No Monrovia Kidnapping - a Hoax

The story of the attempted kidnapping of a Monrovia boy was a 'hoax.' Suspect released. http://goo.gl/nWfu3

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Restaurant Goes Green

A video report on how Monrovia restaurant Something Healthy - which has mighty tasty sandwiches, by the way - is going green. With host Dan Bell, of the City Manager's office.

 
Opinion: Ya know, I'm not sure what the big attraction is to hosting video on Vimeo (as is this video). YouTube works fine for me but all Vimeo ever does  is jerk and stall. I hope everybody else gets better results with it.
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Chamber Honors Citizens

The Monrovia Chamber of Commerce has announced the winners of three awards. They are:


~ The Iris Award, Citizen of the Year will be presented to Karen Sutherland

~ The Monroe Award for Business Person of the Year will be presented to Rutilio Castrellon, Rudy's Mexican Food.

~ The Dick Lord Award for outstanding contributions to the Chamber will be presented to Gloria Huss, Monrovia Floral. 




- Brad Haugaard

Arrest in Monrovia Almost-Kidnapping Case

Police have made an arrest in the Monrovia attempted kidnapping case. http://goo.gl/8qtDP and  http://goo.gl/hZZ4Z and http://goo.gl/yDsOh

Monrovia Fire Department: Rescues from Vehicles and Canyon Park

Monrovia Fire Department responded to 76 emergency calls between Oct. 25, 2011 and Nov. 1 Here are some:

Traffic Collision - At 9:45 a.m. on October 29 Monrovia fire units responded to a traffic collision with victims trapped. The incident was at Foothill and Alta Vista with three vehicles involved. Upon arrival, fire personnel determined that there was one patient with minor injuries and a second patient trapped in a vehicle with possible life threatening injuries. Fire personnel performed extrication of the trapped victim by removing the right side of the vehicle. The victim with minor injuries was transported to Arcadia Methodist Hospital for evaluation. The victim with possible life threatening injuries was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital Trauma Center for further evaluation and treatment.

Solo Vehicle Accident - At 2:46 a.m. on October 30, Monrovia Fire Units responded to the report of a vehicle accident where the vehicle had exited the freeway with one person trapped. The accident presented a challenging extrication of the patient, since the vehicle was on its side. Monrovia Firefighters used heavy equipment to remove the roof of the vehicle to gain access to and rescue the trapped occupant. The victim was treated on the scene by Monrovia Fire Paramedics and transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital Trauma Center for further evaluation and treatment.

Canyon Park Rescue - At 9:19 a.m. on October 30, Monrovia Fire Department, assisted by Arcadia Fire, responded to a canyon rescue in Canyon Park. Engine 101, Truck 101, Patrol 101, Sq101, and ARC Engine 107 were all dispatched. The incident involved a 54-year-old female who had fallen at the base of the waterfall. Her injuries prevented her from being able to walk. Fire units treated her injuries, secured her in our rescue basket, and wheeled the patient out of the canyon by foot. The patient was stabilized and transported to Arcadia Methodist Hospital. The entire rescue was performed over a two-hour time period.
 
 
- Brad Haugaard

Photo Conversation Pieces from Monrovia Suicide?

Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa said people may have snapped pictures of the suicide on Myrtle Avenue last Saturday to create an "electronic conversation piece."
 
He said, "I have to presume that some earnestly felt that there was some journalistic value in taking the pictures (although most professional news outlets forswear the use of such images), yet based on the rumors that followed, it seems most others simply wanted the picture as an electronic conversation piece."
  
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia City Manager Says Goodbye

[Statement from Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa in his weekly report.]

"This week, I was appointed by the Glendale City Council to become their next City Manager, effective January 3, 2012.
It is awfully bittersweet to leave this job, this organization and this community. Over the nearly 19 years that I've worked here, and over the last 7½ that I've had the privilege of being City Manager, I've gotten to know many, many amazing people. Giving and kind neighbors in the community, visionary Mayors and City Councilmembers, and dedicated and expert professional staff and employees - all of these folks comprise a city that is, pound-for-pound, one of the best in the state.
 
"Whether it is building a new library, planning the redevelopment and future growth of our town, or simply making it through the Great Recession, Monrovia's can-do spirit and consistency make it a truly special place.
 
"Thank you, Monrovia, for a wonderful run."

 
- Brad Haugaard

Board of Education election endorsements of Board of Education memberAlex Zucco

Re-Elect Gililland and Wong, Elect Covarrubias to Monrovia School Board
I have had the pleasure of serving on the Monrovia School Board for the past 2 years and encourage the voters to re-elect Board President Ed Gililland and Board Member Bryan Wong. I am also supporting Janeane Covarrubias. I  believe she would be a great addition to the Board and serve our community well.
Ed and Bryan each bring strengths that none of the other candidates offer; experience in school finances at the local, State and Federal levels. They also work through our many existing community partnerships, maintain a healthy cooperative relationship with all of our employee associations and show a deep understanding of how steady improvement in instruction and community involvement has lead to continued growth in Monrovia Schools. As we  enter 2012 and face the possibility of “trigger cuts” that could wreak havoc on our education community, we will have an even greater need for Ed and Bryan’s experience in navigating the uncertain future thoughtfully.
Ms. Covarrubias would bring her strong dedication to seeing that all of our students are challenged and parents are engaged. She brings a new perspective through her own experience in both private and public education and has good ideas for easing the transition to public. While the Monrovia Schools and community have formed many award-winning partnerships, having a new voice and resource for bringing new partners into our Monrovia “family” can only work to our schools' benefit. And finally, her own personal connections to Monrovia and her community involvement with organizations like the Monrovia Latino Heritage Society, Girl Scouts and our PTAs will bring a broader, more representative look to the Board.
Monrovia Schools have continued to perform well even in this financial meltdown.  That is a testament to our staff, students and their families. Monrovia is the only school district in our area to show an INCREASE in enrollment. This clearly demonstrates that the work done in our “world class schools” by our “world class students” is not going unnoticed, nor did it happen by accident. In order to continue our excellent forward progress, we must stay on message and avoid political grand-standing, personal agendas or using our Board as a spring board to higher State office. Now is the time to stay vigilant and ensure the good work continues to happen and send good people to represent Monrovia Schools.
Vote November 8th for Ed Gililland, Bryan Wong and Janeane Covarrubias.
Alex Zucco
Monrovia School Board Member

Sketch of Monrovia Kidnapping Suspect

Here is a sketch of the guy suspected in an attempted kidnapping in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/AensB
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Senator Honored by Lawsuit Abuse Group

State Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, has been recognized as "Legislator of the Year" by Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse. http://goo.gl/830DI
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Wildcats Over Temple City :-)

Monrovia over Temple City in football, 45-0. http://goo.gl/dSEsv
 
- Brad Haugaard

Attempted Kidnapping of Boy in Monrovia

Attempted kidnapping of 6-year-old boy reported. http://goo.gl/iCQgS and http://goo.gl/pfzq4



- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board: Should State Make It Easier for Schools to RaiseTaxes?

At its Nov. 9 meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/JGmKs ), the Monrovia School Board will:

~ Consider whether to support a proposed state senate constitutional amendment that would allow school districts to raise parcel taxes by a 55 percent majority rather than the current two-thirds majority. http://goo.gl/ert5O

~ Discuss pushing the state to stop cutting school funding, to provide a less-volatile funding source ("revisit Proposition 13 and the property tax arena"), give districts maximum local control, and pony up years of money the state already owes districts. http://goo.gl/DIwGD

~ Consider refinancing a loan, bringing the interest rate from 5.3 down to 3.3 percent and saving $380,000. http://goo.gl/lzZA9

~ Consider creating two new positions, a Campus Supervisor job ( http://goo.gl/sMmhT ), which will replace a discontinued job and save the district $3,400 a year, and an "Instructional Assistant-Special Education" ( http://goo.gl/c7uEs ) which will be paid for by an outside funding source.
- Brad Haugaard



Man Who Shot Himself on Myrtle Identified

The man who shot himself in front of Library Park last week was 45-year-old Sue Chee Ng, of Allen, Texas. http://goo.gl/yCfmm
 
- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at The Flame Broiler


Tried the new Flame Broiler (next to Sprouts on Huntington). It is a rice bowl type restaurant. New, clean, and very fast. I got the chicken bowl, which was fine. Good place especially if you are in a hurry.

- Brad Haugaard
Experimental. try to get to work on mobile devices