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Grass Replacement Workshop March 19


In light of the city's requirement that water customers reduce their water usage by 10 percent, you may want to learn about grass replacement rebates and alternative landscapes. There will be a hands-on workshop on sheet mulch - a simple cost effective way to replace lawn. At the event the replacement of 50,000 square feet of lawn at the Maryknoll Sisters site (Greystone and Norumbega) will begin. Register here: GrowMonrovia.org

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Cops Will Be on Lookout For Drunk Drivers on St. Patrick's Day

This St. Patrick’s Day, the Monrovia Police Department will be on alert for suspected impaired drivers and reminds the community to celebrate the holiday responsibly.

Additional officers will be on patrol March 17 from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

“Have a game plan before you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,” Lt. Oberon said. “Designate a sober driver or make other plans to get home safely.”

During the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period, nearly half of all traffic deaths throughout the country involved a drunk driver.

Monrovia PD wants to warn the community that alcohol is not the only substance that can cause impairment. Cannabis, prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and illegal drugs can all lead to a DUI.

If you ever see a suspected drunk driver on the road, call 911.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Monrovia Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Source: Monrovia Police press release

- Brad Haugaard

Drought Resilient Lawn Care Webinar, March 10, 22

Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District will sponsor a webinar on Drought Resilient Lawn Care on Thursday, March 10 at 6 p.m. and Tuesday, March 22 at noon. Workshop includes information about building healthy soil, proper watering, improving resiliency, managing weeds, pests and disease.  Register here: https://tny.im/u1XFy

- Brad Haugaard

Online Recorded Leak Detection Class

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: A.B. Chapman, Offers Water to City for $500 Per Inch

A.B. Chapman, from Historical & Biographical Record of So. Calif. J.M. Guinn A.M. 1902. "A matter of great interest to the city occurred in December. A. B. Chapman, who possessed some acreage four and a half miles west of the city, reported that he had just completed the boring of an artesian well, which flowed eight inches of water at the surface, or forty inches ten feet below the surface and he offered this water to the city for five hundred dollars per inch." John L. Wiley, History of Monrovia, p 86. From "Orange Leaves" Published in 1902. Written by James Leonard.. 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

Council To Consider $1.6 Million Contract To Remove Rubble From Canyon Park; Returning Power to City Committees; Vietnam War Vets Day

Some of the mess in Canyon Park.

At its next meeting (agenda: https://tny.im/lqQIc) the Monrovia City Council will consider ...

~ Contracting with Monrovia's Pokrajac Corporation for up to $1.6 million to remove wood, soil, rocks, and boulders from Canyon Park as part of the city's park repair project.  https://tny.im/qBte5

~ Return the power to make decisions related to Historic Preservation and Development Review to ... the Historic Preservation Commission and the Development Review Committee. During COVID some of those powers had been temporarily delegated to the Director of Community Development.  https://tny.im/kxTUf

~ Proclaiming March 29 to be National Vietnam War Veterans Day. https://tny.im/nVxsN

- Brad Haugaard

Compost and Mulch Event at City Yard March 26


Compost & Mulch event on Saturday, March 26, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the Public Works Yard, 600 S. Mountain. Free compost and mulch. To make a reservation, call 932-5562 or email pbeglarian@ci.monrovia.ca.us. Bring ID or Athens bill, sturdy container and a shovel. (No plastic bags.)

- Brad Haugaard

Toxic Waste Collection March 19


A free Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Drive-Through will be held Saturday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the San Gabriel Valley Airport, 4233 North Santa Anita Avenue, El Monte, CA 91731.

- Brad Haugaard

Prepare Your Business for an Emergency; Low Water Landscaping Workshop; Monrovia is Hiring


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

~ Prepare your business for an emergency at the Business Emergency Resiliency Training (BERT) seminar on March 24. Details: https://tny.im/1zdtu

~  Water Optimization Workshop focusing on grass removal on March 19 at Maryknoll Sisters property (Greystone and Norumbega), sponsored by Grow Monrovia. A water district speaker will discuss grass rebates, Leigh Adams, from the LA Arboretum and Studio Petrichor, will discuss water-efficient landscaping. There will then be a hands-on workshop on grass removal techniques by beginning the removal of 50,000 square feet of grass at the Maryknoll Sisters property.

~ The city is planning to hire: Police Officer Recruit (entry level); Police Cadet; Recreation Coordinator. Details: https://tny.im/OJDQS

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia-Based Trader Joe's Recalls Crunchy Slaw Salad

Monrovia-based Trader Joe’s is recalling its Crunchy Slaw with Chicken, Crispy Noodles & Peanut Dressing with use-by dates 03/09/22 through 03/12/22 because it may contain hard plastic. No injuries have been reported so far and all potentially affected products have been removed from shelves. https://tny.im/Dr7u9

- Brad Haugaard

First Presbyterian Church Reopening Preschool


First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Myrtle and Foothill, has decided to re-open its preschool, which has been closed for some time.

