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A Moment in Monrovia History: The First Monrovia Days Parade

1892, the first Monrovia Day Parade on the city's sixth anniversary. Looking north on Myrtle from Colorado. The flag is ceremonial (the number of stars do not represent the number of states in the Union.) The building second from left was moved from S. Ivy across from the current location of City Hall to Myrtle c. 1890. On left is the Cornes & Slosson Livery Stable, the Banning Block and in the far distance the Granite Bank Building. On the right is the Harper Block, the Monrovia Hotel and the Keefer (Barnes & Baxter) building. 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

Pumpkin Carving for Teens at Library Oct. 30


Pumpkin carving at the Library for grades 6-12 on Oct. 30, 3:30-5 p.m. Carve pumpkins, watch a spooky movie, and enjoy snacks. Register here; walk-ins welcome while supplies last.

- Brad Haugaard

Storytime for Young Children Oct. 23


Storytime on Oct. 23, 10-11 a.m. at Library. Children ages 2-5 can enjoy stories, songs, and a sensory activity or craft. Siblings welcome. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Home Garden Workshop Oct. 22


Fall Vegetables for Home Gardens workshop on Oct. 22, 6-7 p.m. at Library. Adults can learn to grow vegetables and create a mini veggie pot. Register here. Led by Karen from Armstrong Garden Center.

- Brad Haugaard

Blocks of Cars at Monrovia Car Show




Lots and lots of street rods for the car show along Myrtle today.

- Brad Haugaard 

School Board to Appoint Two Members Since None Elected; Limits on Camera Surveillance; Language Learning Software, Class of '84 Fixes Hillside Big M

School board election districts. 

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

~ Appointing members to the school board for trustee areas 1 and 2 (see map). The district had earlier (here) advertised for interested people from those areas to apply to be on the board due to due to "failure to elect."

~ Approving a memo of understanding with the employee's union (CSEA) limiting how the district can used information obtained from secuirty cameras (for example, it cannot monitor for employee attendance or performance). Details.

~  A $11,695 contract with Rosetta Stone LLC for a one-year subscription to Rosetta Stone language learning software students at the beginning levels of English proficiency. Details.

~ Recognizing the Monrovia High class of 1984 for its donation to help refurbish and maintain the Monrovia Hillside Big M.

- Brad Haugaard

Learn About Soil Nov. 7


Learn all about soil at the Monrovia Community Garden, 303 W. Colorado, on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 7 to 8 p.m. Free event.

- Brad Haugaard

Winter Veggies Workshop Nov. 2


A Winter Veggies Workshop and plant giveaway will be held at the Community Garden South, 1650 S. Magnolia, on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9 to 10 a.m. Free event.

- Brad Haugaard

Cisneros at Community Center Oct. 23

Democratic congressional candidate Gil Cisneros will be at the Community Center October 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event will be hosted by Monrovia Councilmembers Larry Spicer and Sergio Jimenez. To RSVP, email info@gilonthehill.com

- Brad Haugaard

Bradoaks Elementary School Auction


Bradoaks Elementary is holding an online auction here. Everything from sourdough bread for a week to restaurant gift cards to chess and music lessons. Auction closes in two days.

- Brad Haugaard

MAFA Artist Reception and Workshop Sunday, Oct. 20


Learn to draw a spooky Halloween picture, this Sunday, Oct. 20 from 2-4:30 p.m. at the Monrovia Community Center. Learn two different pen and ink drawing techniques, taught by Monrovia Association of Fine Arts (MAFA) instructor Eric Watkins. Free and no registration for students; $10 for adults, who must register here.

Also, and at the same time and place, there will be an artist reception and new display of their works, plus student art, live music, and food. For more information, email christine@monroviafinearts.org.

- Brad Haugaard

Walkthrough Video of Proposed Community Center Redesign


Click here for a walk-through video of a proposed redesign for the Community Center. The design includes a roof line mimicking the mountains, more community space, an outdoor plaza, conference room, full-service kitchen, and public nursing room. Estimated cost: $20-30 million, completion by 2026.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Kings Wok


Dinner tonight at Kings Wok, in the shopping center at the southwest corner of Huntington and Magnolia. I got the shrimp chow mein for $8.89. It was tasty and there was plenty for a second meal. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Free Health Screenings at USC Arcadia Hospital

USC Arcadia Hospital will host its 22nd annual health fair Sunday, Oct. 20, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. at 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. The free event offers health screenings for stroke, thyroid, bone density, breast cancer, blood pressure, mental health, and body mass index. Attendees can also receive flu shots, consultations with medical professionals, and information on Medi-Cal and cancer care resources. Free refreshments and gifts will be provided.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Woman Who Drove Into House Apparently Drunk; Assault With Hammer; Attempted Credit Card Fraud Leads to Car Crashes; And Lots More ...

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 10 – 16. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 505 service events, resulting in 85 investigations.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 10 at 10:03 a.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 800 block of W. Huntington in regarding a disturbing subject. Offices arrived and made contact with the subject. A computer search revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
October 10 at 2:28 p.m., an employee from a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported left the business with a bag full of stolen merchandise. Officers arrived and located the subject a short distance away. The stolen merchandise was returned to the business. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Traffic Offense – Suspect Arrested
October 10 at 11:49 p.m., an officer patrolling the area of Palm and Primrose saw a motorist commit a vehicle code violation. The officer conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. The driver displayed symptoms of intoxication. A DUI investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Resist / Delay – Suspect Arrested
October 11 at 1:30 a.m., while patrolling the 1500 block of S. Myrtle and officer saw a suspicious person loitering near a gas station. The officer made contact with the subject who refused to comply. The subject was arrested, cited and released at the scene.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 11 at 1:46 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Cypress and California recognized a subject he knew from prior contacts and made contact with him. A computer check revealed he had several warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
October 11 at 10:30 a.m., an employee from a business in the 3300 block of S. Peck reported a vehicle they purchased had been reported stolen prior to purchasing the vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
October 11 at 12:01 p.m., a hotel in the 900 block of S. Fifth called to report two renters who had been evicted the previous day were outside the property. Officers contacted them and determined that one of the subjects had a federal warrant for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
October 11 at 2:34 p.m., employees of a retail store in the 700 block of E. Huntington called to report a female subject in the process of stealing items. The female subject was gone prior to officers’ arrival. This investigation is continuing.

Court Order Violation – Suspect Arrested
October 11 at 7:53 p.m., a caller in the 400 block of W. Huntington reported that her daughter got in her vehicle, in violation of a court order. Officers arrived and made contact with the daughter. The daughter was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 12 at 12:04 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Lemon and Ivy saw a motorist commit a vehicle code violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. The driver displayed symptoms of intoxication. A DUI investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence
October 12 at 1:12 a.m., several callers in the 100 block of S. Mountain reported a vehicle collided with a residence. Officers arrived and contacted the injured driver. The driver displayed symptoms of intoxication. The residents of the property were uninjured. The driver was transported to a hospital for treatment. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 12 at 3:06 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Myrtle and Camino Real saw a motorist commit a vehicle code violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. The driver displayed symptoms of intoxication. A DUI investigator revealed the driver was under the influence. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Battery
October 12 at 3:54 a.m., a resident in the 800 block of S. Canyon reported that he was battered by his ex-girlfriend. Officers arrived and made contact with the victim who stated that his ex-girlfriend battered him and her friend pepper sprayed him. The suspects were gone prior to officers’ arrival. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
October 12 at 5:02 a.m., a passerby in the area of Magnolia and Evergreen reported a woman walking on the sidewalk that was being followed by a man in a vehicle. Officers arrived and made contact with both subjects. Both subjects were found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. They were arrested, cited and released at the scene.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
October 12 at 8:23 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Ivy and Lemon was alerted to a stolen vehicle in the area. The vehicle was located parked and unoccupied. This investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision – Suspects Arrested
October 12 at 3:06 p.m., a caller reported a single vehicle collision in the 500 block of W. foothill. Officers arrived and made contact with the occupants of the vehicle. No injuries were reported. The occupants were found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. The occupants were arrested, cited, and released at the scene.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 12 at 10:39 p.m., a passerby in the 400 block of W. Duarte reported a vehicle that he believed the driver was intoxicated. Officers arrived and contacted the driver who displayed symptoms of intoxication. A DUI investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 13 at 11:39 a.m., an employee for a business in the 200 block of W. Pomona reported a male subject was refusing to leave the property. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject. A computer search revealed the he had multiple warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody. Mail theft – Suspect Arrested October 14 at 3:36 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop in the 1100 block of S. California for a vehicle code violation. An investigation revealed the driver was in possession of stolen mail and burglary tools. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 14 at 4:34 p.m., officers were dispatched to 900 block of W. Foothill regarding a welfare check. A caller reported a female subject slumped behind the wheel of a vehicle. Officers arrived and made contact with the female subject who displayed symptoms of intoxication. A DUI investigation revealed she was under the influence. She was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Commercial Burglary
October 14 at 10:14 p.m., the owner of a business in the 800 block of W. Foothill reported a burglary in progress after hours. Officers arrived and determined that the subject was gone prior to officers’ arrival. Property was taken. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud
October 14 at 11:31 p.m., a caller in the 100 block of W. Huntington reported a subject at a hotel who had used his credit card to book a room. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
October 15 at 2:27 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop on a bicyclist in the area of Mayflower and Huntington for a traffic violation. An investigation revealed the bicyclist was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested, cited and released in the field.

Grand Theft Auto
October 15 at 4:23 a.m., a caller in the 1800 block of S. Myrtle called to report his vehicle was stolen sometime between October 14 and October 15 from a parking lot. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 15 at 8:14 a.m., a male subject walked into the MPD lobby to turn himself in. A computer search revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
October 15 at 11:42 a.m., an employee from a store in the 600 block of S. Myrtle reported a subject left the store with a high end watch and did not pay for it. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
October 15 at 12:36 p.m., a shoplifting incident was reported in the 600 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and learned that four subjects entered the store, concealed items, and fled without paying. Two of the subjects were located a short distance away. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
October 15 at 1:07 p.m., a victim was walking in the area of Huntington and Alta Vista when a female subject approached him and began a conversation with him to distract him. She removed his necklace and attempted to flee with it, but instead broke it in the process. The female subject fled the scene. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
October 15 at 2:02 p.m., a caller in a store in the 700 block of E. Huntington reported a theft. An investigation revealed a male subject entered the store, took items, and left without paying. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
October 15 at 6:04 p.m., a victim in the 500 block of Fano reported someone stole property from his vehicle. The vehicle was unlocked and the front passenger window was left down. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
October 15 at 8:11 p.m., a caller in the 700 block of E. Huntington reported that someone smashed the window to his vehicle. Nothing was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
October 16 at 7:17 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of 200 W. Pomona and an alert went off regarding a stolen vehicle. The officer checked the area and located the vehicle. It was recovered and taken out of the system as stolen.

Assault
October 16 at 11:54 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Myrtle and Walnut was flagged down. The officer made contact with the subject who reported that a several days prior a male subject walked up to him and struck him numerous times with a hammer and fled. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud
October 16 at 12:24 p.m., a victim walked into the MPD lobby to report she was fraudulently made to believe that she be purchased a machine through social media, but the machine never arrived. The victim believes she was scammed. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
October 16 at 12:35 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of W. Cypress reported his vehicle stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Theft
October 16 at 2:03 p.m., a victim walked into the MPD lobby to report that her wallet was stolen from her purse while shopping at a store in the 700 block of E. Huntington. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
October 16 at 3:15 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in a parking lot in the 1600 block of S. Mountain. This investigation is continuing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
October 16 at 3:21 p.m., a business dispute was reported in the area of Primrose and Foothill. Officers arrived and made contact with the caller. An investigation revealed a subject was attempting to make a purchase with a bad credit card. An argument took place, the subject left the store and drove away. As the subject drove away he hit numerous parked vehicles and fled. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting
October 16 at 6:11 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington regarding a shoplifting incident. A subject known to have stolen from the business in the past filled a shopping cart with merchandise and walked out of the store without paying. When loss prevention confronted the suspect, he left the shopping cart behind in the parking lot and fled. He was gone prior to officers’ arrival.

Gentle, Low Maintenance, Sinta Loves People - Stays Off Their Furniture


Sinta is an 8-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix with a gentle soul and a heart full of love for her people. With her calm and friendly temperament, Sinta is the kind of dog who easily settles into any environment, whether it's lounging on the floor (she’s not one for furniture!) or enjoying some quiet time by your side. She’s fantastic in the car, great with people of all ages, and behaves politely around food—no begging at the table with this well-mannered girl!

While Sinta is as sweet as can be, she does have some anxious energy when left alone, often pacing when her humans are out. That said, she’s completely non-destructive and can be trusted to be left at home. When you return, expect a warm (and slightly bouncy) welcome—she’s still working on curbing her excitement and learning not to jump, but she’s getting there!

Walks with Sinta are a breeze—until a squirrel crosses her path! She’s a champ on the leash otherwise, though she could use a little more training to make those strolls even smoother.

If you work from home or are around often, Sinta would make an ideal, low-maintenance companion. She’s chill, sweet, and just looking for a forever home where she can relax, feel loved, and maybe chase the occasional squirrel.

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.

Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 2:00 – 5:00. For those who prefer, adoption appointments are available daily from 10:30 – 1:30 and can be scheduled online. View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.

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. Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

Registration Open for Eat Your Garden Webinar Oct. 26


Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District will host a free "Eat Your Garden" webinar on Zoom, Oct. 26, from 9 to 10 a.m. Topics include integrating edibles into landscaping, growing vegetables in planters, and irrigation tips. Open to Upper District residents. Register here.

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Monrovia's 28th Birthday Celebration

A float on Monrovia's 28th Birthday May 16, 1914, on Myrtle Ave in front of K of P Headquarters. Savings Bank at left. The sign above KofP says "Golden Anniversary," but that is apparently referring to the 50th anniversary of the K of P organization. From the Steve Baker 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

Veterans Meetup at Huntington/Magnolia Starbucks


The Veterans Resource Center and Starbucks will hold a veterans meetup on Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Starbucks at Huntington and Magnolia. Veterans can enjoy free coffee and connect with peers. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Innovation Lab for Kids at Monrovia Library


Innovation Lab for children ages 6-11 on Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Library Story Room. No registration required. Details.

- Brad Haugaard