Water Cascade in North Monrovia

Hundreds if not thousands of gallons of water are cascading down Ridgeside and along Canyon. Police and Fire have the road blocked off. 

UPDATE: Water has slowed to a trickle. Apparently it was a water main that broke. I suspect some folks up there will be without water for a bit.

- Brad Haugaard

Merry Christmas, Monrovia!

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call him his name Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14

Happy Holy Day!

- Brad Haugaard

Rain and Gusty Winds Possible

National Weather Service reports: "A cold Pacific disturbance is expected to bring rain and low elevation snow and gusty northerly winds to southwestern California Thursday into Friday. Moderate to strong Santa Ana winds are possible Friday night and Saturday as high pressure builds into the Great Basin." http://goo.gl/9XMV6l

- Brad Haugaard

More Citrus College Students Transfer to Four-Year State Schools

The number of Citrus College students transferring into University of California schools has increased by more than 30 percent from the 2013-2014 academic year. 131 students during the 2014-2015 academic year. Also, 693 students transferred to the California State University system, an increase of nearly 20 percent from the previous year. Citrus College serves the Monrovia area. Source: Press release

- Brad Haugaard

4th Dimension; City Hall Landscaping; New Year's Eve; Honor a Vet; Etc.

In his weekly report, City Manager Oliver Chi wrote that ...

- There will be a study session about the proposed 4th Dimension/Community Center project on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m., at the Library Community Room. (The City Council Chambers will be under renovation then.)

- Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH), "is moving full speed ahead to open their new store soon." It'll be at 725 W. Huntington (next to PetsMart).

- The city has finished installing drought-tolerant landscaping at City Hall. 20 drought-tolerant plant species on display. Next it will install a work of "kinetic art." I think that means it moves.

- State of the City speach is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8 at the Krikorian Premiere Theater.
 
- New Year's Eve party on Myrtle in Old Town on Dec. 31, starting at 7 p.m. A live band, Night Owl, plus beer and wine garden. Merchants and restaurants will be open.

- For November, Monrovia's water consumption was down 22% compared to November 2013. Not quite the target of 28%, but Chi said "conservation is much more difficult during the winter months," so the city is still "excited that the trend of saving water in Monrovia has continued."

- Assembly Member Chris Holden wants nominations for the 41st Assembly District's 2016 Veteran of the Year. Vet must reside or perform community service within the 41st Assembly District (That includes Monrovia). For more information, contact Matthew Lyons at Matthew.Lyons@asm.ca.gov or (909) 624-7876.

- A team of Monrovia Area Partnership volunteers provided drought-tolerant landscaping at the homes of two senior citizens during a work party on Dec. 12.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Christmas Decoration Winners

• Best Still Display – 309 North Madison Avenue
• Best Outdoor Display – 541 Valmont Drive
• Best Window Display – 208 South Mayflower Avenue
• Most Effective Use Of Lighting – 380 Norumbega Drive
• Best Decorated Outdoor Tree – 308 West Lemon Avenue
• Best Neighborhood Effort – Valmont Drive & Place
• Snowman Award – 632 Terrado Drive
• Children’s Choice Award – 333 Norumbega Drive
• Santa’s Workshop Award – 639 Parker Avenue
• Holiday Spirit Award – 550 South Park Rose Avenue
• Judges Award – 2500 Block of Rochelle Avenue

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Rotary Provides Shopping Spree For Local Children

For the fourth consecutive year the Monrovia Rotary Club has provided clothing and a toy to children referred by a local service provider. Dr. Sylvia Domotor, founder and chairperson of the event, said 65 children, many victims of or witnesses to domestic violence or drug abuse, were the beneficiaries of a department store shopping spree, likely providing them with the only gifts they will receive this Christmas. Each was chaperoned through Kohl's by one of 47 student volunteers from the Interact and Renaissance clubs at Monrovia High and by students from Kaizen martial arts. The event was paid for by year-long donations from members of the Monrovia Rotary Club. The sales at Kohl's generated a substantial gift card bonus which will be donated to Monrovia Public Schools.

Monrovia Rotary Club welcomes visitors and seeks service-minded individuals to join its membership. The club meets Tuesdays at noon at the Monrovian Restaurant on Myrtle Avenue. More information and a link to RSVP for a meeting at www.monroviarotaryclub.com

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Early Morning Power Outage in Monrovia

A little blackout hit Monrovia about 5:40 this morning. Power at the Pavilions center was out, but came back on within a few minutes (I watched). Southern California Edison says it is analyzing the problem and should have it fixed by 3 p.m. but looks like everything is working now. https://goo.gl/o4X32G

- Brad Haugaard

Rain Tonight, Tomorrow | Bicycle Plan for Monrovia

~ 80% chance of rain tonight, 70% tomorrow. http://goo.gl/VnR5SB

~ Here is a survey about bicycle conditions in Monrovia for riders and non-riders to help the city complete its bicycle master plan. Here

