See Firefighting Techniques Oct. 15 at East Lemon Fire Station

On October 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. stop by Fire Station 101, 141 E. Lemon Avenue, for various fire-related educational activities such as live (controlled) fire demonstrations, discussions on holiday fire prevention, CPR demonstrations, Beat the Firefighter Turnout Drill, and more. For more information contact Monrovia Fire & Rescue at 256-8181. 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Old Town Fall Festival October 15

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 33 More Cases, No More Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 12 p.m., 10/05/2022. Changes since 09/28/2022.

City of Monrovia: 10,634 cases (up 33), 109 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 1,135 cases (up 4), 5 deaths (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

ABC7 Does Report on the Show Highlighting Hispanic History in Monrovia

ABC7 TV did this report on the photo display of Latinos in the city's history put together by the Monrovia Latino Heritage Society and Monrovia Unified School District.

The show, Monrovia’s Past and Future Legacy, featured Hispanic heritage-themed artwork from fourth- and fifth-grade students from all five elementary schools. More than 60 percent of the student population and more than 40 percent of Monrovia residents are Hispanic residents.

 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Cops Respond to Fight at Vons Center; Lots of Alcohol Incidents; Man With Machete Tells Police He's Homicidal and Suicidal; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for September 29 – October 5. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 340 service events, resulting in 70 investigations.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
September 29 at 5:44 a.m., a subject called from a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill to report he was being followed by a subject he had a restraining order against. Officers arrived and the suspect fled the area, but was located a short time later. The suspect was detained, but no restraining order was located. The suspect had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody per the authority of the warrant.

Theft
September 29 at 8:46 a.m., employees at a business in the 200 block of Railroad reported a theft. Surveillance video showed four subjects enter the yard and remove the items. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
September 29 at 9:27 p.m., a caller in the 1200 block of Sherman reported her ex-boyfriend walked into her house unannounced and unwelcomed. Officers were familiar with the male subject and knew he had a warrant for his arrest. Officers arrived and located the male subject. The suspect was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Mental Evaluation
September 30 at 4:41 a.m., a caller in the 900 block of E. Lemon reported a female subject was screaming in the middle of the street. An investigation revealed that the suspect was suffering from a mental health crisis and needed to be evaluated by a mental health professional. She was transported to a local facility for treatment.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
September 30 at 7:14 a.m., an employee from a business in the 900 block of W. Huntington called to report a suspicious male checking door handles in the parking lot. Officers arrived and detained the subject. He had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Drugs / Warrant Arrest – Suspects Arrested
September 30 at 10:37 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 1000 block E. Huntington when he observed a motorist make a traffic violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. During the stop the officer discovered the driver was unlicensed and the passenger was in possession of illegal narcotics. They were both arrested, issued citations, and released at the scene.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
September 30 at 11:39 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Mountain and Huntington when he observed a motorist make a traffic violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. During the stop the officer discovered the driver had a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
September 30 at 2:46 p.m., an employee from a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill called to report that a male subject stole items. Officers arrived, located the subject and recovered the stolen items. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
September 30 at 7:10 p.m., a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington called to report a theft had occurred several hours prior. They reported two females entered the store and concealed product before fleeing without paying for it. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
September 30 at 7:15 p.m., a caller reported several vehicles collided into one another due to a traffic violation in the 1000 block of E. Huntington. One driver complained of pain and was treated at the scene. The party at fault was issued a citation.

Juvenile Fight
September 30 at 8:38 p.m., several callers reported a group of juveniles fighting in the parking lot of a shopping center in the 100 block of W. Foothill. Officers arrived and groups of juveniles fled. The two main juveniles who were fighting were located nearby. Both juveniles were uncooperative and ultimately stated the other person started the fight. A report was taken and the juveniles were released to their parents.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 1 at 1:47 a.m., an officer saw a male subject throwing up on the sidewalk in the 300 block of S. Myrtle. The officer stopped and found the subject was alone and unable to care for himself. The subject was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 1 at 4:47 p.m., a caller reported a motorist was stopped in the middle of the road near Duarte and Mayflower with the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Officers arrived and located the subject. The driver displayed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. An investigation revealed the driver was too impaired to operate a vehicle. He was arrested and transported to the MPD Jail to be held for a sobering period.

Injury Traffic Collision
October 1 at 6:47 p.m., callers reported a traffic collision in area of Huntington and Monterey. Officers arrived and conducted an investigation. Officers determined one party was at fault for a failure to yield violation. One party had visible injuries but refused to be transported. The offender was cited at the scene.

Battery
October 1 at 6:57 p.m., a caller reported a fight in progress at a bar in the 100 block of E. Olive. Officers arrived, but the two aggressors had fled. MFD responded and treated the victim at the scene. The victim stated the fight started over an argument that occurred at another bar earlier. The victim did not want prosecution. This investigation is continuing.

Traffic Collision
October 2 at 12:25 a.m., a caller reported a traffic collision near Mountain and Lemon. Officers arrived and determined one driver ran a red light and was hit by another vehicle. The driver at fault was cited for the violation and for being unlicensed.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 2 at 1:09 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 300 block of E. Huntington regarding a vehicle blocking the driveway. The driver was slumped over inside the vehicle. Officers arrived and determined the driver was intoxicated. He was arrested for DUI and transported to the MPD to be held for a sobering period.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 2 at 8:37 p.m., a caller reported a vehicle creating a traffic hazard and the occupants yelling at one another in the area of Canyon and Huntington. Officers arrived and located the vehicle parked and one of the passengers standing on the sidewalk. Officers contacted the subject on the sidewalk who became verbally aggressive towards the officers. It was determined the subject was intoxicated. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Mental Evaluation
October 3 at 12:39 a.m., a subject in the 900 block of W. Foothill stated he felt homicidal and suicidal. Officers arrived and detained the subject who had a small machete in his back pocket. The subject was suffering from paranoia and kept saying people were out to kill him. The subject was from Idaho and could not explain how he got to Monrovia. The subject was placed on a mental evaluation and transported to a facility for help.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
October 3 at 7:39 a.m., a victim in the 100 block of El Nido called to report his vehicle had been hit while parked on the street. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
October 3 at 8:20 a.m., a maintenance worker phoned from a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington stating the front window to the location was shattered. Officers arrived determined the business had been ransacked. This investigation is continuing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
October 3 at 9:35 a.m., a victim called to report her vehicle, which was parked on the street near Olive and Ivy had been hit. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
October 3 at 4:22 p.m., a victim reported she parked her vehicle near Wildrose and Heliotrope when she returned to her vehicle she discovered her catalytic converter had been stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
October 3 at 7:27 p.m., officers were called to the area of 1300 S. Magnolia regarding a suspicious subject loitering. Officers arrived and contacted a subject fitting the description. It was revealed the subject was reported missing from out of the area. Officers then located drug paraphernalia on him. The subject was taken out of the missing person's database, arrested, issued a citation and released at the scene.

Felony Vandalism
October 3 at 7:32 p.m., a caller in the 100 block of E. Lemon reported her vehicle's windshield had been damaged by someone throwing a rock at it. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
October 3 at 9:15 p.m., officers conducted a consensual contact in the 600 block of W. Huntington with a known subject who uses drugs. While speaking to the subject a meth pipe dropped from his clothing. The subject was arrested, cited and released in the field.

Shoplifting
October 3 at 9:37 p.m., a caller from a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill reported two males entered the store and stole large amounts of medicine. Officers arrived, but the suspects had fled. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence / Felony Warrants – Suspect Arrested
October 3 at 9:44 p.m., an officer saw a driver commit a traffic violation in the area of Myrtle and Colorado and conducted a traffic stop. The driver was determined to be under the influence of alcohol. Officers discovered the subject was also wanted for four felonies from a crime she committed earlier in the year. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Restraining Order Violation – Suspect Arrested
October 4 at 1:35 a.m., a caller in the 900 block of E. Huntington reported a suspicious person near her business. Officers arrived and contacted a male and a female. It was discovered there was a domestic violence restraining order in place against the male subject. The male subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision
October 4 at 3:02 a.m., a driver collided into a light pole in the area of Myrtle and Duarte and fled the scene on foot. Officers found the subject nearby. He was transported to a medical facility for treatment due to a head injury. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 5 at 3:10 a.m., an officer was conducting extra patrol at the 1600 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a subject committing a violation. The subject was detained and it was discovered the subject had a no bail warrant for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
October 5 at 9:31 a.m., a caller in the 400 block of W. Huntington reported that his business had been burglarized sometime during the night. Officers arrived and found that the front window of the business was shattered and money was stolen from inside. The business did not have an alarm, however, surveillance footage showed a male suspect enter. This investigation is continuing.

City Survey on Green Energy Program

The city wants your thoughts on a proposal for the city to sign on with  a green energy program. The program is described here: t.ly/Y7IB

To give your thoughts on the program, click here, t.ly/Y7IB, and scroll down.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Knight Cap Cantina

Dinner at the new Knight Cap Cantina, a Mexican style restaurant that has replaced Ikonicks, on the east side of Myrtle just south of Lime. Simple menu. I got the “Burrito” with pork for $14 and a beer at the happy hour price of $5. Very nice.

- Brad Haugaard 

Hart House - Veggie Based Restaurant - Will Open in November

In early November a new restaurant called Hart House will open at 602 W Huntington Drive, in the same building as Panera Bread.

The restaurant, founded by comedian, actor and entrepreneur, Kevin Hart, will feature "plant-based burg'rs, chick'n sandwiches, salads, nuggets, fries, tots and milkshakes." The company's press release says that, "All ingredients are 100% plant-based and are free of cholesterol, antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, or trans fats."

This will be the second Hart House. The  first location is in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles.

- Brad Haugaard

Blessing of the Animals at St. Luke's Episcopal Church

On Sunday, Oct. 9,  at  10 a.m., St. Luke's Episcopal Church will celebrate the Blessing of the Animals, honoring the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. All pets in carriers or on leashes are welcome in the service. The church also asks that all worshippers wear masks indoors, whether vaccinated or not.

Attendees are also invited to bring new stuffed animals to donate to the Martin Luther King Jr. Pediatric Hub, which provides medical and mental health care to children exposed to domestic and sexual violence. Parish member Dr. Janet Arnold-Clark is the Director of this LA County center. These gifts will be blessed during the service and given to comfort children receiving care at the Hub.

- Brad Haugaard

City Responds to Youth Problems at Vons Center

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting City Manager Dylan Feik said that the city is responding to bad behavior by minors at the Vons shopping center on Friday nights. Feik said some youths have been skateboarding through Vons, stealing alcohol, and shoving employees. He said the city has assigned more police to patrol the area, and is meeting with Vons administrators and plans to meet with the shopping center owner.

- Brad Haugaard 

Handsome Bruno Will Turn Heads

We really need to talk about Bruno. He is an astonishingly handsome Chow/Akita mix who will surely turn heads wherever he goes. He’s about 10 months old and full of fun!

Bruno was brought to the shelter because his family didn’t have time for him. Raising a large puppy can be quite difficult, but we’ve seen plenty of indications that Bruno is treat-motivated and has the ability to learn quickly. This guy will be so much fun to take hiking, camping or on any other adventure!

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

Monrovian Sentenced to Prison for Helping Wealthy Chinese Fraudulently Gain Admission to U.S.

A Monrovia man was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for scheming to help wealthy Chinese nationals unlawfully gain admission into the United States by falsely making them eligible for student visas through a network of fraud, including imposter test takers, essay ghostwriters and fake transcript sellers.

Yi Chen, a.k.a. “Brian Chen,” 35, of Monrovia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay a criminal fine of $400,000 and to forfeit $50,000 of his ill-gotten gains.

After a six-day bench trial that concluded on March 21, Judge Scarsi found Chen guilty of one count of visa fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Chen was acquitted of one count of conspiracy to commit immigration document fraud and 10 counts of visa fraud.

From June 2015 to February 2021, Chen was the CEO and owner of two “educational consulting” companies in Alhambra and Arcadia – Prime U.S. International and MS Education. These companies charged foreign students thousands of dollars for “guaranteed” admission to a college that would lead to the issuance of an F-1 student visa.

To secure admission to a school, the companies prepared application packages that used bogus or altered transcripts, and they hired people to impersonate the prospective student to take standardized tests, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Chen submitted applications containing these fraudulent supporting materials on behalf of at least one foreign national, which helped the student obtain admission to New York University.

Once a foreign student was admitted to a college, the school issued a “Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status – For Academic and Language Students,” which provided the basis for a student visa application or extension of permission to remain in the United States.

“Under the guise of operating an ‘educational consulting’ company, [Chen] made millions of dollars by faking every aspect of the college admissions process,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.

Chen, who has been in federal custody since March 2021, received the lion’s share of the profits from the visa fraud scheme. He also controlled seven bank accounts that received more than $15 million in deposits between 2016 and 2020.

