Monrovia Young Musicians' Ensemble Offering 'Carol-Grams'

A new community band called MYME (Monrovia Young Musicians' Ensemble) is having its first annual "Carol-Gram" fundraiser. For $5 have the band sing for family or friends at their homes. Carol-Grams delivered in the evening, at varying times. Pricing: $5 per song, three-song minimum. Send desired date, time, and number of songs to monroviayoungmusicians@gmail.com Please include your name, phone number, the recipient of the carolgram's name and address, and any other important information or special requests. Payments accepted as cash, check, or through PayPal. Available dates: Saturday, Dec. 12, Sunday, Dec. 13, Friday, Dec. 18, Saturday, Dec. 19, Sunday, Dec. 20, Monday, Dec. 21, Tuesday, Dec. 22, Wednesday, Dec. 23.

MYME is comprised of Monrovia middle and high school students, with the goal of serving our community, nurturing the artistic and personal growth of young musicians, sharing music with local audiences, and raising awareness of the necessity to keep music education alive in local schools.

- Brad Haugaard

Getting Monrovia Ready For El Nino

Monrovia has set up a couple of meetings on how to be prepared for El Nino. Plus some links. Here: http://goo.gl/ZIJYDR

- Brad Haugaard

Suspects Arrested in Monrovia in Suspected Car Theft

Suspects arrested in suspected car theft after Monrovia Police match license to stolen car list. http://goo.gl/Q9oPsG

- Brad Haugaard

Anti-Theft Tips For Christmas From Monrovia Police

Don’t Fill Your Vehicle With Presents for Thieves!
It only takes a few seconds for thieves to break into your vehicle and steal your valuables. It only takes a few seconds to remove your valuables and lock your vehicle.

Park as close to entrances and exits as you can. No one wants to circle the lot for an hour waiting for a good spot to open up, but give it a shot, at least for a few minutes. If forced to the far reaches of a lot, seek a spot that's well-lighted.

Stow your purchases in the trunk. When you're weighed down with packages, you may be tempted to throw them in the back seat and return to the mall to continue shopping. You may even want to move your vehicle in case someone is watching you put your purchases in your trunk. If your purchases are in plain view, you may return to find your car windows smashed and your presents stolen. Save your most expensive purchases for last, so you can head straight home. Have your keys ready when you approach your vehicle. Before entering, check that no one is hiding in the back seat.

Auto-burglary prevention starts by limiting the criminal's opportunity to commit the crime and can be accomplished with very little time and effort. Criminals are looking for something to steal - don't supply the valuables. Leaving your valuables in your vehicle instantly makes your car a target for thieves. Always lock your vehicle. Take a few seconds to prevent auto-burglary! Don't be a victim!

Prevent Theft of Packages
Theft of packages is an easy crime to commit and can be perpetrated by even the least professional type of criminal.

Request a specific drop off time when you know that you will be at home to receive the package. Ask for your parcel to be placed on a back porch or even beside the front porch or anywhere that is not visible from the street.

Arrange to pick up your parcels at a package store, such as a UPS store that is convenient for you. Let a trustworthy neighbor know you are expecting a package delivery on a specific day and ask them to look out for it and bring it into their home for you.

Have your package delivered to your work address during daytime hours. Know when a package is scheduled to arrive and if it doesn't, contact the sender to track the transport status of the package. And if you see mail theft happening in your neighborhood, be sure to call your local police at once to report exactly what you have seen. Time can be a decisive factor in the apprehension of mail thieves.

Monrovia Police: Burglars Can't Break a Safe; Stealing from Mailboxes; Stolen Credit Cards Used In 30 Minutes

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 7-9. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 389 service events, resulting in 72 investigations.

Residential Burglary
December 7 at 3:51 p.m., police responded to the report of a residential burglary in the 400 block of Highland. Suspects shattered a rear glass door of the home and entered the property. They removed a safe that was bolted down and took it out of the house. They attempted to open the safe in the driveway using various tools, but were unsuccessful. They fled the scene with jewelry taken from the residence. The investigation is continuing.