- Brad Haugaard 

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 24 New Cases, One New Death

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 03/09/2022. Changes since 03/02/2022.

City of Monrovia: 8,144 cases (up 24), 100 deaths (up 1)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 845 cases (up 5), 4 deaths (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Gunshot Breaks Up Fight at Party; Texting While Drunk and Driving; EBT Card Money Stolen; Hikers Get Lost; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for March 3 – 9. - Brad Haugaard]


During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 404 service events, resulting in 60 investigations.

Vandalism
March 3 at 7:22 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of S. Primrose when they saw spray paint on the backside of the band shell. Public Works was notified. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
March 3 at 10:19 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of E. Central called to report that his vehicle was stolen sometime during the night. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
March 3 at 1:07 p.m., a caller reported a male adult was passed out on the sidewalk near the intersection of Cypress and Alta Vista. Officers arrived and checked on the subject's well-being. There were two open bottles of alcohol next to him. He woke up and it was determined he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail for a sobering period.

Shooting / Possession of a Firearm – Suspects Arrested
March 3 at 11:01 pm, two officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 300 block of W. Olive regarding a loud party. As officers were entering the interior court yard, they saw multiple subjects near the rear patio area fighting. Simultaneously, someone in the crowd fired one gunshot. Officers retreated behind cover as the group scattered. Multiple subjects ran south towards the alley. The Officers detained over 10 subjects in the court yard, including one subject who was in possession of a "ghost" gun. Two arrests were made. It did not appear that anyone was struck by the gunfire.

Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
March 4 at 3:33 am, a bicyclist was stopped for a traffic violation near the intersection of Myrtle and Evergreen. The subject consented to a search and the officer located a meth pipe in his pocket. He was arrested.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
March 4 at 11:33 a.m., a traffic stop on a vehicle for a vehicle code violation was conducted near the intersection of Huntington and California. Further investigation revealed the driver had an outstanding $100,000 warrant for his arrest for weapons. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Trespassing
March 4 at 8:06 a.m., officers responded to the top of a parking structure in the 100 block of W. Colorado regarding several juveniles on the roof top. Two juveniles were located on the roof of the structure. Officers contacted the HOA, who desired prosecution for trespassing. The two juveniles were issued a citation out in the field and their parents were contacted. They were released to their parents.

Domestic Violence
March 5 at 7:06 a.m., a victim in the 700 block of W. Huntington reported her boyfriend slapped her during an argument. The boyfriend left prior to officer arrival. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
March 5 at 12:41 p.m., a victim in the 700 block of Royal Oaks reported several catalytic converters to his vehicles had been stolen sometime overnight. This investigation is continuing.

Mail Theft
March 5 at 1:20 p.m., a victim in the 800 block of S. Myrtle reported a package mailed to her had been stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
March 5 at 7:48 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop for speed violation in the area of Primrose and Pomona. Further investigation revealed, the driver was driving while under the influence of alcohol. Field sobriety tests were conducted and she was subsequently arrested for DUI. The driver was transported to Monrovia Police Department jail for a sobering period.

Grand Theft Auto
March 5 at 8:16 p.m., a victim in the 600 block of W. Huntington stated her vehicle had been stolen from a parking lot. The vehicle was stolen at approximately 9:30 p.m. The victim left the vehicle unlocked and the keys in the center console. The vehicle was entered into the stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
March 6 at 12:05 a.m., officers responded to the area of Foothill and Mountain regarding a traffic collision. The driver was texting on her cell phone when she made an unsafe turning movement and struck a parked vehicle. Investigation revealed she was driving under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested and transported to Monrovia Police Department jail for a sobering period.

Battery
March 6 at 10:07 a.m., officers were dispatched to a fight in progress at a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain Ave. One of the involved parties had been pepper sprayed. Officers responded and ushered Monrovia Fire Department personnel into the scene to provide treatment. The subjects both wanted prosecution against each other. The case will be filed with the District Attorney's Office.

Fraud
March 6 at 11:35 a.m., a victim in the 500 block of S. Magnolia Ave. reported that her recently issued EBT card was almost immediately fraudulently accessed and emptied of funds remotely. This investigation is continuing.

