Candidate Forum May 4 at City Hall

The Monrovia Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters will host a Mayoral Candidate Forum and Ballot Measure Forum on Wednesday, May 4, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. in the city council chambers. Audience members may submit written questions to candidates and home viewers can submit questions by calling 932-5550 during the event. The forum will be aired live by KGEM-TV. 

- Brad Haugaard 

A Moment in Monrovia History: Receipts from Getts Drug Store

Two receipts from Getts Drug Store.  From the Kim Anderson 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

Creative School Comes Up With Creative Fundraiser for Dodger Fans

Wild Rose School of Creative Arts PTA has come up with a creative fundraiser: "If you are going to a Dodger game please consider buying tickets from the website link below. They are regular priced tickets but depending on where you sit $4-$22 per ticket is donated directly to our school!"

Here's the link: https://fevo.me/wildroseschool

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Students Treated at Hospitals for Eating Marijuana

In a letter Monrovia Schools Superintendent Ryan Smith warns parents of the dangers of edible marijuana. Some clips ...

"Over the last few weeks, a few of our students in our secondary schools have become ill due to ingesting edible marijuana (i.e. edibles); some of these students had to be transported to hospitals. Unfortunately, the use of edibles (as well as vaping of marijuana) among teenagers and its negative impact on them has been an increasing trend over the years within our state and across the nation."

He adds ...

"Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that it is not legal for students to possess, ingest, or be under the influence of edibles at school or at any school-related activity or event; likewise, it is not legal for students to furnish edibles to other students. In all cases involving edibles, students will be subject to disciplinary consequences including suspension or expulsion and law enforcement may become involved."

For the full letter with links to resources for parents, see here: https://tny.im/RTVFm

- Brad Haugaard

School District Plans to Buy Two Electric Buses, Etc.

At its next meeting (agenda: https://tny.im/8ee23) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Consider buying two electrical buses from Creative Bus Sales of Chino at 370,000 apiece. Apparently all but three cents will be paid by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. https://tny.im/KREeb

~ Receive an informational report on 21st Century learning concepts and how they affect instruction.

~ Consider paying the University of Washington's Center for Educational Leadership $39,175 for nine days of professional development for administrators and instructional coaches "to further develop equity-centered, learning-focused leaders who make students happy, proud, and inspired to realize their limitless futures." https://tny.im/Lmnti

~ Consider paying Learner-Centered Collaborative $50,000 "to collaborate with MUSD leadership to perform a series of foundational activities that will contribute to the development of the MUSD Strategic Plan." https://tny.im/8XIs2

~ Consider paying CITE (California IT in Education) up to $35,000 to evaluate the current Technology Department structure, policies, and procedures. https://tny.im/FyDF

~ Consider declaring May 15-21 as Classified School Employee Week (https://tny.im/zgrfr); May 3 as National Day of the Teacher and May 2-6 as National Teacher Appreciation Week (https://tny.im/S8QbN); and also May 9-13 as School Health Services Appreciation Week and May 11 as National School Nurse Day (https://tny.im/pZy0G).

- Brad Haugaard

Composting Workshop May 21 at Community Garden

- Brad Haugaard

Boys and Girls Club to Honor Youth of the Year

The Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills will hold its Youth of Year celebration on May 1 at the Monrovia Tennis Club to celebrate its Youth of Year candidates, the 2022 Youth of the Year, and to honor Dr. Charlyn Quiec. $100 per person. https://tny.im/Cx78K

- Brad Haugaard

Zero Waste Prizes; Coyote Safety Workshop

Countertop Composter

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

~ To kick start its zero waste initiative Monrovia will hold a contest with prizes. To enter take a photo of yourself or your family taking part in an activity that promotes zero waste, such as recycling, composting, ditching plastic for something reusable, etc. Then post on Instagram by May 4 with the hashtag #CleanMonrovia. You'll be entered into a raffle. Winners will be notified by May 5.

~ Pasadena Humane Society will hold a Coyote Safety Workshop at its Pasadena facility. An expert wildlife manager will share information about the urban coyote and demonstrate humane hazing techniques. Kids and families welcome. Sunday, May 1, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. https://tny.im/TC77A

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 18 New Cases, One New Death

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 04/20/2022. Changes since 04/13/2022.

City of Monrovia: 8,296 cases (up 18), 103 deaths (up 1)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 872 cases (up 5), 4 deaths (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

City Council to Discuss 'Goal Setting'

The Monrovia City Council will hold a special meeting at 10 a.m. Monday at the Elan Conference Room at the Doubletree Hotel to discuss "Goal Setting." It will also have a closed session to evaluate the performance of the city manager and city attorney. https://tny.im/VSpEI

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Woman Catches Woman Trying to Rob Her; Shoplifting Suspects Arrested; Poking Tires; Man Assaults Store Employee With Knife; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 14 – 20. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 359 service events, resulting in 61 investigations.

Court Order Violation – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 6:30 a.m., a caller in the 200 block of E. Lime reported her son had just violated a domestic restraining order. Officers arrived and determined the son was in violation. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Weapons Offense – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 9:43 a.m., a caller reported finding a handgun inside a vehicle in the 1400 block of S. Monterey. The owner of the vehicle was located. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
April 14 at 1:20 p.m., a grand theft was reported in the 1200 block of Encino. The victim reported her phone was stolen from her unlocked vehicle during the night. This investigation is continuing.

Mental Evaluation
April 14 at 4:28 p.m., a family fight was reported in the 200 block of E. Chestnut. Officers arrived and contacted a male subject suffering from mental issues who had injured a family member. Officers determined the suspect needed to be further evaluated by a mental health professional. He was transported to a facility for treatment.

Injury Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence Drugs – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 5:58 p.m., a caller reported a traffic collision at the intersection of Foothill and Mayflower. Officers responded and checked on the well-being of the occupants. While talking with one of the drivers, the officer noticed he displayed signs intoxication. A computer check revealed the driver also had a no bail warrant. The driver refused all field sobriety tests and a warrant was obtained for a blood draw. The driver was arrested per the authority of the warrant and on suspicion of DUI.

Residential Burglary – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 9:41 p.m., officers responded to the 900 block of Royals Oaks regarding a male subject at the caller’s front porch refusing to leave and saying that he lived there. The residents hid in a room until officers arrived. Officers contacted the subject and advised him that was not his home and he was not allowed back at the location. The subject returned a second time, broke a window and kicked in the front door. The subject was standing at the front door threshold when one of the residents ran to the door. Officers arrived and located the subject. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Vandalism – Suspect Arrested
April 15 at 7:25 a.m., a resident in the 700 block of Valley View called to report that his vehicle was vandalized. An officer arrived and noticed one of the victim's vehicle tires was slashed. The officer canvassed the area and located approximately 20 other vehicles that had their tires slashed. Suspect was arrested on April 19.

Robbery – Suspect Arrested
April 15 at 8:41 a.m., an employee from a business in the 700 block of W. Huntington called to report a fight in progress. Officers arrived and contacted the two involved female adults. After an investigation it was learned that the suspect approached the victim as she was exiting her vehicle. The suspect starting petting the victim's dog and making small talk. As the two females were standing next to the vehicle, the suspect grabbed the victim's vehicle keys and phone from her hand and starting hitting her. The victim fought back and was able to mount the suspect until the police arrived. The suspect was in possession of the victim's keys when the officer arrived. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 15 at 11:59 p.m., while on patrol an officer located a disabled vehicle in the area of Huntington and Ivy with lights off. The officer stopped and approached the vehicle and saw two flat tires. While speaking with the driver, the officer noticed the driver displayed symptoms of being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, so the officer began a DUI investigation. The driver is was arrested and transported to a local hospital for a blood test.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 16 at 12:09 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle commit a vehicle code violation in the 200 block of E. Cherry. The officer tried to stop the driver. The driver continued to his home and parked in his driveway. He refused to open the window and speak with officers. The driver had to be removed from his vehicle and had to be placed onto the ground to be detained. The driver refused to complete any field sobriety tests, but later agreed to complete a breath test. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence
April 16 at 10:26 a.m., a caller near Peck and Clark reported her ex-boyfriend punched her in the face. Monrovia Paramedics treated the victim at the scene. The alleged suspect had left the area prior to officers arriving. This investigation is continuing.

Traffic Collision
April 16 at 1:17 p.m., a caller reported she was just involved in a traffic collision in the area of Myrtle and Foothill. Officers arrived and checked on the well-being of the occupants. No one was injured. The driver at fault was issued a citation.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 16 at 11:46 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of California and Lime regarding a speeding vehicle. When officers arrived they noticed the vehicle described was parked. A subject was seen near the vehicle, but not seen exiting or driving it, and the subject denied driving it. The subject displayed symptoms of being under the influence. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Trespassing – Suspect Arrested
April 17 at 5:57 p.m., a family disturbance was reported in the 400 block of W. Palm. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject causing the disturbance. Officers asked the subject to cooperate and leave the property. The subject refused to leave and was placed on a citizen’s arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
April 17 at 6:41 p.m., a commercial burglary was reported in the 2600 block of S. California regarding. The suspect(s) broke into three storage units sometime between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
April 17 at 10:53 p.m., officers responded to an apartment complex in the 1800 block of S. Peck regarding a subject loitering around the property. Officers arrived and detained the subject, who claimed to be dumpster diving. A computer check revealed several warrants out of our department. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Petty Theft – Suspect Arrested
April 18 at 11:48 a.m., an employee of a retail store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain called to report they had an individual in custody for shoplifting. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Violation of Court Order
April 18 at 12:31 p.m., a court order violation was reported in the 1700 block of Pilgrim. The reporting party had evidence of the restrained person sending her emails. The investigating officer determined the restrained person had violated a court order. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft / Fraud
April 18 at 3:03 p.m., a caller in the 900 block of Royal Oaks reported an electronic device and credit cards were stolen from him over a week ago. The reporting party also claimed one of the stolen credit cards was fraudulently used at a local hotel. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft – Suspect Arrested
April 18 at 4:29 p.m., an employee of a retail store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain called to report they had an individual in custody for shoplifting. An officer responded to the location to investigate. The subject was arrested.

Felony Vandalism
April 19 at 6:22 a.m., several victims in the 600 block of East Lime, 700 block Wildrose and the 200 block of South Heliotrope called to report their vehicles had been vandalized overnight. An officer was dispatched to investigate and determined a suspect had poked holes in several tires causing damage to a total of ten different vehicles. Suspect was arrested on April 19.

Vandalism
April 18 at 1:38 p.m., a caller from the 800 block of East Palm called to report three vehicles had their tires vandalized. An officer was dispatched to investigate and determined a suspect had poked holes into several tires causing damage to three different vehicles. Suspect was arrested on April 19.

Vandalism – Suspect Arrested
April 19 at 1:48 p.m., a vandalism was reported in the 100 of East Lime. The caller reported a subject was poking holes into several different tires to multiple vehicles. Officer responded to the area and located the subject. The investigating officer determined the subject vandalized the vehicles. Further investigation revealed the subject was responsible for vandalizing vehicles earlier in the week. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Attempted Theft / Vehicle Pursuit
April 20 at 5:14 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Myrtle and Camino Real where he observed two vehicle a lane. The occupants of the vehicles were attempting to take catalytic converters from parked vehicles. Both vehicles fled south and the officer gave chase. The pursuit was quickly discontinued the pursuit due to unsafe conditions. This investigation is continuing.

Theft
April 20 at 7:40 a.m., a victim in the 500 block of Date Court called to report a large box containing patio furniture was taken from their patio area. This occurred sometime in the evening to early morning hours. The surveillance footage has to be reviewed. Investigation continuing.

Attempted Assault with Deadly Weapon
April 20 at 12:22 p.m., an employee from a retail store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported a male subject took power tools and walked out of the location. The employee followed the subject to his vehicle and retrieved the items. As the employee was walking away, the subject approached him and pulled out a knife. The subject attempted to stab to stab the employee. The suspect got back into his vehicle and fled the scene. This investigation is continuing.

Dinner at La Noria

Dinner at La Noria, the food stand at the northwest corner of Foothill and May. I got the tostada, called a “Flaying Saucer,” with carnitas for $7.99 and a medium soda for $1.90. The meat doesn’t show here but there was plenty. Very good. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Man Arrested in Tire Puncturing Spree

Monrovian Sterling Williamson, 22, has been arrested on suspicion of puncturing the tires of about 25 vehicles over three days along Lime and Lemon in Monrovia. https://tny.im/uYTAq

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Reads Annual Fundraiser May 19 - Tickets on Sale

- Brad Haugaard

Possum Wants a Forever Home to Really Feel Comfortable

Eight-year-old Possum is a sweet cat who enjoys being petted and brushed. She especially loves getting scratches behind her ears. Possum is a beautiful kitty who has been slowly coming out of her shell, and we can’t wait to see her blossom even more in a loving forever home!

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

Arbor Day Event - Tree Give-Away, Ask an Arborist, Junior Forester Program

Grow Monrovia Arbor Day event, April 23 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Maryknoll Sisters property at Norumbega and Greystone.

• Shade tree give-away for Monrovians - limited quantity. Details and sign up at growmonrovia.org
• Ask An Arborist - Ask an arborist with over 30 years of experience your tree questions
• Children's Junior Forester Program- Sign up at growmonrovia.org

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Almera Romney at Huntington Elementary

Almera Romney and Mimi Martin at Huntington Elementary's 5th grade. Almera Romney was teacher and then principal at the segregated Huntington Elementary from 1946-1963. Standing next to Almera with a butterfly on her dress is Mimi Luvenia Martin (Mency, 1936-2011) who would be the first African American on the Monrovia school board in 1972. From the Susie Ling 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

Mullen to Produce Electric Vehicle Battery Packs in Monrovia

Mullen Five electric vehicle.

Mullen Automotive is retrofitting its Monrovia facility to produce electric vehicle battery packs for its vehicle lineup, including its ONE EV Cargo Van, FIVE EV Crossover, and DragonFLY EV Sportscar programs. Mullen is an electric car company based in Brea, California. It trades  on the NASDAQ under the symbol MULN. https://tny.im/8kM4P

- Brad Haugaard

How to Fill City Treasurer Office, Study Mountain/Lemon Intersection, Hiring to Renovate Lucinda Garcia Park, Etc.

At its next meeting the Monrovia City Council will ...

~  Consider how to fill the position of City Treasurer, held by Steve Baker until his recent death. https://tny.im/zMxkm

~ Hold a study session to determine "Options for Intersection Improvements at Mountain and Lemon Avenues." https://tny.im/CrNNx

~ Consider hiring KASA Construction for $1,188,803 (and  $118,880 extra just in case there are any extras) to renovate Lucinda Garcia Park. Work includes two new playgrounds (with lighting, fencing, and picnic tables), five exercise stations, two demonstration gardens with signage, improved walkway with enhanced lighting and distance markers, signs about Lucinda Garcia and the history of the Red Car (which used to go through the park), and a bike rack with a fixit station and new bottle fill drinking stations. https://tny.im/0G9tr

~ Consider giving the Police Department permission to use equipment the state considers "military equipment." The state requires this. https://tny.im/sDmPV

~ Consider proclaiming May as Dandy-Walker Syndrome Awareness Month (https://tny.im/pX5TQ), April 22 as Earth Day (https://tny.im/D1drs) and April 29 as Arbor Day (https://tny.im/3bY7V).

- Brad Haugaard

Happy Easter, Monrovia!

- Brad Haugaard