'Portland Loo' for Parks; Carnival Coming to Monrovia Days; County Not Interested in Measure H Ideas; Huntington Medians Almost Done: Etc.

Portland Loo.

In his weekly report, City Manager Oliver Chi reports ...

~ City staff has been planning public restrooms at city parks. The version they're thinking about was developed in Portland, and is called "The Portland Loo." It has angled louvers at the base that gives visibility inside but allows privacy, has an external light to indicate when it is occupied (which lets the cops keep an eye on it easily), and the wash basin is outside to discourage occupants from lingering. Cheaper, too. About $100,000 to $150,000 instead of the standard $250,000 to $300,000.

~ The carnival is coming back to Monrovia Days, which will be held on Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21. The city, school district, and Centre Stage have coordinated to bring back the carnival. Plus, the pancake breakfast event, parade honoring MUSD Scholars and Champions, performances by youth, food, and of course, the famous Pie Eating Contest.  Sign up for the parade or pie eating contest here: https://www.monroviadays.org/

~ LA County staff reportedly gave a polite brush off to any ideas on how spend the Measure H money, that's the 1/4-cent sales tax money that was approved to fight homelessness. Chi writes that according to Monrovia's designee at a meeting: "LA County personnel politely told everyone in attendance that the proposed spending plan they had previously developed would be the one recommended for approval to the LA County Board of Supervisors, and that if anyone had an objection, they would be welcome to lodge their objections when the spending plan comes up for a vote."

~ Work on the Huntington Drive medians should be done within the next two weeks. Also, there will be new American flags along Huntington Drive and the entryway signs at the east and west end of town will be touched up.

~ Canyon Park will be closed a few days to improve the entry trail alongside the road. There'll be a concrete curb along the side of the road to separate pedestrians and bicycle traffic from the vehicular traffic. The park will be closed May 1 and 2, open on May 3 though there will be construction, then closed again May 8 and 9, and finally a bit of clean-up on May 10.

~ Monrovia Public Library is going to get better Internet service, with speeds increasing to 1 gigabit per second, about ten times faster than the current speed of 100 million bits per second. (Hooray! I've tried it and it's pretty bad at times.) The Library received a $24,000 grant from the California State Library to do the work.

~ Monrovia Biotech Day 2017 will take place on April 26, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills Mary Wilcox Youth Center (843  E. Olive Ave.).  Teens from the sixth grade up are welcome.  The free event will allow students to meet scientists and conduct experiments and play games. The event is sponsored by LabLaunch Monrovia, Oak Crest Institute of Science, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills.

- Brad Haugaard

Yes, Del Taco Will Be Reopening, And 'Soon'

A lot of people have been wondering on social media what has become of the shut-down Del Taco on Huntington across from Target. Well, it promises that it is "reopening soon," and is hiring for all positions. https://goo.gl/XFVhWz

- Brad Haugaard

All About Pelargoniums at Monrovia Garden Club Meeting

At the Monrovia Garden Club monthly meeting on Tuesday April 25, 7 p.m., Matt-Del and Rebecca Tufenkian of Dominus Planetarium will teach about pelargoniums.  Materials will be available to plant and propagate a small plant. The meetings are held in the Fireside Room on the north side of the parking lot at First Presbyterian Church. Meetings start at 7 p.m. with light refreshments served at 6:30 p.m. Visitors welcome.

- Brad Haugaard

Truck Hits Hydrant, Water Hits Power Lines, Power Goes Out

A semi truck created a geyser when it hit a fire hydrant. Apparently the water shot up, hit the electricity lines and knocked out the power for 435 customers. https://goo.gl/gYAXR1

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Surprising Vehicle Burglar; Front Door Kicked In; Man Attacks Dad and Grandmother; Erratic Food Truck; And More

