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Monrovia's State Senator Sponsoring Art Contest

State Senator Anthony Portantino, who represents Monrovia,  is holding a mural contest for a wall in his Glendale office.  The contest is open to all public and private high school art classes from the 25th District. The theme is "California Dreamin': Hopes, Dreams, and Diversity Across the 25th Senate District." Mural size is 175 by 105 inches. Art classes may  set up appointments to visit the conference room. District office hours are 9-5 Monday-Friday. The senator’s staff will select the winning submission, which will be announced at the end of March. The chosen student artists will paint the mural over the summer break. Submission deadline is March 15. Submit all designs to Senator.Portantino@senate.ca.gov or in person.

Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Arrested for Loitering in Park; Chalice and Bells Stolen from Church; Armed Robbery at Phone Store; Drunk Bicycling; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for January 25-31. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 449 service events, resulting in 106 investigations.

Commercial Burglary
January 25 at 7:35 a.m., a burglary was reported at a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington. The suspect threw a rock through a glass door and entered the location. The suspect took the cash register drawer, which was empty. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
January 25 at 10:39 a.m., an employee at a business in the 1600 block of S. Shamrock was reportedly acting bizarre. Officers responded and contacted the subject, who displayed symptoms of being under the influence of inhalants. After further investigation, the suspect was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance and taken into custody.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered
January 25 at 10:56 a.m., a parking control officer was flagged down in the 500 block of E. Almond regarding a suspicious vehicle. An officer responded and, through investigation, discovered the vehicle was an unreported stolen from a dealership in the City of El Monte. The vehicle was recovered.

Warrant / Possession of Metal Knuckles – Suspect Arrested
January 25 at 4:53 p.m., an officer was on patrol in the 1600 block of S. Mountain when she was flagged down regarding a suspicious person who was looking into vehicles. The officer located the suspect and a computer check revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. During a search incident to arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of metal knuckles. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto
January 25 at 4:59 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 500 block of W. Huntington. The victim reported that her white Toyota Highlander was taken from the business parking lot while she was inside a store. Her keys were missing. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism / Resisting and Delaying a Police Officer – Suspects Arrested
January 25 at 5:34 p.m., a possible vandalism in progress was reported in the 300 block of Valle Vista. Officers arrived and located three juveniles, two of them had been spray painting graffiti in the wash and ran from the officer when he attempted to detain them. The two juveniles had spray paint on their hands. They were arrested and later released to their parents with a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Loitering in the Park After Hours – Suspect Arrested
January 26 at 12:27 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 300 block of S. Myrtle and was conducting a check of the park. The officer found a subject loitering in the park. The subject was advised regarding park rules and issued a citation for being in the park after hours.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
January 26 at 1:30 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the 800 block of S. Myrtle. The driver was attempting to park his vehicle in a business parking lot when he collided into a parked vehicle. Officers arrived and contacted the driver. Their investigation revealed he was driving under the influence. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrants / Suspended Driver’s License / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
January 26 at 6:13 p.m., officers observed a traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop at the 210 Freeway onramp at Myrtle. The driver was seen throwing something out of the window prior to the vehicle stopping, which was discovered to be heroin. The driver was also found to have a suspended license and multiple warrants. He was arrested for the charges.

Grand Theft
January 26 at 6:23 p.m., officers responded to the 700 block of S. Shamrock regarding the report of a grand theft. A suspect entered a church and took a gold and silver plated chalice and gold bells. The investigation is continuing.

Attempt Burglary
January 26 at 8:09 p.m., an alarm activation was reported at a business in the 400 block of W. Colorado. Unknown suspects threw a rock through a door with windows and were able to open the door and make entry into the building. It appears the suspects may have been scared off by the alarm. They exited the front doors, which were found ajar when officers arrived. There was no property loss. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
January 26 at 9:16 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 1500 block of S. Mayflower. The victim came out of his house and saw someone driving away in his white Cargo Van. The van had his DJ equipment inside. The investigation is continuing.

Suspicious Subject / Warrants – Suspect Arrested
January 26 at 10:37 p.m., police were notified by security at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington regarding a suspicious subject inside the store. The subject was stuffing merchandise into a bag, then left the bag and exited the store. When officers attempted to contact him, he ran. The Foothill Air Support Team helicopter was in the area and immediately spotted the suspect hiding behind a low wall. Officers were directed to the location and the suspect was detained. A computer check revealed the suspect had several warrants. He was arrested for the outstanding warrants and taken into custody.

Petty Theft From a Vehicle
January 27 at 2:18 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 600 block of W. Olive. The victim parked her vehicle in the driveway and forgot to lock the car. Later that night, she remembered and went outside to lock it. She found the center console and glovebox were open. She checked her vehicle and found a purse and some other miscellaneous items were missing from inside. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
January 27 at 4:29 p.m., a traffic collision was reported at Palm and Mayflower. A vehicle was traveling west on Palm and another vehicle was traveling south on Mayflower. The vehicle on Palm failed to yield to oncoming traffic and collided into the vehicle on Mayflower. Passengers complained of pain and one of them was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Riding a Bicycle Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
January 27 at 11:01 p.m., officers observed a bicyclist weaving while riding on the street at Magnolia and Walnut. He was also riding during darkness without a headlamp. Officers stopped the bicyclist and determined he was riding while under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested for DUI.

Vehicle Burglary
January 28 at 10:02 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 400 block of W. Duarte Road. The victim parked her vehicle in front of her garage the night before and went inside her residence. When she returned to the vehicle the next morning, she found the rear, driver-side window had been smashed. A medical bag was taken. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
January 28 at 10:41 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from a business in the 400 block of E. Duarte Road. A 2016, orange and white, Ford U-Haul, box truck was taken from the lot. The investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft – Suspect Arrested
January 29 at 2:39 p.m., a petty theft incident was reported at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington. Employees advised they were attempting to detain an adult female for shoplifting. The suspect fled on foot and an employee followed. An officer was in the area and was able to detain the suspect without incident. The property was recovered and the suspect was arrested. She was issued a citation to appear in court on the charges and released.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
January 29 at 8:22 p.m., police were notified of a male subject walking into traffic and yelling at people. Officers arrived and saw the subject. The subject ran a short distance, but then complied with officers. The subject displayed signs of intoxication and, after further investigation, was arrested for being drunk in public. He was taken into custody and held for a sobering period.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered
January 30 at 12:15 p.m., a parking control officer was working in the 1300 block of Monterey when she saw a vehicle parked in the area that appeared suspicious. She ran the license plate and it returned as a reported stolen vehicle. She notified dispatch and an officer responded and recovered the vehicle.

Hit & Run, Injury Traffic Collision
January 30 at 4:08 p.m., a hit and run traffic collision was reported at the intersection of Fifth and Chestnut. A vehicle was traveling west on Chestnut and was crossing Fifth, when it was suddenly struck by a vehicle traveling south. The vehicle spun three times and came to rest on the northwest corner of the intersection. The suspect vehicle did not stop. The driver complained of pain and said she never saw the suspect vehicle. A witness described the suspect vehicle as a gold Hyundai SUV. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
January 30 at 8:22 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 100 block of Oak Grove. The victim returned home to find her house had been burglarized. Officers arrived and conducted an investigation. It appears the suspects entered through a second story window, which they accessed off a balcony. The investigation is continuing.

Armed Robbery
January 31, at approximately 8:03 p.m., an armed robbery occurred at a business in the 900 block of W. Huntington. At closing time, an employee locked the front doors to the business and armed the alarm. He entered his vehicle, which was parked close by in the parking lot. While he was sitting in his vehicle, a late-model, dark-colored, compact vehicle pulled next to his driver's side. A male, black passenger remained seated inside the vehicle, pointed a shotgun at the employee, and ordered him to open the front doors of the business and disarm the alarm. The employee did as he was told. Two male, black suspects exited the suspect vehicle and followed the employee into the store. A third suspect waited inside the suspect vehicle and acted as a look out. The passenger suspect pointed the shotgun at the back of the employees head and told him to go to the back office and open the safe. The suspect told the employee to lie face down on the ground and count to 50. The suspects stole several iPhone X cell phones and left the store in an unknown direction. The investigation is continuing. 

14 New Sections of Monrovia Proposed as Historic Districts


The new draft Monrovia Historic Context Statement proposes creating 12 new historic districts in Monrovia and increasing the size of two existing historic districts. The purple portions in the map above shows where these districts are proposed. See the full report here: https://goo.gl/uQVdtE

Recommended historic districts:
  1. Downtown Commercial (Old Town).
  2. West Foothill Boulevard Multi-Family Residential (buildings both sides of West Foothill and the building on the northeast corner of Highland Place on the east, and Sunset Place on the west.)
  3. Highland Place (Highland Place north of the multi-family residential buildings on Foothill Boulevard to West Hillcrest). 
  4. Keefer (North Myrtle and North Ivy between Foothill and Greystone; an addition to the North Encinitas Historic District).
  5. Wild Rose (extends the Wild Rose district up to Foothill).
  6. Oak Woods (Oakglade Drive, Ridgecrest Drive, and Briarcliff Road).
  7. Bliss (bounded by Wild Rose on the north, Mountain on the east, Lemon on thesouth, and Shamrock on the west).
  8. Sombrero Ranch (Lemon Avenue on the north and Orange Avenue to the south. Includes both sides of Sombrero Road, Terrado Drive, Ranchito Road, and  Vaquero Drive).
  9. Downtown East Residential (bordered by Ivy on the west, Colorado on the south, Shamrock on the east, and the buildings on the north side of Lemon Avenue, as well as those on the south side of Palm between Ivy and Canyon Boulevard).
  10. Falling Leaf (bounded by the north side of East Walnut, South Shamrock on the east, East Maple on the south, and South California on the west).
  11. Cherry Avenue (bounded by East Cypress on the north, Sherman Avenue on the east, East Fig Avenue and East Central Avenue on the south, and South Ivy on the west).
  12. Parker Avenue (includes the east end of Parker Avenue starting at South Mayflower Avenue and continuing approximately half-way down the street, ending at 536 on the south side of the street and 547 on the north).
  13. Esplanade (bounded by West Chestnut to the north, West Huntington to the south, Monterey to the west, and South Mayflower to the east.
  14. Anita Ranch (the south side of Anita Street from the cul-de-sac to Alamitas Avenue to the east. 
- Brad Haugaard

Men With Shotgun Rob Monrovia Verizon Store

A preliminary report says that the Verizon store in the shopping center at the corner of Fifth and Huntington was robbed by two men with a shotgun this evening. The suspects got away with cell phones.

- Brad Haugaard 

Community Meeting About Housing Project on Myrtle

There will be a meeting this Thursday, Feb. 1, at 6 p.m., at the Library Community Room, to discuss AvalonBay, a proposed  mixed-use housing project located at 825  S. Myrtle Ave. (northwest corner of Myrtle and Chestnut) that would have 154 units, 2,900 square feet of retail space, and a 286-space parking structure.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Releases Farm Analysis Software

Monrovia's AeroVironment has just released software to analyze and display on an app the information drones gather in flying over farms. Kirk Flittie, vice president and general manager of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment, said, “Farmers can now survey their entire farm more efficiently and accurately, on their schedule, to enable better decision making and farm management." https://goo.gl/AhrbVF

Comment: I've been impressed with AeroVironment's move into commercial uses for drones, which I think may be a much larger and more stable market than just the military, so - full disclosure - I bought some of its stock.

- Brad Haugaard

Number of Homeless in Monrovia Drops to 35

In his weekly report City Manager Oliver Chi reported that, "Based on the preliminary results from the homeless count, it was reported that 35 homeless individuals were counted in Monrovia.  This is a slight decrease from the 39 homeless individuals that were counted in Monrovia in 2017."

- Brad Haugaard

Protecting Legislative Staff From Harassment

SB 429, the Harassment Retaliation Prevention Act, has passed the State Senate with unanimous bi-partisan support. It was co-authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino, who represents Monrovia. The act "protects victims from all forms of harassment in and around the Legislature. It also serves to protect against retaliation once cases are reported. The bill enhances the anti-retaliation provisions of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, which protects legislative employees and lobbyists who report sexual or related harassment."  It is a companion bill with Assembly Bill 403, which Portantino also co-authored.

Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Black History Month Events

Monrovia Duarte Black Alumni Association is sponsoring a series of events for Black History month, including Jazz Brunch, Wealth Building Seminar, Art Festival, and Black History Luncheon. Details: https://goo.gl/8DzLby

- Brad Haugaard

Pavilions Gone, Vons Arriving


It is no longer Pavilions. The sign has come down and workers are about to install the new “Vons” Sign

Netflix Films Episode of Teen Series in Old Town

Netflix filmed part of an episode of a teen series called "Best Worst Weekend Ever" today in Old Town. https://goo.gl/j3GuEh

- Brad Haugaard

Total Eclipse of Moon Early Wednesday, Jan. 31

According to Monrovia's Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers, there will be an eclipse of the moon on Jan. 31 starting at  2:51 a.m. with totality from 4:51 a.m. to 6:07 a.m. "[I]t will be extremely low to the western horizon, so anyone with trees or mountains to their west will need to get to a flat area..... Then the moon sets before the end of the eclipse. Watch from 2:51 a.m. until totality is underway about 5 a.m. if you can."

- Brad Haugaard

Art in the Sky


I snapped this picture of a beautiful cloud from the Pavilions parking lot about 6:30 this morning. That’s the Chase Bank building below. I think it must have something to do with the morning air as I’ve seen several beautiful cloud formations early in the morning. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Breakfast at Mimi’s



Breakfast at Mimi’s, on Huntington. Got the Salmon Benedict for $14.49 and a coffee for $3.49. Was good. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Attempted Murder; 800 Marijuana Plants Discovered; Bad Boyfriend; Graffiti Spree; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for January 18-24. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 406 service events, resulting in 88 investigations.

Grand Theft Motorcycle
January 18 at 6:39 a.m., a motorcycle was reported stolen from the 400 block of S. Fifth Avenue. The victim reported that his motorcycle was taken sometime during the night from the rear of his apartment complex. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
January 18 at 8:42 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 300 block of W. Walnut Avenue. The victim reported her gray, 1995 Honda Civic was parked on the street and was taken sometime between January 17 at 3:00 p.m. to January 18 at 8:30 a.m. All keys were accounted for and the investigation is continuing.

Battery – Suspect Arrested
January 19 at 11:30 a.m., officers responded to a business in the 1100 block of S. Mountain regarding an employee who had been fired and was at the business causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and detained the subject. Further investigation revealed the subject had pushed one of the other employees. The suspect was arrested for battery and taken into custody.

Vandalism
January 19 at 11:39 p.m., a vandalism incident was reported in the 300 block of E. Palm. The victim reported that three tires were slashed on her vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
January 19 at 4:28 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 300 block of N. Grand. The resident came home and discovered that her front door was broken into sometime between 10:15 a.m. and 4:10 p.m. Unknown suspects entered the home, ransacked the house, and took a laptop computer. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft – Suspect Arrested
January 19 at 7:39 p.m., a theft was reported at a business in the 900 block of W. Foothill. The suspect entered the location, selected merchandise and left the store without paying. Police were notified and the suspect was located by officers a short distance away. He was arrested and the merchandise was recovered and returned to the business.

Utility Problem / Marijuana Grow Discovered
January 19 at 9:19 p.m., officers responded along with the Fire Department on the report of a utility problem at a building in the 100 block of E. Chestnut. When they arrived, they could see smoke and electrical arc flashing going on inside the building. They made entry and discovered a large marijuana grow inside. The arc flash was caused by the electrical system that was being used to maintain the marijuana grow. Detectives were called in and responded to the incident along with the Special Enforcement Team. Over 800 marijuana plants were impounded from the building. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto / Fraud
January 20 at 8:47 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 500 block of W. Duarte Road. The victim had been out of the country since November and returned to find his vehicle had been stolen. The victim had also left his credit card inside the vehicle and the credit card had been used to make purchases. A computer check revealed the vehicle had been impounded by Monterey Park Police Department. They had pursued a suspect on foot who had fled from the vehicle, however, the suspect was not detained or identified. The investigation is continuing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
January 20 at 10:30 a.m., a hit and run traffic collision was reported at the intersection of Peck and Longden. The suspect driver was traveling west on Longden at a high rate of speed and turned north on Peck, colliding into a vehicle that was stopped at the stop sign, facing south on Peck. The suspect continued north on Peck, without stopping. The suspect vehicle was described as a black, Chevrolet pickup truck. The investigation is continuing.

Fraud Report
January 20 at 2:22 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of N. Encinitas reported that he was the victim of fraud. The suspect obtained a loan from a bank using the victim’s information. The suspect then opened a bank account under the victim's name, cashed the check for the loan and closed the account. The victim was notified of the delinquent loan by a collections agency. The investigation is continuing.

Felony Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
January 21 at 12:59 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of E. Colorado regarding a domestic dispute. The female victim went out with her boyfriend, they began to argue and the argument began to get physical. She made him get out of her car and she went home. A short time later, she received several threatening text messages from him. She then received a text message picture of him standing outside her residence. He began knocking on the door, causing a disturbance, so she opened the door, let him in and went to bed. He then went into her bedroom and attempted to strangle her. She was able to hit him on the head with her cell phone and escape. She called police. The suspect was arrested for felony domestic violence.

Attempt Murder
January 21 at 4:44 a.m., an attempt murder incident was reported in the 100 block of E. Palm. At approximately 2:00 a.m., an adult male subject was sleeping in his vehicle with the windows rolled down. A male Hispanic suspect approached and stabbed him in the lip, which woke up the victim. The victim opened the car door and the suspect stabbed him multiple times in the neck and began punching the victim. The suspect then ordered the victim to lie face down on the ground, but the victim refused. The suspect took $12 dollars and a pack of cigarettes from the victim, and then wanted the vehicle. The victim told the suspect that it was all he had and the suspect fled. The investigation is continuing.

Graffiti Vandalism / Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
January 21 at 11:34 a.m., officers responded to California, under the 210 Freeway, regarding a vandalism incident in progress. As officers were conducting an area search for the suspect, another caller reported the suspect was now vandalizing a wall on Myrtle, under the 210 Freeway. Officers responded to the second location, but did not locate the suspect there. He was eventually located at Primrose and Central, where he was seen spray painting another wall. The suspect was detained and positively identified by witnesses. He was also found to be too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and taken into custody for the charges.

Injury Traffic Collision
January 21 at 11:44 a.m., officers responded to an injury traffic accident at Mountain and Lemon. A vehicle was traveling east and entered the intersection of Lemon and Mountain on a green light, where it was broadsided by a vehicle traveling south on Mountain that failed to stop for the red light at Lemon. One subject was taken to the hospital with a complaint of pain.

Shoplifting / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Warrant – Suspects Arrested
January 21 at 3:37 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain regarding a theft in progress. They detained the suspect as he was running to his van. He was detained without incident. The suspect was arrested for shoplifting and his girlfriend was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and a warrant.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
January 22 at 6:42 pm., loss prevention at a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain called police regarding four male subjects causing a disturbance. The subjects were claiming to be affiliated with a gang. Officers arrived and conducted computer checks on all four subjects. One subject had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody for the warrant. The other three subjects were released at the scene.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
January 23 at 1:26 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 300 block of S. Myrtle and saw a subject inside a park after hours, in violation of the local city ordinance. The officer detained the subject and noticed the subject displayed physical signs of being under the influence. The subject said he used methamphetamine about one hour earlier. After further evaluation, the subject was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance and was taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglaries
January 23 at 1:47 p.m., two vehicle burglaries were reported in the 900 block of W. Duarte Road. The windows were smashed on both vehicles and the suspects took items that were left in the vehicles, including one laptop. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
January 23 at 2:06 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 100 block of W. Pomona. A window was smashed on the vehicle and camera equipment that was left in the vehicle was taken. Surveillance video shows two male Black suspects fleeing the scene in a white Nissan Altima. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
January 23 at 8:20 p.m., an injury traffic collision was reported in the 400 block of W. Duarte Road. A vehicle was traveling west on Duarte, approaching Alta Vista. The driver proceeded to make a left turn into a driveway and inadvertently stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake. The vehicle collided into a parked car. The driver was treated at the scene by Monrovia paramedics and taken to a local hospital.

Public Intoxication – Suspects Arrested
January 24 at 7:05 p.m., police dispatch received a call reporting two male subjects that appeared intoxicated and were walking into oncoming traffic in the 500 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and located the two subjects. Both subjects were determined to be extremely intoxicated and were arrested for being drunk in public.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
January 24 at 11:15 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation in the area of Mountain and Foothill. The officer noticed that the driver was displaying signs and symptoms of being under influence of drugs. After further investigation, the subject was arrested for driving under the influence and held for a sobering period. The driver was later released with a citation to appear in court on the charge. 

Man Arrested in San Marino in Connection With Monrovia Hillside Fire

On the evening of January 13, 2018 the cities of Pasadena and Arcadia experienced a spree of outside fires along the Foothill Blvd. corridor, between Sierra Madre Villa and the Los Angeles Arboretum. Firefighters from the cities of Pasadena and Arcadia responded and quickly extinguished the fires. Investigation into the fire causes determined that they were intentionally set. Officers from the Pasadena and Arcadia Police Departments, as well as the California Highway Patrol, responded to the area to search for the person(s) responsible, but were unable to identify and locate a suspect.

An ongoing investigation by members of the Verdugo Fire Investigation Task Force yielded a suspect and description, and a "want flyer" was disseminated to local law enforcement entities. On January 21, 2018 at 03:00 a.m., in response to the "want-flyer", suspect Nigel Letren (DOB: 03/10/1973) was arrested in the City of San Marino by the San Marino Police Department.

On January 24, 2018 the suspect was arraigned at Pasadena Superior Court, where he was charged with five counts of arson related to the January 13th fires, and one count of arson related to the December 9th 2017 wildland fire in the City of Monrovia. The suspect is currently being held on $425,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court on February 15, 2018.

The Verdugo Fire Investigation Task Force is a regional group of investigators from the cities of Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, South-Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Monrovia, San Marino, San Gabriel, Alhambra, Monterey Park, and Montebello.

"This arrest is a great example of exceptional cooperation between multiple agencies and proven results from our regional Verdugo Fire Investigations Task Force," states Pasadena Fire Chief Bertral Washington. "The Regional Fire Chiefs and I are thankful for their relentless work on behalf of the communities we serve."

Source: Pasadena Fire Department press release

- Brad Haugaard

Help Applying for Health Insurance

Chapcare will hold an Open Enrollment Event to help residents apply for health insurance on Jan. 27 at its Monrovia office at 513 E. Lime, #102 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring valid ID, Social Security card and proof of income. For details call 486-9639.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Convicted in Money Laundering Case; Could Face 30 Years in Prison

The Daily Bulletin reports that 32-year-old Monrovian, Harinder "Sonu" Singh, has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and faces up to 30 years in prison. https://goo.gl/Fmty3p

- Brad Haugaard

Homelessness in Library Park: Poop Patrols, Hepatitis A, 'No Camping' Ordinance? Police Homeless Patrols, And Lots of Etc.

In his weekly report City Manager Oliver Chi had a detailed report of the homeless situation in Monrovia. I didn't want to summarize it because a) there's a lot of beef here, and b) because it's a hot topic and I figured people would like the details. So here it is, verbatim:

This past week, the City hosted a community conversation to discuss the issue of homelessness in Monrovia, and the meeting highlighted in very real terms the additional work that all of us have to do to try and reach a consensus as to the most effective way we can respond to the overall situation. Given the nature of the identified issues and the passion that so many have regarding the matter, staff has spent time this past week further rethinking and refining the City’s overall approach to addressing homelessness moving forward. We will certainly have more to share in the coming weeks and months, however, we did want everyone to know how seriously we take the issues that have been raised, and some of our initial thoughts include the following:

FIRST… Regular and Consistent Community Outreach
  • Staff plans on coordinating more regular and consistent outreach activities designed to provide regular updates regarding our efforts here at the City.

SECOND… Coordinate a Hepatitis A / Public Health Community Meeting in February 2018
  • One of the legitimate concerns that has been raised is a fear about contracting Hepatitis A and / or another communicable disease, due to the activities of our homeless population.
  • To address this concern, staff is working to coordinate a Hepatitis A / Health Forum to discuss facts and myths in greater detail.
  • We have reached out to some of our partners at LA County, and we plan to have representatives from the LA County Department of Public Health on hand to discuss actual health related risks and prevention strategies.
  • In addition, we will share additional details regarding the concerns that have been raised about human excrement being found in Library Park.
  • During the community meeting this past week, I raised an issue about poop being found in the Library Park playground swing area without providing proper context, and for that mistake and oversight, I do apologize profusely!
  • It is absolutely true that we did find poop at the Library Park playground swing area, however, what I didn’t share was the incident occurred months ago, prior to the installation of a brand new play surface at the playground.
  • In addition, I also failed to mention that we do not know the source of where the poop came from, as the incident was an isolated occurrence, and since that time, we have not seen any reoccurrence at the Library Park playground area. 
  • Furthermore, I also did not outline that in over 3 years (that’s more than 1,095 days), we have found poop outdoors in Library Park on only 2 occasions.
  • However, given the seriousness of the issue, the City had previously established a poop patrol where our team monitors hot spots daily for any reoccurrence of the identified issue.

THIRD… Schedule a Study Session with the City Council in Late February 2018 / Early March 2018 to Discuss Possible Rule Changes
  • Staff has heard impassioned pleas that the City change some of our rules regarding conduct in our public spaces, along with modifying how we impound items left by our homeless population in public spaces.
  • To that end, we plan on coordinating a study session meeting with the City Council to take place in late February / early March 2018 to discuss each of the proposals in greater detail.
  • An overview of the rule changes we plan on reviewing with the City Council includes:
  • Considerations and challenges associated with re-adopting a “No-Camping” ordinance
  • Maintaining our 72 hour notice prior to removing personal property belonging to a homeless individual, vs. transitioning to a 24 hour notice prior to removing that personal property
  • An assessment of park closure times
  • Discussion regarding the possibility of requiring homeless individuals to obtain a permit prior to loitering at Library Park
  • Review of a proposed restriction on overnight on-street RV parking in Monrovia

FOURTH… Press Forward with Proposed Infrastructure Upgrades
  • There are a number of infrastructure projects currently in the design / development process related to addressing issues of homelessness in Library Park, and staff plans to continue to aggressively pursue those initiatives.
  • An overview of the projects currently in the pipeline includes:
  • Comprehensive upgrades to Library Park – study session planned with City Council in February 2018, with construction scheduled to begin at some point in mid- to late-2018
  • Install Real Change Movement signage and meters at Library Park – mid-2018
  • Review possible signage upgrades / modifications at City parks – mid-2018
  • Block off the alley between the Community Center and the bank – early 2018
  • Redesign the patio area in front of the Community Center as a GoMonrovia LimeBike parking location – early 2018

FIFTH… Continue to Coordinate Both a Robust Law Enforcement Response AND Develop Enhanced Social Service Contacts
  • The police department will continue to coordinate a robust law enforcement response to address any and all violations at Library Park, and we continue to maintain our commitment to engaging in those law enforcement activities in a manner which is aligned with all applicable rules and laws
  • The City will continue our special homeless patrols, which occur each week for 5 hours at a time
  • City staff is also working to expand our partnership with social service operators such as LAHSA, and we are working on development of a more robust plan of relentless interface with our homeless population to offer social service / housing related options
  • This initial overview provides just a quick recap of some of our thoughts here at the City, and in the coming weeks, will be certain to coordinate engagement opportunities for the community to further discuss how we should respond to the issue of homelessness in Monrovia.
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council: Crime Up, Fire Calls Up, Water Rates Up, and More

In his weekly report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Oliver Chi reports ...

~ Crime continued to rise in Monrovia during 2017, up 2.8 percent, though that's more slowly than in the prior year.  When compared with 2016, Monrovia experienced a total increase of 2.8% in serious crimes. There were  3 more murder / negligent manslaughter incidents than in  2016 (when there were zero incidents). Still, Chi writes, "[I] t is important to keep in mind that similar and greater increases in Part I crimes are being seen throughout Los Angeles County and in the State of California."

~ Also, more calls for fire services. Up 3 percent, 123 more incidents. The city "is now analyzing how we might reorganize our operations to better respond to changing needs."

~ The City Council has  approved raising water rates. The new cost will be about $16.87 more and will take effect as of March 8, and will first appear on customers' April 2018 bills. If you think you need a discount, here's the application: https://goo.gl/kc2VDU

~ The  State of the City Address is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 29, at Studio Movie Grill in Old Town, at 7 p.m. Details soon.

~ A funeral mass will be held for Monrovia leader, Pat Ostrye, on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 740 S. Shamrock Avenue, Monrovia.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Pat to the Foothill Unity Center, 358-3486.

~ The proposed  GoMonrovia transportation program should be rolled out in March. Its core features are using subsidized Lyft (like Uber) rides and offering LimeBike's dockless bike-share (You can leave the bike pretty much any old where, rather than in a docking station).

~ Beer. How to make it.  Wednesday, Feb. 7, 6:00 - 8 p.m. at the Monrovia Public Library. Space limited. Sign up by calling 256-8274.

- Brad Haugaard