Special Forces Hamsters


"Kung Zhu Ninja Warriors and Special Forces Hamsters." I don't know how you can resist (I couldn't) even though they are over the border at the Target in Duarte. - Brad Haugaard

See Old Monrovia Victorian Homes

If you are interested in seeing the insides of old Victorian homes in Monrovia, you might want to sign up to go on the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group's 29th Mothers Day Home Tour. It features five Victorian homes built before 1893, plus Leven Oaks and the Historical Museum. It lasts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $17 for adults, $14 Seniors 65 and older, $9 for Teens, and children 12 and younger are free. Tour starts at Historical Museum 743 East Lemon Ave. You can purchase tickets at Paint N’ Play, Monrovia Bakery, the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce and at the Friday night Family Festival. For more information, go to www.mohpg.org.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Monrovian


Had dinner tonight at the Monrovian restaurant. Steak and potato with vegetables cooked just right, not limp and not raw. It came with a green salad which you don't see because I ate it. Good, standard American food, no pretensions.
- Brad Haugaard

Assets of Monrovia's Soliant Energy Company Sold

It appears that Monrovia's Soliant Energy is no more. Its core assets - "equipment, inventory, software, licenses, intellectual property, and tooling for the rooftop solar energy product line" - having been sold to EMCORE Corporation, of New Mexico, which will "integrate the former Soliant research and development and pilot production line into its existing facilities located in Alhambra, CA." 

The press release goes on to say that Soliant "was" a leading developer of photovoltaic systems for commercial rooftop applications.

- Brad Haugaard

Survey of Monrovia Candidates / Mother's Day Tour

~ A survey of the candidates for the Monrovia City Council. Remember, election is this Tuesday, April 12. http://goo.gl/PTlOt
 
~ Mother's Day Old Homes tour. http://goo.gl/6rRPi
 
- Brad Haugaard

Volunteers for Food Drive / Antonovitch vs. State

~ Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center needs scouts, social groups and other teams of volunteers for its May 14 canned food drive with the National Association of Letter Carriers. Details: http://goo.gl/vXqUh

~ Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovitch, who represents Monrovia, objects to Governor Jerry Brown's plan to transfer state prisoners to local jails. http://goo.gl/fX8oK

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Old Town Bistro


The new Old Town Bistro (by the old Box Jewelry clock). Owned by the same folks who own the Mediterranean Grill. Nicely decorated, but simple, inside. I got cream of asparagus soup (yum!) and press-grilled roast beef and bleu cheese sandwich. Tasty. - Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Schools Quake-Safe? / Café-On-Tour / AeroVironment Selected

~ Would Monrovia schools be safe in an earthquake? http://goo.gl/TuBzY

~ Monrovia Café-On-Tour. Poetry, music and performance art. Tuesday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Library's Community Room. Free but reserve a spot by calling (626) 256-8274. http://goo.gl/1N01B

~ AeroVironment has been chosen to expand a private electric vehicle charging network in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. http://goo.gl/yjwHC

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Trail Reopens / Shooting Arrest / Gardening / Huff on Budget

~ Bill Cull trail reopens in Monrovia Canyon Park after fire. http://goo.gl/5G6ws
 
~ Monrovia woman arrested in connection with Altadena shooting. http://goo.gl/IMVr0
 
~ Smart Gardening workshop on April 30. Everything from worm composting to water- and fire-wise gardening. Sign-up info here: http://goo.gl/Ss3Vk
 
~ State Senator Bob Huff, representing Monrovia, blames Democrats for state budget impasse. http://goo.gl/IMVr0 
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia PD: Barricaded Suspect, Drugs, Burglary, DUI

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for March 31 - April 6. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 540 service events, resulting in 97 investigations.  Following are the last week's highlighted issues and events:
 
Burglary - Suspect Arrested
April 1 at 1:55 p.m., an officer responded to a business in the 500 block of West Huntington regarding a subject being detained for theft.  The officer determined the subject had used a receipt from a previous purchase and returned to the business, where he selected the same items again.  He also put on two shirts and went to the counter to get a refund using his receipt.  His account was credited and he exited the doors.  He was detained by store loss prevention.  He was arrested and charged with burglary.
 
Possession of a Controlled Substance / Warrants - Suspect Arrested
April 1 at 2:19 p.m., an officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation in the 600 block of West Huntington.  The driver exited the vehicle quickly, but the officer took control without any incident.  The subject was found to have a warrant out for his arrest.  A search of the vehicle revealed he had some crystal methamphetamine and several different pills.  The driver was arrested.
 
