Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center reports on its Facebook page that THE Magazine (a Pasadena-area publication) has named it one of 50 inspiring charities. Here's the online magazine: http://goo.gl/eTXgg
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia's Dogwood's Market and Blockbuster Closing
~ According to reports I believe to be knowledgeable, Dogwood's Market, the produce market at Foothill and Acacia, is closing shortly, moving - I understand - to Diamond Bar.
~ And just a block to the east, Blockbuster Video at Foothill and Stedman is closing (or perhaps moving). All the videos in the store are for sale.
- Brad Haugaard
Full Eastbound 210 Closure Midnight Tonight
The 210 eastbound will be fully closed from midnight tonight to 5 a.m. Jan. 4 for work on the Gold Line bridge near the Santa Anita offramp.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Police: Meth Arrest, Napping in a Handy Garage and Kicking a Cop, Mutual Domestic Violence, Etc.
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Dec. 29, 2011 - Jan. 1, 2012. - Brad Haugaard]
Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Narcotics Paraphernalia - Suspect Arrested
On December 30 at 11:19 p.m., an officer on patrol observed a suspicious van driving slowly through a parking lot in the 100 block of South Myrtle. The officer approached the van and observed a subject. The subject made a furtive move toward his waist, lifted a small black object up and dropped it over a wall in front of him. Once the subject was detained, the officer retrieved the black nylon bag the subject had dropped. The bag contained a used glass pipe and about a gram of methamphetamine in a small container. The suspect was arrested and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance.
Trespassing / Battery on a Peace Officer - Suspects Arrested
On December 31 at 4:56 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of North May and located two subjects sleeping inside a vehicle in a garage. The subjects did not live at the location. They had been drinking and found an open garage and went inside to sleep. Both subjects were arrested for trespassing and were taken into custody. While at the police station, one of the suspects kicked an officer. He was also charged with battery on a peace officer. The officer was not injured.
Domestic Violence - Suspects Arrested
On January 1 at 2:21 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of Norumbega on the report of a male and female fighting. On arrival, officers found a husband and wife had gotten into a physical altercation and both had physical injuries. Both gave conflicting statements. The officers arrested both the male and female for domestic violence as a dominant aggressor could not be determined based on statements.
Special Enforcement Team Activity
On December 28, Special Enforcement Team officers detained a suspicious subject in a business parking lot in the 700 block of East Huntington. The subject was found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest and had a radar detector in his possession. He was arrested for the warrant and the radar detector was held for observation.
Gun Group Seeks to Overturn Law by Monrovia's Assemblyman
Gun activist group, California Right to Carry, files suit to overturn law co-authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia. The law prohibits openly carrying unloaded handguns. http://goo.gl/PpJ9o
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia PetSmart Opens Soon
Monrovia PetSmart, on Huntington near the 210 Freeway underpass, opens Jan. 16. http://goo.gl/usCtC
- Brad Haugaard
Cheap Books at Monrovia Library Friends Bookstore
The Friends Store at the Monrovia Public Library has a limited number of "last chance" adult hardback and trade paperback books for 50 cents. Books may be added during the month, but everything goes at the end of each month, replaced by new books. Check the Always Open Annex shelves near the customer service desk of the library. Pay at the customer service desk or in the Friends Store. Every dollar supports the library.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center's 2011 Accomplishments
Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center reports on its accomplishments in 2011.
Over the past twelve months, we:- Gave more than four million pounds of food (over 33,300 food orders plus pet food) via monthly and weekly distributions plus delivery to homebound senior and disabled clients.- Gave substantial bag lunches three times a week to people and families who were homeless or had no place to store or cook food. While the need has never been greater, inventories of USDA and donated foods at Los Angeles Regional Food Bank — one of our key resources — reached an all-time low this year. It’s costing us much more to provide meaningful amounts of food.- Collaborated with more than a hundred local agencies and organizations to connect our clients with a range of crisis services, including motel vouchers, referrals to transitional services for domestic violence victims, employment counseling, shelter, advocacy resources, bus tokens and taxi coupons, and work experience programs.- Helped our families access low- to no-cost health, vision and dental care, health education and more through our growing network of partnerships with local practitioners and health care providers.- Gave over 1,800 local K-12 grade client children the clothing, supplies and haircuts they needed to start the new school year with confidence.- Provided generous food boxes to our families at our special Thanksgiving and Holiday distributions — along with new toys, clothing and more for over 3,000 children at the Holiday event.
