Monrovia Days Success; 296-Unit Housing Project Moves Forward

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

~ Monrovia Days was a huge success. Chi writes, “The crowds were bigger this year than ever. The fun and festivities were more impressive.” And, he said, an extra day was added to the event, bringing it to three days, and the city was hoping to sell $40,000 in tickets but ended up selling $76,000. A big improvement from what started “three years ago as a modest effort to bring the Monrovia Days parade back in a joint City – School District effort.” Oh, and the city team successfully defended its pie-eating contest title.  

~ Students in grades 8-10 can participate in one of three summer sessions of the Junior Research Summer Academy for $40. Participants Will be introduced to a variety of scientific fields through hands-on experiments with real research scientists. Hosted by the City and Oak Crest Institute of Science. Session 1: June 25 - July 6; Session 2: July 9-20; Session 3: July 23 - August 3. 

~ The City’s Development Review Committee  approved an application for a 296-unit multi-family housing project located just south of our Gold Line stop at Station Square (located at the NE corner of Duarte and Magnolia).  The Planning Commission will now consider the project on June 1, and if approvals are granted at that meeting, the City Council will be considering the matter this July.

- Brad Haugaard 

Pet of the Week: Max

Max (A448137) is a 2-year-old miniature pinscher who arrived to the Pasadena Humane Society last week and has bonded very quickly with our volunteers and staff here. He likes attention and especially enjoys treats. He will follow commands without much prompting in an attempt to get to the treats quickly. He is energetic and friendly, and has enjoyed playing with other dogs and toys on Wiggle Waggle Wagon field trips. Find out more about him by visiting pasadenahumane.org.

 

The adoption fee for dogs is $130. All dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before going to their new home.

 

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

 

- Brad Haugaard 

 

 

Monrovia’s AeroVironment Sells Switchblades to Army, Marines

Monrovia’s AeroVironment was awarded a contract in April from the US Army for the company’s Switchblade Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System and support services for the drone system. Also, it got its first Switchblade order from the United States Marine Corps. This brings the total value of Switchblade contracts to $111 million since August 2017. 

- Brad Haugaard

Ribbon Cutting at New Unity Center Facility

Members of the Foothill Unity Center staff and board surround Center Executive Director Betty McWilliams (center, blue shirt), longtime Center supporter Betty Sandford, Board of Directors President Mary Ann Lutz and Director Emeritus Joan Whitenack (all to her left) at the ribbon cutting for the organization’s new location at 790 W. Chestnut Ave. in Monrovia. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Broadway Hits Concert on June 9

The San Gabriel Valley Choral Company will present a concert of hits from Broadway musicals on Saturday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 122 S. California Avenue at Foothill. Works will include selections from Les Miserables, Porgy and Bess and The Sound of Music; a medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber hits; and more. Tickets at $20 ($15 students/seniors, $5 children under 12) may be ordered at eventbrite.com for a small handling fee. The ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Alexandra Grabarchuk, includes singers from the San Gabriel Valley, Inland Empire and other local communities. Their repertoire includes music from the Renaissance to the late 20th century. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Spring Carnival at Calvary Road Church

Carnival, Saturday, June 9, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Calvary Road Baptist Church, 319 W. Olive. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Days

Photos of Monrovia Days: https://goo.gl/4c94bR

- Brad Haugaard 

GoMonrovia Famous as Far Away as Utah

Monrovia’s new GoMonrovia transit program is getting press coverage from as far away as Utah. https://goo.gl/toSj9H

- Brad Haugaard 

Lunch at Panda Expres

Lunch recently at Panda Express, in the Huntington Oaks Shopping Center. Got the two-item plate with Kung Pao Chicken and Pepper Chicken for $7.60 and a small iced tea for $1.70. Good, as always. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Art Sale Weekends at Monrovia’s Historic Train Station

Works by local artists on display and for sale at the historic Santa Fe Depot every Saturday and Sunday in May and June from 1-4 p.m. Sponsored by Monrovia Association of Fine Arts. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia’s AeroVironment Denies Carrying Explosive Drone on Commercial Flight

Monrovia’s AeroVironment Inc. denies as “baseless” a claim that employees carried a drone containing explosives on a commercial flight and then retaliated against a manager who reported the incident to the government. https://goo.gl/QMM775

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Man Buys Tires, Seller Disappears With Money; Lots of Drunk Driving

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 10-16. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 410 service events, resulting in 80 investigations.

Vandalism
May 10 at 6:32 a.m., a resident in the 500 block of E. Olive walked outside her home and discovered someone had slashed two of her vehicle tires sometime during the night. This investigation is continuing.

Attempt Residential Burglary
May 10 at 12:55 p.m., a resident in the 1700 block of Venice was at home when he saw two male subjects attempting to break into the house through the back door. When the suspects saw the resident was home, they both ran. Officers responded, but were unable to locate the suspects. This investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of Narcotics – Suspect Arrested
May 10 at 4:33 p.m., a caller reported a male subject in the 300 block of W. Huntington behaving suspiciously. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. They found he was under the influence of a controlled substance. After field tests were conducted, he was arrested.

