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Measure MM Bonds Will Cost Less

Superintendent Ryan Smith reports that Monrovians will pay less interest than expected on the school district’s Measure MM bonds, 3.64% compared to the planned rate of 4.25%.  He said the district’s strong financial position has attracted significant interest from major investment groups. Additionally, the district received a $541,000 grant from the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency Program for upgrading school systems and fixtures to meet water efficiency standards. Measure MM-funded projects will begin this summer. A list of projects here

- Brad Haugaard 

A Moment in Monrovia History: The Waterfall in Monrovia Canyon in 1926

The waterfall in Monrovia Canyon, from an Anderson family outing in 1926. 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

Children and Teens Can Learn About Solar Ovens

Children 5-17 can learn about solar ovens at the library Community Room on June 21, from 1 to 3:30 p.m.  All materials provided. Limited seats available; register here.

- Brad Haugaard

Hip Hop Music Concert at Calvary Chapel Monrovia, Friday Night

Hip Hop Gospel Night this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Calvary Chapel Monrovia, corner of Myrtle and Cherry.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Doesn’t Win All America City Award


Monrovia did not win the All America City award, but the team that made the presentation said they were proud to represent Monrovia. Here’s a post from the city:

Hello Monrovia! Although we were not named a 2023 All-America City Winner, we are so proud to have represented our community in Denver. We want to thank you all for supporting us…the countless phone calls, emails, text messages and tweets from so many of you are deeply appreciated. We can’t wait to come home and continue the work we do in our great city!

- Brad Haugaard  

Monrovia's All America City Presentation

Click here to watch the video of Monrovia's presentation for the All America City Award in Denver today. Monrovia's presentation begins at about 2:24:26. (Click to start the video, then move the slider at the bottom until the counter says 2:24:26.)

- Brad Haugaard

School Board to Consider Buying Computer Equipment; Creating New Positions; Etc.

At its next meeting (agenda here) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Consider a three-year $57,750 agreement with GoGuardian for teacher video conferencing. Details

~ Hold a public hearing and discuss the updated Local Control Accountability Plan. Details

~ Consider buying  a Dell VMware VxRail server with 5-year licensing for $173,953.02 (details), a Fortigate Firewall with a 5-year licensing agreement for $200,985 (details),  and a  Cisco Meraki Data Core Switching system with a 5-year license agreement for $31,815 (details).

~ Consider approving a memorandum of understanding with the district bus drivers to extend their working hours up to eight hours a day. Details

~ Consider creating a new confidential classified management position, Risk Management Coordinator, to handle "general liability, worker's compensation, risk management, emergency preparedness, and safety; prepare reports and maintain records and files on claims, litigation, injuries, general liability, and property loss; document and ensure communication of key risks to identify and analyze areas of potential risk." Details

~  Consider creating a new job position -of payroll technician, to make sure staff is paid in an accurate and timely manner. Details.

Consider a work agreement with the Monrovia Teachers Association. Here and here.

- Brad Haugaard

Volunteers Plant Native Plants


The Monrovia Parks, Wilderness, and Recreation Foundation was out in force today, planting native plants near the Cloverleaf entry point to the Wilderness Preserve.  

- Brad Haugaard 

Cell Phone Tower Disguised as Tree Proposed for North Monrovia

Monrovia's Planning Commission (agenda here) will consider a proposal to build a 60-foot tall wireless telecommunications facility disguised as a tree to improve AT&T Mobility's cellular service north of Foothill. The plan includes a "mono-eucalyptus" structure to support 12 panel antennas, a microwave antenna, and a GPS antenna. It would be located near the city water tank at the very tippy top of Norumbega Drive, 1235 Norumbega Drive. Details

- Brad Haugaard

Summer Swimming, Free Lessons for Students


Monrovia School District and the YMCA are offering free swim lessons to students this summer. Free recreational swim sessions are available to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Register here and apply the coupon code Monrovia23 for free lessons. Limited space. Contact YMCA for more information.

- Brad Haugaard 

FoodED Online Auction June 12-17

Monrovia's FoodED is hosting an online auction with over 80 items, including massages, gym memberships, Dodger and Angel tickets, Disneyland tickets and more. Preview items here. Bidding begins Monday, June 12 through Saturday, June 17. For questions contact Kristin Ritzau at krisritzau@explorefooded.org or 775-5377.

- Brad Haugaard

Juneteenth Celebration Station Square June 17

- Brad Haugaard

Watch Monrovia Saturday at All-America City Finalist Competition


Watch a delegation of Monrovia community members, City Manager Dylan Feik and other staff members present "Building Blocks of Monrovia" at the All-America City Finalist competition in in Denver. Livestream the presentation this Saturday, June 10 at 2:45 p.m. on the National Civic League Facebook Page.

- Brad Haugaard

Youth Punched in Grocery Store; Burglar Pepper Sprayed; Hit and Run Vehicle Caught on Camera; Person Gets Jewelry Then Stops Payment; Burglar Followed Until Police Arrive

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for June 1 through June 7. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 393 service events, resulting in 74 investigations.

Possession of Stolen Property
June 1 at 2:07 a.m., a caller in the 1800 block of S. Peck Road, reported two suspicious subjects in the complex near the mailboxes. The subjects left on foot and were last seen near Myrtle and Railroad. Officers responded and located the subjects on Raymond near Pomona. One of the subjects was in possession of two wallets that did not belong to him. Officers contacted the owners and learned they were stolen from two unlocked vehicles on Peck. The property was collected and returned to the owners. The subject was issued a citation and both were released.

Vehicle Tampering / Trespassing / False Information to Officers / Resisting Arrest
June 1 at 11:42 p.m., a resident in the 900 block of Genoa witnessed a male subject attempting to get inside of the resident’s vehicle parked in front of his house. The victim pepper sprayed the suspect’s face to deter him from burglarizing his vehicle. The suspect immediately ran from the area. He was located by an officer responding to the call. He attempted to run from the officer, but was unsuccessful. The suspect was arrested, but due to having pepper spray in his eyes and face, he was taken to a nearby hospital for medical care. The suspect was not forthcoming about his identity, however, while at the hospital it was discovered he was from Monrovia. The hospital advised he would be required to stay in their care for an extended period of time. He was issued a citation to appear in court.

Grand Theft
June 1 at 7:24 a.m., a victim in the 900 block of California called to report a theft. The catalytic converter had been stolen off of his 2005 Honda Accord. Surveillance footage was recovered. This investigation is ongoing.

Grand Theft
June 2 at 8:02 a.m., the owner of a business in the 400 block of W. Duarte Rd. called to report a theft. The owner reported that around 5:50 a.m., unknown subjects broke into one of his cash vending machines, stealing an estimated $400 and causing approximately $1,500 in damage. The business security cameras captured the subjects, their vehicle, and the license plate. This investigation is ongoing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
June 2 at 9:19 a.m., the victim of a hit and run traffic collision that occurred in the 100 block of W. Chestnut made a counter report in the police department lobby. The victim's vehicle has an advanced on-board security camera system with sensors, which captured the collision from three angles and yielded a suspect vehicle license plate. The suspect’s vehicle has been tied to several DUI reports. The unoccupied suspect vehicle was located several hours later by an officer and had damage consistent with the collision. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud Report
June 2 at 11:37 a.m., the owner of an auction company in the 100 block of E. Walnut reported he'd been defrauded out of nearly $40,000 worth of jewelry. An unknown suspect placed winning bids on the jewelry and wired payment. Once shipping confirmation for the jewelry was received, the suspect immediately canceled the payment through his bank before the payments cleared the three day waiting period. The investigation is ongoing.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
June 2 at 2:30 p.m., a resident from the 1800 block of S. Alta Vista called to report a possible abandoned vehicle parked in the area for about three weeks. A computer check of the vehicle license plate confirmed it was a stolen vehicle. The agency of record for the stolen vehicle did not respond and the registered owner could not be located. The vehicle was removed from the stolen vehicle system and stored.

Residential Burglary – Suspect Arrested
June 2 at 2:34 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of Linwood called to report a residential burglary. He arrived home and found a female suspect ransacking his apartment. She left when he confronted her. The resident followed her until she was located by officers. She was arrested and taken to the Monrovia Police Department Jail.

Located Runaway Juveniles
June 2 at 4:09 p.m., an officer who had just gone off-duty was traveling south in the 1400 block of S. Myrtle when he saw two voluntary runaway juveniles with whom he'd had prior contacts. A backup officer was dispatched and they contacted the juveniles and returned them to their parents.

Battery Report
June 2 at 10:03 p.m., employees of a grocery store in the 100 block of W. Foothill reported several juveniles fist fighting inside of the store. Officers arrived and found one male juvenile victim from Duarte who had been punched in the face and was bleeding. The male juvenile suspects had fled the area prior to officers arriving. Paramedics responded along with the juvenile’s mother. She said she had dropped him off at Library Park earlier that night then drove home. The victim told officers a group of male juveniles asked him where he was from or why he was "mad dogging" them, then one punched him in the face and they all ran out of the store. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication - Suspect Arrested
June 2 at 10:36 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 100 block of N. Mayflower when he noticed a parked car blocking the roadway. The person in the car then began to drive forward with no lights on. The officer stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be unlicensed and the passenger to be so intoxicated he was unable to care for his own safety or the safety of others. The passenger was arrested and housed until sober. The vehicle was stored.

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested
June 3 at 1:12 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 3300 block of S. Peck when she saw a motorist commit a traffic violation. She stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, she arrested the driver for Driving Under the Influence.

Injury Traffic Collision CHP Assist
June 3 at 1:45 a.m., an Amazon big rig truck and trailer was traveling west on the 210 freeway when it crashed into the back of a stalled Mustang. It went through the sound wall, west of Myrtle Avenue. The Mustang was pushed into the number one lane where it crashed into another moving vehicle. The collision caused major cinder block debris to cover the 100 block of Central and multiple Amazon packages to fly through the air and cover the freeway. Several parked cars on Central were damaged from the flying cinder block debris. CA Highway Patrol, CalTrans, Monrovia Fire Department, Monrovia Public Works and Monrovia Police responded. Three people were injured and transported to a nearby hospital. At the same time as this collision, a solo car traveling east on the 210 freeway crashed west of Myrtle, the driver fled the scene and could not be located.

Death Report
June 3 at 3:29 p.m., Monrovia Police officers were dispatched to assist Monrovia Fire Personnel on a medical assist call at a gas station in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle. An elderly gentleman had collapsed and CPR was being performed by bystanders. Monrovia Fire personnel arrived and continued CPR for nearly 15 minutes before pronouncing the subject deceased. The deceased male was in a public place therefore officers put up a privacy screen and waited until the mortuary arrived.

Possession of Methamphetamine - Suspect Arrested
June 3 at 10:15 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 700 block of W. Huntington when he saw a motorist fail to stop for a red light on Huntington and Monterey. He stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be in possession of a used methamphetamine pipe. Upon further inspection of the vehicle, he found she was also in possession of methamphetamine for personal use. The driver was arrested.

Mental Evaluation
June 3 at 8:48 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of W. Duarte regarding a male subject jumping on top of vehicles in the drive-thru. Officers were out on the same subject earlier in the shift for walking in and out of traffic. He was taken to a hospital and placed on a 72 hour mental evaluation hold.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
June 4 at 10:18 a.m., an officer ran the license plate of a vehicle parked in the 1800 block of Tenth. It returned as a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was recovered and an investigation is being conducted.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
June 5 at 11:34 a.m., a property manager from the 100 block of W. Olive called Foothill Tow to have a vehicle removed from the property. An investigation revealed the vehicle was reported stolen from Arcadia. It was recovered and returned to the registered owner.

Injury Traffic Collision
June 5 at 3:42 p.m., officers responded to the area of Mayflower and Duarte to assist with an injury collision. A vehicle made a left turn without yielding to oncoming traffic in the intersection. One party from the collision suffered minor injuries.

Theft – Suspect Arrested
June 5 at 5:44 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 1600 block of S. Mountain regarding a theft report. A male adult had taken numerous items without paying for them. Officers conducted an area check and located the suspect. He was arrested for the theft and the property was returned to the store.

Theft
June 5 at 11:55 p.m., officers responded to a call of a theft at a parking structure in the 200 block of West Pomona. Some items from a vehicle were stolen. A resident walked out to the parking structure and saw a suspect inside his vehicle. The suspect fled down the stairwell towards the train depot. A can of mace and a folding knife was taken from the vehicle. Officers checked the area for the suspect, but were unable to locate him.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
June 6 at 12:16 p.m., a Parking Control Officer patrolling the 1800 block of Tenth ran a license plate of a Honda Civic parked at the location. The vehicle returned as a stolen vehicle. Officers responded and confirmed the vehicle was not occupied. It was recovered and removed from the Stolen Vehicle System.

Vandalism
June 7 at 07:03 a.m., officers responded to a call regarding a vandalism in the 300 block of E. Palm. A caller reported her rental car had been vandalized. The vehicle had been parked overnight on the street. The window was smashed with an unknown object. There is no suspect information. This investigation is continuing.

Embezzlement
June 7 at 09:05 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of S. Mountain regarding an embezzlement report. The owner of the business reported two employees have stolen over 200K from the business. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
June 7 at 08:20 p.m., a male suspect entered a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain and selected several power tools. The suspect started acting strangely and walked out with tools and electronics valued at $1,500. The suspect entered a dark SUV with chrome rims and no license plates and fled towards Mountain. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Canyon Park Should Reopen Fall of 2024

Canyon Park should re-open in the fall of next year. The city’s engineer is completing the final designs for park construction and work will begin this year and should last about nine months. That, according to city manager, Dylan Feik, posting on Facebook.

He added that the city will have an update on the park next month.

I asked if it would be possible to open the road that goes up to and past the Boy Scouts’ Camp Trask.

Feik said that scouts coordinate with the city when they want to get to the camp, but I added that the road has had several mud slides, that the road beyond Camp Trask is closed [by the Forest Service], and that there are heavy vehicles working in that area.

- Brad Haugaard 

Dinner at Lucious Dumpling


Dinner at Luscious Dumpling, in the shopping center at Sixth and Duarte Road. Got the pan fried beef, cheese and onion dumplings for $14 and a tea for $3.75. No ambiance but very yummy dumplings. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Fun Loving Frosty - Acrobat Dog!


Fun-loving Frosty is a jolly, happy soul for sure. He loves hiking, romping in the yard and enjoying the simple pleasures of splashing around in the kiddie pool after an adventure.

Frosty has been working with our trainers diligently. He loves treats and is very happy to perform tricks in order to receive them. He learns commands very quickly and like the excellent student he is, will repeat them as often as he can (or until he gets a yummy treat). One of his favorite tricks is to hop up on a wall during a walk and act like an acrobat!

Frosty is still a youngster- he is just a little over a year old, and he’s got a lot of puppy energy still. He has learned some fun calming techniques and now knows that settling on his bed is a great way to wind down and get some more yummy snacks!

Frosty is ready to thaw even the coldest of hearts!

Pasadena Humane is having a free adoption day on Saturday, June 17th from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. All adoption fees for all available pets will be waived. No appointments will be necessary. Pet licensing fees may apply.

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

Cookie Baking Class at Y

- Brad Haugaard 

Plans to Turn City Historian's Two Homes Into Bed and Breakfast

Elevation of a planned bungalow as it would be seen from Ivy. 

At its Wednesday meeting (agenda: here) Monrovia's Development Review Committee will consider plans by Saxony Holdings to turn the two historic houses once owned by now-deceased City Historian Steve Baker into a bed and breakfast. The plan (here) involves adding two cottages, a pool, and removing an existing garage.
Baker's two homes as they appear now.

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Traveling House - The WA Chess House Around 1896

Home of W.A. Chess, circa 1896. This is the former Chess Bros. Real Estate office, which became the Chess family residence. It was moved from 400 block of S. Myrtle Ave to 148 N. Ivy. L to R: Claude Chess, William Albert Chess, Minnie McCall Chess, and Kathleen Chess. From 1897 Souvenir Edition of the Monrovia Messenger. 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