- Brad Haugaard
New Year's Eve Party in Monrovia
Remember, there is a New Year's Eve party tonight, from 7 p.m. to after midnight in Old Town Monrovia. http://goo.gl/c5vMa
- Brad Haugaard
Lunch at Philly's Best
- Brad Haugaard
Help Monrovia Win $100k for Schools
A Monrovia home is number five - in the top 24 finalists - in the national Patch home decorating contest. If it gets enough votes and becomes number one, Monrovia schools will win the $100,000 prize. According to Monrovia Patch Editor Nathan McIntire, you can vote once a day between now and Jan. 8. At this writing Monrovia has 166 votes, and the leader has 535. Here's where to vote: http://deckthehouse.patch.com/
- Brad Haugaard
Celebrate Monrovia High's Championship
The Monrovia High Football Championship Celebration will be held Thursday, January 12. The parade starts at 5 p.m. from the school to Library Park, with a rally to follow. Mayor Mary Ann Lutz says on her Facebook page: "Come out and celebrate a great achievement by our High School Football Team!" http://goo.gl/B4Fm1
- Brad Haugaard
Gold Line Will Ask Court to Reverse Its EIR Ruling
The Gold Line will ask the court to reverse its ruling that an Environmental Impact Report was inadequately done. It says the ruling - which involves the Monrovia property the rail line wants for a maintenance yard - was based on "erroneous facts." Here is its press release:
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (Construction Authority) announced today that it will request reversal of a court ruling released this morning, because it was based on erroneous facts. The ruling released today “vacates” a previous ruling that had validated the Construction Authority’s certification of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR), which, among other things, found the Monrovia maintenance and operations (M&O) facility site environmentally superior to another site in the City of Irwindale. At issue in today’s ruling was the adequacy of the alternatives reviewed in the SEIR for the M&O facility.
While rejecting one of the arguments made by the petitioner - that the number of alternatives reviewed in the SEIR was insufficient – the ruling found, incorrectly, that the alternate site in Irwindale evaluated in the SEIR was not feasible because of its location. The ruling stated that the site was “located beyond the terminus of Phase 2A [Pasadena to Azusa] of the project.” In fact, the site in Irwindale, just south of the I-210 Freeway, is directly adjacent to the Phase 2A (Pasadena to Azusa) alignment.
“The basis of today’s ruling is quite confusing to us, as it seems to be based on a factual inaccuracy — that the alternative site evaluated for the M&O facility was outside the Pasadena to Azusa project area,” said Construction Authority CEO Habib F. Balian. “In fact, the alternative site evaluated in Irwindale not only sits directly along the project alignment, it also meets all other requirements set for the M&O facility. In the end, it was just found to be environmentally inferior to the Monrovia site.”
After a thorough, year-long process, that included multiple public meetings and hearings, the Construction Authority Board of Directors certified the SEIR, identifying the Monrovia M&O site as the preferred site, in January 2011.
“It is our hope that when the court understands that the Irwindale alternative site is located adjacent to the Pasadena to Azusa alignment , it will conclude that the Authority’s SEIR complied with CEQA’s requirements regarding analysis of project alternatives,” said Balian. “It is an unfortunate error, but it is one we trust the court will correct as quickly as possible.”
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa is a $735 million project funded by Los Angeles County’s Measure R. The light rail extension is being overseen by the Construction Authority and is currently under construction. The project is on schedule to be completed in 2015, extending the Metro Gold Line light rail line from its current terminus in Pasadena along the Foothills of the San Gabriel Valley. The extension includes six stations in the Cities of Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. During the four year construction project, the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation estimates that the project will generate nearly 7,000 jobs and $1 billion in economic output for the region.
Monrovia New Year's Eve Party Preview
Preview article of Monrovia's planned New Year's Eve party on Myrtle. http://goo.gl/SHozx
- Brad Haugaard
More Monrovia Police: Arrested While Selling Meat; Commercial Break-In; Theft from Vehicles
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 26-28, 2011. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, December 22 -28, 2011, the Police Department handled 434 service events, resulting in 72 investigations. Following are the highlighted issues and events for the weekdays listed above.
Theft From Vehicles
On December 26 at 6:32 p.m., theft from two unlocked vehicles was reported. The thefts occurred from vehicles that were parked in a driveway in the 500 block of Terrado between Thursday night and Friday morning, December 22 to 23. The victims delayed reporting the crimes because they thought they may have misplaced the items. The items stolen were gift cards, checks, and a wallet. Investigation continuing.
Commercial Burglary
On December 27 at 7:37 a.m., an officer went to a business in the 200 block of East Foothill regarding the report of a burglary. The owner told the officer they closed at 12:00 a.m. and secured the location. He arrived the next morning at 7:30 a.m. and saw broken glass inside and the cash register was beeping. The front window had been broken. He checked the cash register and saw the small amount of cash kept there for the next day was missing. The business surveillance video shows a male Hispanic suspect, 5'8", about 150 pounds, wearing all black, punch the front sliding service window and pulled himself inside. The suspect took money from the register and then left the location out of the same window. Investigation continuing.
Grand Theft Auto Recovery
On December 27 at 11:50 a.m., an officer on patrol saw a vehicle parked in the 100 block of East Camino Real that caught his eye. He checked the vehicle and a DMV check indicated it had been reported stolen. The stereo had been taken from the vehicle. Investigation continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
On December 28 at 4:15 a.m., officers were providing extra patrol to a parking structure in the 700 block of South Myrtle when they found a 2006 Mercedes convertible with the roof slashed. They located the owner and confirmed the vehicle had been burglarized between 7:00 p.m. and 4:15 a.m. A pair of sunglasses were stolen. Investigation continuing.
No-Bail Felony Warrant
On December 28 at 4:47 p.m., officers responded to the 700 block of Oakglade regarding subjects selling meat out of a truck. The officers located the vehicle and detained the subjects. Computer checks of the subjects revealed one of them is on parole for burglary and had a no-bail warrant for narcotics out of San Diego. He was arrested and taken into custody.
Residential Burglary
On December 28 at 5:09 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of East Los Angeles regarding a burglary. The victim had left home at 10:00 a.m. that morning and returned at 4:00 p.m. He went inside and realized someone had broken into the house. A window was broken out and was the point of entry for the suspect. Investigation continuing.
Monrovia Police: Stolen Wedding Ring, Vehicle Burglaries, Graffiti, Attempted Bike Swiping
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 19-21. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, December 15-21, 2011, the Police Department handled 465 service events, resulting in 105 investigations. Following are the highlighted issues and events for weekdays listed above.
Vandalism
On December 19 at 8:10 a.m., an officer was dispatched to an elementary school in the 100 block of West Duarte on a report of vandalism. The janitor at the school reported the outside gym walls had graffiti written on them in black spray paint over the weekend. The officer checked the graffiti and noted that it was gang related. The spray paint can was located. Investigation continuing.
Possession of Burglary Tools / Attempt Theft / Conspiracy to Commit a Crime / Prowling - Suspects Arrested
On December 19 at 3:27 p.m., officers responded to an apartment parking structure in the 700 block of South Myrtle regarding two subjects trying to steal a bicycle. Officers arrived and detained two suspects; one suspect was trying to cut the lock securing a bicycle and the other was acting as a look out. One of the suspects was in possession of burglary tools. The suspects were arrested and taken into custody.
Vehicle Burglary
On December 19 at 5:17 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported at an apartment parking structure in the 700 block of South Myrtle. The victim had parked her truck on the ground level near the entrance at approximately 8:45 a.m. When she returned to her vehicle at about 5:15 p.m., she saw the passenger side window had been smashed and her Garmin Navigation System had been stolen. Investigation continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
On December 20 at 6:58 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 500 block of West Duarte on the report of a vehicle break-in. The victim's vehicle had been broken into during the night and the stereo was stolen. Investigation continuing.
Grand Theft
On December 20 at 11:23 a.m., the victim of a grand theft came to the police department lobby to file a report. The victim lives in the 600 block of West Colorado. She told the officers she had placed her wedding ring in a jewelry box she keeps in the closet in early August. On November 11, she went to get the ring to wear it and found it was missing from the jewelry box. A construction company had been at the house doing work over the summer and had access to the entire house. Investigation continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
On December 20 at 11:42 a.m., an officer responded to a business in the 700 block of East Huntington regarding a vehicle burglary. The female victim reported that she parked and secured her vehicle and went into the gym to work out. When she returned to her vehicle, she saw the front passenger window had been smashed and her purse was stolen. Investigation continuing.
Grand Theft Auto
On December 20 at 12:19 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 500 block of Los Angeles Street. The victim reported his vehicle was taken sometime between 11:00 p.m. on December 19 and 11:30 a.m. on December 20. The vehicle is a silver, four-door, 1997 Honda Civic with a Monrovia parking permit on the rear bumper. All keys are accounted for and the investigation is continuing.
Burglary
On December 20 at 4:51 p.m., a burglary was reported at an apartment in the 500 block of West Duarte. Unknown suspect(s) entered a garage through an unlocked side door and stole two wallets from a vehicle. The theft occurred sometime between December 17 and 18. Investigation continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
On December 20 at 7:53 a.m., an officer responded to the report of a vehicle burglary in the 600 block of Vaquero. The victim told the officer his vehicle was broken into during the night sometime after 10:00 p.m. Nothing was disturbed or taken. No one was seen or heard and the investigation is continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
On December 20 at 2:52 p.m., the victim of a vehicle burglary came into the police department lobby to report that personal property had been stolen from his vehicle. The crime occurred at a hotel parking lot in the 900 block of West Huntington. The victim reported that the vehicle was locked, but there were no signs of forced entry. The items taken were gifts: an iPod, cash, gift cards, and a book.
Top State Court Ruling Could Complicate Completion of Gold Line
The California Supreme Court has ruled that the State of California can kill off redevelopment agencies ( http://goo.gl/M6ybp ). Monrovia has a very active redevelopment agency, which has agreed to sell land to the Gold Line for a maintenance yard. Patch editor Nathan McIntire has a good preliminary look at how this affects Monrovia: http://goo.gl/uuBnB
- Brad Haugaard
Judge Says Gold Line EIR Done Incorrectly
Judge tells Gold Line its Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Monrovia maintenance yard was done badly. Could cause delay in completion of the line. http://goo.gl/Kkhe7
- Brad Haugaard
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