New Townhomes Near Station Square

Brandywine Homes has begun construction at Lotus Court, a new community offering 13 townhomes on Duarte Road at Lotus Court, a few blocks west of Station Square.

Brandywine is building 13 three- and four-bedroom townhomes ranging in size from 1,555 to 1,705 square feet with private yards, full side-by-side garages, Spanish-inspired architecture, stainless steel appliances and solid-surface counters. The stucco, three-story townhomes with tile roofs are being built around an existing historic landmarked home built on the site in the early 1900s. The neighborhood will include a central recreation area.

The project is expected to be complete this summer.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Upcoming at Monrovia's Station Square Park

Here is an overview of events that have been scheduled to kinda break in Station Square Park. (This is in addition to a concert series the city is working on.)

• Summer Reading Club Kick-Off. June 16 from 6-7 p.m.
• Family Dance Party For Younger Children & Their Families on June 23 through August 18. Every Thursday from 6-6:30 p.m.
• Brews & Books, June 23 from 7-8:30 p.m.
• Night Hike at Canyon Park, June 30, July 28, and August 11, from 6:30-9 p.m. A shuttle will take participants to Canyon Park for a guided tour to learn about the creatures that take over the park at night.
• Summer Concerts At Station Square. All concerts from 6:30-8 p.m. July 14 – The Who Show (The Who Tribute Band); July 21 - Escape (The Journey Tribute); August 4 – Mirage (Visions of Fleetwood Mac); August 18 – Doobies, Inc. (Doobie Brothers Tribute Band).

Source: City Manager Oliver Chi weekly report.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Staff Doesn't Like County Tax Plan | Construction on Foothill | Fire Engine Gets First Workout | Etc.

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

~ Monrovia city staff doesn't much like a proposed county parks tax measure that will likely be on the November ballot. An individual who, for example, owns a 2,000 square foot home would pay $60 a year. Chi says that the city would only get back 32 cents for each dollar of tax it would pay. Instead, West LA would get a big chunk of the money. He writes that, "it seems incongruent and unfair that our residents should have to pay for park space in Los Angeles and on the west side, especially when considering the fact that those areas are park deficient because of deliberate land use and development decisions that were made by Los Angeles / west side communities."

~ If you use Foothill frequently, Arcadia has begun a roadway improvement project along Foothill between Michillinda and Santa Anita. It should last through mid-August 2016. There will be sporadic lane closures, but Arcadia has indicated that at least one lane in each direction will remain open.

~ The city's new Fire Engine 101 got its baptism into service at a 3-car detached garage fire. City Manager Oliver Chi said it "performed flawlessly."

~ Learn CPR. The Sidewalk CPR program is scheduled for Thursday, June 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Library Park.

~ There will be a free ESL Pronunciation and Conversation Class from May 31-June 23 for English-language learners. The class will be held Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Library Community Room. Adult students must register prior to May 31. Online registration www.mcasweb.com . Contact Library Supervisor Rebecca Elder at (626) 256-8274 for further details.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Days This Weekend: Parade, Pie Eating Contest, Music Festival, Beer, Etc.

Monrovia Days is coming up this weekend.

Saturday

On Saturday, May 14, everyone is invited to to Old Town to celebrate Monrovia’s 130th Birthday! It begins at 8 a.m. with a welcome and pancake breakfast at Library Park. Then, at 9 a.m., the Monrovia Day Parade. After the parade, at around 10:30 a.m., there will be activities throughout the day, including:

Live entertainment, performances by Monrovia Unified School District students and Centre Stage participants, carnival games, laser tag, a dunk tank, food, and a good old fashioned pie eating contest, bounce houses, rock wall climbing, book sale hosted by the Friend’s of the Library, food and a beer garden.

The new pie eating contest will award a total of $500 in cash prizes to the winning teams! $300 prize to fastest team. No hands allowed!

Sunday

The Monrovia Days Music Festival will start at noon on Sunday, May 15, and will feature live music,
vendors, local merchants, food, another beer garden, and a variety of activities for the kids!

Here's who's playing and when: http://goo.gl/i71CPx

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Heroin; Shoplifter Escapes on Mountain Bike With Speakers; Thief Leaves Cell Phone; Thefts From Unlocked Vehicles; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 5-8. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Suspicious Vehicle / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 5 at 3:16 p.m., an officer saw a suspicious vehicle traveling down Madison. The vehicle kept stopping and starting for no apparent reason, then pulled into the driveway of an apartment building in the 200 block of S. Madison and stopped. The vehicle was occupied by a female adult driver and male adult passenger. A resident of the property saw them and told the officer that the occupants did not belong on the property. The officer contacted the subjects to find out what they were doing at the location. A computer check of the subjects revealed the female driver had a $30,000 warrant for her arrest out of Pasadena. She was arrested and taken into custody. The male subject was identified and released. The subjects had no valid reason for being on the property.

Vehicle Burglary
May 5 at 11:19 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 500 block of W. Huntington Drive. The victim parked and locked her vehicle in a business parking lot at 3:00 p.m. She returned to her vehicle at 11:19 p.m. and saw that her passenger window was smashed and her backpack had been stolen. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
May 6 at 1:00 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a welfare check on an adult male who was lying face down in the grass at the corner of Primrose and Chestnut. When the officer arrived, he contacted the subject, who appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance. The officer conducted a drug evaluation and determined the suspect was under the influence of heroin. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody, where he was held for sobering.

Shoplifting
May 6 at 6:43 p.m., a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington called police to report a shoplifter. Officers responded to the location to look for a male suspect who removed a pair of speakers from the store without paying. The loss prevention agent followed the suspect out of the store to Mayflower Avenue, where the suspect fled on a white, mountain bike. The officers conducted an area search, but were not able to locate the suspect. The investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting
May 6 at 11:18 p.m., a shoplifter was reported at a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain Avenue. A male suspect pushed a cart with tools in it through the garden center and out the emergency exit doors without paying. The suspect was not located and the investigation is continuing. Theft from a Vehicle May 7 in the early afternoon, four thefts from vehicles were reported to police. All four vehicles had been left unlocked. The thefts occurred in the 500 and 600 blocks of Terrado. The vehicles were ransacked and miscellaneous items were stolen. The investigations are continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
May 7 at 10:40 a.m., officers responded to a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain regarding a suspect who was detained by loss prevention personnel for shoplifting. The suspect used a receipt he found in the parking lot to return items that he selected in the store that he had not purchased. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 7 at 8:35 p.m., officers noticed a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot in the 700 block of W. Huntington Drive that was occupied by a male adult. An officer contacted the subject and a computer check revealed multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest. Drug paraphernalia was found in the vehicle prior to it being towed from the scene. The suspect was arrested and later released with citations to appear in court.

Shoplifting
May 8 at 7:37 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain regarding the theft tools from a business. The suspect entered the store and selected an expensive saw. While the suspect was standing in the register isle, he was talking on his cell phone and holding the saw. The suspect abruptly ran from the register line through the front doors to an awaiting vehicle, which had a second suspect driving. As the suspect was running from the store, he dropped his cell phone and a fixed blade knife. Employees were able to get the license plate of the suspect vehicle and the investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence
May 8 at 2:32 p.m., a female subject came to the police station to report she was the victim of domestic violence. She said she went to visit her husband and mother-in-law at their residence in the 800 block of W. Walnut. The husband sneaked out the back of the residence and went to drink with his friends. The wife located the husband and walked him back to the apartment. During an argument over his drinking alcohol, the husband punched the wife in the mouth and scratched her neck. Further investigation revealed there is an emergency protection order from prior domestic violence. The husband left the apartment prior to police arrival. The investigation is continuing.

Alex Blackburn Selected As Monrovia Mayor Pro Tem

Monrovia City Council member Alex Blackburn has been unanimously selected as the Council's mayor pro-tem. In other words, he serves as mayor when the mayor isn't available. http://goo.gl/Ugr8Mi

- Brad Haugaard

Crossing Finish Line

Crossing the finish line at Monrovia's Fountain to the Falls race.

-Brad Haugaard

Monrovian sets New Track and Field Record

Monrovia's Micah Fulton sets a new set a Rio Hondo League track and field meet jumping record of 37 1-1/2. http://goo.gl/5hchRy

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board: Honoring Staff Members; Attendance Down; Replacing Alex

At its May 11 meeting (agenda here) the Monrovia School Board will, among other things ...

- Honor: Board Member Alexandra Zucco for her seven years as a member of the Board of Education; Bradoaks Elementary School teacher, Ani Baker, for her dedication and commitment in helping a student's dream come true; and Plymouth Elementary School and Principal Suzanne Heck for its Mandarin Dual Immersion Language Program.

- Hear a report on student attendance. It's down 0.2%, which translates into a loss of $81,000 for the district. Details here.

 - Decide on a process to replace member Alex Zucco.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Rudy's

Dinner at Rudy's Mexican Food at the corner of Colorado and Myrtle. Got the Beef Birria for $12.95 and a small beer for $6.50. Filling and tasty.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Trader Joe's Issues Second Recall This Week

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's has issued a second recall this week, this time for 9.3-ounce packages of broccoli slaw & kale salad with white chicken, sunflowers, cranberries and sweet and spicy vinaigrette. http://goo.gl/Cu2sjz

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Baseball Over Temple City :-)

Monrovia baseball victorious over Temple City 2-0. http://goo.gl/vH0jMJ

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Man Returns to Get Arrested; Threatening Phone Scam; Man Given Ticket for Shoplifting; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 2-4. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 422 service events, resulting in 71 investigations.

Federal Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 2 at 9:00 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle at Myrtle and Camino Real for a vehicle code violation. A computer check on the driver revealed he had a no-bail, federal warrant for his arrest for violation of his federal probation. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
May 3 at 10:48 a.m., officers responded to an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Royal Oaks regarding a domestic dispute. When officers arrived, they knocked on the front door, but no one answered the door. Officers located an open rear door and made entry into the residence. They located a female subject in a rear bedroom and found she had physical injuries. The male suspect had fled. While the officers were interviewing the victim, the male suspect returned by jumping over the rear fence. He was detained by the officers and arrested for domestic violence.

Threatening Phone Calls / Phone Scam Investigation
May 3 at 7:03 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 500 block of Terrado. The victims are an older couple who received a phone call from a suspect identifying himself as a representative of Publisher's Clearing House. The male suspect on the phone told them they had won $2.5 million dollars. The suspect told the victims they would only have to mail him $399 by money order. The couple realized the phone call was a scam and told the suspect they were not interested. The suspect called back several times that day. The next day, the suspect called again and threatened the couple, stating he was going to do them bodily harm if they didn't send the money. The investigation is ongoing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 3 at 4:00 p.m., police dispatch received a call reporting a man and woman yelling, possibly fighting, near the wash north of Duarte. Officers arrived and saw a male subject, who began jumping fences to get away from the officers. The subject was eventually detained running through an apartment complex in the 800 block of W. Duarte. He was determined to be intoxicated and had numerous abrasions and scratches from jumping the fences. The officers called paramedics to have the subject checked. After he was given first aid by paramedics, he was arrested for being intoxicated in public.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
May 4 at 9:50 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill on the report of a shoplifting suspect in custody. The store loss prevention officer made a private persons arrest of the male suspect. The suspect was arrested and received a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 4 at 11:04 p.m., officers responded to the area of Foothill and Myrtle on the report of a disturbing male subject yelling as he walked down the street. Officers located and detained the subject, who was determined to be intoxicated and too impaired to care for himself. He was arrested for public intoxication and held for sobering.

Battery
May 4 at 11:44 p.m., officers responded to a possible fight at a residence in the 100 block of Los Angeles. Two female subjects had been involved in a physical fight, but one of them had left the location. The female subject at the location was uncooperative with police.

About an hour later, a male adult called police and reported that his daughter had been involved in a fight at the location and that she was being taken by ambulance to a hospital due to her injuries that occurred during the fight. An officer was dispatched to the hospital to interview the female, he interviewed the father, and then re-interviewed the other female. Both females had minor contusions on their faces. The report will be submitted to the District Attorney's office for misdemeanor filing.

Vandalism / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
May 5 at 12:43 a.m., a vandalism in progress was reported at the northeast corner of Myrtle and Lime. The reporting party stated there were three subjects, but only one was spray painting graffiti on the wall. Officers located and detained one of the suspects near Palm and Myrtle. Upon searching the subject, officers found a baggie of methamphetamine. The suspect was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. He claimed that it was another subject that spray painted the wall. No other suspects were located. The investigation is continuing.

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's Recalls Veggies

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's has issued a recall "out of an abundance of caution" for several frozen vegetables - peas, beans, brocolli, and its "Trader Joe's Organic Foursome." http://goo.gl/hZSQ4E

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Woman Charged With Assaulting Postal Carrier

A Monrovia woman has been arrested by postal inspectors and charged with assaulting a postal carrier with pepper spray in Pasadena. https://goo.gl/cmb5nb

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Wild Rose Elementary Receives Its Third State Award

Monrovia's Wild Rose Elementary School, a Gold Ribbon School, was honored today for its Exemplary Arts Education Program Award and as a Title I Achieving School by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

Of 5,580 elementary schools in California only 38 were honored for having Exemplary Programs in Arts Education or Physical Education. Last month, Torlakson honored 779 schools with the Gold Ribbon Award, and Wild Rose was one of the recipients. Of those schools, 496 received the Title I Achieving Schools Award, and Wild Rose received that honor as well.

