Cell Tower About to be Installed Near Canyon Park

This cell phone tower is ready to be installed next to the dam keeper’s old house next to Canyon Park. I think it is going to be disguised as a tree. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Will Have to Change Its Election Dates; Halloween Events; Free Compost; Walk Through the Library Online

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

~ The state is requiring all cities that have “a significant decrease in voter turnout” for municipal elections to consolidate their elections with a statewide election. Since that describes us, Monrovia will have to consolidate its elections from March in odd numbered years to either November or March in even numbered years. Chi said  the City Council prefers March "to try and keep local municipal elections as non-partisan as possible. The council plans to discuss this issue in greater detail at its November 7, meeting.

~ Halloween in Old Town will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 3 to 6 p.m. in Old Town and Library Park. Costume judging (including for dogs), activity booths and a photo booth. sponsored by the Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board. More than 4,000 kids participate annually and this year at least 28 merchants are participating, more than ever before.

~ Monrovia Canyon Park is hosting a Build-a-Bat-Box event at the Nature Center in Canyon Park (1200 N. Canyon Blvd.) on Sunday, Oct. 29, from 1 to 3 p.m. Bats eat mosquitoes - yum! Park staff will provide supplies, tools, and instructions. Supplies limited. For more information, call Canyon Park Rangers at 256-8282.

~ Compost and mulch giveaway event with Athens Services from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Oct. 29, at the City's Public Works Yard (600 S. Mountain Ave.). All Monrovia residents are eligible for this self-serve event. Bring a copy of your ID or your Athens bill, and your own containers (no plastic bags). For questions call the Public Works Division at 932-5575.

~ Google has added a "street view" of the inside of the Monrovia Public Library. If you haven't been there you can wander into the adult and children's section right here: https://goo.gl/buUnbf

- Brad Haugaard

Trick or Treat at Huntington Oaks

Trick or Treat party at Huntington Oaks Shopping Center, Oct. 31 from 5-7 p.m. Music, sing-alongs, scary stories, and participating merchants will be handing out candy. https://goo.gl/orHaXC

- Brad Haugaard

Learn About (And Buy) Less Thirsty Plants

There will be a water-wise gardening fair and native plant sale at Library Park on Oct. 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Stolen Cars; Drunk Drivers; Shoplifters and So Forth

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 19-22. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
October 19 at 7:38 a.m., an employee from a business in the 800 block of E. Huntington reported a disturbing subject walking in and out of the business. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. A computer check of the subject revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. The subject was arrested for the warrant.

Trespassing / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
October 19 at 8:20 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 900 block of S. Fifth Avenue regarding a subject causing a disturbance. The subject had a no-trespassing order signed against him and was not supposed to be at the location. Officers arrived and located the subject. He was arrested for trespassing and was also found to be in possession of narcotics, which was added to his charges.

Grand Theft Auto
October 19 at 9:37 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 400 block of Pearl Avenue. The vehicle is a white BMW and it was taken sometime during the night. All keys are accounted for and the investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting / Grand Theft Auto – Suspects Arrested
October 19 at 8:25 p.m., loss prevention at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington called police to report two female subjects that had just stolen items and left the business without paying. Officers arrived and detained the two subjects in the parking lot. The vehicle they were in was reported stolen out of Linwood. One of the subjects was arrested for shoplifting and the other was arrested for grand theft auto.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspects Arrested
October 19 at 9:37 p.m., a hit and run traffic collision was reported at California and Walnut. A vehicle struck two parked cars and continued driving away from the scene. A second caller reported that the suspect had stopped in the roadway near Shamrock and Central and was now walking north on Shamrock. Officers arrived and located the suspect and the suspect vehicle. The suspect was not injured and no other occupants were inside the vehicle. Through investigation, the driver was determined to be intoxicated. The suspect was arrested for driving under the influence, held for a sobering period and later released on a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Injury Traffic Collision
October 20 at 1:58 a.m., a solo vehicle, roll-over traffic collision in the 900 block of W. Olive was reported to police. Officers arrived and saw the driver standing outside of the vehicle. The driver had a minor cut on his wrist and refused to be taken to a hospital. The driver said he lost control of the vehicle as he turned the corner. The driver was released at the scene with a citation.

