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Second Annual Monrovia Station Beer, Wine & Music Fest Sept. 16


The second annual Monrovia Station Beer, Wine & Music Fest is coming September 16. Craft beer, wine sampling, food trucks and live music at Station Square Park from 5-8 p.m. with limited VIP admission with ticket from 4-5 p.m. For those 21 and older only. Proceeds will benefit the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce and the Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills. Music by the Swinging 8 Balls, followed by the popular headliner, No Duh, a No Doubt Tribute band.

Ticket information and ticket purchases here: https://tinyurl.com/lbpv6xh

Bring valid photo identification and leave pets at home. Price of food is not included in admission. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and anything else you need to enjoy the evening outside. We can’t serve anyone who appears intoxicated, so please consume responsibly.

Station Square Park is at the Monrovia Metro Gold Line Station. Parking in the Metro lot is $3 per car. There is limited street parking.

Source: Monrovia Chamber of Commerce press release

- Brad Haugaard

Dedication Ceremony for Monrovia Canyon Park's New Entryway

Some photos of the ceremony celebrating the improvements to the entryway of Canyon Park from Gem City Images: https://goo.gl/KrDBXx

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Water Supplier Has to Buy 40.7 Billion Gallons of Water

In his weekly report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O), City Manager Oliver Chi reports ...

~ Our Watermaster has just purchased 40.7 billion gallons of water, which will cost more than $100 million. That means water bills will go up across the San Gabriel Valley, including Monrovia, but by how much is unclear at the moment.

The drought may be over for the rest of California - as Gov. Jerry Brown announced - but for the Main San Gabriel Basin (MSGB) Chi writess that "we are still in the midst of a serious drought situation," made worse by communities thinking the drought is over.

The water level ticked up a smidge after last year's rains, but it is going back down again and "if we do nothing, our groundwater levels will fall below the lowest levels ever recorded by this coming Fall 2017. If that happens, it is likely that 10% of all water production wells in the Main San Gabriel Basin – including water production wells in Monrovia – will go dry by the end of 2017."

The city plans to have an assessment completed and ready for review in September.

~ Here is a video explaining the water situation: https://goo.gl/xxRjq8

~ Water rules: Water no more than every fourth day, no more than 15 minutes per landscaped area (except for drip irrigation systems, new planting of low-water usage plants, or if using reclaimed water), and only between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.

~ Free earthquake workshop with guest speaker Margaret Vinci from CalTech. Saturday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Library Community Room. Sponsored by the Monrovia Fire Department and the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group. RSVP (required) here: https://goo.gl/xaCBeN

- Brad Haugaard

Photo Report on How Monrovia Train Depot Rehab is Going

Some photos of how the rehab of the Monrovia train depot is coming along. https://goo.gl/gXvw3n

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Victim Finds His Stolen Car, Police Arrest Suspect; Boyfriend Accused of Battering Girlfriend; Sleeper Arrested; Etc.

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

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
August 3 at 12:29 p.m., a caller reported a possible theft in the area of Duarte and Magnolia. Officers arrived and located three subjects sitting at a bus bench, one of them matched the description of the theft suspect given to police. The investigation revealed that no crime was committed; however, one of the detained subjects was found to have two no-bail warrants for his arrest. The subject was arrested, booked and later released to the Redondo Beach Police Department on the warrant.

Commercial Burglary
August 4 at 8:30 a.m., a commercial burglary was reported at a business in the 2600 block of S. Myrtle Avenue. The victim locked and left his business on July 28 at 8:00 a.m. When he returned on August 4, he noticed the locks to his storage garage door were missing and he found car parts were missing from inside.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
August 4 at 2:41 p.m., a domestic violence incident was reported in the 200 block of W. Evergreen. The victim called to report that she was battered by her boyfriend. An officer responded and contacted both subjects. The victim alleged she was punched in the face and had visible injuries. The suspect was arrested, booked and is being held pending his court appearance.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered – Suspect Arrested
August 4 at 2:44 p.m., the victim of a grand theft auto that was stolen out of Baldwin Park located his vehicle in Monrovia in the 3300 block of S. Peck Road. He called police and was waiting for assistance, when the suspect arrived and entered the vehicle using a shaved key to try and start the car. Officers arrived and the suspect was detained. He was arrested, booked and held pending his court appearance.

