~ Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Recreation Park, 620 S. Shamrock Ave. Easter egg hunt, toddler, teen and family activities, music, arts & crafts, wellness activities, carnival games, spring bunny, face painting, demonstrations, and Monrovia Reads book distribution. Egg hunts free! http://goo.gl/mbZAj
~ Electronic Waste Recycling Event Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mt. Sierra College, 101 E. Huntington Dr. Also, ACTS Thrift Shop accepting donations of clothing, furniture, etc. For large item donations call 577-4477 for free pick up.
~ Mt. Sierra College Career Fair, 9 a.m. to noon, April 13. 101 E. Huntington Dr. http://goo.gl/kahg0
~ Dia de los Ninos, Children's Day, at the Library. http://goo.gl/MSnXT
~ Native Plant Garden Tour, including a home in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/6LEIu
Monrovia Over South Pas :-) | Holden Photo Contest
~ In baseball, Monrovia over South Pas 11-1.
~ On Facebook, Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, writes: "I need your help with photos that reflect the unique nature of the 41st Assembly District. If you have a great shot of the mountains, or wildflowers or even an iconic building that represents your city, please send a high resolution jpg to my office at: assemblymember.Holden@assembly.ca.gov.
"My staff and I will choose 3 or 4 photos to post on our website and in return, I'll buy lunch for the winners. Take a look at my website: www.asm.ca.gov/holden and you'll see I need your help."
- Brad Haugaard
~ On Facebook, Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, writes: "I need your help with photos that reflect the unique nature of the 41st Assembly District. If you have a great shot of the mountains, or wildflowers or even an iconic building that represents your city, please send a high resolution jpg to my office at: assemblymember.Holden@assembly.ca.gov.
"My staff and I will choose 3 or 4 photos to post on our website and in return, I'll buy lunch for the winners. Take a look at my website: www.asm.ca.gov/holden and you'll see I need your help."
- Brad Haugaard
Representative Judy Chu Picture
Congressional representative Judy Chu, who represents the north edge of Monrovia, posted this photo of herself on Facebook. She posted it without comment but I'm guessing it means she wants the Supreme Court to overturn California's Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between a man and woman.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Police: TwoCars and Bus Collide; Robbers with PepperSpray; Etc.
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for March 21-24. - Brad Haugaard]
Following are the weekend's highlighted issues and events.
Suspicious Vehicle / Warrants – Suspect Arrested
March 22 at 10:33 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Madeline regarding a suspicious occupied vehicle. While officers were checking on the subjects inside the vehicle, a resident contacted one of the officers. He advised the officer that a male subject with a backpack had left very quickly at the first sight of the patrol car. Officers checked the area and found the subject walking south on Mountain, north of Foothill. The subject was found to have three no-bail warrants, two for narcotics and one for burglary. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.
Injury Traffic Collision / Unlicensed Driver
March 22 at 5:02 p.m., a three vehicle traffic collision occurred in the 3000 block of Peck Road. Two vehicles struck each other in the intersection. One of the vehicles continued on, striking an MTA bus. One passenger on the bus complained of pain. The drivers of the vehicles were not injured. One of the drivers was found to be unlicensed and was cited for the offense. The injured person on the bus declined medical treatment.
Petty Theft With Priors – Suspect Arrested
March 23 at 5:03 p.m., a suspect was observed leaving a business in the 500 block of West Huntington with bottles of cologne he did not pay for after he concealed them in a paper bag. He was detained by store loss prevention. Officers arrived, and the suspect was taken into custody without incident. He was determined to have a very long criminal history with numerous convictions and past prison time for theft.
Residential Burglary
March 24 at 4:27 p.m., officers responded to the 700 block of Ocean View regarding the report of a residential burglary. The point of entry was an unlocked kitchen window, and the loss was several items of jewelry taken from the master bedroom. The burglary occurred sometime between 4:00 p.m. on March 23 to 7:00 p.m. on March 24. A neighbor noticed a suspicious subject leaving the victim's driveway during the time of occurrence. The subject is described as a male white adult, very tall, wearing a white, long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans. The neighbor did not see the subject carrying anything. Investigation continuing.