Shoplifting
October 20 at 1:07 p.m., loss prevention at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington called police to report a theft. Two female suspects were seen concealing items inside bags in the store. They exited the store without attempting to pay for the items. The suspects fled the area in a vehicle before officers arrived. An area search was conducted, but the suspects were not located. The investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 20 at 7:41 p.m., a female subject was reported lying on the sidewalk at Alta Vista and Duarte with her feet hanging off the curb into the street. The caller was concerned for the subject's welfare. An officer responded and located the subject sleeping on the sidewalk. The officer determined the female was too intoxicated to care for herself. She was arrested for public intoxication and taken into custody. She was held for a sobering period and then released on a citation to appear in court.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 21 at 2:30 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation and contacted the driver, who displayed signs of intoxication. A DUI investigation was completed and the subject was arrested, booked, and held for a sobering period. The suspect was later released with a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Grand Theft Auto Recovered
October 21 at 10:34 a.m., a caller reported a vehicle that was parked on the street in a no parking zone in the 800 block of E. Lime. An officer was dispatched and through a computer check, discovered the vehicle was reported stolen. The officer recovered the vehicle and removed the vehicle from the stolen vehicle system.

Grand Theft Auto
October 21 at 7:45 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 1600 block of S. Mountain. The victim reported her white Honda Civic was taken while she was at work. All keys are accounted for and the investigation is continuing.

Citrus College Ranks High in Making Student Transfers Easy

Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, ranks fifth among California's 113 community colleges for producing associate degrees for transfer (ADT), a state program designed to make it easier for students to transfer. This has again earned the college recognition from the Campaign for College Opportunity, a California-based nonprofit research and advocacy organization.

Source: Citrus press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Historical Tour; TJ's Recalls Veggies; Another Bear Video

~ Learn why Monrovia was the fourth city incorporated in LA County, which public vote in Monrovia's history was unanimous, and more during a two hour walk through downtown Monrovia with the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group. $5 per person. Meet at the southeast corner of Palm and Myrtle Avenues on Saturday, November 4, at 10 a.m. https://goo.gl/I9gLrc

~ Vegetables sold by Monrovia-based Trader Joe's (also Walmart) recalled. Possible listeria. https://goo.gl/naeUKN

~ Yet another video of yet another family of bears bathing in yet another Monrovia pool. https://goo.gl/kCWPBZ

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board: 'Screenagers' and 'Building Assets, Reducing Risks'

At its next meeting (agenda) the Monrovia School Board will consider...

~ Purchasing three screening permits for the film "Screenagers," one each for Monrovia High ($550), and for Clifton and Santa Fed middle schools ($250 each). Screenagers "probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including the director's own, and depicts messy struggles, over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through surprising insights from authors and brain scientists solutions emerge on how we can empower kids to best navigate the digital world." Here's the movie's website: https://www.screenagersmovie.com/

~ Approving a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation for the implementation of the Building Assets, Reducing Risks model in two Monrovia schools. I found this about the program: "BARR is a whole-school model for grades 6-12 that provides schools with a comprehensive approach to meeting students' academic, social and emotional needs." And here is it's website.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Student is National Merit Scholar Semifinalist

Monrovia High senior Nathan Nakamura has been named as a National Merit Scholar semifinalist for earning a score on his PSAT that places him in the top 1 percent of high school seniors nationwide. Also, five Monrovia High students were named as commended scholars and three earned a place in the National Hispanic Recognition Program. https://goo.gl/GNCdU8

- Brad Haugaard

Review of ‘Renaissance Years: A History of Modern Monrovia’

Many years ago I was attending a city-sponsored meeting in Arcadia as a reporter for the Arcadia Tribune newspaper. At this meeting a prominent Arcadia businessman exploded in frustration: "Why can't we be more like Monrovia!?"

Well, the just-published, Renaissance Years: A History of Modern Monrovia, by Richard Singer, explains what happened in Monrovia that made Arcadians envy us.

Singer is well positioned to write this history as he is a former public information officer for Monrovia, and before that executive director of the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce, and before that editor of the Foothill Intercity Newspapers, four newspapers, including the Monrovia News-Post and the Arcadia Tribune. (I worked as a reporter for him just in case you want to adjust your assessment of this review.)

