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Monrovia-Based Habitat for Humanity Plans to Help 100 Families Over Three Years

Monrovia-based San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity has committed to transforming the lives of 100 families in the San Gabriel Valley, the Philippines, and Haiti over three years through its $28 million Expanding the American Dream campaign. During the first year of the campaign it was able to serve 27 families.

Former Monrovia School Board member Bryan Wong, now Executive Director at SGV Habitat for Humanity, said, "Our goal is to dramatically increase the number of affordable home ownership opportunities in the San Gabriel Valley. The need for affordable housing in the area is overwhelming. We aim to make the world a place where all can afford to live-both first-time home buyers and long-time residents."

Habitat for Humanity's goal is to help more families achieve financial security and stability. It will provide critical home repair and home ownership to 100 families across the San Gabriel Valley and abroad. This is in addition to the nearly 290 families already served by since 1990.

Currently SGV Habitat for Humanity has two home repair projects planned for January and is working toward breaking ground on its next new home construction project in Pasadena.

You can donate or learn more at sgvhabitat.org/ead

- Brad Haugaard

Big Daisy Is Full of Puppy Energy


Daisy loves attention and loves her favorite people! At just one year old, Daisy still has a lot of that puppy energy and loves to play. She would do best as the only dog in the household, and because of her size and energy, should probably go to an adults-only home. Daisy is also looking for a home where she can be cared for in the safety of an enclosed yard with ample food, water, shelter, and love. Daisy has some special needs which would require her constant outdoor access. This sweet and playful girl can’t wait to go home with you!

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog 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

Monrovia Area Partnership Meeting on Budgets, Senior Care, Life Insurance


There will be a virtual  Monrovia Area Partnership community meeting on Saturday, Jan. 29, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on:

  • Creating a Budget
  • Caring for our Seniors
  • Benefits of Life Insurance

For questions email MAP@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

To register: https://tny.im/RWicX

- Brad Haugaard

Historic Walking Tour of Old Town Monrovia This Saturday

The Monrovia Historic Preservation Group will host a historic walking tour this Saturday, January 8, at 10 a.m. Cost is $5 per person and the tour lasts about two hours. Meet at the southeast corner of Myrtle and Palm Avenues at 10 am. The walk will be to Olive Avenue and back (eight city blocks total).

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Chief of Police for a Day

Steve Flannes was Police Chief for a Day. From the Myron Hotchkiss collection. See full details here.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

Happy New Year, Monrovia

- Brad Haugaard 

New Year’s Eve on Myrtle


It’s about 52 degrees on Myrtle, not very cold,  and the New Year’s Eve party is just getting started. The band is playing at the intersection of Myrtle and Lemon. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 292 More Cases, No More Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 12/29/2021. Changes since 12/22/2021.

City of Monrovia: 4,598 cases (up 292), 87 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 504 cases (up 30), 1 death (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Motorcyclist Fleeing Cops Not Clever Enough; Woman Punches Grandpa; Son Hits Father; Son Stabs Stepfather; Husband Hits Wife; Driver Wearing Brass Knuckles; and More

 [Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 23 – December 29. - Brad Haugaard]


During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 347 service events, resulting in 61 investigations.

Commercial Burglary
December 23 at 5:03 p.m., an employee in the 600 block of W. Huntington called to report that four male subjects entered the business, used a hammer to smash a display case, and took several cell phones. They left the location and entered a vehicle. The vehicle left the parking lot and went west on Huntington, out of sight. This investigation is continuing.

Felony Evading – Suspect Arrested
December 24 at 10:38 a.m., an officer observed a motorcyclist make a traffic violation in the Chestnut and Monterey area. He attempted to pull over the motorcycle, but the rider fled. A short pursuit ensued and multiple traffic violations were observed. For safety reasons the pursuit was terminated by the officer. The driver pulled into an apartment complex moments after the pursuit was terminated. A containment was establishment and eventually the motorcycle and driver were located. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto – Recovery
December 24 at 2:13 p.m., a resident from Duarte called and informed the Monrovia Police Department that her vehicle was reported stolen out of the City of Duarte on 12/14/21. While driving in the area of Cherry and California she located her vehicle parked. An officer responded and located the vehicle. The vehicle was unoccupied, removed from the system, and returned to the owner.

Elder Abuse – Suspect Arrested
December 24 at 8:18 p.m., officers responded to a family disturbance in the 400 block of W. Palm and learned a female suspect had punched her 74 year-old grandfather in the face causing profuse bleeding. After investigation, the female was arrested and taken into custody.

