Monrovia Mayor Lutz vs. Gold Line | McFarland to Stand Trial |Attorney: MHS Player Not Involved in Crime

~ Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz fires back at the Gold Line in the dispute about using land in Monrovia for a rail-line maintenance yard. She writes:

"GLCA has four basic options: 1) It can pay Excalibur enough money to make it a willing seller; 2) it can condemn Excalibur's property (and Monrovia's property, for that matter); 3) it can redesign the M&O Facility to exclude Excalibur's property or 4) it can find a different location for its M&O facility."

Source: http://goo.gl/VV1KT

~ Monrovian - Kelvin "Sergeant Mac" McFarland - to stand trial for kidnapping. http://goo.gl/Zsz86

~ Attorney says MHS football player had nothing to do with robbery/shooting. http://goo.gl/go06V

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Gets Budget in Order | SGVCOG Director's Pay | Carbon Monoxide| Summer School

Snapshot of the good and bad of Monrovia's finances. More at the link.

~ Here is an easy slide show ( http://goo.gl/Ss2un ) of Monrovia's financial situation. Unlike a certain state government that will go unmentioned, the city appears to be accommodating itself to fiscal reality and making progress, even aiming at a 20% reserve.  More documents here: http://goo.gl/Hmsqz

~ San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) debates whether executive director should go or stay. http://goo.gl/7n9Pf

~ A reminder for homeowners: State law now requires you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home by July 1 if you have a fireplace, "fossil fuel burning appliances" or attached garage. Here are details from the city: http://goo.gl/a3fjH

~ Summer school at Monrovia High starts June 16, this Thursday. http://goo.gl/qxqvZ

- Brad Haugaard

New Home for Monrovia Vineyard | Power Outage

~ Monrovia's Live Oak Vineyard Church, which is currently meeting at the Monrovia Community Center, is building out a new home in a former industrial building at the corner of Myrtle and Cherry (two blocks south of Huntington). I drove by and it looks like a BIG place. http://goo.gl/OZb4u

 

~ I got a note (thanks, other Brad) that a gas station on Huntington blew a transformer early this evening, which took the power out in the area. We experienced a couple momentary outages at our house as well.

 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Bueno to Cal Lutheran | Hearing for 'Boot Camp' Instructor

Cal Lutheran gets Monrovia football star Nick Bueno. http://goo.gl/nJ3FO

Preliminary hearing for Monrovia "boot camp" instructor. http://goo.gl/EapRL

- Brad Haugaard

Bear-Resistant Trash Barrels for Monrovia

Athens Services can provide bear-resistant trash barrels if you agree to a 36-month contract. The cost per barrel can be billed in 36 monthly payments of $4.99 per month (in addition to the monthly trash rate) and the barrels remain the property of Athens Services. For more information, contact Athens Services at (888) 336-6100. http://goo.gl/joAP9

- Brad Haugaard

State May Resurrect Killed Redevelopment Agencies that 'Volunteer' Money

Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa said that instead of just killing redevelopment agencies (RDAs), the state is now discussing two bills, the first of which would eliminate RDAs, and the second which would recreate them IF they "voluntarily" pledge to give money to the state.

"An interesting way to enforce compliance," Ochoa writes, "but still roundly viewed as unconstitutional."

Source: http://goo.gl/joAP9

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Ridership Up

Habib Balian, spokesman for the Gold Line, says that "ridership is at record levels and continues to increase. Metro has now announced that in addition to the introduction of three-car trains a few months back, the frequency of trains during peak morning and afternoon periods will be increased to every six minutes in both direction (rather than 10 minutes) later this month.

- Brad Haugaard

Will Gold Line Use Eminent Domain Against Monrovia?

The disagreement between Monrovia and the Gold Line Construction Authority (GLCA) over the purchase of Monrovia land for a railway maintenance yard continues.

In his weekly report, Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa says the GLCA is "trying to force Monrovia to pay GLCA's costs to settle two lawsuits filed against GLCA by Excalibur Holdings" (a company fighting against having its property acquired by the city), and that the GLCA is threatening to "condemn Monrovia's property." He also warned that "potential litigation between GLCA and Monrovia" could be "protracted."

"No one is forcing this site upon GLCA," Ochoa said, and "if they can make a better deal elsewhere along the Gold Line alignment, then perhaps the time has come for them to reconcile to this alternative as well."

Lots more reading here: http://goo.gl/joAP9

UPDATE: Habib Balian, spokesman for the GLCA, writes: "I hope to provide positive updates on the last remaining critical path items, including the private landowner’s lawsuit against the City of Monrovia allegedly preventing the City from selling city-owned land to the Authority for the maintenance and operations facility."

 

- Brad Haugaard

Should MHS Allow Ramirez on Team? | Auto Restoration

~ Should Monrovia High allow Ramirez to return to play football? http://goo.gl/4X15q

~ Feature on Monrovia's Tired Iron Works auto restoration. http://goo.gl/gQSMa

- Brad Haugaard

Pilot of 'Courage' to Screen in Monrovia

The pilot screening of Courage, New Hampshire, the "chronicle of a shire town on the western border of New Hampshire in the 18th century," will screen Sunday, June 26 at 4 p.m. at the Krikorian Theater here in Monrovia. The event will be hosted by radio personality Tony Katz and actress Victoria Jackson. Unfortunately, it looks as if it is all sold out: http://goo.gl/K48hT

 

- Brad Haugaard

Dreier to Face Portantino in 2012?

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, says he is "totally emboldened" by redistricting maps to run against Rep. David Dreier in 2012. http://goo.gl/GoYBJ

 

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Responds To Monrovia Criticism

In the land-sale disagreement between the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority and Monrovia, Authority Chairman Doug Tessitor writes that the almost-purchase-agreement was "based entirely on ... the City’s ability to sell its land free and clear without litigation or other encumbrance. In fact, the draft Purchase and Sale Agreement stated there was no threatened litigation."

 

But with a landowner suing, he says the litigation changes the Authority's ability to purchase the property, so the Authority would like the city to share some of the costs to settle with the property owner. But, he said, "it does not appear that the City considers that it has any responsibility in the litigation or the cloud over its property."

 

- Brad Haugaard

Pastrami Burger at Jim's

Okay, a pastrami burger is probably not on the top-ten list of healthy foods, but it was very yummy. Jim's Burger is on Duarte Road at 6th Avenue.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Fireworks | Gold Line Tiff | Crafts | Trader Joe's

~ Plan ahead for the Fourth of July fireworks. And by the way, last year was truly spectacular! Concert at 7 p.m. and fireworks start at 9 p.m. At Library Park. http://goo.gl/BK9RO

 

~ More on Monrovia/Gold Line fight. http://goo.gl/3eWY7

 

~ Craft series at Monrovia Library this summer. Paper flowers, basket, macramé. http://goo.gl/lZC4B

 

~ You often hear of petitions against companies, but Monrovia's Trader Joe's often has petitions in favor of the company. In this case more than 8,000 Kansas City residents petitioned for a Trader Joe's, and are getting one. http://goo.gl/fBO0B

 

- Brad Haugaard

Business Recycling Workshop | Guns-in-Public Bill Advances

~ If you represent a Monrovia business, you might want to sign up for a city-sponsored refuse and recycling workshop. It will let you give city folks your thoughts on how the program should be implemented. Details: http://goo.gl/pqxxe

~ A bill to outlaw carrying an unloaded firearm in public, authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, has passed the state Senate's Public Safety Committee. http://goo.gl/EPPwW

- Brad Haugaard