Grand Theft Auto
May 10 at 7:41 p.m., officers were alerted to a possible stolen vehicle traveling north in the 700 block of S. Myrtle. The vehicle was located and stopped by officers. The female driver was not the owner of the vehicle, nor did she have permission to possess it, so she was arrested for grand theft auto.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 11 at 11:48 a.m., officers responded to a house in the 1000 block of Royal Oaks to check on the welfare of an elderly female subject who had possibly been battered by her grandson. Officers arrived and investigated the allegations; however, the crime was not substantiated. A computer check revealed the grandson had two warrants for his arrest, so he was taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
May 11 at 12:25 p.m., the owner of a business in the 1800 block of S. Myrtle arrived to work and discovered several items had been stolen. The last time he saw the items was a week prior. Officers arrived to investigate the theft. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
May 11 at 1:12 p.m., a caller reported he was at a gas station in the 800 block of E. Huntington when he was approached by a male subject selling vehicle wheels. The caller gave the subject money for the wheels. After receiving the money, the subject fled with the money and the wheels. Officers responded, but were unable to locate the subject. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
May 11 at 6:15 p.m., two female subjects entered a store in the 100 block of W. Foothill, carrying empty bags. They proceeded to fill the bags with approximately cosmetics, then fled the store without paying. Officers responded, apprehended one of the suspects and arrested her. The investigation is continuing to identify the second suspect.

Petty Theft
May 11 at 6:30 p.m., a resident in the 600 block of W. Duarte arrived home and discovered an Amazon package, which had been delivered earlier in the day, had been stolen from his front porch. This investigation is continuing.

Providing False Information to Peace Officers – Suspect Arrested
May 11 at 8:38 p.m., the Special Enforcement Team was patrolling the 100 block of W. Duarte, when they saw a male subject who was behaving suspiciously. They stopped the subject, who provided them with false information. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrest
May 12 at 12:26 a.m., a caller reported two subjects yelling at one another and causing a disturbance in the 100 block of W. Palm. Officers responded and located the male and female subject, who are married to one another. Officers discovered the male subject had hit the female in the face, causing visible injuries. A domestic violence restraining order had been issued against the male for previously battering his wife. The male subject was arrested.

Injury Traffic Collision
May 12 at 7:52 a.m., officers responded to the 1500 block of S. Myrtle, where two vehicles had collided into one another. One of the occupants had complained of pain due to the collision. Officers investigated the collision and issued a citation to the driver who was at fault.

Petty Theft / Fraud
May 12 at 1:29 p.m., an elderly female was shopping at a store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain, when she discovered someone had stolen her wallet from her shopping cart. While officers were investigating the theft, she received a call from her credit card company advising her that someone had already used her card at a nearby store. This investigation is continuing.

Mail Theft
May 12 at 2:57 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of Ocean View walked outside his home and found a pile of opened mail in his front yard. He looked at the addresses and saw the mail belonged to several of his neighbors. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 12 at 7:21 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of N. Alta Vista reported a male subject was in her backyard refusing to leave. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. They found him to the front of the property and he was too intoxicated to care for his own safety. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 12 at 9:40 p.m., a caller reported seeing a male subject in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle who appeared heavily intoxicated. Officers arrived and located the subject. Field tests were conducted and it was determined that the subject was too intoxicated to care for his own safety; he was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 12 at 10:35 p.m., several residents in the 400 block of Heliotrope reported a noise disturbance at one of the houses in their neighborhood. Officers arrived and located the party and the owner of the property. A computer check revealed she had several warrants for her arrest; she was arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
May 13 at 4:15 a.m., a female resident of a hotel in the 900 block of W. Huntington reported that her boyfriend had just hit her after an argument and he was attempting to leave. Officers arrived and contacted both subjects. After further investigation, officers arrested the male subject for domestic violence.

Injury Hit & Run Collision / DUI / Child Endangerment – Suspect Arrested
May 13 at 11:42 p.m., several callers reported a collision where a vehicle had just run a red light at the intersection of Mountain and Huntington that caused injuries to the other driver. The suspect vehicle then fled the area. Officers responded and located the suspect vehicle. The driver was heavily intoxicated, and after field sobriety tests were conducted, he was arrested. His wife and two-year-old child were also in the vehicle with him.

Injury Traffic Collision
May 14 at 5:51 p.m., officers responded to a collision that occurred in the intersection of California and Central between two vehicles. One of the drivers complained of pain to her leg, so she was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Both drivers claimed to have a green light. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 14 at 7:53 p.m., a sergeant saw a male subject loitering by a door to the rear of a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington. He stopped the subject to investigate the suspicious behavior. A computer check revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest; he was arrested and taken into custody.

Petty Theft
May 15 at 7:19 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of W. Lime walked outside her home and discovered someone had entered her unlocked vehicle sometime during the night. Two credit cards were taken from the vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 16 at 2:01 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 1800 block of S. Shamrock when he saw a male subject he recognized from previous contacts. A computer check revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest, so he was stopped and taken into custody.

