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Monrovia’s Jewish Federation to Present ‘Lend Me a Tenor’

The Monrovia-based Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys’ JFed Players will present Lend Me a Tenor, directed by Joanne Karr, starting on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. at Porticos Art Space at 2033 E. Washington Blvd. in Pasadena.


Set in September 1934, Lend Me a Tenor, a comedy by Ken Ludwig that focuses on Saunders, general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, who is preparing to welcome the greatest tenor in the world for a “one night only” appearance. The star arrives late, is inadvertently given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out, leading to an evening of backstage shenanigans, mishaps, and misunderstandings.


Show dates and times: Saturday Oct. 19 and 26, 8 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 20 and 27, 3:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 22, “Tito’s Tortellini Tuesday,” dinner, 6:30 p.m, show: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. 


Details: 

https://shrtm.nu/lczL

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Schools vs. Vaping

At its Tuesday meeting (agenda: https://shrtm.nu/F2jc  the Monrovia School Board will consider passing a resolution encouraging stronger laws against selling vaping products to minors. 


It will also consider creating a new class called, “Introduction to Administration of Justice, open to students in the Early College Program.


- Brad Haugaard 

Video Report on Celebrate the Arts

Here is a video report on the Celebrate the Arts festival at Station Square. https://shrtm.nu/tVxN

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Schools Roasters Program on Radio

On School News Radio Monrovia High School WorkAbility and Transition Program Partnership Coordinator Kymberly Hirst discusses the school’s Roasters coffee cart program, which teaches independence and life skills to students in special education. https://shrtm.nu/C40E


- Brad Haugaard 

Lunch at Grey & Cash

Lunch at Grey & Cash, west side of Myrtle just north of Lemon. Got the Great Hambino (ham) sandwich ($11) and a coffee ($3). Good. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Where is This In Monrovia?

So who knows where this bench is in Monrovia?

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Jail Escapee Caught; Drugs and Drugs; Thefts and Burglaries; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for September 26 – October 2. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 409 service events, resulting in 53 investigations. 

Petty Theft / Jail Escapee – Suspect Arrested
September 26 at 2:38 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington regarding a subject leaving without paying for merchandise. The subject was stopped by officers and, after investigation, was arrested for theft. The subject was taken into custody and a fingerprint match revealed the subject was a jail escapee from the State of Washington. 

Residential Burglary
September 26 at 6:31 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 400 block of N. Canyon regarding several subjects seen through a surveillance camera entering a back yard. Officers secured the area, but were unable to locate the subjects. The investigation revealed the subjects had entered the residence through a back window and burglarized the location. This investigation is continuing. 

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
September 26 at 10:03 p.m., officers on patrol near the intersection of Violet and Colorado saw a suspicious subject. The subject was contacted and found to be in possession of a controlled substance. She was arrested and issued a citation in the field to appear in court on the charges. 

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
September 27 at 12:01 a.m., officers were on patrol in the 500 block of W. Huntington when they saw a subject loitering near a closed business. The subject was contacted and found to be under the influence of a controlled substance. After further investigation, the subject was arrested and held for a sobering period. 

Resisting – Suspect Arrested
September 27 at 12:15 a.m., officers patrolling the 1600 block of S. Myrtle saw a subject in the park after posted hours. The subject was contacted and issued a citation for violation of a Monrovia Municipal Code. The subject refused to sign his citation and was subsequently arrested and taken into custody for his refusal. 

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
September 27 at 3:53 a.m., officers were on patrol in the 700 block of W. Huntington when they saw a female subject lying on the ground. She was contacted and found to be under the influence of a controlled substance. After further investigation, she was arrested and held for a sobering period. 

Grand Theft Auto
September 27 at 3:44 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from a business parking lot in the 100 block of E. Colorado. Officers responded and conducted an investigation. The vehicle was a gold, 2011, Dodge Ram pickup and was owned by the victim’s company. This investigation is continuing. 

DMV Fraud – Suspect Arrested
September 27 at 8:57 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation near the intersection of Ivy and Foothill. It was discovered the vehicle was displaying false tags on the license plate. Further investigation revealed the DMV paperwork presented by the driver was fraudulent. The driver was arrested for displaying false registration and defrauding the DMV. 

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
September 28 at 12:39 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 700 block of W. Huntington when he saw a subject loitering near a closed business. The subject was contacted and displayed signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance. After further investigation, she was also found to be in possession of multiple controlled substances and had multiple warrants for her arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody. 

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
September 28 at 2:58 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of Acacia regarding an unknown male subject knocking on doors. Officers found a subject matching the description in the area. The subject was found to be too intoxicated to care for his own safety. The subject was arrested for public intoxication and held for a sobering period. 

Vehicle Burglary
September 28 at 1:00 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 500 block of W. Duarte. The vehicle was broken into sometime during the night and had been ransacked. A laptop computer was stolen from inside the vehicle. This investigation is continuing. 

Residential Burglary
September 28 at 3:20 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of W. Lime called police to report his home had been burglarized sometime during the day. Officers arrived and secured the residence. An investigation revealed the suspects entered through an open bathroom window and fled out the backdoor. The victim reported that money and firearms were among the items missing. This investigation is continuing. 

Theft
September 28 at 6:38 p.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 1200 block of S. Alta Vista. The victim reported items were missing from his parked vehicle. The vehicle had been left unsecured and the interior was ransacked. This investigation is continuing. 

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
September 29 at 3:44 a.m., an officer was on patrol near the intersection of Primrose and Cypress and observed a subject lying in the street, displaying signs of intoxication. The officer made contact with the subject and determined she was too intoxicated to care for her own safety. The subject was arrested and held for a sobering period. 

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
September 29 at 7:11 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Poinsettia regarding a suspicious vehicle. The driver was asleep behind the wheel with the ignition running. An investigation revealed the driver was intoxicated and had been driving while under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested for DUI and held for a sobering period. 

Vehicle Burglary
September 29 at 11:01 p.m., officers responded to the 700 block of W. Huntington regarding a vehicle burglary. A window had been smashed and multiple items were taken from inside. This investigation is continuing. 

Vehicle Burglary
September 29 at 11:55 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of W. Cypress regarding a vehicle burglary. The rear, driver-side window had been smashed sometime during the evening and a bag was taken from inside. This investigation is continuing. 

Warrant / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
September 30 at 2:18 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation near the intersection of Royal Oaks and Sierra Terrace. The investigation revealed the passenger had a warrant for her arrest. She was also found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. The passenger was arrested and taken into custody. 

Medical Assist / Felon in Possession of a Firearm – Suspect Arrested
September 30 at 7:21 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 900 block of E. Huntington regarding an unresponsive male subject. Upon arrival, they learned the subject had overdosed on a controlled substance. Officers administered Naloxone and the subject began breathing and regained consciousness. The subject was then treated by Monrovia Fire Paramedics and transported to the hospital. While in the residence, officers observed and located a loaded firearm. They saw a second occupant flee the location on foot. When he returned for his vehicle, he was 

detained. The investigation revealed he was a felon in possession of a firearm. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Theft From a Vehicle
September 30 at 8:44 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 800 block of Wildrose. The victim reported that an unknown suspect had stolen his wallet from his vehicle. The suspect’s vehicle was described as a white pickup truck. This investigation is continuing. 

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
October 1 at 7:05 a.m., a caller reported a subject had checked the door lock on his neighbor’s vehicle, which was parked in the 700 block of W. Lemon. Officers located the suspect in the area and a consensual search revealed he was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and issued a citation in the field to appear in court on the charges. 

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
October 1 at 10:39 p.m., an officer was patrolling in the 100 block of W. Palm when he saw a subject he recognized from previous encounters, who appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance. After further investigation, the subject was arrested and taken into custody. 

Battery
October 2 at 11:56 a.m., a male subject called police to report his brother hit him and scratched his neck while at a residence located on the 800 block of W. Foothill. Officers and paramedics from the Monrovia Fire Department responded. The victim was transported to a hospital for treatment. This investigation is continuing. 

Theft – Suspects Arrested
October 2 at 4:37 p.m., an officer conducting a follow up investigation at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington was told by employees there were two suspicious subjects inside the store. The subjects were both concealing unpaid merchandise inside their clothing. They were contacted by the officer and arrested for shoplifting. Both subjects were issued a citation in the field to appear in court on the charges. 

Theft – Suspect Arrested
October 2 at 9:21 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill regarding a suspect leaving the store without paying for merchandise. Officers located the subject and conducted an investigation for shoplifting. After investigation, the subject was arrested and issued a citation in the field to appear in court on the charges.

