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Monrovia Days Music Festival this Sunday


Free Monrovia Day concert on Sunday, May 18, 2:30-7:30 p.m. at the Library Park fountain. Food trucks, non-profit groups, commercial vendors, art and activities for the whole family.

Featured acts Include:
The Whistling Diva
Black Heartthrobs
Pamela Clay
Smokey Miles
Frater
Steve Delamater
Gem City Jazz Cats
Robert Barryman

Bring a picnic blanket and friends to celebrate the Gem City's birthday. The Monrovia Days Music Festival is produced by Carole Anne Kaufman's Studio C Hair Artistry in partnership with the Veterans of' Foreign Wars Post 2070. Kaufman, also known as "The Whistling Diva," created the festival to reignite the community's birthday celebration tradition.

She said, "The birthday parade and carnival were some of the truly special things about Monrovia, and I just couldn't stand to see that go away. This music festival will be a great event to bring the community together and hopefully will plant the seed for greater things in the future."

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Shooting a Chevy Commercial on Myrtle | Monrovia Day Pancakes

~ If you are wondering what they are filming on Myrtle, Diane Delmatoff in the Community Development Department says they're shooting a Chevy commercial at the Krikorian, using both the inside and outside of the theater.

~ Monrovia Day Pancake Breakfast, May 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Library Park. Live music, games. Tickets $6.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Softball Wins League Title | Quota Club Fundraiser at Pechanga

~ Monrovia High softball wins Rio Hondo League title. http://goo.gl/ulsN4Z

~ Quota International of Monrovia-Duarte is having its third Casino "Fun"draiser Saturday, June 14, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. A bus ride to the casino and five hours there. $25 per person, which includes a continental breakfast, $10 casino food credit for new players, and $5.00 food credit for returning players. For details contact Linda Proctor at 255-3833, or linda.b.proctor@gmail.com.

- Brad Haugaard

Fundraiser Concert for Monrovia Schools Music Program

Monrovia School District will hold a "Superstars of Music Showcase" concert to raise funds for the district's music department, Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Taylor Performing Arts Center at Monrovia High. Instrumental and choral music performances featuring more than 400 music students from 4th to 12th grade. General Seating - $5; Dinner and Show - $20; Kids 10 and under- $15; VIP Package- $30 (show, VIP seating, VIP parking, and DVD); Ultimate Package- $45 (dinner, show, VIP seating, VIP parking, and DVD). http://goo.gl/E8s9n0

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Colorado Commons, Switching Back to Being Condos


Colorado Commons, on Colorado just west of Myrtle, is switching back to being condos from being for-lease townhomes. The 68 residences open for sale May 17 and range from one-bedroom plus one- or two-bath flats to three-bedroom plus 2.5-bath townhomes. Prices range in the mid-$300,000s to the mid-$700,000s. All residences will be upgraded. Details: http://goo.gl/0LwJS7

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Sleeping on the Roof; Green Dot Scam; Drugs and Alcohol

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 8-11. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Commercial Burglary
On May 8 at 11:05 a.m., a commercial burglary was reported at a business in the 100 block of South Myrtle. The reporting party left the location in the evening at about 11:30 p.m. She returned at 7:42 a.m. and found the interior of the business had been sprayed with a fire extinguisher. A flat screen television and computer equipment had been taken. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
May 8 at 10:03 p.m., a business in the 1600 block of South Myrtle called police to report a suspicious male subject loitering in front of the business. The employees were afraid the subject might be preparing to rob the business. An officer arrived and contacted the individual. The subject was determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Suspicious Circumstances
May 8 at 11:32 p.m., police received a call reporting a suspicious male subject seen on the roof of a business. Officers responded and found a service ladder that accessed the roof. The Foothill Air Support helicopter was requested and advised that there were two subjects on the roof that appeared to be sleeping. Officers went onto the roof and located two local transients. They had several items on the roof and appeared to be using the roof as a shelter. Officers advised them that they could not be on the roof of the business. Attempts were made to identify and locate the owner of the business in order to obtain a no-trespass order and to secure the service ladder.

Green Dot Credit Card Scam
On May 9 at 12:20 p.m., a resident that lives in the 300 block of Norumbega called police to report a phone scam. An unknown suspect called the victim and claimed to be a Captain with the Las Vegas Police Department. He claimed the victim's son was in custody and told the victim they needed to purchase sixteen $500 Green Dot Reloadit Credit Cards to secure his son's release. The victim did not secure the credit cards and called the police. There was no loss in this incident.

Driving Under the Influence / No-Bail Warrant – Suspects Arrested
On May 9 at 6:49 p.m., a disturbance was reported at a business in the 400 block of West Foothill. The suspects left in their vehicle prior to officers arriving, but the vehicle was seen approaching the 210 Freeway. An officer stopped the vehicle and, through investigation, determined the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol. The passenger had a no-bail warrant for his arrest. Both suspects were taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
On May 9 at 9:36 p.m., a female subject was driving east on Foothill when the driver lost control and struck two parked vehicles. The front wheel came off the vehicle, but the driver continued on into the driveway of a condominium complex. She then struck two buildings with her vehicle, causing damage to the garages. Officers arrived and determined the driver was driving while under the influence. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
May 10 at 9:40 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 400 block of Heather Heights on the report of a subject in dark clothing, possibly looking into vehicles. Officers arrived and saw a subject, matching the description, who claimed to be homeless. The officers determined the subject was under the influence of a controlled substance and he was arrested.

Possession of Methamphetamine / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Possession of a Fixed-Blade Weapon
On May 11 at 11:56 p.m., an officer responded to the area of an elementary School in the 200 block of Jasmine. A male subject was seen jumping the locked chain-link fence, exiting the school. An officer arrived and located a male transient near the school. The subject was running toward him. When the subject saw the officer, he put his hands in the air and tossed a baggie of methamphetamine and a glass pipe onto the nearby front lawn of a residence. The officer detained the subject and, while conducting a pat-down search for weapons, discovered an easily accessible fixed-blade knife in the subject’s back pocket, which he admitted to using as a weapon for self defense. The subject was arrested for the above listed charges.

Latino Heritage Scholarship Fundraiser

The Monrovia Latino Heritage Society will hold a scholarship fundraiser dance with The Bobby Z Band Saturday, May 24 from 7:30-11:30 p.m. at the Masonic Center, 204 W. Foothill. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. For info call Louie Romero at 951 830-9648 or Cuca Mack at 359-2130.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Temperatures May Go Over 100 This Week - 'Extreme' Fire Danger

Toasty hot this week. 93 today, 97 Tuesday, 101 Wednesday, 103 Thursday, 101 Friday, then back down to a balmy 90 on Saturday ( http://goo.gl/5BgyDL ). National Weather Service warns of "extreme" fire danger ( http://goo.gl/6FPwUw ).

- Brad Haugaard

Weird Cloud Over Monrovia


About 5:45 this morning I saw the most amazing cloud over Monrovia. It's in an otherwise perfectly blue sky. This picture was taken from the Pavilions parking lot at the corner of Myrtle and Foothill. 

Update: Folks are telling me this is a "lenticular cloud." You can read about lenticular clouds here ( http://goo.gl/AFC5uC ), and here are a bunch of pictures of them: http://goo.gl/EdhMs0

- Brad Haugaard

Ale House Grill Planned on Colorado in Old Town Monrovia

A new Monrovia restaurant called 38° Ale House and Grill is applying to the city planning commission for an alcohol license and permission to stay open past midnight. The restaurant is to be located at 110 E. Colorado Blvd., the location of the current Merengue Bakery Cafe. http://goo.gl/ztKyZL

- Brad Haugaard

Old Cars on Tour in Monrovia


A parade of old cars drove up Highland this morning. Beautiful day for a drive.

- Brad Haugaard

View Saturn Tonight at Monrovia's Library Park

The Sidewalk Astronomers will be out tonight, in Library Park at the corner of Lime and Myrtle between 7:30 and 9:30. The astronomers are hopeful they can give people a good view of Saturn soon after 8:30 p.m. Plus the moon and Mars.

- Brad Haugaard

The Fountain to the Falls Run


On the downhill stretch. Coming back on the Fountain to the Falls run this morning.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Sets New Track Records

Monrovia High's Cravin Gillespie sets two Rio Hondo League track records. http://goo.gl/3OBxxI

- Brad Haugaard

Fire Watch for Monrovia Area - Sunday and Monday

The National Weather Service has proclaimed a fire watch for the Monrovia area from Sunday morning through Monday evening. Low humidity and wind. http://goo.gl/FlKHh4

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board: Attendance High But Down; Combine Elections?

At its 7 p.m., May 14 meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/1FKsgg ), the Monrovia School Board will, among other things ...

~ Hear a report that attendance, while high, is lower than last October: "While district-wide student attendance this year was at the highest percentage over the last 15 years, our student enrollment has declined by 94 students from October to March." The declines came at Monrovia High, Plymouth, and Mountain Park. Details: http://goo.gl/Ud2XmB

~ Hear a report on the possibility of combining the school and municipal elections to save money.

- Brad Haugaard

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