New System Helps Save Heart Attack Victim; Legacy Project; Hotel Tax on Ballot; City Hall Phone Problems

Monrovia Union High School, from Monrovia Legacy project

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

~ The new heart attack protocols instituted by the Fire Department have paid off and last week "the prehospital care coordinator at Arcadia Methodist Hospital took the time to send along a thank-you note to our team at the Monrovia Fire Department for the excellent work our staff engaged in to save a life." Chi said between the Fire Department's efforts and the staff at Arcadia Methodist, "the heart attack patient was operated on, stabilized, and discharged 3 days after the initial incident occurred."

~ In the June 5 election Monrovians will consider Measure TT, which would bump up the city's hotel bed tax - charged to travelers who rent rooms - from 10% to 12%, still cheaper than that charged by cities to our west. If I recall correctly, this tax was proposed to help pay for unfunded retirement liabilities. Needless to say, city officials would like you to approve the measure.

~ Through Monrovia's Legacy Project you can browse more than 5,000 historic photos and nearly 1,000 documents on our city’s history, including: city directories from the 1900s, house histories, out of print Monrovia history books. Check it out here: http://cityofmonrovia.pastperfectonline.com/

~ Callers to the city have experienced audio delays, echoes, dead air, and dropped calls. The city is "working with our telephone company, Frontier Communications, and our telephone system provider, Protel Communications, to try to resolve these issues."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Baseball to Divisional Fiinal

Monrovia baseball comes from behind - again - to defeat Hemet and advance to its first divisional final since 2007. https://goo.gl/vP4CV8

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Senator's Firearms Control Bill Progresses

The California State Senate has voted to pass Senate Bill 1100, authored by Senator Anthony Portantino, who represents Monrovia. The bill "proposes to prohibit a person from making more than one firearm purchase within a 30-day period in California and increases the age requirement for purchasing all firearms to 21 years." The bill is now headed to the Assembly.

Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Blood Drive Tomorrow

Monrovia Police Department is coordinating a blood drive with the American Red Cross tomorrow, May 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Community Center at 119 W Palm.

- Brad Haugaard

Pet of the Week: Teddy, the Cutie Pie Kitty

Teddy (A456663) is a 2-month-old cutie pie. He is a very playful, affectionate cat who reaches his tiny paw out of the kennel for attention. He loves being petted all over his body, especially behind his ears, and starts purring and head bumping for more. He would be a great companion for someone who is looking for a long-term best friend. Come by and visit him at the Pasadena Humane Society today.

 

The adoption fee for cats is $75. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before being adopted.

 

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 Baseball Comes Back From Trailing 6-0 to Win!

An account of the Monrovia Wildcat baseball team's thrilling comeback from being behind 6 to zero to defeat the Northview Vikings 9-6. https://goo.gl/aUJuDj

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Le Roy's Restaurant Named a 'Route 66 Roadside Gem'

TripAdvisor and Lipton Tea have created a list of "must-visit Route 66 Roadside Gems," which includes Monrovia's Le Roy's Restaurant: https://goo.gl/MZMtaQ

- Brad Haugaard

Blood Drive in Support of Monrovia High Athlete

There will be a Childhood Leukemia Blood Drive at Clifton Middle School on June 2, frin 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in support of  Monrovia High School student-athlete James Speranta, who is facing an unexpected battle against leukemia.

Speranta is a member of Monrovia High's swim and water polo teams and San Gabriel Men's Water Polo Club, and regularly trains at the local Fitness Factor gym. All of his sports and physical activities came to a halt on March 16 when he was diagnosed with leukemia.

He underwent intensive 28-day chemotherapy treatments at Miller Children's Hospital, where he stayed in the hematology/oncology ward so doctors can monitor his progress in a sterile environment. Monrovia High students, teachers, and staff recorded encouraging messages, which they sent to James to view and listen to while he was hospitalized.

He was recently sent home to continue with follow-up treatments at City of Hope for another year or more, depending on how well he recovers. He will be home schooled during this time.

If you would like to give blood you can preregister at RedCrossBlood.org. Enter keyword "James". Walk-ins are welcome.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Baseball Advances to Semi Dinals

Monrovia Baseball advances to semi-finals: https://goo.gl/ErCTFd

- Brad Haugaard 

Dinner at Chili’s

Dinner recently at Chili’s, on Huntington. Got the Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad for $10.39 and a beer. All very nice. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Threatening With Rifle; Drunkenness; Stealing; General Rowdiness; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 17-23. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 377 service events, resulting in 68 investigations.

Vandalism
May 17 at 10:30 a.m., a caller reported seeing fresh graffiti next to the train tracks in the 1100 block of S. Fifth. Officers arrived and graffiti removal was notified. This investigation is continuing.

Criminal Threats / Brandishing a Firearm
May 17 at 4:12 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of Highland called the police after a family member had made criminal threats toward them and pointed a rifle at them. The family member fled the home after the police were called. Detectives obtained a search warrant to search the private bedroom of the suspect to look for additional weapons. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
May 17 at 8:13 p.m., two vehicles collided in the 800 block of W. Colorado, causing one of the vehicles to collide into two parked vehicles. One of the drivers complained of pain and was transported to a nearby hospital. After an investigation was conducted, the party at fault was issued a citation.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 18 at 6:53 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 100 block of E. Olive when he saw a male subject lying on the sidewalk in front of a bar. He stopped to see if the subject needed assistance and found him to be heavily intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, it was determined the subject was too drunk to care for his own safety. He was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Fraud
May 18 at 7:31 p.m., a patron of a hotel in Monrovia realized he had lost his wallet, so he called his credit card company to cancel his card. He was notified that someone had already used it to purchase items at a store in the 300 block of W. Huntington. He immediately called the police. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication
May 18 at 11:44 p.m., residents in the 100 block of W. Cypress called the police to report a male subject in their front yard who was yelling and causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and contacted the subject, who they found to be heavily intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the subject was determined to be too drunk to care for his own safety, so he was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Grand Theft Auto
May 19 at 12:08 p.m., a resident in the 1700 block of Encino walked outside his home and discovered his Nissan had been stolen from his driveway sometime during the night. Officers responded and searched the area for the vehicle, but could not locate it. The vehicle was entered into the DMV stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
May 19 at 12:22 p.m., two motorists collided into one another at the intersection of California and Central. Officers responded to investigate. One of the occupants complained of pain and was transported to a nearby hospital. After the investigation was completed, the motorist who was found to be at fault was issued a citation.

Violation of a Court Order – Suspect Arrested
May 20 at 4:34 a.m., a resident in the 500 block of E. Almond reported a former roommate was in her front yard causing a disturbance. She advised she had obtained a restraining order against him and he had been served. When officers arrived, the restrained person fled the front yard, but was found a short distance away. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Attempt Grand Theft – Suspect Arrested
May 20 at 6:41 p.m., two male subjects entered a store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain and began filling an empty box with several power tools. They were stopped by store security as they attempted to flee the store with the merchandise. Officers arrived and took custody of both subjects.

Warrant – Suspect Arrest
May 20 at 7:24 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of W. Huntington when he saw a male subject whom he recognized. A computer check revealed the subject had five warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

DUI – Suspect Arrested
May 21 at 12:12 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 2600 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a vehicle traveling south at a high rate of speed. He stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, who he found to be intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Battery
May 21 at 4:10 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of E. Palm reported his 25-year-old son had just hit him in the face, and then ran out of the house. Officers responded and searched for the suspect, but could not locate him. An emergency protection order was granted to the father. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
May 21 at 5:05 p.m., a resident in the 600 block of E. Foothill reported a female subject was in her front yard and did not have permission to be on the private property. Officers responded and located the subject. A computer check revealed she had a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody. A search incident to arrest revealed she was in possession of drug paraphernalia.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
May 21 at 9:39 p.m., a caller reported a male subject in the 1300 block of S. Mayflower sitting on a couch on the side of the road who was breathing in toxic fumes from paint cans. Officers responded and found the subject to be heavily intoxicated under the influence of the fumes. He was not able to care for his own safety. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
May 22 at 7:51 a.m., an employee of a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington arrived to work and found that someone had entered their gated property sometime over the weekend and stole several large batteries. This investigation is continuing.

Stolen Vehicle Located
May 22 at 12:51 p.m., a parking control officer was checking for illegally parked vehicles in the 1800 block of Sixth when he saw a vehicle in violation of street sweeping. A computer check revealed the vehicle had been stolen. Officers arrived to investigate and found a shaved key inside the vehicle’s ignition. The owners of the vehicle responded and recovered their car. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 23 at 12:19 a.m., employees of a restaurant in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported a female subject walking around in their parking lot, yelling and causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and located the subject. She was found to be heavily intoxicated and unable to care for her own safety. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant / Suspended License – Suspect Arrested
May 23 at 12:53 a.m., a sergeant was patrolling the 1400 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a motorist violate a driving law. He stopped the vehicle and approached the driver. A computer check revealed she was driving with a suspended license and had a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Residential Burglary
May 23 at 3:54 p.m., the property management company for an apartment complex in the 500 block of W. Colorado reported a possible burglary had occurred at one of the units. Officers responded and found the apartment’s front window had been removed. It appeared the inside of the house was ransacked and a television was possibly stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
May 23 at 5:46 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of W. Palm heard his female neighbor screaming for help and called police. He said he saw her try to run out the front of her house, but her boyfriend grabbed her and pulled her back inside the house. Officers responded and contacted both subjects. After investigation, it was discovered that the male subject hit the female subject and threw her to the ground, causing physical pain. The male subject was arrested for domestic violence.

Traffic Collision / DUI – Suspect Arrested
May 23 at 11:24 p.m., a caller reported a vehicle had just collided with a parked vehicle and overturned in the 200 block of W. Foothill. Officers arrived and found the driver had exited the overturned car and was standing next to it. She did not have any injuries, but the officers found her to be heavily intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted and it was determined she was drunk driving; she was arrested and taken into custody. 

Rosenlippenmädchen Und Monrovia

I saw these roses recently in a city park in Vienna, Austria, and I’m posting the picture on a Monrovia blog not because it is Monrovia-related but because it seems like a clever idea that might be used locally. 

Notice the placards on the stems of the rose bushes. One says, “Für’s Rosenlippenmädchen Annemarie - Deine Lieben” and the other says, “Für Claudia, die Liebe meine’s Lebens” (“For the Rose-lipped young woman, Annemarie, your lover“ and “For Claudia, the love of my life,” if my sub-par German is correct). 

These little plaques cost, I was told, 300 Euros (about $350) for five years, and the money goes for the maintenance of the garden.

So anyway, I wonder if there might be situations around Monrovia where something like that might work. 

Just a thought. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Support Monrovia Baseball in Playoffs

Support the Monrovia High Boys baseball team as it competes in the third round CIF playoff game, May 25 at 3:15 p.m. at Northview High School, 1016 Cypress Street, in Covina. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Music Fest Coming Up

The free Monrovia Music Festival will take place Sunday, June 3 at Library Park under the Morton Bay Fig tree. Live bands all day, craft beer, food trucks, artisan market, giant bubbles, kids activities, SPCA adoption van and more. Pets are welcome. Performances by “a world-renown musical whistler, who will be performing alongside headliner Roger Espinosa (virtuoso Latin guitarist), The Travelling Fools, and other indie, folk, and rock musicians.”

- Brad Haugaard 

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