- Brad Haugaard

Nominees Wanted For Small Business Of The Year

Assemblymember Chris Holden wants nominations for the 41st Assembly District "2016 Small Business of the Year." A business may be nominated by any business owner or resident and/or municipal and chamber of commerce staff within the 41st Assembly District (NO self-nominations). For more information, contact Matthew Lyons at Matthew.Lyons@asm.ca.gov or 909-624-7876.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: 16 Victims of BB Gun Window Breaker; Checking Out Mailboxes; Vehicle Theft; Burglaries

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 17-20. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Vehicle Burglary
On December 17 at 9:51 a.m., an officer responded to a business in the 900 block of West Huntington reporting a vehicle burglary. The victim parked his vehicle in the parking lot last night and returned this morning to find the rear passenger window smashed. The suspects did not take anything from the vehicle. The vehicle was parked outside of the hotel. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
On December 17 at 11:51 a.m., an officer responded to the 700 block of South Magnolia regarding a residential burglary. The victim left his residence unsecured at 11:15 a.m. and returned home at noon. When the victim entered his residence, he observed his computer was missing. When he looked into his room, he saw his bedroom window was pushed open and his jewelry was missing. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
On December 17 at 6:49 p.m., a resident called to report his vehicle was stolen from the 200 block of West Cherry. The victim parked his vehicle in from of his residence at 9:15 a.m. He returned to his vehicle at 6:35 p.m. and discovered it missing. The vehicle is described as a silver, Toyota, Rav. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism – Suspects Arrested
On December 19 at 10:45 a.m., officers responded to several calls over the past couple of days of unknown suspect(s) using a BB-gun to shoot out vehicle’s windows in the cities of Monrovia & Arcadia. Monrovia Police Department has identified at least 16 confirmed victims. During one of the incidents in Arcadia, a witness wrote down the suspect vehicle license plate and was reported to the Arcadia Police Department. The registered owner of the suspect vehicle is a Monrovia resident. Officers from Monrovia and Arcadia Police Department went to the registered owners address in an attempt to identify the vandalism suspect(s). A subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of two juvenile suspects. After the booking process, the two juveniles were released to their parents on citations. The parents were very cooperative during the investigation and assisted Monrovia Police Department in recovering the BB-gun used during the vandalisms. One additional suspect was identified. He is an adult and charges will be submitted to the District Attorney for review. The investigation is continuing.

Forgery / Mail Tampering / Warrant – Suspects Arrested
On December 19 at 11:10 a.m., dispatch received a telephone call regarding a male and female suspect walking south in the 1600 block of California, while looking through mailboxes. An officer responded to the location and detained both suspects. A computer check revealed one of the suspects had an outstanding warrant and was placed under arrest. A subsequent investigation revealed the suspects to be in possession of stolen mail, including a stolen check, which they intended to fraudulently cash. Both suspects were arrested and transported to the Monrovia Jail for booking.

Christmas Light Street in Monrovia

The folks on Valmont Drive have done it again. It's like driving through a tunnel of lights. Well worth the drive. Go north on Norumbega and keep an eye out to your left. You should see the street. 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Clifton School Wins Up To $100,000 | High Chance of Rain

~ Monrovia School Board member Alex Zucco reports that Clifton Middle School has been named one of five winners of the "Fab School Labs" contest, which means it will receive a grant of up to $100,000 to create a dream laboratory.

~ 80% chance of rain today. Hmm. Doesn't look like it at the moment. http://goo.gl/VnR5SB

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus College Gets Clean Audit Report

Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, reported that it has once again received an unmodified ("clean") audit opinion by independent auditors indicating that the institution's financial data is fairly stated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Jimmy John's

Had dinner last night at the new Jimmy John's sandwich shop in the Huntington Oaks Shopping Center, on Huntington Drive. Got the Hunters Club (roast beef and provolone) sandwich for $7.99, and an ice tea for a $1.89. A good sandwich and polite and prompt service.

- Brad Haugaard

Trains To Begin Running Day and Night on Gold Line

Foothill Gold Line reports that starting this weekend, Dec. 19-20, Metro will start running trains day and night between the Sierra Madre Villa and APU/Citrus College stations. Metro has been running trains in the late afternoon/evening hours since September. This is still for testing - no passenger service yet.

- Brad Haugaard

New Micro-Brewer Coming to Monrovia

Monrovia's Community Development Department reports that a new micro-brewer, REV Winery/REV Brewing Co. plans to open a manufacturing facility and tasting at Hamby Park. Where? Well, Hamby Park is roughly the area from the freeway south about five or six blocks along Myrtle, Peck and California. http://goo.gl/0Hl0KT

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Running Car Stolen; Thief With a Key; Stolen Ping Pong Paddle; Neighbor Saw, Didn't Report; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 14-16. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 378 service events, resulting in 70 investigations.

