Lunch at Planet Cookies




Had lunch at Planet Cookies (at Myrtle and Lime). It's not just cookies. Sandwiches, soups, salads. I got a pepper beef sandwich on sourdough. I liked it a lot. I think the word "cookie" may put off some people looking for lunch, but it shouldn't. Tasty.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Unity Center - Giving Help, Needing Help

Foothill Unity Center's latest newsletter reports the organization helped 12,117 people in 2011 with more than 3 million pounds of food, health and crisis services, not to mention food for 726 pets. This year the center's food inventory is at a 10-year low. If you can help, drop off rice, pasta, beans, soup, peanut butter, cereals, canned foods, tomato/spaghetti sauce, and meal helpers like tuna and mac and cheese. The center is at 415 W. Chestnut Ave.
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia to Honor Those in Service | Portantino Introduces Residential Care Bill

~ Monrovia will host a Salute to Service on Tuesday, February 21 at 7 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers to honor Monrovia Servicemen and Servicewomen. http://goo.gl/sPd75
 
~ Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, has introduced a bill that will allow continuing care retirement communities to provide services in private residences without the residence having to become a licensed care facility. http://goo.gl/j4NrR
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Senator: Cal State Needs to Control Administrator Pay

State Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, said he agrees with Gov. Brown about "the ever-escalating pay packages" of Cal State University administrators. He said, "On the same day that the CSU Board of Trustees voted to increase administrators' salaries, they also voted to increase student fees." Huff said he couldn't recommend confirming nominee Herbert Carter to the Cal State Board until there is "real evidence that the CSU Trustees are making the tough decisions needed to control escalating costs that are being passed onto students and their families." http://goo.gl/44XBO
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Home Fire | Presidents Day | Tardy Sweeps

~ Fire at Monrovia home. http://goo.gl/TslUJ
 
~ Monrovia City facilities and schools will be closed Presidents' Day, Monday, February 20.
 
~ Random tardy sweeps at Monrovia High "because of a sharp increase in tardies throughout the school day. ... If you are caught, you will be assigned Saturday School." Uh-oh. Better watch out! http://goo.gl/juzTh
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Fat Dog or Thin Burglar, Burglary, Theft, Etc

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 13-15. - Brad Haugaard]
 
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 433 service events, resulting in 96 investigations.
 
Grand Theft Auto
On February 13 at 3:23 p.m., an employee from a business in the 500 block of West Huntington reported her vehicle stolen from the parking lot.  She parked her vehicle in the lot near the front of the business at 7:00 a.m.  When she returned to her vehicle at 3:00 p.m., she discovered it missing.  The vehicle is a black, 1996 Honda Accord.  The vehicle was entered into the Stolen Vehicle System and the investigation is continuing.
  
Attempted Vehicle Burglary
On February 13 at 6:23 p.m., an attempted vehicle burglary was reported at a condominium complex in the 700 block of South Myrtle. The victim parked her vehicle in the bottom level parking structure at approximately 5:00 p.m.  She returned to her vehicle approximately one hour later and found that someone had attempted to smash the driver side window and had tried to pry open the passenger door.  The attempt was unsuccessful and there was no loss from inside the vehicle.  The investigation is continuing.
 
Residential Burglary
On February 14 at 10:54 p.m., police responded to a residential burglary in the 400 block of East Olive.  The suspect entered through a doggy door.  The circuit breakers on the home were turned off, the Internet cable was pulled apart, and the only loss was an alarm clock and a cell phone charger.  Investigation continuing.
  
Detective Bureau Case Follow-up
 
Robbery Case Update - Third Suspect Arrested
On February 9 at 10:57 p.m., three male suspects robbed a male victim while he was walking in the area of Colorado and Violet.  One of the suspects hit the victim in the face, possibly with a gun, and they took a small amount of cash he had on him and his cell phone.  Officers arrived quickly and detained two of the suspects in the area of Violet and Linwood; they were arrested for robbery.  The Foothill Air Support helicopter and Irwindale Police Department's canine unit assisted with a search for the third suspect, but he was not located. 
 