Missing Persons
March 6 at 4:56 p.m., residents in the 400 block of Highland called to report that a group had gone hiking on a poorly marked trail nearby and two of them fell off the side. Officers responded and coordinated with the Pasadena PD helicopter and the Monrovia Fire and Rescue personnel. The helicopter was able to find the lost hikers and direct them to where they could be safely evacuated by MFD personnel on the ground.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspects Arrested
March 6 at 9:49 p.m., a shoplifting was reported at a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill. The business decided they did not desire prosecution since their items were recovered. Both subjects displayed signs and symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Evaluations were conducted on both subjects and they were subsequently arrested for being under the influence. They were transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail for a sobering period.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
March 7 at 2:47 a.m., an officer in the area of Mountain and Palm noticed a vehicle stopped along the east curb of Mountain at Palm with vomit along the driver's door. A subject was slumped over in the driver's seat. The engine was running and the windows were rolled down. The subject stated he had been driving and then pulled over. Investigation revealed he had been driving under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and transported to Monrovia Police Department jail for a sobering period.

Assault with a Deadly Weapon – Suspect Arrested
March 7 at 12:47 p.m., dispatch received a call of a possible drunk driver in the area of 100 S. Myrtle. The license plate was given to dispatch and the vehicle returned with an address in Monrovia. Officers arrived at the address and the vehicle was parked in the driveway. Officers made contact with a subject who was positively identified as being the driver. It was also discovered that the subject detained was a suspect being reported in an assault with a deadly weapon. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Attempted Bicycle Theft
March 8 at 4:18 a.m., officers responded to the 1200 block of S. Alta Vista regarding an attempted bicycle theft. The suspects climbed the apartment railing to the second floor balcony and took a bicycle. The resident heard the suspect taking the bicycle and chased after him south on Alta Vista. The suspect threw the bicycle down and continued on foot. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Offenses – Suspects Arrested
March 8 at 7:41 a.m., a caller stated there was a vehicle parked in the area of 400 Bella Vista which was occupied by a female who she saw outside the vehicle urinating. Officers arrived and when making contact with the female, discovered another male was in the vehicle. While speaking with them, the officers saw drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. A consent search of the vehicle revealed drug paraphernalia and drugs. The vehicle was also expired over 6 months. The vehicle was stored and the subjects were issued a citation.

Vehicle Burglary
March 8 at 6:54 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the parking lot of a business in the 700 block of W. Huntington regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim parked and entered the store for a short time. When she came back out, she saw her window was smashed and her stereo was missing. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
March 9 at 10:39 a.m., the owner of a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington reported that last week a female purchased approximately $3,000 worth of flooring. The business uses a third party for payments of merchandise. The purchase order was approved and the female received her flooring from their warehouse in Azusa. A week later, they received notice from the third party that the payment made by the female was fraudulent. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest / Municipal Code Violation – Suspect Arrested
March 9 at 2:53 p.m., an employee in the 300 block of S. Myrtle called to say a known male transient had stacked tables and chairs around the area he was sitting and said nobody could sit near him. They asked him to put the tables and chairs back and he refused. Officers arrived and a computer check revealed he had several outstanding warrants for his arrest. He was arrested per the authority of the warrants and for the municipal code violation of interfering with library services and taken into custody.

All Five Monrovia Robotics Teams Win Awards

Each of the five competing Monrovia High robotics team won an award at the LA Regional robotics qualifying tournament held at MHS on Feb. 19. Four of the five teams qualified to compete in the LA Regional Championship, to be hosted by Monrovia High School on March 12.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Mooyah Burgers


Dinner at Mooyah Burgers, in the Vons center at Myrtle and Foothill. Got the Cheddar Bacon Burger for $9.28 and a small Oreo shake for $4.99. Tasty. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Raggedy Ann is a Super Friendly Chatty Catty


Two-year-old Raggedy Ann is super friendly and loves people! She’s pretty chatty, and will probably use her meow to get your attention. Raggedy Ann enjoys being held sometimes, and might even jump into your arms for a cuddle. This sweet girl is looking for a home where she can get lots of love and snuggles.

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

Gina Ayala Named Middle School State Educator of the Year


Monrovia School District reports that over the weekend Clifton Middle School teacher Gina Ayala was named Middle School State Educator of the Year by the California League of Schools. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Time to Register Students for Summer School


Time to register for Summer School 2022. It will be held this year from June 13 to July 15 at these schools:

Mayflower
8 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Incoming Grades 1-5

Monroe
8 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Incoming Grades 1-6
Spanish & Mandarin

Santa Fe
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Incoming Grades 6-8

Register here: https://tny.im/jzeHl

For more information, contact Courtney Glass at 471-2044 or cglass@monroviaschools.net.

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Picnic in Monrovia Canyon

A picnic in Monrovia Canyon.  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

CHP Looking for Missing Monrovia Man

The California Highway Patrol is searching for an at-risk person, Robert Moore, last seen in Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard