Monrovia Now: News and Comment about Monrovia, California

Monrovia Schools: Flat Enrollment After Years of Declines?

Among other things, at its March 27, 7 p.m. meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/G90IE ), the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ hear a report saying: "For 2013-14 the student enrollment is projected to remain unchanged from 2012-13 at 5,951. After a decade of declining enrollment, district enrollment may have stabilized due to the graduation of the large kindergarten classes of the 1990's." But still, the district is estimating it will need a net of one fewer staff member (down one at Bradoaks and one at Clifton and up one at Monroe). http://goo.gl/mPPgm

~ approve funding for making the MHS Band and Choir Room safer in an earthquake.

~ hear a report on expenditures for maintenance, and another on expenditures for facilities.

~ consider approving a contract with Moss, Levy & Hartzheim, LLP to do the district's audits.

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Drone Tracks Sea Lions | Corn Toss

~ University of Alaska uses drone from Monrovia's AeroVironment to study sea lion populations. http://goo.gl/ABTI3

~ Monrovia High's Big M Boosters will hold a corn toss fundraiser. A corn toss is "similar to horseshoes except you use wooden boxes called Corn Toss platforms and corn/bean bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes." Details: http://goo.gl/EHBzE

- Brad Haugaard

Registered to Vote? | Who Gave to Each Monrovia Council Candidate

~ If you want to vote in the Monrovia municipal election, make sure you are registered by this Monday, March 25. Info here: http://goo.gl/934a5

~ Three lists of who gave to each of the three Monrovia City Council candidates, from Patch:

- Alexander Blackburn http://goo.gl/acV1z
- Robert Parry http://goo.gl/n9pVY
- Larry Spicer http://goo.gl/7lGIr

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Max's Mexican Cuisine

Had lunch at Max's Mexican Cuisine, which is apparently in Monrovia though right across from Sonic - I thought it was Duarte. Got carnitas taco with noodle soup from the lunch menu with ice tea. For two of us, $20.82 plus tip. Bright atmosphere, good service and really good tacos. Meat tender and nicely seasoned.

- Brad Haugaard

Details on Monrovia's Five-Year Plan

The Monrovia City Council will hold a study session on Tuesday, March 26, at 6 p.m. at City Hall to discuss how to implement its five-year plan priorities: Long-Term Fiscal Responsibility, Economic Development, Infrastructure and Facility Maintenance, Historic Preservation, Public Safety, Environmental Stewardship. Here is the 71-page document the council will be working from if you are low on reading material: http://goo.gl/z7NgT

- Brad Haugaard

Doubt About Kurt Scoby Playing Football for Monrovia

Hmmm. Some serious doubt about whether Kurt Scoby will play football for Monrovia. http://goo.gl/tfZMo

- Brad Haugaard

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

Monrovia Schools: Flat Enrollment After Years of Declines?

AeroVironment Drone Tracks Sea Lions | Corn Toss

Registered to Vote? | Who Gave to Each Monrovia Council Candidate

Lunch at Max's Mexican Cuisine

Details on Monrovia's Five-Year Plan

Doubt About Kurt Scoby Playing Football for Monrovia

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

Monrovia's Top Priorities

Weinermobile Comes to Monrovia

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

Residential Burglary

Commercial Burglary

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

Monrovia Candidates Interviewed | Liu Looking for Artists

Monrovia Schools to Hire Headhunter Firm to Get Replacement Superintendent

Gold Line Construction Report on Time Warner Cable

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

Parenting and Teen Program

Scoby to Play for Monrovia? Rain on Wednesday?

La Canada Over Monrovia in Baseball :-(

Lunch at Nano Cafe

More Farmers Markets in Monrovia