Following up on leads, detectives served a search warrant on February 15 on two locations.  The detectives were searching for the third suspect and a weapon used in the crime.  Detectives searched both locations and the weapon was not located.  The third suspect, however, was found at one of the locations and was arrested and taken into custody.

Assembly Candidate Supports Public Transportation

Michael Cacciotti, South Pasadena Mayor and candidate for the 41st Assembly District (which includes Monrovia), said state money should be spent on light-rail and bus-ways instead of freeways. He said these "can drive our economy forward and create more jobs than building new freeways.” and, he said. “Public transit gets us off foreign oil, out of traffic jams, and cleans up our air pollution too.”

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Portantino Introduces Bill to Regulate Boot Camps

Alleged abuses at a boot camp run by Kelvin McFarland, of Monrovia, has prompted Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, to co-author a bill to regulate such programs. http://goo.gl/SWE09

- Brad Haugaard

Yogurtland to Monrovia | Donate Prom Dress | Good Safety on Bridge

~ Yogurtland will replace Quiznos on Myrtle near Foothill. http://goo.gl/CgU2W
 
~ Donate a prom dress to a Monrovia High girl. http://goo.gl/va6BD
 
~ Gold Line reports no injuries in 30,000 hours of work on Gold Line bridge. http://goo.gl/Jmd2k
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Gets Air Force Order | Rusnak Enters Assembly Race

~ AeroVironment gets Switchblade drone order from Air Force. http://goo.gl/FqEbV


~ Victoria Rusnak, of the Pasadena Rusnak car dealerships, enters the race in Monrovia's Assembly district, running as a Democrat. http://goo.gl/YI8Ek


- Brad Haugaard

African American Quilts | Teacher Jeopardy at Monrovia High

~ African American quilts and the Underground Railway, at the Library's Community Room 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. You may need reservations, so see details (click to enlarge): http://goo.gl/JCjiM 
 
~ Teacher Jeopardy, this Friday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Monrovia High auditorium. "Watch 4 teams compete for the trophy in a grueling set of questions!" Tickets are $3 at the door. http://goo.gl/OjIxu
 
- Brad Haugaard

Portantino Introduces Bill to Eliminate Statute of Limitations on Rape

Assembly member Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, has introduced Assembly Bill 1682, which would eliminate the statute of limitations for rape, which is currently set at 10 years.
 
Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Senator: California Credit Upgrade Nice but Budget Not Fixed Yet

State Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, said Standard & Poor's decision to upgrade California's credit ratings outlook from stable to positive is a nice move, but "we still haven’t fixed our structural budget gap." http://goo.gl/TKjOR



- Brad Haugaard

Valentine Dance in Old Monrovia | Genzme Re-Signed

~ Amateur Valentine dance competition tonight for those 18 years and older to support charity. At Paint n' Play, 418 S. Myrtle, 7-10 p.m. Tickets $10. http://goo.gl/fc6Kv
 
~ LabCorp, which bought Monrovia's Genzyme, a bio-tech company, has recently changed the sign at 655 E. Huntington to LabCorp. http://goo.gl/jsUZs
 
- Brad Haugaard

Falsework on Freeway Bridge Begun | STAAR Surgical | Parasoft


~ Gold Line crew installs the first falsework cross beam. The "falsework" is basically a frame to build the permanent bridge on.

~ Monrovia's STAAR Surgical will be introducing several recently-developed surgically-implanted eye lenses at the World Ophthalmology Congress in Abu Dhabi from Feb. 16 through 20. http://goo.gl/0eMNQ

~ Monrovia's Parasoft, which makes tools to help build defect-free software, has introduced SOAtest: a "performance testing solution that helps QA teams ensure secure, reliable, compliant business applications." http://goo.gl/8Yxkb

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