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 13-16. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Residential Burglary
April 13 at 2:28 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of W. Hillcrest regarding a burglary. The location is vacant, but staged for sale. The property owner returned to the location and saw the rear glass door had been shattered. Nothing was stolen from inside the location, but it was evident the suspects had searched through the location for items. There was graffiti inside the location as well. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 3:38 p.m., an officer responded to the rear of a business in the 300 block of W. Huntington regarding a homeless person camping. One female adult was located inside a make shift shelter. While speaking to her, officers determined she was under the influence of methamphetamine. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Residential Burglary
April 13 at 5:01 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of N. Alta Vista called police to report their home had been burglarized. The resident had returned home and found someone had kicked in his front door. Officers responded and searched the residence, but no suspects were located. Numerous items were taken from the home. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
April 14 at 12:08 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 200 block of W. Evergreen regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim walked outside to her vehicle and found a suspect inside rummaging through her belongings. She yelled at the suspect and he ran away. Officers conducted an area check, but did not find the suspect. The victim believes the suspect may have taken some of her mail from the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspects Arrested
April 14 at 1:19 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 400 block of S. Myrtle when he observed a subject that was snorting a white substance off of a metal box. The officer detained the subject and he admitted to snorting methamphetamine. The suspect was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

Vehicle Burglary
April 14 at 2:28 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 800 block of W. Duarte Road. The victim parked and locked her vehicle in the carport of her apartment complex, leaving her purse on the front seat. When she returned to the vehicle, she found a window had been smashed and her purse was missing. The investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 4:47 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 1400 block of S. Shamrock conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a vehicle code violation. A computer check revealed the driver had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Battery / Elder Abuse – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 8:56 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of Fano on a battery report. The 21-year-old son woke up and began arguing with his father. He then began punching his father on the head. His grandmother walked into the room to see what was going on and he turned and wrapped his arm around her neck and began choking her. An Uncle had to intervene until police arrived. The suspect was arrested for battery and elder abuse.

Theft from a Vehicle
April 15 at 7:26 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 1600 block of S. Mayflower. The victim parked her vehicle in her garage, but the vehicle was unlocked and the garage door was open throughout the night. She returned to her vehicle the next day and noticed property had been stolen from inside. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance / Delaying and Resisting a Peace Officer – Suspect Arrested
April 15 at 8:37 a.m., a caller reported a male subject driving a food truck erratically in a park in the 700 block of E. Lemon. Officers arrived and located a male subject walking south on Shamrock and determined he was, in fact, the driver of the vehicle. The subject displayed symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance and he fled on foot from officers across the street and entered a church. Officers detained the suspect and he was arrested. The suspect was held for a sobering period.

Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sales – Suspect Arrested
April 17 at 1:10 a.m., officers responded to the area of Mountain and Valley View regarding a subject smoking marijuana in a vehicle. The investigation led the officers to conduct a vehicle search and a large quantity of drugs were located in addition to packaging material and a scale. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Wheelhouse Ceramics Spring Sale - April 28,29

Wheelhouse Ceramics (Monrovia Adult Education) is having its spring sale Friday April 28, 6-9 p.m. and Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wheelhouse Ceramics is a non-profit group and the sale helps fund the studio. Over 30 artists' work is represented to view and/or purchase. The studio is located near the corner of Myrtle and Duarte, behind AAMCO and Troy's Donuts & Burgers and just east of Santa Fe school.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Robotics Teams Go Worldwide!

Monrovia's robotics teams will compete in Houston and the Netherlands. https://goo.gl/lD5j09

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Transit and Stormwater Requirements

At the next City Council meeting (agenda: https://goo.gl/iaY9bn) the council will consider hiring Parking Company of America to manage Monrovia Transit (https://goo.gl/hjywi9), and consider spending $375,781 to buy five new buses for Monrovia Transit (https://goo.gl/Ju57Hk).

Also, before the regular meeting the council will hold a study session (https://goo.gl/TNAX7M) on the super-expensive stormwater-clean-up requirements that are being put upon Monrovia and lots of other local cities. This will include a discussion of Senate Bill  231, which defines "sewer" as including systems designed to handle storm water (https://goo.gl/w6gNMo).

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Jewish Center Plans Holocaust Remembrance Play

In observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Monrovia-based Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys and the Pasadena Playhouse are partnering for a special staged reading of "Righteous," a Holocaust related play, on Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Written by playwright Jeff Cohen, Righteous centers around Eduard Schulte, a prominent German industrialist, who was one of many German citizens who were secretly against Nazism, who was first to report to the west of the Nazis intention to murder all of the Jews in Europe. Cohen's play captures the essence of this unsung hero's life through the eyes of his granddaughter.

The play is being read by the Jewish Federation's JFed Players and is being performed in partnership with the National Jewish Theater Foundation's Remembrance Readings. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by contacting the Pasadena Playhouse box office 356-7529.  For more information contact the Jewish Federation 445-0810 or the Pasadena Playhouse at 356-7529.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Hawaiian BBQ and Dim Sum

 

Dinner at Hawaiian BBQ and Dim Sum, in the Pavilions shopping center at Foothill and Myrtle. Got the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken for $6.99 and an iced tea for $2.38. Good, and a lot. I was hungry but had to save some for later. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Grand Theft Trailer; Sleeping in the Garage; Drugs and Alcohol

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 10-12. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 418 service events, resulting in 77 investigations.

Warrant / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 10 at 7:15 a.m., a disturbing subject was reported at a residence in the 200 block of W. Palm. Officers arrived and contacted the subject, who was found to have an outstanding warrant. The subject was arrested and during the booking process, narcotics were located in his possession. The subject was later released with a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Grand Theft Auto
April 10 at 3:27 p.m., a pop-up trailer was reported stolen from the 900 block of S. Primrose. The trailer was being stored on the property and it was stolen sometime over the weekend. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Resisting and Delaying a Peace Officer – Suspect Arrested
April 11 at 12:19 a.m., police dispatch received several calls reporting a disturbance between a male and female at a residence in the 100 block of E. Scenic. Officers arrived and the male subject walked away from them. When the officers attempted to detain him, he fled and ran through several yards. The subject was detained at Greystone and Canyon. He was determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance and was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Suspicious Subject / Resisting and Delaying a Peace Officer – Suspect Arrested
April 11 at 7:07 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of E. Colorado called police to report a subject sleeping on an air mattress in the carport of her apartment complex. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. The investigation revealed the subject had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. While the officers were attempting to take the suspect into custody, he resisted by tensing his arms and trying to pull away from their grasp. He was arrested and taken into custody without injury. The suspect was later released with a citation to appear in court.

Possession of Narcotics – Suspect Arrested
April 12 at 12:31 a.m., officers responded to the report of suspicious subjects walking around with flashlights in the 1200 block of S. Fifth Avenue. Officers arrived and contacted a male subject who was standing near some bushes. The subject was acting suspicious so officers checked the area where he was standing and located a baggie containing methamphetamine. The subject was arrested for possession of narcotics.

Vehicle Burglary
April 12 at 6:55 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 300 block of N. Mountain. The victim parked and locked her vehicle in front of her residence and went inside for the night. She returned the next day and saw several items had been taken from her vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
April 12 at 9:12 a.m., a resident in the 400 block of E. Olive reported that sometime during the night someone vandalized his garage with graffiti. The investigation is continuing.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 1:42 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Diamond regarding a driver who hit some parked cars and fled the scene. Officers arrived and stopped the vehicle. The investigation determined the driver was intoxicated. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Monrovia Canyon Park Hike For Veterans

On Saturday, May 6, from 9 a.m.-noon, the Veterans Resource Center of the Monrovia Public Library is sponsoring a guided hike in Monrovia Canyon Park for veterans, service members, family and friends of all ages. Included is a picnic lunch sponsored by The Friends of the Monrovia Public Library. Register online at cityofmonrovia.org/library or call 256-8262.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Election: Incumbents Win

All the incumbents won yesterday's election. The only contested race was for mayor, which Mayor Tom Adams won handily.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Graduation Rate Up, Suspension Rate Down

A good report for Monrovia Schools. According to a recently released state report, the graduation rate for 2016 was up and suspension rate is down (for MHS: https://goo.gl/FSQAzf ). The Star-News says Monrovia "saw one of the largest jumps in its graduation rates across the entire county" (https://goo.gl/5GeB4o).

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus College Again Named as 'Military Friendly School'

Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, has been named a Military Friendly School for 2017, the seventh consecutive year the college has earned this recognition. The designation, by the magazine, by G.I. Jobs, is for embracing military students and ensuring their success in the classroom.

The college's Veterans Success Center serves approximately 500 veterans annually. It is located in a 3,700 square-foot facility that offers computers, quiet rooms for studying and a garden for veterans to maintain and grow food. Its services include mental health management, academic counseling and financial aid assistance.

Citrus recently collaborated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide medical exams, screenings and follow-ups for student veterans on campus. The partnership marked the first time the VA offered telehealth services on a California college campus.

Source: Citrus press release

- Brad Haugaard