Chen and co-defendant Yixin Li, a.k.a. “Eason Li” and “Calvin Wong,” 29, of San Gabriel, are linked to a group of imposter test-takers who were the subject of an earlier indictment that outlined how they used fake Chinese passports to take TOEFL exams on behalf of foreigners seeking college admissions and student visas. All six defendants in that earlier case pleaded guilty and were sentenced to probation. Li was sentenced on February 22 to time served.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service investigated this matter. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fraud Detection and National Security Section, provided substantial assistance. The Educational Testing Service, which administers the TOEFL exam, provided assistance during the investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Julia Hu of the Major Frauds Section and Maria Jhai of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

Source: Department of Justice press release

- Brad Haugaard

 

  

A Moment in Monrovia History: E. F. Spence, One of Monrovia's Founders

E.F. Spence, one of the founders of the City of Monrovia. He, along with J.D. Bicknell and J.F. Crank purchased land from E.J. Baldwin and with W.N. Monroe, founded the original townsite of Monrovia on their land. He was also an organizer of the Granite Bank and of the San Gabriel Valley Rapid Transit Railroad. He and Bicknell created a $10,048 fund to build the first school by donating profits from the sale of their lots to the school fund. In 1890 they opened a "Ladies College" at The Oaks and funded its first year of operation. He lived in Monrovia from 1887-1892. The photo has his signature, "Yours Fraternally, E.F. Spence.". 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

Rotary Casino Night Oct. 15

- Brad Haugaard

Youth Baseball Registration Open

- Brad Haugaard 

Free Low-Water Gardening Webinars for October

Two free low-water gardening webinars hosted by the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District are scheduled for October:

Organic Weed and Pest Management, Thursday, Oct. 13, 6 to 7 p.m. Register: t.ly/HQn-

Vegetable Gardening All Year Round, hursday, Oct. 20, 6 to 7 p.m. Register: t.ly/zmlb

- Brad Haugaard

Council to Discuss Signing Up for Green Energy Option

At its next meeting (agenda: t.ly/_tlc) the Monrovia City Council will ...

~ Discuss joining 32 other cities in the Clean Power Alliance joint powers authority, which would give the city access to green, or "green-er" electricity starting in 2024. If the city joins, it would choose a default green level: 100% renewable (such as wind, solar, geothermal), 50% green, or 40% green. However, individual customers could switch to one of the other two levels, or opt-out entirely and return to SCE electricity. For each $100 of electricity at current rates, 100% green electricity would cost an extra $3 and 50% green would cost an extra $1. t.ly/EB_2

~ Consider appointing Susie Ling to fill the unexpired Monrovia Library Board term ending June 30, 2023. The position became vacant when board member Janet Wall resigned to become city treasurer. t.ly/G3Il

~ Consider proclaiming Oct. 10-16, as Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week. t.ly/1QFG

~ Consider proclaiming October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. t.ly/B2NF

~ Consider proclaiming October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. t.ly/kWwO

~ Hold a study session at 6 p.m.: "Debt Report / Review of the City's Debt and Credit Rating." t.ly/I2e5

- Brad Haugaard 

What's Playing at Art in the Park Show Saturday

Visitors to Saturday's Art in the Park Show and Chalkfest (Saturday, October 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) will enjoy favorite tunes from the 70's to today as they browse the creative work of dozens of artists.  Starting off the day will be Larry DiPeppe, owner of Alex DiPeppe's Restaurant in Arcadia and a frequent and favorite musician at our quarterly gallery receptions. 

The Blenderz will begin the afternoon with a playlist of nostalgic tunes, and then Cover Story will take over from 2 to 4 p.m. Capping the afternoon will be a live stage performance at 4:15 by more than 60 young people from Centre Stage. They will preview their upcoming presentation of the musical "Matilda," based on the popular children's book by Roald Dahl.

- Brad Haugaard

Fall Youth Sports Starts Oct. 10; Next Neighborhood Treasure is Founder of Foothill Unity Center

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

~ Monrovia's Fall After School Youth Sports Program for fourth and fifth graders will begin October 10 and last until December 22. There will be a parents' meeting October 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the YMCA Activity Building (555 Mountain Avenue - between YMCA & Mary Wilcox Youth Center) for information about the program and to meet the program staff. Details: t.ly/_WHq

~ The next Neighborhood Treasure will be in honor of Josephine Anderson, founder of the Foothill Unity Center. The celebration will be at the Foothill Unity Center (790 W. Chestnut Ave.) on Saturday, October 15, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. The art Unveiling will be followed by free food, games, and music. For questions email map@ci.monrovia.ca.us or call 932-5563. To register to attend: t.ly/XJrFA

- Brad Haugaard

Fire Safety Presentation at Next MAP Virtual Community Meeting

Monrovia Area Partnership's next free virtual meeting will focus on fire safety. Details and registration here: t.ly/Zcw4y

- Brad Haugaard