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Sweet and Gentle Yoda Loves People ... and Toys


Three-year-old Yoda loves being the center of attention – and especially loves getting his neck scratched. Yoda is very friendly and affectionate, greeting new people at the front of his kennel and asking for affection with a gentle meow. This sweet boy also has an active side and enjoys having lots of toys to play with.

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: Workers on Boy Scout Cabin

Boy Scout Cabin. L to R: Kenneth S. Blair, Kenneth Johnston, R. Hardiman Fowler, William Russell Smith, Don Hendricks. Cabin was on the east side of Mountain between Olive and Lemon. Sign: Scout Troop No.5, Kiwanis Club. The Clubhouse was built by the troop. 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

Temperatures Could Reach 105 Degrees Sunday and Monday

Temperatures from 95 up to 105 degrees are possible from 10 a.m. tomorrow, Sunday, through 8 p.m. Monday. Keep cool, schedule strenuous activities either early or late, and keep your children and pets cool. https://tny.im/BzUIU

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Area Partnership Block Party Saturday

- Brad Haugaard

New State Rules: Restrictions on Watering by Businesses; Recycling Food Scraps

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

~ The state has now ordered that commercial, industrial and institutional properties may not water "non-functional" mowed grass with drinkable water. "Non-functional" means such areas as the grass next to commercial buildings and common areas managed by homeowners' associations. It does not include grass used for recreation or community activities, residential grass or trees. The ban allows recycled water to be used for irrigating non-functional turf. https://tny.im/fkcDi

~ The state also wants people to put kitchen scraps in their green-waste containers. Any kind of food (including bones and meat) or food-soiled paper is okay. No plastic or plastic coated materials. The idea is to keep scraps in a container in your kitchen, then dump it on trash day.

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 117 More Cases, No New Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 12 p.m., 06/22/2022. Changes since 06/15/2022.

City of Monrovia: 9,083 cases (up 117), 104 deaths* (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 949 cases (up 13), 4 deaths (unchanged)

* Last week 105 deaths were reported, so there was a glitch somewhere.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Driving Stolen Truck While Intoxicated; Parolee Arrested for Handgun Possession; Suspect Arrested Stealing a Cart Full of Sod; And Much More ...

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for June 16 – 22. - Brad Haugaard]


During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 390 service events, resulting in 77 investigations.

Commercial Burglary
June 16 at 8:51 a.m., an employee at a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington called to report that sometime during the night someone broke into the business. An investigation revealed one suspect gained entry via the front door using a pry bar, causing the glass to shatter. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud
June 16 at 10:02 a.m., a victim in the 400 block of W. Huntington stated she received a text alert from Chase bank advising her of a fraudulent attempt purchase. She didn't think much of it and text back advising Chase she did not make the purchase. This morning, she received additional text message alerts from a different bank regarding a different credit card and fraudulent purchases. This investigation is continuing.

Theft / Warrants – Suspect Arrested
June 16 at 6:55 p.m., a caller in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle reported a male adult had just stolen items out of their store and fled. Officers arrived and located a subject matching the suspect’s description. The victim positively identified the suspect and placed him under private person's arrest. Further investigation revealed that the suspect had three outstanding warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant / Drug Activity – Suspects Arrested
June 16 at 10:35 p.m., an officer was patrolling the intersection of Myrtle and Wyland when he saw a vehicle with equipment violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the occupants were contacted. The driver was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and a passenger had three no bail warrants for her arrest. The driver was cited at the scene. The female passenger was arrested and taken into custody.

Theft
June 17 at 12:44 a.m., a caller in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle reported that while he was inside a store a subject stole his mountain bike. Officers searched the area, but the suspect was not located. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
June 17 at 3:31 a.m., a stolen company truck was reported and tracked to the intersection of Foothill and Alta Vista. Officers located the truck and saw it commit multiple traffic violations. The vehicle failed to stop for officers and the driver eventually pulled over and fled on foot. Officers located the suspect in a nearby yard where he was detained. The suspect was also found to have been driving under the influence. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Weapons Violation – Suspect Arrested
June 17 at 8:22 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Primrose and Huntington on a motorist who committed a traffic violation. The driver was contacted and acting evasive about his parole status. A search of his vehicle revealed a loaded handgun with a high capacity magazine. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Injury Traffic Collision
June 17 at 8:29 p.m., a vehicle collision was reported near the intersection of Central and Mayflower. One driver was found to be unlicensed and was issued a citation. The other driver complained of pain and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Battery – Suspects Arrested
June 18 at 1:12 a.m., a caller at a bar in the 100 block of E. Olive reported a battery had just occurred against an employee. Officers arrived and were immediately confronted with an unruly crowd. Officers were able to navigate their way through the crowd and detained the male and female suspect. The victim wanted prosecution and placed both suspects under private person's arrest. The two suspects were arrested and taken into custody.

Trespass / Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
June 18 at 3:52 a.m., a homeowner reported he was on vacation and could see someone on his video surveillance who was looking into the windows of his residence in the 200 block of Highland Place. Officers arrived and quickly set up a containment. While conducting yard searches, an officer located the suspect hiding. He was detained and drug paraphernalia was located on his property. The homeowner did not want prosecution for the trespass. The suspect was arrested for the paraphernalia and taken into custody.

Vandalism
June 18 at 7:52 a.m., a vandalism to a business was reported in the 800 block of Royal Oaks. This investigation is continuing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
June 18 at 8:00 a.m., a caller reported a possible drunk driver had just collided into a parked vehicle in the 700 block of Montana. Additional calls came in as the vehicle continued and collided into a light post. Officers detained the driver and determined he was heavily intoxicated. He was arrested for DUI and transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail to be held for a sobering period.

Residential Burglary
June 18 at 8:35 a.m., a victim in the 600 block of Parkrose said he left his home garage door open overnight. In the morning, he discovered his bicycle had been stolen from inside of the garage. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
June 18 at 11:26 a.m., a victim in the 700 block of S. Myrtle parked his vehicle in a parking garage overnight. In the morning, he discovered the vehicle had been broken into by smashing the window and his property had been stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
June 18 at 6:17 p.m., a resident in the 500 block of W. Palm reported her live-in boyfriend hit her. Officers arrived and detained all involved parties. An investigation revealed the boyfriend struck the girlfriend in the face causing visible injuries. The boyfriend was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
June 18 at 9:53 p.m., a caller reported a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle. There were two subjects inside the vehicle acting strange. Officers arrived and determined the vehicle was abandoned and the two subjects decided to enter the vehicle and smoke narcotics. Both subjects were arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
June 19 at 8:07 a.m., officers responded to a motel in the 900 block of S. Fifth on a report of a family disturbance. Officers arrived and went to the room. An investigation revealed it was only a verbal altercation. Further investigation revealed that the female had an outstanding warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
June 19 at 11:28 a.m., a resident in the 800 block of W. Walnut called and said she was being yelled at by her husband and son. Officers arrived and began speaking with the woman. They could see marks on her from her being battered by her husband. The husband was arrested and taken into custody.

Brush Fire
June 19 at 1:39 p.m., a caller stated there was a small brush fire near the intersection of Alta Vista and Patrician Way. While officers and fire were responding to the call, a caller stated he had put the fire out with a bottle of water. Fire personnel and officers arrived and the area was still smoking a bit. Fire personnel put additional water on the area and made sure it was out. It is unknown at this time what started it. This investigation is continuing.

Theft
June 19 at 6:24 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of W. Maple regarding a theft. The victim reported that his catalytic converter was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
June 19 at 9:05 p.m., an injury traffic collision was reported in the 400 block of W. Duarte Road. One party suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
June 20 at 1:58 a.m., an officer patrolling the intersection of Foothill and Mauna Loa saw a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road at a high rate of speed. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was too intoxicated to operate his vehicle safely. He was arrested and transported to Monrovia Police Department jail to be held for a sobering period.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
June 20 at 11:48 a.m., while on patrol an officer in the 600 block of W. Huntington saw a subject he knew from prior contacts. An investigation revealed the subject had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
June 20 at 1:45 p.m., a male subject called asking for police to respond to his residence because his wife was attacking him with a knife. Officers responded to the location and contacted the husband and wife. The husband sustained minor injuries on his neck, face, arms, and legs. The wife was arrested and taken into custody.

Municipal Code / Resisting – Suspect Arrested
June 21 at 12:55 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of 1600 S. Myrtle. He saw a male subject in the park after hours and attempted to contact him. The subject walked away from the officer. He was detained without incident. He was arrested and released with a citation.

Theft – Suspect Arrested
June 21 at 1:27 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1600 block of S. Mountain regarding a subject pushing a cart full of sod from the location. They arrived and detained the suspect who admitted to taking the sod and cart. He was arrested and released with a cation.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
June 21 at 9:55 a.m., a caller reported a suspicious vehicle driving back and forth in the 800 block of Alta. Officers arrived and made contact with the driver of the vehicle. An investigation revealed he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
June 21 at 1:14 p.m., officers were doing surveillance on a location in the in the city for a possible wanted suspect. The suspect was later spotted in a vehicle a short distance away. The vehicle was stopped and a felony traffic stop was performed. The suspect was identified and arrested. He was then transported to the Monrovia PD Jail for booking.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
June 21 at 3:52 p.m., officers responded to a call stating that a male suspect just broke into one of the storage sheds at a location in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle and was walking away. Officers saw a subject in the area that matched the description and detained him. The suspect was positively identified by the witness and further investigation revealed he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglary
June 22 at 11:59 a.m., an employee at the 700 block of W. Huntington reported that a customer’s vehicle had been broken into. The officer arrived and spoke to the victim. She said she parked and placed her purse on the front passenger floorboard, then got her dog and went inside the store. When she came out the front window was smashed and her purse was gone. This investigation is continuing.

Burglary
June 22 at 7:11 p.m., the victim parked her vehicle at the 1600 block of S. Mountain. When she returned she discovered her window was smashed and property was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Free SALT Teen Festival August 27


The first annual SALT (Strong. Authentic. Legendary. True) Teen Festival will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. in Monrovia for teenagers 13-17. There will be In-N-Out, shaved ice, carnival games and prizes, miniature golf, a live DJ teen performers, a selfie zone, drumlines, a step show, and more. Teens helped to create this outdoor teen-only festival as a safe space to express themselves and have fun. The first 300 teens to register online will get a free SALT Teen Festival drawstring backpack. Space is limited. Register here: https://tny.im/LBTot

The SALT Teen Festival is sponsored by City of Hope, Second Baptist Church, Women's Professional Network, S.E.T. for LIFE, YWCA San Gabriel Valley, Congresswoman Judy Chu, CVS Health, JAB TRAN LLC, McLaurin Transit, Monrovia Duarte Black Alumni Association, and with support from the Monrovia Area Partnership.

- Brad Haugaard

Lightning Strike Blows Out Concrete at Sierra Chevrolet in Monrovia

During yesterday's lightning storm, a bolt struck the flagpole at Sierra Chevrolet in Monrovia, blew chunks of concrete from the base of the pole and severely jolted a man who was near the pole.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Kiku Sushi

Dinner at Kiku Sushi, on the west side of the Huntington Oaks shopping center. Got the Tokyo Combo for $15.99 and a beer for $5.75. Came with miso soup. Very tasty.

- Brad Haugaard 

Pasadena Biotech Firm Moving to Monrovia

 Pasadena-based Terray Therapeutics, a artificial intelligence based biotech firm, plans to move to Monrovia in August. Source

- Brad Haugaard

Peter's a Well-Rounded Dog - Calm, Relaxed, Friendly, and Active


Six-year-old Peter is such a well-rounded dog! He’s calm, relaxed, and friendly, but he’s also active and walks well on a leash. He loves getting attention and especially loves belly rubs. Peter gets along well with people he’s just met and is curious and sweet around other dogs. Peter would love to join your family!

From June 10 through June 30, the adoption fee for big dogs (40 lbs and up) is $50 through our Big Dog Summer adoption promotion! 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

City Manager Dylan Feik Out With COVID

Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik reports that he "tested positive for COVID yesterday and so will be working from home this week."

In an email he reminded people to "get vaccinated, boosters and follow health and safety guidelines. There are so many people/families who have been affected so seriously, I just cannot believe I'm getting off so easy. Only aches and pains and a constantly running nose for me!"

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Ben Overtuff With Children and Donkey

Ben Overtuff standing beside four children who are on a donkey.. 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

Garden Family Night June 24

- Brad Haugaard

Athens to Request 8.87% Rate Hike; Leaning Tree Must Go; Call for Artists; Lucinda Garcia Park Kick-Off; Science Academy

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

~ As allowed under its contract , Athens Services is asking for an 8.87% increase for solid waste services effective July 1 (https://tny.im/VW4mu). For the typical residential customer with 90-gallon containers the rate will increase from $36.47 to $39.68 a month. For the typical commercial customer with a 3-yard bin serviced once per week, the rate will increase from $212.68 to $231.53 a month. The City Council will consider the request on June 21. https://tny.im/VW4mu

~ A tree at the northwest corner of Library Park is in bad shape and needs to be removed as it is leaning more and more "at an alarming rate." If it falls it is likely to fall on or near the band shell. It is scheduled to be removed tomorrow, Saturday, June 18.

~ Artists are invited to submit proposals for the Josephine Anderson Neighborhood Treasure.  Anderson founded the Monrovia Unity Center in 1980 in a borrowed church closet in Monrovia with the goal to provide food to hungry families. She realized those needing food were going from church to church seeking help. Feeling this was ineffective and wasteful, she called the leaders of the various church programs together and the Unity Center was born. For questions contact Kerri Zessau at 932-5564 or  kzessau@ci.monrovia.ca.us.  

~ Ground breaking for the Lucinda Garcia Park Renovation Project will take place on July 9, at 10 a.m., at the park. The park will be closed from July through December 2022. The $1.7 million renovation will expand the park by one-quarter acre to the west and make improvements to the existing amenities.

~  Monrovia, with Oak Crest Institute of Science, will host a science academy this summer.  Students may apply for funding to cover the cost of the academy. For funding details contact staff at the Monrovia Community Center or call 256-8246. To sign up, go to this page,  https://tny.im/jG3Ah, scroll to the bottom and click "Junior Researcher Academy".

- Brad Haugaard

City Council to Consider $52.55 Million Budget With 'Minor' Deficit; Outgoing and Incoming Fire Chiefs; Etc.


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

~ Consider adopting a "structurally balanced" 2022-23 budget of $52.55 million projecting "a minor deficit" of $170,000. Main sources of revenue: property tax (30%) and sales tax (24%). https://tny.im/9SeYd

~ Honor retiring Fire Chief Brad Dover for 28 years of service and swear in newly hired Fire Chief Jeremy Sanchez.

~ Consider confirming two maintenance districts for 2022-2023: the Citywide Lighting and Landscaping Maintenance District (https://tny.im/UsNbU) and the Park Maintenance District (https://tny.im/sWZr4).

~ Also, the council will hold a study session regarding the requirements of Senate Bill 1383 (Bill:  https://tny.im/0QFjo). SB 1383 regulates, "Short-lived climate pollutants: methane emissions: dairy and livestock: organic waste: landfills." Study Session: https://tny.im/PoWK0

- Brad Haugaard

School Board to Consider $73 Million Budget; Sue Kaiser Retiring; Etc.

At its next meeting (agenda: https://tny.im/GC0tt) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Consider approving a 2022-23 budget of $73,379,202, of which $56,917,306 is unrestricted and $16,461,896 is restricted. The budget notes that there will be teaching staff reduction equivalent to five full-time teachers because of declining enrollment. https://tny.im/P3kZj

~ Congratulate Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Dr. Sue Kaiser, on her retirement following an educational career of more than 40-year years.

~ Consider a subscription agreement with NWEA, "a research-based not-for-profit organization that creates academic assessments for students pre-K-12." (Agreement: https://tny.im/ppe8J NWEA site: https://tny.im/2q6QE)

~ Consider an agreement with Committee for Children for a pilot try-out of its Second Step Program and licenses at one elementary and one middle school for 2022-23 school year. The organization provides "social-emotional learning programs ... to positively impact the social-emotional development and wellbeing of children, their schools and communities." https://tny.im/FzYfJ

~ Consider an agreement with Curriculum Associates for licenses for its iReady system at the elementary and middle schools, and at Mountain Park School. "By connecting to actionable, intuitive data, teachers know where to focus and students become more capable and engaged." (Agreement: https://tny.im/GC0tt, Curriculum Associates: https://tny.im/jMKy)

~ Consider an agreement with HeliosEd, which provides management human resources software. https://tny.im/YpYii

~ Consider hiring Briteworks, Inc., to provide janitorial services for the district offices, Canyon Early Learning Center and Mayflower Elementary School. https://tny.im/XUuP0

- Brad Haugaard

Spicer and Kelly Still Lead in Council Race

The votes are still being counted and everyone has more votes, but the relative positions of the candidates has not changed since last Friday. Larry Spicer remains in the lead with Tamala Kelly in second place  The top two vote-getters will win seats on the city council and the city council will then select a third person to fill Becky Shevlin’s seat since she has been elected to be mayor.

- Brad Haugaard 



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Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 140 New Cases, No New Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 12 p.m., 06/15/2022. Changes since 06/08/2022.

City of Monrovia: 8,966 cases (up 140), 105 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 936 cases (up 13), 4 deaths (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard