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Rainy Days Coming for Monrovia

20% chance of rain Friday, 80% Saturday, 60% Sunday, 30% Monday, 20% Tuesday and 40% Wednesday. http://goo.gl/EoYLBr

- Brad Haugaard

Power Outage on Mayflower

Reader Brad Hori reports a problem on Mayflower just north of the freeway. He said the power went for the shopping center and most of the area, but was back on about 20 minutes later. Thanks for the tip and photo, Brad.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Arrested for Going Through Trash; Drunk; Drunk; Drunk; Stolen Cars; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 19-22. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 7:00 a.m., an officer was sent to the 1400 block of Pilgrim Way on the report of a subject going through a resident’s trash. The subject was contacted by police and found to have several warrants for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody for the warrants.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 9:35 a.m., a disturbing subject was reported in the 300 block of Huntington. An officer responded and upon contact, determined the subject was too intoxicated to care for his own safety. The subject was arrested for public intoxication and held for sobering.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol / Injury Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
February 20 at 2:27 a.m., officers were dispatched to the intersection of Mayflower and Duarte regarding an injury traffic collision. The investigation revealed one of the drivers was driving under the Influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under of the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
February 20 at 6:00 a.m., an officer stopped a vehicle for a vehicle code violation in the 300 block of West Colorado. Through investigation, the officer determined the driver was driving under the Influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
February 21 at 1:42 a.m., an officer stopped a vehicle for a vehicle code violation. The driver, a 19-year-old female, was determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol and was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto
February 21 at 7:18 a.m., an officer responded to the 100 block of Spanner regarding a vehicle theft. The vehicle taken was a black Honda Civic. The vehicle was stolen sometime after 10:30 p.m. and was noticed missing the following morning at 7:30 a.m. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
February 21 at 12:09 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 300 block of Evergreen regarding a grand theft auto. The victim’s friend parked his white Acura with gray fenders on the street. The vehicle was stolen between 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. The Investigation is continuing.

Burglary Vehicle
February 21 at 4:32 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 100 block of North Ivy. The victim left her purse and mail inside her car and did not lock it before she went into her home. When she returned in the morning, the items were missing. The investigation is continuing.

Stolen Vehicle
February 21 at 4:35 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 1200 block of Primrose. The vehicle stolen was a blue Acura Integra. The vehicle was stolen sometime over night. The victim went out to his car in the morning and it was gone from its parking space. The investigation is continuing.

Monrovia's Xencor Plans 5.5 million Stock Offer

Monrovia's Xencor (antibody and protein biotherapeutics) plans to offer up to 5.5 million shares of its common stock for sale. http://goo.gl/f3DixU

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia a Good City For Renters

A new report by consumer finance site NerdWallet says Monrovia is the ninth best city in Southern California for renters. It is 20.1 times cheaper to rent in Monrovia than to buy here. 49.5% of Monrovia rent rather than own their residences. http://goo.gl/TIx2TT

- Brad Haugaard

Police Still Working to Solve old Monrovia Gang Killing

Police still working to solve 2008 Monrovia gang killing. http://goo.gl/pmafeH

- Brad Haugaard

Peek Through a Telescope Next Saturday at Monrovia's Library Park

Jane Houston Jones reports that, eather permitting, the Monrovia Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers will be out with their telescopes in Monrovia next Saturday the 28th. Starting at about 6 p.m. for 2-2.5 hours. Usually the group meets at the southeast corner of Library Park, near Lime and Myrtle, and they're happy to let you peek through their telescopes at whatever is visible that night.

- Brad Haugaard

Preliminary Financial Contribution Reports for Monrovia Council Race

While very preliminary, initial campaign contribution reports show that so far City Council candidate Scott Austin has raised the most money, $5239.13. Details:

- Scott Austin's campaign for city council has received $1,028.52 from Debbie Austin, $3,000 from Monrovia Firefighters Local 2415 and $1,210.61 from the California Professional Firefighters Political Action Committee in Sacramento.

- Mayor Mary Ann Lutz's campaign has received $5,000 from herself and her husband.

- Becky Shevlin's campaign received $5,000 from Chris Shevlin.

City Clerk Alice Atkins writes that these are preliminary reports and that, "The rest of the candidates filed stating they spent or received less than $1,000 in 2014 (FPPC Form 470). I have not included those statements, as it does not require any itemized reporting - just that declaration.

"The next reporting period for candidates with committees ends February 28 and is due on March 5. I expect more candidates who established their committees after January 1 to be filing at that time."

- Brad Haugaard

Options for Opening Cloverleaf Entrance to Wilderness Area Should Come Before Council In March

I asked Monrovia Community Services Director Tina Cherry for an update on progress opening the Cloverleaf entry point to the Hillside Wilderness Preserve. She wrote back to say:

"We have been in discussions with the impacted property owners at Cloverleaf and did in fact meet with both affected parties in person recently. We are still attempting to develop a resolution that will be acceptable to all involved and we plan on discussing potential options with the City Council in March.  Of course, given the nature of property negotiations, the conversation with the City Council will initially occur in a closed session format."

- Brad Haugaard

Catch Mars and Venus Together Tonight

The Monrovia Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers reports: Look west just as soon as it gets dark tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night too and see a pretty pairing of Mars and Venus! They are closer than they've been in half a dozen years.  Tonight you'll see the slender crescent moon just below the pair, and tomorrow night the moon will be a little bigger crescent above the planets.

- Brad Haugaard

Former Interim Monrovia City Manager Gets New Interim Gig

Former interim Monrovia City Manager Fran Delach has been hired as interim executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments. http://goo.gl/4xmkAH

- Brad Haugaard

Class Size Report for Monrovia Schools

At its next meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/nm6qZS ) the Monrovia School Board will hear a report on average class size. Summary: Average for K-5 classes is 27.84. For middle school it's 28.45, and for Monrovia High it is 30. Highest elementary class size is the fifth grade class at Monroe, with 35. Details: http://goo.gl/JBk3IQ

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Resistor Records in the News

Monrovia's Resistor Records gets some love from LA Weekly, which calls the little store on Myrtle (west side, just south of Lemon), "Los Angeles County's most lovingly curated record shop." And if you don't know what a "record" is, ask your parents. http://goo.gl/3LjrCh

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at London Gastropub


Dinner at London Gastropub, on the west side of Myrtle just south of Lime. Got the Butter Burger for $10 and a beer for $6. Cheerful place with music. Burger was fine. 

- Brad Haugaard

Tom Gulley Withdraws from City Council Race

Monrovia City Council candidate has announced that he has withdrawn from the council race. He writes:

"Just to let you know that I did withdraw my name from the race for City Council. ... I'm sorry for any inconvenience that this might of caused you."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Stripping to Fool Police; Hit and Run - On Foot; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Highlighted Activity for February 16-18. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 419 service events, resulting in 73 investigations.

Resisting and Delaying a Peace Officer / Grand Theft / No-Bail Warrant – Suspect Arrested
February 16 at 7:06 p.m., a bicycle was stolen from the front of a business in the 100 block of East Olive. Officers responded to the area and located the suspect riding the bicycle. When the suspect noticed the patrol cars, he immediately rode in the opposite direction. As the suspect was riding, he began taking off his outer garments in an attempt to confuse the officers. One of the officers was able to stop the suspect, but he attempted to flee and tried to hide behind a retaining wall. The suspect would not comply with the officer’s commands until other officers arrived to assist. He was then taken into custody without incident. The suspect also had an outstanding no-bail warrant issued for his arrest, which was added to his charges.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
February 16 at 11:05 p.m., an officer on patrol observed a suspicious male subject riding a bicycle in a park in the 600 block of South Shamrock. When the subject noticed the police vehicle, he rode in the opposite direction, and the officer lost sight of the subject as he went around a corner. The officer searched the area, found the subject and contacted him. As a result of the investigation, the subject was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto / Vehicle Burglary
February 17 at 6:34 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from an apartment complex in the 100 block of West Olive. The vehicle taken was a black, 4-door, 1995 Toyota Avalon. During the investigation, an officer discovered a vehicle parked in a nearby alley with the driver's side window down and the steering column damaged, with wires exposed. The owner of the vehicle lives in same complex as the victim of the stolen vehicle. The owner was contacted and confirmed his GPS system was stolen from the vehicle. It appears the suspect attempted to steal the vehicle, but couldn’t get the vehicle started. It is unknown if the crimes were committed by the same suspect. The investigation is continuing.

Bicycle Theft
February 17 at 7:19 p.m., a bicycle was reported stolen from the 800 block of South Primrose. The victim parked his truck in front of the location and walked into a building. He left his bicycle in the bed of his truck; it was tied down, but not locked. When he returned to his truck about an hour later, the bicycle was gone. The bicycle is described as a black, 16-speed, street bike, with a sticker on the frame with red and white lettering on it. The investigation is continuing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision – Suspects Arrested
February 17 at 7:41 p.m., a vehicle exited the 210 Freeway at Myrtle and Evergreen at a high rate of speed. The vehicle jumped the curb, went up on the sidewalk and hit a gas station sign. The occupants of the vehicle all exited and fled. Police dispatch received numerous calls reporting the location of the suspects. Two of them were pointed out to responding officers by witnesses and were arrested. The driver of the vehicle was not initially located. An area check was being made, when dispatch received calls reporting a male subject running on the freeway, approaching Mountain. An officer responded and detained the suspect at gunpoint until backup arrived. The suspect was determined to be extremely intoxicated, and he admitted to being the driver of the vehicle involved in the hit and run. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Littering – Suspect Arrested
February 18 at 8:37 a.m., a resident reported a suspicious male subject emptying the contents of a bag onto the sidewalk in the area of Melrose and Foothill. The contents of the bag appeared more likely to belong to a female, according to the reporting party. Officers responded and contacted the subject. After investigation, the officer determined the subject had not stolen anything and was in possession of his own property; however, he was in possession of a usable quantity of methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe. In addition, the officer observed him walking away from trash he had dumped on the sidewalk prior to making contact with him. He was arrested for drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and for littering.

Assault
February 18 at 3:22 p.m., a gas company employee was parked in his marked vehicle and in uniform, when a resident in the 500 block of East Los Angeles drove up in his vehicle and verbally confronted him about parking in the space on the public street. The resident was very agitated and said the space was his. He proceeded to use verbal obscenities toward the gas company employee and then swerved his vehicle toward him to intimidate him. He then parked his car and walked toward his home, intentionally bumping into the gas company employee as he passed, continuing to berate him verbally. An officer was requested, but the suspect left the location before the officer arrived. As the officers were not able to speak directly to the suspect, the investigation will continue and a verified complaint with the District Attorney’s Office may be filed. The investigation is continuing.

Pieology Pizza Coming to Monrovia

Gem City Images reports that Pieology, a build it yourself pizza place is going into the location formerly occupied by Daphne's. http://goo.gl/iWFIAC

- Brad Haugaard

Vaccination Discussion in Sierra Madre

On February 26 at 6:30 p.m., Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, is joining health professionals for a community forum on vaccinations. Topics: Who should get the vaccine? How well-vaccinated is your child's school? Concerns about the safety of the vaccine. At the Sierra Madre City Hall, Council Chamber, 232 Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre.

- Brad Haugaard

Easter Egg Hunt and Fountain to the Falls Race Planned

~ The Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Healthy Kids Day Event will be held on Saturday, April 4, at 10 a.m., at Recreation Park. Registration for all egg hunts will begin at 9:45 a.m. Activities include arts and crafts, face painting, carnival games, refreshments, wellness activities, demonstrations, toddler activities, teen activities, music, and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

~ The fifth annual 7-mile out-and-back Fountain to the Falls Run/Walk from the Library Park Fountain to the Canyon Park waterfall will be held on Saturday, May 9, at 7 a.m. First through third place awards will be given for each age category. The race is limited to 325 participants. Advance registration is required. The $35 entry fee includes a participation ribbon and a t-shirt. Registration will only be accepted on-line at www.cityofmonrovia.org [although right now I can't find anywhere to register on the site - Brad]. No late starts or unregistered participants. Registration will be accepted through May 6, or until filled. For more information, contact the Department of Community Services at 256-8246.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Robotics Team Advances to Regional Competition


The Kings and Queens Robotics Team

Their robot, Sir Lancelot.

Ten students from Monrovia High School and their purple robot “Sir Lancelot” were one of the top teams at the Los Angeles FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) Regional Championship Tournament held in Monrovia this past Saturday. Along with seven other teams from across Southern California they qualified to advance to compete with 71 top teams from twelve western states at the West Super-Regional FTC Robotics Championship to be held at the Oakland Convention Center March 27-29. Teams at the West Super-Regional will compete for the chance to go on to the FIRST Robotics World Championship to be held in St. Louis in April.

The “Kings and Queens” team, made up of four seniors, one sophomore and five freshmen, designed and built their own 18 by 18 inch robot from t-slot channel, Plexiglas, and machined aluminum to compete with alliances of robots on a 12 by 12 foot playing field. They stand out not just for their driving skill, design prowess, and their robot’s ability to quickly scoop up baseball-sized whiffle balls and deposit them in four-foot-high goals. Heads turn when they take the field dressed in their signature costumes of purple velvet gold-embroidered renaissance dresses for the girls and fur-trimmed black velvet jerkins with purple capes for the boys. They also spread the word of robotics design as they share their robot adventures with students around Monrovia as well as mentor other middle and elementary school robotics teams.

Engineer and computer programming judges from major regional companies chose the team from among a field of the top 48 FTC robotics teams from throughout Southern California as a "role-model" team for their on-field success, teamwork, inspiration to others, representation of the First Robotics program to their school and community, and embodiment of "Gracious Professionalism," the core value of the FIRST program. They were named as second runner-up for the Inspire Award, the top award given at the tournament. On the playing field the Kings and Queens were outstanding with their alliance finishing second in the tournament overall.

This is the second year in a row that the Kings and Queens team has advanced to the Western Super-Regional Championship. Last season the team went on to compete in the FIRST Robotics World Championship in St. Louis where they finished ranked 100th overall for the season out of nearly 4000 FTC robotics teams worldwide. Monrovia High School Robotics advanced all five of its teams to the Los Angeles Regional Championship, which drew winners from eight qualifier competitions held across Southern California in December and January. This high school FTC after-school program is one of many opportunities supporting STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math) in conjunction with Monrovia High’s Math and Science Academy.

The Monrovia High School FTC robotics program seeks tax-deductible donations and company sponsorships to help cover the cost of sending The Kings and Queens to Sacramento and hopefully on to St. Louis. Donations may be made at the team’s GoFundMe page at http://www.gofundme.com/kingsandqueens2015

- Brad Haugaard