Betty McWilliams New Executive Director of Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center

Betty McWilliams, new Executive Director

Foothill Unity Center Deputy Director Betty R. McWilliams has been chosen from a field of over 20 candidates to assume leadership of the organization effective June 4. She succeeds Joan E. Whitenack, who is retiring after nearly 17 years as head of the agency. 

As a key member of the Center's management team for 14 years, McWilliams has played a pivotal role in its growth into one of the most effective nonprofit agencies in the area. In partnership with Whitenack, she led the expansion of its program service area from three cities to eleven, now providing services to more than 4,000 unduplicated very low income local families and homeless each year. She was instrumental in securing the Center's federal designation as Community Action Agency for the Foothill Area and in the success of its major annual fundraising event, the Golden Plate Awards Dinner. In addition to overseeing the Center's day-to-day operations, McWilliams has helped to develop many of its client programs, including Health Services, Pet Food Bank, Senior/Disabled Home Delivery, case management and much more. She has also been instrumental in the planning and execution of its annual Back to School, Thanksgiving and Holiday Distributions. Prior to joining the Center, McWilliams served as Executive Director of the Pasadena Senior Center for six years and held other administrative positions in the private sector.

"After a months-long search and the review of a strong field of final candidates, Betty emerged as the hands-down choice of our Executive Search Committee," said David Steinmeier, President of the Center's Board of Directors. "As Foothill Unity Center enters a new era of helping local families in need, we are fortunate and proud to have Betty's exceptional leadership skills, seasoned experience, caring and passion at the helm."

NOTE: A retirement party for Joan Whitenack is planned for Thursday evening, June 28, 5 – 8 p.m. at the Double Tree Hotel in Monrovia. For information and reservations ($10 per person), contact Barbara Rolf at the Center, 626.358.3486 or email barbara@foothillunitycenter.org

 

Source: Press release

 

- Brad Haugaard

MAD Town Council to Meet in Monrovia

Representatives of unincorporated areas of Monrovia, Arcadia and Duarte (the "MAD Town Council") will hold its first in-Monrovia public meeting, Wednesday, May 16, at 7 p.m. at Plymouth Elementary School (1300 Boley St.). Representatives of the LA County Supervisors Office, LA County Sheriff's Department, Monrovia Police and Fire Departments, and Highway Patrol will be available to answer questions.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Laser at Helicopter, GPS Finds Stolen Car, Windshield Wiper Vandalism, Gang Arrests, Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 3-6. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend's highlighted issues and events. 

 

Gang Activity / Gang Injunction Violations - Four Suspects Arrested

May 3 at 4:27 p.m., a female subject called police and reported shots fired in the 600 block of East Lemon.  Officers arrived on scene and confirmed no shots had been fired; however, a vehicle occupied by four male subjects had driven by yelling out gang slurs.  The vehicle was located and stopped by officers, who conducted a felony stop.  Officers recognized two of the subjects in the vehicle as suspects in an assault with a deadly weapon incident that occurred in the City of Duarte, and the vehicle matched, as well.  Sheriff's deputies responded and took custody of the two suspects.  Monrovia police officers arrested the other two subjects and each was charged with three counts of violating the Gang Injunction.  One of the subjects is currently on parole and a parole hold was obtained.

 

Fraud / Forgery / Impersonating / Conspiracy - Suspects Arrested

May 3 at 3:26 p.m., a victim of fraud came to the police department to report the crime.  The victim had made a purchase at a business in the 600 block of West Huntington.  The next day a fraudulent online purchase was made on his card at the Pasadena location of this business.  The crime was discovered by the credit card holder through notification from his credit card company.  The victim notified the store and filed a report with police.  

 

Store personnel called the suspects and advised them they did not have the item ordered on-line, but they could pick one up at the Monrovia Store.  The suspects said they would go to the Monrovia store and pick up their purchase.  Officers were dispatched to the location when the suspects showed up.  The suspects entered the store, signed for the merchandise, and walked out of the business.  Officers stopped the suspects before they drove away.  The two suspects were arrested and taken into custody.

 

Pointing a Laser at Aircraft in Flight - Suspect Arrested

May 5 at 12:38 a.m., a subject standing in a parking lot with a few friends pointed a green laser into the sky.  He saw a helicopter in flight and aimed the laser at the helicopter and tracked it for about three seconds.  The laser struck the cockpit of the police helicopter, causing the pilot to suddenly divert from his flight path.  The pilot and observer saw the path of the laser and were able to locate the point of origin.  They saw the suspect get into a vehicle.  The helicopter followed the vehicle and directed Monrovia officers to the vehicle.  The vehicle was stopped on the 210 Freeway, just east of Santa Anita.  The suspect admitted to aiming the laser at the aircraft, and he still had the laser in his possession.  He was arrested.

 

Stolen Vehicle Recovered

May 6 at 8:07 a.m., a vehicle GPS monitoring company advised Monrovia Police Department they had located a stolen vehicle registered with them in an alley near the 200 block of West Walnut.  Officers responded to the location and recovered the vehicle.  The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department in Lancaster was notified, as they took the original stolen vehicle report, and they requested the vehicle be held for fingerprinting. 

 

Theft From a Vehicle

May 6 at 12:38 p.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 600 block of West Lime.  The victim left her vehicle unlocked and her purse was taken from the vehicle with her wallet in it.  She reported the theft to her credit card companies and was advised the suspect had used one of the cards at a fast food restaurant in Monrovia at 7:56 a.m. and then at another at 8:04 a.m.  The suspect also attempted to use the debit card at an ATM, unsuccessfully.  Investigation continuing. 

 

Vandalism / Vehicle Tampering

May 7 at 2:20 a.m., a resident in the 800 block of East Lemon reported the windshield wipers on his vehicle had been vandalized.  An officer responded to the location and discovered approximately 20 additional vehicles with similar damage.  The majority of damage to the vehicles was bent antennas and windshield wipers.  The vehicles vandalized were primarily parked on Lemon, between Shamrock and Hacienda.  The investigation is continuing.  

Portantino Is Junior Leagues' Legislator of the Year

Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, was honored today by the Junior Leagues of California as "State Legislator of the Year" for introducing several bills over the last several years in the areas of health, education and violence prevention. He was also cited for his work with the Junior League of Pasadena, including Kids in the Kitchen, Community Expo and reading at the Mothers Club.

 

Source: Portantino press release

 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Six-2-Six Store Expanding

Six-2-Six jewelry and accessory store in Old Town is growing. http://goo.gl/wb4dt

  
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Still-Amazing Continuation High School

Joy Dunn, a counselor at Monrovia's Canyon Oaks (continuation) and Mountain Park (independent study) schools, told the Monrovia Coordinating Council today about the success the schools have had.

Continuation high schools are typically, as School Board Member Ed Gilliland chimed in, "warehouses," but Canyon Oaks has gone from that to making very successful students.

Successful like this: Last year 75 percent of of its grads - and it graduates approximately as high a percentage of students as Monrovia High - went on to post-secondary education or into the military; 30 percent went directly to four year colleges; Canyon Oaks' classes are now certified by the UC system as "college prep;" the school has the maximum six-year accreditation awarded by the standard accreditor, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (fewer than 3 percent of WASC visits result in that level of accreditation); the school has been named a "Model Continuation High School" for California; and, Dunn said, students even transfer in to the Monrovia school district from other parts of the San Gabriel Valley simply so they can attend.

Dunn said Canyon Oaks and Mountain Park, which share a campus, "feel like a private school," and now, she said, the school is setting up a scholarship fund to help students with college (Rotary Club is chipping in).

Opinion: Who in the world transfers to a school district to attend that district's continuation high school? What continuation high school has even had one percent of its grads go on to college? What percentage of continuation high students even graduate at all? What percentage of continuation schools are accredited at all, not to mention for the maximum six years. Compared to that, Wow! I wrote about the schools here ( http://goo.gl/gW2e2 ) long ago. I was so amazed that I sent a note to newspapers, educational journals, and major education bloggers, but for reasons that still baffle me, I never saw anything as a result.

- Brad Haugaard

Pancakes and Popstars

Pancakes and Popstars, May 12, 8 a.m to noon in the Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church. Entertainment, food, shopping to support the Centre Stage, which will be putting on Bye Bye Birdie in July. $5.

- Brad Haugaard

A Flowered Monrovia Utility Box

A new painted utility box. http://goo.gl/Pp27q

- Brad Haugaard

Peacocks Invade Monrovia

Correspondent Brad Hori reports seeing this peacock on top on a neighbor's house on Maple Ave. He writes: "Also seen walking through yards, but it must have flown away just minutes ago. Not quite the ruckus that a bear would make but neverless a beautiful sight from our neighboring city Arcadia!"

Comment: First pea-hens ( http://goo.gl/Xv0Ch ) and now peacocks. One or the other is tolerable and temporary, but having both sounds like trouble to me.


UPDATE: I just heard a report (May 7) of two peacocks on North Canyon near Scenic. 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia First Baptist Church Centennial

First Baptist Church celebrates its centennial. http://goo.gl/Qh9vJ

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Senator on State Budget | Time-Lapse Video of Freeway Bridge Work

~ Video: Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, says revenue is not coming in as high as expected, Standard and Poors is worried about the state's finances and Sacramento is "getting to the point where we will actually have to start reducing the scope of government." http://goo.gl/eEo6F

~ Video: Two-minute time-lapse video of the erection of the temporary false-work for the 210 Gold Line Bridge Project. http://goo.gl/93Qc1

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Schools: A Lot of Layoffs, Improved Attendance, Enviro Science, 'Transitional' Kindergarten

Attendance improvements equal more money from State.

At its Wednesday, May 9, meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/Qq7eq ), the Monrovia School Board will ...

~ Let go a bunch of employees, effective at the close of this school year. http://goo.gl/x3Jbh

~ Hear a report on the district's success improving student attendance rate. (The more students attending, the more money from the state.) At the district's traditional schools attendance increased a little over a half a percent (.52), and for all schools, the increase was .46. http://goo.gl/8bRc6

~ Consider offering an advanced placement course in environmental science ( http://goo.gl/qrx1n ) and a textbook to go with it ( http://goo.gl/bn6zk ).

~ Consider creating a "transitional" kindergarten at Plymouth School. This seems to be sort of a preschool. The idea? To "attract students to our district" and "to provide them [students] with skills that are attractive to their parents, to institutes of higher education, and to future employers" and to "boost future academic achievement." Again, the more students, the more cash from the state. http://goo.gl/1ESx1

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Applebee's

Lunch at Applebee's. Got lunch special with a fried green tomato and turkey club sandwich with tomato basil soup. $6.99 (plus an iced tea). It was good. Never had fried green tomato before.

- Brad Haugaard

New Trail Above Monrovia

A new trail is being created just before the entrance to the Trask Boy Scout camp. (Entry point shown in picture.) Not ready for prime time. Poison oak, lots of debris, lots of hands-and-feet climbing. It goes to a ridge heavily covered with brush. Advice? Wait a while.

- Brad Haugaard

Yard Sale at Monrovia HIgh for Band and Colorguard

Yard sale at Monrovia High School this Saturday, May 5th, to support the MHS Wildcat Band and Colorguard. 8 a.m-noon. 825 W. Colorado Blvd. (Student Parking Lot on Madison).

- Brad Haugaard

New Monrovia City Manager's First Report

In her first weekly report  ( http://goo.gl/v6f2t ), new City Manager Laurie Lile writes that, "I have been overwhelmed this past week by the friendly and gracious welcome I have received from the entire community."

She also reports that a new four-unit development planned for 212 and 216 West Olive Avenue (see above) incorporates an existing 80-year-old house into the development and the three new two-story units incorporate several of the same design features as the existing house. The developer will probably break ground in early summer.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Department Honors Employees

UPDATED: The Monrovia Police Department honored 11 employees today at 5 p.m. Some details:

~ Medal of Valor winner, Officer Pacheco, won this highest award during an incident on Myrtle in which a man held a gun to a woman's head. Pacheco got out of his car, approached the man while demanding he put the gun down. Instead the man (the woman's ex-husband) put the gun to his head and shot himself.

~ Mary Taylor worked with the phone company to find a suicidal man she had on the phone by the location of his cell phone. Police arrived just after he passed out by breathing carbon monoxide, and he survived.

~ The Monrovia members of the Foothills Special Enforcement Team were honored for rescuing a badly wounded person during the shooting at the Southern California Edison plant in Irwindale. Without their quick help the victim would not have survived.

~ Officer John Donchig was honored for his initiative in creating a technical training program and Officer William Burkhalter for his work obtaining and managing a grant for alcohol enforcement training.

~ Officer Richard Schneider was named Officer of the Year for his work expanding the Explorer Program from 10 to 20 participants and for his skill and dedication in detecting and arresting drunk drivers.

The Honorees were:

Medal of Valor 
Officer Jose Pacheco

Officer of the Year
Officer Richard Schneider

Distinguished Service Medal
Sergeant Nicholas Manfredi
Detective Heath Harvey
Agent Luis Villalobos
Agent Javier Leon
Officer William Burkhalter
Officer Gerald DeHart
Officer John Donchig (Two Awards)
Officer John Jefferson
Officer Jose Pacheco
Communications Operator Mary Taylor

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Radiation Company Launches New Website

Radcal, a Monrovia corporation that makes radiation measuring systems, has just created a new website containing updated product information and industry news. http://goo.gl/2DaZf

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Help Police Catch Brass Thieves, Burglary, Auto Theft, Etc.

 

How city brass fittings have been stolen

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 30 - May 2. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 413 service events, resulting in 86 investigations.

 

Theft of City Property - Police Requesting Public's Help

Over the last several months, a number of city sprinkler valves have been cut and the brass fittings have been stolen.  These valves operate the city sprinkler systems for the parkways along our city roads.  The valves are most likely being stolen for the value of the brass.  Suspects are cutting the brass out with a Sawzall type tool.    

 

City signs are also being stolen at an increasing rate.  Suspects are steeling stop signs, street name signs, street sweeping signs and speed limit signs.  Police are requesting help from the public to report crimes and help catch these thieves.  These suspects may even appear to be contractors servicing the equipment. 

 

If you see individuals tampering with any of these items, please call police immediately. 

 

Vehicle Burglary

April 30 at 5:16 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 100 block of West Lemon.  The victim's car was parked on the street near their residence.  Unknown suspect(s) entered the vehicle and took a laptop computer and other miscellaneous property.  Investigation continuing.

 

Drunk in Public / Resisting Arrest / Warrant Arrest - Three Suspects Arrested

May 1 at 2:30 a.m., an officer observed three male subjects drinking alcohol in front of an apartment complex.  He attempted to detain all three subjects as they walked down the driveway.  One subject stopped and the other two fled.  Officers made a thorough search of the area and located the two subjects that ran.  One subject was arrested for drunk in public and an outstanding warrant; the other two were arrested for resisting and delaying a police officer.

 

Grand Theft Auto

May 2 at 6:19 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 300 block of West Lime.  The reporting party parked his vehicle, a red, 1988, Toyota Tacoma truck in front of his residence, locking the vehicle.  The following morning he discovered the vehicle missing.  There was no evidence at the scene to indicate a window had been smashed.  Investigation continuing.

 

 

Detective Bureau Case Follow-Up

 

Gang Association Search Warrants

On April 26, Monrovia Special Enforcement Team officers and detectives were assisted by several outside agencies in serving "gang association" warrants at multiple locations from Pasadena to San Dimas.  The results were positive and many of the objectives of the search warrants were met.  The warrants were served in connection to gang related crimes.

Monrovia Assemblymen at Odds

Monrovia Assemblyman Tim Donnelly and Monrovia Assemblyman Anthony Portantino now find themselves at odds. Donnelly writes on Facebook that he just voted against a gun bill authored by Portantino (AB 1547) because it "will continue to infringe on the Second Amendment by banning the open carry of long guns." Portantino's bill passed anyway.

- Brad Haugaard