Driver Hits Hydrant in Monrovia

Driver hits hydrant, gets arrested: http://goo.gl/KZ1sO

- Brad Haugaard

Vacation Bible School at Monrovia's First Presbyterian

Vacation Bible School for children at Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church. Sign-up deadline is this Friday, June 14. Details: http://goo.gl/Wg5ig

- Brad Haugaard

City Likes New Monrovia Development | Bears 1 Catfood 0 | Personal Branding

~ City thinks new residential development at 212-216 West Olive Avenue fits the neighborhood. http://goo.gl/tZm6g

~ Monrovia bears chow down on catfood. http://goo.gl/vevFP

~ Steps to Personal Branding workshop, June 19, 10:30-1:30 p.m. at the Library. Details: http://goo.gl/C04b2

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Band and Color Guard Fundraiser | Fourth | Concerts | Electronics Recycling

~ Car wash fundraiser for Monrovia High Band and Color Guard at Walgreens, 253 E. Foothill Blvd., June 15, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Suggested donation is $5 for cars and $8 for trucks and SUVs. All proceeds benefit the Monrovia High School Wildcat Marching Band and Color Guard program.

~ Flyer for the Monrovia Fourth of July fireworks show. http://goo.gl/Gqfuk

~ Listing of Monrovia summer concerts. Each Sunday evening, 7-8:30 at the Library Bandshell, starting July 7. First up - on July 7 - the Basix, top 40 hits. http://goo.gl/tLu3i

~ Electronic waste recycling, corner of Myrtle and Pomona (street just south of the freeway), July 27, 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Details: http://goo.gl/ofoVQ

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Assemblymember's 'Put It On the Internet' Bill Goes to Senate

Assemblymember Chris Holden's legislation to make the Small Business Loan Guarantee program more accessible and user friendly has been approved in the Senate Government Organization Committee. Holden represents Monrovia.

AB 201 requires the California Small Business Loan Guarantee Program to maintain an Internet website that would include information on the program's loan guarantees, direct lending, surety bond guarantees, and disaster loans.

Since February 2011, over $143 million financial loans were issued, of which about $47 million was covered by Small Business Loan Guarantee Program.

Since 2004, more than 52 loans worth approximately $8.5 million dollars have been guaranteed in the 41st Assembly District.

AB 201 now goes to Senate Appropriations for fiscal consideration.

Source: Holden press release

Comment: Sounds like a good bill, but how pathetic is it that it requires the involvement of the Assembly, Senate and Governor to get a state program to put its information on the Internet?

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Cite Man With Fake Gun

Monrovia Police cite man for having fake pistol. http://goo.gl/9eY9r

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Reads Chili Bowl

3rd Annual Monrovia Reads "Chili Bowl" at Monrovia Tennis Club, 158 N. Sunset Place. Tickets $100 per person. Proceeds help Monrovia Reads. http://goo.gl/h8kVh

- Brad Haugaard

'Advanced Meters' Coming to Monrovia and San Gabriel Valley

Southern California Gas will be installing "Advanced Meters" in the San Gabriel Valley during the second half of this year. The meters transmit your gas usage to the company daily so a guy doesn't have to come around and read the meter. It also lets you go on line and monitor your usage. http://goo.gl/NcRGw and http://goo.gl/zRnpa

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center Needs Razors, Toothpaste, Etc.

Foothill Unity Center writes on Facebook: "SOS! We're low on items for the hygiene kits we give to our homeless clients: disposable razors, travel size toothpaste, soap, lotion and conditioner, toothbrushes and/or small combs or brushes. If you can donate any of these, we'd really appreciate it! Just drop them off at our Monrovia Center. Thanks so much."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Caught By a Shoe Print; Busting Into Self-Storage Units; Etc

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for June 6-9. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend's highlighted issues and events.

Gang Injunction Violation – Suspect Arrested

June 6 at 10:03 p.m., disturbing subjects were reported blocking a driveway in the 500 block of East Olive, near an alley. An officer arrived and saw three subjects at the end of the alley, but by the time she reached the end of the alley, the subjects were gone. She looked around and saw a female subject trying to hide behind a fence. An assisting officer arrived on seen and they contacted the female subject, who immediately became argumentative with officers.

