- Brad Haugaard
At its next meeting (agenda) the Monrovia Board of Education will consider ...
~ Getting pizza from Pizza Hut for students, at $7.40 to $8 per 14-inch pizza. The company promises, "All dough will be whole grain, and the pizzas will consist of low sodium pepperoni and low moisture lite cheese. Our products will be delivered fresh, hot, and on time." Details.
~ A 36 month contract for online tutoring software for $460,000 with Montreal, Canada, based Paper Education Company. The district can add students for $40 per student. Details.
- Brad Haugaard
~ Girl Scout Troop 2851 has installed mile markers in the Hillside Wilderness Preserve along the path that lead to Sunset Bench, a lookout point. The scouts have been working on the project since October. Amy Crissey and her troop created the project to measure the distance from the Ridgeside access point to the newly installed Sunset bench. Measurements were marked every quarter mile with post and mile markers indicating the remaining distance to the bench.
~ Monrovia residents have until December 9 to register for the 2021 Earthquake Brace + Bolt program, which provides $3,000 toward a seismic retrofit for houses that qualify. There is also a supplemental grant available for those with a household annual income of $72,080 or less that could pay for up to 100 percent of the seismic retrofit. For details: https://www.earthquakebracebolt.com/
- Brad Haugaard
"The principal at Monrovia High School issued a statement earlier this morning indicating that he and his staff are working with the Monrovia Police Department to investigate a threat made against the school."
"While we are aware of a rumor of a threat being made against Monrovia High School, our investigation together with Monrovia Police Department at this point has neither confirmed that a threat was indeed made, nor has it determined that this rumor is specific or credible. If we believed that anyone was in imminent danger, we would not have allowed school to be conducted.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we will continue to work closely with Monrovia Police Department to investigate this matter and will update all of our stakeholders when appropriate. Classes are continuing at Monrovia High School as scheduled."
Full statement here.
UPDATE: "Our investigation into this matter in cooperation with the Monrovia Police Department has been unable to determine that a threat was ever made against our school. In fact, the alleged circumstances that led to the circulation of this rumor were found to be fictitious." Here.
- Brad Haugaard
Thanks to David Campbell for the tip.
- Brad Haugaard
Erick Walker, who grew up in Monrovia, has been named the new forest supervisor for the US Forest Service's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. He told SouthTahoeNow.com that "the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest were in his 'backyard' and are where he sowed his love for and shaped his early experiences with public lands and the great outdoors." More.
- Brad Haugaard
~ Moving from voluntary to mandatory water usage restrictions because of the continuing drought. If the council adopts this measure it means fines for people who do not cut their water usage by at least 10 percent.
From the staff report:
"No person shall spray irrigate any lawn or landscape area between more than every fourth day between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the following day. This subsection shall not apply to any drip irrigation system..."
[Comment: This is hard to understand and should be reworded. I could interpret it to mean that I could spray water every day as long as I don't do it between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., which is clearly not what is intended.]
"For customers who fail to reduce water usage by at least the required 10%, the proposed resolution would establish a penalty of up to two times the cost of a water billing unit (748 gallons of water) for each billing unit in excess what is permitted. The 90% threshold would be based on the water used during the corresponding billing period for the prior year."
Lots more rules here.
~ Hear a report by Police Chief Alan Sanvictores on the LA County District Attorney's controversial "special directives." Here's the report.
- Brad Haugaard
The Monrovia City Council and School Board will meet (agenda) in joint session to discuss:
- Brad Haugaard
Spina is accused of "engaging in sexual talk and innuendo, talking about girls, discussing whether he [the plaintiff] had had sex, and sending the plaintiff sexual text messages," and then later showing him pornography, according to a press release by the legal firm representing the plaintiff, a 35-year-old man who is called "John GA Doe" in the court filing. The suit says the alleged activities began when the plaintiff was about 13 years old.
The church is also being sued, because, attorney Morgan Stewart said, "It is clear from the information provided to us by our client that his abuse was known by others in the hierarchy of the Hope Unlimited Church. They did nothing to prevent it and they did nothing to hold his abuser accountable. In fact, they allowed RJ Spina, an admitted child molester to have access to children for at least two more years. I fear there may be many other victims and I encourage them and their families to report any known or suspected instances of child sexual abuse to the authorities."
According to an article in SACMEDIA, a student news publication of Mt. San Antonio College, Spina resigned last year and a notice on the church's website said it was "due to personal choices he has made in recent times that did not align with the high standards of ministry and his position of senior leader." Details.
- Brad Haugaard
A 49-year-old Monrovia man, Julien Ceaser Solorzano, was sentenced to two years in prison for a hit-and-run that killed a motorcyclist in Huntington Beach. Details.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Mayflower Elementary students quietly put together a list of families in need, and then for Thanksgiving made sure they got a bit of everything.
- Brad Haugaard
The adoption fee for cats is $100. All cat adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.
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 and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.
- Brad Haugaard
A burglar camped out a Monrovia house, stole the family's Christmas presents, but watered their lawn. Details.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
