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Large Building Projects Planned for Monrovia; Public Safety Initiative; Santa Fe Depot/Bartlet Mosaic Dedication; Etc.

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

~ City staff anticipates there will likely be three large-scale projects planned for Monrovia. They are:


1. Marriott TownePlace Suites - A 113 room hotel at the southwest corner of Huntington and Myrtle.

2. Richman Residential - A 294 unit multi-family project located at the northest corner of Duarte Road and Magnolia, just south of the Gold Line Station.

3. AvalonBay Residential - A 154 unit multi-family project located at the northwest corner of Myrtle and Chestnut.

~ The California Public Safety Partnership Issues Committee has begun circulating a proposed initiative called the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act. (Monrovia has been a leader in trying to get modifications in state law to reduce crime.)

The initiative would reclassify currently "non-violent" crimes - like rape of an unconscious person, sex trafficking of a child and 14 other serious crimes - as "violent" to prevent the early release of inmates convicted of these crimes. It would also stop the early release of violent felons, expand parolee oversight, strengthen penalties for parole violations, reform theft laws to restore accountability for serial thieves and organized theft gangs, expand DNA collection to include those convicted of drug, theft, domestic violence and other serious crimes to help solve rape, murder and other violent crimes - and to exonerate those wrongly accused.

Assemblymember Chris Holden will host a public safety meeting to discuss these issues  at the Monrovia Community Center on Thursday, March 1, starting at 5:30 p.m.

~ The city is planning  a dual dedication event for the unveiling of the Mayor Bob Bartlett Mosaic and the Historic Santa Fe Depot on Sunday, Feb. 25. A light lunch will be served h at noon, with the formal program set to begin at 1 p.m. Details to come.

~ Monrovia Area Partnership will host a block party on March 10, from  11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Second Baptist Church (925  S. Shamrock Ave.).

~ In January, 290 Monrovians participating in the Winter Reading Challenge surpassed their goal, reading 144,237 minutes in the month of January.

~  Assemblymember Chris Holden is looking for women to honor whose service have made a positive impact in the 41st Assembly District. Nomination deadline is Feb. 16. One woman will be honored from each city, and one woman will  be selected as the 41st Assembly District Woman of the Year Nomination form here: https://goo.gl/zxB788

- Brad Haugaard

Bake Sale to Support Monrovia Young Musicians Ensemble

Monrovia Young Musicians Ensemble will hold a fundraising bake sale on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ralphs on Foothill in Arcadia. For information write to monroviayoungmusicians@gmail.com

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Senator Introduces Anti-Suicide Legislation

Senator Anthony Portantino, who represents Monrovia, has introduced Senate Bill 972, which would require all public, charter, and private schools to print a suicide prevention hotline number on the back of students' identification cards for grades 7-12 and all higher education institutions beginning on July 1, 2019. Portantino said he was prompted to propose this legislation following his brother’s suicide and by discussions with friends, neighbors, and strangers who had family members who struggled with suicide.

Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Pot Hydroponics Company Coming to Monrovia

To “meet growing demand in the cannabis marketplace,” the City of Industry’s Sugarmade, Inc., “one of the largest publicly traded cannabis-related hydroponics supply companies,” is moving to a new location in Monrovia. The company will be located at the Monrovia Technology Campus, 750 Royal Oaks Drive.  https://goo.gl/zjZ4jk

- Brad Haugaard 

Valentine's Day Horse Carriage Rides

Romantic horse carriage rides, Feb. 14, 6-10 p.m., starting at Monrovia's Library Park. Ticket sales begin Feb. 5. $10 per person; $40 for a private ride. Reservations 932-5562. May be cancelled for rain.

- Brad Haugaard

'Mother Tongue' Concert by San Gabriel Valley Choral Company

The San Gabriel Valley Choral Company will present "Mother Tongue" at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Monrovia on Saturday, March 3.

The choral concert features excerpts from Benjamin Britten's masterpiece "Rejoice in the Lamb" and pieces ranging from motets and folk songs to spirituals, African-American protest songs and settings of both English and American poets.

Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors and students, and $5 for children under 12.  Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.sgvccsingers.org or by sending checks payable to "SGVCC" to PO Box 2225 Monrovia, CA  91017.  They will also be available at the door.

Source: San Gabriel Valley Choral Company press release

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus College Ranks High in Online Education

Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, is one of the nation's leading online educators, according to new rankings recently released by two higher education research organizations. 

BestColleges.com's annual "Best Online Community Colleges" list ranked Citrus College number 15 out of 50 of the nation's top accredited, not-for-profit community colleges.

AffordableCollegesOnline.org, a higher education information bank, ranked Citrus College number 14 out of California's top 30 online colleges and universities.

Source: Citrus College press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Coordinating Council Seeks Nominees For Youth Recognition Award

The Monrovia Community Coordinating Council is soliciting nominations for its Youth Recognition Award, which recognizes outstanding humanitarian/altruistic efforts made by the youth of our community which frequently go unrecognized.  An individual or group of young people may be considered for this award.

Requirements are:

1. Be a resident of Monrovia and enrolled insixth through twelfth grade.

2. Have performed for the benefit of the community of Monrovia, a specific, outstanding service to the community that would not otherwise be widely recognized.

3. Be nominated by a community organization, school, church or individual. Nomination form and a written personal recommendation (not to exceed 1 page), are to be submitted to:

Nancy Matthews, President
Monrovia Community Coordinating Council
Nancy.NLMconsulting@gmail.com

Here is the nomination form: https://goo.gl/WJoEHf

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Cafe Jimenez

Dinner at Cafe Jimenez, in the Home Depot shopping area on Mountain. Got the two chili relleno dinner for $10.95 and an iced tea for $2.25. I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture before I started eating, so the picture shows a slightly damaged dinner. Anyway, it was just fine and quite filling.

- Brad Haugaard

2018 Monrovia State of the City Video

The video of the Monrovia State of the City speech is now online here:  https://goo.gl/SLWwc4

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's State Senator Sponsoring Art Contest

State Senator Anthony Portantino, who represents Monrovia,  is holding a mural contest for a wall in his Glendale office.  The contest is open to all public and private high school art classes from the 25th District. The theme is "California Dreamin': Hopes, Dreams, and Diversity Across the 25th Senate District." Mural size is 175 by 105 inches. Art classes may  set up appointments to visit the conference room. District office hours are 9-5 Monday-Friday. The senator’s staff will select the winning submission, which will be announced at the end of March. The chosen student artists will paint the mural over the summer break. Submission deadline is March 15. Submit all designs to Senator.Portantino@senate.ca.gov or in person.

Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Arrested for Loitering in Park; Chalice and Bells Stolen from Church; Armed Robbery at Phone Store; Drunk Bicycling; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for January 25-31. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 449 service events, resulting in 106 investigations.

Commercial Burglary
January 25 at 7:35 a.m., a burglary was reported at a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington. The suspect threw a rock through a glass door and entered the location. The suspect took the cash register drawer, which was empty. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
January 25 at 10:39 a.m., an employee at a business in the 1600 block of S. Shamrock was reportedly acting bizarre. Officers responded and contacted the subject, who displayed symptoms of being under the influence of inhalants. After further investigation, the suspect was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance and taken into custody.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered
January 25 at 10:56 a.m., a parking control officer was flagged down in the 500 block of E. Almond regarding a suspicious vehicle. An officer responded and, through investigation, discovered the vehicle was an unreported stolen from a dealership in the City of El Monte. The vehicle was recovered.

Warrant / Possession of Metal Knuckles – Suspect Arrested
January 25 at 4:53 p.m., an officer was on patrol in the 1600 block of S. Mountain when she was flagged down regarding a suspicious person who was looking into vehicles. The officer located the suspect and a computer check revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. During a search incident to arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of metal knuckles. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto
January 25 at 4:59 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 500 block of W. Huntington. The victim reported that her white Toyota Highlander was taken from the business parking lot while she was inside a store. Her keys were missing. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism / Resisting and Delaying a Police Officer – Suspects Arrested
January 25 at 5:34 p.m., a possible vandalism in progress was reported in the 300 block of Valle Vista. Officers arrived and located three juveniles, two of them had been spray painting graffiti in the wash and ran from the officer when he attempted to detain them. The two juveniles had spray paint on their hands. They were arrested and later released to their parents with a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Loitering in the Park After Hours – Suspect Arrested
January 26 at 12:27 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 300 block of S. Myrtle and was conducting a check of the park. The officer found a subject loitering in the park. The subject was advised regarding park rules and issued a citation for being in the park after hours.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
January 26 at 1:30 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the 800 block of S. Myrtle. The driver was attempting to park his vehicle in a business parking lot when he collided into a parked vehicle. Officers arrived and contacted the driver. Their investigation revealed he was driving under the influence. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrants / Suspended Driver’s License / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
January 26 at 6:13 p.m., officers observed a traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop at the 210 Freeway onramp at Myrtle. The driver was seen throwing something out of the window prior to the vehicle stopping, which was discovered to be heroin. The driver was also found to have a suspended license and multiple warrants. He was arrested for the charges.

Grand Theft
January 26 at 6:23 p.m., officers responded to the 700 block of S. Shamrock regarding the report of a grand theft. A suspect entered a church and took a gold and silver plated chalice and gold bells. The investigation is continuing.

Attempt Burglary
January 26 at 8:09 p.m., an alarm activation was reported at a business in the 400 block of W. Colorado. Unknown suspects threw a rock through a door with windows and were able to open the door and make entry into the building. It appears the suspects may have been scared off by the alarm. They exited the front doors, which were found ajar when officers arrived. There was no property loss. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
January 26 at 9:16 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 1500 block of S. Mayflower. The victim came out of his house and saw someone driving away in his white Cargo Van. The van had his DJ equipment inside. The investigation is continuing.

Suspicious Subject / Warrants – Suspect Arrested
January 26 at 10:37 p.m., police were notified by security at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington regarding a suspicious subject inside the store. The subject was stuffing merchandise into a bag, then left the bag and exited the store. When officers attempted to contact him, he ran. The Foothill Air Support Team helicopter was in the area and immediately spotted the suspect hiding behind a low wall. Officers were directed to the location and the suspect was detained. A computer check revealed the suspect had several warrants. He was arrested for the outstanding warrants and taken into custody.

Petty Theft From a Vehicle
January 27 at 2:18 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 600 block of W. Olive. The victim parked her vehicle in the driveway and forgot to lock the car. Later that night, she remembered and went outside to lock it. She found the center console and glovebox were open. She checked her vehicle and found a purse and some other miscellaneous items were missing from inside. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
January 27 at 4:29 p.m., a traffic collision was reported at Palm and Mayflower. A vehicle was traveling west on Palm and another vehicle was traveling south on Mayflower. The vehicle on Palm failed to yield to oncoming traffic and collided into the vehicle on Mayflower. Passengers complained of pain and one of them was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Riding a Bicycle Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
January 27 at 11:01 p.m., officers observed a bicyclist weaving while riding on the street at Magnolia and Walnut. He was also riding during darkness without a headlamp. Officers stopped the bicyclist and determined he was riding while under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested for DUI.

Vehicle Burglary
January 28 at 10:02 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 400 block of W. Duarte Road. The victim parked her vehicle in front of her garage the night before and went inside her residence. When she returned to the vehicle the next morning, she found the rear, driver-side window had been smashed. A medical bag was taken. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
January 28 at 10:41 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from a business in the 400 block of E. Duarte Road. A 2016, orange and white, Ford U-Haul, box truck was taken from the lot. The investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft – Suspect Arrested
January 29 at 2:39 p.m., a petty theft incident was reported at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington. Employees advised they were attempting to detain an adult female for shoplifting. The suspect fled on foot and an employee followed. An officer was in the area and was able to detain the suspect without incident. The property was recovered and the suspect was arrested. She was issued a citation to appear in court on the charges and released.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
January 29 at 8:22 p.m., police were notified of a male subject walking into traffic and yelling at people. Officers arrived and saw the subject. The subject ran a short distance, but then complied with officers. The subject displayed signs of intoxication and, after further investigation, was arrested for being drunk in public. He was taken into custody and held for a sobering period.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered
January 30 at 12:15 p.m., a parking control officer was working in the 1300 block of Monterey when she saw a vehicle parked in the area that appeared suspicious. She ran the license plate and it returned as a reported stolen vehicle. She notified dispatch and an officer responded and recovered the vehicle.

Hit & Run, Injury Traffic Collision
January 30 at 4:08 p.m., a hit and run traffic collision was reported at the intersection of Fifth and Chestnut. A vehicle was traveling west on Chestnut and was crossing Fifth, when it was suddenly struck by a vehicle traveling south. The vehicle spun three times and came to rest on the northwest corner of the intersection. The suspect vehicle did not stop. The driver complained of pain and said she never saw the suspect vehicle. A witness described the suspect vehicle as a gold Hyundai SUV. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
January 30 at 8:22 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 100 block of Oak Grove. The victim returned home to find her house had been burglarized. Officers arrived and conducted an investigation. It appears the suspects entered through a second story window, which they accessed off a balcony. The investigation is continuing.

Armed Robbery
January 31, at approximately 8:03 p.m., an armed robbery occurred at a business in the 900 block of W. Huntington. At closing time, an employee locked the front doors to the business and armed the alarm. He entered his vehicle, which was parked close by in the parking lot. While he was sitting in his vehicle, a late-model, dark-colored, compact vehicle pulled next to his driver's side. A male, black passenger remained seated inside the vehicle, pointed a shotgun at the employee, and ordered him to open the front doors of the business and disarm the alarm. The employee did as he was told. Two male, black suspects exited the suspect vehicle and followed the employee into the store. A third suspect waited inside the suspect vehicle and acted as a look out. The passenger suspect pointed the shotgun at the back of the employees head and told him to go to the back office and open the safe. The suspect told the employee to lie face down on the ground and count to 50. The suspects stole several iPhone X cell phones and left the store in an unknown direction. The investigation is continuing. 