As the officers were trying to talk to the female, a male subject appeared and walked towards the officers, yelling at them to stay away from his girlfriend. The male subject continued to yell, irately, at the officers, and an additional police unit was requested. The assisting officer arrived and recognized the male subject as a known gang member who had been served with the gang injunction order. He was arrested and charged for the violation of the court order.

Robbery – Cell Phone

June 7 at 9:05 p.m., a female victim and her friend were walking south on Monterey, under the 210 Freeway, when a male suspect approached. The female had just finished sending a text message from her cell phone. The suspect forcibly grabbed the cell phone out of her hand and ran to an awaiting vehicle, described as a gray, newer model, four-door Nissan Altima. The vehicle fled west on Huntington, towards the freeway. The loss was a black, iPhone 4 cell phone.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, approximately 25 years of age, 5'05", 140 pounds, thin build, no facial hair, last seen wearing a baseball cap, black tank top and black cargo shorts. Officers searched the area and surrounding agencies were notified of the robbery, but the suspect was not located. The investigation is continuing.

Weapons Offense / Suspicious Circumstances

June 8 at 12:12 a.m., police responded to the report of 15 subjects arguing in the street in front of a residence in the 800 block of West Walnut; one of the subjects was reportedly displaying a firearm. Officers responded and detained numerous subjects. The officers conducted interviews that indicated a subject who had fled before officers arrived had a firearm, but no one claimed to be a victim of a crime. The subjects and their vehicles were searched, but no firearm was located. The subjects were identified and allowed to leave. The investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence / Hit & Run Traffic Collision / Outside Assist - Irwindale Police Department – Suspect Arrested

June 8 at 12:53 a.m., a Monrovia citizen volunteer was parked in a parking lot at Royal Oaks and Mountain when he heard a dragging sound. He looked up and saw a vehicle traveling north on Mountain with sparks emitting from the vehicle. He requested officers, who arrived as the vehicle was stopping in front of a residence on Oakdale. The officers interviewed the driver, who was found to be intoxicated, and discovered the driver had collided with a vehicle in the City of Irwindale.

Irwindale Police Department was contacted and verified they had a hit and run traffic collision in their city. Several citizens saw the collision and followed the vehicle to Monrovia, but lost sight of it. Irwindale officers responded and arrested the suspect.

Driving Under the Influence / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested

June 8 at 2:33 a.m., an officer on patrol saw a vehicle traveling south on Peck Road at a high rate of speed. He conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver. Through investigation, the driver was determined to be driving under the influence and was arrested. During an inventory search of the vehicle, a small plastic baggie was found in the driver's door, containing a white powdery substance, which later tested positive for cocaine. Possession of a controlled substance was added to the charges.

Commercial Burglary / Possession of Stolen Property / Ex-Felon in Possession of a Firearm – Suspects Arrested

June 7 at 7:22 p.m., the manager of a storage facility in the 1100 block of South Fifth Avenue called to report a possible burglary. Suspicious subjects, a male and female driving a white truck, were seen leaving a storage unit. When officers arrived, the suspects were gone. The lock on the unit had been cut and the unit had been forced open, but it was unknown if there was a loss, as the unit owner could not be located. Officers searched the area, but the suspects were not located.

The next morning at 6:55 a.m., the male suspect returned to the storage facility in the white truck and police were notified. Officers responded, detained the suspect and found potential stolen property in the vehicle. Through investigation, officers learned the suspects had broken into multiple units at the facility and multiple victims had their storage units burglarized. A Search warrant was served on the storage unit and the suspect's vehicle, and a loaded firearm was found in the vehicle.

The female suspect seen the day before was found to be the registered owner of the truck. Detectives wrote a search warrant for her residence and an additional storage facility located in Arcadia. The female suspect was stopped leaving her residence and was found to be in possession of stolen property; she was arrested. The investigation is continuing.

Prowling – Suspect Arrested

June 9 at 3:24 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of West Colorado reported a prowler looking into a bedroom window. The victim was awakened when she saw a flash of light illuminating the bedroom. She looked out and saw a subject standing next to her bedroom window. There were two children asleep in the bedroom also, a 12-year-old and a 6-year-old. The resident got out of bed and alerted a family member, who called police. The suspect fled when he saw police arriving. A search was conducted, and a subject matching the suspect description was located. The suspect had left shoe prints below the window he had been looking through at the residence. A comparison was made and the shoe tread appeared similar. The suspect was arrested.

Commercial Burglary

June 9 at 11:16 a.m., a burglary was reported at a church in the 400 block of East Duarte Road. Unknown suspect(s) pried open a wrought iron front door and removed a window-mounted air-conditioning unit. The suspect(s) then pushed open an inner door and took a laptop computer. The investigation is continuing.

Mental Evaluation

June 9 at 3:15 p.m., police responded to a disturbance at residence in the 200 block of West Palm. On arrival, officers were informed that an 18-year-old male subject was irate and had knives. The mother and brother of the subject were able to escape the house, but the father was locked in a room upstairs. The subject began to threaten the officers with the knives and was yelling at everyone at the location.

After a short standoff, the father came up from behind the subject and bear hugged his son; they both fell to the floor. Officers were then able to enter the home and the subject was placed in handcuffs for his own safety. He was taken to a hospital, where he was held for mental evaluation.

Monrovia Maintenance Yard Should be Done by Early 2015

Model of the under-construction Gold Line maintenance yard, just west of Home Depot.

The Gold Line Construction Authority reports that it is on schedule to complete and turn over the new Monrovia maintenance yard to the Metro in early 2015, in time for delivery of new Metro light rail vehicles which will be delivered to the Monrovia facility for inspection and testing.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Relay for Life

Relay for Life of Monrovia, sponsored by American Cancer Society, June 22, 10 a.m. at Monrovia Recreation Park. Details: http://goo.gl/TrpJJ



- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's World Vision: $1.2 Billion for Childhood Undernutrition

Monrovia's World Vision has committed to a $1.2 billion package of measures to combat childhood undernutrition, and is challenging governments - especially those from G8 countries - to match this commitment. http://goo.gl/dGlWr

- Brad Haugaard

Helicopter Construction Above Monrovia

A helicopter delivering a bucket of concrete to a power line construction crew above Monrovia today. Scads of butterflies up there, too. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Gold Line Maintenance Yard Reaches Milestone

The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority has completed all design work, nearly 30 percent of construction, and nearly all underground utility installation on the 24-acre, $265 million Gold Line Operations Campus in Monrovia. More: http://goo.gl/kUnQW

- Brad Haugaard

Local Church Serves As Collection Point for Union Rescue Mission

Dominion Hilltop Ministries - at its new home at the Monrovia Community Center at 119 West Palm Ave. - is serving as a collection point for contributions to the Union Rescue Mission. Every second Sunday of the month, beginning this Sunday, the church is collecting as clothing, deodorant, soap, blankets, socks, tooth brushes, tooth paste, office supplies, cleaning supplies, diapers, feminine products and shampoo for the mission. Sunday services begin at 10:45 a.m. Doors open at 10 a.m.

For information, contact Dominion Hilltop Ministries at (855) 737-HILL. If you have items to donate and cannot deliver them to the church, call to arrange a pick-up.

- Brad Haugaard

Declining Reserves for Monrovia Schools

The Monrovia School Board will meet this coming Wednesday, June 12 (agenda: http://goo.gl/PvDvz ). Among other things, it will get an update on the district budget. From the staff report it appears the standout issue is that the district faces declining "undesignated reserves" over the next three years. 2013-14: $5,400,702; 1014-15: $3,097,871; 2015-16: $231,401. http://goo.gl/uGpLe

- Brad Haugaard

American Folk Music at Monrovia's First Presbyterian | Brand Your Resume

~ San Gabriel Valley Choral Company will present Tell It, a choral selection of America's folk music heritage. June 8 at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church. http://goo.gl/qjG4r

~ Monrovia Library workshop: Adding your brand to your resume. June 26. http://goo.gl/YQkZw

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Le Roys

Lunch at Le Roys on Huntington, just west of Mayflower. The place with the lion. Got a French Dip sandwich ($7.55) and iced tea ($2.15). Plus tax and tip. Big iced tea. Big, and good, clam chowder (half eaten, here). Lots of beef in the sandwich. Good. Come hungry. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Summer Reading Club

Registration for Summer Reading Club begins Monday June 10, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Monrovia Public Library, for children to teens. Read and collect prizes each week. You can register anytime between June 10 and July 27. http://goo.gl/wdYQN

- Brad Haugaard