Huff Hammers State on Hidden Money

Video: State Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, says "the
discovery of $54 million in hidden money within the Parks and
Recreation budget is a sign that government cannot be trusted and
should not be trusted with more taxpayer money." He is calling on the
governor to have a complete audit of all state agencies.
http://goo.gl/7aN9M

- Brad Haugaard

Installing Jack-In-The-Box Utilities

On August 6- 9 and August 13- 16, Public Works Utilities Section will
be closing the northbound lane of Magnolia from Cypress to Huntington
(7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to install the water utilities to the new
Jack-In-The-Box location at Magnolia and Huntington.

Source: City's weekly report

- Brad Haugaard

A Monrovia Cool Spot | Joz Band | Juniper Danger

~ If your family or pets get too hot during the heat, stop by the Community Center’s Monroe Room. It is open Thursday and Friday as a Cooling Center.

~ This Sunday, August 12 at 7 p.m. it Library Park, the jazz/swing music of the Jumping Joz Band.

~ The city is recommending three options if you own flammable juniper trees: 1, Replace with less flammable species; 2. Prune them: 3. Fix nearby structures to make them more fire-resistant.

Source: http://goo.gl/PWM8e

- Brad Haugaard

Committee Approves Portantino Bills | Heat Until Friday Night

~ Senate committee approves five bills by Assemblyman Anthony
Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia. http://goo.gl/A1VsZ

~ Excessive heat warning in effect through Friday early evening.
http://goo.gl/32C4b

- Brad Haugaard

Huff Education and Water Bills Advance

Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, reports two of his measures
are progressing through the State Assembly: SB 1137 and SB 1364.

SB 1137 requires heritage schools to register with the Superintendent
of Public Instruction and report child abuse. Heritage schools are
"privately financed, culture-based educational entities."

SB 1364, "seeks to ensure that ratepayers served by private water
companies are not asked to pay more for the same service than a
ratepayer served by a public agency without a clear understanding of
the associated costs."

Source: http://goo.gl/ycNWp

- Brad Haugaard

Credit Card Fraud Ring in Monrovia? Burglary and Thefts

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for August 6-8 – Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 484 service events, resulting in 81 investigations.

Residential Burglary

On August 6 at 8:24 p.m., an officer responded to the 200 block of Orange regarding a residential burglary that occurred sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. An unknown suspect(s) broke a rear window to gain entry. The home was ransacked, but there was no loss. Investigation continuing.

Theft from a Vehicle

On August 7 at 11:19 p.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 400 block of East Walnut. The theft occurred between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The victim's vehicle was parked in the carport, adjacent to the alley. The loss was a purse and the vehicle stereo. Investigation continuing

Vehicle Burglary

On August 8 at 9:51 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 600 block of South Canyon. The burglary occurred between 9:00 p.m. on August 7 and 6:00 a.m. on August 8. The victim's vehicle was parked in the driveway. The suspect(s) gained entry by an unknown means. There were no signs of forced entry. A knife, sunglasses, and a phone charger were stolen. Investigation continuing.

Detective Bureau Case Follow-up

Attempted Fraud and Identity Theft

On August 8 at 10:21 a.m., an attempted fraud and identity theft occurred in the 1600 block of South Mountain. Patrol responded and arrested the male who was attempting to open store credit with a fraudulent California driver's license and fraudulent credit card. The male told the arresting officer he was "dropped off" at the location. During the booking process, the arresting officer found a car key and additional fraudulent credit cards and another fraudulent driver's license in his possession. Detectives went to the business parking lot and found the suspect's vehicle. The Detectives got consent to search and recovered additional fraudulent credit cards, fraudulent credit application and a laptop. It appears this subject is part of a fraud ring using other people's information to obtain store credit from various merchant retailers. Detectives are currently working with bank investigators to locate victims from the credit cards, driver's licenses and fraudulent credit applications. The suspect is in custody and is also wanted on a no bail warrant from Nevada for another fraud case.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Killed in Roll-Over | Black Eyed Pea Can See

~ Monrovia man killed in car crash in San Bernardino County. http://goo.gl/wa6XI

~ Monrovia company helps Black Eyed Pea to see. http://goo.gl/KOCoQ

- Brad Haugaard

City Officials Get Raise But Must Pay, Too | Ochoa Repays Loan | Car Wash

~ Monrovia managers get raise but must pay more for retirement..
http://goo.gl/YZ1O8

~ Former Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa has paid the city the
approximately $275,000 he owed for a mortgage on his Monrovia house.
http://goo.gl/dGdCZ

~ Reminder: Monrovia High Wildcat Marching Band and Colorguard car
wash fundraiser, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Walgreens on Foothill in Arcadia.

- Brad Haugaard

Invitation to Rotary BBQ Fundraiser

Video invitation to Monrovia Rotary Club's 'Old West' BBQ and Casino
night on Sept. 22. http://goo.gl/akfn3

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Watch Out for Mountain Lions

Monrovia Police issue mountain lion warning after attack on cats.
http://goo.gl/9X4Qh

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Hires Boys Basketball Coach | World Vision Helps in Manila Flooding

~ Monrovia hires former La Salle coach Steve Goldstein to lead MHS
boys basketball. http://goo.gl/SxQR9

~ Monrovia's World Vision has mobilised its emergency response team to
assist in the mass evacuation under way as torrential rain and floods
threaten to engulf the Philippines' capital city, Manila.
http://goo.gl/xExoh


- Brad Haugaard

Possible 210 Lane Closures

From now until August 18 there may be occasional partial closures of
the 210 eastbound lanes for bridge construction, beginning no earlier
than 10 p.m. and ending no later than 1 p.m. the following day.
Source: Gold Line press release.

- Brad Haugaard


- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Prepares For Prolonged Excessive Heat Wave

Today, the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat watch warning for our area. This watch is scheduled to be in effect from noon on Wednesday until 8 p.m. on Friday evening. In their warning the weather service states, “The combination of hot temperatures and increased humidity will create a prolonged period of well above normal and possibly dangerous heat.”

In reaction to this warning being issued the City of Monrovia will be providing a “cooling station” location for our residents. During the times of the warning the Monroe Room, at the Community Center (119 West Palm Avenue), will be dedicated to those residents who need to escape the hazardous conditions. The Monrovia Public Library (321 S. Myrtle Avenue) will also be open during normal hour. The library facility is a climate controlled building that offers free WI-FI. The library is open Monday- Wednesday 10a.m.-8 p.m. and Thursday- Saturday Noon-5 p.m.
In addition to the cooling station, community volunteers from the Monrovia Fire Department’s CERT program will be evaluating our elderly and disabled communities via phone and door to door surveys.
For more information on heat related services provided by the City residents are encouraged to call the Monrovia Department of Community Services at (626) 256-8246.

Source: city press release

- brad Haugaard

Donnelly: 'Fraud' | Monrovian Killed on Kern | Magnolia Closure

~ Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represents part of Monrovia, accuses
the State Parks Department of "fraud."

He writes: "After learning that the State Parks Department had
underreported what turned out to be $54 million of special fund money,
I was horrified at the fraud perpetuated against the public. Although
they had been underreporting for approximately a decade, the
department had the audacity to beg the Legislature to give them more
money at a time when the government was in the red and serious
programs were being cut." http://goo.gl/Ll3YC

~ Monrovia man reported killed in Kern River accident. http://goo.gl/e30u6

~ The city reports that through August 9 and again on August 13-16
Public Works Utilities Section will be closing the North Bound lane of
Magnolia Avenue from Cypress Ave to Huntington Dr. The hours of the
closure will be 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. The purpose of the closure is
to install water utilities. For any questions please call (626)
932-5575.


- Brad Haugaard

Portantino Bills Advance in Senate

The State Senate Appropriations Committee today approved five bills
authored by Assemblymember Anthony, who represents part of Monrovia.
The measures range from increasing early detection of breast cancer to
open government legislation. The bills now go to the Senate floor
before heading to the Governor's desk for signature later this month.

AB 137 – Breast Cancer Screenings
Ensures that more woman have access to mammograms by eliminating
outdated age guidelines. The bill allows women to have a mammogram
based on their medical situation.

AB 1527 - Firearms
Prohibits open carry of unloaded long guns, such as rifles and
shotguns, in incorporated cities, making it a misdemeanor to open
carry punishable by six months in jail and $1000 fine. This is a
follow-up to last year's AB 144, which prohibits the open carry of
unloaded handguns in public places.

AB 1956 - Tattoo Removal
Allows individuals who have been tattooed for the purpose of human
trafficking or prostitution to be eligible for free tattoo removal
programs. Too often, young women are tattooed by pimps who turn them
out as prostitutes. It is a perverse form of branding that leaves the
women marked as property.

AB 2086 - Legislative License Plates
Amends the Vehicle Code to require active and retired legislators with
legislative license plates to pay the same fees that apply to
specialty (vanity) license plates. Average Californians pay $50 on
issuance and $35 yearly with their registration. Retired firefighters
and police pay the state an annual fee to obtain specialty plates that
show proper respect for their lifetime of work. However, current law
allows legislators to receive similar plates without paying the state
an annual fee. The DMV estimates that more than 700 such plates have
been issued.

AB 2162 - Political Reform Act Financial Reporting
Updates the various reporting categories for Statement of Economic
Interest forms for government officials. Form 700 must be filed by
legislators, employees and state and local officials to more
accurately reflect their financial holdings. These levels have not
been changed since the Political Reform Act was first passed in 1974.
This bill brings greater transparency to the process by updating the
categories and dollar amounts.

Source: Portantino press release


- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Keys in Car, Car Gone, Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for August 2-5 – Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend's highlighted issues and events.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested

On August 2 at 9:42 a.m., an officer knew of an outstanding warrant for a local subject. The officer located the subject in the 300 block of South Myrtle and arrested him for the warrant. The subject was booked and later taken to county jail.

Recovered Stolen Property – Suspect Arrested

On August 3 at 10:41 a.m., officers detained a suspect in the 700 block of West Huntington. The suspect was wanted by the California Highway Patrol for Assault with a Deadly Weapon. They had been looking for this suspect for several days. California Highway Patrol officers arrived and arrested the suspect. When the suspect was arrested, he was in possession of property that he claimed was given to him by another subject. The suspect said the property was stolen from inside a house on Alta in Monrovia. A burglary report was in fact taken in the 800 block of Alta and the property the suspect had in his possession was the property listed as stolen in the crime report. The stolen property was recovered and returned to the victim. The suspect is currently being held on charges for assault by the California Highway Patrol.

Grand Theft Auto

On August 3 at 4:45 p.m., a female custodian called to report her vehicle was stolen in the 500 block of East Lime. She parked her black, 2007, Toyota Corolla, in the parking lot leaving the keys inside her vehicle. She went into the hospital for approximately 45 minutes to clean, and when she returned to her vehicle it was gone. There were no witnesses located, investigation continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision – Vehicle vs. Pedestrian

On August 3 at 8:15 p.m., officers responded the 100 block of South Myrtle regarding a traffic collision. A female was walking across the street in the 100 block of South Myrtle. A witness reported seeing the female running across the street outside the crosswalk when she was struck by a vehicle traveling south on Myrtle at approximately 25 mph. The female landed on the hood, but when the driver applied the brakes, she was launched forward approximately 40 feet. The female sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.

Mental Evaluation

On August 4 at 10:09 p.m., a female was driving west on Duarte and noticed an 18 year old male straddling the wash overpass rails and leaning into the wash. The driver stopped her vehicle and approached the subject. The subject was crying and stated he was depressed. He told the female to leave because he was about to do something she did not want to see. She immediately called 911 to report the incident. The female managed to speak with the subject until officer's arrived. The subject was taken to Charter Oak for a 72 hour hold.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested

On August 5 at 1:30 a.m., dispatch received a call of a vehicle traveling west on Huntington in the eastbound lanes. Officers responded and stopped the driver. While speaking with the driver, they discovered the driver was under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested, booked and later released on a citation.

Special Enforcement Team Weekly Activity

Warrant / Possession of Less then one Ounce of Marijuana – Suspects Arrested

On August 1, Special Enforcement Officers responded to the 300 block of South Myrtle regarding drug activity. They arrived and arrested one female adult for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. They also cited a male adult for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested

On August 3, Special Enforcement Officers saw a known gang member standing in front of the 300 block of South Myrtle that they knew had a $40,000 warrant. The suspect was arrested for the warrant.

Drug Paraphernalia / Synthetic Marijuana – Suspect Arrested

On August 4, Special Enforcement Officers saw a suspicious vehicle parked in the 300 block of West Cypress, occupied by a male and female adult. As officers spoke to the two, they could smell marijuana emitting from the vehicle. A consent search of vehicle revealed a methamphetamine pipe, burned marijuana debris and some synthetic marijuana, also known as Spice. The male was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and synthetic marijuana.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Teacher Honored

Monrovia High's Paul Dols was honored as Jostens (the class ring
company) Renaissance Coordinator of the year. They were honored at the
21st annual Jostens Renaissance National Conference on July 13-15 in
Orlando.

"With their passion and dedication, these awardees have made a
difference in their schools and districts by implementing strategies
that impact academic performance, attendance and behavior."


- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Company Helps Talk to Mars

Mayor Mary Ann Lutz reports on Facebook that Monrovia's ITT Excelis
Deep Space Network provides a key component for communicating with the
successfully-landed Mars, Curiosity.

- Brad Haugaard

Unity Center Fundraiser Tomorrow

Eat at Paco's (200 E. Foothill in Arcadia) any time between 3-10 p.m. on Aug. 5, (this Sunday), and Paco's will give Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center 10 percent of all dine-in and take-out proceeds. Then the Center will use the money for food, crisis assistance and healthcare for San Gabriel Valley families.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia - Example of a Farmers' Market Town

Monrovia is used as an example in this ABC story about the boom in farmers' markets across the country. http://goo.gl/jcrBI

- Brad Haugaard