Felony Driving Under the Influence / Hit & Run Traffic Collision - Suspect Arrested
April 2 at 3:26 a.m., officers were dispatched to Shamrock and Huntington regarding a vehicle that collided into and destroyed the light signal box, shutting off the light signals in that intersection.  The driver attempted to disassociate himself from the accident and refused to take responsibility; however, officers were eventually able to place him behind the wheel.  The driver was determined to be under the influence, but refused to take any tests.  His passengers were injured and were taken to a hospital for treatment.   The driver was arrested.
 
Burglary
April 2 at 10:49 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 1000 block of East Lemon.  The residence was being fumigated and workers noticed some of the tent pins holding the tent shut had been removed.  They peeked in and saw the doggie door had been kicked in and they called police.  The residents are in the process of moving and many of their belongings had already been packed.  A responsible party eventually responded to the location.  Investigation continuing.
 
Barricaded Suspect / 72-Hour Mental Evaluation
April 3 at 7:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to a call reporting that a male subject had threatened his girlfriend with a sword.  He then retrieved ammunition for his firearms.  His girlfriend and her sister feared for their safety and ran out of the location and called the police.  When officers arrived, the male suspect refused to cooperate and made suicidal comments.  He barricaded himself inside the residence.  Officers contained the location and the Foothill Special Enforcement Team (FSET) was activated.  An arrest warrant was obtained for the male suspect regarding the incident with his girlfriend.  After several hours of negotiations, FSET personnel deployed chemical agents into the residence.  The suspect then surrendered without further incident.  He was taken to a hospital and held for a 72-hour mental evaluation, pending criminal charges.

Star-News Endorses Adams and Shevlin

The Pasadena Star-News has endorsed Tom Adams and Becky Shevlin for Monrovia City Council. Voting day is April 12. http://goo.gl/WqnaX
 
- Brad Haugaard

Donnelly's Immigration Bill Killed / Monrovia Baseball :-(

~ Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, representing Monrovia, has released a notice indicating he is unhappy with a party-line vote in the Assembly Judiciary Committee that shot down his proposed immigration law. http://goo.gl/lzmym

~ Baseball: Glendora over Monrovia 15-5. http://goo.gl/u3gPC

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Baseball :-( / Sample Ballot / City Logo / World Vision

~ Baseball. Arcadia over Monrovia 3-0 :-( http://goo.gl/j8MVP

~ If you lost yours, click the link to see a sample ballot for the April 12 Monrovia election. http://goo.gl/Q1HIr

~ City Manager calls proposed new city logo a "good idea gone awry." http://goo.gl/3DRPh

~ Lorraine Pierce, he widow of Bob Pierce, who founded World Vision, in Monrovia, has died. http://goo.gl/WA3Cl

- Brad Haugaard

Cupcakes / Children's Books

~ Enter a cupcake baking contest for Monrovia Day. http://goo.gl/Ng1MY

~ If you have any children's books you can spare, Friends of the Monrovia Public Library could use them. http://goo.gl/FEuM6

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Cinco de Mayo - Biggest in the Valley?

Organizers expect the upcoming Monrovia Cinco de Mayo Cultural Art and Music Festival to be the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the San Gabriel Valley, with more than 5,000 people expected, and also the first in Monrovia’s 125 years.

The free festival will take place from 2-8 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, at Colorado and Myrtle in Old Town. It will transform the streets with educational and cultural exhibits and musical performances from Grammy-winning entertainers, along with an array of dance performances from popular Folklorico and Oaxacan dance troupes.
 
The event kicks off with performances from CaliMex roots quartet, Los Fabulocos, and popular Latin Jazz ensemble, The Banda Brothers. The fiesta continues at the children’s stage where Folklorico and Oaxacan dance troupes will perform into the early evening. Throughout the celebration, attendees can enjoy works by more than 75 local artists, displaying works in a variety of media, including watercolor, oil painting, photography, ceramics, and glasswork. Visitors can also sample popular Mexican food from a variety of Monrovia restaurants, including Rudy’s Mexican Food Restaurant.
 
The event continues with special performances from the popular Delgado Brothers performing their Latin-infused blues and will culminate with a special performance from the Grammy Award-winning group, The Mariachi Divas, a multi-cultural, all-female mariachi ensemble. 
 
The festival is being produced by the Monrovia Cinco de Mayo Association in partnership with the Nuvein Foundation for Literature and the Arts to celebrate the diversity that is Monrovia and to promote an understanding of all peoples and their cultures. It is a community effort led by a 12-person committee headed by local business owner, Rudy Castrellon.

"I invite everyone to Monrovia to be part of history," Castrellon said.

For more information, including a schedule of the event, please visit www.monrovia5demayo.org.

- Brad Haugaard (from press release)
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