This is not a coffee-table picture book, it is a scholarly 369 pages (or 407 if you include references and index) of mostly text, though it does include a nice selection of pictures. It is well researched and nicely written.

It is also opinionated, though in a mild way, but you probably won't have trouble determining Singer's estimate of people (for example, I don't think he and Richard Mountjoy ever got together for a casual beer and a laugh), but he warns you in the introduction that this will be the case. He writes: "There may be times when you'll find yourself thinking, 'Well, that's his opinion,' and you'll be right. It is."

The book traces Monrovia from its beginnings to 2017, focusing initially on race relations since they - along with economics - played a part in creating the problem that Monrovia not only recovered from, but soared above.

But that is just setting the stage. The meat of the book is the story of the politics of redevelopment and to a lesser degree of reform at the school district.

I learned a lot. For instance:

- How a saloon and local Baptists hurried Monrovia along the path of incorporation.

- How Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley helped Monrovia get the Huntington Oaks shopping center built.

- How Monrovia butted in front of a line of about 200 people (literally, not figuratively) to get a grant. Hmmm. Effective but doesn't seem exactly cricket.

- How Director of Community Development Don Hopper ordered the utilites turned off for a recalcitrant business on Huntington Drive, but accidentally gave an address on Foothill Boulevard, a building that belonged to ...

- How Monrovia came to have a directly elected mayor (most cities our size just rotate the mayor's office among the council members).

- About a candidate who had a stroke during a candidates forum, and later died from it.

Notice I'm not telling the whole story? That's so you'll buy the book.

Anyway, Renaissance Years is a great, professionally written record of the politics of a very important period in Monrovia history. Though some may disagree at points I would not quibble about the elements of the story I know first-hand, though there were instances where I believe there was more that could be said, but ... well ... it's already a pretty big book.

Finally, though it is very well written, I still think the best thing Singer has written was a column for the Monrovia News-Post about buying his wife a B-29 bomber control stick for her birthday. Maybe that will be in his next book.

You can get Renaissance Years at the Monrovia Historical Museum, through the Monrovia Historical Society, at The Dollmakers in Old Town, and at the Library. It should be on Amazon after the first of the year. The full $30 cost goes to support Monrovia historical projects, such as the museum, the Anderson House and the Legacy Project.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Hon Sushi

Dinner at Hon Sushi, on the north side of the Pavilions shopping center parking lot. Got the chicken and beef teriyaki dinner for $11.99 and a large beer for $6.95. Nice. Sorry about the picture. I took a few bites before remembering I needed to take a picture. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Preview of Junk Mail

Now this I've never seen. The US Postal Service just sent my wife an email showing the front of all the mail that is about to be delivered to our house.

Now if it let us checkmark all the letters they can just throw away, that might be useful.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Disloyal With Loyalty Rewards; Break-In From Car to Garage to House; Mower Stolen; Stealing Mail; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 16-18. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 419 service events, resulting in 78 investigations.

Grand Theft Auto
October 16 at 12:38 p.m., officers responded to the 800 block of W. Walnut regarding the report of a suspicious vehicle. Officers arrived and as they attempted to contact a male subject who was exiting the vehicle, he fled the area on foot. An area search was conducted with the assistance of the Foothill Air Support Team helicopter, but the suspect was not located. The vehicle was found to be a reported stolen vehicle and mail from various locations was found inside, indicating the suspect was most likely involved in fraud activities. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
October 17 at 10:18 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 300 block of Heather Heights regarding the theft of a lawn mower. The victim told the officer the theft actually occurred on October 10. The victim had his lawn mower chained to the bed of his truck while he was doing yard work in the backyard of a residence. When he returned to the truck, he discovered his lock had been cut and the mower was missing. The investigation is continuing.

Theft of Mail
October 17 at 4:21 p.m., a theft of mail was reported at a residence in the 300 block of W. Walnut. A suspect was seen opening the resident's mail on the porch and removing the contents. The suspect was described as a male Hispanic, shaved head, wearing black glasses, a black t-shirt and blue jeans. The suspect fled on a bicycle prior to police arrival. A search was conducted, but the suspect was not located. The investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
October 17 at 5:58 p.m., a business in the 300 block of Huntington Drive called police to report a theft. A security guard at the location confronted a subject who was concealing merchandise in a shopping bag. The subject returned the merchandise to the shelf, but then became aggressive toward the security guard. The subject advanced on the security guard and a struggle ensued. Officers responded and the subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft – Suspect Arrested
October 18 at 6:22 p.m., a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington called police to report a grand theft. An employee had used a loyalty rewards account to steal money from the business. The employee had confessed when he was confronted. The suspect came to the police station to give a statement and confessed his crime to the investigating officer. He was arrested for grand theft.

Burglary
October 19 at 5:10 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of N. Sunset called police to report items were stolen from his home office, garage and vehicles. It appears the suspect entered an unsecured vehicle and obtained a garage door opener. The suspect opened the garage and then entered the interior of the house. The residents were home at the time, but were unaware of the crime. The burglary occurred sometime between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Some of the items taken were two laptop computers, an Ipad, and a docking station. The investigation is continuing.

Thanks to Karin at Monrovia Chamber of Commerce

I just got this note from correspondent Rosemari Annear and agree with her that this is a great example of Monrovians going out of their way to help each other. She writes ...

"I am new to this but wanted to know if I could add something good to fellow Monrovians. Several weeks ago I was preparing for a trip which involved taking the gold line in the morning. I called Monrovia transit for a ride to the station, was told we have 3 vans, they're fully booked, uber didn't respond & no taxi either. I called the Chamber of Commerce, spoke with Korinne Karin, explained this and jokingly said 'unless you can take me.' She asked where I lived and said yes she could! Its so nice to know there are people here who are able and go out of their way for others. So, again, thank you Korinne Karin!"

Update: "Hi All, They got the name wrong! It was not me that helped her it was KARIN! She deserves the recognition not me! - Korrine"

- Brad Haugaard

Smitten on Paper Now Open Saturdays

For the holiday season Monrovia's Smitten on Paper, a custom stationery and paper goods company, will be open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Before it was only open Monday-Friday. To celebrate the new hours it will hold a one time Seconds Sale of products with slight flaws. There will be pre-packaged and create-your-own grab bags of paper scraps, envelopes, ribbon, packaging and other retired inventory from $1. "We've had requests to open on weekends since we opened and we're ready to take our business to the next level," says Smitten On Paper Creative Director, Amy Gonzales. The store is at 114 East Lemon Ave., between Myrtle and the Fire station.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Talk on National Parks at Monrovia Garden Club Meeting

Lincoln Fairchild, PhD, will discuss, "National Parks: Americas Best Idea," at the Monrovia Garden Club monthly meeting on Tuesday Oct. 24. The meetings are held at First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Myrtle and Foothill, in the Fireside Room on the north side of the parking lot. The meetings start at 7 p.m. with a social hour at 6:30 p.m., where light refreshments will be served. Visitors are welcome.

- Brad Haugaard

TJ Maxx and HomeGoods Opening Sunday; Aldi Coming December; And in 2018: Ulta Beauty, My Pet Garden

Warner Pacific Properties, a real estate investment and development company, announced today the opening of a new T.J.Maxx/HomeGoods combo store at the newly repositioned Monrovia Landing at 735 and 737 E. Huntington Drive (Historic Route 66) and S. Shamrock Avenue, in the City of Monrovia, California. The new store will celebrate its grand opening on Sunday, October 22nd, at 8 a.m.

"We're humbled by the community's excitement for this weekend's opening of T.J.Maxx and HomeGoods, and also for the ALDI store opening planned for early December," said Michael Odell, principal and co-founder of Warner Pacific Properties. "These retailers are grateful to finally have stores in Monrovia, and be able to better serve its residents and nearby communities."

Warner Pacific Properties acquired the property in February 2016, and at the time of the acquisition, the 98,000-square-foot retail center consisted of a vacated Albertsons grocery store building and an O'Reilly Auto Parts store and was shadow anchored by Michaels (not included in the sale). Monrovia Landing is part of a larger retail development referred to as the Shamrock Center, which includes a 24-Hour Fitness, Yoshinoya and Taco Bell.

"It's been a collaborative effort, and we're grateful for our tenants and partners, as they quickly bought into our redevelopment vision for this property," said John Odell, principal and co-founder of Warner Pacific Properties. "Our lender, Calmwater Capital, was particularly helpful and, instead of seeing the old building that sat vacant for several years, they immediately recognized this building's potential and they facilitated our business plan. It has been incredibly rewarding to bring an old building back to life, and recycle structures instead of demolishing them."

John Odell added, "The City of Monrovia has been extremely cooperative and we can't thank them enough for their continued assistance."

The retail building was originally developed in 1973 as a Super Kmart and was then acquired by Lucky Grocery Stores in 1997, and then later by Albertsons. One notable historical point, according to Odell, is the mural on the former Albertsons' building that pays homage to the Monrovia Airport that once existed across the street from 1928-1953. Warner Pacific Properties preserved the mural, which has a prominent focal point in the new shopping center.

New tenants, ALDI, a national grocery retailer with nearly 1,700 U.S. stores in 35 states, is slated to open on Dec. 7, and ULTA Beauty, the largest beauty retailer in the U.S., is expected to open in the second quarter of 2018. Additionally, Monrovia Landing will have several smaller shop spaces, including My Pet Garden, a local pet store currently operating in Pasadena.

Warner Pacific Properties has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with ALDI and has facilitated over 100 ALDI projects from coast-to-coast. Brothers John and Michael Odell co-founded Warner Pacific Properties more than 10 years ago, focusing on the acquisition of well-priced properties, special situation properties and properties in need of rehabilitation or repositioning in major metro areas around the country. In addition to the repositioning of the Monrovia Landing shopping center, the company's West Coast office has acquired apartment communities, unanchored retail shopping centers and is evaluating a variety of retail and mixed-use development opportunities.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Dog Park in Monrovia?

Peter Hanley writes on Facebook that City Manager Oliver Chi told the Chamber of Commerce that the city is considering creating a dog park. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Mt. Wilson Fire Not Currently a Threat to Monrovia; Pink Police Car; Lieutenants become Captains; Recliner Chairs at Theater

The city's pink police car.

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

~ The city had one of its police cars wrapped in pink to support  the Pink Patch Project, which raises awareness for breast cancer research.

~ The fire near Mt. Wilson is nowhere near Monrovia, and "there is no direct threat to our community now." Still, the city has closed Canyon Park and the Hillside Wilderness Preserve (except for people who have rented a facility or are on a guided tour) but hopes to reopen them tomorrow ... at least if the fire is out by then. "Based on the latest reports we have received, the fire should be put out by this afternoon."

~ With the upcoming retirement of Police Chief Jim Hunt and Captain Nels Ortland and the appointment of Captain Alan Sanvictores as the next police chief,  Lt. Heath Harvey and Lt. Roberto Wilken have been promoted to captain.  Heath  will command the Operations Division, while Roberto will oversee the Services Division.

~ Studio Movie Grill (the former Krikorian Theater) plans to install high-backed recliners within the next week or two. The job should be done within 6-8 weeks. Also, in early 2018 the company plans to convert one screening room to a full kitchen, so there will be 11 screens.

~ The installation ceremony for new Monrovia  Chief of Police,  Alan Sanvictores is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Nov. 7, just before the City Council meeting.

~ Police Agent Michael Garcia, and Fire Captain Brannigan Scott will be recognized  at Congressmember Grace Napolitano's Community Prayer Breakfast, on Nov. 17 at the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry.

~ This year 28 merchants will participate in the Old Town trick-or-treating program, "Halloween Spooktacular." They will be identified on a map and will have a "Candy Stop" sign in the window.

~ Six new "Big Belly" solar compacting trash cans will be installed in late October in  the 100-200 block, 400, 500, 600 blocks and at Library Park. They'll be  wrapped in a collage of historical photos. They can hold five times as much trash, so they have to be emptied less frequently. Also, the cans send a note to city staff when they need to be emptied.

~ The City's first Portland Loo public restroom was installed at  Julian Fisher Park last week.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Canyon Park, Wilderness Area Clised

I would guess this was prompted by last night's fire near My. Wilson. 

- Brad Haugaard