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Monrovia Police Will Be Watching for Drunk Drivers on St. Patrick's Day

On Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, the Monrovia Police Department will be participating in the regional “AVOID the 100” Anti-DUI Campaign. Officers will be deployed to provide DUI enforcement to stop and arrest alcohol and drug-impaired drivers in the Department's ongoing traffic safety campaign.DUI saturation patrols will deploy on March 17, 2014, between the hours of 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. in areas with high frequencies of DUI collisions and/or arrests.

If you are hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party:

- Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you serve is involved in an impaired driving crash.
- Make sure all your guests designate a sober driver in advance or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
- Serve lots of food and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
- Keep the phone numbers for local cab companies handy and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving impaired.

Also, if you are attending a St. Patrick’s Day Party:

- Designate a sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.
- If you do not have a designated driver, call a cab, sober friend, or family member to pick you up.
- Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive drunk.
- Always buckle up.
- Alcohol, not only dangerously impairs your driving skills, it impairs your judgment. If you see a friend under the influence of alcohol – don’t let them get behind the wheel.

Source: Monrovia Police Department

- Brad Haugaard

How Monrovia Ranks for Car Insurance | Evensong Performance | Chu Amendment Defeated

~ Apparently Monrovia is one of the more expensive California cities in which to purchase car insurance, ranking from cheapest (Calexico, number 1) to most expensive (Glendale, number 210), Monrovia ranks 165th. http://goo.gl/eCFIpf

~ The women of the choir of St. Luke's (at Foothill and California) along with guest singers, will present a free performance of its Seventh Annual Evensong Invitational for Women's Voices on Sunday, March 16, at 4 p.m., followed by a wine and cheese reception. The choir, conducted by Music Director and composer Kent Bennett Jones, will perform Denis Mason's Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, Malcolm Archer's Preces and Responses, and the anthem Mary and Martha and the Phos Hilaron (O Gracious Light) by Jones. The Director will accompany on the pipe organ.

~ Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents Monrovia, offered an amendment that "would raise the federal government's goal of contracts awarded to women-owned small businesses from 5% to 6%." It was defeated on a party-line vote. http://goo.gl/7uUx9e

Monrovia Police: 12 Pounds of Marijuana; Stealing from Store

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for March 3-5. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 404 service events, resulting in 60 investigations.

Commercial Burglary – Suspect Arrested
March 3 at 2:30 p.m., loss prevention from a business in the 500 block of West Huntington phoned police to report a female subject inside the store that was concealing merchandise. Police arrived and waited outside for the subject to leave the store. The female exited the store and was detained by loss prevention. She was escorted back into the store by loss prevention and a police officer. The female subject was arrested for burglary.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Recovered Stolen Firearm – Suspect Arrested
On March 4 at 12:43 p.m., a parking control officer was dispatched on a parking problem in the 900 block of Diamond. When she arrived, she had dispatch run a computer check on the license plate of the vehicle. She discovered the computer return on the license plate did not match the type of vehicle. An officer was requested and when he arrived, he smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The officers opened the vehicle and saw marijuana mulch in a box. They inspected the vehicle further and recovered 12 pounds of marijuana. In the trunk, they located a honey oil extraction lab and equipment, along with 14 grams of honey oil product. They located the owner of the vehicle and were given consent to search the residence. They recovered a stolen firearm from inside the residence. The suspect was arrested and held for bail.

Monrovia Churches Present Easter Musical

International Full Gospel Fellowship and Restored Life Fellowship, which meet together at the church building at the corner of Primrose and Palm, across from Library Park, will present an Easter musical called, "Coming Home," featuring Scott Priest, who played Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables" in Sydney, Australia. Performances are April 11, 12, 18, and 19. Tickets and details here: http://goo.gl/fUpk7O

- Brad Haugaard

Bitcoin Inventor Lives Near Monrovia

According to Newsweek ( http://goo.gl/wgDzMH ), the inventor of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto (a name once thought by many to be a pseudonym), actually lives very privately nearby in Temple City. Okay, okay, this has nothing to do with Monrovia, but it's local and I thought I'd report it since I think I'm the first in the area to do so.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Gets New Football Coach | Photos on Display

~ Monrovia chooses Ontario Christian's Chris Stevens as its new football coach. http://goo.gl/66mDIw

~ For your calendar: Works by Southern California photographers will be on display April 19 at Paint 'n Play Art Studio and Gallery, 418 S. Myrtle in Old Town. http://goo.gl/nm4Bkt

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Administrators Hand Out 'Tickets' | Water for the Reservoirs

~ Monrovia High administrators are walking around school handing out "tickets." From the announcement: "They're looking to catch us being thoughtful, throwing away trash, kind, following the rules in general, and being positive citizens. They each have a fist full of tickets. If you're 'caught' you'll get a ticket to fill out and it will go into a weekly drawing for some pretty groovy things!! You'll have to get a ticket to find out just how groovy the awards are. Be aware, the administrators are here and want to thank us for the great things we do!" ( http://goo.gl/QRnJq7 ) Comment: "Groovy" is back?

