Monrovia Firefighters to Climb 1,400 Stairs | Drunk Driver Stoppers | Egg Hunt

~ At the instigation of Firefighter/paramedic Jason Norton, on April 6, nearly a dozen Monrovia Firefighters will participate in the American Lung Cancer's 2013 "Fight for Air Climb" by ascending 1,400 stairs at the 850-foot AON Center - the second tallest building in downtown Los Angeles - in full firefighter gear. You can donate here: http://goo.gl/VFdHb

~ Mothers Against Drunk Drivers has recognized Monrovia Police Officer Gerald Dehart for 25 DUI Arrests in 2012. MADD also recognized Reserve Officer Fred Hirigoyen and volunteers Jerry Ferguson and Keith Green, who received the Team Award for overall support of DUI enforcement with more than 25 assists each.

~ Annual Spring Egg Hunt and Healthy Kid's Day Event on Saturday, March 30, at 10 a.m., at Recreation Park. Registration for all egg hunts for kids ages 0-16 begins at 9:45 a.m.

Source: My Monrovia newsletter - http://goo.gl/1p3V5

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Top Priorities

On Feb. 9, the City Council named the City of Monrovia's top priorities for the next five years:

- Long-Term Fiscal Responsibility
- Economic Development
- Infrastructure and Facility Maintenance
- Historic Preservation
- Public Safety
- Environmental Stewardship

Source: City newsletter

- Brad Haugaard

Weinermobile Comes to Monrovia

Pictures of Oscar Mayer Weinermobile making a visit to Monrovia. http://goo.gl/qJiAp

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: One Price-Switch Too Many, Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for March 18-20. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 480 service events, resulting in 78 investigations.

Residential Burglary

March 19 at 12:16 a.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 100 block of North Grand. The victims left for the weekend on Saturday, March 16, at 5 p.m. They returned home on March 19 around 12:00 a.m. to discover their residence had been burglarized. The home was ransacked and several items were missing, including a computer and miscellaneous jewelry. The investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary

On March 14, the Monrovia Police Department took a burglary report at a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain involving a suspect seen switching price tags. The suspect switched the price tag on a higher-priced welder, took it to the cashier, and paid a lower price for the item. He was seen the day before attempting this same crime at the Glendora store, but an alert cashier recognized the discrepancy and stopped the transaction until she could verify the price. The subject walked out of the store, indicating he would return, but did not. A flyer with a photograph of the suspect was issued by the business.

On March 19 at 1:11 p.m., the suspect went to the Monrovia store again. He was seen switching the price tag on a welder and placing a homemade barcode that indicated a lower price on the item. Officers arrived as the suspect was paying for the merchandise at the lower price, and he was detained. The officers recognized the suspect from the flyer. He was arrested and taken into custody.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Assemblymember's Bill Turns Violence Fine into a Violence Fee

Assembly Bill 139, by Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, was approved today in the Assembly. It strengthens penalties abusers are required to pay to ensure that more funding is available for domestic violence shelters.

AB 139 - the first piece of legislation heard on the floor this session - provides more funds for domestic violence shelters by stipulating that those convicted of domestic violence must pay a minimum $500 fee - not a fine - before they are granted probation. This clarification is important because it would ensure the Legislature's intent to use portions of the $500 fee to generate funding for local domestic violence programs.

"Since state courts differ in their interpretations of whether the payments are actually fines or fees, counties are unable to distribute domestic violence funds accurately and that means short-changing the shelters and the women they serve," explained Assemblymember Holden. "This bill will help clear up the confusion and the revenue stream. Who knew a technicality could make such a difference?"

The bill came out of a California State Audit conducted over four years that analyzed the distribution of payments used to support domestic violence shelters. The report revealed that many counties left a significant portion of payments uncollected due to the confusion about whether the payments were classified as fees or fines.

Source: from Holden press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Candidates Interviewed | Liu Looking for Artists

~ Video: KGEM host Ralph Walker interviews the three candidates for Monrovia City Council:

- Alexander Blackburn http://goo.gl/xklPd
- Robert Parry http://goo.gl/Gpbvg
- Larry Spicer http://goo.gl/dUmIW

~ Senator Carol Liu, who represents Monrovia, is looking for artists from her district to submit artwork to be displayed in Sacramento. http://goo.gl/7Ie2r

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Schools to Hire Headhunter Firm to Get Replacement Superintendent

This Friday at 8 a.m. the Monrovia Board of Education will hold a special meeting to consider which headhunter firm to employ to get a new superintendent. (Current superintendent, Linda Wagner, is moving on to take over the Anaheim schools.) Here's the agenda: http://goo.gl/9BT8J

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Construction Report on Time Warner Cable

Video: Time Warner Cable Local Edition host, Brad Pomerance, interviews Habib Balian, CEO of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority about progress on rail construction.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Charity Raises $300k for Cancer Research | Puma Drone in Action

~ Monrovia's St. Baldrick's raises more than $300,000 for childhood cancer research. http://goo.gl/LgDUS

~ The Puma drone, made by Monrovia's AeroVironment, on duty in Afghanistan. http://goo.gl/5Y3UO

- Brad Haugaard

Parenting and Teen Program

A program for parents and another for teens. Grief and loss, brain development, childhood depression, etc. March 31 in Monrovia. Details: http://goo.gl/MIjYI

- Brad Haugaard

Scoby to Play for Monrovia? Rain on Wednesday?

~ Kurt Scoby to play football for Monrovia this fall? http://goo.gl/DkGRy

~ Thirty percent chance of rain on Wednesday. http://goo.gl/sXaRv

- Brad Haugaard

La Canada Over Monrovia in Baseball :-(

Baseball: La Canada 2, Monrovia 1 http://goo.gl/MO9e6

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Nano Cafe

Lunch at Nano Cafe, at Mayflower and Duarte Road. Got an iced tea ($2.49) and the lunch special Reuben Sandwich ($8.99). I really like the small-town atmosphere of this place. Food is fine, too.

- Brad Haugaard

More Farmers Markets in Monrovia

Family Festival Productions gets price break from the city in exchange for more farmers markets. http://goo.gl/ClTn1

- Brad Haugaard

Canyon Park Storytime: Legend of Sara McGee

Canyon Park Library storytime. Hear about the Rankins family and the Legend of Sara McGee. Visit the three gravestones. March 20, 3-4 p.m. Free. http://goo.gl/YJLkX

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Drumline, Yogurtland, St. Pat's Day, Monrovia Today Joins Community Services

Get details here: http://goo.gl/tz7LS

~ Get a video preview of the Monrovia High Drumline competition.

~ Yogurtland fundraiser today.

~ Where to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

~ Mentioned this before but didn't notice that the Monrovia Today publication has been combined with the Community Services brochure.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Baseball Favorite

Monrovia High Baseball is "overwhelming favorite." http://goo.gl/y0Fvl

- Brad Haugaard

At Council Meeting: New Monrovia City Website Coming | Storm Water Tax Report

At the upcoming March 19 7:30 p.m. City Council meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/FnAKR ) the city will ..

- see the redesigned city web site.

- hear a report on the county's latest thinking on its proposed storm-water runoff tax. http://goo.gl/36gyw

- Brad Haugaard

Pictures of Coming Del Taco

Pictures of the coming Del Taco over by Target, which, by the way, will be open 24 hours. http://goo.gl/Iw51w

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council Candidates Forum Overview: Agreement, Guns and Lawsuits

Candidates Larry Spicer, Alexander Blackburn and Robert Parry

A few notes from the Monrovia City Council candidates forum:

- Larry Spicer emphasized his long and varied community experience, and his time as a planning commissioner and fill-in city council member.

- Alexander Blackburn spoke of how his experience as an attorney bringing contesting sides together would be valuable in city government.

- Robert Parry talked about his ability to lead (he has served in the Army), his committment to controlling the city budget, public safety, making sure the Gold Line station is a positive and not a negative, and establishing a park in the south part of town.

The candidates were mostly in agreement, except, perhaps, on two matters:

1. Would you support a parcel tax on Monrovians? (The candidates seemed to think this referred to the water-runoff tax the county had proposed.)

- Blackburn said he is not in favor of any new tax but if an expense is forced on the city by a higher government, a parcel tax might be a "reasonable conclusion."

- Spicer said it would take a lot of study as it might hurt seniors and disabled vets. He said the city would have to put it to the voters and let them decide.

- Parry said, "No," and added, "We're taxed enough."

2a. Would you support gun control in Monrovia?

- Spicer said he is for some form of gun control because he is against guns in schools.

- Blackburn said the city would have to respect the Second Amendment but would be willing to have some form of gun control if the majority wants it.

- Parry said he is "generally opposed to gun control," but would be willing to require gun owners keep their guns in gun safes in their homes.

2b.  And a followup question, Would you allow teachers to have guns in school?

- Spicer said no.

- Blackburn said his gut feeling is no, but it is hard to know without doing study, "but my gut feeling is it's a terrible idea."

- Parry didn't exactly say yes, but he said that the average police response time is six minutes and "someone can do a lot of damage in that time."

An interesting tidbit came out following a question about how the city could minimize the number of lawsuits it faces.

Spicer (who served as a fill-in council member) said City Manager Laurie Lile had emphasized that the city needs to return to getting the details right. "We have to work smarter," Spicer said. "We have to get back to basics."

Then Parry followed up by saying that a lot of the lawsuits against the city are from city employees.

- Brad Haugaard