Monrovia Mayor Gets Dunked

Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz gets well soaked at the dunk tank at the Monrovia Days celebration.

Scenes from Monrovia Days

Old Seagrave fire engine, in need of restoration; Monrovia Reads bus; Boy Scouts, etc.

- Brad Haugaard

"Tommy," Monrovia's 1917 Seagrave fire engine, was purchased after the La Vista Grande hotel fire in 1916. Fire Chief George C. King asked the city leaders for a more effective fire apparatus. The city authorized the purchase of this 350-gallon, six-cylinder Seagrave motor-pumping continuous pumping hose and chemical truck for $5,000. In 2003 Monrovian Susan Motander tracked down the truck in Nevada and bought it for $4,000, then donated it to the Monrovia Fire Department. With citizen contributions, help from Coachcraft Auto Body, and from Brian Soash of Foothill Towing, "Tommy" will be restored to its original state.

Second Monrovia Fountain to Falls Race Gets Started

Runners approach Myrtle and Hillcrest in the second annual Fountain to the Falls race. The beginning of Monrovia Days events.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Math Instructor Loses Battle with Cancer

Monrovia High math instructor Ricardo (Ricky) Martin passed away Friday, May 11, after a courageous battle with brain cancer. He taught mathematics since 2006. "Mr. Martin's daughter specifically requested that Monrovia High School students know that her family deeply thanks them for being in her father's life and making his life so meaningful." http://goo.gl/czAVw

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board to Consider Contract with Web Hosting Company

At its Wednesday, May 23, 7 p.m. meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/jvFte ), the Monrovia School Board will, among other things, consider a web hosting contract with School Loop for $13,974 a year, of which the district will pay $5,589.

Opinion: I complained about the cost of this as originally presented and am glad to see it is now $8,184 less. Though I think $13,974 is still far too high, this is significantly better.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Assemblyman to Unions: Bring it On! | Huff on Budget

~ The Service Employees International Union California is opposing the reelection of Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represents part of Monrovia ( http://goo.gl/0FTXD ). On his Facebook page Donnelly writes: "If you stand up for common sense and living within our means, the unions will target you for removal from office. Bring it on!"

~ Video: Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, is not impressed with the Governor Brown's May Budget Revision. http://goo.gl/mMMGU

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Starlight Express

Lunch at Starlight Express Chinese Food in the Pavilions center. I got the two-item combo with teriyaki chicken, and tofu with green beans for $8.03. Very generous, especially with the chicken. Tasted fine.

- Brad Haugaard

Will Gold Line Stop at Azusa for Foreseeable Future?

It appears the staff of the Metro feels the Gold line will not be extended past Azusa to Claremont until around 2050 ... maybe.

Gold Line spokesman Habib Balian says that Metro staff "assumes the Foothill Extension to Claremont won't be fully funded until all other Measure R projects are completed and the Measure R debt service is paid off. They anticipate that will occur around the year 2050, and then 'because we are priority project,' the extension to Claremont would 'likely' be first in line for funding.

Habib adds, "This contradicts the 2008 initiative, when the project was clearly defined from Pasadena to Claremont - a key point of the Congress Members letter [ http://goo.gl/PR1wE ], as they urge Metro to correct this error in the upcoming Expenditure Plan."

Source: Gold Line press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Over Chino | Police vs. Fire

~ Monrovia Wildcats score 6-2 win over visiting Chino in a CIF-Southern Section Division 4 first-round baseball playoff game. http://goo.gl/m0Tqy

~ Monrovia Police vs Monrovia Fire in basketball. http://goo.gl/uP7KW

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia City Website Hacked to Stop Global Warming

Checking this morning I find that the Monrovia City Website has been hacked and the pages replaced with this message to "stop global warming!" (I guess Monrovia being recognized as a green city was not good enough for them.) If you'd like to see for yourself: http://www.ci.monrovia.ca.us/ or http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/

Opinion: Some unsolicited advice. Apparently Warwick, Rhode Island, was similarly hacked (according to LatinHackTeam's Twitter comment) so maybe the folks there, who now have their website up and running, know a good solution: http://www.warwickri.gov/

Update: The city site is back online
   

- Brad Haugaard

Getting Ready to Pour Concrete in June for Gold Line Bridge

Reinforcing steel is being added to the Gold Line freeway bridge form for the major concrete pour in June. Over 500 tons of rebar will be installed to support the main superstructure and cross beam. http://goo.gl/0TNjd

- Brad Haugaard

Free Calendars at Monrovia Fire Department | Fourth of July | Death on 210 | CPR | Brush Clearance

Fire Department calendars available.

~ Free 2012 fire department calendars still available. Pick one up at Fire Department headquarters at 141 E. Lemon. http://goo.gl/LJt8O

 

~ If you would like to contribute to a bang-up Monrovia Fourth of July celebration, click here: http://goo.gl/pCFWe

 

~ Pasadena man dies on 210 Freeway in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/wSw90

 

~ Spend ten minutes to learn CPR from a Monrovia firefighter. June 7 from 9:00 a.m. to noon in front of the library. http://goo.gl/LJt8O

 

~ Brush clearance tips here: http://goo.gl/LJt8O

 

- Brad Haugaard

Local Congress Members Say Gold Line Should Develop Comprehensive Plan

Congress members Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, and Grace Napolitano have written to the Gold Line suggesting that "Metro should develop a comprehensive spending plan to implement a truly regional transportation system" before a measure goes on the November ballot "to make permanent the Measure R half-­cent tax." The issue, according to the Congress members, is that Measure R says the Gold Line should go out to Claremont but only provides funds for it to go out to Azusa.

Source: Gold Line press release

- Brad Haugaard

Watch Out! Monrovia Police Looking for Unbuckled Seat Belts

The Monrovia Police Department will be participating in the 2012 National Click It or Ticket campaign, May 21-June 3, during which there will be "maximum high-visibility seatbelt enforcement both day and night."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Hero Cop Rescues Family, Burglary From Car, Fraud and Stolen Property

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 14-16. - Brad Haugaard]

 

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 482 service events, resulting in 90 investigations.

 

Vehicle Burglary

May 14 at 10:16 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 300 block of North Alta Vista.  The victim had parked his vehicle on the street.  Suspect(s) smashed the rear windows on the vehicle and stole tools and computer parts from inside.  A witness saw an older, dark blue or green, 4-door vehicle leaving southbound from the location at the time of the burglary.  Investigation continuing.

 

Fire Assist

May 15 at 3:19 p.m., police responded to a fire assist call in the 1600 block of Encino.  The first officer arrived on scene and saw smoke coming from a structure.  He started evacuating the building, but did not get a response from one of the units.  The officer heard a woman screaming from the second story.  He entered the smoke filled apartment and was able to work his way upstairs and reach the adult female and four children.  He led them down the stairs and out of the building to safety.  The officer was treated for smoke inhalation, but was able to return to work.

 

Detective Bureau Case Follow-up

 

Search Warrant Service - Fraud / Receiving Stolen Property - Suspects Arrested

Monrovia detectives received a call from an out-of-state company fraud investigator who had identified a commercial account that had been compromised.  The suspect was ordering expensive merchandise on the companies account and was having the shipments delivered to an address in Monrovia.  A Search Warrant was served on the address by detectives.  The location was occupied by a male and a female adult.  The search did not uncover additional company property, but marijuana and a syringe were found in the house, along with several smoking pipes.  The female was charged with grand theft, receiving stolen property and possession of a syringe.  The male was arrested for possession of more than 28.5 grams of marijuana.

Support Monrovia School | Tiger Mosquito | New Unity Center Director | Obama Not Paying Your Gas Bill

~ Support Bradoaks School. Buy a yogurt with this coupon tonight. http://goo.gl/mvWcb

~ Oops. Tiger mosquito is back, next door in El Monte. http://goo.gl/NX6m7

~ Feature about new Foothill Unity Center Executive Director Betty R. McWilliams. http://goo.gl/AkLC6

~ President Obama is not paying your utility bill. Watch out for scammers who say he will and ask for personal info. http://goo.gl/Awme3

- Brad Haugaard

Drone Made by Monrovia's AeroVironment May be Fitted With Warhead

Marine Corps wants to wed AeroVironment's Switchblade drone with an explosive warhead to produce a kamikaze-type drone. http://goo.gl/m6TpX

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Days Activities

Video of the Saturday activities (and a bit of history) for Monrovia Days, May 19. http://goo.gl/MYrPn

Also, here is the dunk-tank schedule and victims (May 19: 100 block of W. Palm Ave.):

1:00-1:10 p.m. - Police Chief Jim Hunt
1:15-1:25 p.m. - MHS Principal Darvin Jackson
1:30-1:40 p.m. - Mayor Pro Tem Joe Garcia
1:45-1:55 p.m. - Council Member Becky Shevlin
2:00-2:10 p.m. - Mayor Mary Ann Lutz
2:15-2:25 p.m. - City Spokesman Dan Bell

- Brad Haugaard

Schedule for Monrovia Days

http://goo.gl/MrqP5

- Brad Haugaard

Escape From Burning Monrovia Home | Green Dot Hit By Competition | Breastfeeding Support Group

~ Monrovia mother and four children escape from burning house. http://goo.gl/effzt

~ The stock of Monrovia's Green Dot Corporation, which provides prepaid credit cards, has been down lately (3.26 percent today), apparently in response to other financial companies with deep pockets getting into the prepaid card biz. http://goo.gl/a0e3v

~ Creative Woman (aka Wizard of Bras) is sponsoring a free breastfeeding support group Wednesday, May 16, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the store, at the corner of Myrtle and the freeway.

- Brad Haugaard