Monrovia Democrats Endorse Williams and Zucco

According to a tweet by LA Democrats, the Monrovia Democrats organization has endorsed Terrence Williams and Alex Zucco for School Board.

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Jim's Burger

Lunch at Jim's Burger. On Duarte Road near the Arcadia border. Got a pastrami sandwich ($7.25) and small drink (85 cents). Very nice. 

- Brad Haugaard

Benefit Art Show and Scholarship Fundraiser Dance

~ Foothill Pregnancy Resource Center art show with music and auction today, Nov. 1, 7-10 p.m. at Monrovia Community Center, 119 W. Palm. Tickets $50. 358-2122.

~ Monrovia Latino Heritage Society scholarship fundraiser dance, Saturday, Nov. 2, 7:30-11:30 p.m. at Monrovia Masonic Center, 204 W. Foothill. $25 at the door.

Source: http://goo.gl/b0hIb3

- Brad Haugaard

Here's How to Prep for the Monrovia School Board Election

The election for the Monrovia School Board is coming up on Nov. 5. Here are some resources that may be helpful in deciding how to vote:

~ My impression of the candidates at a forum: http://goo.gl/W2qwS7

~ Candidate profiles from Patch: Scott Pomrehn http://goo.gl/c0XXsk , Terrence Williams http://goo.gl/mejnOg , Ruhiyyih Nikole Yuille http://goo.gl/mmrdt2 , Alexandra Zucco http://goo.gl/vGcyo2 .

~ A Star-News overview: http://goo.gl/zTFhRF

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Composting | Free Veggies! | Prayer Breakfast

~ A composting workshop has been scheduled for tomorrow, Nov. 2, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. in Recreation Park. Tips for successful gardens, from worms to drought-and-fire-resistant landscaping. Compost and worm bins will be available for Monrovia residents to purchase at a discounted price, and free mulch. http://goo.gl/MMJEo0

~ Produce in the Park, tomorrow, Nov. 2, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. at the Lime and Myrtle corner of Library Park. Bring spare produce from your garden and take home other people's spare produce.

~ All Nations Church, 1948 Peck Rd., will hold a prayer breakfast Saturday morning. http://goo.gl/ANWxUL

- Brad Haugaard

Halloween in Monrovia

Want to know what a Trunk or Treat looks like? I was wondering myself, so I went down to First Presbyterian Church. Decorated car trunks with goodies for the kids.

Then I dropped by Brad Hori's house, on Maple just west of Hwy Esplanade. This thing jumped out at me from his mailbox and scared my socks off, but not as much as his pet attack-spider.

And of course, Alta Vista north of Hillcrest always does it up big. Scary music, scary fog, scary lights. The street is blocked off to cars, so it's wall-to-wall trick-or-treaters.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Chamber: Great Turnout for Trick or Treat; Winners of Annual Chamber Awards

Monrovia Chamber of Commerce suggests thousands have turned out today for its Old Town Trick or Treat fest. (Photo from Facebook)

Also, the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce has selected winners for its annual awards:

The Iris Award, Citizen of the Year, goes to Mark Still, Curator of Exhibits Monrovia Historical Museum.

The Monroe Award; Business Person of the Year, goes to Diane Balsamo, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

The Dick Lord Award, for outstanding contributions to the Chamber, goes to Shawn Davis, Route 66 Weekly.

Also, two new awards. The winner of the New Member Business of the Year will be announced in December, and the Military Service and Stewardship Award will go to Chuck Keen for his work for veterans.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council: City Getting Out of Animal Control Biz; Merit Pay for Cops; Station Square; Etc.

At its Nov. 5 meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/QEHXWO ), the Monrovia City Council will ...

~ Consider contracting with the Pasadena Humane Society to provide "full animal control services" for Monrovia. "Effective January 1, 2014, Monrovia will no longer have animal control officers." http://goo.gl/SZMiUj

~ Consider reinstatement of merit step salary increases for members of the Monrovia Police Officers' Association "to reduce the attrition rate of public safety employees and related recruitment and training costs for the City of Monrovia." http://goo.gl/8wv5Mb

~ Have a 5:30 p.m. study session on the Station Square Public Improvements Concept Design.

~ At 7 p.m. recognize graduates of the Monrovia Area Partnership Leadership Academy.

~ Chat in closed session conference with its labor negotiator regarding contracts (I assume) with the Monrovia Firefighters' Association and Monrovia Police Officers' Association.

~ Consider adopting the latest California Building Standards Code. http://goo.gl/HtBlxu

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Congresswoman, Judy Chu, Introduces Veterans Bill

Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents Monrovia, has introduced The Veterans Education Counseling Act to improve GI Bill educational benefits counseling process. It directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to differentiate between Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Chapter 36 Educational Counseling. http://goo.gl/clh5ON

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Unity Center Readying for Food Stamp Cut | Halloween Activities, Myrtle Closing

~ Foothill Unity Center writes that with the federal food stamp program facing a $5 billion cut this Friday, "We're bracing for more clients signing up with us - and finding the food and funds to meet their needs."

~ Mayor Mary Ann Lutz writes that Myrtle Avenue in Old Town will close from 2:30 - 6:30 pm. today for Halloween activities, which you can read about here: http://goo.gl/sryM2b

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Burglars Wake Sleeping Woman | Drug Bust

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Oct. 28–30. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 469 service events, resulting in 70 investigations.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested

October 29 at 3:04 p.m., officers responded to a park in the 400 block of South California on the report of several male subjects in the park involved in drug activity. After investigation, officers arrested one male suspect who was found to be in possession of a glass pipe and methamphetamine.