Attempt Robbery
March 25 at 1:55 a.m., dispatch received a call reporting a robbery in the 200 block of Melrose. The victim was in front of his residence, smoking a cigarette, when a vehicle pulled up and the occupants asked him for directions. When the victim approached the vehicle, the occupants demanded money from him. The victim replied that he didn't have any money, and one of the suspects sprayed him in the face with pepper spray. The suspect vehicle then fled south on Melrose. The victim was treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital for an apparent allergic reaction to the pepper spray. The empty canister of pepper spray was recovered at the scene. The investigation is continuing.
Study Says AeroVironment Drones Safe to Fly at Night
Monrovia's AeroVironment, which makes small drones, and New Mexico State University's Physical Science Lab, have studied the safety of flying small drones at night in American skies and concluded that it's safe. http://goo.gl/lp6e5
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
More Filming for Monrovia?
Monrovia is hoping to make filming in town easier by entering into a contract with Film LA, a firm that "helps film companies with obtaining permit fees and other tasks," according to the latest issue of Monrovia Historic Preservation Group's newsletter, Preservation Conversation.
From the newsletter: "It is felt that such an agreement would facilitate making the process easier and less time-consuming for the film companies. Because many of the film companies in Los Angeles prefer to shoot on locations within 30 miles of the studios (which Monrovia is), the city could once again become a mecca for filming."
The report adds that Film LA plans to be at an April City Council meeting.
- Brad Haugaard
From the newsletter: "It is felt that such an agreement would facilitate making the process easier and less time-consuming for the film companies. Because many of the film companies in Los Angeles prefer to shoot on locations within 30 miles of the studios (which Monrovia is), the city could once again become a mecca for filming."
The report adds that Film LA plans to be at an April City Council meeting.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Library: Calling All Book Scribblers!
Monrovia Public Library is conducting a study of "marginalia." (That's a fancy word for people scribbling in the margins of their books.) If you would like to participate in the survey, click here: http://goo.gl/0u8k3
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Opinion: Patch's Push to Modify Legal Ads Law is a Good Thing
If you have followed MonroviaNow for a long time, you may recall me expressing serious doubts about the ability of AOL's Patch chain of local-news websites - including Monrovia Patch - to survive. I still have doubts, but in reading this article ( http://goo.gl/6iheU ) I find that AOL is pushing to have an antiquated law changed, and if it succeeds I think the California Patch websites could survive and maybe even thrive. Years ago I wrote my assemblyman urging just such a change, but maybe with AOL's clout something will happen.
This antiquated law requires that legal notices (those tiny-print columns of text that you used to skip over in the back of your newspaper when you used to read a newspaper) must be printed in a newsPAPER. The logic, which was probably good in the 1800s, was that there is certain information that businesses and local governments must put in front of the eyes of the public, and so those businesses and governments must buy advertising to do that. And that, of course, is a nice source of revenue for newspapers.
But today, newspapers are declining and online news is growing, and it is increasingly reasonable that online-only publications be allowed to accept legal advertising if they can show they have adequate readership.
Obviously, this would benefit Patch and other local online-only media (maybe even MonroviaNow), but I suspect newspapers will have a conniption fit as that is probably one of the few revenue sources keeping their paper versions alive. But newspapers could still run legal ads (in paper or online), so the only real difference is that newsPAPERs wouldn't be the ONLY venue for running the ads.
Now, a related argument is this: Why require legal ads at all since a government database can make the information just as easily available to the public as if it was published in a local news outlet?
Hmm... good point. The only arguments I can think of in reply are that the government may see value in pushing the information out there where it is in people's faces, or it may see value in supporting local news media, but I gotta admit, those responses are pretty weak.
- Brad Haugaard
Power Tower Construction Above Monrovia - Good Roads, Too
What appears to be a recently-dug footing for a new power tower.
If you happen to see helicopters buzzing around in the hills above Monrovia, the reason is that Southern California Edison is putting up additional power transmission towers and lines above Monrovia as part of the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project. The project will bring electricity from solar and wind plants in the Tehachapi area into the LA area ( http://goo.gl/ODop3 ). The cool thing if you are a mountain biker is that Edison has graded the road from White Saddle up to, and including, Rincon Road. Silky smooth. Before it was rutted, rocky and loose.
- Brad Haugaard
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
~ 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
~ 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
~ 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
~ 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
- Long-Term Fiscal Responsibility
- Economic Development
- Infrastructure and Facility Maintenance
- Historic Preservation
- Public Safety
- Environmental Stewardship
Source: City newsletter
- Brad Haugaard
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