Vandalism
August 5 at 7:47 a.m., a vandalism incident was reported at a park in the 300 block of N. Grand Avenue. Graffiti was spray painted on the steps going down to the park. Graffiti removal was advised.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
August 5 at 11:02 a.m., police dispatch received a call reporting a subject causing a disturbance at Foothill and Alta Vista. When officers arrived, the subject was identified and found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested for the warrant and taken into custody.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
August 6 at 3:25 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 200 block of W. Huntington regarding a subject parked at the location all day and sleeping in his vehicle. When officers arrived on scene, the subject was still asleep and they could see hypodermic needles in the vehicle. They woke the subject, who consented to a vehicle search. Needles and a methamphetamine pipe were found inside the vehicle. The suspect was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Monrovia Back To School Night Schedule

Here's the schedule for Monrovia's back-to-school nights:

Mayflower Elementary - August 22
Wild Rose Elementary - August 24
Santa Fe Middle School - August 28
Bradoaks Elementary - August 29
Monrovia High School - August 30
Monroe Elementary - August 31
Plymouth Elementary - September 5
Clifton Middle School - September 7

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Sena



Dinner at Sena, on the west side of Myrtle right across from the theater.  Got a Chimichurri Chicken Burrito for $9 and a $5 happy-hour beer. Okay, now I'm conflicted. I love the short rib tacos but now I love the chimichurri burrito as well. Sigh. Life is full of hard decisions. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Another Catalytic Converter Stolen; All Four Tires Stolen; Ex-Girlfriend Busts Window; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 31 – August 2. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 409 service events, resulting in 66 investigations.

Grand Theft
August 1 at 10:50 a.m., a theft was reported in the 400 block of E. Lemon. The victim parked his vehicle in front of his residence overnight. When he returned to his vehicle in the morning, he heard a loud noise from underneath his vehicle when he started the ignition and upon inspection saw the catalytic converter was missing. The investigation is continuing.

Trespassing – Suspect Arrested
August 1 at 8:26 p.m., dispatch received a call from a resident in the 200 block of E. Palm regarding a subject at the location refusing to leave. Officers were dispatched to the residence and advised the subject to leave. The subject left but later returned to the location and continued to be a disturbance. Officers were called back to the residence and the subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Vandalism
August 1 at 10:52 p.m., a vandalism was reported in the 700 block of W. Foothill. The victim called the police to report that his front window had just been shattered. Officers arrived to the location and determined the victim's ex-girlfriend went to the victim’s house and shattered his front window. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
August 2 at 9:55 a.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 1300 block of S. Mountain on the report of a theft. The employee explained that the location is a vehicle storage lot for a local auto dealer. When employees arrived they noticed a new Dodge Challenger was missing all four of its tires and rims. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence / Injury Traffic Collision
August 2 at 4:49 p.m., officers responded to a traffic collision at the intersection of Monterey and Huntington Dr. One vehicle hit a parked vehicle and then rolled over. The driver admitted he had been drinking and he was taken to a hospital.

$30,000 to Plan How to Help 39 People; Bike Plan for Roads; Save Water; Etc.


In his weekly report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Oliver Chi reports that ...

~ Monrovia is eligible for a $30,000 planning grant to develop programs for responding to the 39 homeless people in town.

~ The city has prepared a bike plan involving street striping and signs to go with it. Here are the streets that will be marked: https://goo.gl/2ksMDp

~ We're still only supposed to water once every four days for 15 minutes per sprinkler between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. Details here: https://goo.gl/23CHBd

~ Monrovia Renewal is coming to the northwest part of town (west of Myrtle between Colorado and Hillcrest). Water and sewer lines and street repairs. Work begins this month.

~ The entry to Canyon Park will be dedicated on Tuesday, Aug. 8, at 4 p.m. Comment: I've seen it; it looks nice!

~ Learn from a NASA Solar System Ambassador about the solar eclipse on August 21 in the Community Room at the Library, Saturday, Aug. 5, from 2-4 p.m. Plus, make an eclipse viewers or solar oven.

~ Tickets are now on sale for the first Wine Walk, on August 26. Explore local businesses and drink wine. You can buy tickets for $40 or $45 at the door. Get them from a local non-profit: Centre Stage, Monrovia Duarte Black Alumni Association, Monrovia Youth Baseball League, Monrovia Reads, or Monrovia Latino Heritage Society. Or here: https://goo.gl/P5txSf

- Brad Haugaard



Monrovia Police: No Helmet, and Carrying Firearm; Son Accused of Shoving Mom; Bad Taillight and Meth; Antique Bike Stolen; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 27-30. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 426 service events, resulting in 86 investigations.

Attempt Residential Burglary
July 27at 8:48 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of N. May called police to report two suspicious subjects on the side of her neighbor’s home. The resident was washing her vehicle in her driveway and watched the subjects look into the home and remove the window screen. The subjects fled east on Prospect in a silver 4 door vehicle prior to officers’ arrival. The investigation is ongoing.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery – Suspect Arrested
July 27 at 5:10 p.m., officers on patrol in the 2000 block of South Myrtle located a stolen vehicle. The officers made a traffic stop and detained two female suspects. The driver was detained and taken into custody.

Weapon Offense / Suspended License – Suspect Arrested
July 27 at 10:28 p.m., an officer on patrol in the area of Lime and Canyon stopped a motorcyclist for a vehicle code violation. The motorcyclist had a passenger not wearing a helmet. Further investigation revealed that the driver had a firearm in a compartment of the motorcycle and neither the driver or the passenger had a valid license.

Vehicle Burglary
July 28 at 3:28 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 900 block of W. Huntington Dr. regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim parked and locked her vehicle and went into the establishment to eat lunch. She returned about an hour later to find her vehicle window had been shattered, no loss could be determined. The investigation is continuing.

Elder Abuse
July 28 at 3:40 p.m., officers responded an elder abuse call. The hospital called the police to report an elderly woman was being treated for a back injury caused by a family member and an Adult Protective Services referral was being completed. Officers made contact with the victim who said her son pushed her causing her to fall. The investigation is ongoing.

Warrant / Possession Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
July 29 at 3:34 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 100 block of W. Duarte and noticed a vehicle with a broken tail lamp. The officer stopped the vehicle for the violation and further investigation revealed the driver had a no bail warrant and had methamphetamine in his possession. The suspect was taken into custody and booked.

Vehicle Burglary
July 29 at 11:16 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 300 block of Grand. The victim parked and locked his vehicle in front of his home on July 27. When he returned to his vehicle, he noticed his third row seat had been stolen from his vehicle. No witnesses, forced entry or evidence was found. The investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
July 29 at 6:56 p.m., a domestic violence incident was reported in the 1000 block of Orange. Officers arrived and determined a male subject at the residence was the primary aggressor. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
July 30 at 8:01 a.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 300 block of W. Huntington on the report of a burglary. The employee arrived for work in the morning and noticed the front window was smashed. The officers conducted an interior check and discovered someone tried to open the safe, possibly with a sledge hammer. No loss was noted other than the broken window. The investigation is continuing

Petty Theft – Suspect Arrested
July 30 at 1:50 p.m., a theft of an antique bicycle was reported by employees at a business in the 400 block of S. Myrtle. An area search was done and an officer noticed a female in the area of Maple and Primrose with a bicycle wheel. Apparently the tires did not have any air in them and the suspect approached a local business owner asking to help put air in them. The officer arrested the female who was later cited and released.

Residential Burglary
July 30 at 6:26 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 100 block of N. Sunset. The resident had an open house and during the open house a ring, one thousand dollars and some credit cards were stolen. The investigation is on-going.

Vehicle Burglary
July 30 at 8:13 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 800 block of E. Olive. The victim locked her vehicle, but left a window slightly down and walked to the skate park. A few minutes later she saw some subjects loitering near her vehicle. When she walked towards them, they got into a vehicle and fled. Her iPhone 7 was stolen from inside her vehicle. Investigation is ongoing.

Theft / Traffic Offense – Suspect Arrested
July 31 at 12:37 a.m., an officer on patrol in the 700 block of E. Huntington stopped a bicyclist for a vehicle code violation. Further investigation revealed the subject was in possession of a stolen credit card. The suspect was taken into custody and booked.

Resisting / Delaying – Suspect Arrested
July 31 at 4:02 a.m., an officer on patrol in the area of California and Lemon conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding. The driver was showing symptoms of being under the influence. When the officer asked him to exit the vehicle, the subject would not comply and began reaching for the center console. Officers ordered the subject out of the vehicle and as soon as he exited the vehicle, he attempted to run and became resistive as the officers tried to detain him. The suspect was apprehended, arrested and booked.