Battery
December 25 at 2:45 a.m., a fight between a father and his son was reported in the 100 block of S. Canyon. The father was transported to a local hospital with an injury. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
December 25 at 4:55 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a welfare check regarding a subject passed out behind the wheel of a car in front of a store in the 400 block of W. Foothill. A DUI investigation revealed the subject was driving under the influence. He was taken into custody and held for a sobering period.

Commercial Burglary
December 25 at 7:48 a.m., an employee from a business in the 900 block of W. Duarte called to report that when she arrived to work the front door was smashed and items were missing from inside. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest
December 25 at 8:10 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Fifth and Huntington when he saw a female subject who he recognized from prior contacts. The officer knew she had outstanding warrants for her arrest. The officer confirmed the warrants and detained the female subject. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Weapons Offense/Warrant Arrests
December 25 at 10:24 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Myrtle and Chestnut when he saw a traffic violation. The officer conducted a traffic stop. The driver was wearing brass knuckles and did not have a driver's license. There were two passengers in the vehicle who had outstanding warrants for their arrest. All three subjects were arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
December 26 at 2:49 a.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill on a burglary alarm activation. When officers arrived, they discovered the front door was open. Upon further inspection the officers noticed it appeared someone entered the business, but the officers were unable to determine a loss at the time. The investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest
December 26 at 7:31 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Royal Oaks and Mountain when he saw a subject jaywalking. The officer detained the individual and discovered he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Assault with a Deadly Weapon
December 27 at 12:34 a.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of E. Evergreen regarding a stabbing. When officers arrived they discovered the son, who is homeless, arrived and tried to sleep in a vehicle parked in his parents’ front yard. The stepfather and son got into an argument when the son stabbed him, causing a laceration to the bicep and shoulder blade. The suspect fled prior to officers arriving. An area search was conducted, but the suspect managed to evade officers. The father was treated and is expected to survive his injuries. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
December 27 at 7:54 a.m., the manager of a business in the 900 block of S. Primrose arrived to work and discovered someone had spray painted graffiti across their building. The graffiti letters were 6 feet tall and the words extended 30 feet across the building. The same graffiti was found in the 600 block of Parker. This investigation is continuing.

Dog Bite
December 27 at 10:18 a.m., the owner of two small dogs reported a pit bull attacked his dogs in the 100 block of W. Palm. Officers responded along with an officer from the Pasadena Humane Society. The owner of the pit bull remained at the location with her dog, which was quarantined. The Pasadena Humane Society will be handling this investigation.

Shoplifting
December 27 at 2:14 p.m., security for a hardware store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported a male adult had just left the store with merchandise he did not pay for. Officers responded and located the subject nearby. The property was returned to the store and the subject was arrested.

Shoplifting
December 27 at 7:08 p.m., a store in the 700 block of E. Huntington detained a subject for shoplifting. Officers responded and arrested the subject.

Grand Theft – Suspect Arrested
December 27 at 9:23 p.m., officers were dispatched to a retail store in the 700 block of E. Huntington regarding a subject who stole some items and was being followed by store loss prevention. Officers located the subject who was unable to prove his identity, he was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail for identification.

Domestic Battery
December 28 at 5:30 a.m., a family disturbance was reported in the 1300 block of S. Alta Vista. Upon arrival, they met an adult female who advised her husband had battered her. The husband fled the scene as officers arrived and was not located. An Emergency Protective Order was obtained for the victim. The case will be sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office for filing consideration. At 9:52 am the victim reported her husband had returned to the scene of the crime. Officers responded and located the male suspect driving away. Officers had been actively searching for him. The suspect initially refused to stop for officers, but after a brief vehicle pursuit, the suspect stopped and was taken into custody. In the jail, methamphetamine was discovered in the suspect's wallet.

Hit & Run Collision
December 28 at 7:55 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of W. Walnut discovered a motorist had collided into his car sometime during the night, then fled the scene without calling the police or leaving a note. The caller's vehicle had been legally parked on the street. This investigation is continuing.

Attempt Grand Theft Auto
December 28 at 11:00 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of W. Foothill walked outside his home and discovered someone had forced entry into his vehicle sometime during the night. Officers responded and found the vehicle's ignition system had been tampered with. The suspects fled the area after not being successful in taking the car.

Grand Theft Auto
December 28 at 12:16 p.m., a victim in the 500 block of Diamond discovered someone had stolen his vehicle which had been parked in front of his home. He parked his car at midnight the night before, then went into his home. Officers searched the area for the vehicle, but could not locate it. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting
December 28 at 8:35 p.m., a suspect stole merchandise from a retail store in the 700 block of E. Huntington. She was confronted outside by loss prevention and was cooperative. Officers arrested the suspect and released her with a citation.

Vandalism
December 29 at 3:25 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 1600 block of S. Shamrock when he saw fresh gang graffiti spray painted on a wall. The graffiti was reported for removal.

Attempt Grand Theft Auto
December 29 at 5:46 p.m., a customer of a hardware store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain walked out after shopping and saw someone inside his vehicle. When he confronted the suspect, the suspect exited the vehicle and ran to a grey Chevrolet Silverado truck, got into the passenger seat and both suspects fled the area. Officers searched the area for the suspects, but could not locate them. The ignition system to the caller's vehicle had been damaged due to the attempt theft. This investigation is continuing.

New Year's Eve Parties; Trash Fees Going Up; Christmas Tree Disposal


In his latest report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Dylan Feik reports:

~ New Year's Eve party on Myrtle, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

~ In addition to the evening celebration, there is NOON Year's Eve at Library Park, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Dec. 31. Activities include live music, arts and crafts, inflatable obstacle course, games and a special countdown to Noon Year's Eve! All ages welcome.

~ Trash collection fees will be going up by 4.61 percent starting January 1. Athens Services, which provides trash collection for Monrovia, is permitted the annual increase in its contract. Typical home rates will increase by $1.56 a month, from $34.91 a month to $36.47. Typical commercial rates will increase by $9.06 a month, from $203.62 to $212.68 per month. 

~  To recycle your Christmas Tree, place it curbside on your regular trash collection day. Remove  ornaments, tinsel, plastic bags, nails, lights, and plastic or metal stands.

- Brad Haugaard

Badly Mangled Article About Monrovian

I noticed an old article about a Monrovian sentenced for a hit-and-run death that appeared in an online publication called California News Times. The story was taken from the Long Beach Press Telegram (which got it right) and pretty badly mangled. Here, for your shock or amusement, is the offending paragraph:

"According to police, Long Beach’s Deler Gorichue, 26, was riding a 2016 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail when the 2006 Toyota Solara medium-sized coupe attacked him. According to the coroner’s office, Gorichue was taken to the UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange and later sentenced to death."

The source: https://tny.im/z7fu4

- Brad Haugaard

No Residential Flooding Yet


Ridgeside and Oakglade. Despite the rain, at 9 a.m. today there was not a trace of mud on the streets below the Bobcat Fire burn area that have been threatened by mudflow. However, there were at least three television news trucks waiting to see what will happen. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Chalksgiving Contest Winners

Here are the winners of Monrovia Association of Fine Arts' Chalksgiving contest, a chalk-on-sidewalk art contest held in late November. Winners were selected on Dec 16.

- Brad Haugaard 

Dinner at Max’s

Dinner at Max’s, on the north side of Huntington kinda across the street from Target. Got the One Soft Taco plate with carnitas for $11.50 and a beer for $7. There was enough filling - and two tortillas - so I made two tacos. Very good!

- Brad Haugaard 

Eve - A Rescue Cat Ready for a Life of Love


One-year-old Eve is a beautiful calico who was rescued from a home with over fifty other cats. Although she’s a little shy in her new environment, Eve is slowly coming out of her shell – she just needs a patient adopter to let her go at her own pace. Eve has had a rough past, but we know her future is bright. She’s ready for a wonderful life full of love!

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 Moment in Monrovia History: Monrovia's 1911 High School

Postcard of Monrovia's High School in 1911 in the original Ivy Avenue School Building before the second building was added to the campus. See full details here.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

Merry Christmas, Monrovia!

A painting I did several years ago.

- Brad Haugaard

More Monrovia Police Assigned to Look for Intoxicated Drivers Through New Year's Day

This holiday season, the Monrovia Police Department would like to remind the public to celebrate the holiday season responsibly by not driving under the influence.

The Monrovia Police Department is committed to keeping our community safe and encourages everyone to stay in for the night or use a designated sober driver if you have alcohol, marijuana, prescription, or over-the-counter drugs that may impair your ability to drive a vehicle.

From Dec. 15 through New Year's Day, the Monrovia Police Department will have additional officers on patrol looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The extra enforcement effort is part of a national campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, with the goal of stopping suspected impaired drivers who put others on the road at risk.

"When it comes to consuming drugs and/or alcohol and driving, there is a right and wrong choice," Lieutenant Kevin Oberon said. "Make the right choice by not driving impaired so everyone is able to enjoy the holidays."

Impaired driving is not just from alcohol, Do your research and understand how certain drugs may affect your driving ability.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Source: Monrovia Police press release

- Brad Haugaard

Sawpit Debris Basin Full

Sawpit Debris Basin in north Monrovia is pretty well topped off with muddy water and debris from the latest rain.

- Brad Haugaard 

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 80 More Cases, Zero More Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 12/22/2021. Changes since 12/15/2021.

City of Monrovia: 4,306 cases (up 80), 87 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 474 cases (up 4), 1 death (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard