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Gold Line Track Laying Should be Complete Later this Month

The Foothill Gold Line from Pasadena to Azusa is on schedule to complete laying all 28 miles of light rail track needed for the 11.5-mile project. There will be a Track Completion Ceremony Oct. 18 to commemorate this achievement. Source: Gold Line Construction Authority press release

- Brad Haugaard

Will Aztec Hotel Reopen in 2015? Halloween Activities

~ Will the historic Aztec Hotel reopen next year? Also, some history of recent complications regarding the hotel. http://goo.gl/zMfcuL

~ Halloween activities in Library Park, Friday, Oct. 31, 3-6 p.m. Costume contest and parade, dog costume contest, library stories, toddler area, activity booths, arts and crafts, parachute games, photo booths. Also, trick-or-treat in Old Town, 5-7 p.m. http://goo.gl/IfMRKd

~ Mayflower PTA is sponsoring a Fall Film Festival, Oct. 25, 4-8 p.m. Games, food, face painting, costume contest, pumpkins, movie and cake walk. At Mayflower School, 210 N Mayflower.

- Brad Haugaard

Free Jazz Thursdays at Monrovia's Doubletree Hotel

Drummer and leader of the jazz band, Martini Five-O, David Walker, writes to say the band plays a free concert every Thursday, 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in Monrovia. He says: "Our repertoire focuses on classic jazz standards from The Great American Songbook. The concert series at the Doubletree (which started in July and will continue indefinitely) is called 'Standards Under the Stars' (it takes place outdoors, near the pool and fireplace). The band is also putting on free jazz concerts at the Doubletree on Halloween and on the day of the Breeders Cup (10/31 and 11/01).

- Brad Haugaard

Boy Lost in Monrovia Canyon Park Found Safe

A young teen boy with autism who had been lost in Monrovia Canyon Park has been found safe.

- Brad Haugaard

Art, Music and Books in Monrovia's Library Park

Art and books for sale in Library Park, today and tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Picked up a paperback for 50 cents.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Over San Marino in Football

Monrovia over San Marino in football, 48-42. Full story here.

- Brad Haugaard

Six Old Homes to be Demolished? | Books and Art | Junk Drive for Centre Stage

~ Monrovia Historic Preservation Group is concerned that at the next Historic Preservation Commission are applications for the demolition of six pre-1940s homes. http://goo.gl/VQbsVH

~ Friends of the Monrovia Library Annual Book Sale, and Arts Event at the Library and Library Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday. Celebrate the arts with work by local artists, including Rick Kess; live art demonstrations, live music; outdoor dining and food trucks.

~ Junk Drive to benefit Centre Stage non-profit theater company. Donate household items, clothing, toys, etc. to Goodwill this Saturday, Oct. 11 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Donation point is Monrovia Presbyterian Church, Foothill and Myrtle. Donations are tax-deductible. Items will go to Goodwill Industries, which will in turn provide funds to Centre Stage for its 2015 season.

- Brad Haugaard

Obama Names San Gabriel Mountains a National Monument

Obama has named the San Gabriel Mountains a National Monument today. http://goo.gl/G4ri4r

Comment: As I said before, I'm not so much upset at the mountains being made a national monument as I am upset that there seemed to be almost no information disseminated about what the designation would mean, and therefore no opportunity to comment intelligently about it. Oh well, I guess we will find out now.

Also, I was curious about an advocacy group called San Gabriel Mountains Forever that has been quoted in the LA Times, Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Wall Street Journal and other media (see Google News results: http://goo.gl/Vvur0S ). I looked up the domain name, sangabrielmountains.org, on whois.ws (see it here: http://goo.gl/P8PGpX ), and it turns out it is registered to Campaign for America's W[ilderness] based in Washington D.C., and now part of the Pew Charitable Funds.

So no, it may have appeared to be so, but it is not a local group.

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at The Burger Shack

Lunch at The Burger Shack at Foothill and Madison yesterday. Got a bacon avocado burger for $5.49 and a lemonade for $1.89. Messy good. A four-napkin meal.

- Brad Haugaard

Smart Gardening Workshop in Monrovia

Smart Gardening Workshop at Recreation Park (600 S. Shamrock), Saturday, Nov. 8 at 9:30 a.m. http://goo.gl/RjYBNk

- Brad Haugaard

Choral Company to Hold 'Supernatural Evening of Song' in Monrovia

San Gabriel Valley Choral Company will hold "A Supernatural Evening of Song" on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, featuring Daemon Irrepit by Gyorgy Orban, Valley of Bones by Nick Strimple, and Sure on This Shining Night by Morten Lauridsen, plus solo and small ensemble performances by SGVCC members and staff, including Artistic Director Zanaida Robles. Proceeds benefit SGVCCs instrumentalist fund. Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For tickets or make a donation, go to http://www.choralcompany.org, or mail checks, payable to "SGVCC," to 101 E. Foothill Blvd., Monrovia, CA 91016.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Bear Seminar | Running Back Lawrence Spicer

~ There will be a free "Bears in Your Backyard" safey forum this Oct. 23 from 7-8 p.m. at the Monrovia Public Library Community Room. There will be experts from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Monrovia Police, and Athens Services, along with Assembly member Chris Holden.

~ Feature story on Monrovia running back Lawrence Spicer. http://goo.gl/reyDPL

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Woman Not On Meds; Too Many Washing Machines; Meth

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 6-8 . - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 462 service events, During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 462 service events, resulting in 72 investigations.

Mental Evaluation 
On October 7 at 9:14 p.m., a female subject who lives in the 300 block of North Encinitas Avenue phoned police several times to report she needed assistance. As officers were on the way, a male subject at the same location phoned to report the female subject was hitting him and his face was bleeding. He reported that the female subject is supposed to be on medication that she was not taking. When officers arrived, they observed the female being very aggressive toward the male subject. The male subject had visible injuries and was treated on scene by Monrovia Fire Department paramedics. The female was taken to a hospital, where she was held for mental evaluation.

Battery 
On October 8 at 3:11 p.m., an officer responded to a business in the 200 block of East Foothill regarding an assault that just occurred. The victim told the officer she was using numerous washing machines when another subject inside the location became confrontational with her over the amount of machines she was using. Several words were exchanged and both subjects started fist fighting. They were separated by other patrons in the business. Both subjects signed a refusal to prosecute.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Warrant – Suspects Arrested 
On October 8 at 8:58 p.m., a manager of a business called to report a suspicious subject knocking on doors in the 900 block of South Fifth. The subject was looking for a person who had rented a room at the location. On our way to the location the subject went to the front desk and gave them the name of the person he was looking for and then he left. The name of the person given to management had rented two rooms that day and paid cash for both. Officers went to the rooms, at the request of management, to make sure everything was okay. Upon checking the first room none of the subjects were the person who had rented the room. However, two of the subjects had several items inside the room and appeared to be staying there. During our investigation we discovered a sizable amount of methamphetamine, packaging material and cash. Two subjects were arrested, one for possession of a controlled substance for sales and the other for a warrant.

Police Chief Says Vote No on 47 | Monrovia vs. San Marino

~ Monrovia Police Chief Jim Hunt urges voters to vote no on Proposition 47. http://goo.gl/E1olF7

~ Sportswriters talk about the Monrovia vs. San Marino game. Video: http://goo.gl/Z85HR8

- Brad Haugaard

Representative Judy Chu Confirms Obama Will Make San Gabriel Mountains a National Monument

Representative Judy Chu confirmed today (Oct. 8) that President Obama will declare 346,000 acres of national forest land in the San Gabriel Mountains to be the nation's newest national monument. http://goo.gl/6WuA4u

Two days ago (Oct. 6), Chu distributed a press release titled, "Rep. Chu Continues to Invite Stakeholders to Offer Input on National Monument" http://goo.gl/KqKbyW

Comment: Just two days ago Chu was inviting people to submit input as if she was carefully pondering all viewpoints. But today we learn it is a done deal. Obama is going to sign it and clearly there was no intention to listen to the so-called "input" she solicited two days ago. Further, while there was detail released on her proposed National Recreation Area, I don't think there was any detail released about the scope of this National Monument. Who can tell whether it is good or bad? It was just shoved through.

- Brad Haugaard

Halloween Spiders in Old Monrovia

Halloween spiders decorate Old Town Monrovia. http://goo.gl/TSzFuC

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Wins Contract for Navy Drone

Monrovia's AeroVironment has won a $19 million contract to develop a new carrier-based drone for the Navy. http://goo.gl/8mUTpf

- Brad Haugaard

Holden Reports to Monrovia Council on State of the State

Assemblyman Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, gave a state of the state report to the City Council tonight. (I think the council is looking at a monitor on the wall, not dissing Holden.) City of Monrovia photo.

- Brad Haugaard

Will Obama Sign National Monument Order Friday in San Dimas?

According to a press release from Arturo Alas, who is running for Congress in the 32nd District (which includes most of Monrovia), "President Obama is reportedly coming to Bonelli Park in San Dimas, CA on Friday, October 10th in order to sign the National Monument proposal." This would make the San Gabriel Mountains a National Monument.

The press release adds that "Individuals and businesses from the community plan to make an appearance in order to reinforce the importance of their concerns and make known their opposition to the plan."

Comment: Hmm. That "reportedly" makes me a bit doubtful...

Update: More on Obama declaring San Gabriel Mountains a National Monument. Still unconfirmed, though. http://goo.gl/f1pCEd

- Brad Haugaard

Suspect Barricaded in Monrovia House

Barricaded suspect in Monrovia home. 2300 block of California Avenue. Suspected of assault. http://goo.gl/7WOckp

Update: Suspect arrested http://goo.gl/y79aqn

- Brad Haugaard