.m., an officer located the vehicle parked in the 600 block of West Huntington.  The vehicle's engine was cold when it was found.  It appeared the suspect(s) took the vehicle for a joyride, ransacked it, stole a toolbox and the vehicle's registration, and abandoned the vehicle.

New Monrovia Restaurant | Cheap Car Charger

~ Cafe LuMar plans to open on East Colorado in December, serving "homemade baked goods, crepes, sandwiches, and salads." And, "Croatian imported goods." http://goo.gl/4uypL


~ Nissan and Sumitomo plan to use Monrovia's AeroVironment to bring a low-cost (starting at $9,900) electric car charger to the U.S. market.  AeroVironment will be the wholesale and retail distributor, and the preferred installer. http://goo.gl/wLXc4


- Brad Haugaard

Christmas on Myrtle


Christmas decorations are going up on Myrtle.

- Brad Haugaard

Comment on Monrovia Elections | The Unknown Film | Gold Line Video

~ Comment on the School Board Election


A word for the winners: Congratulations!


Several words for the rest: Be not discouraged! I think Covarrubias and Williams, in particular, were strong, passionate candidates, but you guys were up against two incumbents on a board that has done a truly outstanding job, and against a generally popular former mayor. It could hardly have been a tougher battle, but you are good and there will other opportunities in the future. Don't give up.


~ Come to the Library for a film, the title of which you can only find out by calling the library. http://goo.gl/9eEZq


~ A 15-minute video to learn about the transformation that has occurred around the Phase 1 Gold Line stations, as well as what is being planned around the future stations. http://goo.gl/9CwcF


- Brad Haugaard