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Dogwoods to Become Juvolicious

The old Dogwoods market on Foothill may soon have a new sign that says, "Juvolicious." The city's Design Review Committee will consider the sign at its next meeting ( http://goo.gl/JwhKOo ). According to its website, Juvolicious ( http://www.juvolicious.com/ ) is "a venture funded ecommerce company that purchases popular consumer products from manufacturers and wholesalers across the United States." It is also owned by the same folks who own Juvo Capital ( http://www.juvocapital.com/ ), whom I thought were going to move in there.

Comment: For some reason that name makes me thirsty.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Naked Juice Co. Removing 'All Natural' Label on Its Products

In response to a lawsuit, Naked Juice Co. of Monrovia, will remove the label, "all natural," from its veggie and fruit smoothies until the term, "natural," is better defined. http://goo.gl/5uXbwz

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Safety Tips - Kids and Hot Cars

Monrovia Police advice for National Heatstroke Prevention Day, July 31.

"Too many children die as a result of being left unattended in vehicles for any amount of time," said California Office of Traffic Safety Director Christopher J. Murphy. "These tragedies are 100 percent preventable."

A car's internal temperature can rise above 100 degrees even on cooler days and in 110 degree sun can reach 160 degrees in an hour. When the temperature is 100 degrees, even a half-hour in a vehicle can be enough heat to kill or severely injure young children. It is illegal to leave children unattended in a motor vehicle.

Tips:

- Never leave your child unattended in a hot vehicle, not even for a minute.

- Place a needed item for your next stop, such as your cell phone or purse, on the floor in front of your child's safety seat. This will help to remind you that your child is in the car when you retrieve the needed items.

- Set a reminder or alarm on your cell phone that reminds you to drop off your child at school or day care, or have a loved one call to ensure that the drop-off occurred.

- Ask day care providers to call if your child is ever late being dropped off.

- Develop a routine for exiting the car; check the backseat and lock all doors and the trunk every time.

- Always lock your car doors and do not give children access to keys or keyless entry devices.

- Teach your children that cars are never to be used as a place to play.

- If your child is missing, be sure to check all vehicles and trunks.

- If you see an unattended child in a hot vehicle, call 911 immediately.

Source: Monrovia Police Department

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Ten People To Hold Him Down; Drunk Driving; Drugs; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 25-28. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.  To see a complete listing of crimes reported, go to the City of Monrovia website and click on the crime mapping link.  Sign up to follow us on twitter for police notifications.

Residential Burglary
On July 25 at 2:17 p.m., an officer responded to the 800 block of West Duarte regarding a burglary.  The victim left his residence at 9:30 a.m. and returned at 2:00 p.m.  He entered his residence and noticed his bedrooms had been ransacked.  The suspect(s) entered through an unlocked bedroom window.  The suspect(s) took 2 laptops, a checkbook and cash.  The investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol - Suspect Arrested
On July 25 at 8:00 p.m., an officer stopped a male who was talking on his cell phone while driving in the 1500 block of South Mountain.  Upon contacting the driver, he noticed signs and symptoms of alcohol use.  Through investigation, the driver was determined to be under the influence and was arrested.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol - Suspect Arrested
On July 26 at 2:46 a.m., an officer observed a female driving at the intersection of Myrtle and Central and talking on her cell phone. The officer stopped and contacted the driver who showed symptoms of intoxication.  After an investigation, the driver was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Possession of Controlled Substance / Possession of Paraphernalia use for Unlawfully Injecting Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
On July 26 at 10:43 a.m., while on routine patrol, an officer observed a female asleep behind the wheel of a parked vehicle in the 800 block of Orange. He stopped to see if she was okay and saw a syringe on her lap.   The driver was arrested for drug charges.

Violation of Gang Injunction / Resisting and Delaying a Police Officer – Suspect Arrested
On July 26 at 6:33 p.m., dispatch received a call of a disturbance in the 100 block of West Foothill.  When officers arrived the subject fled the scene and ran into a business.  A containment was established and the subject was located inside.  When the officers asked the subject to exit the store he refused.  The subject was later determined to be in violation of Monrovia’s gang injunction.  The subject was arrested for violation of court order and resisting and delaying a police officer.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
On July 27 at 4:01 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of South Madison regarding a disturbance.  When officers arrived they discovered a male subject who was first lying in bed and was unresponsive.  After a few minutes, the subject became uncooperative and confrontational with paramedics.  The subject was displaying symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance.  It took 10 emergency personnel to hold the subject down.  The wife claimed the subject came home and appeared fine and stepped outside for a few minutes and returned in a psychotic state.  He broke a bedroom window and passed out and was unresponsive.  The subject was taken to Arcadia Methodist Hospital.  Officers located a small glass vial, which contained a liquid substance which tested positive for a controlled substance.  No injuries were sustained by any emergency personnel.

Vehicle Burglary
On July 27 at 4:22 p.m., an officer responded to the 300 block of Prospect regarding a vehicle burglary. Unknown suspect(s) smashed the window of the vehicle and stole a navigation system.   The investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft – Vehicle
On July 27 at 4:23 p.m., an officer responded to the 200 block of Linwood regarding a petty theft from a vehicle.  Unknown suspect(s) entered the unlocked vehicle and took the victims paycheck, I Phone charger and registration. The investigation is continuing.

Big New Monrovia Restaurant Building


The new restaurant building on the old Acapulco site, designed for four small restaurants, looks like it will dwarf the neighboring Chili's restaurant.
 
- Brad Haugaard

Another Monrovia Bear at Work


Caught this guy trash-can fishing this morning about 10:45 on Canyon near Scenic. When I say caught, I mean figuratively, of course.
 
- Bead Haugaard

Business Seminar on Obamacare and Your Business

How will Obamacare affect you and your business? A free seminar at the Monrovia Library, August 7, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with speaker George Papacalos, regional sales executive for Kaiser Permanente. RSVP by August 5 to Korrine Ramirez, 358-1159 or kr@monroviacc.com. Hosted lunch by Cafe Mundial.

- Brad Haugaard

Development Around Monrovia Gold Line Station

An article about development around what will be the Monrovia Gold Line station. http://goo.gl/M06ojv

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Drone Gets Permission to Fly Commercial

Monrovia's AeroVironment has received a "Restricted Category" rating for its Puma drone from the Federal Aviation Administration. The certificate permits operators to fly Puma for commercial missions, such as oil spill monitoring and ocean surveys. http://goo.gl/nxJ32M

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Daphne's



Lunch at Daphne's, Middle Eastern restaurant near Fifth on Huntington. Got a pita burger with hummus combo and an iced tea ($8.28 plus tax). Sort of fusion food. It was fine. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Pancake Fundraiser | Draw Along | Glow Party

~ Boy Scout Troop 147 Pancake Breakfast (pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, coffee) for Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center, tomorrow, Saturday, 8 to noon. Cost is a non-perishable food item. At Knights of Columbus, 130 W. Pomona Ave., Monrovia.

~ Draw Along, for kids 5-12. At the Library, Tuesday, July 30 at noon. http://goo.gl/QTnFZr

~ Glow in the Dark Party, Thursday August 1, 7:30-9:00 p.m. at the Library. Black lights, glow sticks, glow tag, etc. For students entering 6th through 12th grade. http://goo.gl/fkmaSG

- Brad Haugaard

Disney Directors at Mt. Sierra | Construction on California to Last Until Late September | Anti-Litter Campaign

~ Directors Chris Takami and Joe Vance of Disney Mobile Games will be guest speakers at Mt. Sierra College. http://goo.gl/9PEjyp

~ Gold Line construction on California Ave, just north of Duarte Rd. is lasting a bit longer than expected, but should be done by the end of September. http://goo.gl/wQq3v5

~ The City of Monrovia is starting a program called, "Put It In The Can - A Campaign to Keep Monrovia Beautiful." The idea is to throw your trash in trash cans and pick up litter when you find it. http://goo.gl/wQq3v5

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Punching Out a Car; Night Burglary; Power Tool Robbery

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 22-24. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 480 service events, resulting in 84 investigations.
 
