Chamber of Commerce to Honor Community Award Winners

The Monrovia Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting and Awards Gala is on March 1st at DoubleTree by Hilton, Monrovia. Social hour starts at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. The event will recognize the 2023 award recipients:

The Iris Award (Citizen of the Year) - Katie Gundersen

Monroe Award (Business of the Year) - Bowden Development, Inc.

Service to the Chamber Award - Brenda Trainor, Wonder Dog Ranch

Pam Fitzpatrick Award - Shawn Spencer, Girl Friday Solutions

Educator of the Year - Alison Meloserdoff, Wildrose School of Creative Arts

Firefighter of the Year - Hennessy Cabiles

Police Officer of the Year - Mike Garcia

Ambassador of the Year - Steve Bae, The Joint Chiropractic

Details here.

- Brad Haugaard

Job Fair at Community Adult School Feb. 29

Monrovia Community Adult School is hosting a job fair on February 29, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., at 920 S. Mountain Avenue. The event includes education, job development, career assistance, mental health, social services, US Labor information, and more. Industries like health, finance, government, hospitality, law enforcement, and others will be present. First 100 attendees receive a free In-N-Out lunch. Registration required. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Class of 1974 Reunion

Lynnette Wilmoth is trying to locate people who were in the Monrovia High School Class of 1974 for the 50th reunion. If you can help her, send her a note at Lynnettecnm@yahoo.com.

- Brad Haugaard

Produce in the Park Fruit and Veggie Exchange, March 2 at Library Park

Produce in the Park, a free produce exchange, will be held March 2 in Library Park from 9-11 a.m. at the picnic table on the corner of Myrtle and Lime. Even people with no produce to share are welcome. The event invites participants to share produce, seeds, and food, and emphasizes the utilization of locally grown food.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Three Catalytic Converters Stolen; Drunk Flips Car, Arrested; Juveniles Fail To Start Brush Fire; Drunk Driver Asleep In Middle of Street; More Drunks; And More...

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 15 – 21. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 398 service events, resulting in 88 investigations.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 15 at 12:13 a.m., officers responded to the 900 block of W. Huntington regarding a vehicle blocking a driveway and the driver asleep behind the wheel. Officers made contact with the driver who appeared disoriented. A DUI investigation determined the driver was under the influence. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Grand Theft
February 15 at 10:15 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 700 block of W. Chestnut when she was flagged down by a resident. The resident reported that the catalytic converter to her vehicle was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
February 15 at 5:03 p.m., a caller in the 700 block of E. Huntington called to report that property was stolen from his unlocked vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
February 15 at 6:08 p.m., a resident in the 900 block of S. Monterey walked outside of their home and discovered someone had stolen their vehicle’s catalytic converter. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
February 15 at 10:48 p.m., an alarm company, for a construction site in the 100 block of E. Huntington, reported a male adult subject trespassing. Officers arrived, located the subject, who was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. He refused to identify himself. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Hit and Run Injury Traffic Collision
February 16 at 12:34 a.m., a hit and run traffic collision was reported in the 1200 block of S. Primrose. A solo vehicle collided with parked vehicles and fled the scene. The driver was identified and located. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud
February 16 at 7:20 a.m., a caller in the 100 block of N. Garfield reported that someone intercepted a check that was mailed to her and cashed it. This investigation is continuing.

Mail Theft
February 16 at 8:05 a.m., a passerby in the 800 block of Norumbega called to report that mail was scattered across the street. An officer arrived and recovered packages and returned them to the owner. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
February 16 at 9:00 a.m., a caller in the 700 block of Montana called to report that the catalytic converter to his vehicle was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
February 16 at 9:08 a.m., an employee from a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington called to report property stolen from the rear of the business. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
February 16 at 8:48 p.m., officers were patrolling the 1600 block of S. Myrtle when they located a female adult subject who was found to be heavily intoxicated and unable to care for herself. She was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Vandalism
February 16 at 9:02 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of W. Lemon reported a wooden fence, east of his property, was spray painted. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence / Injury Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
February 17 at 1:49 a.m., a caller in the 300 block of S. Canyon reported a motorist had just collided into a parked car. Officers and MFD arrived and found the vehicle had flipped upside down and the driver was crawling out of the vehicle. The driver had a minor cut on his hand and was treated by paramedics. He was also found to be heavily intoxicated. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Felony Hit and Run Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
February 17 at 2:11 p.m., officers responded to the area of Huntington and the 210 freeway regarding a rollover traffic collision where the suspect fled the scene. The suspect vehicle collided into the victim vehicle causing it to rollover. The victim and the passenger were both transported to the hospital for medical treatment. The suspect was located and transported to the MPD jail.

Petty Theft
February 17 at 2:30 p.m., the reporting party came into the MPD lobby to report property was stolen from his unlocked vehicle while parked in the 800 block of E. Olive. This investigation is continuing.

Unlawful Fire – Suspect Arrested
February 17 at 4:33 p.m., officers responded to the 1700 block of S. Mountain on reports of subjects attempting to start a brush fire. Officer arrived and located the area where the subjects were attempting to set a fire. The subjects were located and detained. A witness positively identified the subjects, who were juveniles. The juveniles were arrested and transported to Monrovia jail. They were released on a citation to their parents.

