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Police Vs. Fire; Christmas Tree Lighting; Holiday Home Contest; Banner Poles; Etc.

In his weekly report ( http://goo.gl/rrnEvT ), City Manager Oliver Chi reports that ...

- Monrovia Police and Fire departments will square off in a volleyball fundraiser match to raise money for the Monrovia High School Girls' Volleyball Team on Nov. 5 at 5:40 p.m. at Monrovia Hig's Event Center. $5 at the door. Food tasting afterwards, for $15.

- the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Parade will be on Thursday, Dec. 3 beginning at 6 p.m. with the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Library Park. Parade at 7 p.m. along Myrtle. Grand Marshal is Monrovian Chuck Keen, who has dedicated his life to support local veterans and military personnel.

- Holiday Home Decorating Contest applications will be available beginning Tuesday, Nov.r 17 at the Monrovia Community Center (119 West Palm Avenue) or at www.cityofmonrovia.org. Contest judging on Monday, Dec. 14. For details call the Department of Public Services at 256-8246.

- the city is installing new banner poles at the northern entrance of Old Town, on Myrtle just south of Foothill. The previous banner poles were damaged in the windstorm. A new concrete footing has been poured and the new banner poles should be ready for use by Nov. 18.

- the city and school district are working to have a permanent crossing guard at Santa Fe Middle School.

- fourteen people have completed Monrovia Area Partnership's Adult Leadership Academy. They'll be introduced to the City Council tonight.

- Assembly Member Chris Holden is looking for local nominees for "Unsung Hero" from the Civil Rights Era for Black History Month (February). For more information, contact Gerald Phillips at Gerald.Phillips@asm.ca.gov

- Brad Haugaard

Help Monrovia's Unity Center With Thanksgiving Food | Voting Day

~ Foothill Unity Center will be helping with Thanksgiving for many local families. You can help by donating: turkeys, grocery gift cards, green beans, mac and cheese, stuffing, dinner rolls, and pies (apple, cherry, pecan, and pumpkin). Donated food items may be dropped off at 415 West Chestnut Ave. in Monrovia. Phone: 358-3486

~ Voting day today. Joanne Montgomery vs. Gary L. Woods. They're running for Citrus College Board of Trustees.

- Brad Haugaard

Wrecking Yard Fire in Monrovia

A fire broke out in a car wrecking yard in the 2400 block of Citrus View Avenue in unincorporated Monrovia near Duarte. http://goo.gl/jv0Pbk

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Didn't Know He'd Hit a Car; Wife Hits Husband in Face; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 29 – November 1. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Stolen Vehicle
October 29 at 12:55 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from a dealership located in the 1300 block of South Mountain. The vehicle was discovered missing during an inventory at the dealership. Both the vehicle and keys were missing. When the vehicle identification number was entered into the law enforcement stolen vehicle database, it showed the license plates from the vehicle were recovered on July 9, 2015, in Baldwin Park. The vehicle was entered into the stolen vehicle system and the investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
October 29 at 7:01 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 800 block of East Huntington regarding a theft that had just occurred. The suspect entered the business, selected several bottles of expensive men's cologne and fled without paying for the merchandise. The suspect was confronted outside the store by the loss prevention agent, and he dropped the cologne and fled on foot, followed by the loss prevention agent. Containment of the area was established, and the suspect was located hiding in a backyard in the 500 block of Maple Avenue. He was arrested and taken into custody. The suspect claimed to be having chest pains and was taken to a hospital for treatment. He was later issued a citation to appear in court on the shoplifting charges.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
October 29 at 10:03 p.m., officers responded to the 800 block of East Foothill on the report of a suspicious vehicle in the area. A witness reported that the driver of the vehicle was driving very slowly and when she stopped the vehicle and exited the car, she had no clothing on from the waist down. She entered the vehicle again and drove off south on Mountain. Officers located the vehicle in the 800 block of East Huntington and the investigation revealed the driver was intoxicated. The suspect was arrested and held for a sobering period. She was later released with a citation to appear in court on the DUI charges.

Mountain Lion Sighting
October 29 at 11:36 p.m., officers responded to the area of Myrtle and Scenic on the report of a mountain lion sighted. The officers located the animal in the front yard of a residence in the 100 block of East Scenic, lying in the grass. The Department of Fish and Game was contacted, but had no one available to respond. They recommended the officers use a beanbag round to encourage the mountain lion back into the hills. One beanbag round was deployed and the animal fled into the hills.

Transporting Marijuana/Unlicensed Driver – Suspect Arrested
October 30 at 7:44 p.m., an officer stopped a motorist he knew was unlicensed from prior contacts. The investigation revealed the motorist was also transporting marijuana. The motorist was arrested for the above violations and taken into custody.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
October 30 at 8:08 p.m., officers responded to the area of Huntington and Myrtle regarding a bus driver being assaulted by a passenger. Upon arrival, there was no evidence found of a crime; however, one of the involved parties had an outstanding warrant issued for his arrest by the Glendale Police Department. The suspect was arrested per the authority of the warrant and taken into custody. Glendale Police Department was notified and officers responded to take custody of suspect.

Residential Burglary
October 30 at 8:40 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 500 block of Alta Vista. Unknown suspects entered the victim's detached garage and stole music equipment. The victim believes he left the pedestrian door on the side of his garage open when the burglary occurred. The investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
October 31 at 3:16 a.m., a motorist was stopped in the 200 block of West Huntington for unsafe speed. The investigation revealed the motorist was driving under the influence of alcohol. The motorist admitted to drinking beer at a park prior to being stopped by the police. He was arrested, taken into custody and held for sobering. He was later released on a citation to appear in court.

Injury Traffic Collision
October 31 at 3:25 a.m., dispatch received a call reporting an injury traffic collision in the area of California and Evergreen. A vehicle made a left turn into the path of another vehicle. One of the drivers complained of wrist pain.

Grand Theft Auto
November 1 at 8:41 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the street in the area of Monterey and Olive. The vehicle stolen was a white, 1997 Honda Accord. The investigation is continuing.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered
November 1 at 10:50 a.m., an officer in the area of Violet and Lime located a stolen vehicle left abandoned on the street. The vehicle recovered was a Maroon, 1995 Acura. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
November 1 at 12:55 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the street in the 400 block of West Lime. The vehicle stolen was a black, 1997 Honda. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
November 1 at 3:30 p.m., a resident called to report a vandalism in the 1200 block of Mayflower. Mailboxes were vandalized between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The investigation is continuing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
November 1 at 7:03 p.m., a driver was heading west on Huntington when a vehicle turned in front of her, striking her vehicle. She was able to obtain a plate number, which returned to a Monrovia resident. Officers went to the residence and determined an elderly male was driving the other vehicle involved, but he did not realize that he had struck the other vehicle. No criminal charges will be filed.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
November 1 at 10:57 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of North Alta Vista regarding a domestic violence incident. A male adult called to report his wife had struck him in the face during an argument. The wife was arrested and taken into custody.

Rain Today for Monrovia?

60% chance of rain this afternoon. http://goo.gl/VnR5SB

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Over South Pas :-) | Community Prayer Breakfast

~ Monrovia over South Pasadena, 49-7. In second place in the Rio Hondo League. http://goo.gl/lLiGZD

~ 50th Community Prayer Breakfast, "Hope, Healing and Restoration," with Rev. Neil Tadken, St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Friday, Nov. 20 at 8 a.m. at Doubletree Monrovia, 924 W. Huntington Drive. $30 per person. RSVP to 358-1159.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council To Consider: Converting Community Center To Housing And 4th Dimension to Community Center; Extending Moratorium; Etc.

At its next meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/v2lpxa ), the Monrovia City Council will ...

- Consider hiring The Hale Corporation to see if it makes sense to convert the current 4th Dimension pool hall on Myrtle into a subdivided building that would house a new Community Center, as well as a restaurant and retail space, and then redevelop the existing Community Center into residential housing. http://goo.gl/WdQ1n5

- Consider extending for a year an existing moratorium prohibiting the demolition of any main building built before Jan 1, 1940, and prohibiting the issuance of building permits to construct new residential dwellings or substantial additions to residential dwellings and accessory structures. http://goo.gl/A8QP2m

- Consider spending $89,000 to upgrade the audio and visual systems for city hall. http://goo.gl/qHvFdl

- Honor graduates of Monrovia Area Partnership Leadership Academy at 6:30 p.m., and at 7:30 p.m. the California Conservation Corps and Monrovia Historical Museum Curator Mark Still.

- Brad Haugaard

Fellowship Monrovia Funds Local Grant Program

Fellowship Monrovia plans to announce grant recipients for local aid projects in the next few weeks. The church's local grant program already supports various projects, including a community garden, a project for special needs children, and a project to help low-income families in Duarte. http://goo.gl/rpcTF3

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at MoonCat's


Had dinner last night at MoonCat's, just east of Myrtle on Lime. It's a tidy little Japanese restaurant. I got the Tekka (tuna) Bowl for $18 and a beer for $4. Friendly server and food was tasty. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia's World Vision Begins Second Phase of Nepal Relief Work

Since the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake stuck Nepal in late April, Monrovia's Christian relief and development agency, World Vision, has reached more than 229,000 people with food and non-food items. In November World Vision will begin the recovery phase, scaling up operations to help the people of Nepal build back better, building resilience and restoring safety for earthquake-affected children and their communities. http://goo.gl/gEIh5s

- Brad Haugaard

Metallic Balloon Power Outage in Monrovia

SoCal Edison reports an outage affecting 44 Monrovia customers, caused by metallic balloons getting in its equipment. The map indicates the outage is between Mayflower and Alta Vista just north of Foothill. The company hopes to have things fixed by 7 p.m. today. https://goo.gl/lDLrx7

- Brad Haugaard

Halloween Safety Tips From Monrovia Police

Tips for a safer Halloween from Monrovia PD:
  • Make sure your costume is easy to see. Light colors or reflective tape are good to use.
  • Make sure that your costume is short enough so you won’t trip on it.
  • Carry a flashlight so you can see and people can see you.
  • Use make-up instead of a mask.
  • Go with friends and/or parents. Don't go out alone.
  • Cross only at corners and never cross the street between parked cars.
  • Walk only on well-lit streets and stay on the sidewalks.
  • Wait until you get home to sort, check and eat your candy. Check all of your treats and throw away things that are not wrapped
  • Make sure you call the police if you see anything that doesn’t look safe.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Second Thoughts On Stealing Pitbull; Man Steals Car on Test Drive; Bicyclist Hit By Car; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 26-28. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 398 service events, resulting in 77 investigations.

Stolen Motorcycle
October 26 at 7:02 a.m., a motorcycle was reported stolen from the 500 block of East Almond Avenue. The victim parked his motorcycle at the end of his driveway, near his home. When he returned to it in the morning, it was gone. He did not hear anything unusual and had no idea who would have taken it. The motorcycle information was entered into the law enforcement stolen vehicle database. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
October 26 at 10:45 a.m., an officer responded to the report of a burglary in the 200 block of North Encinitas. The suspect made entry into the residence through an open window and stole a 16-week-old, Pitbull/Bullmastiff puppy. Several hours later, the victim received a call from the Pasadena Humane Society informing him that his dog had been located. The house had signs of a break-in. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
October 26 at 2:22 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 800 block of West Walnut Avenue. The victim listed the vehicle for sale on Craigslist. On October 24, a male suspect met with her to test drive the vehicle. The victim allowed the suspect to drive the vehicle and he has not returned. The vehicle information was entered into the law enforcement stolen vehicle database. The investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
October 27 at 1:33 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of East Greystone Avenue called police to report she had a package stolen from her front porch. Two female Hispanic subjects were seen exiting a silver Honda Civic and removing a package from the porch. The investigation is continuing.

Stolen Vehicle
October 28 at 3:59 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 300 block of South Fifth Avenue. The resident parked and locked his car on the street in front of his house in the evening and went inside his home. He returned to his vehicle in the morning and immediately saw it was missing. He did not give anyone permission to take his car, a 2003, 2-door, silver, Honda Accord.

Grand Theft
October 28 at 10:50 a.m., a grand theft was reported at a business in the 700 block of East Huntington Drive. An employee of the business reportedly sold expensive products from the business to a customer off of the books. The suspect then paid two other employees to keep quiet about the transaction they had witnessed. The suspect employee was fired and the police were called. Some of the product was returned. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision/Vehicle vs. Bicyclist
October 28 at 11:51 a.m., a female on a bicycle was struck by a vehicle in the area of Shamrock and Colorado. The bicyclist was traveling the same direction as the vehicle, veered into the lane of traffic and was struck. The impact was at a slow speed, as both parties were approaching a stop sign. The bicyclist fell to the ground and sustained lacerations and complained of pain to her neck. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 28 at 2:59 p.m., officers responded to the report of an erratic driver in the 600 block of West Huntington. They located the vehicle and the female driver parked in a business parking lot, taking up several spaces. After speaking with the subject, the officers determined she had been drinking. The driver complained of chest pains and was taken to a hospital, where she was cleared for booking. She was taken back to the Monrovia Police Department, where she was booked and held for sobering.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
October 29 at 3:36 a.m., a male adult walked into the Monrovia Police Department lobby and told the dispatcher he was turning himself in because he was under the influence of methamphetamine. An officer contacted the subject and after investigation, determined the subject was under the influence of a controlled substance. The officer arrested the subject and he was held for sobering.

Vehicle Burglary
October 29 at 4:35 a.m., a resident parked his car on the street in the 800 block of West Chestnut, locked the doors, and went into his apartment on Walnut. At 4:35 a.m., he went out to his car and discovered the driver-side window was shattered. His two jackets and iPad were taken from the front passenger seat. The investigation is continuing.

Citrus College To Honor Military Veterans

Citrus College and the Associated Students of Citrus College, in partnership with Azusa Pacific University (APU) and the cities of Azusa and Glendora will present the 10th annual Saluting Our Veterans event on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the college's Campus Center Mall.

The program will honor four veterans: Jesse Martinez of Azusa, U.S. Air Force; Stuart Strother of APU, U.S. Army; Derek Robert Beck of Glendora, U.S. Navy; and Bruce Olav Solheim of Citrus College, U.S. Army. Company B - The Andrews Sisters Tribute and Citrus College's Night Shift and Pop Rock Ensemble bands will provide entertainment.

Also, the college's Veterans Success Center will hold an open house from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Citrus College is located at 1000 West Foothill Boulevard in Glendora. Parking on campus is free during the event.

Low Water Landscaping | Winds In Monrovia

~ Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District is offering a "Life After Turf" low-water landscaping workshop on Nov. 5, 6-9 p.m. at the district offices at 602 E. Huntington Drive in Monrovia. Details: http://goo.gl/3zfYyS

~ Possibility of winds up to 17 mph tomorrow, Friday, and 13 mph on Monday. http://goo.gl/VnR5SB

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Staar Surgical Sales Up | Scholarship Gala for High School Seniors

~ Monrovia's Staar Surgical reports "Net sales were $18.8 million for the third quarter of 2015, up 3% compared to $18.2 million reported in the prior year period." http://goo.gl/a41p2E

~ Monrovia Duarte Black Alumni Association 23rd Annual Scholarship Gala to benefit local high school seniors. Saturday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m. to midnight at the DoubleTree in Monrovia. $60 per person. Cocktail atire. Dinner and dancing. RSVP to Eloise Hart at (760) 669-0669.

- Brad Haugaard

Silent Mary Pickford Movie With Live Organ at Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church

Silent movie with live organ, Friday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m. at Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church, at Foothill and Myrtle. The church will show the silent movie, Little Annie Rooney, staring Mary Pickford, with live pipe organ accompaniment by Randy Woltz. Suggested Donation: $8. Free Parking.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Falls to South Pas :-(

South Pas Girl's Volleyball over Monrovia. http://goo.gl/lQeYOl

- Brad Haugaard

Shooting Victim Was Duartean | Possible Rain in Monrovia

~ The man shot in unincorporated Monrovia this weekend was a Duarte man. http://goo.gl/ceuizE

~ 30% chance of rain Monday and 50% Tuesday. http://goo.gl/VnR5SB

- Brad Haugaard

New Company For Kiddie Ride Portion of Monrovia Street Fair | Committee to Honor Bob Bartlett

From Monrovia City Manager Oliver Chi's weekly report ( http://goo.gl/2DrTNc ):

- A new company will now be running the Kiddie Ride portion of the Friday Night Street Fair after LA PartyWorks asked to be relieved of that duty and the city agreed after being assured that another vendor could be found. Green Leaf and LA PartyWorks will continue joint administration of the overall event.

- At its Oct. 20 meeting, the Monrovia City Council appointed Mayor Pro Tem Larry Spicer to lead a new Bob Bartlett Memorial Tribute Committee "to determine the best way in which the City can honor former Mayor Bartlett."

- Brad Haugaard