Commercial Burglary / Robbery – Suspect Arrested
July 22 at 3:30 p.m., a male adult entered a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain and selected a power tool, placing it into a backpack.  Loss prevention personnel observed him and followed him as he left the store without paying for the item.  The loss prevention officer identified himself and the suspect swung at him, striking him in the face.  He then attempted to flee, but was restrained by assisting loss prevention personnel; they detained him until officers arrived.  He was arrested and taken into custody without further incident.

Residential Burglary
July 22 at 6:41 p.m., a burglary was reported in the 300 block of Prospect Avenue.  The victim left for work at 5:00 a.m. and returned home at 5:00 p.m.  When she returned home, she noticed the garage door was open.  She called her husband and asked if he was home; he was not.  She went into the house through the garage and the house looked normal.  She searched her dresser and noticed her rings were gone.  Several other items were taken.  The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
July 23 at 6:49 a.m., police responded to the report of a burglary at a residence in the 1200 block of South Alta Vista.  The suspect(s) entered an open living room window.  The screen was closed, but the suspects cut and removed it to enter.  This incident occurred sometime during the night.  The residents were home asleep, but did not hear anything.  When they awoke in the morning, they discovered the burglary.  A 20-inch flat screen television and a silver watch were taken.

Wanted Parolee at Large – Suspect Arrested
July 24 at 8:01 a.m., an officer on patrol saw a bicyclist commit a vehicle code violation in the 2200 block of South Myrtle.  He contacted the subject and a computer check revealed the subject was a wanted parolee at large.  The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Trespassing – Suspect Arrested
July 24 at 3:21 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a motel in the 1100 block of East Huntington regarding a guest who was refusing to leave his unpaid room.  The officer and the motel owner asked the patron to leave; however, he refused.  He was arrested for trespassing and later released on citation to appear in court.

Battery / Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested
July 25 at 2:17 a.m., police were dispatched to the 500 block of King Street regarding a male subject who was causing a disturbance.  When officers arrived, they found an intoxicated male subject.  He had punched the side of a car and then hit the driver.  He was arrested and charged with battery and being drunk in public.

Appreciation for Monrovia Police | E-Waste Recycling This Weekend

~ Monrovian impressed with city police department. http://goo.gl/L3wG97

~ Monrovia free electronic waste recycling event this Saturday, July 27 and Sunday July 28. http://goo.gl/RO7paq

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Representatives Vote to Limit NSA Funds for Spying on Americans

Monrovia's congressional representatives, Grace Napolitano and Judy Chu, both voted in favor of an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill, which would, according to this report, "have denied the NSA the ability to use funds for broad spying on Americans." The measure failed on a 217-205 vote. http://goo.gl/oUZK1Z

- Brad Haugaard

Pastor of Monrovia's Hope Unlimited Church on TBN

Hope Unlimited Church ( http://www.thehopeuc.com/ ), at Peck Road and Longden, reports today on Facebook that its pastor will be on TBN [Trinity Broadcasting Network] tomorrow night.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Reunites World War I Medals With Recipient's Family


While working in the Monrovia Police Department Property and Evidence Room, Property Officer Tom Carroll came across a box of unclaimed property from years past, containing, among other personal possessions, military medals from the United States Army, including a "Purple Heart" from World War I. The Purple Heart had been awarded retroactively in 1935 to Frank Q. Newton, who had been injured in 1919 while serving on the front lines, nearly 100 years ago.

The Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to members of the United States Military and is awarded to those who have been wounded or killed while serving. Property Officer Tom Carroll, a United States Army veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart himself, immediately recognized the box that contained the medal and felt the importance of reuniting this military decoration with the family of the recipient.

Initially, he contacted the Purple Heart Foundation, the repository for information on Purple Heart recipients. Unfortunately, this attempt met with no success, as the foundation has only been in existence for just over fifty years. Tom then began searching law enforcement databases, but again, was unsuccessful. He then sought assistance from the Police Department's Technology Bureau Supervisor, Jim Emett, who began searching through public genealogical databases for information. He entered the name and army unit of Frank Q. Newton, searching his military records, and eventually was able to positively identify him, which ultimately led to identifying his living relatives.

Subsequent searches in law enforcement databases and contacting two other outside agencies finally revealed the recipient's family currently resides in Northern California. The family knew the story of their father receiving the Purple Heart, but had no idea his medals still existed, and they were amazed and grateful when they learned the medals would be returned to them. Property Officer Tom Carroll had the medals mounted in a shadow box for the family, and the medals were hand delivered to the family at the Los Angeles International Airport on July 23, 2013.

Frank Q. Newton served as a frontline Ambulance Wagoner in the European Theater during the First World War. He was severely injured from exposure to mustard gas while serving on the front lines for the United States Army. He died in 1975 in San Diego, California.

Source: Monrovia Police press release

- Brad Haugaard

Girders | Monrovia Journalist Dies | Chu: Not Enough Asians in Administration


~ Here are the girders that were transported through Monrovia, now in place as part of the 700-foot long San Gabriel River Bridge.

~ Star-News writer and Monrovia resident, Janette Lamb Williams, died unexpectedly at her home. http://goo.gl/AqSteQ Comment: I had the privilege to sit next to Janette at a party once and was impressed by her kindly good humor and wit. She was also a fine writer. I knew that whenever I read one of her articles that everybody would be treated fairly.

~ Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents Monrovia, writes that she will be meeting with President Obama and complains that "there have not been any new high-level Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) appointments to replace outgoing AAPI secretaries in his second term." She says that "the administration is missing an opportunity to fully reflect the diversity of our country in its leadership." http://goo.gl/lZzYnZ

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Switchblade Drone Facing Competition

The 6-pound Switchblade drone, used by the Army and produced by Monrovia's AeroVironment, is facing competition. http://goo.gl/HxoJO

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Jumping at Moving Cars; Attack with Brick and Gun; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 18-21. - Brad Haugaard]
 
Following are the weekend's highlighted issues and events.
 
Non-Injury Traffic Collision – Vehicle vs. Pedestrian
July 18 at 7:43 p.m., a driver came to the police department lobby to report a traffic accident in the 400 block of Foothill.  The driver reported he was traveling east on Foothill in the number two lane, when an unknown male subject walking on the sidewalk jumped into the street and into the side of his vehicle.  The driver stopped to see if the subject was hurt, but the male subject ran and fled the area.  The driver came to the police department to report the accident.
 
Loitering Complaint / Probation Violation – Suspect Arrested
July 19 at 2:33 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 700 block of East Huntington regarding a complaint of a subject loitering.  The subject was contacted and a computer check revealed a warrant for violation of probation.  The subject was arrested for the warrant and taken into custody. 
 
Robbery – Cell Phone
July 19 at 9:58 p.m., a robbery was reported in the 100 block of West Olive.  The victim was walking with family members while texting on her cell phone.  The suspect walked up to the victim, pushed her and took her cell phone.  The suspect then fled the area.  The investigation is continuing.
 
Strong-Arm Robbery  
July 20 at 3:20 a.m., the victim of a robbery that had just occurred came to the police department lobby to report the crime.  The victim was walking at the corner of Mayflower and Duarte, when he heard someone walking up behind him.  He turned around and a suspect behind him threw a brick at him, but missed.  Two other suspects then ran across the street and all three began fighting with the victim. 
 
The victim fought with the subjects until one of them broke away from the fight and produced a small automatic handgun.  The suspect told him to put his stuff on the ground and leave.  The victim put his phone and wallet on the ground and ran.  The suspects took his belongings and fled the area.  The suspects were wearing hooded sweatshirts with the hoods pulled up.  The investigation is continuing.
 
Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
July 21 at 2:24 a.m., an officer on patrol stopped a vehicle in the area of Duarte and Fifth Avenue for a vehicle code violation.  He contacted the driver and observed symptoms of intoxication.  Through investigation, the driver was determined to be under the influence and was arrested and taken into custody. 
 
Grand Theft Auto
July 22 at 12:18 a.m., officers responded to the 500 block of East Lime Avenue on the report of a grand theft auto that had just occurred.  Officers immediately searched for the victim's vehicle, but they did not find it.  According to a witness, a black sedan was seen driving very slow in the area when the vehicle was stolen.  As the victim's vehicle was being driven away by the suspect, the black sedan followed it.  The victim's vehicle was last seen traveling south on Shamrock from Lime.  The victim said her vehicle was left unlocked and she has accounted for all of her keys.  The victim's vehicle is a brown,1996 Honda Accord.  The investigation is continuing.