Abundant Life Church

I was completely unaware of this church. It meets in the United Methodist Church on Palm. Entrance on west-side alley.

- Brad Haugaard 

Show and Chalkfest Coming Up

As the banner says ...
- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Fire & Rescue Open House - Saturday, Oct 5

- Brad Haugaard

Boys and Girls Club Kids to Appear in New TV Show

This Friday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m., Nickelodeon will air a new comedy called The Substitute, featuring kids from Monrovia’s Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills. Plus, the Boys & Girls Club will get a $25,000 check from Nickelodeon at the end of the show. Here’s a trailer: https://shrtm.nu/six0


- Brad Haugaard 


Raven: Because Everyone Needs a House Panther

Raven’s not a regular mom, she’s a cool mom! Raven came into the shelter as a nursing mom with five kittens, and now she’s looking for a home of her own. When you visit her, she’ll immediately grab your attention with a dulcet meow. And she has so many things to tell you. She’ll talk your ear off! Sometimes, it’s that she wants you to pet her. Other times, she wants you to pet her with your eyes! But either way, we doubt you’ve seen a cat as gorgeous as her. If you’ve been wanting a house panther, Raven’s ready to be yours.

 

The adoption fee for cats is $90. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before being adopted.

 

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 at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.


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


- Brad Haugaard 

New Stop Sign at Lime and Canyon


Currently traffic in Canyon does not need to stop at Lime. Tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 1, the city is changing this. I think it will become a four-way stop. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Housing Project Featured in Urbanize Magazine

One of Monrovia's major multi-unit residential projects next to the train station, a 310-unit project at the northeast corner of Pomona and Primrose, has been featured in Urbanize online magazine: https://is.gd/xms5Yp

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Robotics Teams Getting Ready for Competition

Monrovia High's Robotics teams are preparing for the start of competition season, which begins in November. Video: https://is.gd/cl9XyK

- Brad Haugaard

Mooncat Plans Ownership Change



Mooncat Sushi, on Lime just east of Myrtle, has asked approval for a change of ownership. Thanks to Kelly Moran for the tip. 

- Brad Haugaard 

City Statement on Hiring of Dylan Feik as City Manager




City press release regarding hiring Dylan Feik as city manager. 


After engaging a thorough and extensive evaluation process, the City Council has identified Dylan Feik as their preferred candidate to serve as Monrovia’s next City Manager.  Mr. Feik’s formal appointment will be considered by the City Council at their regular meeting on Tuesday, October 1.


Most recently, Mr. Feik served as City Manager of Calistoga, located in California’s Napa Valley.  In addition, Mr. Feik has local government management experience working in the cities of Knoxville, Iowa, and Auburn, California.  He has had extensive exposure to a variety of local government related disciplines, with specific expertise in labor negotiations, public works operations, and overseeing capital improvement projects.  Mr. Feik has a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Weber State University.


“We are confident in our selection of the next city manager of Monrovia,” said Mayor Tom Adams.  “Dylan brings a fresh outlook and unique set of experiences to the community, and we are looking forward to working with him.”


During the past eight weeks, the City Council was engaged in a rigorous city manager recruitment process that included multiple layers of candidate reviews.  Ultimately, the City had a strong candidate pool of around 30 individuals applying for the position, and Mr. Feik was selected after an extensive assessment that included a total of six separate panel interviews. 


Feik and FamilyUnder the terms of the proposed city manager employment agreement, Mr. Feik is proposed to earn $210,000 per year, and he will receive a standard benefits package that includes health insurance, retirement program, and auto allowance provisions.  Furthermore, Mr. Feik will be provided with temporary rental housing assistance to facilitate a move to Monrovia.


“I am very excited to have the opportunity to be part of the Monrovia community,” said Mr. Feik.  “I’ve been so impressed by the City, which celebrates its history while simultaneously fostering an innovation culture to create a thriving municipality.  My family and I are looking forward to calling Monrovia home.”


Mr. Feik will be relocating to Monrovia with his wife, Kira, and three children, Gabe, Benson, and Eden. As a classic car enthusiast, Mr. Feik has been known to hand over the keys to his 1960s-era Ford Mustang and his 1970 Datsun 240z to colleagues to enjoy.


Monrovia is one of the few completely full-service cities in the San Gabriel Valley, with a staff of around 300 full-time employees.  Operating its own police, fire, library, and water utility system, overall City functions are organized into seven departments, including Police, Fire, Administrative Services, Community Development, Community Services, Public Works, and the City Manager’s Office.


- Brad Haugaard 

City Council to Consider Preservation of Monrovia Market, Flying A Gas Station; Historic Homes

At its next meeting (agenda: https://is.gd/GxEW3E) the Monrovia City Council will consider ...

~ Appointment of new city manager. See here: https://is.gd/DYSw0V



~ Creating a "Planned Development Area" for 525 (Monrovia Market) and 721 (Flying A gasoline station) South Shamrock Ave. The purpose is to preserve and restore the Route 66 properties by "allowing uses that require minimal change to the character defining features of the building and its site environment; promote the long-term economic viability of the properties; identify and permit uses that will be compatible with the surrounding residential neighborhood." https://is.gd/yXM2RG
Encinitas

Palm

~ Grant historical status to  168 North Encinitas Ave. (https://is.gd/ER2JyN), a Craftsman Bungalow style home built in 1912; and to 324 West Palm Ave. (https://is.gd/rJApwb), a folk Victorian home.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council to Hire Former Calistoga City Manager

The Monrovia City Council plans to appoint Dylan Feik as its new city manager.

According to the staff report (https://is.gd/Afvfqz), "Feik was previously the City Manager of the City of Calistoga, in Northern California through April of 2019. From his time in Calistoga, Mr. Feik’s application highlights his work leading multiple initiatives of direct relevance to Monrovia, including the development of a 10 year Capital Infrastructure Plan, new initiatives to address pension costs, meeting the City’s goals for affordable housing development, and leading the City’s response to the Napa-Lake-Sonoma wildfire disaster in 2017. Prior to becoming City Manager in Calistoga, he was the Administrative Services Director in Auburn, California, Assistant City Manager in Knoxville, Iowa, and held various positions in the City of Olathe, Kansas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Weber State University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas."

The contract will be for three years and Feik will be paid a starting salary of $210,000, which is subject to adjustment yearly following the annual performance evaluation, with the amount of any such adjustment subject to negotiation and capped at 5% annually. The salary is approximately 9% less than what was paid to the previous city manager, Oliver Chi, as of his departure.

Feik is married to Kira, has two sons and a red '65 Mustang.

Here is a bio Feik wrote of himself: https://is.gd/YZruri

- Brad Haugaard

Superintendent Thorossian's September Schools Update

Dear Monrovia Unified School District community,

Monrovia Unified is committed to providing our students with opportunities to be successful academically and in their personal pursuits. Through our array of programs, our students are able to grow their skill sets and discover new passions.

Over the last month, our elementary students have been busy learning new coding components, advancing in their Dual-Language Immersion programs, and learning what it means to be part of a bully-free campus.

Our high school athletes have been enjoying their new Wildcat Stadium field and track, renovated this summer and celebrated with a grand re-opening on Aug. 30. We are excited for our students and community to have this new, upgraded field that they can use for 10 to 15 more years!

On Sept. 20, students from Monroe Elementary School participated in a march to express their opposition to bullying. Students marched and pledged to be bully-free and to continue the school’s dynamic of kindness and positive peer relationships. The event was publicized by Telemundo, which celebrated the school’s bullying prevention efforts! I am proud of our students and commend them for helping promote kindness not just at their school, but across the District.

At Monrovia High School, the WorkAbility and Transition Partnership programs have given our students with disabilities a wonderful opportunity! Students are now taking part in the Monrovia High Roasters program, which has allowed them to learn the responsibilities of being employed, all while selling hot beverages to our wonderful faculty and staff.

Lastly, I would like to thank our partner, Monrovia Reads, for continuing to provide our students with the opportunity to foster a love of reading and promoting literacy across our District!

The start of the school year has been productive and busy for our students, teachers, staff, and administrators and these wonderful programs for our students would not be possible without the amazing people who lead them. I look forward to hearing about our students’ success and achievements this year!

Monrovia Unified’s mission is to provide world-class schools for world-class students, and we invite our community to learn more about our extraordinary programs from the Board of Education during our State of the Schools Address on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Monrovia High School’s Performing Arts Center, 845 W. Colorado Blvd., Monrovia.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katherine Thorossian
Superintendent


Source: Monrovia Schools

- Brad Haugaard