Monrovia Robotics Team's Adventure in St. Louis Competition

The young ladies of Monrovia High School's robotics team "The Kings And Queens" returned from the FIRST FTC Robotics World Championships held in St. Louis April 23-26 successful, but not triumphant.  As the team's mentor, Brian Johnson, says, "We knew going in that the competition on the field would be fierce.  When you start with nearly 4,000 teams and winnow them down over the season to the 128 best, those that remain are very, very good.  Since this was our first time competing at this level, we didn't know what to expect so we had a few basic goals of giving a good account of ourselves on the field, making an impression on the FIRST community, learning as much as we could, and having fun."

On the field the team posted a respectable three wins and six losses and finished ranked 100 out of 128.  Two of the matches were lost by less than ten points each, a difference of scoring just two of the plastic blocks that are the primary task for the robots.  It was the goal of "making an impression" where the team really shined.  Holding court from the purple and gold pavilion that was their home base and marketing billboard, the ladies in the purple velvet dresses charmed one and all.  They opened the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper one morning to a story about girls in robotics and found two of the team members in a photo accompanying the article.  The team was asked by the FIRST organization to co-star in a video to be used to promote FTC Robotics next season.  The team pavilion became a favored stop for VIPs, sponsors and dignitaries as they were escorted around the event by FIRST guides, and many people made a special trip to see "the cool purple robot with all the jewels."

 "Going to the World Championship was a great experience for the team," says Johnson, "they made a lot of friends, and really put Monrovia on the map in the FIRST Robotics world.  They are already making plans for next year to earn their way back to the Championship in 2015 and be a much stronger competitor by applying what they learned this year.  Now they know exactly what it takes."  As an example to work toward, The Kings And Queens can look to the tournament champion team, "Hot Wired" from Portland, Oregon and the overall top Inspire Award winner, "The Bears" from Mexico City, Mexico.

The Kings And Queens thank the Monrovia business community, the Monrovia Unified School District, Monrovia High School and the people of Monrovia for supporting them so enthusiastically.  Without the financial support and encouragement they received, they could never have accomplished so much.

The Monrovia High School Robotics Program will be putting on a robotics demonstration as part of the Monrovia Day festivities at Library Park on May 17.  Stop by and meet the Kings And Queens and all the Monrovia robotics teams and see the robots in action.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Church to Broadcast on Radio

Fellowship Monrovia reports that the church will begin broadcasting on radio, with two weekly programs on 99.5 KKLA: Made For Fellowship Radio (3-3:30 p.m.) and Good News Today Talk Radio (3:30-4 p.m.). If I'm understanding the church's notice correctly, the first broadcast will be on Sunday, May 18.

- Brad Haugaard

Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser Honors Monrovia Mayor

 John Wilson, Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, Supervisor Mike Antonovich

A Kentucky Derby themed fundraiser by Monrovia's Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills at the Santa Anita Race Track raised thousands of dollars for youth programs and honored Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz with the Mary Wilcox Youth Advocacy Award.

Lutz, a longtime supporter of the club and its youth programs, said, "Of all the awards I have received in my career, this means the most."

Albert Tate, pastor of Fellowship Monrovia, led the audience in a "Change a Life" challenge that resulted in $40,000 raised in just five minutes.

"Thanks to the generosity of all our supporters who have given us their time and incredible gifts, more 'Great Futures' are in our future," said John Wilson, Executive Director.

The event's major sponsors included The Boone Foundation, Blaine & Lynda Fetter, Volkswagen Pasadena/Alhambra, the Sierra Family of Dealerships, and Monte & Meghan Baier.

Source: Boys & Girls Club press release

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Bella Sera Trattoria

Lunch at the remodeled and recently reopened Bella Sera Trattoria, on Myrtle a couple doors up from Lemon on the east side. Nice atmosphere. Sort of classy rustic. I got the lasagne ($15) and an iced tea ($2.50), plus bacon wrapped dates ($9) for an appetizer. Two of my favorite foods, dates and bacon, together at last. Loved it! Lasagne was very nice and service was attentive. 