14 New Sections of Monrovia Proposed as Historic Districts


The new draft Monrovia Historic Context Statement proposes creating 12 new historic districts in Monrovia and increasing the size of two existing historic districts. The purple portions in the map above shows where these districts are proposed. See the full report here: https://goo.gl/uQVdtE

Recommended historic districts:
  1. Downtown Commercial (Old Town).
  2. West Foothill Boulevard Multi-Family Residential (buildings both sides of West Foothill and the building on the northeast corner of Highland Place on the east, and Sunset Place on the west.)
  3. Highland Place (Highland Place north of the multi-family residential buildings on Foothill Boulevard to West Hillcrest). 
  4. Keefer (North Myrtle and North Ivy between Foothill and Greystone; an addition to the North Encinitas Historic District).
  5. Wild Rose (extends the Wild Rose district up to Foothill).
  6. Oak Woods (Oakglade Drive, Ridgecrest Drive, and Briarcliff Road).
  7. Bliss (bounded by Wild Rose on the north, Mountain on the east, Lemon on thesouth, and Shamrock on the west).
  8. Sombrero Ranch (Lemon Avenue on the north and Orange Avenue to the south. Includes both sides of Sombrero Road, Terrado Drive, Ranchito Road, and  Vaquero Drive).
  9. Downtown East Residential (bordered by Ivy on the west, Colorado on the south, Shamrock on the east, and the buildings on the north side of Lemon Avenue, as well as those on the south side of Palm between Ivy and Canyon Boulevard).
  10. Falling Leaf (bounded by the north side of East Walnut, South Shamrock on the east, East Maple on the south, and South California on the west).
  11. Cherry Avenue (bounded by East Cypress on the north, Sherman Avenue on the east, East Fig Avenue and East Central Avenue on the south, and South Ivy on the west).
  12. Parker Avenue (includes the east end of Parker Avenue starting at South Mayflower Avenue and continuing approximately half-way down the street, ending at 536 on the south side of the street and 547 on the north).
  13. Esplanade (bounded by West Chestnut to the north, West Huntington to the south, Monterey to the west, and South Mayflower to the east.
  14. Anita Ranch (the south side of Anita Street from the cul-de-sac to Alamitas Avenue to the east. 
- Brad Haugaard

Men With Shotgun Rob Monrovia Verizon Store

A preliminary report says that the Verizon store in the shopping center at the corner of Fifth and Huntington was robbed by two men with a shotgun this evening. The suspects got away with cell phones.

- Brad Haugaard 

Community Meeting About Housing Project on Myrtle

There will be a meeting this Thursday, Feb. 1, at 6 p.m., at the Library Community Room, to discuss AvalonBay, a proposed  mixed-use housing project located at 825  S. Myrtle Ave. (northwest corner of Myrtle and Chestnut) that would have 154 units, 2,900 square feet of retail space, and a 286-space parking structure.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Releases Farm Analysis Software

Monrovia's AeroVironment has just released software to analyze and display on an app the information drones gather in flying over farms. Kirk Flittie, vice president and general manager of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment, said, “Farmers can now survey their entire farm more efficiently and accurately, on their schedule, to enable better decision making and farm management." https://goo.gl/AhrbVF

Comment: I've been impressed with AeroVironment's move into commercial uses for drones, which I think may be a much larger and more stable market than just the military, so - full disclosure - I bought some of its stock.

- Brad Haugaard

Number of Homeless in Monrovia Drops to 35

In his weekly report City Manager Oliver Chi reported that, "Based on the preliminary results from the homeless count, it was reported that 35 homeless individuals were counted in Monrovia.  This is a slight decrease from the 39 homeless individuals that were counted in Monrovia in 2017."

- Brad Haugaard

Protecting Legislative Staff From Harassment

SB 429, the Harassment Retaliation Prevention Act, has passed the State Senate with unanimous bi-partisan support. It was co-authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino, who represents Monrovia. The act "protects victims from all forms of harassment in and around the Legislature. It also serves to protect against retaliation once cases are reported. The bill enhances the anti-retaliation provisions of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, which protects legislative employees and lobbyists who report sexual or related harassment."  It is a companion bill with Assembly Bill 403, which Portantino also co-authored.

Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Black History Month Events

Monrovia Duarte Black Alumni Association is sponsoring a series of events for Black History month, including Jazz Brunch, Wealth Building Seminar, Art Festival, and Black History Luncheon. Details: https://goo.gl/8DzLby

- Brad Haugaard

Pavilions Gone, Vons Arriving


It is no longer Pavilions. The sign has come down and workers are about to install the new “Vons” Sign