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Are There Serious Problems With Monrovia Railroad Crossings?

A number of people have been complaining on various online media about the long waits at the railroad crossings, especially on Myrtle. One woman said she waited seven minutes and a man complained that the crossing gate remained down far longer than appeared to be necessary. Several people said they got tired of waiting and did a u-turn to get away from it.

- Brad Haugaard

Be a Member of Monrovia Wilderness Preserve Foundation

The City of Monrovia and the Monrovia Wilderness Preserve Foundation are currently recruiting members for the Wilderness Preserve Foundation until Wednesday, June 1, 2016. The foundation is seeking members that are eager to get involved in the community, have a passion for the Hillside Wilderness Preserve, and hold talents that will assist in the improvement of the City.

"This is a great opportunity for any Monrovia resident to take part in that will help guide resources within the city to improve our parks and hillside," says Public Services Director Tina Cherry.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Monrovia Wilderness Preserve Foundation is asked to contact Public Services Director, Tina Cherry, at (626) 256-8226, (626) 932-5544, or tcherry@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

Source: City of Monrovia Press Release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Considering a Hotel For Southwest Corner of Huntington and Myrtle

The City Council (wearing its "Successor Agency" hat) will consider at its March 1 meeting asking for qualified developers who could build a hotel at the vacant southwest corner of Myrtle and Huntington. City staff figures an office building wouldn't work at that site. Here's the agenda ( http://goo.gl/LbuhSS ) and the staff report ( http://goo.gl/q6BqkY ).

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia May Study Returning To Council-Elected Mayor

At the next Monrovia City Council meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/R1bQnz ), the council will, among other things, consider a request by City Manager Oliver Chi to form a committee to study Monrovia's directly-elected mayor system. (Other cities simply elect the council and then the council elects the mayor from among their own members, usually by rotation. Chi's request appears to be a response to Mayor Tom Adams' suggestion that the city return to this older system.) http://goo.gl/PptSQC

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at BigShrimps

Dinner last night at BigShrimps, on the north side of Colorado a half block east of Myrtle. Wasn't very hungry so I just got a lobster bisque, for $6, and an iced tea for $2.
  
- Brad Haugaard

Obituary for Monrovian Chris Nelson, Killed by Drunk Driver

A story about Chris Nelson, the Monrovia man who was killed by a drunk driver in Pasadena. http://goo.gl/kWGKYk

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Janie Duncan Named as a 'Woman of Distinction'

Monrovian Janie Duncan will be recognized as a "woman of distinction" by Assembly Majority Floor Leader Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia. Duncan will be honored with the other women of distinction on March 3 at Holden's District Office Open House, 600 N. Rosemead Blvd. Pasadena. Holden's office writes:

"Janie Duncan is known city-wide as someone who can and will help those in need. As co-founder of Monrovia's Foothills Kitchen, Janie and her team provide meals to anyone in need every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church. She also helps with jobs, housing, clothing and other needed items."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Fake Credit Card; Stolen Gardening Equipment; Big Rig Bonks Traffic Signal; Pickup Stolen; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 22-24. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 376 service events, resulting in 70 investigations.

Commercial Burglary/Identity Theft – Suspects Arrested
February 22 at 11:44 a.m., a business in the 500 block of West Huntington called police to report a burglary. Two female subjects walked into a business in the city of Arcadia and tried to purchase merchandise using an altered store credit card. The purchase was rejected and the females left the store. Loss prevention notified the Monrovia store in case they tried again. The same subjects made a purchase at the Monrovia location and were seen leaving the store. Officers responded to the area and located the suspects still in the shopping center. The suspects were arrested and in their possession officers found various items of identity theft, which was added to their charges.

Robbery
February 22 at 12:02 p.m., two subjects were working at a residence when they noticed a gray Toyota Tundra with paper plates pull up to their vehicle, which was loaded with equipment. The suspect removed a blower and trimmer from the back of the victim's vehicle. When the victims approached the suspect, he brandished a firearm and fled the scene. The victims went to the police station to report the incident. The suspect was described as an adult, male Hispanic, 20-30 years old, with short hair and wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans. An area search was conducted, but the suspect vehicle was not located. The investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence/Non-Injury Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
February 22 at 6:54 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the area of Myrtle and Olive. Two vehicles were heading southbound Myrtle and one vehicle rear-ended the other. After an investigation, one male adult driver was arrested for driving under the influence.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
February 22 at 7:35 p.m., police responded to a non-injury traffic collision at Fifth and Huntington. A truck driver from out of state was driving his big rig west on Huntington and attempted to make a right turn onto Fifth Avenue. The truck trailer sideswiped the signal light and caused minor damage to the signal.