- Brad Haugaard

Chairman of Monrovia Plastic Bag Committee Has Concerns about Bag Ban

This Tuesday the Monrovia City Council passed an ordinance banning plastic carry-out grocery bags. Prior to that, the city formed an ad hoc committee to examine the issue. Former City Councilman Dan Kirby was chairman of the committee, and wrote a letter to the City Council outlining some of his concerns with the measure. Here is his letter:


Memo
Date: 4/1/2014
To: Monrovia City Council
From: Dan Kirby
Re: AR-2 - Single Use Bag Regulation Ad Hoc Committee

Madam Mayor and City Council,

Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the committee. I was elected by the committee members to serve as the chairman. The members who attended the meetings were highly engaged in the process. The final vote was 2-1 in favor of recommending the proposed ordinance.

Please accept my apology for not attending the meeting tonight. I have a previously scheduled family obligation. I have reviewed the staff report and have some comments for the record.

When I was asked to participate on the committee, I came with an open mind hoping to learn what impact outlawing single-use bags would have on our residents, as well as the benefits to the environment and the surrounding communities. Staff was able to find out what other cities have passed and shared the information with the committee. They also informed us of pending state legislation sponsored by Senator Alex Padilla. This was good information, but several key committee members who were invited to participate chose not to attend so we never got their input.

Unfortunately, after being invited several times, representatives from the larger businesses who would be affected by an ordinance did not attend. We did however hear from Athens Services and retired engineer from JPL.

Most importantly, we were never able to ask the residents. When I shared with people that I was serving on the committee, their response was nearly unanimous, "Please don't take away my plastic bags." This is obviously not a scientific survey, but it says to me that people would definitely be inconvenienced, especially the elderly should you choose to adopt an ordinance outlawing the bags.

The information that we were not able to get were the answers to these important questions,

1. Do these ordinances actually make a real difference?
2. Is the environment really cleaner?
3. Is there really less pollution?
4. When people choose to use reusable bags, what happens to those bags when they wear out? Do they decompose slower than the single-use ones causing a worse impact on the environment?
5. Are reusable bags less sanitary when used in markets where food is bought and sold?

There were no quantifiable answers presented for any of these important questions so for that reason I voted no on the recommendation.

I meet neighbors and friends in the markets or on the streets often and wonder what I would say to them if they asked me why we outlawed their plastic bags. If I said it was good for the environment, they might say, "how do you know?" I wouldn't be able to give them a good honest answer because we don't really know for sure.

I believe we should all be good stewards of our environment, but based on the information we received, outlawing single-use bags has not been proven to have a positive environmental impact. I believe our residents will respond positively to a well conceived and executed information campaign and some will reduce the use of the bags voluntarily.

In a time when financial resources are scarce, we should carefully prioritize our spending so that we stretch our dollars as far as they will go. This may not be the best use of our taxpayer dollars.

Finally, the state government will eventually adopt a statewide law that will be another unfunded mandate for us to tackle. We will have to deal with it then.

In Gratitude,
Dan Kirby

Meeting Tonight About Development Around Monrovia Train Station

If you want to learn about the development planned for the area around the Monrovia Gold Line station, there will be a meeting tonight, Thursday, May 8, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus hall at 130 W. Pomona Ave, in Monrovia. Details: http://goo.gl/Lp2J4u

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Armed Robbery; Hydroponic Marijuana; Graffiti; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 5-7. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 426 service events, resulting in 86 investigations.

Theft From an Unlocked Vehicle
On May 5 at 4:56 p.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 100 block of North Myrtle. The victim parked the vehicle in front of their apartment complex. During the night, unknown suspects entered the vehicle and took a small amount of cash. The investigation is continuing.

Armed Robbery
On May 5, at approximately 11:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to a restaurant located in the 800 block of West Huntington Drive on the report of an armed robbery that had just occurred. Employees reported that the suspect appeared in the kitchen as the restaurant was closing. The suspect was wearing a black ski mask over his face and was armed with an unknown caliber handgun. The suspect contacted the manager and directed him to the office, where the safe was open and money was being prepared for deposit. The suspect had a shopping bag in his possession and directed the manager to place the money inside. Upon receiving the money, the suspect directed the five employees to stay in the office and count to 100. The suspect then fled the location in an unknown direction. The suspect is described as male, 5’07” to 5’08” tall, thin build, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. Monrovia officers searched the area for the suspect with assistance from the Foothill Air Support helicopter and CHP officers from the Alta Dena Station who were in the area and responded, but the suspect was not located. The investigation is continuing.

Theft From a Vehicle
On May 6 at 9:14 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 400 block of South Violet. The victim parked her vehicle in the evening, but was unsure if she left her vehicle unlocked or not. The next morning, she found her vehicle ransacked. Her work identification badge and an iPod were taken. The investigation is continuing.

Illegal Hydroponics Marijuana Cultivation Discovered – Suspects Arrested
On May 6 at 1:26 p.m., several tenants in a business complex complained of strong chemical fumes coming from a unit occupied by tenants claiming to operate a water filtration company. The fumes were strong enough to cause headaches and nausea. Patrol and detective resources, city code enforcement officials and hazardous material fire personnel responded to investigate. The unit was being subleased by the original tenant and police personnel were able to speak with one of the people subleasing the unit. Consent to search the premises was obtained from the lessee, who claimed there were no toxic chemicals or anything illegal inside the unit. Hazardous materials specialists entered the unit, stating they recognized the odor of an indoor hydroponic grow of marijuana inside. Once the unit was confirmed to be clear of any immediate hazard, police personnel searched and discovered a fully developed hydroponic grow in process. The two responsible subjects for the illegal marijuana cultivation were arrested and booked on the charges. Additional violations including municipal code and health and safety code violations may be sought.

Injury Traffic Collision
On May 6 at 1:34 p.m., police responded to an injury traffic collision reported at Magnolia and Olive. A driver was headed southbound on Magnolia when he slowly veered left and accelerated into a parked truck, hitting it head on, pushing it in to other vehicles. The driver sustained visible injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Warrant / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
On May 6 at 10:34 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 200 block of South Myrtle observed a male suspect he knew had a warrant out for his arrest. After confirming the warrant, he contacted the suspect and arrested him for the warrant. A subsequent search revealed the suspect was in possession of a hypodermic syringe containing an unknown liquid substance believed to be methamphetamine. He was also charged for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Vandalism – Suspect Arrested
May 7 at 6:16 p.m., an officer was sent to Alta Vista and Huntington regarding the report of vandalism in progress. A witness called police to report a male suspect spray painting graffiti on the public street. An officer arrived and detained the suspect, who was positively identified by a witness. The male juvenile suspect admitted to the crime. The juvenile suspect was arrested and later released to the custody of his mother on a citation to appear in court. The reporting party will be receiving Monrovia Police Department’s Graffiti Bounty. If a citizen reports an incident of graffiti in the City of Monrovia that leads to the arrest of the suspect, the citizen will receive a $100 bill.

Three Felony Counts Filed Against Robbery Suspect
On May 3 at 5:25 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of West Foothill regarding a robbery. A suspect who had concealed merchandise on his person was confronted outside the store by loss prevention. The suspect threatened the loss prevention officer with a knife and ran. The suspect was identified, and on May 5 an officer on patrol in the 300 block of South Myrtle recognized the robbery suspect. The suspect attempted to run from officers, but was quickly taken into custody and arrested. A combined effort by patrol officers and detectives resulted in the filing of three felony counts for grand theft auto and robbery against the twenty-year-old male suspect, who is known for theft, trespassing and vagrancy in Monrovia. The man was already on release for other felony cases that are pending, so he is eligible to receive additional time in state prison added on to his sentence if he is convicted.

Monrovia Music Fest | Monrovia Over Temple City | Trader Joe Blog

~ First annual Monrovia Days Music Festival, Sunday May 18, 2:30-7:30 p.m. at the fountain at Monrovia Library Park. Music, food, art. http://goo.gl/8BjuIK

~ Monrovia 2, Temple City 0 game puts Monrovia High baseball half a game out of first place. http://goo.gl/4kPu7s

~ How about that, there's even a blog devoted to "What's Good at Trader Joe's." Trader Joe's is based in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/OhXzPr

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council Adopts Plastic Bag Ban, Rejects Inclusion of City in Federal Recreation Area

At its Tuesday meeting, which lasted into Wednesday morning, the Monrovia City Council voted to...

- Adopt a ban on plastic grocery bags, which will begin to be enforced in 120 days. Mayor Mary Ann Lutz and council members Alexander Blackburn and Larry Spicer voted in favor of the ban. Council members Tom Adams and Becky Shevlin voted against. 

- Oppose Congresswoman Judy Chu's proposed legislation to include Monrovia in a National Recreation Area for the foothills area. The vote was unanimous.

Correction: Becky Shevlin informs me that I mis-heard the vote on the NRA. She tells me that Mayor Lutz voted in favor of Chu's proposal, so the vote was 4-1 to oppose Monrovia being included in the NRA.

Correcting the Correction: Becky Shevlin now informs me that my original report is correct. The vote was unanimous. She says she's very sorry for the mistake.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Population: 37,162

According to a report by the Monrovia Community Development Department, "Monrovia’s estimated population as of January 1, 2014 is 37,162. This represents a 0.53% increase over the 2013 estimate."

- Brad Haugaard

$2.4 million Monrovia Home for Sale

A Monrovia house for sale for $2.4 million. Way up toward the top of Alta Vista. Looks like the most expensive home for sale in town. http://goo.gl/wFAOvg

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Claim Jumper Robbed

Gunman robs Monrovia's Claim Jumper restaurant of $6,000. http://goo.gl/KHBkSB

- Brad Haugaard

Condo Planned on Duarte Road | Monrovia Baseball

~ An architect's elevation of a seven-unit townhome condominium project planned 721 W. Duarte Road. http://goo.gl/NM7v21

~ An analysis of Monrovia High Baseball's hopes for a league win. http://goo.gl/kFRU3l

- Brad Haugaard

Fundraiser for Monrovia Boy Battling Cancer

Joncee Lenker is a young boy who is battling a form of cancer called Retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eye that required removing his right eye. Joncee has been fighting this cancer since he was an infant. It was in remission until recently but Joncee has begun Chemotherapy again. Through all of this Joncee has continued to play baseball with the Monrovia Youth Baseball League.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Kidnapping for Reconciliation Unsuccessful; Robbery; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 1-4. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Stolen Vehicle
On May 1 at 12:28 a.m., an employee from a business in the 300 block of West Maple parked his car on the street, leaving the doors unlocked and the key in the ignition. When he returned to the vehicle, it was gone. The car is a silver, 2014 Prius with paper plates. The investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
On May 2 at 8:41 a.m., officers responded to a business in the 100 block of East Lemon regarding a burglary. Unknown suspect(s) broke out the glass front door, went directly to the pharmacy and took Codeine, then fled back out the front door. The investigation is continuing.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered – Suspect Arrested
On May 2 at 9:22 a.m., dispatch received information about a vehicle in the 100 block of West Lemon. A computer check revealed the vehicle was stolen out of Monrovia. An officer completed a grand theft auto report and broadcast the vehicle information. An officer on patrol was actively looking for the stolen vehicle and saw three subjects, one of them was hiding behind a vehicle in a parking lot in the 100 block of West Lime Avenue. The officer observed a set of keys, a gas card, and a gift card on the ground where the subject was hiding. The keys were to the stolen vehicle. The suspect admitted to taking the vehicle and to the theft of the cards. The suspect was arrested.

Kidnapping – Suspect Arrested
On May 2 at 7:26 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Chestnut and Monterey on the report of a kidnapping that just occurred. Several witnesses called dispatch to report an adult male suspect forced an adult female into his vehicle. A description of the suspect and his vehicle was provided. Officers searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect or victim. Approximately two hours later, the victim called police to report the incident. The victim said her ex-boyfriend forced her into his vehicle and brought her to his residence in an effort to reestablish their relationship. The victim was able to negotiate her release and left unharmed. She went home and called the police. Officers went to the suspect's residence in the 400 block of South Alta Vista and arrested him. The suspect claimed the victim entered his vehicle under her own volition. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglary
On May 2 at 8:13 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 900 block of West Huntington. The victim parked her vehicle in a business parking lot and locked and secured her vehicle, but left her purse on the floorboard. When she returned to the vehicle, she found the right front passenger window was smashed and her Coach handbag was stolen. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
On May 2 at 10:27 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 100 block of North Magnolia. The reporting party is a neighbor who was house sitting for the victims, who were out of town. The suspect(s) forced entry to the home through the front door. The house was ransacked, but the loss cannot be determined until the victims return home. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
On May 2 at 10:57 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 400 block of Concord on the report of a residential burglary. The suspect(s) forced entry to the victim's home through the front door. The house was ransacked and property was stolen. The victim will conduct an inventory of her missing property. The investigation is continuing.

Suspicious Subject / Theft From a Vehicle / Recovered Stolen Property – Suspect Arrested
On May 3 at 10:25 a.m., dispatch received a call reporting a suspicious person using a hose at a residence in the 500 block of West Colorado. An officer contacted the subject, who claimed he knew the resident who lived in the back of the location. Due to the subject’s suspicious actions, officers searched the subject and found a credit card in a woman's name. The subject claimed the credit card belonged to a female friend and he was holding on to it until he could return it to her. Attempts to locate the female were unsuccessful. The credit card was held as property under observation and the subject was released. Later in the shift, the officer was able to contact the owner of the credit card. She discovered her purse, which contained her credit card, had been taken from her unlocked vehicle. Officers were able to relocate the suspect and arrested him for possession of the stolen credit card. The suspect told the officer the location of the purse and the purse was recovered.

Robbery
On May 3 at 5:25 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of West Foothill regarding a robbery. A male Hispanic suspect in his mid-twenties who had concealed merchandise on his person was confronted outside the store by loss prevention. The suspect threatened the loss prevention officer with a knife and ran. Officers arrived and conducted and area search, but the suspect was not located. The suspect was identified and the investigation continued. On May 5 at 1:00 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 300 block of South Myrtle recognized the robbery suspect. The suspect saw the officer and ducked down in an attempt to hide behind another subject. He then ran in the front entrance of the library. Containment was set up and officers entered the library to conduct a search for the suspect. The suspect attempted to run from officers, but was quickly taken into custody and arrested.

Vehicle Burglary – Suspects Arrested
On May 3 at 10:34 p.m., a resident in the 800 block of West Walnut called police to report two suspects he contacted inside his vehicle, which was parked in the street. The victim confronted the suspects, who returned his property and fled. The suspects were detained by officers in the 900 block of South Fifth. They were identified by the victim and arrested.

Monrovia Assembly Member's Anti-Dumping and Vandalism Bill Approved

An anti-dumping and vandalism bill by Assembly Member Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, has been approved by the Assembly. AB 1767 would increase the maximum fine for dumping, vandalism or destroying property on Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy properties to $1,500 and increase the fine for infractions to not more than $750.

Source: Holden press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Sweater Trees

I don't believe I've ever seen sweaters for trees before, but now I have. They're at 244 N. May.

-B rad Haugaard

Mountain Avenue at Duarte Road About to be Closed for Construction

Detour routes.

Mountain Avenue at Duarte Road are about to be closed for rail line construction.

Details:

- May 9 at 9 p.m. to May 11, 2014 at 5 p.m.: The intersection of Mountain Avenue and Duarte Road will be fully closed to through-traffic in all directions and motorists will be detoured around the closure. At 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, Duarte will re-open to one lane in each direction. Mountain will remain closed from the center of Duarte north through the railroad crossing for approximately five months.

- Phase 1, May 12 through October 2014: Mountain will be closed to through-traffic from the center of Duarte north through the railroad crossing. Duarte will remain open, one lane in each direction for eastbound / westbound through-traffic.

- Phase 2, October through Early 2015: Mountain will be closed to through-traffic from the center of Duarte south through the intersection. Duarte will remain open, one lane in each direction for eastbound / westbound through-traffic.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus Auto Team Participates in High-Mileage Contest

Citrus Automotive and Physics Eco-marathon (CAPE) Owls participated in the 2014 Shell Eco-marathon Challenge, to see which student-built vehicle could travel the farthest distance using the least amount of energy. Citrus College serves Monrovia. The Owls ranked 27th out of 41 in its category. Its Citrus EV8 reached a high of 186.13 miles per gallon. The team, composed of seven students, was one of 126 student teams from across North, Central and South America to compete at the eighth annual global competition, which took place April 24-27 at the Discovery Green Park in Houston.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia to Shopping Convention; Girl Scouts 'Realign'; Fundraisers

~ Monrovia will attend a major shopping center convention, ICSC, in Las Vegas in an effort to attract more businesses to the city, according to City Council member Becky Shevlin.

~ According to a Girl Scouts representative speaking at the Monrovia Coordinating Council, the Girl Scouts is "realigning on volunteers." She said the economy is difficult and it is hard to pay staff. 

~ Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center, helping low-income families, will get 10 percent of all proceeds at Paco's Mexican Restaurant (on Foothill just over the border in Arcadia) on May 27, 3-9 p.m. 

~ Monrovia's Centre Stage will hold a block party in Library Park on May 17, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pancakes, live entertainment, etc. 

~ If you put food out by your mailbox this Saturday the postal delivery person will pick it up and it will be given to Foothill Unity Center. 

- Brad Haugaard