What Will Happen to Monrovia's Cable Channel KGEM?

Robert Parry posts on Facebook that he has received a letter from Champion Broadband saying it is shutting down its Monrovia service. And he asks, "How do we preserve KGEM?" 

Brian Johnson adds: "KGEM is supported by the fees the cable companies pay to the city as part of their licensing.  I don't think the satellite companies pay those fees.  So, no cable, no KGEM."

UPDATE: Mayor Mary Ann Lutz writes, "I asked the City Manager to invite Mark Haverkate from Giggle to our next Council meeting. He has accepted and will be at the City Council Meeting on March 17."

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Wang's Place

Dinner recently at Wang's Place, on the south side of Lemon a half block east of Myrtle. Got the Lemon Chicken for $12 and a beer for $5. Nice.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Water Leaks | Mayoral Forum | Drones to Ukraine

~ City reports number of water leaks rising. http://goo.gl/NGcuNJ

~ Report on the mayoral forum. http://goo.gl/DYFdgO

~ Drones made by Monrovia's AeroVironment part of package Obama sending to Ukraine.

- Brad Haugaard

BB Breaks Window; Drunk Shoplifting; Etc.

During the last seven-day period, March 9-11, the Police Department handled 400 service events, resulting in 85 investigations.

Vandalism

March 9 at 7:34 p.m., an officer responded to a residence in the 400 block of Monrovista on the report of a vandalism. A second story window of an apartment unit was shattered with a metal BB or similar type object sometime during the day. No one was home when the vandalism occurred.

Petty Theft / Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested

March 11 at 8:40 a.m., a business in the 200 block of East Huntington called police to report a theft of liquor. A female suspect ran from the store with a stolen bottle of gin. She was quickly located by officers and arrested for shoplifting and being drunk in public.

Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested

March 12 at 2:09 a.m., police received a call reporting a male subject in the 200 block of East Lemon that was yelling and causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and located the subject. He was determined to be intoxicated and unable to care for himself. He was arrested for being drunk in public and held for sobering. 

Filharmonic Performing at Monrovia High School | CODA Gets CEO

~ The Filharmonic will be performing at the Renaissance Foundation in Monrovia on Friday, April 10, at the high school. http://goo.gl/K2w5yp

~ Monrovia's CODA Energy Names Paul Detering as first CEO. http://goo.gl/o0uj8u

- Brad Haugaard

Warm Weekend in Monrovia

Should be getting up to an unseasonable 90 degrees this weekend. http://goo.gl/Tz07kW

- Brad Haugaard

Free California Gardening Seminar at Monrovia Canyon Park

On March 14, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the City of Monrovia will be hosting a FREE California Friendly Landscaping Training at the Canyon Park Cabin Conference Center at 1200 North Canyon Blvd. A representative from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will teach participants six steps to a California-friendly, drought tolerant yard.

Topics include: Using a Holistic Approach to Gardening; Building a Living Soil Sponge; Rethinking Elements of Your Site; Right Plant, Right Place; Using Rainwater as a Resource; Managing Irrigation

Source: City of Monrovia press release

- Brad Haugaard

Tiles Found to Repair Fountain | fire Services for Sierra Madre? | Power Outage | Older Monrovian

In a report to the community, Monrovia City Manager Oliver Chi reports that...

~ Sophia Nakov, who works at the Monrovia Recreation Division, found the historic tiles needed to complete repairs on the Library Park wishing well in Frankfort, Illinois. MOHPG representatives will begin the final repairs on March 14 and should be done within a few days.

~ Sierra Madre is asking Monrovia and Arcadia to consider providing it with contract Fire Battalion Chief services. "At this point," Chi writes, "we are still waiting on more concrete details related to the types of service that Sierra Madre will need."

~ There will be a power outage for system maintenance on Saturday, March 14, that will affect parts of downtown on Myrtle Avenue, with the power scheduled to be out beginning at 10 p.m. on March 14 and back on by 8 a.m. on March 15.

~ Monrovia's Department of Community Services is accepting nominations for the 2015 Older American of the Year Award. Qualifications: 60 or older and involved in volunteer service. Send nominations by Friday, March 20, to the Department of Community Services, 119 West Palm Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016 – Attention: Rebecca Romero.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Mayoral Candidates Forum

The Monrovia Mayoral Candidates Forum is tonight, March 10, at 6 p.m. in the Monrovia City Council Chambers at 415 South Ivy. Hosted by the Monrovia Chamber and facilitated by the Pasadena League of Women Voters.

- Brad Haugaard

Clifton Fundraiser | New Board Member at Mt. Sierra

~ Clifton's Band and Spirit Marcher Bake Sale Fundraiser will be held this Saturday, March 14, from 11-2 pm in front of Pavilions on Foothill Blvd. in Monrovia. Besides the home baked goodies we will have the Clefton Six ensemble performing. 

~ Monrovia's Mt. Sierra College has appointed a new member to its Board of Directors, Screenwriter, Director, Ms. Xialu (Lulu) Xue, currently the Associate Professor and Graduate Study Program Supervisor in the Literature Department of Beijing Film Academy. http://goo.gl/OlndL1

 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Lots of Overdrinking

Monrovia police activity for March 5-8. 

Commercial Burglary

March 6 at 9:22 a.m., an employee from a hotel in the 900 block of South Fifth Avenue called police to report a burglary. Sometime during the night, unknown suspects broke into the locked housekeeping closets that are located on three different floors and stole several items, including paint and electronic equipment. The suspect then fled without being seen. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested

March 6 at 9:22 p.m., an officer was on patrol in the 200 block of Montana, when he made contact with a suspicious male subject who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest issued out of Monrovia. The officer arrested the suspect and took him into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested

March 7 at 11:38 p.m., dispatch received a call reporting a male subject walking down the center of Myrtle Avenue, swaying as he walked. Officers responded and located the subject at the intersection of Maple and Myrtle Avenues. The subject was determined to be extremely intoxicated and was not able to care for himself. He was arrested for being drunk in public and held for sobering.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested

March 8 at 12:02 a.m., a resident in the 100 Block of East Evergreen called to report her front vehicle gate had been opened and a male adult was lying on the driveway near the open gate. An officer responded and found the subject had passed out and smelled of alcohol. The officer was able to wake the subject, but he could not walk without assistance. He was arrested for being drunk in public and held for sobering.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested

March 8 at 3:35 a.m., an officer on patrol observed a vehicle driving very slow, heading north on Myrtle Avenue. The officer stopped the vehicle at Myrtle and Live Oak and discovered the driver had been drinking. Through investigation, the driver was determined to be driving under the influence and was arrested.

 Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested

March 9 at 12:11 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 300 block of South California regarding a fight in progress. Upon arrival, officers located one subject who was extremely intoxicated. He was arrested for being drunk in public and held for sobering.

Felony Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol / Injury Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
March 9 at 12:58 a.m., officers responded to the area of Duarte Road and Walker regarding a traffic collision. Witnesses reported the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and ran a red light at Myrtle, nearly colliding with northbound vehicles. The vehicle lost control near Walker, rolled and came to rest on its side with three occupants inside the vehicle. All three subjects were intoxicated and were taken to a hospital for complaint of pain and minor injuries. The driver was arrested for felony drunk driving. 

Independent Lab Confirms Monrovia Water Is Good

From city press release

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 2655 South Myrtle Avenue. Upon discovery of this practice, 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, Clinical Laboratories, to perform additional testing of the City's water.

On Tuesday, March 3, Clinical Laboratories conducted thorough tests of Monrovia's water supply. The tests were conducted at all City water collection, holding, and distribution sites, and the test results showed that the entire water supply in Monrovia is sanitary and safe. This third-party report supports the results that have been determined through the City's ongoing monthly testing processes, which has shown that Monrovia's water supply consistently meets or exceeds State and Federal drinking water standards.

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. Also, 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.

Current water testing information, including our Annual Water Reports as well as the updated reports provided by Clinical Laboratories, can be found on our city website at www.cityofmonrovia.org.


- Brad Haugaard

Rita's Opening in Monrovia

Rita's of Monrovia is opening March 12 in the Sprouts shopping center. Italian ice, frozen custard, etc. http://goo.gl/DhEUX6

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board Agenda

On the agenda for the next school board meeting ( http://goo.gl/sUfPqB ):

- Review of supplemental algebra and geometry curriculum materials.

- Enrollment and staffing projections.

- Interim financial report.

Boys Soccer Wins COF | Historic Walking Tour of Old Monrovia Planned

~ Monrovia boys soccer wins CIF title with 1-0 win over South Pas. http://goo.gl/J9mgiC

~ The Monrovia Historic Preservation Group will lead its first walking tour of downtown Monrovia on Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m., as part of the Monrovia Days celebration. The tour will begin at the corner of Palm and Myrtle, go down to Olive Avenue (4 blocks) and back. The tour is expected to last 1 1/2 hours. The tour includes a history of the downtown area as well as the history behind the development of Monrovia itself. Tickets are $5 per person (12 and under free). Reservations required. Go here ( http://goo.gl/n80u3u ) to reserve a space.

- Brad Haugaard

Trader Joe's Best | Monrovia Boy's Soccer in Championship Battle

~ Monrovia's Trader Joe's named best grocer in the country. http://goo.gl/BsQrUQ

~ Monrovia boys soccer faces off against South Pasadena in CIF championship game. http://goo.gl/4XXiTR

- Brad Haugaard

BearVid | Monrovia Y Fundraiser | City Income from Canyon Park

~ Another Monrovia bear video. http://goo.gl/GkOj1r

~ A fundraiser for the Santa Anita Family YMCA will be held Wednesday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. at Pacific Plate Brewery, 1999 S. Myrtle Ave. in Monrovia. 239-8456

~ Parking fees for Monrovia Canyon Park brought in $125,106 in the 2013-14 fiscal year. http://goo.gl/d5TSHf

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council Forum Video | Barks and Books

~If you missed it, here is a video of the Monrovia City Council Candidates Forum. http://goo.gl/VmBllo

~ Barks & Books, Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA's reading enrichment program, branches out to the Monrovia Public Library starting Monday, March 16. Barks & Books makes reading fun, boosts confidence and encourages respectful, humane treatment for all animals for children ages 5 to 12. PHS Volunteer Judy and her canine companion Daisy will meet at the library on the third Monday of every month at 4 p.m.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Domenico's

Dinner at Domenico's, on the south side of Huntington just east of Magnolia. Got the spaghetti with meatballs for $14.95 and a beer for $7.50. Domenico's is an old-fashioned Italian restaurant. Nothing trendy about it, but I liked it.

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia City Manager Oliver Chi On Lost Grants

Here is the presentation City Manager Oliver Chi gave regarding the various grants the city has had then lost. http://goo.gl/V5r6t2

- Brad Haugaard