Dinner at Fatburger, in the shopping center at the northeast corner of Huntington and Fifth. Got the 1000 Island Fatburger for $8.25 and a drink for $3. Nicely grilled. Oops, took a bite before a photo.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Boo enjoys walks and hikes but also likes the opportunity to RUN! She enjoys playing with her favorite stuffy toy and she’s always up for a game of keep-away because she finds that hilarious.
Boo is about four years old, seems to be housetrained, and likes to show off how smart she is when treats are involved. She is a master at several cues and wants to learn more.
Are you ready for your Boo?
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
Battle of the Badges charity basketball game between Monrovia Fire Department and Monrovia Police Department. Tickets are $5 for ages 13+. Pay with cash, or Venmo to Monrovia POA.
- Brad Haugaard
The covered fountain at the southeast corner of Library Park in 1919. From the Myron Hotchkiss collection. See full details here.
"The grant funding allows us to support our ongoing traffic safety efforts in the community," Monrovia Police Lt. Chad Harvey said. "Our intent is to stop the most unlawful and dangerous behaviors that put people at risk and create an environment where everyone feels safe traveling.'
The grant will provide additional programs and resources, including:
- DUI checkpoints and patrols specifically focused on suspected impaired drivers.
- Enforcement operations focused on suspected distracted drivers in violation of California's hand-free cell phone law.
- Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operations focused on driver behaviors that put vulnerable road users at risk.
- Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause accidents: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
- Community educations presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, DUI, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
- Collaborative traffic enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.
- Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
The grant program will run through September 2024. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
At the "Town Hall Meeting" at the church's office at Huntington and California, board member Obed Martinez said one of the main causes of problems at the church is that it grew so fast that it outgrew its administrative structure, and Tate said that his inappropriate texting, for which he was put on leave, was to a woman outside the church and that he has never sexually harassed anyone, though he said that in staff meetings some comments which some people thought were funny were considered by others to be inappropriate. He said he has learned, "Albert, shut up."
Regarding layoffs, Tate said the church was staffed for three campuses, but now only has one, and income was inadequate for all those staff members. Also, Martinez said, there has been a post-COVID giving dip. Tate added that the social media discussion of the church's problems has made the problem worse, and board member Christian Washington said the church's finances are "not good."
Regarding resignations, the leaders said that sometimes staff members simply don't like the direction the church is going. The problem, Tate said, is that "we were dysfunctional, not abusive." Tate also said there has been no hush money paid to anyone who has left, though he said the church has tried to be generous in its severance pay.
Christian investigative journalist Julie Roys (her site here) brought up this point during the time for questions from the audience. She said that the church handbook says that no severance money would be paid to staff members who leave voluntarily, then she asked if any of those who left voluntarily had been given a "six-figure severance."
Tate responded that she had been publishing lies (meaning, apparently, that she had published information from sources that he believes were lying) and that he was "not interested in commenting to a journalist," but later - while he didn't exactly answer the "six figure" question - he added that the church has tried to give severance to as many people as possible.
Regarding the use of church funds, the leaders said there has been no misappropriation of funds and that the church has been audited yearly by the firm CapinCrouse, which Tate described as the "Cadillac" of auditing firms, and it has never found any problems.
In addition to the meeting, congregation members have posted a petition, named Justice for Fellowship Monrovia Church, that calls for an “independent investigation into these allegations against Senior Pastor Albert Tate and the Fellowship Church Board.” Details.
Also, another group, called Hope for Fellowship, posted a statement that objects to the church board’s “lack of transparency” and wants to refocus “on the values upon which it was originally founded.” Specifically, it wants to focus on prayer, hope and encouragement, and having a central place to share information, including information on “how we can support our staff, which includes financial support for former staff members who are unemployed and contribute to restorative justice ministries that Fellowship no longer supports…” Details.
- Brad Haugaard
At its next regular meeting (agenda here) the council will consider ...
~ Buying the building at 324-328 South Myrtle Avenue (across from the Library) for $6 million as an interim Community Center while the existing Community Center is being remodeled. Details.
~ The budget. Property tax revenue is up, hotel bed tax (transient occupancy tax) up, sales tax down, particularly due to slipping vehicle sales. But in summary, "the City will close the books for Fiscal Year 2022-23 in a better position than planned, and the City remains in a strong financial position heading into the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2023-24." Details.
- Brad Haugaard
The Monrovia School District reports that Fil Lujan has been named as the new principal of Canyon Oaks High School and Mountain Park School, and Tedese Ross has been named as the new assistant principal at Monrovia Community Adult School.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for November 9 – 15. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 315 service events, resulting in 48 investigations.- Brad Haugaard
Workshop on "Poplars, Redbuds, and Oaks Oh My: A Monrovia Tree Workshop," Thursday, Nov. 30, 7-8:30 p.m. at 303 W. Colorado. Giangelo Leos, arborist educator, will discuss the right trees for Monrovia and how to care for them.
- Brad Haugaard
The Monrovia City Council will hold a special session Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Doubletree to set goals, then it will go into closed session to evaluate how the city manager and city attorney are doing. Details.
Comment: May I suggest the city discuss goals for wildlife management. I'm sure we're all happy to live near bears but I don't think we want them inside our houses or ripping up things under our houses. I'm sure we're okay with coyotes, but we don't want them eating our pets. Both are moving further and further into the center of town. This is a foothills problem that should probably be addressed by a consortium of foothills cities. Perhaps Monrovia should take the lead in this.
- Brad Haugaard