Attempt Vehicle Burglary
December 7 at 5:01 p.m., an attempt vehicle burglary was reported in the 300 block of South Heliotrope. An unknown suspect shattered the window on a 2006 Toyota Camry. Nothing was taken. The investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
December 7 at 6:53 p.m., officers were dispatched to a domestic violence incident in the 100 block of East Lemon Avenue. The investigation revealed no crime had occurred. The subjects involved had been in an ongoing verbal argument throughout the weekend. The female subject was found to have an outstanding warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody for the warrant.

Grand Theft Auto
December 7 at 8:45 p.m., a stolen vehicle was located in the 2000 block of South Myrtle. The suspect vehicle turned into a residential driveway in the 200 block of Montana Avenue. The suspect exited the truck and fled on foot. Containment of the area was established and a search was conducted with the assistance of the Sierra Madre Police Department, The Foothill Air Support Team helicopter and an El Monte Police Department canine unit. The suspect was not located. The investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
December 8 at 12:53 p.m., officers responded to a domestic violence incident in the 600 block of Parker. A husband and wife were involved in an argument. During the argument, the wife attempted to walk away and the husband struck her in the neck with a closed fist. The husband was arrested for domestic violence.

Mail Theft
December 8 at 3:19 p.m., an incident of mail theft was reported in the 1200 block of South Mayflower. Several mailboxes were forced open and mail was taken from six of the mailboxes. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
December 8 at 7:20 p.m., an officer responded to the 400 block of Sunset regarding a residential burglary. The resident left the location at 6:00 p.m. and believes he secured all the doors and windows. As the homeowner was driving away, he noticed a 1990's, white, Toyota Sienna van driving slowly in the neighborhood. At the time he did not think anything of it. He returned home at 7:05 p.m. and found his home had been ransacked and a jar of coins and two old cell phones were taken. It appears the suspects gained entry through an unlocked rear sliding door. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
December 9 at 12:32 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a vehicle burglary that occurred in the 600 block of West Huntington. Suspects smashed the window on a 1997 GMC Safari and took a stereo from the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Theft From a Vehicle
December 9 at 7:17 p.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 900 block of West Duarte Road. The victim parked her vehicle on the street and walked to the preschool to pick up her child, leaving her purse and cell phone in the vehicle. After picking up her child and driving away from the school, she noticed her purse and cell phone were missing. Although less than 30 minutes had passed, her credit cards had already been used at the mall in Arcadia. There was no sign of forced entry to the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Rain for Monrovia?

50% chance of rain Friday and Sunday. http://goo.gl/VnR5SB

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Library Creating Giant Index

Monrovia Library is embarking on a "Giant Index Project" to create a - uh - giant index of all the "annotated indexes of the major histories of Monrovia currently in our possession." http://goo.gl/Z10Qtf

- Brad Haugaard

December events in Monrovia

~ Friday, Dec. 11 - First Presbyterian Church presents "A Family Christmas Celebration" for the entire family and friends. 101 E Foothill. Musical performances, Christmas carole sing-a-Long, Santa Claus and more; 7:30 p.m. Information 358-3297.

~ Saturday, Dec. 12 - Cookie Exchange for MS at United Methodist Church of Monrovia, 140 E Palm Ave (downstairs on west side of the building) Bring 6 dozen preferably homemade cookies in disposable container and bring another container to take home 5 dozen cookies; remaining dozen is packaged at end of exchange for a special holiday gift for MS Group members. No need to RSVP. Information/questions call Janie Duncan 358-8157.

~ Friday, Dec. 18 - Foothill Unity Center Holiday Food Box Packing Day distribution. Varying shifts available; must RSVP, contact Rachel Black at rachel@foothillunitycenter.org.

~ Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m. Dec. 19 - Monrovia Library Gingerbread House Decorating. Create your own masterpiece. For the family. Supplies limited. Free for all ages.

Thanks to Becky Shevlin for letting me draw from her excellent community calendar.

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Stock Jumps | Christmas in Old Town Monrovia

~ Stock in Monrovia's AeroVironment has taken a big jump following a good quarter. Up about 15%, from about 24.5 to 28.21.

~ Nice Christmas pictures of Old Town Monrovia at Gem City Images: http://goo.gl/FBCRrn

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Profitable On Drone Sales

Monrovia's AeroVironment jumped to profitability in the latest quarter with revenues up 23% on sales of its drone aircraft. http://goo.gl/YV5ssd

- Brad Haugaard

Christmas Safety Tips from SCE

Tips for safe decorating with lights this Christmas season from Southern California Edison: http://goo.gl/2Z57F0

- Brad Haugaard

'Around the Clock' Construction at Monrovia High; Subdividing Old Albertson's; Pension Cost Worries; 4th Dimension Hearings

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

- By special permission of the city, reconstruction at Monrovia High will continue "around the clock." Chi said that, "Given the emergency situation, the City has authorized the MUSD staff and contractors to work beyond normal construction hours."

- The new owner of the old Albertson's building on Huntington Drive is Warner Pacific Properties. Chi said the company would like to subdivide the space for three users and build a 2,500 square foot structure closer to Huntington Drive.

- The State Auditor's Office decided not to do a full audit of Monrovia, but did, Chi said, express "their specific concerns about our overall operations, which centered around pension costs, the City's ability to pay for non-pension related retirement benefits, public safety overtime costs, grant management, and contract administration." But, he said, representatives of the Auditor's Office "acknowledged that the City was already working on the development and implementation of better systems to address the areas where they had identified operational weaknesses."

- More hearings on the proposal to turn the 4th Dimension pool haall into the Community Center and the Community Center into housing: At the Community Services Commission (Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m., Community Center). Presentation of a preliminary floor plan for the new proposed Community Center. Also, at the Historic Preservation Commission (Wednesday, Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m., City Hall). Discussion to include the exterior designs for the proposed Community Center. And, there should be a City Council study session sometime in January about the project. Here's an overview of the project: http://goo.gl/6tkpNh

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Burglar Gets Books; Too Many Christmas Lights; Lawn Decorations Stolen; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 3-6. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Grand Theft Auto
December 3 at 6:33 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 600 block of West Lemon Avenue. The victim parked his vehicle in front of his residence the night before. He returned to the vehicle in the morning and discovered it was missing. The investigation is continuing.

Found Property
December 4 at 8:59 p.m., an officer on patrol found several pieces of mail laying in the street in the area of Oakglade and Ridgeside. The mail belonged to two addresses in the area. There have been several recent cases reporting mail tampering in Monrovia that have been reported to the United States Postal Inspector. The investigation is continuing.

Warrants/Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
December 5 at 6:24 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 500 block of West Huntington regarding a possible theft that just occurred. The subject fled the store followed by a loss prevention officer. Officers arrived and located the suspect, but no theft could be substantiated. An identification check, however, revealed the subject had over $400,000 in outstanding warrants for his arrest. During a pat-down search, a baggie of cocaine was found on his person. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
December 5 at 11:47 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the 900 block of West Foothill. A driver was traveling east on Foothill and reported that he veered for a pedestrian and struck a parked vehicle. The pedestrian could not be located, and the investigation revealed the driver was unlicensed and uninsured. The suspect was issued a citation for driving without a license, unsafe turning movement and not having insurance. His vehicle was impounded.

Warrants/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
December 6 at 12:44 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop in the 900 block of South Fifth Avenue for a traffic violation. The investigation revealed the passenger had outstanding warrants for her arrest. She was also found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody. She was later released to the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on the warrants.

