AeroVironment Gets Rights to Swedish Drone | Madison High | Library Book Christmas Tree | Your Monrovia Vision

~ Monrovia's AeroVironment is putting $3 million into Sweden-based CybAero AB to "develop and distribute a Tier II vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft system. AeroVironment gets exclusive rights to provide CybAero AB systems to United States customers and to government customers in NATO and other countries. http://goo.gl/51esq

~ A look at the Wildcats opponent in the state playoffs, Madison High School. http://goo.gl/FsK3J

~ Books become a Christmas tree at Monrovia Library. http://goo.gl/5032Y

~ If you want to give the leaders of Monrovia your vision for the future of the city, the next city forum is Dec. 11, 7-9 p.m. at the Monrovia Community Center, 119 W. Palm, across the street on the north side of the Library.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Wildcats in State Regional Playoffs

Monrovia Wildcats head for state regional playoffs. http://goo.gl/PWjHk

- Brad Haugaard

No Ice Cream for Weight Watchers

An unfortunate juxtaposition of signs. Weight Watchers doesn't actually meet at Baskin Robbins, but at its new home across the Pavilions parking lot in a storefront next to Cherry on Top.

Kitty Banks in Monrovia for Sandy Victims

Make-up Artist Kitty Banks in Old Town Monrovia to raise support for Sandy victims. http://goo.gl/aHKcR

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Wins Third Consecutive Football Title :-)

Monrovia came back strong after trailing 7-0 at the end of the first half, quickly scoring in the third quarter and then leading for the rest of the game. Final score: 23 to 7 over Paraclete.

Full story: http://goo.gl/ZiXzG

- Brad Haugaard

Power Outage Hits Monrovia

A power outage has hit approximately 933 Monrovia electricity users, according to Southern California Edison. SCE says it does not know the reason for the outage and hopes to have the problem fixed by 10 p.m. today. http://goo.gl/GaFyJ

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council Member Wants to Hop Up Nightlife | School Board Switches Hats | Prop 30 Helps Citrus | Volunteer at Unity Center

~ At its Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m. meeting, the Monrovia City Council will hear a plan by Councilmember Becky Shevlin to crank up nightlife in Old Town. She brought the idea back from a League of California Cities conference. It's called "Wednesdays in Old Town," it will start on Wednesday, January 9 and occur each Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. between Lime and Olive avenues and will include as many as three live musical entertainers throughout the program area. It will have a sidewalk sale format with no street closures. Myrtle Avenue businesses will be able to sell stuff on the sidewalk. This, and other Council agenda items, here: http://goo.gl/Wa2jM

~ At its Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m. meeting, the Monrovia School Board will elect new officers and assign duties for the next year. Details here: http://goo.gl/DoKst

~ Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, reports that 165 endangered course sections will be restored since Proposition 30 has passed. In a press release the college says that passage of the proposition prevents $3.5 million in cuts and will enable "students to complete their educational goals in a timelier manner."

~ Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center distributed 1,300 Thanksgiving food boxes and during the upcoming Christmas season is planning to distribute to more than 1,500 families. If you'd like to help, adult volunteers are needed on December 16, money is welcome, you could host a food or toy drive or donate frozen turkeys. For details contact Raina Martinez, 358-3486 or raina@foothillunitycenter.org.

- Brad Haugaard

School Board Member's Volunteer Project | Paraclete Tonight! | More Rain | Unity Fundraiser | Old Railway Ties

~ Monrovia School Board member Alex Zucco asks for support for her GRACE Project. She writes on Facebook, "MUSD has many homeless families and the GRACE Project helps get basic needs to Monrovia school children without a permanent home." The project flyer says, "It's simple. Go to your school's office and request a family's needs list. Collect your items and drop them off at the school's GRACE Project donation box." Interested? Contact Jill Skultin at the District Office at jskultin@monroviaschools.net or 626-471-2031

Comment: Cool, Alex! Good for you for taking the initiative.

~ Tough challenge for Monrovia football tonight against Paraclete. http://goo.gl/fjB6G

~ Good chance of rain through Monday. http://goo.gl/kjs36

~ Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center will have a benefit featuring Mercy and the Merkettes (plus silent auction, raffle, door prizes, and food) on Sunday, Dec. 8, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at The Lodge in Sierra Madre, at 33 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Bring cash, check, or an unwrapped gift for a child. Details: http://goo.gl/k9XHt

- Brad Haugaard

~ Gold Line construction folks are removing old railway ties in Monrovia to prepare for putting in new railway ties. http://goo.gl/lJNPc

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School District on Hook for High-Cost Loan

Monrovia school bond means the district will have to repay five times the amount borrowed. http://goo.gl/xV28M

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at BigShrimps

It's a rainy soup kinda day so went to BigShrimps (just east of Myrtle on Colorado) to get a cup of lobster bisque. Got that with the salmon lunch special and an iced tea for $13.87. No picture of the cup of soup but it was round. Very good, as always.

- Brad Haugaard

Miracle on Myrtle

Miracle on Myrtle, at Monrovia's Library Park on Dec. 23, 5 p.m. The church, Fellowship Monrovia (which meets at the Community Center), is sponsoring live musical performances, and the world premiere of "Miracle on Myrtle," a new animation by Fellowship Productions. The church says it wants this to be an annual tradition. http://goo.gl/uAGMt

- Brad Haugaard

Handel's Messiah Concert | Holiday Events | Rain? | What's Your Zoning?

~ Handel's Messiah Christmas Concert at Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church, Friday Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Free but an offering is welcomed. Details: http://goo.gl/kQzLR

~ More holiday events: Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Library Park, Thursday, Dec. 6, 6 p.m.; "All that Glitters is Gold" Holiday Parade, along Myrtle in Old Town, Thursday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m.

~ Fifty percent chance of rain tomorrow, Friday. http://goo.gl/fvtwH

~ Now you can see how your property is zoned. Go to the city's Zoning page ( http://goo.gl/yDUrD ) and click on Zoning Map (or just click here: http://goo.gl/4KUPk ). Then click on the grid number containing your property. Your property will be color-coded. What does the color mean? Zoom way in on the previous map to read the key. OPINION: Very cool but the color key is hard to find and hard to read. Should be more prominent.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Chewing Narcotics Baggies; Man Tries to Stop Police Entering House, Arrested; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for November 26-28. - Brad Haugaard]

 

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 405 service events, resulting in 58 investigations. 

 

Under the Influence of Narcotics / Vandalism / Burglary / False Imprisonment - Suspect Arrested

November 26 at 9:34 p.m., police were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of East Los Angeles.  A female resident reported her adult son was under the influence of narcotics so she wouldn't allow him into her home.  The son broke a window on the home with a shovel and fled on foot.  He went into the backyard of a residence across the street.  He broke a window and gained entry into the home, where he was confronted by a woman who lived there.  The suspect restrained the woman by grabbing both of her arms.  When she tried to pull free, the suspect tightened his grip and told her she wasn't going anywhere.  Another female heard the commotion and began to scream at the suspect, who then fled.  He was detained by officers a short distance away, and was arrested without further incident.

 

Possession of Narcotics for Sale / Destruction of Evidence - Suspect Arrested

November 27 at 12:10 a.m., dispatch received a call reporting a suspicious vehicle in the 600 block of East Colorado.  Officers responded and saw the vehicle leaving the area and stopped it.  While one officer was speaking to the male driver, another officer saw the female passenger conceal something in the seat.  The female subject was ordered out of the vehicle and the officers noticed she was chewing something and told her to spit it out.  She spit out several plastic baggies with narcotic residue in them.  Another baggie containing methamphetamine was found in the seat where she attempted to conceal it.  The female suspect was arrested and taken into custody for possession of narcotics for sale and destruction of evidence.

 

Resisting and Obstructing a Peace Officer - Suspect Arrested

November 28 at 5:15 p.m., a family disturbance was reported in the 400 block of Genoa.  The reporting party said they could hear children crying and screaming.  When officers arrived and asked to see the children, a male resident blocked the doorway and told the officers to leave.  The officers explained to the male suspect the reason why they were there and the need to see that the children were okay, but the male suspect continued to forcibly prevent the officers from entering the residence.  He was taken into custody and charged with resisting and delaying an investigation.

 

Detective Bureau Case Follow-Up

The Special Enforcement Team obtained a search warrant for a gang member in El Monte who had weapons.  The Foothills Special Enforcement Team served the search warrant and two subjects were arrested; the primary suspect was charged with being an ex-felon in possession of a shotgun.

 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Looking for Man Who Tried to Lure Girl Into Car

Monrovia Police Department press release:

On Thursday, November 29, 2012, at approximately 8:10 a.m., a 15-year-old high school student was walking to school in the 500-600 block of West Olive when she was approached by a male white suspect driving a white, four-door, pickup truck, unknown size. The suspect asked the student to get into his vehicle, but the student refused, stating she did not know him. He drove forward and turned onto the 600 block of Monterey, parking along the curb. He waited for the student to approach. As the student approached the vehicle again, the driver offered the student $200 to get into his vehicle. The student refused, and the suspect left the area. The student notified school officials as soon as she arrived at school.

It is unknown if this is related to the incident which occurred on November 8, but detectives are investigating and are coordinating their investigation with school officials. Suspect Description: male, white, 30-35 years old, unknown height, thin build, black shaggy hair -

medium length, wearing black framed prescription glasses. The victim could not describe the suspect's clothing.

Suspect Vehicle Description: older model, white, four-door, pickup truck.

- Brad Haugaard

Plans for the Aztec Hotel | Profile of Football Player, Ainsworth | Rain | Santa Breakfasts | Molestation Trial | Art Show

~ The new owner's plans for the Aztec Hotel. http://goo.gl/shUpS

~ Profile of Monrovia High football player Ge Vontray Ainsworth. http://goo.gl/lmLCX

~ Forty percent chance of showers today and tomorrow, dropping to 30 percent on Saturday: http://goo.gl/svWhH

~ Schedule of Santa breakfasts and lunches at various Old Town restaurants. Food and toys for kids. http://goo.gl/LUDP6

~ Attorney for Monrovian accused of molesting children says attacks would have been "physically impossible." http://goo.gl/NQhGt

~ Tenth Annual Holiday Small Works Show Dec. 1-29 at Segil Fine Art Gallery, 110 West Lime. http://goo.gl/o23jR

- Brad Haugaard

Freeway Closures During Finishing Details of Bridge Construction

There will be at least two full closures of the 210 eastbound through December 8, between 10 p.m. and 1 p.m. the following day. No particular days have been identified. Crews will be finishing off the Gold Line bridge, adding guard rail, adding the concrete "reeds" on the basket towers, planting, and adding a concrete slab next to the south end of the bridge.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Band and Color Guard Do Well in Competition

The Monrovia High Marching Wildcats Band & Color Guard took second place at the Savanna Field Tournament last weekend, winning second place in Auxiliary and Drum Line and third place in Open Class Percussion. Also, they qualified as finalists in the SCSBOA 2A Field Championships at Ramona High School in Riverside this Saturday. http://goo.gl/qfz71

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Assemblyman Thinking of Running for Governor

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who is still an assemblyman but is winding up his representation of Monrovia due to the change of district lines, is thinking of running for governor.

On Facebook, he writes:

"I have decided to open an exploratory committee to run for Governor of California because there's nobody out there fighting for us."

"Businesses are fleeing -- entire generation of Californians are leaving California to find a better life."

"What I believe in is grass roots ... one of the best ways that I can build support is travel the state, go from town to town, talk to business leaders, talk to community leaders, talk to individuals at their doorstep, at a rally ... do a lot of listening. A lot of times people have solutions that politicians never thought of that will actually work; there's a lot of common sense out there. The Founders trusted the people."

OPINION: Well, he ain't gonna win, but he'll add some spice to the contest.

- Brad Haugaard

Sports Reporter Favors 'Cats | Closing Arguments in Trial of Monrovian Accused of Molesting

~ In the upcoming championship game with Paraclete, Star-News sports reporter Steve Ramirez favors Monrovia. He says, "I like the ‘Cats." http://goo.gl/8ECXA

~ Closing arguments in molestation trial of Monrovian who taught in Duarte schools. http://goo.gl/U60U9  More: Teacher depicted as pedophile. http://goo.gl/5E73W

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Department on 'SWAT Team of the Year'

A Foothill-cities SWAT team, including the Monrovia Police Department, has been named SWAT Team of the Year. Here's the press release:

On Monday, November 27, 2012, the California Association of Tactical Officers (C.A.T.O.) selected the Foothills Special Enforcement Team (FSET) as "SWAT Team of the Year" for the State of California. FSET was founded in 2004 as one of the first regional SWAT programs in Los Angeles County. FSET has shown multiple agencies can work cooperatively as a team for the benefit of all the participating communities. FSET is in the eighth year of successful operation and in 2012, was comprised of police personnel from the cities of Glendora, Irwindale, La Verne, Monrovia and San Marino.

FSET has grown from three founding agencies to five agencies contributing personnel and resources to create one of the largest tactical units in Los Angeles County. The Foothills Special Enforcement Team trains twice each month and handles an average of one high-risk mission per month. The team's abilities have allowed its tactical officers to respond efficiently to complex problems. FSET includes a crisis negotiation team and a sniper team to assist tactical team operators on critical incidents. The combined resources of the five agencies allows for a larger, well prepared and better equipped team than each agency could field by themselves.

The purpose of a SWAT team is to have highly trained and well-equipped officers available to respond to the most dangerous situations. These highly trained team members help provide greater safety for our community members, the police officers responding to the call and for the suspects themselves. The following are examples of three incidents FSET has responded to over the last year:

- In December of 2011, FSET responded to an active shooter incident at the Southern California Edison facility in Irwindale. FSET personnel conducted a tactical searchfor injured persons and located a victim who was losing a great deal of blood from a gunshot wound. The victim survived, due to the rapid response of the team and the immediate medical care provided.

- In June of 2012, FSET responded to a call in the City of Monrovia of a convicted felon with weapons at a residence, threatening to shoot the police. FSET crisis negotiators attempted for hours to get the suspect to give up peaceably. Eventually, the team used tear gas in the residence and the suspect surrendered, unharmed.

- In March of 2012, FSET served a high-risk search warrant in the City of Baldwin Park. The suspect was barricaded inside the residence. The team deployed tear gas and the suspect surrendered, unharmed. Four firearms, ammunition, a ballistic vest, black hoods and drugs were located.

These types of incidents underscore the need for a highly trained, well-equipped tactical team like FSET. By working together collaboratively and sharing resources, these five cities have been able to create a well organized, more efficient team at a lesser expense to the individual agency than they could ever have done working independently. The cities of Glendora, Irwindale, La Verne, Monrovia and San Marino thank the California Tactical Officers Association for recognizing the outstanding work of the Foothills Special Enforcement Team by presenting them with the "SWAT Team of the Year Award."

- Brad Haugaard