Grand Theft Auto
December 14 at 7:17 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 800 block of West Walnut. The victim started the vehicle and left it running and unattended for a few minutes. When he came back to the vehicle, it was gone. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
December 15 at 6:38 a.m., an officer responded to the report of a vehicle burglary in the 1300 block of South Alta Vista. An unknown suspect entered the secured apartment complex and went to the carport area. The suspect shattered a window to gain entry to the vehicle, but nothing was taken. The investigation is continuing.

Theft of Mail
December 15 at 12:41 p.m., an incident of mail theft was reported in the 1200 block of South Alta Vista. The suspect is seen on video approaching mailboxes. He is seen removing an object from his pocket, possibly a key, and opening multiple mailboxes. The suspect then removes mail from the boxes and sets it on the ground. He then picks up the large pile of mail and leaves the location. The investigation is continuing.

Traffic Stop/Warrants – Suspects Arrested
December 15 at 9:58 p.m., officers were on patrol in the 800 block of West Colorado and noticed a vehicle traveling towards them without lights during the evening hours. The officers made a traffic stop and contacted two subjects in the vehicle. A computer check revealed both subjects had outstanding warrants for their arrest. The subjects were arrested and held pending their court appearances.

Found Property
December 16 at 1:37 a.m., while on routine patrol in the 200 block of West Colorado, an officer noticed a subject crossing the street near Colorado and Magnolia. Due to the time and cold weather, it seemed suspicious for someone to be out walking. The officer circled the block and found a subject exiting the alley of the 300 block of West Colorado. The officer recognized the subject from previous contacts. Once the subject was released, the officer drove down the alley and located a suitcase containing over 50 vintage TV and radio electrical tubes and a competitive ping pong paddle. No victims were located and the investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
December 16 at 7:12 a.m. a vehicle burglary was reported in the 1800 block of South Peck Road. The victim parked his vehicle overnight in his assigned parking space in his complex carport. When the victim returned to his vehicle, he found the shell of his truck had been pried open and his tools were missing. Security video showed two suspects enter the parking area in a Chrysler minivan. The suspects got out and one appeared to be talking on the phone, while the other suspect pried open the shell of the truck. Both suspects then took tools out of the truck bed, put them into the van and drove away. The investigation is continuing.

Mental Evaluation
December 16 at 2:15 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 100 block of West Duarte Road to check the welfare of a subject. The subject was involved in a vandalism earlier in the day. He called a friend and told the friend he wanted to hang himself because he knew he was going to go to jail for the vandalism. When the officers contacted the subject, he had a knife and a rope and told officers he wanted to hang himself. As the officers approached, the suspect tried to run. An officer attempted to stop him and they fell against a wall. The suspect hit his face on the wall and the officer sustained a contusion on his left forearm and strained his neck. The suspect broke away from the officers and, again, attempted to get away, but the officers subdued the subject and he was taken into custody without further incident. The suspect was taken to a hospital and held for mental evaluation.

Petty Theft
December 16 at 8:40 p.m., a petty theft was reported in the 800 block of Oceanview Avenue. Two UPS packages were stolen off the porch of a residence. A neighbor saw the theft, but failed to report it to the police. The suspect is described as a male, wearing a grey hoodie over his head. The suspect vehicle is an early 2000, white Ford F250, possibly a diesel, with large tires and tinted windows. The investigation is continuing.

Felony Vandalisms
December 16 at 8:41, a vandalism was reported in the 300 block of North Encinitas Avenue. The window on the victim’s vehicle had been shattered by an unknown object. As officers investigated the area, they located several other vehicles that had been vandalized and police received additional calls reporting vehicle vandalisms that sustained identical damage, possibly caused by a BB gun. The Investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
December 16 at 9:57 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business parking lot in the 800 block of West Huntington. The victim parked and locked her vehicle in the parking lot and went into a restaurant for dinner. When she returned to her vehicle, she found the rear window shattered and a wrapped Christmas gift was stolen from the backseat. The investigation is continuing.

Rain on Saturday for Monrovia?

70% chance of rain on Saturday. http://goo.gl/VnR5SB

- Brad Haugaard

Renaming Monrovia's Grand Avenue Park; Train-to-Old Town Shuttle; Termites; El Nino Prep

In his weekly report ( http://goo.gl/kaHkTw ), City Manager Oliver Chi mentioned, among a lot of things, that ...

~ The City is thinking about renaming Grand Avenue Park to "Kiwanis Park on Grand Avenue." A letter and advisory ballot is going out to all residents living within a certain distance of Grand Avenue Park to inform the neighborhood about the proposal to rename the facility.

~ The next company to operate Monrovia Transit will need to continue the existing dial-a-ride services and develop a new fixed-route transportation option connecting Station Square with Old Town, and possibly other locations in Monrovia. The city is evaluating the proposals of four companies.

~ Repairs began on the roof of the Historic Museum on Dec. 7. Unfortunately, it appears the building may have termites.

~ There will be El Nino prep meetings in the Library Community Room coordinated by the Fire Department and Public Services Department on Saturday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 5, 6 p.m.; and Thursday, Jan. 21, 6 p.m.

- Brad Haugaard