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A Moment in Monrovia History: Monrovia's Fine Symphony Orchestra

From: Monrovia Messenger February 10, 1893 Vol. VII No. 12. A Fine Orchestra. In its report of its recent Entertainment at Sierra Madre the VISTA says: The Music by the Monrovia orchestra was unusually fine. They have an organization superior to many in larger towns. Prof. Cronewett and his violin and Prof. Strite with cornet were "A 1". Mr. Reichard also showed a good baritone. Mrs. Parker, double bass and Miss Bowerman at the piano. The other performers were F. G. Seger, 2nd violin; Chris. Elbing, 3rd violin; C.W. Shook, French horn. A fine orchestra." From Monrovia News Post: Orchestra directed by A.E. Cronenwett: J.W. Harvey, trombone, Fred Seeger, violin, Mrs. Henry Parker, bass cello, Henry Knight, violin, Miss Addie Bowerman, piano, Sam Wilcon, cornet, Tom Strite, cornet. 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

Monrovia Teens Painting Dodgers Logos on Lawns

Two Monrovia teens are making money painting Dodger logos on people's lawns. $30 for one or $50 for two. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Bike Repair Workshop Nov. 2


Bike Repair Workshop at Station Square Park on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Adults can learn basic bicycle maintenance and repairs; bring your bike. Register here.

- Brad Haugaard

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, Nov. 1


"Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" event at the Library's Community Room on Friday, Nov. 1, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Teens and adults test their knowledge with fifth-grade questions. Register here.

- Brad Haugaard

Children Learn to Coexist With Wildlife, Nov. 2


Community Wildlife with Teranga Ranch at the Library's Story Room on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 2 to 3 p.m. Children 5 to 12 learn to coexist with local wildlife through interactive presentations and games. Register here.

- Brad Haugaard

Native Plant Sale at Historical Museum Nov. 9


The San Gabriel Mountains Chapter of the California Native Plant Society will host a Native Plant Sale on Nov. 9 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Monrovia Historical Museum (742 E Lemon Ave). There will be more than a thousand native, climate-appropriate plants.

- Brad Haugaard

Paper Butterfly Release to Honor Dead


About Senior Solutions will hold a paper butterfly release Nov. 5 at Library Park to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, to remember those who have passed away. If you'd like to have a butterfly made for the release, submit a request here

- Brad Haugaard

Haunted Fun at Historical Museum Oct. 27 and 31


On Oct. 27 and 31, from 1-4 p.m., the Monrovia Historical Museum (742 E. Lemon Ave) will host a spooky time at the Museum. Explore where the past comes alive with tales and treasures. Get your photo in front of a haunted historic Craftsman home. Wear a costume, get a treat.

- Brad Haugaard

Halloween Spooktacular Oct. 31 in Library Park


Monrovia will hold a family-friendly Halloween Spooktacular on Oct. 31 at Library Park, 3-6 p.m. It will feature a costume contest (registration at 3 p.m.) with categories for all ages, a pumpkin patch, photo booth, activity booths, and trick-or-treat in Old Town. Entry is free. 

- Brad Haugaard

Volunteers Needed for Make a Difference Day


Volunteers are invited to join Monrovia's Make a Difference Day on Oct. 26 for a range of community enhancement activities, including park cleanups, school repairs, and beautification projects. Registration begins at 7 a.m. behind the Library near the Rotary Bandshell. Work will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. across Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard

Free Fire Safety Meeting Nov. 14


Free fire safety meeting at the Library Community Room Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. Details.

- Brad Haugaard 

Dinner at Cafe Mundial


Dinner at Café Mundial, on the east side of Myrtle about a half block north of Colorado. Got the Jack Daniels Burger for $17 and a beer for $8. Burger had a nice, fat patty. Very good.

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Suspect Crashes Getaway Car; Narcan Saves Overdose Victim; DUI Mom Drives with Child; Drunk Driver Hits Cars, Flees But Is Caught

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 17 – 23. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 447 service events, resulting in 91 investigations.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 17 at 2:04 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Lime and Mayflower saw a vehicle swerving in and out of the lanes and making unsafe turning movements. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. The driver displayed signs and symptoms of being under the influence. A DUI investigation determined the driver was under the influence. She was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
October 17 at 7:55 p.m., a resident in the 700 block Mayflower called to report that her ex-boyfriend had just battered her. Officers arrived and contacted the victim, suspect, and a witness. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
October 17 at 9:23 p.m., while patrolling the area of Myrtle and Colorado an officer was alerted to a stolen vehicle in the area. The stolen vehicle was located with two subjects standing near the vehicle. The vehicle was removed from the stolen vehicle system and returned to the registered owner. This investigation is continuing.

Weapon Offense – Suspect Arrested
October 18 at 2:16 a.m., an officer patrolling the 1600 block of S. Myrtle saw a subject in a park in violation of a municipal code. The officer made contact with the subject and discovered that the subject was in possession of multiple illegal weapons. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence / Warrant Arrest – Suspects Arrested
October 18 at 2:26 a.m., while patrolling the area of Huntington and Fifth an officer saw a motorist commit a vehicle code violation. The officer conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the occupants. The driver displayed symptoms of intoxication and a computer check of a passenger revealed the passenger had a warrant for his arrest. A DUI investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. They were both arrested and transported to the MPD jail.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
October 18 at 3:02 p.m., officers were dispatched to a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington regarding a shoplifting incident. An unknown male subject loaded a shopping cart with items and left the store without paying. Officers arrived and located the subject nearby. He was arrested, cited, and released at the scene.

Driving Under the Influence / Child Endangerment – Suspect Arrested
October 18 at 7:16 p.m., a caller in the area of Foothill and Mountain reported an erratic driver. Officers arrived, located the vehicle, conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the occupants. A child was also located in the vehicle. The driver displayed symptoms of being under the influence. A DUI investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. The suspect was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period. The child was returned to the other parent.

Public Intoxication / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
October 19 at 2:17 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of S. Ivy reported that her ex-husband was knocking on her door and appeared to be intoxicated. Officers arrived and contacted the suspect who displayed symptoms of intoxication. A computer search revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Burglary
October 19 at 8:43 a.m., a victim in the 700 block of S. Myrtle reported his storage unit was broke into and property was taken. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 19 at 12:09 p.m., a passerby reported a theft in progress from a business in the 1200 block of S. Myrtle. Officers arrived and located the suspicious vehicle nearby and conducted a traffic stop. The officers made contact with the driver. A computer search revealed the driver had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft – Suspect Arrested
October 19 at 2:54 p.m., an employee from a store in the 700 block of E. Huntington reported a theft in progress. Officers arrived and located the suspects several blocks away. When the suspects saw the officers they fled in separate vehicles and a pursuit ensued. One suspect vehicle collided with a parked vehicle, the suspect was arrested and taken into custody. One suspect was arrested and taken into custody. This investigation is continuing.

Municipal Code Violation – Suspect Arrested
October 20 at 1:03 a.m., officers were patrolling a park in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle when they located a person in the park after hours. The suspect was arrested, cited and released at the scene.

Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 20 at 1:36 a.m., a resident in the 1400 block of Encino reported that two male subjects were arguing loudly in the street. Officers arrived and made contact with several subjects. One of the subject displayed symptoms of being intoxicated. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Bicycle Traffic – Suspect Arrested
October 20 at 9:36 a.m., an officer patrolling the 100 block of W. Pomona saw a suspicious subject on a bicycle circling a commercial area. The businesses were all closed. The officer made consensual contact with the subject. A computer search revealed the subject was on probation. A search revealed he was in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested, cited, and released at the scene.

Injury Traffic Accident
October 20 at 10:25 a.m., an injury traffic collision was reported in the area of Grand and Sierra Vista. One of the parties involved complained of pain, but refused to be transported to a hospital.

Overdose
October 20 at 11:04 a.m., a caller in the 800 block of W. Olive regarding a subject who had overdosed. The dispatcher was able to successfully guide the caller through administering Narcan. When officers and paramedics arrived the subject had regained consciousness. The subject was transported to a hospital for further treatment.

Trespass Report – Suspect Arrested
October 20 at 1:26 p.m., an employee from a business in the 900 block of W. Huntington reported a subject trespassing. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Runaway Juvenile
October 20 at 4:18 p.m., a juvenile was reported as a runaway in the 800 block of W. Colorado. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence
October 20 at 11:17 p.m., a caller in the 800 block of W. Walnut reported her boyfriend assaulted her. The boyfriend left the scene prior to officers’ arrival. The victim suffered injuries and was transported to the hospital. This investigation is continuing.

Attempted Commercial Burglary
October 21 at 12:11 a.m., an attempted commercial burglary was reported in the 600 block of W. Huntington. The suspect fled prior to officers’ arrival. Officers arrived and determined the suspect damaged a surveillance camera where he tried to gain entry. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
October 21 at 8:18 a.m., a victim in the 100 block of E. Duarte reported property stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Identity Theft
October 21 at 10:58 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of Genoa reported fraudulent activity on her credit card. This investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 21 at 3:21 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the area of Evergreen and Myrtle. Officers arrived and made contact with the parties involved. One of the driver displayed symptoms of being intoxicated. A DUI investigation revealed the driver was under the infancy. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Injury Traffic Collision
October 21at 7:07 p.m., officers responded to the area of Olive and Fifth regarding an injury traffic collision between a vehicle and pedestrian. One of the parties’ involved complained of pain and received treatment.

Drug Activity / Warrant Arrest – Suspects Arrested
October 21 at 11:53 p.m., a grand theft in progress was reported in the 1000 block of Oakleaf. The reporting party saw two subject underneath a vehicle, followed by the sound of a saw. Officers arrived and contacted several subjects in the area. The subjects were working on their own vehicle and lived on the street. A further investigation revealed one of the subjects was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Injury Traffic Collision
October 22 at 11:26 a.m., a traffic collision was reported between a vehicle and a subject in the area of Duarte and Mayflower. The subject was treated by paramedics.

Identity Theft
October 22 at 12:24 p.m., a victim walked into the MPD lobby to report fraudulent activity on her credit card. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
October 22 at 12:51 p.m., an employee from a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington, reported a theft. Officers arrived and located the suspect. The stolen items were recovered. The suspect was arrested, cited, and released at the scene.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
October 22 at 4:04 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the area of Alta Vista and Colorado. No injuries were reported. It is unknown who was at fault for the accident at this time. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence / Hit and Run Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
October 22 at 10:17 p.m., officers responded to a traffic collision in the 200 block of W. Cypress. The suspect collided into two parked vehicles and fled the scene. He was located by officers nearby. The suspect suffered a laceration to his head as a result of the collision. The driver was under the influence and was refusing medical treatment. He was medically cleared at a hospital. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Attempt Grand Theft Auto
October 22 at 4:30 a.m., a caller in the 800 block of W. Duarte reported the rear window to his vehicle was smashed and the ignition punched. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
October 23 at 8:21 a.m., a victim in the 800 block of W. Duarte reported their vehicle stolen.

Theft
October 23 at 10:39 a.m., a resident in the 800 block of E. Lemon reported their vehicle was broken into and property was taken. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
October 23 at 12:02 p.m., a caller in the 700 block of E. Huntington reported that his locker was broken into and his vehicle key was taken. His vehicle was broken into and property taken. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspects Arrested
October 23 at 1:41 p.m., an employee from a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington reported two female subjects were concealing items. Officers arrived and located the subjects walking out of the store. The stolen items were recovered and returned to the business. The subjects were arrested and taken into custody.

Injury Traffic Collision
October 23 at 5:09 p.m., a caller in the area of Duarte and Magnolia reported a traffic collision. Officers arrived and determined the collision involved a vehicle and a bicyclist. The bicyclist suffered injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment. The driver of the vehicle was issued a citation and released at the scene.

Warrant Arrest
October 23 at 5:47 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 700 block of W. Huntington regarding a male subject who walked into the caller’s room and began to act strange. Officers’ arrived and made contact with the subject. A computer search revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Foothill Unity Center Looking for Volunteers to Distribute Thanksgiving Food


Foothill Unity Center (790 W. Chestnut) is looking for volunteers to pack and distribute Thanksgiving boxes to families in need. This year, the center aims to distribute 2,600 Thanksgiving boxes to local families, filled with holiday staples like turkey, stuffing, fresh fruit, and vegetables. Volunteer registration information here.

- Brad Haugaard

Paris Baguette Bakery Opens



The new Paris Baguette (pastries and coffee) opened this morning on the east side of Myrtle, directly across from the library, with a line of customers out the door and winding through the store. The shop has a wide variety of pastries, sandwiches, and coffees. Fresh and tasty.

- Brad Haugaard 

Easygoing Tahoe Knows His Commands But Is Still Playful


Tahoe is a calm and friendly 8-year-old white Lab mix who has an easygoing, affectionate personality. Despite his age, Tahoe has plenty of playful energy and loves his walks, plush toys, and training sessions. He’s an excellent leash walker with a loose, easy gait, and he enjoys sniffing around, occasionally showing curiosity but remaining calm even when passing by other dogs or people.

Tahoe is quick to settle into a routine. He’s house-trained and knows basic commands like “sit,” “down,” “stay,” and “watch me.” He’s also very treat-motivated - especially for hot dogs - and responds well to training sessions. He enjoys a game of fetch and engages playfully with toys, though he can get a little possessive over plushies - who can blame him - they're adorable!

Tahoe thrives on attention and loves to stay close to his human companions. He’s known to lean in for pets, make soft eye contact, and offer gentle tail wags. After playing or training, he’ll calmly settle next to you, perhaps hopping up for a few extra pets or licking your hand in appreciation.

Tahoe is a calm, well-mannered dog who enjoys life’s simple pleasures—walks, treats, and good company. If you’re looking for a sweet and steady companion who enjoys attention and will stay by your side, Tahoe could be the perfect fit!

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

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