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Monrovia High Student is National Soccer Player of the Year

Ashley Sanchez of Monrovia High School has been named U.S. Soccer's "United States' young female player of the year." https://goo.gl/qc0SXX

- Brad Haugaard

Will Library Add a Coffee Shop? Will Unity Center Buy World Vision Building? Santa Tour; Alvarado Retiring; Carriage Ride; How Monrovia Voted

Track Santa through Monrovia using this link: SantaTour

In his weekly report ( https://goo.gl/3IrUZ5 ), City Manager Oliver Chi reports ...

~ Will the library be adding a coffee shop? That possibility is briefly mentioned in the Library Strategic Plan, which you can see here: https://goo.gl/5y0rL3

~ Foothill Unity Center is considering the purchase of the World Vision property located at 790  W. Chestnut Ave. A community meeting has been scheduled to consider the matter on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the World Vision building (800  W. Chestnut Ave.).

~ Administrative Services Director Mark Alvarado will be retiring on Dec. 29 after 24 years of service to Monrovia. The City will host a breakfast to celebrate his retirement on Thursday, Dec. 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Police Department's EOC Room.

~ Horse drawn carriage rides will be available in Old Town Monrovia starting at Library Park every Thursday and Sunday evening in December.  Sunday 3-6 p.m. Thursday 5-8 p.m.

~ How Monrovia voted.

On the propositions ...


For president ...

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Stealing iPhones at Gunpoint; Caught on Camera; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 8-11. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Shoplifting / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
December 8 at 4:22 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain on the report of a shoplifter. A male adult subject concealed merchandise on his person and left the store without paying. The male suspect was seen leaving the area in a vehicle. The vehicle description and direction of travel was broadcast to officers. A responding officer located a matching vehicle and conducted an investigative traffic stop. The male adult driver matched the suspect description and was acting very nervous. He quickly admitted to stealing the item from the business and told the officer he had methamphetamine in his vehicle. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Robbery
December 8 at 7:55 p.m., a business in the 900 block of W. Huntington called police to report a robbery. The suspect entered the business and pointed a silver handgun at the employee. He demanded to go to the back of the store. The suspect took cash and ten iPhones from the store, and then fled. The suspect is described as a dark-skinned male, possibly Indian, wearing dark clothing, a dark colored hoodie and possibly a dark beanie. The investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
December 9 at 7:48 a.m., two vehicles collided at the intersection of Myrtle and Pomona. Both drivers claimed it was the other person’s fault. Officers located a surveillance camera that recorded the entire incident. The party at fault was identified, informed and received a citation to appear in court.

Residential Burglary
December 9 at 7:22 p.m., police dispatch received notification of multiple alarm activations at a residence in the 200 block of N. Mayflower. Officers arrived and discovered forced entry was made through a rear door. The location was searched with the assistance of a neighboring agency canine unit, but the suspect was not located. The residence had been ransacked.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
December 10 at 12:41 a.m., officers saw a subject they recognized in the 400 block of E. Huntington that they knew had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. A computer check confirmed he had an outstanding warrant and the suspect was arrested without incident.

Petty Theft / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspects Arrested
December 10 at 2:07 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington on the report of a theft. Loss prevention officers observed two male subjects load merchandise into two duffle bags and leave the store without paying. Officers arrived and located the suspects in front of the business. They also located the stolen merchandise and arrested the suspects. The officers located other possible stolen property that is being held for observation, and heroin, which one of the suspects had on his person.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol / Drunk in Public – Suspects Arrested
December 11 at 3:16 a.m., an officer observed a driver commit a vehicle code violation in the 1300 block of S. Myrtle Avenue. He stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver. While speaking to the driver, the officer noted obvious signs of alcohol intoxication. The driver was arrested for DUI, held for a sobering period and later released with a citation to appear in court. Two passengers in the vehicle were also arrested for being drunk in public and were held for a sobering period, as they were too intoxicated to care for their own safety.

Mail Theft
December 11 at 8:49 a.m., a theft of mail incident was reported at an apartment complex in the 1800 block of S. Alta Vista. It appears the suspects had a postal key to open all the apartment mailboxes. All mail was taken. Pieces of mail from Arcadia residents were found in the street. Arcadia Police Department was notified and the investigation is continuing.

A Bit of Rain for Monrovia?

60% chance of rain Thursday and Friday. https://goo.gl/0qMTb8

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board to Honor Winning Girls' Volleyball, Football, Wild Rose School

At its next meeting, the Monrovia School Board will, among other things ...

~ Congratulate the Monrovia High School Girls Volleyball team on becoming Rio Hondo League champions and CIF Southern Section quarter-finalists; both accomplishments are firsts in Monrovia High School history.

~ Congratulate the Monrovia High School Varsity Football team on winning the 2016-17 Rio Hondo League championship.

~ Honor Ray Alarcon & Wild Rose Elementary School on receiving a Golden Bell for their "Team Bruin" campus cleanup, climate and leadership program for the 2016-17 school year.

If you want to see the agenda, it is here, but I warn you, it is a huge 258-page PDF file that took me more than three minutes to download.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at London Gastropub


Dinner last night at London Gastropub, on the west side of Myrtle just south of Lime. It was really hopping. Got the chicken sandwich, straightforwardly called "Chicken Sandwich" on the menu for $11 and a beer for $7.  Great sandwich!

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Burglar Asks for Bathroom; Trying to Steal an Awful Lot of Baby Formula; Rented Truck and Kept It; Woman With Knife; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 5-7. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Petty Theft
December 5 at 10:07 a.m., officers responded to the report of a theft in the 1000 block of Royal Oaks. The victim’s gardening blower was on the ground next to his truck when it was stolen.

Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision
December 5 at 11:56 a.m., officers responded to a traffic collision in the 400 block of W. Huntington. A male subject struck a parked car. The driver was complaining of pain and was taken to the hospital.

Driving Under the Influence – Driver Arrested
December 5 at 1:50 p.m., officers on patrol stopped the driver of a vehicle in the 800 block of Royal Oaks for a vehicle code violation. Upon speaking to the driver, the officer noticed symptoms of alcohol intoxication. The female driver was arrested.

Vehicle Burglary
December 6 at 9:21 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 200 block of Los Angeles. The victim said someone broke into his vehicle between midnight and 8 a.m. and stole his stereo. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
December 6 at 3:17 p.m., an officer responded to a report of a vehicle burglary in the 800 block of W. Duarte. The victim’s vehicle was parked in his carport. The victim’s yellow cordless Cobalt drill, coins, and checks in the victim's name were stolen. The investigation is continuing.

Mail Theft
December 6 at 4:52 p.m., a resident in the 900 block of Monterey called the police to report a theft. The caller said he heard a banging noise near the mail boxes. When he went outside to investigate, he saw the mail boxes were broken into and ransacked. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
December 6 at 6:32 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 100 block of Peppertree. The resident stated he had left his garage door open expecting his wife to be home soon. He heard a noise in his garage and confronted a male adult standing inside. The subject asked where his bathroom was and entered the victim’s residence. The victim was scared and stayed in the garage until he heard the suspect leave. It was determined the suspect stole a bag of items inside the house before exiting out the front door. The loss is unknown and the investigation is ongoing.

Vehicle Burglary
December 6 at 9:44 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 800 block of W. Duarte. The victim reported someone entered his locked vehicle during the night and stole some items from his vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglaries
December 7 at 3:13 a.m., two vehicle burglaries were reported in the 700 block of W. Huntington. The two vehicles that were owned by the same family were broken into during the night. The windows were smashed on both vehicles and property was stolen. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery – Suspect Arrested
December 7 at 8:18 a.m., an officer on patrol was in the 2000 block of Myrtle when he noticed a vehicle and a computer check revealed it was a stolen vehicle. The officers coordinated units for a high risk stop. The vehicle was stopped and further investigation revealed the driver rented the truck in July and never returned it. The driver was arrested for grand theft auto and a $25,000 warrant.

Mental Evaluation
December 7 at 8:36 a.m., an officer responded to the Library Park regarding a female suspect that charged another female with a knife. The two females quickly separated. The suspect with the knife began showering in the library fountain. Further investigation revealed both females are mentally ill and homeless. The female with the knife started making threats to the other and charged her with the knife. While being detained by officers, the subject was talking to herself and not making any sense. She was taken for a 72 hour psychiatric evaluation hold

Grand Theft
December 7 at 2:25 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill regarding a theft. Two subjects described as male blacks in their 20’s entered the business and attempted to take $ 1,000 worth of baby formula. The suspects dropped the formula as they were attempting to flee. The suspects’ vehicle is described as a black 2015 Toyota with a third suspect driver. The suspects were not located. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
December 7 at 2:54 p.m., officers responded to the 1300 block of S. Mayflower regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim walked out to her vehicle and saw there was a male Hispanic suspect sitting inside it. The suspect fled on his skateboard. An officer saw a subject that matched the description of the suspect enter a store and when officers confronted this subject, he was in possession of stolen items from the store. Further investigation revealed the subject was not the same suspect that was in the victim’s vehicle. The subject was arrested for the petty theft.

Residential Burglary
December 7 at 2:58 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 700 block of Montana regarding a residential burglary. The victim said $300 worth of presents were taken from the garage. The garage was left unlocked. When the victim returned home, the garage was open and gifts were missing. The investigation is continuing.

Want to Run for a Monrovia Office? Attend This Meeting

In preparation for the 2017 General Municipal Election, the Monrovia City Clerk's Office will host a pre-nomination candidate information meeting on Monday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m., at the Monrovia Public Library.

This meeting will offer valuable insight on how to run for one of the five available elected positions. Positions open for the upcoming Monrovia General Municipal Election are: Mayor (2 years), two City Council seats (4 years), City Clerk (4 years), and City Treasurer (4 years).

Information will include an overview of forms, campaign reporting requirements, and important timelines. The period to file nomination papers opens on Dec. 19, and ends Jan. 13, 2017. The Municipal Election is April 11, 2017.

The meeting is open to anyone interested in running for local government in any city or those who simply want to learn more about the election process. All Monrovia and non-Monrovia residents are welcome to attend.

The meeting will be: Monday, Dec. 12, 6 p.m., Monrovia Public Library - Library Community Room, 321 S. Myrtle Avenue

To attend the Candidate Information meeting, please RSVP to the City Clerk's Office at 932-5599.

Source: Monrovia press release

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Stock Drops Following Earnings Report


Stock in Monrovia's drone-maker, AeroVironment, dropped 5.86 percent today following a poor earnings report. Because drone sales declined 23 percent for the quarter. https://goo.gl/j3pz1O

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Drones Could Help Water Management for Almond Growers

Monrovia-based drone maker, AeroVironment, has begun a year-long study with California State Fresno to research how imagery and analytics from drone systems could detect water stress levels in almond trees and help producers make better water management decisions. https://goo.gl/QnRLMw

- Brad Haugaard

Fourth Dimension Building Redesign Planned; Road Sign Honoring Bartlett; Exchange Christmas Lights; Library Activities


In his weekly report, City Manager Oliver Chi reports ...

~ The former Fourth Dimension building on Myrtle will be turned into 3,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space in the front and the remaining 24,000 square feet will be for administrative / professional office space. The Historic Preservation Commission approved a proposed facade remodel that will keep much of the mid-century aesthetic and remove design elements that were added in the 1980's.

~ The city has designed a commemorative sign to honor former Mayor Bob Bartlett. (See above.) It will be installed on Royal Oaks Drive between California and Shamrock avenues.

~ Exchange your old Christmas lights for new LED strands for free at the Friday Night Family Street Fair on Dec. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m.  To be eligible you must: be a residential Southern California Edison customer, bring a copy of your SCE bill, present valid id. You can exchange up to two strands of working, incandescent lights per household.  The strands must be 50 lights or more and will be offered while supplies last.

~ Lots going on at the Library, from Creative Coloring for Adults to Candy Cane hunts for children. Here's the month's activities: https://goo.gl/Mxsx6S

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Inhospitable Welcome; Stolen Prius Recovered; Shoplifting; Catalytic Converter Thefts; Man Angry at Bank for Bad Check; Hit And Run

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 1-4. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Petty Theft
December 1 at 10:00 a.m., a petty theft was reported at a business in the 600 block of S. Myrtle. A commercial grade push-cart was taken from the rear of the business. Surveillance footage shows the theft occurred on November 28, 2016. The male suspect was seen riding a bicycle while pushing the cart away from the business. The investigation is still continuing.

Assault with a Deadly Weapon
December 1 at 4:55 p.m., an officer responded to the report of an assault in the area of Cherry and Primrose. The victims drove into the alley and one of them exited the vehicle. The victims were confronted by five male subjects, the subjects yelled "This is Monrovia" and threw two bricks towards the victims and their vehicle. The victims got back in the vehicle and reversed out of the alley in attempts to get away while the subjects continued running towards them. The incident is being investigated.

Vehicle Burglary / Grand Theft Auto Recovery
December 1 at 9:03 p.m., officers were dispatched on the report of a vehicle burglary in the 600 block of W. Foothill. The victim walked out of her office to the back parking lot and found a suspect inside her vehicle. The victim yelled at the suspect who fled on foot. When officers arrived they located a 1994 Toyota Prius with the engine running parked next to the victim’s vehicle. The investigation revealed the Toyota was a reported stolen vehicle from La Puente. The stolen vehicle was recovered and the investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
December 2 at 11:45 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 1500 block of Encino. The victim’s catalytic converter was stolen from the victim’s vehicle the night before.

Grand Theft Auto
December 2 at 12:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Genoa on the report of a stolen vehicle. A package was taken from the front porch of the residence several days ago and a key to the stolen vehicle was inside the package. The victim said he parked and secured his vehicle in front of the location the night before. The victim believes the subject(s) returned with the stolen key. The investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting
December 2 at 2:08 p.m., dispatch received a call from a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington Dr. regarding a theft that had just occurred. The subject was seen taking items without paying. The suspect was detained outside the business and held until officers arrived. The suspect was identified and cited.

Shoplifting
December 2 at 3:03 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 300 block of W. Huntington Dr. regarding a theft. A male subject left the store without paying for merchandise. The store employees called the police and provided a description of the subject. The officers located a subject matching that description. The suspect was detained and cited.

Grand Theft
December 2 at 4:20 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of E. Lemon called police to report that her catalytic converter was stolen from her vehicle while it was parked in front of her residence. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
December 2 at 11:49 a.m. an officer responded to a report of a residential burglary in the 1000 block of Orange. The victim left at 7:30 a.m. and upon her return, she found her home had been ransacked. The investigation revealed forced entry was made through a rear window where the suspect(s) stole jewelry and other miscellaneous property. Suspect(s) exited through the front door. The investigation is continuing. Driving Under the Influence – Suspect arrested December 2 at 7:24 p.m., dispatch received a call regarding the driver of a vehicle driving erratically in the 600 block of S. Myrtle. Officers located the vehicle and made a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation. The investigation revealed the driver was too intoxicated to drive a motor vehicle. The suspect was arrested.

Vandalism
December 3 at 9:50 a.m., an officer was dispatched on the report of a vandalism in the 400 block of S. Alta Vista Dr. The caller reported that the large front bay window to her residence had been shattered sometime during the night before. A piece of a brick was located on the porch below the shattered window.

Vandalism
December 3 at 10:51 a.m., a vandalism was reported in the 300 block of E. Olive. The victim parked her vehicle in front of her residence the evening before and upon her return she discovered the side window to her vehicle had been shattered. Nothing was missing from the vehicle.

Vandalism
December 3 at 11:49 a.m., a caller reported a vandalism to her vehicle in the 400 block of Hurstview. The victim said she parked her vehicle in front of her residence the night before and when she returned she found a side window had been shattered. She found a brick wrapped in Christmas paper inside her vehicle. There were three additional bricks wrapped in Christmas paper laying on the ground outside her vehicle.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
December 3 at 3:00 p.m., officers responded to a report of a suspicious person inside the bank in the 100 block of W. Foothill. Officers contacted the person in question and the subject explained he had a check and the bank would not honor it. The check appeared fraudulent and the officers told the subject he might be the victim of fraud. The subject was upset that the bank would not cash the check but agreed to leave and look into the possibility that the check might be a fraud. A few minutes after all parties left, the bank called the police to report the subject was back and yelling at employees. Officers returned to the location and arrested the subject on two small warrants.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
December 4 at 7:23 p.m., dispatch received a call regarding a hit & run traffic collision in the area of California and Colorado. The suspect’s vehicle rear-ended a vehicle that was stopped at a stop sign and fled the scene. The occupants in the vehicle that was rear-ended were not injured. An extensive search was conducted for the suspect vehicle with negative results. The investigation is continuing.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
December 4 at 10:31 p.m., a caller reported a hit & run traffic collision in the 100 block of S. Fifth. The caller stated he was driving north on Fifth approaching the intersection of Foothill. The suspect’s vehicle was traveling behind him and suddenly passed him on the left. When the suspect vehicle was passing the victim's vehicle, he clipped the driver's side rear fender. The suspect vehicle fled the scene. The victim was not injured. An extensive search was conducted for the suspect vehicle with negative results. The investigation is continuing.

Monrovia Senator Introduces Three Bills; Assemblyman Introduces One

Newly elected State Senator, Anthony Portantino, who represents Monrovia, has introduced Senate Bill 25, which aims to create a K-14 education model in place of separate K-12 and post-secondary education models. He also introduced SB 23 to extend funding for California's Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program (the blood is used in cancer treatments), and SB 24, which would update the Political Reform Act to create "more accurate financial disclosure requirements for elected representatives."

Also, Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia in the State Assembly, introduced AB 17 to enact the Transit Pass Program to assist with student public ridership.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Couple Die in Mobile Home Fire

A Monrovia man and woman died in a mobile home fire on South Mountain Saturday morning. https://goo.gl/OkW6fg

- Brad Haugaard

Trust Offers Monrovia 157 Acres of Hillside Land - For Free

Purple areas are the properties the city would acquire.

The City of Monrovia is being offered what is essentially a gift of 157.31 acres of open space to add to its 1,416-acre Hillside Wilderness Preserve. The Trust for Public Land would purchase the land from a private owner and turn it over to the city at no cost to Monrovia. The city council will consider the deal at the next council meeting, on Tuesday, Dec. 6. https://goo.gl/iFiYmn

Comment: It appears from this map that the land is well up the mountainside from the newly-opened trail.

- Brad Haugaard

Blindness Doesn't Slow Monrovia Teen - He's Performing in 'Annie'

Blind Monrovia teen Mason Fessenden to perform in local production of Annie. "He just gets up and goes," his mother said. https://goo.gl/BrgPxJ

- Brad Haugaard

Free Pet Adoption on Dec. 8

On Thursday, Dec. 8, Pasadena Humane Society, which serves Monrovia, joins forces with KTLA 5 for Take 5 to Care, a day-long free pet adoption event and donation drive aimed at finding furry friends forever homes for the holidays.

During the event, the adoption fee will be waived for all available dogs, cats, rabbits and other critters. The adoption includes the spay/neuter surgery, a microchip and up-to-date vaccines. Many pets are available to go to their new homes the same day as adoption, while others may need to stay a few extra days at the shelter. After adopting, visitors can head over to the shelter's retail store to pick up food and other supplies for their adopted pet.

The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is located at 361 S. Raymond Avenue in Pasadena, California. Adoption hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Regular adoption policies and screening apply.

Website: http://pasadenahumane.org/

Source: Press release

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Casa Jimenez

 
Dinner last night at Casa Jimenez, on Mountain in the Home Depot center. I got the Burritto de Carne Deshebrada (shredded beef) for $9.95 and a beer for $3.95. Good and quite filling. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Four Christmas Eve Services Scheduled at Fellowship Monrovia


Fellowship Monrovia's Christmas theme is that Christmas is really "about home, a home for anyone and everyone." The church invites the community to participate in one of its four Christmas Eve services "for a fun and special time where you, your family, and friends will experience diverse Christmas traditions and glimpses of home expressed through music, stories, and more."

December 24 at 2, 4, 6, and 9 p.m.
Monrovia High School Performing Arts Center
845 W. Colorado Blvd. Monrovia, CA 91016

Childcare will be provided at the 2, 4, and 6 p.m. services for children 4 and younger. To register for childcare and to learn more about the service, go to www.fellowship.christmas.

Fellowship Monrovia is a Gospel-centered, multiethnic, inter-generational church.

Source: Press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Christmas Parade

 
Pictures from the a Monrovia Christmas parade. 

- Brad Haugaard