Vehicle Burglary Investigation
December 6 at 8:47 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 100 block of Mauna Loa. The victim parked his vehicle on the street. Sometime overnight an unknown suspect entered the vehicle by smashing the right front passenger window. The suspect then reached through the window and removed the victim's nylon bag, which contained books and miscellaneous papers. The investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision/Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
December 6 at 2:13 p.m., officers responded to a non-injury traffic collision in the 500 block of Duarte Road and discovered one of the drivers involved in the collision was intoxicated. The driver was arrested for driving under influence and was taken into custody. The suspect was held for sobering and later released on a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Structure Fire
December 6 at 7:33 p.m., officers were dispatched to a structure fire in the 200 block of West Palm. The investigation revealed the tenants had plugged in too many Christmas decorations into one outlet, which caused an electrical fire. The structure sustained extensive damage and is uninhabitable.

Petty Theft of Christmas Decorations
December 6 at 7:48 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of West Greystone Avenue reported that Christmas decorations displayed on her lawn were stolen. A witness described the suspect as a thin male subject in a dark colored Acura Integra, but had no further description. The investigation is continuing.

Watch for Christmas Grinches! | Battle of the Cookies

~ I've heard several reports of Christmas decorations being stolen, so be careful, though I'm not sure how. A correspondent writes that Sunday evening "this display plus multiple strings of Christmas lights were stolen from our front yard. A neighbor had come to our door, saying that he had just seen the thief throwing the items into his trunk before taking off."

~ Pepperidge Farm, Inc. is suing Monrovia-based Trader Joe's, claiming trademark infringement because TJ's is selling a cookie that it claims looks too much like its Milano cookie. http://goo.gl/ZTkC9e

- Brad Haugaard

Have Breakfast Sunday With the Monrovia VFW

Join VFW Post 2070 for its monthly Sunday breakfast, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. "Eggs and omelettes made to order, bacon and sausage, potatoes and hash-browns. You will not leave hungry! And, it's just $6! 825 S. Magnolia Ave."

- Brad Haugaard

Hyundai Picks Monrovia's AeroVironment as Electric Car Partner

Hyundai picks Monrovia-based AeroVironment to provide dealer charging stations for the new 2016 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid model. http://goo.gl/XpqE79

- Brad Haugaard

Damage to High School Estimated at $6 Million; Etc.

At its Dec. 9 meeting (agenda: here ), the Monrovia School Board will ...

- Have the unhappy duty of authorizing money to repair the damage to the high school caused by the recent arson. The district estimates the total cost at about $6 million, most of which will be covered by insurance but the district will have to pay the $25,000 deductible, and may get its insurance costs jacked up. Source

- Have the happier duty of honoring Santa Fe Middle School teacher Nedra Graham and Monrovia High teacher Ann Van Dyke as winners in the California League of Schools "Educator of the Year" program; Mountain Park student Heather Merceica for her top entry in the national Future Engineers 3d Space Container Challenge; Monrovia High's Math and Science Academy for winning a Golden Bell award.

- Thank the Monrovia Fire and Police for their prompt response to the recent high school fire.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Saigon Avenue

Dinner Wednesday night at Saigon Avenue, just off Myrtle on the south side of Lemon. Got the chicken curry ($9.95) and a beer ($5). Very good! I enjoyed it a lot. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Ask A Scientist About DNA Sequencing - Science Series Launches in Monrovia

Ask Dr. Marc M. Baum, President and Senior Faculty of the Oak Crest Institute of Science about "DNA Sequencing in Our Daily Life," Tuesday, Dec. 8, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Jake's Road House, 622 S. Myrtle Ave. This event, hosted by MADIA Tech Launch, begins a new "Ask a Scientist" series. Each event will feature an expert speaker who will present a casual, educational and entertaining 5-10 minute overview on a scientific topic. Audience members can then ask all the tough questions.

The Oak Crest Institute of Science is launching this quarterly "science cafe" to let local scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and community members meet and discuss current scientific or technological topics with the region's leading scientists. The events will be held at various locations throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Smoke Damage Forces Church to Meet on Football Field

Smoke damage from the recent arson at Monrovia High means Fellowship Monrovia, the church that meets in the school auditorium, will not be able to meet there, so it's meeting on the school's football field at all three services (8:30, 10, and 11:30 a.m.). They're calling it, "Fellowship in the End Zone."

- Brad Haugaard