Wrong-Way Driver Causes Major Accident, Death, on 210 in Monrovia

A woman driving the wrong way on the 210 Freeway at 4:42 a.m. Sunday in Monrovia caused an accident that killed herself and left the driver of the other vehicle with major injuries. https://is.gd/CleYyb

- Brad Haugaard

Concert Scheduled to Support Church Members Battling Cancer

There will be a free concert to support a parishioner of Monrovia's St. Luke’s Episcopal Church who is battling cancer.

Healing Lives Through the Beauty of Music, a concert of chamber music by a string quartet from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, will be presented on Saturday, Feb. 22, at noon at The Parish of St. Luke The Physician, 122 S. California Ave., Monrovia. The performance will be followed by a buffet luncheon in the church’s Guild Hall. The event is free, and offerings for nonprofit cancer research and patient support are welcome. Guests are asked to RSVP to info@saintlukesmonrovia.org.

The event is inspired by Trish Gresham, a longtime St. Luke’s parishioner, choir member and administrative assistant to Rector Neil Tadken, as well as other community members who are currently undergoing cancer treatments. It is dedicated to her and the many local neighbors who are bravely battling the disease. The presentation is made possible by Mari Edelman through a grant from The Mari and Ed Edelman Charitable Fund for Music and Public Service.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council to Discourage Vaping; New Development Tax; Reducing Plastic Waste; Etc.

At its next meeting (agenda: https://is.gd/ynSYey) the Monrovia City Council will consider ...

~ In closed session, the sale of the properties, which comprise a parking lot, along the west side of Myrtle between Primrose and the train station park. https://is.gd/kXyzW8

~ A special city services tax for the 310-unit 127 Pomona Project near the train station. https://is.gd/2SvJxb

~ A joint resolution (with the Monrovia School Board) to "take all practical and necessary steps to discourage students and youths in community from smoking, including forbidding the use of tobacco products and vaping devices on campuses and during any school-related activities, and by providing student education and family information on the dangers of tobacco and vaping use." https://is.gd/bNoO0l

~ A resolution supporting Senate Bill 54, which would direct the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to adopt regulations to require manufacturers to reduce by 75 percent waste generated from single‐use packaging and priority single‐use plastic products in California by 2030. https://is.gd/GEaZPx

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Cafe X20

Lunch at Cafe X20, on the north side of Foothill just west of Melrose.  Got the Chicken Shawerma Plate for $12 and a beer at a special half-off price of $3. Very good! Liked it a lot. 

- Brad Haugaard 

City Council Candidate Forum

Candidates from left: Incumbents Gloria Crudgington and Becky Shevlin, challenger Donna Baker.

The candidates from two open spots on the Monrovia City Council answered questions from a League of Women Voters moderator at a candidates' forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce tonight.

There did not appear to be much the candidates disagreed on (except a little bit on rent control and Airbnb rentals). Crudgington and Shevlin talked about their successes on the council and Baker said she thought the city could do better, particularly with development, fiscal responsibility and outreach to the community.

Rent Control

Crudgington doesn't oppose it and said she has kept rents low on the rentals she owns.
Shevlin is "doubtful whether it helps or hinders." In the short term it may look good but she thinks "in the long run fewer residences are built.
Baker: "I'm for rent control." In Monrovia, she said, "there are more renters than homeowners."

Airbnbs

Shevlin: Against them. They turn multi-family units "into hotels." They can "decimate a community" by turning residences into "party central."
Crudgington would distinguish between renting a spare room - where the owners can keep an eye on things - and renting an entire residence where the owner is absent.
Baker said they cause instability. "I do think they bring down the community."

Development

Crudgington and Shevlin said the state is requiring cities to provide for more housing, so the city is directing it - including lower-cost housing - to the area around the train station.
Baker said there should be fewer luxury units and more affordable housing, and that the city should work with developers, churches and businesses to provide it.

Greenness

Baker would establish an Environment Commission for the city and follow through on older environmental plans the city set up.
Crudgington said the city has phased out some pesticides and if more hasn't been done it's because "the wheels were coming off the city."
Shevlin believes the city should try to be more green "when fiscally responsible."

GoMonrovia

Baker would revisit the GoMonrovia Lyft program to make it easier for seniors. She'd also like trolleys from the train station to Old Town and add lighted crosswalks in Old Town.
Crudgington said she watched the trolleys run empty and said seniors can already use a regular telephone (not a smart phone) to get a Lyft ride.
Shevlin said she was the one who suggested the Lyft program to former city manager, Oliver Chi, and it turned out to be a huge success.

Random

Crudgington said she is concerned about the Community Center. The building is old, she said, and she is worried what would happen to it in an earthquake.
Baker would ask MOTAB (Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board) to recruit new businesses to Old Town.
Shevlin said the print media is dying. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, she said, is not endorsing candidates for the Monrovia race because of lack of staff.
Crudgington said Monrovia doesn't have the population to support Old Town and that the new development near the train station could help support it. "If you use Amazon," she added, "you're part of the demise of Old Town."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Curling Irons Theft; Pedestrian Punches Car, Escapes on Bus; Catalytic Converter Stolen; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 6 – February 12, 2020. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 364 service events, resulting in 72 investigations.

Non-injury Traffic Collision
February 6 at 1:44 p.m., a caller reported three vehicles collided into one another at the intersection of Colorado and Ivy. Officers responded and found no one was injured and the vehicles sustained minor damage. All parties chose to exchange information.

Grand Theft Auto
February 6 at 1:48 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 700 block of W. Foothill regarding a stolen vehicle report. The resident walked outside her home and discovered someone had stolen her 2010 white Mercedes. The resident told officers it was taken sometime in the morning. The vehicle was entered into the DMV stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Non-injury Traffic Collisions
February 6 at 6:12 p.m., a caller reported two motorists collided into one another in the intersection of California and Fig. Officers responded and contacted the drivers. Information was exchanged. No injuries were reported

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 6 at 8:12 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of S. Violet called to report a suspicious person in the area. Officers arrived and located a subject matching the description provided. The subject had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody per the authority of the warrant.

Grand Theft Auto – Suspect Arrested
February 7 at 5:20 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 900 block of S. Myrtle when he was alerted of a stolen vehicle in the area. The officer located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. After an investigation the driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 7 at 9:24 p.m., a caller reported a suspicious person in the 400 block of W. Foothill. Officers responded and located a subject matching the description provided to Monrovia Dispatch. The subject had several outstanding warrants for his arrest. The subject was arrested per the authority of the warrant and taken to the Monrovia Police Department Jail for booking.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 8 at 2:05 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 700 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a bicyclist make a traffic violation. He stopped the bicyclist and discovered he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
February 8 at 2:35 a.m., a caller reported a traffic collision in the 900 block of S. Shamrock. Officers responded and discovered a vehicle had crashed into a fence off of an alley. The driver was contacted and he displayed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. An investigation was conducted and it was determined the driver was operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
February 8 at 9:25 a.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of Ranchito regarding a vehicle theft. The resident called to report that items were taken from his unlocked vehicle. His vehicle was parked in front of his residence and sometime during the night someone entered the vehicle and took several valuable items. This investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
February 8 at 7:30 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of E. Walnut regarding a residential burglary. The resident reported that someone had burglarized his home while he was gone. Officers arrived and checked the interior of the house. It was discovered that the suspect(s) gained entry by forcing the back door open. A couple of rooms were ransacked but it was unknown exactly what was taken at the time. One of the residents reported her car was missing. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
February 9 at 6:33 p.m., an employee from the 300 block of W. Huntington called to report that a security guard was detaining a male subject to the front of the business for shoplifting. The store employee told the officers the subject entered the store, concealed items, and left without paying for them. An employee attempted to stop the subject but the subject pulled away. The two struggled over the backpack until a security guard assisted in detaining the subject until the police arrived. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
February 9 at 6:49 p.m., an employee from a business in the 400 block of W. Huntington called to report that a male subject was drinking a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka inside the establishment. Officers contacted the subject and determined he was too intoxicated to care for his own safety. He was arrested taken into custody.

Petty Theft
February 10 at 12:27 p.m., an employee at a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington called to report a theft. The employee was doing construction work at the location and sometime during the day his tools were stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
February 10 at 8:22 p.m., officers responded to a report of a vandalism in the intersection of Magnolia and Duarte. A driver reported that while she was stopped at a red light at the intersection, a male adult suddenly appeared from the sidewalk and punched the side of her vehicle causing a minor dent. The subject yelled profanities at her and then got onto a public bus. The victim does not know the subject or why he punched her vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Non-injury Traffic Collision
February 11 at 9:56 a.m., a caller reported two vehicles collided into one another at the intersection of Foothill and Encinitas. Officers responded to the location, there was minor damage to the vehicles and no one was injured. All parties chose to exchange information only.

Non-injury Hit & Run Traffic Collision
February 11 at 2:58 p.m., a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington called to report a Hit & Run incident. One of their customers collided into another customer’s vehicle in their parking lot and left without stopping to exchange information. Officers responded and found no one was injured. This investigation is continuing.

Weapons Offense – Suspect Arrested
February 11 at 11:54 p.m., several residents in the 500 block of Royal Oaks called to report a man in the street waving a handgun. Officers arrived and located a subject matching the description provided. The subject was detained and a loaded handgun was found on his person. It was determined no shots had been fired and the handgun was unregistered. The subject was arrested and taken into custody for the possession of a loaded unregistered handgun.

Probation Violation
February 12 at 8:05 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of S. Primrose when she saw a female subject at Library Park whom she knew was ordered by a judge to stay out of the park per her conditions of probation. The officer contacted the subject and told her that probation would be notified of the violation and had her leave the park.

Grand Theft
February 12 at 8:07 a.m., a caller reported a theft in the 900 block of W. Huntington. The owner of a vehicle parked in a hotel's private parking lot and when he walked outside his hotel room, he discovered someone had taken his vehicle's catalytic converter sometime during the night. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
February 12 at 12:36 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of Bonita called to report a theft. The resident walked outside her home and discovered someone had entered her unlocked vehicle and took miscellaneous documents. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
February 12 at 4:24 p.m., an employee of a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington called to report a theft. A crew of two males and a female entered the store and took several curling irons then ran out of the store without paying. The subjects got into a getaway vehicle then fled the scene. Officers responded and searched for the suspects but did not locate them. This investigation is continuing.

Vintage Gas Pumps on Shamrock Removed for Restoration

Gem City Images reports that the vintage "Flying A" gas pumps at the old gas station on Shamrock Avenue have been removed for restoration. Pictures here: https://is.gd/mZDF8V

- Brad Haugaard

Santa Fe Gets Audio, Graphics, and Flight Tech Tools for New Paxton Patterson Lab

Monrovia Unified School District's Board of Education and Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School introduced new tools for teaching students audio communications, computer graphics and animation, flight technology and more during the school's unveiling of its new Paxton Patterson Lab on Feb. 4.

The lab offers students hands-on instruction in career technical education (CTE) pathways, which they can pursue in high school, college, and careers.

"Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School provides an educational environment structured to stimulate excitement about learning and foster innovation in our students," Board of Education President Rob Hammond said. "The opening of the Paxton Patterson Lab will ensure our students are prepared for their transition to high school and beyond."

The lab, which contains a series of topically focused stations, will give students an opportunity to develop creative and critical-thinking skills as they collaborate with each other in hands-on learning tasks.

"The opening of this lab today is a great example of the things happening across our District," Superintendent Dr. Katherine Thorossian said. "Whether the focus is in science, the arts or bi-literacy, each school in our District provides a critical component to our world-class education."

Students will receive access to lessons in fields such as audio communications, computer-aided drafting and design, computer graphics and animation, flight technology, health science, robotics, sports medicine, video production, structural engineering, and more.

"Today, Santa Fe takes another step forward in our commitment to giving our students outstanding opportunities for their future," Principal Geoff Zamarripa said. "This new lab will be a center of innovation that illuminates a path to our students' goals."

Source: Monrovia Schools press release

- Brad Haugaard

Mellow Brownie - Just Wants Some Love

Everyone here has become enamored of Brownie, and now it’s your turn! Four-year-old Brownie is a calm, easygoing dog who wants nothing more than to be loved and petted. His mellow demeanor will add a relaxing presence to your life, and his adorable brown cow spots will make you smile. He’s been very well-behaved at our mobile adoption events, and he absolutely loves all the attention he gets from strangers. This chill, happy dog can’t wait to meet you!

The adoption fee for dogs is $140. All dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before going to their new home.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

Valentine's Day Carriage Rides

- Brad Haugaard

St. Baldrick's FuzzFest: Sheared Heads to Fight Childhood Cancer

On March 15, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation will be hosting the annual FuzzFest in Old Town Monrovia during the Friday Night Street Fair to find cures for childhood cancers. Over the last 3 years raised almost $94,000. Get your head sheared or donate, or both. https://is.gd/oGjEhN

- Brad Haugaard

Winds Tonight Through 9 p.m. Tuesday

UPDATE 2: Now extended to 9 p.m. Tuesday. 

UPDATE: Wind warning extended until Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Winds from 9 p.m. today through noon tomorrow, Monday, 4 p.m. Tuesday in the San Gabriel Valley, especially below passes and canyons. 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph expected, according to the National Weather Service: https://is.gd/wIpG9I

"Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result." The 210 may have strong cross winds.

- Brad Haugaard

School Board to Consider Renaming Bradoaks Elementary School

At its next meeting (agenda: https://is.gd/SM3SAz) the Monrovia Board of Education will consider ...

~ Renaming Bradoaks Elementary School to Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy.

~ Approving $83,898.60 to install a drain and artificial turf in the foul area of the MHS baseball field. To Biltright Construction, $68,520.28; and to purchase materials, $15,378.34 to Artificial Grass Liquidators, Inc. https://is.gd/L9AjrV

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at 38 Degrees

Dinner at 38 Degrees, on the south side of Colorado about a half block east of Myrtle. Got the Pastrami with sides of kimchi and “beans and greens” for $17 and a beer for $7. Really excellent!

- Brad Haugaard 

City Plans Mural to Accompany Japanese Neighborhood Treasure Plaque

The City of Monrovia is seeking an artist to create a mural to accompany the existing Neighborhood Treasure plaque on the block wall located on the north-west corner of Cypress and Magnolia, near to where the Uyeda Produce Stand once stood.

The art should convey the story of Japanese Americans in Monrovia, reflecting their history and their impact they had on the formation of the City.

For more information contact Kerri Zessau, in the Monrovia Community Development Department at kzessau@ci.monrovia.ca.us, or by phone at 932-5564.

- Brad Haugaard