Dinner at Shrimp House

Dinner at the Shrimp House last night, at Myrtle and Live Oak, on the south end of town. Got the seafood sampler plate for $15.99, and a beer for $3.65. The meal came with coleslaw, not shown, and that bowl is rice and beans. It was really quite good. Kind of an old style restaurant but clean and tidy.

- Brad Haugaard

Prayer Vigil Tonight Following Killing of Lajoya McCoy

Following the recent killing in Monrovia of Lajoya McCoy, Rev. Melanie Mays is opening Bethel AME Church tonight for a prayer vigil. The church is at 148 W Lime Avenue. Mays writes that she "would love to have you come and support to help people feel safe." She added that, "Our church has suffered loss that we can not explain away."

- Brad Haugaard

'Blue Boy' Unveiled at Monrovia's Wildrose School

Video of the unveiling of Wildrose School's copy of "The Blue Boy." https://goo.gl/6U1LbT

- Brad Haugaard

'Bluto' Cases Monrovia Bank | 'Athlete of Year' Mosley To State Finals

The "Bluto Bandit" seen casing a bank in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/BqyJTs

Monrovia High's Sydney Mosley goes to CIF State finals and wins "athlete of the year." http://goo.gl/kEfZTJ

- Brad Haugaard

Coming Up in Monrovia

~ June 27 Kattywompus Traditional Music Gathering, in the breezeway behind 412 S Myrtle Ave, 7-9 p.m.

~ June 27 The PG movie Annie at the Monrovia Historic Museum, 742 E Lemon Ave. at 8 p.m. Bring a chair.

~ July 11 The PG movie Maleficent at Rotary Park, 401 S. California; at 8 p.m. Bring a chair.

~ The play, Thoroughly Modern Millie, July 16-19 at The Taylor Performing Arts Center (aka Monrovia High Auditorium), 845 W. Colorado Blvd. Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday 2 and 8 pm and Sunday 4 pm. Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com

~ July 25 Kattywompus Traditional Music Gathering, 7-9 p.m. in the breezeway behind 412 S Myrtle Ave.

~ July 25 MAFA Summer Art Walk in Monrovia Old Town, on the east side of 400 Block of S. Myrtle; 6-10 p.m.

Source: Becky Shevlin's great community calendar

- Brad Haugaard

Jimmy John's Sandwich Shop Coming to Monrovia? Plus a Hot Dog Stand?

It appears there is a Jimmy John's sandwich shop coming to the Huntington Oaks Shopping Center since the city's Design Review Committee is being asked to approve a "Jimmy John's" sign for 672 W. Huntington.

Also, the committee is being asked to approve a hot dog stand out in front of Home Depot. Comment: HD has had a few a hot dog stands there before, and one of them was really good. Get that one back!

Source: http://goo.gl/ILeKsu

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Student Selected to Attend Technology Congress in Boston

Samantha Childers, a freshman at Monrovia High, has been nominated to attend the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders in Boston on June 28.

The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who are passionate about science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country who aspire to be scientists and technologists, to encourage them to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal.

Samantha Childers was nominated by astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Science Director of the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists, to represent California based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and passion for science and technology.

During the three-day Congress, she will join students from across the country and hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science winners talk about scientific research; be given advice from deans of the world's top tech universities; be inspired by fellow teen science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future of science and technology.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Homicide; Runaway Mental Patient; Burglary Tools; Injury Accident; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for June 15-17. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 386 service events, resulting in 69 investigations.

Homicide
On June 12, a family member reported a woman, Lajoya McCoy, who lived in Monrovia as missing. The Monrovia Police Department began working on locating the missing person by contacting family, friends, and neighbors. On Monday June 15, Monrovia Police detectives investigating the case gathered information that caused them to suspect the missing person may have been the victim of a crime. Monrovia detectives asked for assistance on the case from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Monrovia Police officers conducted a grid search of the city for the missing person’s vehicle. On June 16, around 5:30 AM, the missing person’s vehicle was located in the 200 block of West Cypress. Inside the vehicle was the body of a female adult. Sheriff's Homicide Detectives and the Coroner responded to investigate. At the time of this report the Coroner has not yet confirmed the identity of the victim in the vehicle. Sheriff's homicide is responsible for the investigation of this case. Anyone with information about Lajoya McCoy is asked to contact the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

72 Hour Mental Evaluation
On June 16 at 3:03 p.m., dispatch received a call from a County Mental Health Worker in the 2600 block of California regarding mental patient running away. The subject ran from the office after he was notified he would be committed for a 72 hour evaluation. The security officer chased after the subject and caught him. Two hours later as they were preparing to transport the subject by ambulance to the hospital, the subject took off running again. An area search was conducted by health staff workers and day watch officers. Through investigation the officers were able to locate him on a transit bus, which was stopped by Monterey Park Police officers. The subject was then transported back to the hospital for a 72 hour hold.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
On June 16 at 7:14 p.m., officers responded to the 300 block of South Myrtle regarding an intoxicated female battering a male transient. When officers arrived the male wished to remain anonymous and did not desire prosecution, but wanted the officers to check on the safety and welfare of the female believing she was too drunk to care for herself. The female was located in the park and she was detained. She did not know where she was or what the date or time were. She admitted to drinking some type of alcoholic beverage, but said she only had two drinks. It was the officer’s opinion that she was intoxicated and if left alone she could injure herself, she was arrested for being drunk in public and held for sobering.

Possession of Burglary Tools / Expired License / Unsafe Turn – Suspects Arrested and Cited
On June 17 at 2:49 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 900 block of West Foothill where he observed a suspicious vehicle parked in the parking lot of a business. There are usually no cars parked at the business at night. As he drove closer to it, he saw both car doors open. As the officer drove around to the alley to see what they were doing, the vehicle began to drive away. The vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation and was occupied by two males and one female. The officer smelled a strong odor of Marijuana emitting from the vehicle. A computer check revealed the driver was on probation and his license was expired. The officer conducted a search and found the male passenger in possession of tools used to commit burglaries. The male passenger was arrested for being in possession of burglary tools and the driver was cited for expired license and unsafe turn.

Injury Traffic Collision
On June 17 at 1:01 p.m., dispatch received a call from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department dispatch reporting they had patrol units at the scene of a traffic collision in the area of Mountain and Duarte. Officers responded and it was determined the traffic collision occurred in Monrovia’s jurisdiction. Officers conducted an injury traffic collision investigation. During the course of the investigation it was determined one of the drivers was driving with a suspended license and had several outstanding warrants. Identity Theft / Commercial Burglary / Forgery with a Counterfeit Access Card –

Suspect Arrested
On June 17 at 3:00 p.m., an officer responded to a business in the 200 block of South Myrtle regarding a fraud report. The reporting party said a male adult subject was inside the store attempting to cash fraudulent checks. Officers responded and established probable cause to arrest. The subject was arrested for the listed charges and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
On June 18 at 12:57 p.m., an officer was traveling north on Myrtle approaching the 210 freeway. As the officer passed under the freeway with a green light for northbound traffic at Central, a white Honda Civic went west on Central through a solid red light and turned left directly in front of the officer almost causing a collision. The officer made a uturn and followed the vehicle south on Myrtle to Duarte Road, where a traffic stop was conducted. After contacting the male driver, the officer believed the driver was intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted and the driver was arrested for driving under the influence. He was taken to the Monrovia City Jail, where he was booked and held for sobering.

Look at the Sun This Sunday at Monrovia's Library Park

If you are around Monrovia's Library Park this Sunday, June 21, drop by the northwest corner of Lime and Myrtle to see the sun. Yes, you've seen the sun before, but have you looked at it directly through a telescope? The sun is 93 million miles away, although it looks as big as the moon.

See it through two specialized telescopes, White Light and Hydrogen Alpha. Unlike looking at the moon, which looks the same day after day, year after year, the sun surface changes day by day, hour by hour, and sometimes faster. Sun spots, filaments, prominences, spicules are all visible through these telescopes. It is safe and free!

Sponsored by the Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project an Internet outreach program started by Stephen W. Ramsden in Atlanta, Georgia with thousands of members all around the world.

Rain will cancel this event.

Source: Brad Hori

Pieology Pizza Now Open in Monrovia

Pieology Pizzeria has opened its Monrovia location at 915 W. Huntington Drive across the street from the Double Tree Hilton. Monrovia is Pieology's 29th Southern California location, and is one of the first to feature Pieology's new custom salad program. The restaurant seats approximately 48 guests inside and 50 outside, in an industrial-chic and friendly environment where inspirational quotes decorate the walls, menus and employee uniforms. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The restaurant can be contacted at 357-6973. Source: Press release

- Brad Haugaard

Bike Safety Class | Profile of Monrovia Business

~ Free bicycle safety classes at Monrovia Public Library on June 27 from 9 a.m.-noon. http://goo.gl/P5Oe3w

~ A profile of Railcar Fine Goods, and old town store that specializes in creating denim garments and accessories. http://goo.gl/2vSpvz

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Superintendent's Husband Dies; Parry on Planning; Serving Sierra Madre; Bike Plan; Giggle Interuption

A few items from City Manager Oliver Chi's weekly report (full report: http://goo.gl/ToBl6a ) ...

- Monrovia School District Superintendent Kathy Thorossian’s husband, Rafik Thorossian, passed away suddenly on the evening of June 9.

- Robert Parry, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council, is being appointed to the Planning Commission.

- On June 1, the Monrovia Fire Department began providing Battalion Chief response services for the City of Sierra Madre. Sierra Madre will pay Monrovia for the service.

- City staff met with representatives of Move Monrovia to discuss the  steps to develop a bike master plan for the city.

- Because of the Station Square project, Giggle Fiber needs to relocate one of its main lines. The work is scheduled for the late night / early morning of Tuesday, June 16 and Thursday, June 18.

- Brad Haugaard

Australians Training with Monrovia Drones

The Australian Defence Force has begun training with drones made by Monrovia-based AeroVironment. http://goo.gl/kSqkry

- Brad Haugaard

Maintaining Monrovia's Wilderness Area: Milk Vetch, Bad Hiker Boots, Leaving Nature Alone

I attended the study session at City Hall tonight about how Monrovia will maintain its Wilderness area. A few things that struck me:

- The Wilderness Area has an endangered species called Braunton's milk vetch, about which the city has posted warning signs along the Clamshell road leading up from the Ridgeside entry point. In her report, Director of Community Services Tina Cherry said that "milk-vetch actually thrives when disturbed," and Fire Chief Christopher Donovan said that when the road is scraped the milk-vetch "flourishes." Comment: So, maybe the city should replace the threatening warning signs (above) on the Clamshell Road, that tell people not to disturb the milk vetch, with signs that encourage them - in the appropriate season - to stomp on milk vetch. (I'm only half kidding here.)

- Donovan added that the Clamshell road used to be scraped yearly by the county, for free, but now, with the discovery of the endangered-ness of the milk vetch, not so often because you need permission from the Department of Fish and Game. Comment: Um, so we're not going to scrape the road - which makes the milk vetch flourish - because we want to protect the milk vetch?

- Councilmember Gloria Crudgington said hikers' boots and bicyclists' tires are responsible for introducing invasive species into the hills.

- The Council was concerned that the bond money for maintenance will run out in 13 years and advocated a more minimalist cost-saving maintenance approach than city staff proposed. Mayor Tom Adams said, "I don't know that we need a lot of people [employees] to leave nature alone."

- Brad Haugaard

Body of Woman Found in Trunk of Car in Monrovia

Body of missing woman found in trunk of her car in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/ZiWj1w

Update: If you have any information about this case, contact the Sheriff's Department. More here: http://goo.gl/LCrU8M

- Brad Haugaard

Help Mayflower School Get New Playground Equipment | Street Fair Web Site | Culinary School | Free Cats and Dogs

~ You can help Mayflower Elementary School win $20,000 for new playground equipment by voting on Facebook.com/letsplay. The contest is sponsored by Dr Pepper Snapple and national non-profit KaBOOM! Winners will be announced on June 29. The school writes that new playground for Mayflower would benefit not only the students, but also many after school programs, such as The Boys and Girls Club, Monrovia Youth League Baseball and AYSO. "We hope to provide safe playground equipment for all, including students and community members with special needs." You can vote once a day.

~ The refurbished Monrovia Street Fair has a new website: http://monroviastreetfair.com/

~ Julie Knight writes that Saute Culinary School is going in where Flamzz pizza used to be, at the corner of Colorado and Ivy. I would guess it's this place: http://www.sauteacademy.com/

~ The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA, which serves Monrovia, will hold its Second Annual Free Adoption Day on June 30. The shelter, located at 361 S. Raymond Ave in Pasadena, will be open for adoptions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adoption fees will be waived for all available animals-including dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, pocket pets and reptiles - for the entire day.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Big Bar Fight; Man Reports a Crime, Goes to Jail; Drunk, Drunk, and Very Drunk

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Highlighted Activity for June 11-14. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
On June 11 at 9:30 a.m., officers responded to the 700 block of South Myrtle regarding a family disturbance. When they arrived they discovered a female with scratch marks on her face. She told the officers her boyfriend, whom she lives with, hit and pushed her causing the injuries. After investigating, officers arrested the male for domestic violence.

Vehicle Burglary
On June 11 at 8:11 p.m., an officer responded to a business in the 900 block of West Huntington regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim reported his vehicle was broken into and his stereo and navigation system were taken. The vehicle’s back window was smashed to gain access. The investigation is continuing

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol/Hit and Run Traffic Collision/Suspended License – Suspect Arrested
On June 12 at 2:32 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 400 block of West Duarte Road regarding a call of a traffic collision that just occurred. Officers arrived and discovered a solo vehicle collision into a garage door. The driver had fled the area prior to officers arriving. A witness was located who described the driver of the vehicle and said he fled on foot. Officers located the driver of the vehicle within 10 minutes. The suspect admitted to fleeing the scene of the accident and drinking alcohol prior to the collision. The suspect was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, hit and run and suspended license.

Warrant - Suspect Arrest
On June 12 at 2:16 p.m., an officer responded to the Monrovia Police lobby regarding a violation of court order. The subject’s ex-girlfriend was in violation of child custody orders; however, he did not have the order with him. A computer check to view the order also revealed the male had an outstanding warrant for his arrest with a bail over $200,000 and a request from LA County Probation to not release if arrested. The subject was taken into custody and arrested for the warrant.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
On June 12 at 12:19 p.m., an officer on patrol stopped a motorist for a vehicle code violation in the 100 block of West Olive. A subsequent investigation revealed the motorist was intoxicated. The driver was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Public Intoxication
On June 13 at 12:16 p.m., an officer was flagged down by a security officer in the 300 block of South Myrtle. The security officer reported a male subject in front of the business who was intoxicated. It was determined he was unable to care for himself and arrested for public intoxication. He was later released after sobering.

Medical Assist
On June 13 at 12:37 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 300 block of South Myrtle regarding an unconscious subject. The subject was found to be extremely intoxicated and was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Fight in Progress
On June 13 at 1:41 a.m., officers were dispatched to a business reporting a fight in progress in the 300 block of South Myrtle. During the evening a large group of subjects gathered at the bar and celebrated downstairs. Upstairs another group of subjects were playing pool. Between the two groups there were well over 300 patrons in the bar. A reporting party came to the police station to report subjects were "Mad Dogging" each other. Officers extra patrolled the bar and talked to the bar owner who agreed to close at 1:30 a.m. As the bar closed and subjects were leaving, three separate fights broke out. A large fight ensued on Myrtle Avenue in front of the bar. Monrovia officers, with the assistance of Arcadia and Sierra Madre Police Department arrived on scene. Numerous subjects dispersed spilling out onto neighboring streets. Due to the large crowd and subjects fighting each other, officers were unable to determine who was involved in the fight and no assault victims came forward. Officers were on scene for over 40 minutes.

Grand Theft Auto
On June 14 at 10:15 a.m., an officer responded to the 200 block of East Central regarding a vehicle theft. The victim stated he left his locked vehicle on the street. The vehicle was taken between the hours of 1:00 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. The vehicle taken was a black, 1995 Honda Accord. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
On June 14 at 10:03 p.m., an officer was dispatched to 1100 block of South Alta Vista regarding a stolen vehicle. The victim last saw her white, 1997 Honda Accord, on June 13, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. She noticed it missing from in front of her house on June 14, 2015, at 10:00 p.m. There was no evidence of forced entry. The investigation is continuing.

Monrovians Save the Day for What Might Have Been a Very Lonely Birthday Party

What would happen if your son invited his classmates to his seventh birthday at Recreation Park and nobody came. Well, in Monrovia something wonderful happened when a mom wrote on Facebook:

"I'm at my sons 7th bday party at the recreational park, passed out invites and only invited his classmates from school 26 invites and rented out a game truck... Not one kid showed up. This really sucks"

Carmen Martinez describes what happened next:

"In no time at all Monrovians responded and a community came together. Many people showed up with kids of similar age to the birthday boy, and even the fire truck came to save the day!"

Here's a video report from abc7: http://goo.gl/4apXvQ

- Brad Haugaard

Questions and Answers Regarding Cloverleaf Entry Point to Monrovia Wilderness Preserve

I had a few questions about a section in City Manager Oliver Chi's latest weekly report regarding the Cloverleaf entry point to Monrovia's Wilderness Preserve. Here are my questions followed by his answers.

My questions:

- When you write about "access controls to allow for pedestrian use only at the Cloverleaf Access Point," do you mean the city is considering preventing bicyclists from using the gate? The *only* part is what concerns me.

- Could you clarify "On-street parking restrictions"? I asked Councilwoman Becky Shevlin about parking years ago before the city council voted to open the Cloverleaf gate and she said there was no plan to reduce the amount of parking. Is the city now considering reducing the amount of parking or limiting the time people can park, or what?

- It is clear that the city is doing a fine job of soliciting residents' input. Could you tell me what the city is doing to solicit input from potential users of the trails, such as hikers and bicyclists?

City Manager Oliver Chi's responses:

At this point in time, the City is not considering preventing bicyclists from utilizing the Hillside Wilderness Preserve.  We are, however, considering and discussing the types of mitigations that might facilitate a solution to the concerns that residents living near the Cloverleaf Access Point have raised regarding bicyclists.  One of the proposed solutions we have been reviewing is the possibility of installing some type of access gate at the Cloverleaf Access Point that would require bicyclists to dismount and walk through the gate as though they were a pedestrian.  This discussion point has centered around the fact that some bicyclists have impacted residents with the speed in which they are traveling through the Hillside Wilderness Preserve.

With regard to your question regarding on-street parking restrictions, we have not been discussing a reduction in on-street parking, rather, we have been reviewing with the residents living near the Cloverleaf Access Point the possibility of creating a permit-parking only zone.  The City has an existing process for residents who wish to create a permit-parking zone in their neighborhood, and in fact, we recently facilitated such a request from residents living along Ridgeside Drive just north of Canyon Boulevard.  We have discussed with the impacted residents the possibility of instituting a permit parking only designation in their neighborhood to address the concerns that have been raised regarding neighborhood traffic impacts after the Cloverleaf Access Point is opened.

Finally, with regard to soliciting input from other potential users of the Hillside Wilderness Preserve, I can tell you that the City does have plans to seek input from others interested in the issues at hand, including hikers and bicyclists.  However, engaging those constituencies right now would, in my opinion, be slightly premature.  We have received enough feedback from the biking / hiking community to know that creating linkages and connections between all of our Hillside Wilderness Preserve Access Points is a key priority.  We have also heard that the Cloverleaf Access Point is critical given the current connection available at the Ridgeside Access Point.  The feedback we have received is that opening up the Cloverleaf Access Point would allow for bikers to ride from the Ridgeside Access Point through to Cloverleaf Drive, which is an important priority for the mountain biking community.

It is important to note, however, that at this point in time, we do not yet have any definitive plans to share with bikers and hikers regarding how access into the Hillside Wilderness Preserve will look, as we are still in the process of developing and updating possible concepts.  Individual residents living near the Cloverleaf Access Point each have different concerns and issues they would like to see addressed as it relates to access into the Hillside Wilderness Preserve, and we have only just started to develop a consensus amongst the impacted neighbors regarding the key issues that the City should address prior to opening the Cloverleaf Access Point.  Given the work that has been done date, I would imagine that within the next 2-3 weeks, we should have made enough progress to be able to have an intelligent conversation with the hiker / biker community regarding potential options moving forward.  We will, of course, be certain to keep you informed as to where / when those follow-up discussions will take place.

- Brad Haugaard

More Water Restrictions for Monrovia; Buying Extra Water; Contracting With Chamber of Commerce; Wilderness Preserve

At its Tuesday meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/r0CyyP ) the Monrovia City Council will consider updating its water rules for "residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and public landscaped areas" (except for "commercial nurseries, golf courses and other water dependent uses" ( http://goo.gl/8YbNao ). If adopted, the new rules will require ...

- Spray-irrigating only every third day and only between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. Drip irrigation systems are okay. Also, it's okay to use extra water to plant low water usage plants, or if you use reclaimed water as permitted by law.

- You can water a landscaped area for no more than 15 minutes per watering day.

- You can't have water spray or flow onto "any impermeable private or public surface, including but not limited to, walkways, driveways, sidewalks, alleys, streets, or storm drains."

- No sprinkling or running fountains when winds could cause runoff onto those impermiable surfaces.

- You can't water for at least 48 hours after it rains more than a tenth of an inch.

- Hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfast places "shall provide customers the option of choosing not to have towels laundered daily."

- Low-flow waterless toilets for non-residential buildings, and new dishwashers and washing machines must be water-efficient.

Also, the council will consider ...

~ Purchasing $612,430 of water from the Azusa Valley Water Company ( http://goo.gl/3slP3X ) and $336,500 of water from the Main San Gabriel Basin ( http://goo.gl/QQ2Yg0 ). Monrovia's allotment is 5,740 acre feet of water per year, but it consumes 7,095 acre feet per year, creating a shortage of 1,355 acre feet.

~ Contracting with the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce in the amount of $43,819 for providing support services related local businesses. http://goo.gl/AUB6nF

And, at a special 5:30 p.m. meeting, the council will hold a study session on maintaining the city's wilderness preserve. http://goo.gl/MuITHI
 
- Brad Haugaard