'Marilyn Monrovia' Running For Actor's Union Presidency


A former Monrovian who goes by the stage name, Marilyn Monrovia, is running for president of Sag-Aftra (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), the union that represents people in the entertainment industry. 

She writes that she "lived in Monrovia since 1995, although I am now married and moved to Chapman Woods.  I was playing roller derby with the Prison City Derby Dames in 2010-11.  That is when I adopted the stage name Marilyn Monrovia, since I have been working in Hollywood doing background and any such work.  This is my second time to run." The ballots were mailed July 24 and are due by Aug 23.

She adds that, "I have been studying servant leadership skills in Boy Scouting. My son Bret is in Troop 21 in Sierra Madre."

- Brad Haugaard 

Tribute Ceremony for Monrovia Couple Who Drowned

About 200 people attended a tribute to the Monrovia couple, Raul and his wife Esmeralda Gonzalez who drowned at Lake Havasu. https://goo.gl/1inVLw

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council Plans Old Town Parking Structures; Cafe at the Library? Etc.

Proposed location of parking structure, between Lemon and Lime just south of the Library.

At its next regular meeting (agenda: https://goo.gl/3EXuZe ), the Monrovia City Council will ...

~ Consider an "exclusive negotiating agreement," good until Jan. 1, 2018, with Robhana Group to build a parking structure on what is now "the City parking lot situated between Lime Avenue to the north, Lemon Avenue to the south, Primrose Avenue to the west, and Myrtle Avenue to the east." https://goo.gl/yk5Z26

~ Hold a public hearing to discuss vacating the eastern half of the alley that goes west from Myrtle to Primrose between Chestnut and Walnut to secure enough land to build a parking structure. https://goo.gl/WjYJfQ. Comment: As this appears to be a different location from the previous parking structure item, it is apparently a different parking structure.

~ Consider the Library's proposed strategic plan ( https://goo.gl/4cU79N ), which includes the possibility of a library cafe, better wifi (needed!), and revised library hours.

~ Consider selling the property located at 498 Monrovista Avenue to T.I. Industry Corporation for $220,000. https://goo.gl/uHhyA8

~ Consider selling the property at 1234 Sherman Avenue to Bowden Development, Inc., for $210,000. https://goo.gl/RwhWGe

~ Earlier, before its regular meeting, the Monrovia City Council will hold a study session to consider "CalPERS Pension and Water Supply Challenges." https://goo.gl/wc4AdY

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Luscious Dumpling



Dinner at Luscious Dumpling, in the shopping center at Duarte Road and Sixth. Got the Steamed Soup Dumplings for $8.50, an Angus Stewed Beef Noodle soup for $7 and a Diet Coke for $1.50. It was all excellent and the dumplings were indeed luscious. And no, I didn't eat all the dumplings by myself. I'm not that big a piggy. I shared. Note: This is a cash only business, no credit cards. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Art Walk in Old Town Monrovia Saturday Night


Art walk tomorrow along Myrtle in Old Town, 7-9 p.m. July 29. Art displays, art for sale, art demonstrations and live music.

- Brad Haugaard

Get a Kitty at CatCon


The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA, which services Monrovia, will facilitate on-site adoptions at CatCon, the annual convention where pop culture and cat culture converge. More than 100 cats and kittens will be available for adoption over the course of the two day event held at the Pasadena Convention Center on August 12 and 13.

The adoption fee will be reduced to $20 for one cat or two for $30, both at the event and at the shelter’s physical location at 361 S. Raymond Avenue in Pasadena. All adoptions include the spay/neuter surgery, microchip and up-to-date vaccines. Cats and kittens will be ready to take home the same day.

CatCon will be on Saturday, August 12 from 9am to 6pm and Sunday, August 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets available at catconworldwide.com. Use the promo code PHS to take $5 off the price of a ticket.

The Pasadena Humane Society will also be providing adoptable cats for Buzzfeed's "Party Right Meow," a CatCon After Dark Event at The Rose in Pasadena on Saturday, August 12.

Source: Pasadena Humane Society press release

- Brad Haugaard

Almost-Always-Done Building Across From Library - Is Delay Because of Cost of Electrical System?

The problem with the always-almost-done building on the east side of Myrtle across from the Library is that it doesn't have electricity, and according to Old Town merchant Pam Fitzpatrick it doesn't look likely that it will get electricity. She says that the original electrical service needs to be replaced with a service that can run a two-story building with an elevator, which means a new transformer, and she wonders if the problem is that this would "cost a boatload of change." https://goo.gl/BZbw9Y

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Golf Clubs Theft; Drunk Driving; Lost Man Found

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 24-26. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 426 service events, resulting in 86 investigations.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested

July 24 at 9:14 p.m., officers responded to a call reporting a subject passed out inside a vehicle in the 800 block of W. Duarte Road. Through investigation, the officers determined the subject was intoxicated and had been driving. The subject was arrested for driving under the influence and taken into custody.

Critical Missing – Subject Located

July 24 at 11:03 p.m., an 82-year-old man with Alzheimer’s was reported missing from a residence in the 200 block of Montana. Officers were dispatched and began canvassing the area. Police dispatch began calling local jurisdictions to advise them of the critical missing, and while talking to an employee from Metro, it was discovered that sheriff’s deputies were with the missing person at the Arcadia Metro Station. The subject was reunited with his family.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested

July 25 at 11:20 p.m., an officer on patrol observed a vehicle speeding on Myrtle. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and observed the driver displaying symptoms of being intoxicated. After further investigation, the driver was determined to be driving under the influence and was arrested.

Residential Burglary

July 26 at 6:29 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 800 block of W. Duarte Road. Unknown suspect(s) entered through an unsecured sliding door at the rear of the location and took two laptops and several credit cards. The credit cards were then used at a gas station and a store in Pasadena. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft

July 26 at 7:28 p.m., a grand theft incident was reported at a hotel in the 300 block of W. Foothill. A male, white suspect entered the hotel and stole a bag of golf clubs. He fled the location on foot. The investigation is continuing. 

Auditions for JFed Players 'Twilight Zone'

Auditions for the JFed Players Community Theatre Ensemble's next production, "Twilight Zone" will be held next week - July 30th, 31st, and August first - with performances in October.
This iconic series created by Rod Serling took us all to another dimension, ". . .a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind." The four episodes, presented as four one-act plays with one intermission, will explore personal reactions to fear and loneliness, one even punctuated with humor. Audition dates and times: Sunday, July 30, 3-5 p.m.; Monday, July 31, 7-9 p.m.; Tuesday, August 1, 7-9 p.m. Auditions at the Jewish Federation, 114A Lime Ave., Monrovia. Performances will be in October at a venue in the San Gabriel Valley. For more information call the Jewish Federation at 445-0810.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Groundwater is Really Low; Wine Walk; Etc.



In his weekly update City Manager Oliver Chi reports ...

~ Groundwater is barely above its lowest level, and is falling. Without conservation it will be below its record low by this fall. So... water before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. to minimize water loss, only once every four days, no more than 15 minutes per landscaped area. Note: 15-minute limit does not apply to drip irrigation systems, new planting of low-water usage plants, or if reclaimed water is being used as permitted by law.

~ Monrovia's first Wine Walk will be on Aug. 26, in Old Town, to introduce people to all the businesses in Old Town. Participants will stroll through Old Town, enter businesses, and sample a variety of wine, while exploring each business and its offerings. Music, too.

~ Monrovia will be featured in the September issue of the Old House Journal. The two articles are about Frank and Tammy Guarino's kitchen restoration in their 1926 English Cottage, and the second article is about the community as a whole.

~ The badly angled street sign located at Foothill Boulevard and Fifth Avenue wasn't hung by the city, but by the county. Chi says at last word the sign should be fixed within a week or two.

~ The Veterans Resource Center at the Monrovia Public Library interviewed Richard McCubbins, an Air Force veteran during Vietnam, on video. See it here: https://goo.gl/oVi2KW

~ Monrovia Association of Fine Arts presents its Summer Art Walk this Saturday from 7-10 p.m. along Myrtle in Old Town. Local artists, including painters, sculptors, photographers, jewelry designers, ceramic artists, art demonstrations, and music.

~ The new entryway to Canyon Park will be dedicated on Tuesday, Aug. 8, at 4 p.m.

~ The Pasadena Humane Society will host a low-cost wellness clinic in Monrovia on Aug. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at Library Park. Low-cost vaccines, microchipping and pet licensing. Dogs must be on leash, and cats must be in carriers.  For more information call the Pasadena Humane Society at 792- 7151, ext. 132.

- Brad Haugaard