Hot Prowl Residential Burglary

October 30 at 11:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 500 block of North Alta Vista regarding a hot prowl burglary that just occurred. The owners of the residence were away from the location at the time of the burglary and a housekeeper was home, asleep inside one of the bedrooms. She was awakened by two male Black suspects that came into the room. When the suspects saw her, they ran out the backdoor of the residence. The housekeeper called the homeowners, and there was an approximate twenty minute delay until the owners arrived home and called the police. Officers responded and the area was searched, but no suspects were located. A rock had been thrown through the backdoor window to gain entry to the home. The investigation is continuing.

Veterans Day in Monrovia

Monrovia's Annual Veterans Day observance is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Library Park. The event will honor local servicemen and women who served our country in the U.S. military. For details call the Department of Community Services at 256-8246.

- Brad Haugaard

Update on Monrovia Flood Prevention Efforts

In anticipation of rains that could cause flooding, construction should begin on a debris wall at the top of Highland Place (in the fire-burned area) on Saturday, Nov. 2, according to Alexis Newell of the Monrovia City Manager's office. Also, she said, "the K-Rail (portable concrete wall segments) project for the Madison Fire neighborhoods will be discussed, hopefully approved and will start being installed after the Nov. 5 Council meeting."

- Brad Haugaard

Trick or Treat Tips for the Schamadan Household

Monrovia columnist Charlotte Schamadan - who writes for the Star-News insert, The Weekly Star - has some advice for trick-or-treaters coming to her door tonight. Here are a few:

- If you knock on my door and I look out the peephole to see your eyeball looking back at me, you are too old and/or too tall to be trick-or-treating. Go away.

- If you are dressed cute and know how to say please and thank you, here, have some more treats.

- If your dog is accompanying you wearing a costume that makes him/her look like anything other than a dog, that's dog abuse. Funny hats and bow ties are fine. Zombie dogs are not. Go away.

For the rest, pick up the paper copy of today's Star-News.

- Brad Haugaard

Traffic Accident on Mountain | Football vs. Blair | Mapping Pyramids of Zuleta

~ A picture of a traffic accident in front of 1020 S. Mountain Ave., last night, Wednesday, Oct. 30, at approximately 6:15 p.m. Thomas Adams (not the city councilman) says there were three vehicles involved and one woman treated at scene. Thanks, Thomas!

~ Friday at 7 p.m. (tomorrow) Monrovia takes on Blair in football, at Monrovia.

~ An AeroVironment helps map the Pyramids of Zuleta, one of the hidden treasures of the Andes. (Note: This article doesn't mention AeroVironment, but the the company seems to claim it by linking to it.) Video: http://goo.gl/HqEsyV

- Brad Haugaard

Revenue up Eight Percent for Monrovia's Staar Surgical

STAAR Surgical, of Monrovia, a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of minimally invasive ophthalmic products, today reported revenue for the third quarter ended September 27, 2013 of $17.1 million, up 8% growth compared to $15.9 million reported for the third quarter of 2012. http://goo.gl/n4FEbp

- Brad Haugaard

Trick or Treat Tips from City of Monrovia

Check these Halloween tips from the City of Monrovia before letting your kids out on the streets tomorrow: http://goo.gl/1mVvy0

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Boys & Girls Club Gets Gift from JC Penney

Getting help on homework at Boys & Girls Club

Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills, based in Monrovia, got $12,500 ( http://goo.gl/GJ9tKm ) as one of the beneficiaries of a JC Penney campaign that asked customers to "round up" their purchases and donate the rest to Boys & Girls Clubs.

John Wilson, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills, said, "With budget cuts in education, there's never been a more important time to support afterschool programs as a valuable community resource that helps to bridge the education gap. As customers shop for the Back-to-School season, we hope they will keep our mission in mind so that the social and academic learning opportunities we provide after school will continue to be available to Monrovia, Duarte, and Arcadia students."

For more information about JCP Cares, please visit www.jcp.com/jcpcares.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Maryknoll Sisters Fall Festival

Monrovia's Maryknoll Sisters will hold its Fall Festival luncheon/card party on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Luncheon is at noon. $15 donation per person. Card players may come at 10 a.m. Single card players will be matched to complete tables of four. Call 358-1825 for reservations. Maryknoll Sisters is at 300 Norumbega Drive Proceeds go to maintaining and improving the quality of life for the Maryknoll Sisters at their Monrovia Center.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Halloween: Decorated Houses, Trunk or Treat, Stories

~ These folks (on Melrose just north of Hillcrest) really got into the spirit. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

~ Thursday Oct.31 from 5-7 p.m. Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church is holding a "Trunk Or Treat" event in its parking lot. Come at 4:30 p.m. to set up your trunk. The church is still looking for cars and people to decorate their car trunks and hand out candy. There will be a prize for the best "trunk." http://goo.gl/8Y9w7v

~ Halloween Stories and Giveaways, Thursday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. in the Library Community Room.

~ UPDATE: I guess this "Trunk or Treat" thing is a trend. Hope Unlimited Church at 2789 S. Peck is also holding a Trunk or Treat on Oct. 31 from 6-9 p.m. Laser tag, bull riding, bouncers, maze, face painting, pumpkin decorating, sumo wrestling, giant slide, funnel cakes, food and candy.

- Brad Haugaard