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Monrovia School Agenda: Budget, Progress Tracking, Etc.

At the 7:30 p.m. April 20 meeting of the Monrovia School Board ( http://goo.gl/xlYk6 ) the board will:

~ Receive a preliminary budget which says that Monrovia schools are going to have about $2.8 million less money to work with in the 2011-12 year as compared to the 2010-11 year. That's about a 7.7 percent decrease and is based on the Governor's January Budget Proposal, and assumes the proposed tax extension does not pass. According to David Conway, director of Fiscal Services, in light of the breakdown in budget discussions in Sacramento, this is a "best-case" scenario. Lots more painful data here: http://goo.gl/jj8M6
~ Hear a report on district plans to move more from tracking aggregate student progress to tracking individual progress. http://goo.gl/m1fuF
~ Hear a report on the Canyon Early Learning Center Program. http://goo.gl/DSOBi
~ Deal with several items regarding construction at Monrovia High.
~ Consider laying off two part-time PE attendants and a full-time painter. http://goo.gl/19NDG
~ Consider spending $390,000 for new English textbooks. As I commented before, this seems insanely expensive to me. http://goo.gl/42nc5
- Brad Haugaard

Mikomi Japanese Restaurant for Lunch


Went to Mikomi Japanese Restaurant on Myrtle for lunch. Got the Chef's Choice Special Sushi Combo with eel and avocado roll. With miso soup, which I haven't pictured because one bowl of miso looks just like another and besides it came first and I was hungry. The food? Very good!
- Brad Haugaard

Santa Anita Family Service Has New President, Expanded Board

Santa Anita Family Service, with offices in Monrovia, has a new president and several new board members, as the organization continues to grow and expand its services throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
 
Barbara Veenstra, a resident of Temple City and a vice president of Citizens Business Bank, has been elected to head the organization's Board of Directors. She succeeds Dick Singer of Monrovia, who had served as President of the Board since 1997.
 
The Board of Directors itself has expanded recently, adding several new members, including Barbara Cavalier, Gloria Crudgington and Traci French of Monrovia, Jay Coleman and Chris Mead of Arcadia, Alexis Newell of Pasadena and Mike Thompson of Redondo Beach.
 
Santa Anita Family Service celebrates its 60th Anniversary this year, serving communities in the San Gabriel Valley since 1951 with a wide range of mental health and social services, including senior assistance and case management, family preservation programs, drug and alcohol treatment, domestic violence intervention and child abuse therapy.
 
Each year, the organization’s offices in Monrovia, San Gabriel, Covina and Pomona provide low-cost service to thousands of individuals and families from communities throughout the region.
 
Additionally, through its affiliations with colleges and universities, Santa Anita Family Service is a training ground for graduate students in psychology and counseling disciplines, and has helped educate hundreds of this region’s mental health and social service professionals.
 
For more information on Santa Anita Family Service and its programs, call (626) 358-1185 or check online at www.santaanitafamilyservice.org.
 
- Brad Haugaard (from press release)

Monrovia Has a Distillery / Y Needs Games, DVDs, Etc.

~ Monrovia has its own distillery. Who knew? http://goo.gl/gbgm2

~ If you have board games, G-rated DVDs, art supplies and puzzles that are just lying around and need a good home, the Santa Anita Family YMCA would be happy to put them to good use. Contact karenmacnair@ymcala.org http://goo.gl/5rGA4

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council: Rename Olive Ave. Park? / Buy Myrtle-Duarte Property? / Fireworks / Etc.

Here are a few items that the Monrovia City Council will discuss at its 7 p.m. April 19 meeting. http://goo.gl/zDnIs

~ The Council will consider whether to rename Olive Avenue Park to "Lucinda Garcia Park." Who was she? The city report says: "Mrs. Garcia was a matriarch of the Mexican-American community in Monrovia for decades. Yet it was her efforts to achieve racial equality in Monrovia – in a period well before the American Civil Rights Movement – that made Mrs. Garcia's contributions truly extraordinary and positive."

~ The Council (aka Redevelopment Agency) will consider whether to authorize negotiations to buy the property at the south-east corner of Myrtle Avenue and Duarte Road so Lowe Enterprises Development Group (which appears to be this company: http://goo.gl/1lD6G ) can develop a retail center there.

~ The Council will consider awarding a $20,500 contract to Pyro Spectaculars for this year's Fourth of July Fireworks Show. (If you didn't see the whiz-bang show last year, by the way, it was truly awesome! You gotta go.)

~ A pilot project with the Monrovia School District to open Monroe Elementary School grounds as a weekend park was a success, and city staff is recommending the Council extend the program to all five elementary schools.

~ In closed session the Council will chat about the lawsuit filed against the city by the owner of the property that could be used for a Gold Line maintenance yard.

- Brad Haugaard

Railroad Gives Up Right-of-Way for Metro Lines

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway signed an agreement today to abandon its rights to use the corridor between (roughly) the future Arcadia and Irwindale Stations along the planned Gold Line Extension from Pasadena to Azusa. That is according to the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority.

Basically, if I understand this, it means Metro trains won't have to share with freight trains.

- Brad Haugaard

Huff Says Governor and Republicans 'Were Close'

State Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia in Sacramento, said that before Governor Jerry Brown broke off budget negotiations with the Republicans - "We were close." http://goo.gl/ZM3GO

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Child Injured, Burglary, Theft, Helping Torrance

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch Report for April 7-13. – Brad Haugaard]


During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 499 service events, resulting in 99 investigations. Following are the last week’s highlighted issues and events:


Vehicle Burglary


April 7 at 7:49 a.m., an officer responded to the report of a vehicle burglary in the 900 block of Diamond. The victim had parked her vehicle in the driveway the evening before, locked it and set the alarm. She returned to her vehicle in the morning and found the left rear window shattered. She never heard the alarm activate; however, she did hear a vehicle speed away around 4:00 a.m., but did not think anything of it. The items taken were a computer, a DVD player, and a black wallet and purse.


Residential Burglary


April 7 at 11:25 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 200 block of West Lemon regarding a burglary. The victim reported that someone broke into his garage overnight. The suspect(s) used some type of pry tool to force open the east door of the unattached studio. It is unknown if anything was taken.


Vehicle Burglary


April 7 at 11:30 a.m., an officer responded to a residence in the 1600 block of Pilgrim on a vehicle burglary report. The victim reported that his vehicle was broken into during the night. The suspect(s) broke the right front passenger window, reached in and removed a radar detector from the windshield, where it had been attached.


Residential Burglary


April 7 at 1:56 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 200 block of South Shamrock on a residential burglary report. The victim believed his house was broken into between 8:00 a.m. and 1:55 p.m. The officer checked the property and determined the suspect(s) made entry through a closet window. He checked the window and noted the locking mechanism was loose and he wiggled it open. The suspect(s) left through the side kitchen door.


Vehicle Burglary


April 8 at 6:44 a.m., an officer went to the 1200 block of South Magnolia regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim had parked his vehicle across the street from his residence in the evening and secured it. He returned in the morning and found the driver side door was unlocked and the interior was ransacked. He checked the trunk and discovered his stereo amplifier and subwoofer were missing. The vehicle does not have an alarm and there were no signs of forced entry.


Grand Theft


April 8 at 2:18 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 500 block of East Walnut on a grand theft report. The victim is a gardener and had parked his truck, leaving his gardening tools in the truck. While he was busy working on a client’s house, the suspect(s) removed his equipment and loaded it onto their truck, a white, four-door, crew cab, 2007-2009, Chevrolet Silverado. The suspect vehicle fled southbound on California from the location.


Fight / Officer Injured


April 10 at 1:30 a.m., an officer on patrol observed a fight in progress in front of a business in the 300 block of South Myrtle and immediately requested additional officers to respond. During the course of restoring order, officers encountered a combative male suspect and his female associate who would not comply with their orders to disburse. Officers used their pepper spray on the suspects and they were detained and arrested. As the officers were attempting to put the male suspect into the back seat of the police vehicle, he continued to struggle and resist. During the struggle, one of the officers received minor injury to his hand.


Traffic Collision / Vehicle vs. Child


April 10 at 12:22 p.m., a family looking to rent an apartment in the area of Magnolia and Linwood became distracted and their two year old child wandered off. The boy ran between two parked cars and into the street. He was struck by a vehicle and sustained abrasions and bruises over his entire body. He was conscious and crying when officers arrived and was taken to a hospital.


Outside Assist – Torrance Police Department


April 11 at 8:42 p.m., Monrovia Police Department received a DCFS referral and contacted the reporting party by telephone, since she did not reside in Monrovia. Officers learned the victim was at Torrance Police Department filing a report, since the crime occurred in that city, during 2006 to 2008. The investigating detective informed Monrovia Police Department of possible additional victims living in Monrovia at a residence in the 800 block of South Canyon. Officers responded to the location to conduct a welfare check and discovered the possible victims did not reside at the location, but the suspect did. Torrance Police Department requested we arrest the suspect. The suspect was arrested and Torrance Police Department responded to take him into custody for multiple sex crime offenses. The investigation is continuing.

Monrovia's Stop-Tree


This is not a trick photo. The tree is really growing right up the middle of the stop-sign pole and out the top. On N. Canyon. - Brad Haugaard

Ernie's Auto Parts Gone


Just noticed. Ernie's Auto Parts at Huntington and Mayflower is gone, moved to Azusa. Shame. They were very helpful for me once. - Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's World Pet Association / Huff vs. Epilepsy

~ The World Pet Association of Monrovia is sponsoring the "America's Family Pet Expo." And here I didn't even know Monrovia had a World Pet Association. http://goo.gl/uKO5R


~ The Senate Health Committee has approved legislation by Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, authorizing school districts to provide employee volunteers with training to provide emergency medical assistance to pupils who suffer epileptic seizures on campus. http://goo.gl/D6Oub


- Brad Haugaard

Which Monrovia Logo? / AeroVironment

~ Which Monrovia logo do you like? Let the city know: http://goo.gl/4enxD

The single logo is the proposed one; the other group are alternatives. 

For me? I dunno. I think I actually prefer E. Simple and cheerful.

~ AeroVironment gets $14.8 million order from the Army. http://goo.gl/EjKSf

 - Brad Haugaard



Monrovia Election Returns

[ 9:46 - Becky Shevlin and Tom Adams win reelection to the Monrovia City Council. So does Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, but that's no surprise since she ran unopposed. The play-by-play is below.]


If you want to follow the Monrovia election returns tonight, click here: http://www.ci.monrovia.ca.us/elections


I'll be updating this post as well.


8:35 - Vote by mail votes are in and Tom Adams and Becky Shevlin have taken a strong lead. Shevlin: 1218, Adams: 1015, Ziegler: 470, Joe Espinosa: 273 (not bad for having withdrawn, but perhaps people voted before he did), and Jason Cosylion: 71.


9:06 - A few more numbers from precinct 1.


TOTALS

Joe Espinosa: 292

Jason Cosylion: 79

Chris Ziegler: 530

Tom Adams: 1096

Becky Shevlin: 1341


9:11 - Becky Shevlin has been involved in sooo many community organizations. It seems she made quite a few friends along the way.


9:12 - Adding on precinct 8:



TOTALS

Joe Espinosa: 302

Jason Cosylion: 89

Chris Ziegler: 578

Tom Adams: 1185

Becky Shevlin: 1452


9:15 - Precinct 21  reporting, which adjusts the totals to ...



TOTALS

Joe Espinosa: 314

Jason Cosylion: 95

Chris Ziegler: 603

Tom Adams: 1228

Becky Shevlin: 1508



9:25 - With all but one precinct  reporting at least some numbers now ... 



TOTALS

Joe Espinosa: 355

Jason Cosylion: 123

Chris Ziegler: 752

Tom Adams: 1534

Becky Shevlin: 1848


9:26 - Seems pretty safe to call it for Shevlin and Adams.


9:27 - Looking at the numbers, it is pretty amazing how many people voted by mail.





9:40 - It appears all the votes except for precinct 30 have been fully counted, if my math it right.



9:44 -  The votes have now all been counted and it appears clear that Becky Shevlin and Tom Adams, the incumbents, have won, and will be returning to the city council.


9:44 - Final numbers:



TOTALS

Joe Espinosa: 382

Jason Cosylion: 132

Chris Ziegler: 785

Tom Adams: 1615

Becky Shevlin: 1936








- Brad Haugaard

Polls Are Open, Monrovia


For today we've dropped the wall of separation between church and state. Here is the polling location at First Presbyterian Church. Vote today!

- Brad Haugaard

Voting Day in Monrovia! / Flute & Clarinet / Gold Line

~ Don't forget to VOTE today! Two seats on the Monrovia City Council will be decided.  
 
~ Enjoy the sounds of Le Petit Duo, a flute and clarinet duo at the library April 18 at 7 p.m. http://goo.gl/epI7K
 
~ This Star-News editorial hopes the sale of Monrovia  property for the Gold Line can happen soon so construction won't be held up. http://goo.gl/lAvNi
 
- Brad Haugaard

Vote Tuesday! / Student Leadership / Huff

~ Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 12, is election day in Monrovia. Be sure to vote!

~ Monrovia high school age students are invited to attend the Duarte/Monrovia Youth Leadership Summit. http://goo.gl/ZFtSI

~ Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia in the state senate, has introduced legislation to allow government agencies to contract out for supplies and services with private business. http://goo.gl/mRVa5

- Brad Haugaard

Dollar Deal


Nice deal. Buy a kid-size frosty at Wendy's for a buck (which goes to charity) and you get this tag, which entitles you to a free kid frosty each time you buy something at Wendy's for the rest of the year. - Brad Haugaard

Special Forces Hamsters


"Kung Zhu Ninja Warriors and Special Forces Hamsters." I don't know how you can resist (I couldn't) even though they are over the border at the Target in Duarte. - Brad Haugaard

See Old Monrovia Victorian Homes

If you are interested in seeing the insides of old Victorian homes in Monrovia, you might want to sign up to go on the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group's 29th Mothers Day Home Tour. It features five Victorian homes built before 1893, plus Leven Oaks and the Historical Museum. It lasts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $17 for adults, $14 Seniors 65 and older, $9 for Teens, and children 12 and younger are free. Tour starts at Historical Museum 743 East Lemon Ave. You can purchase tickets at Paint N’ Play, Monrovia Bakery, the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce and at the Friday night Family Festival. For more information, go to www.mohpg.org.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Monrovian


Had dinner tonight at the Monrovian restaurant. Steak and potato with vegetables cooked just right, not limp and not raw. It came with a green salad which you don't see because I ate it. Good, standard American food, no pretensions.
- Brad Haugaard