Winter Adult Craft Night at the Library, Dec. 2

Winter Adult Craft Night on Dec. 2 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Library’s Story Room. Participants will fold a book into a holiday decoration. Supplies provided; attendees may bring their own book. For adults 18+. Registration required, here.

- Brad Haugaard

Game Night for adults at the Library, Nov. 21

Board games, puzzles, and Nintendo Switch games featured for Adult Game Night, Nov. 21, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Library Community Room. Attendees may bring games to share. For ages 18 and up. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard

Science for toddlers at the Library, Nov. 21

Hands-on science activities for preschoolers ages 2 to 5 at the Library’s Story Room on Friday, Nov. 21 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Biology, physics, and more. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration required here. 

- Brad Haugaard

City Council to consider Route 66 signs and rules to support construction of bungalow courts; also will hold final hearing on assessment district proposal

Location of proposed Route 66 signs.

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

~ Consider adding Route 66 signs on the old routes through town in anticipation of the road's 2026 centennial. The signs will mark the original 1926-1934 route along Shamrock and Foothill, with refreshed signage on Huntington Drive (Route 66 started along Foothill then was switched to Huntington Drive). There will be 16 signs, 12 replacements on Huntington, directional signs at key intersections, and "Historic Old Town" and bypass signs. Details. 

~ Hold a final public hearing on the proposed assessment district. This will be you last chance if you want to give the City Council your thoughts. Here is the city staff report on the proposed district and here is an earlier news report. 

~  Consider an amendment to zoning rules to support bungalow court development. Bungalow courts are defined as multi-family homes arranged around a shared landscaped courtyard. The amendment would set size limits for these structures - height, width, depth - and allows their placement in front and side setbacks when part of a bungalow court. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard

Coming Up in Monrovia!

The play Frozen, Jr., at Monrovia High tonight and tomorrow, Nov. 14-15

Celebrating Games Month at the Library, Nov. 15 

Scholarship Gala on Nov. 15 will honor local sports alumni 

Celebrating Games Month at the Library, Nov. 15

Learn to make DIY garden gifts Nov. 15

Stargazing party at Library Nov. 18

Volunteers needed for Thanksgiving food distribution, Nov. 17, 20, 21

School Board meeting; superintendent to recommend closure of one middle school, Nov. 19

Thanksgiving gathering and Christmas tree lighting Nov. 20 in Library Park

Community Prayer Breakfast Nov. 21

Science for toddlers at the Library, Nov. 21

Game Night for adults at the Library, Nov. 21

Low-stimulation morning for neurodivergent children Nov. 22

Hands-on creative play for kids during Thanksgiving break, Nov. 24

Children can create Thanksgiving craft at Library, Nov. 25

Children can create Thanksgiving craft at Library, Nov. 25

Small Business Saturday Nov. 29

Garden Club Christmas party Dec. 2

Winter Adult Craft Night at the Library, Dec. 2

Monrovia Christmas Parade Dec. 4

Boys & Girls Club Festival of Trees on Dec. 6

- Brad Haugaard

Boys & Girls Club Festival of Trees on Dec. 6

The Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills will host its 15th annual Festival of Trees on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena. The event includes holiday displays and live and silent auctions. Proceeds benefit local youth programs in academics, arts, sports, and career readiness. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard

Garden Club Christmas party Dec. 2

The Monrovia Garden Club will hold its annual Christmas Silent Auction and Potluck on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Community Center. Food, gift shopping, and auction items from more than 30 local businesses. Proceeds will support community projects.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Christmas Parade Dec. 4

The Monrovia Christmas parade will be on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m., along Myrtle through Old Town. Local groups - schools, businesses, and organizations - are welcome to participate. Application form here.

- Brad Haugaard

The play Frozen, Jr., at Monrovia High tonight and tomorrow

- Brad Haugaard

School superintendent to recommend closure of one middle school; Pay raise for school board members

At its meeting this coming Wednesday (agenda here) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Hear a recommendation by Superintendent Paula Hart Rodas regarding which middle school to close, Clifton or Santa Fe. The agenda item (here) gives no hint which school that may be.

~ Consider raising board member compensation from $300 to $1,200 per month beginning Jan. 1, as the pay level has not changed for more than 40 years and Assembly Bill 1390 now permits higher board pay because of inflation and expanded duties. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Tito’s Sandwiches and Empanadas

Dinner at Tito’s Sandwiches and Empanadas, on the south side of Colorado a bit east of Ivy. Got three ground beef empanadas for $2.99 apiece and a soda for $2.99. Good and filling. Two were plenty; I took one home. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Not a gun, just shaped like one; Business arson, suspect arrested; Drunk kicks cop; Fire in Library Park; Drugs delivered to wrong address

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

During this period the Police Department handled 486 service events, resulting in 88 investigations.

Drug Activity / Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
November 6 at 4:46 a.m., a caller in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported a male subject pointed a gun at him. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject. An investigation revealed it was not a gun, but an object shaped like a gun. A computer search revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
November 6 at 7:49 a.m., a traffic collision was reported in the area of Duarte and Mayflower. No injuries were reported.

Grand Theft Auto
November 6 at 9:09 a.m., a victim in the 200 block of W. Duarte reported his vehicle stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud
November 6 at 9:54 a.m., an employee from the business 3300 block of S. Peck reported fraudulent activity in his bank account. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
November 6 at 10:53 a.m., a caller in the area of Camino Real and Peck reported his trailer stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Runaway Juvenile
November 6 at 11:17 a.m., an employee from a facility in the 100 block of E. Palm reported a juvenile female subject as a runaway. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest / Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
November 6 at 8:22 p.m., an employee from a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported a suspicious vehicle. Officers arrived, located the vehicle, and made contact with the three occupants. A computer check revealed one of the passengers had a warrant for her arrest. She was also found to be in possession of a controlled substance. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant Arrest / Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
November 6 at 10:22 p.m., an officer patrolling the 100 block of E. Foothill saw a subject known from prior contacts. The officer made contact with the subject. A computer check revealed he had several warrants for his arrest. A search revealed the subject was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant Arrest / Municipal Code Violation – Suspect Arrested
November 7 at 1:26 a.m., officers patrolling a park in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle saw a subject in the park after hours. The officers made contact with the subject. A computer search revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
November 7 at 2:47 p.m., a caller in the 1300 block of S. Magnolia reported a female subject loitering on their property. Officers arrived and made contact with the female subject. A computer search revealed she had multiple warrants for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
November 7 at 8:43 p.m., an employee from a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a theft. Officers arrived and made contact with the suspect. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
November 8 at 1:31 p.m., a victim in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported that her cell phone was stolen while she was shopping in a store. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
November 8 at 4:55 p.m., an officer patrolling the 300 block of W. Lime made contact with a subject who displayed symptoms of intoxication. An investigation confirmed that the subject was under the influence of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grant Theft
November 8 at 9:03 p.m., a victim shopping at a business in the 400 block of W. Huntington reported his electric scooter stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
November 9 at 12:17 a.m., an officer patrolling the 700 block of W. Huntington saw two bicyclists commit traffic violations. The officer conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the bicyclists. A computer search reveled both subjects had warrants for their arrest. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
November 9 at 6:43 a.m., a family disturbance was reported at a residence in the 1300 block of Los Robles. Officers arrived and made contact with the residents. A female subject was determined to be the dominant aggressor. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Vandalism
November 9 at 6:38 p.m., a caller in the area of Colorado and Myrtle reported that his vehicle was vandalized. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Pursuit – Suspect Arrested
November 10 at 12:01 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Magnolia and Central saw a vehicle commit a traffic violation. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle failed to stop and accelerated. A brief pursuit ensued. The driver and passenger were then contacted without incident. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Arson – Suspect Arrested
November 10 at 3:32 a.m., a caller in the 300 block of W. Foothill reported flames coming from a commercial structure. Officers and MFD responded to the scene and quickly extinguished the fire. The suspect was later identified in another arson and arrested.

Vandalism – Suspect Arrested
November 10 at 1:53 p.m., a witness in the 300 block of S. Myrtle reported a subject vandalizing electrical devices and pulling flags out of the ground. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject. He was also identified as the suspect from a prior vandalism incident. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision / Battery on Officer – Suspect Arrested
November 10 at 2:06 p.m., a solo vehicle traffic collision was reported in the area of Myrtle and Evergreen. Officers arrived and made contact with the driver. The driver displayed symptoms of intoxication. While officers were conducting an intoxication investigation the driver kicked an officer. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Battery
November 10 at 3:53 p.m., a battery was reported in the 1000 block of Royal Oaks. An investigation revealed the incident was related to road rage. This investigation is continuing.

Defrauding an Innkeeper – Suspect Arrested
November 10 at 6:15 p.m., a business owner in the 1100 block of E. Huntington reported that a patron was refusing to pay his food and beverage bill. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Injury Traffic Collision
November 10 at 9:31 p.m., a traffic collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian was reported in the area of Lime and Mayflower. Officers arrived and made contact with the parties involved. The pedestrian suffered injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Arson – Suspect Arrested
November 11 at 2:32 a.m., a fire was reported in a park in the 300 block of S. Myrtle. Officers and MFD responded. The fire was successfully extinguished and suspect information was provided to patrol officers. A suspect was located, he was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
November 11 at 4:42 a.m., an officer patrolling the 1600 block of S. Myrtle saw a subject passed out behind the wheel. The officer made contact with the subject and an investigation revealed he was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
November 11 at 8:27 a.m., while patrolling the area of Myrtle and Evergreen an officer saw a vehicle commit a traffic violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. A computer search revealed the driver had several warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
November 11 at 11:30 a.m., a solo traffic collision was reported in the area of Mayflower and Foothill. Officers arrived and made contact with the driver. No injuries were reported.

Trespass – Suspect Arrested
November 11 at 12:07 p.m., an employee from a business in the 1600 block of S. Magnolia reported a female subject inside was not permitted in the premises. Officers arrived and made contact with a female subject who was determined to have been arrested for the same offense at the same location in the past. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
November 11 at 3:53 p.m., a caller in the 900 block of W. Huntington reported a tire from his vehicle stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Theft
November 11 at 4:27 p.m., a victim shopping at a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported her purse was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Theft – Suspect Arrested
November 12 at 11:29 a.m., MPD was alerted to two subjects who had committed a theft in a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington. The subjects were apprehended and positively identified. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Activity
November 12 at 12:15 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of E. Chestnut reported receiving a suspicious package. Officers arrived and determined the package contained a controlled substance. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
November 12 at 12:26 p.m., a victim in the 1300 block of Los Robles reported her vehicle stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
November 12 at 3:27 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the 900 block of E. Huntington. Officers arrived and made contact with the parties involved. No injuries were reported.

Vandalism
November 12 at 8:01 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of El Nido reported his tired slashed. This investigation is continuing.

Foothill Unity Center looking for volunteers for Thanksgiving food distribution

Foothill Unity Center is looking for volunteers to help with its Thanksgiving season distributions. Here are some opportunities:

Packing, sorting and prepping meal boxes

Thursday, 11/13, 1-4:30 p.m. – Sign-up here

Monday, 11/17, 8:30-11:30 a.m. – Sign-up here

Monday, 11/17, 1-4:30 p.m. – Sign-up here

Operation Gobble packing

Thursday, 11/20, 8:30-11:30 a.m. - Sign-up here

Thursday, 11/20, 1-4 p.m. - Sign-up here

Friday, 11/21, 8:30-11:30 a.m. - Sign-up here

Friday, 11/21, 1-4 p.m. - Sign-up here

There are also opportunities in Pasadena. See here for details.

- Brad Haugaard

Add a MonroviaNow App Button to Your Smartphone

For quick access to MonroviaNow.com on your smartphone, add a linking icon to your phone. Here's how ...

Focus your cellphone camera on this QR code and click the link that pops up to go to MonroviaNow.com. Then...

On iPhone: Click this icon () at the bottom center of your phone, then scroll down and tap “Add to Home Screen”.

On Android (non-Apple smartphone): Click this icon (), then tap “Add to homescreen”.

Note: This adds NO software to your phone; just an icon and a link to the mobile friendly webpage for MonroviaNow. The icon looks like this: 

Maximus, a well-mannered and gentle giant, is for free in November

Maximus is a 9-year-old brown pit bull mix at Pasadena Humane who is all heart and ready for a new beginning. An Eaton Fire survivor who lost his home, this gentle giant hasn’t let hardship dim his spirit. Calm, affectionate, and well-mannered – according to his beloved foster family - Maximus is potty trained, sleeps soundly through the night, and is a perfect gentleman in the house.

He enjoys leisurely walks, relaxing in the sun, and soaking up affection from everyone he meets. Maximus would do best as the only dog in the home, where he can be the center of attention and love.

Come meet Maximus at Pasadena Humane — and take him (or another senior sweetheart) home for free this November during Senior Pet Month!

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

Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 10:00 – 5:00. View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.

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

- Brad Haugaard