At Wild Rose, students are exposed to dance, instrumental music, choir, vocal lessons, drama, and visual arts. Ninety students in grades 1-5 are preparing for a drama production of "School House Rock Jr. Live" on May 19 at 6 PM and May 20 at 9:20 AM, 10:40 AM, and 6:00 PM in the school's cafeteria. The production is being coordinated by the music teacher, the office manager, and a retired teacher. The production is based on the award-winning 1970s cartoons which features fast-paced musical lessons with clever, catchy tunes to support history, grammar, and many other academic concepts.

All fourth grade students participate in a dance program one hour per week through the California Dance Institute (CDI). The Boone Foundation, a private and local donor that supports arts education in the area, funds this program to schools with low socioeconomic demographics who also have a high percentage of English language learners. This $10,000 gift allows the students access to an experience they may not be able to afford outside of the school setting. Thirty students participate in an after school dance club called SWAT and will perform in a culmination performance on June 2 at 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM at Clifton Middle School.

Students at Wild Rose receive visual arts instruction weekly. The school district and the school's PTA fund two visual arts teachers. As you drive by the perimeter of the school, you see three murals painted by fifth graders as the annual tradition of leaving their mark on their school. These murals are done in the likeness of famous masterpieces at the Huntington Library.

In Torlakson's press release, he stated,"I'm delighted to honor these schools and programs which are doing a tremendous job preparing our students for 21st century opportunities and graduating lifelong learners in the process." Likewise, Stacy Ayers, Wild Rose School Principal stated, "We are so proud our students have the opportunity to show off their talents and creativity when test scores are so often the focus in schools. It's important to give all students a chance to shine and showcase their strengths."

Wild Rose has about 525 students, approximately 78% of whom are disadvantaged. One-third of the students speak English as a second language. Despite these challenges, Wild Rose is a California Gold Ribbon School and a four time award winning Golden Bell School.

Source: Wild Rose press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council to Meet With Assemblyman About Stormwater, Policing

The Monrovia City Council and State Assemblyman Chris Holden (who represents the city) will hold a special meeting Thursday, May 5 at 4:30 p.m. to discuss two issues the city has been very bothered about: "MS4 Permit Concerns," which, I believe, is that whole "clean up your storm-water even though it'll cost several times your annual budget" thing, and "Proposition 47 and Law Enforcement Legislative Impacts." Police Chief Jim Hunt has been extremely critical of the law, which makes a lot more crimes misdemeanors. Here's a minimalist agenda: http://goo.gl/C83pB3

- Brad Haugaard

Municipal Services Discounts for Monrovia Seniors, Veterans, Low Income Residents

Did you know that Monrovia residents may be entitled to discounts of 5% or 25% off their municipal services bill? Yup. 5% off for seniors (65 and older) and 25% off for veterans and low income residents. Here's the sign-up form: http://goo.gl/iIZYVh . Thanks to former City Council candidate Stephan Grollnek for the tip.

- Brad Haugaard

Fire Training Exercises Above Monrovia; New Fire Division Chief; Movies in the Park; Clear-Your-Brush Letters

In his weekly report ( http://goo.gl/h2MVgG ), City Manager Oliver Chi reported these things ...

~ LA County Fire Department will be coordinating a training exercise on Friday, May 6, from 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Helispot 44-B in Monrovia, located north of Norumbega Drive (past Valmont Drive) just below Sawpit Dam.

~ The city has selected Jeremy Sanchez as its newest Fire Division Chief. He will be overseeing emergency preparedness, policies, technology, volunteer services, and brush clearance.

~ The Schedule for summer-time Movies in the Park. (All movies at dusk, about 8 p.m.)
- AntMan (PG-13), Saturday, June 18, Monrovia Historical Museum.
-  Hotel Transylvania 2 (PG), Saturday, July 9, Julian Fisher Park
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (PG-13), Saturday, July 23, Station Square Park
- The Good Dinosaur (PG), Saturday, August 6, Grand Ave Park

~ The City sent out almost 1,500 brush inspection reminder letters this past week to remind hillside residents about removing dry brush.

- Brad Haugaard

Ferris Bueller's Day Off Movie at Library

Free screening of the modern film classic, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Saturday, May 28, 10 a.m. at the Monrovia Public Library. To reserve free tickets call 205-4308 or email movie@monroviaproviders.org. Light refreshments and aging resources. Presented by Monrovia Providers Group: www.monroviaproviders.org