Monrovia Movie Music concert

San Gabriel Valley Choral Company "Goes to the Movies" concert, May 9, 7 p.m. at Monrovia Presbyterian Church. Songs from favorite movies. "Solos, duets, small ensembles, and the full chorale." Directed by Alexander Ruggieri ( http://goo.gl/Qmyd6 ). Also, they're still looking for singers: http://goo.gl/BIlpp

 
- Brad Haugaard

Berdan Records Opens in Monrovia

Grand Opening of Berdan Records at Myrtle and Olive. http://goo.gl/ttSzR

 

- Brad Haugaard

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- Brad Haugaard

Helping Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center

How to help Foothill Unity Center help people who need food. http://goo.gl/MqeFE

 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Girls Named to All-Stars | Monrovia 0, La Canada 2 :-( | Portantino Visits Gables

~ The Star-News/Tribune has named three Monrovia girls to its All-Star Girl's basketball team for its All-Star Game. They are seniors Gina Henderson, Domynyque Johnson, and Kaela Barnes. http://goo.gl/PuOoo

 

~ La Canada shuts out Monrovia women in two-run game. http://goo.gl/4QetR

 

~ Assemblyman Anthony Portantino reports on Facebook that he visited The Gables, an assisted living community in Monrovia, where he discussed politics with many of the residents.

 

- Brad Haugaard

Will Transit Sales Tax be on November Ballot?

Gold Line spokesman Habib Balian reports in a press release that a proposal by LA Mayor Villaraigosa to extend the Measure R half-cent sales tax indefinitely (for mass transit) has begun its way towards landing on the November ballot. He writes that, "The first step for the proposed tax extension has already begun at the State. A bill (AB1446) is currently moving through the Assembly."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Library's 'Altered Books' | Crash Sends 2 to Hospital | Injured Student Returns to School | Huff on Budget Shenanigans | Cities Legal Fees | Bridge

~ Monrovia Library's "altered books." Some pictures. http://goo.gl/mJX4d

 

~ Crash sends two to hospital. http://goo.gl/Kwkrl

 

~ Hit and run victim returns to Clifton. http://goo.gl/rLQxo

 

~ Video: Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, on budget time "shenanigans" in Sacramento. He said the Senate is not following its own rules, and "the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but I'm not even sure the intentions are good." ( http://goo.gl/y0cyI ) And here he is again, speaking to the Senate: http://goo.gl/SrnRd

 

~ A list of how much LA-area cities spend on legal fees. Monrovia spends 1.8 percent of its budget on legal fees. Top is Signal Hill (4.3 percent); lowest recorded is Lakewood (0.3 percent). http://goo.gl/uHb8u

 

~ Concrete will be poured for the main crossbeam and lower sections of the Gold Line bidge superstructure next month. http://goo.gl/X7g8Q

 

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Casa Jimenez

Lunch at Casa Jimenez. On Mountain just in front of Home Depot. Got the Buritto Pollo with grilled chicken from the lunch menu. About $8.45 with drink. Window sign saying changed ownership. Nice mild food, but with some spicy salsas if you want to give it a kick.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Drones in Morocco | Lots of Lenses

~ Marines use drones from Monrovia's AeroVironment in training exercises with Moroccan military ( http://goo.gl/XOnWv ). Also, the Marine Corps is the first military service to adopt four different small drone systems from the company, at a price of $5.5 million ( http://goo.gl/rrswi ).

 

~ Monrovia's STAAR Surgical is celebrating a milestone - the number of its Visian eye-lens implants in patients worldwide has exceeded 300,000. http://goo.gl/RA8Pq

 

- Brad Haugaard

Young Monrovia Leaders

First ever Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP) Youth Leadership graduates, honored at the April 17 City Council meeting.

These young people participated in all-day training in leadership, getting involved in government and the community, problem solving and organizing.  Each youth partnered with a mentor from different agencies to help foster their work.

Congratulations to: Marvin Garcia, Erica Flores, Felicia Lay, Sara Santiago, and Brenda Evangs from the Youth Commission with their mentors Rudy Martinez and Tiffany Scott; Jessica Tang, Lawrence Spicer, Alexis Silva, and Paige Bullock from the Teen Advisory Board with their mentor Elizabeth Schneider; Savana Ayala, Cristian Lugo, Leslie Colin, and Edgar “Jr” Colin, from the Y-Life project with their mentor Ulises Gutierrez; Kourtney Mills and Priscilla Mendoza from the Boys & Girls Club with their mentors Monet Morris and Emily Samayoa; Perla Moreno, Jack Wallace, David Castillo, and Darwin Urzua from Quest Academy with their mentor Susan Hirsch; Jalen Masen, Diana Carolina, Sirena Aquino, and Khristina Suaraz from the Monrovia Unified School District with their mentor Samara Hirsch; and Ivana Peralta with mentor Monrovia Police Chaplain Terrence Brown.

- Brad Haugaard

Comedy Hypnotism at Monrovia High | Huff Bill Turned Down | How Much You Can Save if You Sell Your Car

~ Comedy hypnotism show at Monrovia High, 6-8 p.m. April 27 in the auditorium. "The Lino Esguerras Comedy Hypnotist Show." $10 at the door. Open to the whole Monrovia Community. http://goo.gl/9BRoA

 

~ The State Senate has voted down a measure sponsored by Monrovia's Senator, Bob Huff, that would have made it easier to get teachers out of the classroom when they are "under investigation for unprofessional conduct and/or criminal behavior." Instead, the Senate passed a different version which Huff says is "watered-down." http://goo.gl/IET8R

 

~ The Gold Line folks report that LA-area commuters could save approximately $916 a month ($10,989 a year) by using public transportation instead of owning a car ( http://goo.gl/WNsll ). Comment:  Well... Seems rather unrealistic to expect many LA-area people to give up their cars. Tell me instead how much people would save if they own a car AND use public transportation.

 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Burglaries, and the Grandparents Scam

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 16-18. - Brad Haugaard]

 

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 451 service events, resulting in 93 investigations.

 

Residential Burglary

April 16 at 6:45 p.m., police responded to a residential burglary that occurred in the 600 block of Ranchito, sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  An unknown suspect(s) entered the location through an unlocked door.  Cash and a laptop computer were stolen.  The investigation is continuing.

 

Vehicle Burglary

April 18 at 6:30 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 1800 block of Eighth Avenue regarding a vehicle break-in.  The victim's GPS was taken.  Investigation continuing.

 

Vehicle Burglary

April 18 at 6:44 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 800 block of East Lime.  The suspect(s) pried open a window on the vehicle and property was taken.  Investigation continuing.

 

Vehicle Burglary

April 18 at 7:55 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 1800 block of Eighth Avenue.  The victim's vehicle was broken into and property was taken.  Investigation continuing.

 

Residential Burglary

April 18 at 3:56 p.m., police responded to the report of a residential burglary in the 1500 block of Pilgrim Way.  The reporting party is house sitting, and when she arrived at the location, she found that someone had broken into the home.  Investigation continuing.

 

 

Tip of the Week: Grandparent Scam - Don't Be a Victim

The suspects in this type of scam will call an elderly person and pretend to be a grandchild or young relative of the victim.  They tell the elderly victim they are in some type of trouble and are in jail, and that they need bail money.  They ask the elderly person not to tell their parents.  A second suspect then calls pretending to be the police and proceeds to give the victim instructions on where to wire the bail money.  

 

The suspects target older folks, hoping they can gain an emotional and quick response to the "need" to help out the young relative, and many times it works.  The victims will quickly go to their bank, withdraw and transfer the money in an attempt to help, and by the time they realize the scam, the money has already been picked up by the suspects and is gone.

 

It is so important to spread awareness and to educate those that we know in hopes of preventing this crime from happening.  If you have a loved one, a friend, or perhaps a neighbor that is older, share this information with them and help keep them from becoming a victim.

Comment: Yes! Be careful. This happened to a friend. A variation is that the caller says the grandson/daughter needs emergency treatment after an accident and doesn't have the proper insurance. Please send money. Contemptible! - Brad

Monrovia Lab Files Drug Application with FDA

Monrovia's Xencor has filed "an investigational new drug application with the FDA for a novel monoclonal antibody that was optimized using Xencor's XmAb antibody engineering technology." http://goo.gl/c6e91

- Brad Haugaard

SoPas Over Monrovia in Swimming :-( | Forest Volunteer Opportunity

~ South Pas Boys and Girls Swim teams over Monrovia. http://goo.gl/H6baP

 

~ A volunteer opportunity to help restore the watershed along Highway 39 (road up to Crystal Lake), the Forest Service and Upper San Gabriel Valley Water District are sponsoring a couple work days (for which students can get credit). This Saturday and May 5. Details: http://goo.gl/e6yan

 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Representative's Bill Would Require Teaching US Constitution

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represents part of Monrovia, "today presented AB 2546 before the Assembly Education Committee to require that our founding documents and the development of democracy and the U.S. Constitution be taught in public schools. The measure, which passed with bi-partisan support, will also require that a copy of the California Constitution must be available in the classroom for students." http://goo.gl/TW6y8

 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Fruit Expert | Cinco de Mayo Volunteers Needed | Shevlin in Lights

~ Dick Spezzano, owner of Monrovia's Spezzano Consulting Service, comments on the summer fruit marketplace. http://goo.gl/FcmLe

 

~ The City of Monrovia is looking do volunteers to help out with the Cinco de Mayo celebration on, uh, the 29th of April. http://goo.gl/VvFTa 

 

~ Councilwoman Becky Shevlin in lights in Times Square. http://goo.gl/pTkeF

 

- Brad Haugaard