Donnelly Urges Veto of Vaccination Bill

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represents part of Monrovia, urged Governor Brown in an open letter to veto vaccination bill AB 2109. He said it "impedes parents' right to make the best medical choices for their family, costs families in the midst of an economic downturn, and violates the religious freedom of many California residents." http://goo.gl/Udml0

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Attempted Murder; Airborne Driver Kills Light Pole, Causes Fire; Drunk in Public

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for September 13-16. - Brad Haugaard]

  

Following are the weekend's highlighted issues and events.

 

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested

September 14 at 5:53 p.m., a vehicle was traveling south on Myrtle, South of Duarte, lost control, hit the curb and went airborne.  The vehicle collided into a telephone pole and light pole, knocking them both down and starting an electrical fire.  Officers arrived and determined the driver to be driving under the influence.  The driver sustained minor injuries.  The driver was arrested.

 

Shots Fired / Attempted Murder - Suspects Arrested

September 15th at 11:25 p.m., Monrovia Police Officers were in the 100 block of Montana handling a loud party call when they heard the sound of shots fired.  Units immediately broke and began an area check.  A victim was found in the 100 block of East Los Angeles.  Officers were told by witnesses that a Maroon van was seen driving northbound through the north/south alley of the 1300 block of South Myrtle.  As it turned onto eastbound Los Angeles, two or three shots were fired at a male and female sitting on the porch of a residence in the 100 block of Los Angeles.  The female was hit in the torso and upper right leg by what appears to be bird shot from a shotgun. 

 

An officer in the area saw a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description getting onto the 210 Freeway, eastbound, and stopped the vehicle at Ramona and the 605 Freeway.  The van was occupied by three male Hispanic suspects.  The Van was positively identified as the suspect vehicle and the three suspects were arrested.  The female victim is in stable condition.  Initial investigation indicates this shooting may be gang related.

 

Drunk in Public - Suspect Arrested

September 16 at 2:40 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 1500 block of Pilgrim Way regarding a disturbance involving a male and female.  The female called police and stated she was worried that her boyfriend, who had been drinking all day, was going to get into his car and drive home.  When officers arrived, the male was outside near his vehicle.  He was found to be intoxicated and was arrested for being drunk in public.

Gold Line Nears Completion

 

"The Gold Line Bridge is only a few months away from an on-time, on-budget hand-off to FTC, the Alignment contractor that is responsible for completing the stations, track and systems for the project. Currently, the formwork and falsework is being removed, and the architectural elements designed into the superstructure by artist Andrew Leicester are starting to be revealed.  As the falsework is removed in late September through early October, up to 20 nights of consecutive late night closures of the eastbound I-210 Freeway are planned.

Source: Gold Line press release

- Brad Haugaard

Route 66 Talk

Monrovia Historic Preservation Group will hear an open-to-the-public talk about historic Route 66 by Duarte author Claudia Heller at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Monrovia Public Library. http://goo.gl/uOYBY

- Brad Haugaard

Shooting Victim Doing Better

Victim in shooting recovering. http://goo.gl/Liisg

- Brad Haugaard

103 Today in Monrovia | Power Outage Update

~ Good morning, Monrovia. Predicted temperature today, 103, so get your outdoor tasks done early ... or late. http://goo.gl/WtwKk

~ Southern California Edison reports that the remaining 37 customers affected by the power outage that started yesterday should have power restored by 6:03 p.m. today. Cause of the outage is listed as "extreme heat," which apparently caused equipment failure. http://goo.gl/fW8Tq

- Brad Haugaard

Wildcats Over San Dimas in Football :-)

Monrovia Wildcats over San Dimas, 35 to 23: http://goo.gl/K5WE8

- Brad Haugaard

Temperature Hits 106 | Monrovia Activities Brochure | Dog Hunting

~ Temperature hits 106 in Monrovia today. http://goo.gl/9ViyU

~ Monrovia's fall/winter activities brochure. You should get one in the mail, but here it is if you need it, all 20 pages: http://goo.gl/BaE7s

~ Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represents part of Monrovia, writes an "open letter" to Governor Jerry Brown asking him to veto SB 1221, which would prohibit hunting bear and bobcats with dogs. He said, "It would not, however, prohibit the state's own rangers from doing so. This is the apex of government hypocrisy..." http://goo.gl/uBXzM

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Power Outage

Power is out in a lot of Old Town right now. The library, for example, seems only to have emergency lighting and the traffic light at Foothill and Myrtle is dead, as is the light at Foothill and Magnolia.

UPDATE: Southern California Edison reports that the problem began at 2:29 p.m. and is affecting 1,136 customers. Estimates power will be mostly restored by 4 p.m. Cause is unknown. http://goo.gl/fW8Tq

UPDATE 2: Estimated Restoration Time: Currently Being Re-evaluated; Customers Impacted: 2019.

UPDATE 3: Estimate of the number of customers affected has been reduced to 496.

UPDATE 4: 5:29 p.m. - Estimate of the number of customers affected has been bumped up to 1085.

UPDATE 5: 9:48 p.m. SCE is estimating the problem will be fixed by 2 a.m. tomorrow, with 454 customers affected.

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Cafe Opera

Lunch at Cafe Opera (corner of Myrtle and Lime). Got the Black Sesame Tuna Salad. Came with fresh jalapeño bread. Very delicious lightly seared ahi tuna on a bed of garden salad with pasta. With iced tea and a shared bread pudding (awesome!) for desert, $44.57 for the two of us.

- Brad Haugaard

Lots of Full Nighttime Closures of Eastbound 210

The 210 eastbound (around the Gold Line bridge) will be completely closed nightly from Sunday, Sept. 16 through Thursday, Sept. 20, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day. Also, it will be closed nightly from Sunday, Sept. 23 through Thursday, Sept. 27, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council: Business Visitation, Gang Report, Greenhouse Gas

Main items on the Monrovia City Council's September 18, 7:30 p.m. meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/m4VjR ):

~ The city is planning a three-month program to visit businesses in Old Town. The report says that while the "economic engine of Monrovia is found primarily throughout Huntington Drive, auto row, and in manufacturing zones near the I-210 Freeway, Old Town Monrovia is the symbolic heartbeat of the community." http://goo.gl/caOhp

~ The mid-year report from the Monrovia Police Department on the anti-gang program, Operation Safe Neighborhoods, shows quite small crime numbers. Details: http://goo.gl/1jAEv

~ As part of California's requirement that "greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020," the Monrovia City Council will hear an Administrative Draft Energy Action Plan. Lots of data here: http://goo.gl/NHgiB

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Activities: MAP, Sports, and Classes

~ Mentioned this before, but City Manager Laurie Lile emphasizes the Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP) Leadership Academy in her weekly letter. It is a six-week program that provides information on Monrovia, municipal government, community building, and neighborhood strengthening. Interested? Details here: http://goo.gl/reOrJ

~ The Monrovia Community Center is offering flag football and cheer for kids, and classes for youth and adults. Youth classes include: Lego building, drawing, soccer and Mad Science. Adult classes include: Zumba, Mommy Fitness, Pilates, Beer and Bread and Jewelry Making.

Source: http://goo.gl/YXEsC

- Brad Haugaard

Rose Gardens Project | Relief to China | Sacramento Successes and Failures | CrossFit Remembers 9-11

~ Update on construction of the "Rose Gardens at Santa Teresita" project lapping over 12 acres in Monrovia and Duarte. http://goo.gl/iR0jX

~ Monrovia Christian relief organization, World Vision, has sent 1,000 hygiene kits and 113 big tent covers to the earthquake disaster zone in Yunnan Province, China, to supplement government relief efforts. http://goo.gl/eNwE6

~ Video: Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, outlines the budget successes and failures during the latest Senate session in Sacramento. http://goo.gl/yRLio

~ CrossFit Monrovia honors 9-11 victims. http://goo.gl/qGnrE

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Felon With Body Armor, Biker Volunteers for Arrest, Bullying, Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for September 10-12. - Brad Haugaard]

  

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 468 service events, resulting in 85 investigations.

  

Felon in Possession of Body Armor - Suspect Arrested

September 10 at 4:20 p.m., a speeding vehicle in the 2100 block of South Myrtle was stopped by an officer on patrol.  The driver was identified and found to be on felony probation.  A consent search of the vehicle was conducted and a bullet resistant vest was found in the vehicle.  The suspect was arrested for the charge of felon in possession of body armor.

  

Fire Assist

September 10 at 10:09 p.m., officers responded to a local private college in the 100 block of East Huntington due to smoke coming from the roof of the building.  The Foothill Air Support Team helicopter was on scene as officers arrived to check for flames.  Air Support advised that the smoke was coming from the northwest corner of the roof.  Officers evacuated the entire building and stopped northbound traffic on Myrtle and westbound traffic on Huntington.  The Monrovia Fire Department arrived and located an air conditioning unit on the roof that was on fire and put the fire out.  There were no injuries involved.  

 

Possession of a Controlled Substance - Suspect Arrested

September 11 at 4:01 a.m., an officer on patrol stopped a male adult riding a bicycle at Peck and Longden for a traffic violation.  Prior to any search, the subject stated he was on parole and had methamphetamine in his pocket.  The officer retrieved a small plastic container that contained methamphetamine.  The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

  

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance - Suspect Arrested

September 11 at 10:08 a.m., a couple was arguing in the lobby of a hotel located in the 900 block of West Huntington and police were requested.  The subjects left the location prior to officers arriving, but were found nearby in a parking lot.  The officers contacted the subjects and determined the male subject to be under the influence of drugs.  He was arrested and taken into custody.

  

Burglary

September 11 at 9:58 p.m., a male subject at a gym in the 700 block of East Huntington put his property in a locker and secured it.  When he returned to the locker, he found his lock missing and his wallet stolen.  Investigation continuing.

  

Possession of a Methamphetamine Pipe / Driving on a Suspended Driver's License - Suspect Arrested

September 12 at 3:57 p.m., Special Enforcement Team officers on patrol observed a driver acting suspiciously in the north end of the city.  While the officers were following the suspect, they saw the driver throw a glass pipe out of the vehicle.  When the officers tried to stop the vehicle, the driver slowed down, but did not stop for several hundred yards, eventually stopping at Foothill and Heliotrope.  The suspect was also found to be driving on a suspended license.  He was arrested for the above listed charges without further incident.

  

Grand Theft Auto - Suspect Arrested

September 12 at 7:33 p.m., an officer on patrol saw a suspect walking in the area of Canyon and Foothill that was wanted for grand theft auto.  The suspect was arrested without incident.  The suspect was later found to be in possession of items that belonged to residents who live in the 300 block of Wildrose.  When officers contacted the residents, it was learned they were victims of unreported thefts which occurred on September 10.  An unknown suspect had stolen their wallets from their two unlocked cars.  The victims identified their stolen property, and the suspect was additionally charged with receiving stolen property.

  

Tip of the Week: Bullying Prevention

Bullying is one of the most serious concerns in our schools today.  Bullying occurs in all grade levels and can consist of words, name calling, threatening or intimidating comments.  It can be sexually, verbally, or emotionally harmful, which often results in serious violent crimes.  If you think you have witnessed a bullying situation or your child has been the victim of bullying and you want to learn more, please go to stopbullying.gov.  Learn how you can be part of the solution to bullying.

Hot Days | Monrovia Book Sale | Staar Board Member | Damage at Mt. Sierra

~ Temperatures are supposed to be in the high 90s today and perhaps as high as 102 Friday. http://goo.gl/MsJ9C

~ The Friends of the Monrovia Public Library Fall Sale, with more than 5,000 books, will be held on October 13 & 14 in both Library Park and the Library Community Room from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The famous $2 a Bag Sale is on Sunday from 3-5 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Monrovia Public Library. Prices for regular books and media range from 25¢ to $2. Collectables are individually priced from $5 to $40. Book sellers are welcome, scanners are not permitted.

~ Charles Slacik, CPA, 58, has joined the board of Monrovia's Staar Surgical. Mr. Slacik has over 30 years of executive level experience in the health care industry. http://goo.gl/suuw2

~ A fire at Mt. Sierra College caused $15,000 damage. http://goo.gl/D4ZMc

- Brad Haugaard

Look-Ahead Football Video: Monrovia vs. San Dimas

Video: Sports writers look ahead at Monrovia-San Dimas football game. http://goo.gl/XBFv0

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Comedy Night | Donnelly Objects

~ The Volunteer Center of the San Gabriel Valley is sponsoring a comedy night with raffle prizes September 27 at 7 p.m. at the Monrovian Family Restaurant. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Two drink minimum.

~ Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represents part of Monrovia, writes "An Open Letter to Governor Brown" asking him to veto AB 1081, which in an earlier message, he said would turn California into "a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants" ( http://goo.gl/s1Qbj ). Also, he criticizes Brown for raising taxes on lumber: http://goo.gl/fLHX1

- Brad Haugaard

Old Track Removed at Monrovia Station

The old train tracks have been removed at the old Monrovia train station in preparation for the Gold Line. http://goo.gl/OVBVg

- Brad Haugaard

Meeting about Wildfires on the Edge of Town

If you are interested in "best management practices of mitigation, prevention and response to urban-interface brush fires," the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Fire Chief Advisory Group will be held on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Monrovia Public Library. You can't speak at the meetings, just watch. However, the "Fire Department will be holding a series of public forums and scoping meetings in the near future to allow for participation from all members of the community and those stakeholders that would be impacted by a brush fire." http://goo.gl/KuX9a