Vandalism
February 22 at 10:11 p.m., a vandalism incident was reported at a school in the 100 block of South Canyon. Unknown suspects spray painted on the wall of the school. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
February 23 at 12:44 a.m., officers were dispatched to a vandalism incident at an apartment complex in the 300 block of South Canyon. The victim stated her front window had been broken. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
February 23 at 7:34 a.m., police responded to an injury traffic collision at Monterey and Colorado. A driver was traveling east on Colorado and failed to stop for the stop sign. The driver collided into a vehicle that was turning west onto Colorado from Monterey. The driver and passenger of the second vehicle received minor injuries. The driver who failed to stop was cited for the violation and the other parties were taken to a hospital and later released.

Grand Theft Auto
February 23 at 8:17 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 800 block of West Olive. The victim parked her vehicle in front of her residence the night before. In the morning she found her vehicle, a green, 1990 Honda Accord, was gone. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
February 23 at 4:15 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 300 block of West Huntington. The victim was inside a grocery store and when she returned to her vehicle an hour later, her white, 1986 Mazda pickup, was gone. The investigation is continuing.

Prescription Fraud
February 24 at 8:52 a.m., an incident of prescription fraud was reported at a business in the 300 block of West Huntington. A subject entered the location and presented a suspicious prescription to the attendant. A phone call to the listed doctor confirmed the prescription was, in fact, fraudulent. The suspect had already left the location before the fraud was determined. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
February 24 at 9:48 a.m., police responded to the 400 block of West Colorado on the report of a stolen vehicle. The victim parked and locked her vehicle in the alley behind her home. She went inside and did not hear anything suspicious during the night. When she returned to her vehicle in the morning, she found it had been stolen. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
February 24 at 7:26 p.m., officers were dispatched to a traffic collision in the 200 block of South Madison. A driver made an unsafe turn and struck a parked vehicle. The driver had a small contusion on his face from the accident. After the conclusion of the investigation, the officer asked the driver to sign the citation for an unsafe turn and having a suspended driver's license. The driver refused to sign the citation. He was arrested and later released with a citation to appear in court.

Tour of Historic Monrovia

Monrovia Historic Preservation Group will conduct a walking tour of downtown Monrovia on Saturday, March 5, at 10 a.m. The tour lasts about two hours, and participants will walk eight blocks. $5 per person. Reservations not necessary, just meet at the SE corner of Palm and Myrtle Avenues. http://goo.gl/I9gLrc

- Brad Haugaard

Seminar on Essential Oils at Monrovia Library

Make over your Medicine Cabinet with essential oils, Monday, March 7 at 10 a.m. with host Kate Garland. At Monrovia Library. Register here: https://goo.gl/bK3cTg

Monrovia Girls Soccer Loses To Arcadia

Monrovia girls soccer loses to Arcadia, 3-0. http://goo.gl/FGcIRP

- Brad Haugaard

Monty Python Play at Monrovia High

Monty Python's Spamalot, a musical "ripped off from the motion picture, 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail.'" March 3, 4, 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets here: http://www.wildcattheater.com/

- Brad Haugaard

Cost Breakdown for Monrovia to Comply With State Environmental Regulations

Here is a breakdown, from City Manager Oliver Chi, of the cost for Monrovia to comply with the state's storm-water runoff regulations. It's not just Monrovia, by the way, lots of cities are being hit.


- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Bond Rating Upgraded; Gold Line Opening Ceremony; A Mural of Books; Author Talk

In his weekly report, City Manager Oliver Chi reports...

- Standard & Poor, the bond rating agency, has upgraded Monrovia's bonds to AA-, the fourth highest rating and considerably better than the BBB- to BBB+ range the city's bonds were in before. Simply put, this means that if Monrovia needs to borrow money, it can do so at a cheaper interest rate.

- Ribbon cutting March 5 for Monrovia Gold Line Station at 11:30 a.m. for the first day of public train service. Also, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. – Music, crafts, games, booths, giveaways, food, trackless train rides. Free shuttle between Old Town Monrovia and Station Square. Noon – Live entertainment begins by the band, Person to Person.

- Artist Mike Stilkey is creating a mural in the youth section of the Library of Monrovia-area animals painted on the spines of approximately 3,000 books. The project should take about two weeks. Comment: Nice that books are still useful for something.

- On Saturday, April 16, 2016, at 2 p.m. at Monrovia Library, author Attica Locke will discuss her third novel, Pleasantville. She also writes for the TV show, Empire.

- Brad Haugaard

Should City Let Bradbury Annex Part of Monrovia?

Land Bradbury wants to annex.

Four parcels of Monrovia land (2.65 acres) are also within the jurisdiction of the Bradbury Estates Community Services District, and the City of Bradbury is wondering if it might annex that land to Bradbury. In his weekly report Chi said the city is analyzing the situation, including any financial impacts to Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard

Biotech Day in Monrovia

Monrovia Biotech Day April 22, 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Mary Wilcox Youth Center (843 E Olive). Biotech opportunities in Monrovia. Activities for all ages. Sponsored by Boys and Girls Club, Lab Launch, City of Monrovia.

Monrovia Police: Almost Arson; Hit and Run; Car Chase; Beer Theft; Disneyland Ticket Scam; School Vandalism

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 18-21. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Attempted Arson
February 18 at 2:25 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of South Violet regarding an attempted arson. The victim reported he saw a former female roommate outside his residence. He watched her exit her vehicle and walk over to his vehicle. She opened the driver’s door to his vehicle and began pouring gasoline throughout the interior of his vehicle from a red gas can she was carrying. He ran outside and confronted her. As he approached, it appeared she was preparing to toss a lit cigarette into the vehicle, but she saw him and fled to her vehicle. She left the area without lighting the vehicle on fire. The investigation is continuing.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
February 18 at 6:35 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 400 block of South Violet regarding a traffic collision. The victim was unloading her vehicle, which was parked on the street. An unknown vehicle traveling south on Violet struck the left rear door of the parked vehicle and fled the scene. The investigation is continuing.

Pursuit/Stolen Vehicle Recovered – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 3:41 p.m., an officer located a stolen vehicle in the area of Myrtle and Duarte. A pursuit ensued that went from Myrtle to Huntington, east on Huntington, then south on Mountain. The suspect sideswiped a vehicle at the 210 Freeway underpass on Mountain and continued south. The suspect vehicle became blocked by traffic on Mountain at the railroad tracks. Officers blocked the suspect in and approached the vehicle. The suspect would not follow verbal commands and resisted the officers, but was eventually removed from the vehicle and taken into custody.

Warrant/Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 8:45 p.m., an officer stopped a vehicle for a vehicle code violation at Primrose and Chestnut. The driver was found to have an outstanding warrant. During an inventory search of the vehicle prior to storing it, methamphetamine was found inside.

Traffic Stop/Evading a Police Officer
February 19 at 11:21 p.m., an officer attempted to stop a vehicle in the area of Euclid and Shamrock for a vehicle code violation. The driver fled in the vehicle, heading south on Flagstone, where the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. Both occupants then jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. The passenger appeared to be holding something in his waistband as he ran. A search for the suspects was conducted, but they were not found. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department helicopter assisted at the scene. The vehicle was impounded as it matched the description of a vehicle involved in a recent crime that occurred in Duarte. The investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft/Violation of Court Order – Suspect Arrested
February 21 at 12:08 p.m., an officer responded to a business in the 100 block of west Foothill regarding a shoplifter in custody. The suspect entered the store, concealed bottles of beer on his person, and left the store without paying. The suspect is an active gang member and was in violation of Monrovia’s gang injunction. He was arrested for shoplifting and violation of the court order.

Fraud/Scam – Suspect Arrested
February 21 at 2:15 p.m., the victim of fraud called police to report the scam. He reported an ad on Craigslist regarding tickets for sale for Disneyland. The victim said he met with the suspect and bought the tickets, only to find out that they were fraudulent. He had a friend call the suspect requesting to buy additional tickets and they agreed to meet in Monrovia. The victim asked if police could help him recover his money.

Although the first incident did not occur in Monrovia, it was similar to a Monrovia case that occurred earlier that week. An officer was dispatched to the location at the time they agreed to meet and the suspect was detained. The suspect admitted he had taken gift cards from a local grocery store and advertised on Craigslist. He admitted selling three gift cards that were never activated. Two incidents possibly occurred in Monrovia. The first incident occurred in Arcadia, and the victim was advised to file a police report with Arcadia. The suspect also had four outstanding warrants. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Vandalism – Suspect Arrested
February 21 at 7:05 p.m., dispatch received a call reporting suspects vandalizing a school in the 100 block of West Duarte Road. Two young male subjects were seen by witnesses spray painting a wall at the school. Officers arrived and detained two juveniles near the school. A field show up was conducted with three witnesses. All three witnesses positively identified the suspects. Both suspects were arrested for vandalism and taken into custody. They were booked and released to their parents with a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Monrovia Man Killed in Car Crash

A Monrovia man was killed in a car crash with a man who has been arrested on charges of driving while under the influence. The name of the victim has not been released. http://goo.gl/iMUTYc

Update: The victim was Chris Nelson, who leaves behind a wife and four children. A memorial fund has been set up for him: https://goo.gl/CuqFkV

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Sailor Honored | Story of Franklin | Ben Hur at First Presbyterian

~ Monrovian Steven Chester won the Sailor of the Day award aboard the USS John C. Stennis. http://goo.gl/JtFgNt

~ School teacher tells the story of how she persuaded Peanuts' cartoonist Charles Shulz to include a black character, Franklin, in the famous comic strip. http://goo.gl/dRxEnl

~ On Saturday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church will present the classic 1925 silent movie, Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, accompanied by a live pipe organ score by Randy Woltz. Suggested donation is $7. For more information call 358-3297 or email David@fpcmonrovia.org. http://goo.gl/NaJaJF

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board Agenda

School board agenda for Feb. 24. Big items are agreements with the various contractors fixing Monrovia High after the arson. Fortunately, it appears most of the cost will be covered by insurance. Agenda here.

- Brad Haugaard