DUI / Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
May 16 at 4:04 p.m., a caller reported that a female subject had just collided into a vehicle parked in the 100 block of S. Mayflower. She exited her vehicle and was walking away from the scene. Officers arrived and located the subject attempting to flee the scene of the collision. When they contacted her, they found she was heavily intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted she was arrested.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 16 at 7:46 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of W. Huntington, when he saw a person behaving suspiciously. He stopped the subject, and a computer check revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

DUI – Suspect Arrested
May 16 at 11:29 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 600 block of S. Canyon when he saw a motorist commit a driving violation. He stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the driver was arrested. 

Garden Club to Select Beautification Awards

Monrovia Garden Club will be hosting the Annual  2018 Home Beautification Awards for the City of Monrovia.  Front yard gardens of eight Monrovia residents are chosen by the Garden Club.  The yards are judged on the outstanding appearance of the garden, how it enhances the home and the neighborhood and on its own merit as a planted work of landscape art.

An award sign will be put in the front yard announcing the resident as a winner.  The Mayor and city council will present each resident with a "Certificate of Recognition".   A slideshow of the winning yards will be shown.

The next Monrovia Garden Club meeting will be held on Tuesday May 22 at the First Presbyterian Church in its Fireside Room, at the corner of Myrtle and Foothill. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m.  Social time at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Days Starts Tomorrow

Monrovia Days starts tomorrow, May 18-20. Carnival, music, book sale, performances by Center Stage, and a pie eating contest. Details here: https://goo.gl/Pxdrg3

- Brad Haugaard 

Fellowship Monrovia Family Night This Evening

Fellowship Monrovia will hold its first Family Night of the summer today, from 6-8 p.m. at its Huntington Drive Campus at the corner of Huntington and California Ave. Dinner, bounce houses, DJ, lawn games, and more. No registration needed. $10 for the family, $5 per individual. Cost includes dinner. Parking will be off site.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Legacy Project Now Online

Gem City Images (https://goo.gl/GWx44a) reports that the Monrovia Legacy Project is now online here: http://cityofmonrovia.pastperfectonline.com/

- Brad Haugaard 

Rob Hammond Completes Cross-Country Bicycle ride

With toes in the Atlantic Ocean, Monrovia School Board Member Rob Hammond celebrates his Pacific to Atlantic bicycle ride. 

He writes on Facebook: “I cannot begin to understand all the emotions I have inside me. All I can say now is thank you to everyone that prayed for my safety, supported our fundraising, and followed along on this incredible journey. 

“Love to all. I can't wait to get home.”

- Brad Haugaard 

Artsy Utility Boxes; Where a Samson’s Gone; Mayor Pro Tem Top Racer in Her Class

More from the City Manager’s report:

~ A utility box on Myrtle Avenue, just north of Foothill, was recently artified by a young local artist named Ms. Timothea Karipides, who is part of a group called the Monrovia Sketchers that meets weekly to draw around town.  She painted the box, along with her parents, with recognizable sights in town – the “M” in the foothills, the “Flying A” gas pumps on Shamrock Avenue, the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of Myrtle Avenue / Foothill Boulevard (where the box is located), and Beans the surfing whippet canine. 

~ Speaking of public art, the “Samson Bear” in front of T-Phillips has been temporarily removed to be repainted.  

~ In the Fountain to the Falls race the fastest time overall for the seven-mile race belonged to Ruben Hernandez from Los Angeles, who ran the course in 40 minutes, 36 seconds. Mayor Pro Tem Becky Shevlin clocked in at 1 hour, 25 minutes, 50 seconds, meaning that she placed first in her group. 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Housing Expected to Increase by 15 Percent - 2,200 Units - In Months Ahead

In his weekly report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Oliver Chi reported that the supply of housing in Monrovia is set to jump dramatically. 

He writes that, “All told, there are currently around 2,200 housing units / rooms in the development pipeline, which constitutes a 15% increase in our total housing supply. “

He adds that “from June 2018 - September 2018 the City will be considering three major projects that will feature close to 600 units / hotel rooms (highlighted in blue in the map above – Richman Development, Marriott TownePlace Suites, and AvalonBay).

He says that “without proper context, these eye-popping numbers can be somewhat startling.”

He said there are two issues involved, the environment on one side and Southern California’s need for more housing on the other. 

He writes that “while we do have to make sure that we have strong environmental policies, and while we need to develop premier mobility / transportation options for our residents… we also have to find a way to do our part to address the severe housing crisis we are confronted with today.”

There is more to this and it deserves s full reading. See it here: https://goo.gl/aOqX7O

And here’s one of these projects:

The Richman Residential Project (known as Station Square South) is going before the Development Review Committee (DRC) for consideration on today at 4 p.m., in the City Council Chambers.  The project is a 296-unit housing initiative located at the NE corner of Duarte Avenue / Magnolia Avenue just south of the City’s Gold Line Station. 

The city has set up a web page to address all development issues: https://goo.gl/RZQnpn

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Swimmers Finish Strong Under New Coach

Monrovia High swimmers do well at Rio Hondo League Finals under new coach Julie Burns. https://goo.gl/PMejyr

- Brad Haugaard