Monrovia Now: News and Comment about Monrovia, California

Monrovia Boys Soccer to Championship | Kittleson Announces Endorsements

~ Monrovia Boys Soccer wins a trip to the CIF Southern Section Division VI championship match. http://goo.gl/TGOhAl

~ Monrovia City Council candidate Jordan Kittleson writes that he has rounded up endorsements from: Los Angeles County Business Federation; Jack Orswell, 2014 Republican Congressional Nominee (CA-27); Dr. Paul Chabot, 2014 Republican Congressional Nominee (CA-31); Mountain View GOP; State Senator Bob Huff; Retired State Senator Bob Dutton; Upland Councilwoman Carol Timm; San Bernardino Councilman John Valdivia.

Note: If any other candidate wants to send me a list of endorsements (please, no more than 10) send them to me.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia City Council Candidate Forum Tonight

I just wanted to remind everybody that there will be a Monrovia City Council Candidate Forum tonight, March, 4 at 6 p.m. in the Monrovia City Council Chambers, 415 South Ivy. It will be hosted by the Monrovia Chamber and facilitated by the Pasadena League of Women Voters. I'd like to attend, but unfortunately, I will not be able to. This does not involve the race for mayor. The candidate forum for the mayoral race will be Tuesday, March, 10 at 6 p.m. also in the Monrovia City Council Chambers.

- Brad Haugaard

Report on Grants Monrovia Has Lost; Criminal Charges in One Case

City Manager Oliver Chi reported on three different grants that the city received but did not use until the grants expired, meaning the money was lost. In one case - a downtown streetscape grant - criminal charges were filed against a former city employee for filing false progress reports on the project. Chi did say that the city may be able to get a re-grant on one of the grants. Chu's full report should be posted on the city website soon.

- Brad Haugaard

Bakery Coming to Old Town Monrovia

According to a speaker at tonight's City Council meeting, the former Monrovia Bakery will again become a bakery, to be called Frost My Cake.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian on Let's Make a Deal

CBS reports that Monrovian Alzaharaa Mouzon will be on CBS' Let's Make a Deal on Wednesday, March 11.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Reports Lower Q3 Earnings

Monrovia's AeroVironment today reported third quarter earnings of $2.3 million compared with $11.2 million last year. http://goo.gl/CNnSBa

- Brad Haugaard

STAAR Gets New CEO | Monrovia's First Lutheran Hosting Craft Fair

~ Monrovia's STAAR Surgical Company, which makes implantable lenses for the eye, has named Caren Mason President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Ms. Mason, who was elected to STAAR's Board of Directors in June 2014, and was appointed by the Board to chair the Quality and Regulatory Committee in September 2014, replaces Barry G. Caldwell who retired as of March 1, 2015. http://goo.gl/x56MYs

~ First Lutheran Church at 1323 S Magnolia is having a multi-church craft fair on Saturday, April 25, from 2-5 p.m. There will be easy family-friendly crafts to make, items to purchase, and food to buy.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Has Been Draining Unclean Water into Soil Above Drinking Water Pump

Map key: The green line encloses the French drain; the red area is for trash containers with a pipe leading to the French drain, and the blue area is where vehicles are washed.

Note: I sent the following article to Monrovia City Manager Oliver Chi and Public Works Director Tina Cherry for comment, and received the response directly below my article.

My Article ...

Is Monrovia draining dirty water from trash and sewer-truck clean-outs directly into the ground above its water well at the corner of Peck Road and Jeffries Avenue?

According to a source, a city supervisor was placed on administrative leave last Thursday as a result of what is apparently a continuing investigation.

I am told that apparently all the drinking water coming from the well is still clean, but will it remain so as wash-water slowly percolates down to the point where it would be pumped out?

According to my source, water from leaky trash containers goes down a pipe which leads to a "French drain," a perforated underground pipe surrounded by gravel. The water goes out through the holes in the pipe, through the gravel, and sinks into the soil.

I'm told that the sewage truck - which I occasionally see pumping out the septic tanks at the rest rooms in Monrovia Canyon Park because the sewer line from the park does not work - is emptied into a main line of the sewer system, then is rinsed and again drained into the sewer system. But then it is rinsed a second time, and the water from this second rinsing is dumped on the ground near the French drain. Definitely better than dumping raw sewage there, but still not clean water.

My source said this water is supposed to be drained into the sewer system (a sewer line runs along the north side of the property) and not leached into the ground, and that elected officials have not been aware of this issue.

The City's Response ...

On Thursday, February 26, 2015, Monrovia City officials were made aware of alleged unlawful disposal of wastewater at the City’s main water well field located at 2265 South Myrtle Avenue. Upon discovery of this information, the City immediately initiated a comprehensive review of the overall situation to ensure that stringent water quality and safety standards are maintained. This review included the retention of a third-party contractor to perform additional testing of the City’s water and the hiring of a third party investigator to perform a comprehensive investigation into the allegation. That same day, one supervisor was placed on paid administrative leave, pending the completion of the review.

It is important to emphasize that ongoing monthly testing shows that Monrovia’s water supply consistently meets or exceeds State and Federal drinking water standards. Our most recent monthly report attests to the fact that the City’s water is safe for consumption, and the alleged unlawful disposal of wastewater has not impacted the safety of Monrovia’s water.

Furthermore, the City employs multiple additional layers of water testing to ensure that Monrovia’s water is safe for human consumption. In addition to monthly testing, the City performs Annual Water Reports, tests water nitrogen levels monthly, and conducts additional daily monitoring of our water production operation. These ongoing efforts help to ensure that the water provided to Monrovia customers is not only safe, but meets or exceeds every State and Federal drinking water standard. Moving forward, to ensure that the City is taking proactive measures regarding the safety of our water, the City will be implementing bi-weekly testing to ensure that our water continues to meet or exceed every State and Federal drinking water standard. Internally, the Water Utilities Operation in the City will be preparing an overall water report on a quarterly basis, rather than on an annual basis, as an added layer of public communication.

Furthermore, the City has made plans to hire a third party contractor to perform immediate environmental testing of our water facility site where the alleged disposal occurred. The tests will include taking samples from the City’s water and the soils surrounding the water facility site. Also, the City will be contacting the Regional Water Quality Control Board to make them aware of the situation and the details of all actions being taken to address the issue. Additionally, the investigator will also look deeper into the situation and ensure that all proper mitigation measures are being taken.

In an effort to distribute information to the public, the City will also continue to make all reports available to the public. Current water testing information, including our Annual Water Reports, can be found on our city website at www.cityofmonrovia.org. Finally, in an effort to enhance all services provided to the community, the City has been working on a proposed reorganization. This proposed plan includes the addition of a Utility General Manager to ensure additional attention and oversight of all utility functions.

The City of Monrovia is taking this matter very seriously and we are implementing robust response measures to ensure the safety and quality of our community’s water source. We will continue to have updates on the city website (www.cityofmonrovia.org) to keep the public apprised of the situation.

Monrovia Police: Off His Meds; De-Mail Man; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 26 – March 1. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

72-Hour Mental Evaluation
February 26 at 5:35 p.m., police responded to the report of a male subject in his twenties, walking down Myrtle, talking to himself and holding a sharpened stick. He entered a local restaurant on Myrtle with the sharpened stick and continued to act in a bizarre manner. Police arrived and contacted the subject. He was determined to be off his required medication and a danger to himself and others. Monrovia Fire Department paramedics were summoned, as the subject began to complain of chest pains. He was taken to a hospital to be medically checked and held for 72-hour mental evaluation.

Outstanding Warrant – Suspect Arrest
February 26 at 8:00 a.m., an officer was sent to the 1200 block of South Myrtle on the report of a subject causing a disturbance. The officer contacted the subject and discovered he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The subject was arrested for the warrant and taken into custody.

Outstanding Warrants / Mental Evaluation – Suspect Arrested
February 27 at 11:49 a.m., a male subject was reportedly removing mail from business mailboxes in the 500 block of South Myrtle and throwing the mail on the ground. He was also reportedly making vague threats to people in the downtown area of Monrovia. Officers responded and detained the subject. He had outstanding warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody for the warrants, and then taken to a hospital, where he could be evaluated for his abnormal behavior and threats to harm people. He was held for 72-hour mental evaluation.

Outstanding Warrant – Suspect Arrested
February 27 at 3:42 p.m., an officer observed a male subject he recognized at the corner of Buena Vista and Huntington Drive in the City of Duarte. He believed the subject had an outstanding warrant. A computer check confirmed the subject did have a warrant for his arrest on a Monrovia Police Department case, with a bail set for $50,000.00. The officer detained and arrested the subject without incident.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
February 27 at 8:12 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of West Foothill Boulevard regarding a fight in progress. Upon arrival, officers detained several subjects in the parking lot. One subject was found to be in possession of a hypodermic syringe and heroin. The suspect was arrested for the drug related offenses and taken into custody. No arrests were made in reference to the initial fight call.

Grand Theft Auto / Stolen Vehicle Recovered – Suspects Arrested
February 28 at 1:18 a.m., officers responded to a business complex in the 2600 block of California Avenue to investigate the report of a male subject in dark clothing walking around the complex. When officers arrived, they located two subjects and a motor home parked to the rear of the complex, hidden from the street and public view. Officers immediately checked the plate of the vehicle and it had been reported stolen. One of the suspects admitted to taking the vehicle. The second suspect was found to have checks on his person belonging to the victims of the stolen vehicle. Both suspects were arrested and the vehicle was returned to the victims.

Vehicle Burglary
February 28 at 3:41 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 400 block of West Central Avenue. A vehicle was broken into and a backpack with an iPad in it was stolen. Police were able to track the iPad to the 200 block of West Palm Avenue in Monrovia. Officers responded and began searching. They located a backpack matching the description of the stolen item in plain view inside the cab of a pickup truck. The victim responded to the location and confirmed the item was hers. The vehicle was taken to the Monrovia Police Department, where it was stored for evidence. A search warrant will be written to recover the property from the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Outstanding Warrant – Suspect Arrested
February 28 at 10:00 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a park in the 400 block of North Grand on the report of suspicious subjects loitering in the area. Upon contacting the subjects, one of them was found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Register for Monrovia's Fountain to the Falls Run

You can register now for the Fountain to the Falls Run/Walk, which begins Saturday, May 9, at 7 a.m. and goes from the Library Park fountain to the waterfall in Monrovia Canyon Park... and back. http://goo.gl/6JAzwQ

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council: City Reorganization; Huntington Drive Median Design

At its March 3 meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/qy1tbt ), the Monrovia City Council will ...

~ Consider reorganizing some city departments. You can see the proposed changes here ( http://goo.gl/5n8Zgr ). Scroll down to page seven to see charts of the proposed reorganization.

~ Contract with Lawrence R. Moss & Associates for landscape architectural design services related to Huntington Drive Median Improvement Project in an amount not to exceed $8,500. http://goo.gl/Kjd6CF

- Brad Haugaard

Personal Finance Class at Monrovia Library | Creation Class at Calvary Road Baptist Church

~ Calvary Road Baptist Church will sponsor a series of personal finance classes called "Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University" at the Monrovia Public Library. Class starts Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. Contact coordinator Jackie Glover for information: 386-3549.

~ Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, of Creation Ministries International, will present a seminar on creation called, "Design, Deluge and Dilemma" at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, at Calvary Road Baptist Church, at 319 West Olive in Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard

Fox Visits Jake's Roadhouse | 70s Style Fundraiser for Monrovia's Y

~ Fox LA has dinner out at Jake's Roadhouse in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/ZAs5K7

~ A 70s Party fundraiser for Monrovia's Santa Anita Family YMCA. Buffet dinner, trivia games. At Rudy's Mexican Restaurant, March 14, 5-11 p.m. $50 per person. Wear your bell bottoms.

- Brad Haugaard

Refinished Furniture Store Coming to Monrovia

A new store featuring refinished furniture called Knot Too Shabby is planned for the building at the southeast corner of Palm and Myrtle, in the former L&G Fashion & Boutique. That, according to Gem City Images. http://goo.gl/1QJ8OT

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Domestic Violence, Theft of Car, Motorcycle

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 23-25. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 386 service events, resulting in 81 investigations.

Grand Theft Auto
February 24 at 2:58 a.m., and officer responded to the 1500 block of Alamitas regarding the report of a stolen vehicle. The victim parked his vehicle at about 12:30 a.m. on the street and left his vehicle unlocked. He noticed his vehicle missing at 2:58 a.m. and called police. The vehicle taken is a tan, 1996 Honda Accord. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft of a Motorcycle
February 25 at 8:44 p.m., a motorcycle was reported stolen in the 100 block of Fig. The motorcycle is a blue, 2009 Harley Davidson Street Glide. The motorcycle was last seen in front of the residence. The victim accounted for all sets of keys. The investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
February 25 at 10:47 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 300 block of East Palm regarding a domestic disturbance. A male and female subject who have been in a dating relationship and have lived together for 8 years became involved in an argument. During the argument, the male subject threw the female to the ground and punched her in the back of the head, causing a minor injury. The male suspect was arrested for domestic violence and served with a temporary restraining order.

'Works on Paper' Show at Monrovia's Saga Fine Art

"Works on Paper," a display of watercolor, pastel, and pencil at Saga Fine Art through March 27, at 110 West Lime.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High to Host Drum Competition

This weekend the Monrovia High School band will be hosting the SCPA (Southern California Percussion Alliance) drumline competition. This is a two-day event with 60 ensembles from various junior high, high schools and colleges. This competition will take place at the school's event center (new gym) on Saturday February 28, 2-8:30 p.m. and Sunday March 1, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the event center box office throughout the weekend.