Grand Theft Auto
February 17 at 5:07 p.m., a caller from a business located in the 1400 block of S. Mountain called to report a vehicle was stolen from their facility. A male subject entered, got into the vehicle and drove away. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
February 17 at 5:52 p.m. a victim in the 700 block of Ocean View called to report that her spouse hit her with a wooden block and was leaving the scene. As officers were on their way, they saw the male subject driving away. A traffic stop was conducted and the officers made contact with the male subject. An investigation revealed that the victim sustained an injury to her arm and the male subject was the aggressor. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto
February 17 at 8:55 p.m., a caller reported he was a guest at a hotel in the 900 block of W. Huntington and someone had stolen his car from the hotel's parking lot. Officers searched for the vehicle, but could not locate it. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 18 at 12:24 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Shamrock and Huntington when he saw a motorist commit a traffic violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the officers made contact with the driver who appeared to be under the influence. A DUI investigation revealed he was under the influence. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Injury Traffic Collision
February 18 at 9:57 a.m., a caller reported a traffic collision in the area of Duarte and California. Officers arrived and checked on the well-being of the occupants. Minor injuries were sustained. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting
February 18 at 9:04 p.m., an employee of a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported two males who exited the business without paying for the merchandise they left without paying. Officers arrived and were unable to locate the subjects. This investigation is continuing.

Municipal Code Violation – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 12:21 a.m., an officer was patrolling a park in the 700 block of E. Lemon when he located an adult male in the park after hours, in violation of a municipal code. He was arrested, cited, and released at the scene.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 1:07 a.m., while patrolling the 100 block of W. Foothill, an officer saw a motorist in violation of vehicle code. The officer conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver who appeared to be under the influence. A DUI investigation revealed he was under the influence. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Grand Theft Auto
February 19 at 2:06 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of W. Colorado called to report their car had been stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 4:07 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Myrtle and Huntington when he saw a motorist sleeping behind the wheel while in the middle of the road. The officer made contact with the driver who was found to be heavily intoxicated. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Grand Theft – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 2:51 p.m., a retail store in the 700 block of E. Huntington called to report two subjects stealing items. Officers arrived and located the subjects outside the store. Officers recovered the stolen property and returned it to the store. The subjects were arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 19 at 11:39 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of W. Foothill called to report his father was at the house, throwing things around, and had just left. Officers located the vehicle and stopped it for a traffic violation. When they contacted the driver, he displayed signs of being intoxicated. A DUI investigation revealed he was driving under the influence. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Vehicle Burglary
February 20 at 9:02 a.m., a victim in the 400 block of W. Huntington called from the parking lot of a shopping center to report that his vehicle had been broken into and property was taken. This investigation is continuing.

Disturbing Subject
February 20 at 4:00 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 100 block of E. Lemon regarding a battery. Officers arrived and found a male who had been struck on the side of the head. The suspect then shattered a rear window of a parked vehicle and fled the scene. Paramedics responded to treat him. He claimed he was involved in a physical altercation due to a road rage incident. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 20 at 11:14 p.m., an officer was patrolling in the area of Myrtle and Duarte when he saw a vehicle commit a traffic violation. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver was refusing to stop. Once the driver stopped the vehicle, officers made contact with the driver who displayed sings of being under the influence. A DUI investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. She was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Robbery
February 21 at 5:04 p.m., a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain called to report that a group of young men stole items and used force against a cashier as they exited the store. Officers conducted an area check but were not able to locate the suspects. This investigation is continuing.

Theft
February 21 at 9:00 p.m., a caller in the 800 block of W. Olive called to report someone had broken into the community mailboxes. This investigation is continuing.

Dinner at Rudy’s Mexican Food

Dinner at Rudy’s Mexican Food, at the corner of Myrtle and Colorado. Got the chili relleno combination plate for $12.99 and a beer for $5.99. Very nice. 

- Brad Haugaard 

City Council to Hold Goal-Setting Meeting

The Monrovia City Council will hold a special goal-setting meeting in the Elan Conference Room of the Doubletree hotel on Huntington Drive tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m.. It's open to the public, but the council will also go into closed session to do performance reviews of the city manager and city attorney. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Pitcher Throws No-Hitter for His Blind Father

Monrovia High baseball pitcher Andrew Cito threw a no-hitter for his dad, who is blind. Andrew's grandfather described the game play by play to his father. Full story here. 

- Brad Haugaard

Statement of City Council Candidate Edward Belden

Hello Monrovia! I’m running for City Council because I care about the people of Monrovia and our future. I am an experienced leader who was raised in Monrovia and graduated from MHS. I know how special our small-town charm is and I want to give back to the community that has given me so much. My Grandmother was a school teacher in Monrovia, my grandfather was a pastor and ran a leprosy hospital in India, and my mother was a nurse. My family fueled my passion to serve, and now I’m ready to put my education and 20+ years of diverse experience and results to work for our Gem City.

 I’ve started and run a small business, worked for local and national non-profits, and served in City Government at the executive level. I know when government can be effective and when it can get in the way. I’ve raised $40 million for projects and programs, restored our mountains, revitalized neighborhoods, encouraged business innovation, created jobs, provided opportunities for underserved youth, and built infrastructure projects. I am the current President of the Monrovia Parks, Wilderness and Recreation Foundation, a Community Services Commissioner, and a MAP leader. When I am not working and volunteering, I love spending time with my wonderful wife and dog, especially in our Monrovia Parks.

 

These are challenging times and Monrovia needs experienced leaders on the City Council that from day one can address housing affordability, provide the resources for our police and fire departments, provide access to mental health and addiction resources, support clean air and clean reliable water, take care of our parks and open spaces, provide more opportunities for youth, and assist our existing small and large businesses to create more good jobs.

 

I will listen to the diverse voices and perspectives of Monrovia and work to make sure we have a safe, healthy, and prosperous community to Keep Monrovia Moving Forward. I ask for your support and vote. Please find out more at www.EdwardBelden.com.

Luna Loves Attention - She'll Stick To You Like Velcro

We’re over the moon for two-year-old Luna! This beautiful Shepherd has been described as "Super Sweet” “a velcro dog” and “amaaaaazzzing!”. With rave reviews like that, she must be special!

Luna first arrived at Pasadena Humane with four newborn puppies. They spent some time in a foster home until the puppies were old enough to be adopted- they have all found homes, so now it’s Mama Luna’s turn!

Luna is house-trained and has learned a number of training cues. She’s super smart and will automatically sit for a treat and give you her best puppy dog eyes- no one can resist her!

Her foster family shared this about Luna: She'll make the perfect companion! She loves attention, belly rubs, and treats. She also loves to glance up to make eye contact while on walks as well & accepts hugs from us!

Luna probably wants to be the only dog in your life, but that just means all her attention will be on you!

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.

All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.

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 and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Daily adoption appointments can be scheduled online. New adoption appointments are available every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Walk-in appointments are available every day from 2:00 – 5:00. Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

Sensory-Friendly Morning for Children With Sensory Processing Challenges

Sensory-Friendly Morning for children with sensory processing challenges, autism spectrum disorder, and/or ADHD, Saturday, Feb. 24, 10 to 11 a.m. at the Library Youth Services Area. Activities include book check-outs, sensory toys for exploratory play, and art supplies for independent creative skills. For information email ceschenfelder@ci.monrovia.ca.us or call 256-8274. Register here (2 seats remaining). 

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Mandella Smoking Accessories

A postcard advertisement for Mandella Smoking Accessories, a business located at 140 W Maple. The back of the card says, "PEBBLES design ashtrays and accessories: encrusted tiles of fused glass rimming bent-glass ashtrays, boxes and lighters. Spaces between tiles hold cigarette. (Back of card here.) Not exactly my style ... even if I did smoke. From the Kim Anderson collection. See full details here.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

Innovation Lab at Library Wednesday, Feb. 21

Monrovia Public Library will host Innovation Lab on Feb. 21, from 3-4 p.m. in the Story Room. The event is for school-aged children between 6 and 11 with accompanying adult and will feature different STEAM-related activities. For more information email jtuszynski@ci.monrovia.ca.us or call 256-8274. Register here.

- Brad Haugaard

Video Game Tournament for Adults at Library This Friday

Video Game Tournament for adults at the Library this Friday, Feb. 23, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Casual competition for Nintendo Switch enthusiasts, or play more casual video games. For more information call the library at 256-8274 or email Angel Loera at aloera@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

- Brad Haugaard

City May Rescind Water Conservation Requirement; Mostly Positive Financial Reports; Giving Builders More Time

At its next meeting (agenda here)the Monrovia City Council will ...

~ Consider rescinding the requirement that residents cut their water usage by 10 percent, but continue to encourage water conservation. Details. 

~ Receive a mostly positive report indicating that the city ended the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 with a general fund balance of $27.14 million, up $3.81 million. The staff report says the results were, "the result of the diligent management of expenditure budgets during the year and strong revenue performance in property tax, Measure K revenues, sales tax revenues, and several other revenues." Challenges, the report says, are "pension and Other Post-Employment Benefit liabilities." Lots more here. 

~  Receive a Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget Update and consider budget adjustments. The staff report says that, "similar to the last quarterly update in November, there continues to be a slowdown in sales tax revenues primarily due to a reduction in new vehicle purchases and a reduction in the State and County Pool allocations [I believe these pools are of sales tax on items you buy from out-of-state, for example, from Amazon]. On a positive note, most other revenues are tracking as projected, and inflation levels are still trending lower than historic highs from recent years." Details.

~ Consider amending the municipal code to allow builders extra time "when justifiable cause is demonstrated." Reasons: Supply chains have not fully recovered from COVID; some construction materials are difficult to obtain; the cost of supplies has increased "significantly;" cost of financing has more than doubled in the past few years; and, the labor market is tight. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard