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Monrovia Gold Line, New Chief, and Arts Supporter

In his weekly report ( http://goo.gl/BZieL ) Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa wrote that:
 
Despite the lawsuit against the Gold Line rail project, the city "will move forward with considering the transactions that we have negotiated in good faith with GLCA, and allow both the Gold Line and the plaintiff to decide upon whatever course of action they propose to take."
 
~ He hopes to have a new police chief to replace retiring Roger Johnson by September. Captain Jim Hunt is interim Chief of Police.
 
He congratulates City Council member Clarence Shaw, who was recognized May 7, as the Renaissance Award recipient by Monrovia Association of Fine Arts. He said, "Clarence has been a driving force in developing and supporting the arts in Monrovia."
 
- Brad Haugaard

John Wilson of Monrovia Boys & Girls Club / New Stayhealthy Chairman

~ Profile of John Wilson, head of the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills. http://goo.gl/E2fR6

~ Stayhealthy, Inc., of Monrovia, has announced that Tommy G. Thompson, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and governor of Wisconsin, has been elected to serve as the company's chairman of the board.
http://goo.gl/cpKms

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Home Ownership Increases

Monrovia and 11 other local cities buck the trend; increase the percentage of owner-occupied houses compared to 2010. http://goo.gl/kvp6C

Spacecraft Landing Site to be Discussed in Monrovia

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Landing Site Workshop will be held tomorrow (Monday, May 16) through this coming Wednesday at the Doubletree Hotel in Monrovia. The meetings start at 8:30 a.m., and a friend of mine, Roger Wiens, Genesis Project Leader at Los Alamos National Labs, said that as long as there is room, the public can attend. The topics look very technical ( http://goo.gl/S4ltd ), but if the discussion on where to land a spacecraft on Mars is of interest, you may want to attend.

- Brad Haugaard

Man Arrested in Monrovia Stabbing Incident

A Covina man has been arrested in connection with a stabbing during a knife fight in Monrovia. Wounded man should be okay. http://goo.gl/WOwEp

- Brad Haugaard

Runners at Monrovia Race


Runners going up Myrtle on Fountain to Falls Run.

- Brad Haugaard

School Honoree / Debit Card Fraud

~ Martha Moncada, school/community liaison for Monroe Elementary School, will be honored as the Classified Employee of the Year at a joint meeting of the Board of Education and Personnel Commission. http://goo.gl/oodzf

~ The Wall Street Journal reports that thieves stole debit card info at Michaels arts-and-crafts stores across the country, and part of the money was withdrawn here in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/vdHpE

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia First Presbyterian Church at Odds with Denomination

The pastor of Monrovia First Presbyterian Church, Rev. Anthony Osimo, has written a letter to his congregation indicating that he is "deeply saddened" by a recent decision of the church's denomination, Presbyterian Church USA, to eliminate its requirement that church leaders live "in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness."
 
He said church leaders are discussing the MFPC's options, said that the church is in discussions with other concerned churches, and added that there will be a national meeting to "consider options for those churches who cannot in good faith uphold the new ordination standard."
 
 
- Brad Haugaard
 

Lunch at Monrovia Mimi's


Mimi's for lunch. Got the $10.99 "Provence" special: tomato basil bisque soup and Le Grande Bleu Burger with chips (burgers are very French). Bisque was very good. A little Tabasco on the burger and it was just to my taste.

- Brad Haugaard

Progress on the Sorta-Monrovia Park

Star-News opinion editor, Steve Scauzillo, is making progress in his push to get local communities to adopt the Peck Road Water Conservation Park, which is in county area just a smidge below the Monrovia border ( http://goo.gl/Gw3Wz ).

At his suggestion, I went and looked at the park and have two observations: 1) It is indeed a beautiful park with a nice lake. 2) The front gate is ugly and easy to overlook - a plain sign next to a scruffy chain-link fence. (See here: http://goo.gl/Id2zU ).

Maybe a good first project would be to make the entryway easier to notice and more attractive. Unless he had told me that there was a beautiful park back there I'd have never known. I even passed it by when I was looking for it.

Neat project!

- Brad Haugaard

Mariachis / Lice

I saw School Board President Ed Gililland at the Monrovia Parade, and he had two interesting things to say:

~ As a mariachi band went past during the parade, it reminded him that he wants to get a student mariachi band going at Monrovia High School.
~ Perhaps you recall ( http://goo.gl/hu6TF ) that the Monrovia School District did not meet its goal of increasing student attendance (which means more money from the state). One reason, according to Gilliland, is that there was an outbreak of head lice at one school and students had to stay home.
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Favorite Bear on Parade

The Monrovia Day Parade was kind of an unveiling of the Samson the Bear statues that will be placed around town. I snapped these pictures, though there were more.
- Brad Haugaard






Monrovia Day Parade

Some pictures of the Monrovia Day Parade. That's City Council member Becky Shevlin, by the way.
- Brad Haugaard





Next Up at the Monrovia City Council

At the next City Council meeting ( http://goo.gl/kFoto ), May 17, 6:30 p.m., the Council will consider ...

~ Hiring some technical consultants, and extending a contract with a graffiti-removal contractor.
 
~ Adopting an ordinance governing cell-phone towers. http://goo.gl/JIcEv
 
~ A city staff recommendation that the Council oppose a California bill that makes it harder for cities to go bankrupt, and another bill that would require voters to approve any city plan to provide library services through private contractors. Also, staff recommends supporting a redevelopment-reform bill (temporarily dead but resurrection can happen). http://goo.gl/qObh3
 
- Brad Haugaard

Huff's Teacher-Layoff Bill Dies in Sacramento

Senator Bob Huff, representing Monrovia in Sacramento, had his bill to allow school districts to lay of teachers based on performance rather than seniority shot down in a Senate education committee. http://goo.gl/SUsWh
 
- Brad Haugaard

Eat for the Monrovia Band


Support the MHS Wildcat Band and Color Guard on Saturday, May 14 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. T Phillips will donate 15 percent of all purchases with the attached flyer. MHS Jazz Band will perform from 6 to 7 p.m. http://goo.gl/kNy6i
- Brad Haugaard

Miss Myrtle - Monrovia's Myrtle Avenue

Did you know that Myrtle Avenue was named for Myrtle Monroe, elder daughter of William and Mary J. Monroe? That and more in this brief history of Monrovia, by Steve Baker, for Monrovia's 125th birthday: http://goo.gl/Jc5Oo

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Unlawful Sex, DUI, Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch Report for May 5-11 – Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 556 service events, resulting in 96 investigations. Following are the last week’s highlighted issues and events:

Vandalism

May 6 at 3:45 a.m., an officer was flagged down regarding a shattered front window at a business in the 300 block of West Foothill. The owner of the business was notified and an investigation was conducted. It was determined that there was no theft at the location.

Outside Assist – Alhambra Police Department – Suspect Arrested

May 6 at 9:49 p.m., a subject entered the Monrovia Police Department lobby requesting advice from an officer regarding a dispute he had with his girlfriend in Alhambra. While talking with the officer, the subject stated he had been involved in a minor altercation in Alhambra. Alhambra was contacted and advised the officer that the subject was wanted for assault with a deadly weapon involving a firearm. The subject was detained for Alhambra Police Department. A search of the suspect’s vehicle in the parking lot rendered the recovery of the firearm. The suspect was taken into custody by Alhambra Police Department.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested

May 7 at 2:42 a.m., an officer on patrol in the area of Myrtle and Evergreen observed a suspicious vehicle. The driver was leaning to one side as he drove the vehicle. The officer stopped the driver when he failed to use a turn signal in the 100 block of Montana. During the investigation, it was determined that the driver was under the influence and the driver was arrested.

Unlawful Sexual Intercourse – Suspect Arrested

May 8 at 2:45 a.m., officers responded to a hotel in the 1100 block of East Huntington after receiving a 911 call from a citizen. The citizen reported hearing a female screaming for someone to get off of her from inside the hotel room. Officers arrived, contacted several subjects, and discovered a 19 year old male who admitted to having consensual intercourse with a 16 year old female. The suspect was arrested. The female subject was later released to a guardian.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested

May 9 at 12:51 a.m., officers responded to a solo vehicle traffic collision in the 500 block of West Duarte Road. The vehicle had crashed into a light pole and a tree on the south sidewalk. The driver was identified and officers determined he was under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested.

Possession of Burglary Tools – Suspect Arrested

May 9 at 9:02 p.m., the manager of a business in the 900 block of West Huntington called to report a subject on their roof. He was concerned because of recent burglaries at their store, so he called the police. Officers arrived and were informed that a male, white, subject, thin build, and balding had just left on a bike. Officers checked the roof area and found a storage shed, which is normally kept closed, was now open and several backpacks were found. The backpacks contained burglary tools, including a lock-pick set. A male subject matching the description of the suspect was detained within minutes by officers. The subject was known by the officers to have recently been arrested for possession of burglary tools. He told the officers the bags and contents on the roof of the business were his. After being identified by a witness who saw him in possession of one of the bags a short time earlier, he was arrested and charged for possession of burglary tools.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Mayor on Caltrans Audit / Volunteers / Book Sale

~ Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, speaking as a member of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, said the organization would have an official comment later on what the Star-News says is a "scathing audit" by Caltrans alleging mismanagement of funds. http://goo.gl/ThFNr

~ Early-bird volunteers needed to pass out t-shirts and runners’ bags at the fountain at Library Park at 5 a.m. this Saturday, May 14. http://goo.gl/Nx6BN

~ Huge Friends of the Library book sale Saturday, May 14, from 10 a,m, to 5 p.m. in Library Park. From 3-5 p.m. it's "$2 a Bag." http://goo.gl/81LyX

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Day This Saturday, May 14

In addition the Fountain to the Falls race ( http://goo.gl/XIN5u ), Monrovia Day festivities this Saturday - from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., - include:

- Food (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Game booths and activities at Library Park.
- A spelling bee at 11 a.m. in the Community Center.
- A concert at Library Park, starting at 4:30 p.m.
- Balloons and a balloon artist for kids.
- Free Samson the Bear Face Painting.
- More

See more here: http://goo.gl/tgaXP

- Brad Haugaard