~ Recent storms fill reservoirs in San Gabriel Mountains. http://goo.gl/quMjuf

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Trader Joe's Number Two in Customer Experience

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's has been rated second in customer service experience for U.S (I think) companies. The top is H.E.B., then Trader Joe's, followed by Chick-fil-A, Publix, and on down. http://goo.gl/dGngjD

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Pothole Reporter

Know of a pothole, fallen tree, broken street light or similar problem? Monrovia now has an on-line form to report such things. Here it is: http://goo.gl/fSS2wy

- Brad Haugaard

Power Outage Affects 77 North Monrovia Customers

An electrical power outage beginning about 1:48 p.m. today is affecting 77 customers on Norumbega in northeast Monrovia. Southern California Edison estimates it will be fixed by about 3 a.m. Wednesday, March 5. http://goo.gl/Dw5yDf

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Healing Connections: This is Suicide Prevention Month

According to a Facebook posting by Monrovia Healing Connections, tonight (Tuesday) was the kick off for the "March 4 Balance" Community Outreach and Education Campaign. At the Monrovia City Council meeting Mayor Lutz and the City Council proclaimed March as "March 4 Balance: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Month."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Library Book Sale | Additional Service for Church

~ Mark your calendar. Friends of the Monrovia Public Library will hold its Spring Book Sale on May 16 and 17. On Friday, May 16, from noon to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

~ Monrovia's Hope Unlimited Church, at 2780 Peck Rd., is adding Wednesday night services. The first is tomorrow, March 5 at 7 p.m.

- Brad Haugaard

Q3 Revenue Jumps for Monrovia's AeroVironment

Monrovia's AeroVironment reports that, "Revenue for the third quarter [ending Jan. 25] of fiscal 2014 was $69.2 million, up 47% from third quarter fiscal 2013 revenue of $47.1 million. The increase in revenue resulted from increased sales in our Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) segment of $19.8 million and in our Efficient Energy Systems (EES) segment of $2.3 million." http://goo.gl/2d9qhV

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Book Club to Discuss 'Rebecca'

The Novel T's Book Club meets at the Monrovia Public Library every fourth Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. On March 25 it will discuss the classic novel, Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Church Gets a Freeway Billboard

Monrovia's Hope Unlimited Church, at 2780 Peck Rd., now has a billboard on the westbound 210 freeway saying "Multiply Your life," according to a Facebook posting by the church.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Armed Robbery; Bus Collision; Vehicle vs. Telephone Pole; Thefts, Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 27-March 2. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Grand Theft Auto
February 27 at 8:58 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 200 block of Montana Avenue. The victim parked his vehicle, a gray Toyota Highlander, on the street at 11:00 p.m. in the evening. He returned at 6:00 a.m. and saw his vehicle was missing. All keys were accounted for and no broken glass was found on the street. At 5:02 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of Genoa called police to report a gray SUV parked on his property blocking his driveway. The vehicle was the Toyota Highlander stolen earlier that morning. The vehicle was recovered. The investigation is continuing.

Theft From an Unlocked Vehicle
February 27 at 12:18 p.m., a petty theft from a vehicle was reported in the 1400 block of Monterey. The victim parked her vehicle in front of her house the night before and left the vehicle unlocked. She returned to her vehicle in the afternoon the next day and found the interior had been ransacked. A small amount of cash and miscellaneous clothing were stolen. The investigation is continuing.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered
February 27 at 1:05 p.m., a caller reported a parking problem in the 300 block of Violet. A parking control officer responded and ran the license plate. The vehicle was reported stolen to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Department. The vehicle is a green, 1994 Honda Accord. The Sheriff’s Department was notified of the recovery and the vehicle was released to the victim.

Theft From an Unlocked Vehicle
February 27 at 1:39 p.m., a theft from an unlocked vehicle was reported in the 300 block of South Alta Vista. The victim parked his vehicle and left it unlocked. When he returned to it, a small amount of cash and a pair of gloves were missing from the glove box. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
February 27 at 4:57 p.m., police responded to the report of a residential burglary in the 1300 block of Orange Avenue. The victim left the house at 7:00 a.m. and returned at 4:50 p.m. She entered the house and found the bedrooms had been ransacked and property had been taken. She called police. The suspects had pried open a bedroom window in the rear of the house to gain entry. The investigation is continuing.

Theft From an Unlocked Vehicle
February 28 at 3:41 p.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 200 block of South Alta Vista. The victim reported that unknown suspects entered his vehicle and took his laptop computer. The vehicle was left unlocked. The investigation is continuing.

Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested
March 1 at 7:01 a.m., a citizen called police and reported a suspicious male subject wearing dark clothing hiding in the bushes in the 2100 block of South Myrtle, near the Fire Station. An officer arrived and determined the subject was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested for being drunk in public and taken into custody for sobering.

Traffic Collision
March 1 at 4:18 p.m., public works reported a vehicle collided with a telephone poll in the 2600 block of South California. The pole was knocked down, but there were no injuries. Verizon and Southern California Edison were notified for repairs.

Injury Traffic Collision
March 1 at 4:27 p.m., police received a call reporting a traffic collision. A transit bus collided with a vehicle, then struck a tree at Palm and Magnolia and came to rest on the southeast corner. The driver of the vehicle sustained minor injuries and a passenger in the bus complained of pain.

Grand Theft Auto
March 1 at 8:30 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 500 block of West Duarte. The victim parked his vehicle in the parking lot of his apartment building and locked his vehicle. The vehicle stolen is a red Nissan Sentra. No broken glass was found at the scene. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto / Pursuit / Minor Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested / Vehicle Recovered
March 1 at 3:30 a.m., an officer on patrol saw a suspicious vehicle at Mountain and Huntington driving at night with no headlights. When he attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspect vehicle slowly accelerated. The officer went in pursuit of the vehicle for a short distance and the suspect driver chose to stop. The 17-year-old driver admitted to stealing the vehicle and he had the odor of alcohol on his breath. The registered owner lives in Baldwin Park and was not aware his vehicle had been stolen. Baldwin Park Police Department took the stolen vehicle report. The juvenile was arrested and later released to his mother.

Armed Robbery
March 2 at 4:31 p.m., police dispatch received a call from a store cashier that had just been robbed. The store is located in the 1200 block of South Myrtle. The cashier was standing at the entrance of the store. The suspect pushed the cashier into the store and ordered the cashier to give him the money from the register. The suspect produced a blue steel revolver and pointed it at the cashier. The cashier gave the suspect the cash from the register and the suspect fled. The suspect is described as a male White with blue eyes, 5’10” to 6', 200 to 225 pounds, wearing a blue hat, dark colored hooded sweatshirt and jeans. The suspect was also wearing gloves and had a bandanna or mask around his neck that he pulled up, covering the lower portion of his face as he entered the store. The investigation is continuing.

Citrus Prepares for the Worst | Monrovia Company Gets Approval for Product in Japan

~ Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, recently held a development day for all staff and faculty which included two workshops and a panel discussion on how to respond to shootings on campus. This event was in addition to the emergency trainings and seminars that Citrus College regularly conducts. "It is our hope that we will never have to use these skills, but we need to be as proactive as possible to ensure that we are well prepared," said Superintendent/President Geraldine M. Perri, Ph.D.

~ Monrovia's STAAR Surgical, which makes implant eye lenses, announced that its Visian Implantable Collamer Lens has been approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. http://goo.gl/doHZAj

- Brad Haugaard

Opinion: Congratulations to Monrovia for How It Handled Flash Flood Danger

With the rain apparently gone for now, and thankfully not as bad as it might have been, it seems like a good time to say how impressed I was with the City of Monrovia's disaster preparation, and by how smoothly the plan was carried out.

The city - fire and police in particular - seemed well coordinated; police were joined by fellow officers from other local communities, who seemed to fit right in without confusion; the city's emergency operations center seemed to know what was going on minute by minute; communications with the public and media was well organized; robotic calls went out to residents who might have been affected by flooding; an emergency evacuation center was ready; volunteers were involved and seemed to know what they needed to do; there was even temporary pet boarding arranged by the Pasadena Humane Society (which now contracts with Monrovia) and discounts arranged at local hotels.

Well done! Very well done indeed!

- Brad Haugaard

Talk on Hillside Wilderness Preserve | History of Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth

~ Former Community Development Director Alice Griselle, who retired from her position with the City three years ago, will give a talk on the history of the creation of the Wilderness Preserve at the home of Monrovia Historic Preservation Group member Betty Sanford, at 561 N. Alta Vista Ave. Saturday, March 22 at 10:30 a.m. 599-8187. Source: MOHPG newsletter

~ Interesting article by Susie Ling in the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group's latest newsletter on former Lieutenant Colonel Allen Allensworth, who served in the Civil War and in the Philippines and was the highest ranking black officer of his time. Allensworth donated $500 to help establish Second Baptist Church of Monrovia, and was its first pastor. He died in a motorcycle accident 100 years ago, near the 1300 block of S. Myrtle, and the Monrovia Allensworth Recognition Committee working to raise awareness of his life.

- Brad Haugaard

Evacuated Monrovia Residents May Return Home; Evacuation Center Closed

Monrovia is lifting mandatory evacuations of residents living in the Madison Fire areas. Residents are now under advisory evacuations, but can go home. Only residents living on Highland Place, one of the most affected areas by mud and debris flow, will gain access to that street.

We are advising residents located in the Madison Fire area to be aware that the potential for erosion and debris flowing down the mountain towards residential areas still exists.

As of now, we are ramping down our EOC to a Level 1, with only fire staffing overnight. The last of the large cells have come through and we are seeing clear water coming off the hills with very little mud and debris.

The Monrovia Community Center is now closed as the evacuation center. Residents can still call in to (626) 932-5550 overnight and someone will answer.

Monrovia is reporting 4.5" of rain in the past two days. Tonight LA County will continue to work to clear as much off the streets as possible. We appreciate the patience of our residents living in the affected areas and their vigilance to the mudflow concerns throughout the weekend and over the next week.

Source: city press release

- Brad Haugaard