Historical Museum to sell merchandise at Oct. 17 car show

The Monrovia Historical Museum will sell merchandise at its booth at the Street Rods Forever car show this Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Myrtle Avenue in Old Town. Proceeds support the museum.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia urges drivers to watch for pedestrians during October safety campaign

Monrovia is reminding drivers to slow down and watch for people walking during National Pedestrian Safety Month in October. The city recommends following speed limits, slowing at intersections and marked or unmarked crosswalks, taking extra care at night or in poor weather, avoiding distractions and driving sober. An estimated 7,080 pedestrians were killed nationwide in 2024, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

- Brad Haugaard

Veterans meetup includes breakfast at Merengue Bakery, Oct. 28


Monrovia Public Library and the Veterans Peer Access Network will hold a veterans meetup Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. at Merengue Bakery. The network will provide breakfast sandwiches, and the bakery will provide coffee. Veterans and service members can meet and share stories. For information, call the library at 256-8262.

- Brad Haugaard

Library's summer reading enrollment falls; sewing machines and cooktops added to Library of Things

Enrollment for the Library's Summer Reading program fell 12% to 2,861, with the largest decline among adults, according to this report. Also, new items have been added to the Library of Things, including sewing machines and induction cooktops. The report adds that Veterans Services recorded 609 interactions, and the online Legacy Project archive of old photos and documents received 11,512 searches. 

The Library Board will consider the report at t its next meeting Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. (agenda here). The meeting will be in the Community Center’s Monroe Room, 119 W. Palm Avenue.

- Brad Haugaard

Indoor ski training studio may be coming to Monrovia


An indoor ski and snowboard training studio is planned at 125 W. Maple Ave. The company, SnowStride,  proposes two ski simulators with instructor-led, appointment-only sessions. Details. The Development Review Committee will consider the proposal at its Wednesday, October 21 meeting  (agenda here).

- Brad Haugaard

Council to honor Monrovian Marion Rudnyk, discoverer of 'Asteroid Monrovia'

At its next meeting Tuesday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. (agenda here) the City Council will consider recognizing Marion Rudnyk for his discovery of “Asteroid Monrovia.” From Rudnyk's website: "Marian is excited to announce that he has now named his discovered asteroid, originally designated "1986 PU1", as now officially named "Asteroid 26090 Monrovia", aka "Asteroid Monrovia" - in honor of his beloved hometown of Monrovia, California."

- Brad Haugaard

Coming Up in Monrovia

Free movie: 'Monrovia's Route 66', at Community Center Oct. 16

Teen game hangout at the Library, Oct. 16

Free Wildlife Day at Pasadena Humane, Oct. 17

Street Rods Forever Car Show, Oct. 17 on Myrtle

Veggie gardening workshop Oct. 17 at Community Garden South

Free fire-resilient gardening workshops, Oct. 17 and Nov. 5

Creation Connections concert at Maryknoll, Oct. 18

Halloween farmers market and fair, Oct. 18

Dungeons and Dragons at the Library, Oct. 20

Chipotle Monrovia Fundraiser to Benefit Survivor Justice Center Oct. 21

Painted Promises art fundraiser, Oct. 23–25

Free bulky-item drop-off Oct. 24 at Station Square

Live Oak Cemetery tour returns, Oct. 24

Sensory-friendly morning at the Library, Oct. 24

Volunteers sought for Make a Difference Day, Oct. 24

Taste of Old Town Returns Oct. 25

Jewish Book Festival: Oct. 25 through Dec. 6

Garden club talk on adding native plants, Oct. 26

Watercolor workshop set for Oct. 28

Big band dance social coming to Old Town Oct. 30

Mobile Vote Center at Street Fair on Oct. 30

Calvary Chapel Harvest event set for Oct. 31

Halloween Spooktacular and Trick-or-Treat Bash, Oct. 31

November Adult Craft at the Library, Nov. 3

Storytime at the Library, Nov. 4

Native plant sale and 200-tree giveaway, Nov. 14

Community Prayer Breakfast set for Nov. 20

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Cafe X2O


Dinner at Cafe X2O, on the north side of Foothill just east of Alta Vista. Got the Chicken Breast Skewer Plate for $18 and a beer for $7. Delicious!

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Intoxicated man bangs doors at Police Department; Missing relative safely returned; Paper burning leads to arrest; Returning suspect allegedly assaults officer; and more...

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 8 - 14, 2026. 352 calls for service, 61 investigations, 1 mental evaluations, 4 traffic collisions, 25 arrests. - Brad Haugaard]

OCTOBER 8

Municipal Code Violation – Suspect Arrested

At 3:21 a.m., a caller in the 900 block of W. Huntington reported a disturbing subject in a park. Officers arrived and located a female subject in a park after hours. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested

At 1:23 p.m., a suspicious subject was reported in the 100 block of Railroad. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject. A computer search revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was also found to be in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Offense – Suspects Arrested

At 11:53 p.m., while patrolling the 1500 block of S. Myrtle officers saw three suspicious subjects at a gas station. The officers made contact with the subjects and a computer search revealed one of the subjects had a warrant for his arrest. The other two subjects displayed symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance. One of the subjects was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. They were arrested and taken into custody.

OCTOBER 9

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested

At 1:44 a.m., while patrolling the 300 block of S. Myrtle officers saw a subject at a park after hours and made contact with him. An investigation revealed he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested

At 1:50 a.m., officers were dispatched to a hotel in the 900 block of S. Fifth following an open-line 911 call featuring a verbal argument between a male and female subject. Officers arrived, located the room and made contact with the parties involved. An investigation revealed the male subject battered the female subject. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested

At 2:03 a.m., officers were alerted to a male subject banging on the closed MPD front lobby doors who became belligerent. An investigation revealed he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Court Order Violation

At 2:11 p.m., an officer responded to the 600 block of Royal Oaks after a resident reported that a person restrained by a protective order was parked down the street from her home. The suspect left before the officer arrived. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting

At 9:53 p.m., an employee for a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a shoplifting incident, where two subjects exited the store with merchandise they did not pay for. This investigation is continuing.

OCTOBER 10

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested

At 1:15 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Primrose and Lime saw a subject sleeping on the ground of a parking lot. The officer made contact with the subject and discovered he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Grand Theft

At 11:06 a.m., a victim in the 200 block of E. Evergreen reported the catalytic converter to his vehicle stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested

At 10:08 p.m., a domestic violence incident was reported in the 200 block of Los Angeles. Officers arrived and made contact with the victim who had visible injuries and the suspect had fled. As officers were conducting their investigation the suspect returned. The suspect was not cooperative during the investigation and eventually assaulted an officer. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

OCTOBER 11

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested

At 2:32 a.m., officers in the 900 block of W. Duarte made contact with a female subject who appeared intoxicated. An investigation revealed she was too intoxicated to care for herself. She was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested

At 7:30 p.m., a family disturbance was reported in the 100 block of W. Colorado. Officers arrived and made contact with the parties involved. An investigation revealed the male subject had battered his girlfriend. She was transported to a hospital for treatment. He was arrested and taken into custody.

OCTOBER 12

Court Order Violation – Suspect Arrested

At 6:05 p.m., an employee at a store in the 300 block of W. Huntington reported that her ex-boyfriend was there and in violation of a court order. Officers arrived and located the ex-boyfriend. He was refusing to comply with officers. Officers were able to arrest him and take him into custody.

OCTOBER 13

Vandalism

At 9:37 a.m., a business owner in the 200 block of W. Maple reported the door locks to his business had been vandalized. This investigation is continuing.

Illegal Burning – Suspect Arrested

At 3:02 p.m., a caller in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle reported a male subject burning items. Officers arrived and saw the male subject burning paper on rocks. The subject was arrested.

Missing Critical

At 4:42 p.m., family members came into the MPD lobby to report a relative missing under critical circumstances. After a Silver Alert was issued, an Arcadia Police Department officer successfully located him, and he has since been safely returned home.

Shoplifting / Delay – Suspect Arrested

At 6:46 p.m., a caller in a store in the 400 block of W. Huntington reported a female subject concealed merchandise and fled in a vehicle without paying. Officers arrived and were able to locate the subject in a vehicle. A traffic stop was conducted and she was contacted. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Runaway Juvenile

At 7:31 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of W. Walnut reported her juvenile daughter as a runaway. She was entered into the missing persons’ system. This investigation is continuing.

OCTOBER 14

Welfare Check – Suspect Arrested

At 3:51 p.m., a caller in the 400 block of S. Myrtle reported a male subject sitting on a bench slumped over. Officers arrived and checked on the subject. An investigation revealed he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

- Brad Haugaard

Garden club talk on adding native plants, Oct. 26

Monrovia Garden Club mark surrounded by floral artwork from the event poster

Steve Gerischer, owner of Larkspur Garden Design, will discuss adding California native plants to existing gardens at the Monrovia Garden Club's Monday, Oct. 26 meeting. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., with the program at 7 p.m., in the downstairs event room at Monrovia Community Church, at the corner of Foothill and Myrtle. Guests are welcome.

Gerischer will suggest ways to incorporate natives without tearing out an established garden, including replacing aging shrubs, planting areas without irrigation and replacing patches of struggling lawn. He has designed and installed gardens for more than 40 years.

- Brad Haugaard

Local nurse practitioner Raymond Hernandez honored for helping patients carry the burden of cancer

Next door in Duarte, at the City of Hope, nurse practitioner Raymond Hernandez has won a place among eight people named 2026 MPN Heroes, a national recognition announced Oct. 13 by biopharmaceutical company Incyte. The company sponsors the annual program to honor contributions to care, research and advocacy for people affected by myeloproliferative neoplasms, or MPNs—a group of rare, chronic blood cancers.

The honorees are nominated by their peers and chosen by an independent panel of MPN experts and advocates, according to Incyte. Hernandez was recognized for attentive, compassionate care and for closely watching for signs that a patient's disease is progressing or returning. This year's recipients will be honored Dec. 11 in New Orleans at an event held in conjunction with the American Society of Hematology's annual meeting.

For Hernandez, the work isn't only about what happens on a chart. In a biography supplied by Incyte's media representative, he describes wanting patients to focus on their loved ones and everyday lives while he and the rest of the healthcare team handle the clinical side of treatment. Even in a busy clinic, the aim is to make each person feel they have his undivided attention.

There is plenty of clinical work behind that reassurance. According to the biography, Hernandez often sees patients more frequently than their physicians do, giving him opportunities to spot changes and respond quickly. His work can include bone marrow biopsies and lumbar punctures to help guide treatment decisions, along with monitoring chemotherapy toxicity and keeping up with developing MPN therapies.

Away from the clinic, Hernandez is an avid surfer. The biography draws a connection between making the most of each wave and making the most of each patient visit: he wants people to leave knowing their time with him counted. Different settings, but the same attention to the moment—and to the person in front of him.

Award announcement.

- Brad Haugaard

Red Flag Warning: extreme fire danger through Saturday

Red flag illustration

A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the San Gabriel Valley through 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. The National Weather Service warns that strong Santa Ana winds and very low humidity could produce extreme fire behavior if a fire starts, threatening life and property. 

Northeast to east winds of 20–30 mph are forecast, with gusts of 45–55 mph and isolated gusts up to 65 mph possible. The strongest winds are expected Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon, with minimum relative humidity of 8–15%. 

Use extreme caution with anything that could spark a wildfire. Residents near wildland areas should be prepared to evacuate if a fire breaks out. See the National Weather Service warning and wildfire preparedness information.

- Brad Haugaard

Storytime at the Library, Nov. 4


Children ages 2-5 can join Storytime at the Library on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 10 to 11 a.m. The program includes active stories and songs, followed by a sensory activity or craft; siblings are welcome. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Sensory-friendly morning at the Library, Oct. 24


A sensory-friendly morning for neurodivergent children ages 2-11 will take place at the Library on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 to 11 a.m. Children can check out books and use sensory toys in the Story Room and art supplies; registration is open here.

- Brad Haugaard

Teen game hangout at the Library, Oct. 16


Teens in grades 7-12 can drop in at the Library on Friday, Oct. 16, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. to play Nintendo Switch games, including Mario Kart and Smash Ultimate, Beyblades and board games; snacks also are available. No registration is needed. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Experimental. try to get to work on mobile devices