Lunch (Again) at Sam's Kabob Room

Lunch (again) at Sam's Kabob Room, this time after the Kitchen Nightmare make-over. Nice, clean and open atmosphere. For $4 got lentil soup for appetizer (very tasty!) and the chicken kabob with couscous and hummus ($10 and good). $2.25 for iced tea. Total was $30.99 plus tip for two of us. (Sorry for the yucky photo).

Here is my previous lunch at Sam's: http://goo.gl/C0dHZ

- Brad Haugaard

Star-News Slams Citrus College Board for Raises

Star-News editorial slams Citrus College board (including Monrovia's representative, Joanne Montgomery) for giving a raise to the school's president in hard economic times. http://goo.gl/8QrsW

Opinion: I agree. School districts are laying off people, cutting teachers and services, and you are giving the top people raises!? Really!? Ya know, if you want to convince people - many of whom are having to cut back on their own expenditures - to vote for a tax increase because of schools' financial distress, handing out multi-year raises is not the way to do it.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Recognized at White House

Monrovian Mike Trueblood recognized at the White House for his work as a Big Brother with the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters. http://goo.gl/uFTQ0

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Staar Surgical Reports Q2 Earnings

Monrovia's Staar Surgical, which makes surgically implanted lenses for the eye, reports its second quarter revenue for 2012 is not quite as good as the second quarter of 2011 but is up a half a million from this year's first quarter.

"Total revenue is expected to be approximately $16 million compared with $16.3 million in the second quarter of 2011 and $15.5 million in the first quarter of 2012. Visian ICL sales increased in all three regions though at a less than anticipated level in Asia Pacific and Europe."

Source: http://goo.gl/Kim9J

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Business Reach-Out Program

Having won the Most Business Friendly City in Los Angeles County (small cities category), city staff is trying to cement that title by visiting local businesses. So far city staff have visited 10 local businesses. "Each business gets one-on-one time with City Council members, the City Manager and Economic Development staff, along with a resource packet and a survey."

And just for fun, some Monrovia business info ...

Top Employers:
Worley Parsons
Ducommun
Green Dot
City of Hope
Home Depot
ITT Exelis
Trader Joes
Vinyl Technology
Modern Healthcare
Monrovia Memorial Hospital

Top Sales Tax Generators:
BMW
Home Depot
Sierra Autocars
Metro Infiniti
Living Spaces
ABC Supply
Marshalls
Kohl's
United Oil
Financial Services Vehicle Trust

Source: http://goo.gl/ToqBD

- Brad Haugaard

No, Monrovia is Not Going Broke

Monrovia City Manager Laurie Lile writes that, "Contrary to what you may have read in newspapers or heard on radio news reports, the City of Monrovia is not going broke."

She explains that it was a legal glitch, created when the state eliminated redevelopment agencies, that prevented Monrovia from refinancing its redevelopment debt. The legal problem has now been corrected, and Monrovia can pay its debts.

For an in-depth explanation: http://goo.gl/ToqBD

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Kim Rhode: Fifth Olympic Medal?

~ Monrovian Kim Rhode could be the first U.S. athlete in an individual sport to medal in five consecutive Olympic games. USA Today story: http://goo.gl/Yl7zt

~ Car wash to benefit Monrovia High School Band and Cologuard, this Saturday, July 21, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Walgreens near Ralphs on Foothill in Arcadia. Donations: $6 per car and $8 per truck/SUV.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Robbery on Huntington, Theft/Robbery Suspect Awaits Trial

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 16-18. – Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 515 service events, resulting in 92 investigations.

Grand Theft Auto

July 16 at 1:35 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 1800 block of South Mountain. The victim parked her car on the street at 9:00 a.m., and when she returned to the car at about 12:00 p.m., she found it had been stolen. The vehicle is a green, 2000 Honda Civic. Investigation continuing.

Vehicle Burglary

July 16 at 2:56 p.m., the victim of a vehicle burglary that occurred in the 900 block of Monterey came to the police station to file a report. The victim parked his 2007 Chrysler 300 in his carport and locked the vehicle. When he returned to the car in the morning, the trunk was slightly open and his driver-side door was unlocked. The center console had been ransacked and a gym bag was stolen that contained his wedding band and his keys. The investigation is ongoing.

Robbery

July 16 at 6:55 p.m., an officer responded to a business in the 300 block of West Huntington on the report of a robbery. The store owner observed a male suspect leaving the store without paying for merchandise he was carrying. When she approached him, the suspect pushed her aside. Her husband then grabbed the suspect by his shirt and was punched by the suspect. The suspect ran out of the location to a waiting vehicle that was driven by another male suspect. They fled in the vehicle southbound on Magnolia.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, 25-30 years old, 5'10", heavyset with a mustache, wearing a black baseball hat, gray Dodgers shirt, and black and white plaid shorts. The suspect vehicle is a newer-model, four-door, gray Nissan with Carmax paper plates. Investigation continuing.

Grand Theft Auto

July 17 at 6:47 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 200 block of West Cypress. The victim parked his white, 2003 Chevy Silverado around midnight and locked it. He returned to the vehicle at 6:30 a.m. the next morning and found his truck had been stolen. He did not hear or see anything unusual. Investigation continuing.

Residential Burglary

July 17 at 7:02 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of West Colorado regarding a residential burglary. The burglary occurred sometime between 6:00 p.m. on July 16 and 6:30 p.m. on July 17. The suspect(s) entered through an unlocked rear sliding glass door. Three laptop computers, an iPad, and two cameras were stolen. Investigation continuing.

Possessing Stolen Property / Resisting Arrest – Suspect Arrested

July 18 at 2:16 a.m., an officer on patrol saw a male subject riding a bicycle while pulling another bike through a parking lot at Myrtle and Foothill. When the subject saw the officer approaching, he immediately dropped both bikes and ran westbound, towards Primrose. The suspect evaded officers for a short time, but was eventually detained.

The suspect told the officer he had just stolen both bicycles; however, when he offered to show the officers where he had taken them from, no victims could be located. The suspect was arrested for suspicion of possessing stolen property and resisting arrest. Police will attempt to locate the victims.

Suspicious Persons / Grand Theft Auto – Suspects Arrested

July 18 at 5:22 p.m., a caller reported two suspicious persons in the 600 block of West Foothill. The reporting party stated that a male and female subject had been sitting in a vehicle with collision damage for over half an hour and the caller did not recognize them. Officers responded and were informed by dispatch while on their way to the location that the vehicle was reported stolen to the Ontario Police Department. Officers arrived and detained the male and female suspects.

The male suspect detained in the driver's seat is a known gang member. Both suspects were determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance and a pipe used to smoke controlled substances was found. The suspects were arrested.

Vehicle Burglaries

July 18 at 9:32 p.m., police responded to the 800 block of West Huntington regarding two vehicle burglaries that occurred in a business parking lot. The two vehicles were parked near each other. The suspect(s) smashed a window on each vehicle and stole laptop computers from the vehicles. Investigation continuing.

Detective Bureau Case Follow-up

Theft / Robbery – Suspect Arrested and Awaiting Trial

Over the course of two weeks, a male Black suspect committed thefts at three locations in Monrovia. On one occasion, the suspect forced his way past the store clerk, striking him on the chest, which constitutes robbery. This suspect has been contacted numerous times recently, in addition to the thefts, for pan handling and threatening customers when they refuse to give him money.

This case was assigned to a detective, who through investigation, was able to obtain a felony warrant for the suspect's arrest, which was entered into the system. The detective searched for the suspect at locations he frequented and found him walking on Myrtle Avenue, near one of the theft locations. He was taken into custody without incident. The suspect is awaiting trial.

Robbery – Suspects Identified

On June 10, a 15-year-old girl was a victim of a robbery when two female suspects shoved her and took her cell phone. Officers had a description of the suspects and photos from a business security camera.

On July 16, a detective observed two subjects that appeared to be the suspects from the robbery. He contacted the subjects and identified them. The victims confirmed they were the suspects of the robbery. The suspects were interviewed and admitted to the crime. Charges will be filed with the District Attorney.

Rock 'N Roll at the Gables Monrovia

Live rock 'n roll music, a 1950s style diner with burgers and shakes, raffle prizes and fun. Friday, July 27th, 2-6 p.m. 201 E Foothill Blvd. For more info call: (626) 301-0204

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Restaurant Redone | Library Books into Art | Dino Bone

~ Pictures of the redone Sam's Mediterranean Kabob Room on Myrtle. http://goo.gl/5sClZ

~ Pictures from the Monrovia Library of books made into art. http://goo.gl/gGz9x

~ Monrovia woman finds old bone her dad dug up belonged to a stegosaurus.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Schools: 'Governance' Study Session, Registration Times

The Monrovia School Board will have a special "Board Governance Study Session" at 5 p.m. on July 25 ( http://goo.gl/3M25n ).

Also, here are the days and times for Monrovia public school registration: http://goo.gl/65czI

- Brad Haugaard

Small Monrovia Power Outage | Thunderstorm?

~ Nineteen Monrovia customers of Southern California Edison are having power problems, according to SCE. Problem should be fixed shortly and is do to "equipment problems." http://goo.gl/SNsvD

~ A chance of a thunderstorm in the San Gabriel Valley tonight, according to the National Weather Service. "Moisture from the remnants of what was once Hurricane Fabio combined with an upper level disturbance will bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms." http://goo.gl/Edv35

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's MWH Labs Being Sold

MWH Laboratories of Monrovia, one of the largest water quality laboratory operations in the United States, is being sold for an undisclosed sum to Eurofins Scientific, a company providing analytical testing support to the global environmental sector. http://goo.gl/JMjiv

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Church Sponsors All-You-Can-Eat 'Throw Down' | Citrus Board Gives School's President Raise

~ Monrovia's Greater Ambassador Church of God in Christ is sponsoring its second all-you-can-eat 'Throw Down,' August 4, 2-6 p.m., at the church, at 420 Monrovista Ave. The best cooks, bakers and chefs are welcome to compete. Registration for cooks is $7 per food category. For eaters, advance ticket price is $10; $13 at the gate. For information contact Rosie Herrin at 626-316-0943.

~ The Citrus College Board voted 3-2, with Monrovia's representative Joanne Montgomery voting with the majority, to give the school's president a raise to bring the salary up to $251,000 in four years. http://goo.gl/wZa6U

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Bond Repayment Problem May be Resolved

Monrovia's legal difficulties in paying its bond debt, caused by the state's elimination of redevelopment agencies, may be resolved soon. http://goo.gl/PMXhs

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Accuses Metro of Violating Law | Monrovia Linebacker to Northwestern | Batathon | Freeway Lane Closures

~ The Gold Line Construction Authority complained to the LA Board of Supervisors today that the Metro is violating the law on a number of counts, including the Metro funding transportation projects that were not authorized by Measure R before funding a project that was authorized by Measure R, that is, the Foothill extension to Claremont.

~ Monrovia linebacker Brett Walsh has committed to Northwestern. http://goo.gl/grHJi

~ Batman marathon at the Krikorian Thursday. http://goo.gl/qPqrC

~ Starting at 10 p.m. tonight, up to three WESTbound lanes will be closed on the 210 for Gold Line bridge construction. Source: Gold Line press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Congressional Candidates Forum | Shaw Returning to City Council

~ Candidates for the 27th Congressional District (If you live on the north side of Hillcrest, that's your district) will probably be speaking at the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce's monthly Government Affairs Forum at 8 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 2. The Arcadia Chamber says, "longtime Arcadia resident and Republican candidate Jack Orswell is confirmed to speak, and Democratic candidate and current Congresswoman Judy Chu hopes to attend as well." Source: press release

~ Monrovia City Council member Clarence Shaw should be back on the City Council (he's on active military duty now) by September or October. http://goo.gl/F2e1a

- Brad Haugaard

Filming in Monrovia's Library Park

Filming this morning in Library Park. I was told it was for a show called News Readers.

- Brad Haugaard

Julie Roybal takes Helm of Rotary Club of Monrovia - Plans Service Projects

Julie Roybal took up the gavel this week as new president of the Rotary Club of Monrovia in the humanitarian civic group's annual changing of the guard.

She said: "We are a very energized and excited club with lots of good ideas. The highlight for us this year is the Service Saturdays that we will do throughout the year. We currently have the following projects planned for the coming year: Clean Up Monrovia, paint the Rotary Bandshell in Library Park, Christmas program at Monrovia Memorial Hospital, as well as programs in conjunction with the Monrovia Fire Department, School District and City to address the needs of our community."

Roybal brings with her experience as a YMCA Board Member at Large, Monrovia Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, Arcadia Association of Realtors Affiliate and Monrovia Rotary Board member for the past three years.

She has been a member of the Monrovia Rotary Club for the past four years and is a licensed Property and Casualty /Life and Health Insurance Broker for Bolton & Co. in Pasadena and is an active volunteer in the community.

Roybal is single and lives with her Cocker Spaniel, Lola.

Outgoing president Thomas Hould handed over the reins to Julie Roybal at the traditional demotion party. Thomas Hould left a strong legacy in the club, including our biggest scholarship year ever. The Rotary Club of Monrovia gave away $22,700 this past year to local students.

The Rotary Club of Monrovia meets at Tuesday’s at noon at The Monrovian Restaurant. For more information visit http://www.rotaryclubofmonrovia.com or call 626‐415‐7404.

Source: Rotary Club press release

- Brad Haugaard

Revamping Monrovia Restaurant

The old green awning is now gone over Sam's Kabob Room. Chef Gordon Ramsay of "Kitchen Nightmares" is giving the restaurant a make-over. I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

- Brad Haugaard