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Hammond Enters Florida

Bicyclist and Monrovia School Board member, Rob Hammond, has crossed into Florida on his San Diego to Florida bike ride. He dipped his rear wheel in the Pacific and will dip his front wheel into the Atlantic to end the ride. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Water Usage 'Skyrockets'; Shevlin Mayor Pro Tem; GoMonrovia a Hit; Etc.

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

~ The Monrovia City Council has unanimously selected Becky Shevlin as our next Mayor Pro Tem. 

~ Monrovia has dramatically increased its water usage. Chi writes: “Since Governor Brown announced that the drought in California was over on April 4, 2017, water usage in Monrovia has skyrocketed. In the 11 months following Governor Brown’s announcement (May 2017 – March 2018), water usage has increased an average of 23% on a year-over-year basis!

“In March 2017, Monrovians consumed just 288 acre feet of water, having done a tremendous job conserving and reducing their consumption 25% from March 2016’s level of 384 acre feet. But in March 2018, usage jumped up to a whopping 408 acre feet!” Monrovia is still way low in its water supply. To get to normal levels, Chi said, “the San Gabriel Valley needs 36 inches of rain.”

~ Monrovia Police Department is coordinating a blood drive with the American Red Cross in May 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Community Center at 119 W Palm.

~ City staff discussed the GoMonrovia! program on a panel discussion titled, “At a Crossroads: Our Transportation Future,” at the 2018 SCAG Regional Conference. Chi writes: “I am pleased to share that our program was a hit with those that attended the session, and numerous people and agencies asked to follow-up with us to review the ins-and-outs of how we established the GoMonrovia! initiative.” Here’s the report: https://goo.gl/CpEFmf

~ Local community member, Liam Kennedy, invented ISS-Above, which lets one see a live stream from the International Space Station. He has donated an ISS-Above device and TV screen to the library after visiting with his grandson and learning about our science programming and circulating telescopes. The ISS-Above Display is in the Library Lobby. 

~The Monrovia Fire Department will be doing brush inspections of all properties in  high-fire danger areas of town beginning on or after Monday, May 15.

~ The LA County Assessor’s Office will host a seminar on May 12, 2-4 p.m. to provide information on the transfer real property, how to take your current property tax base to a new home, and how to save on property taxes.  

- Brad Haugaard 

Pet of the Week: Dexter Dog


Dexter (A455155) is a 9-year-old Puggle who is as friendly as can be. This Pug/Beagle mix is a loving and happy dog, according to his former owner. Sadly, Dexter made his way to the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA when his owner could no longer care for him. They wrote that he gets along well with people of all ages and other pets. If you are looking for a happy-go-lucky dog, ask for Dexter. 

 

The adoption fee for dogs is $130. All dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before going to their new home. Dexter qualifies for our Seniors for Seniors program, making his adoption fee free for adopters age 60 and over. 

 

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.


- Brad Haugaard 

Hammond Crosses Into Alabama


Country-crossing Monrovia bicycle rider, Rob Hammond, crosses into Alabama on his Pacific to Atlantic bike ride. He's also using the ride to raise money for the Monrovia PTA. See here: http://www.irideforyou.com/

- Brad Haugaard

German Navy Acquires AeroVironment's Puma Drones; Xencor Reports Loss

~ The German Navy has acquired the Puma maritime unmanned aircraft system, built by Monrovia-based AeroVironment. https://goo.gl/uKqjnQ

~ Monrovia's Xencor Inc. reported a $29.5 million loss for its first quarter, or 62 cents per share. The company develops antibody drugs. https://goo.gl/sgy6QA

- Brad Haugaard

School Board Considers ‘Cognitive Guided Instruction’

At its Wednesday, May 9 meeting (agenda:  https://goo.gl/FvawBS) the Monrovia School Board will decide, among other things, whether to do a deal with the Cotson Foundation for Cognitive Guided Instruction, which seems to do some sort of math training as best I can figure out, for $18,384 for May 2018 - July 2018, and $12,800 for August 2018 - June 2019.

- Brad Haugaard 

Plymouth School Wins $10,000 Grant

Monrovia’s Plymouth Elementary School has won $10,000 to upgrade its library with resources geared toward technology and Mandarin. https://goo.gl/wxRyzh

- Brad Haugaard 
Tomorrow morning (May 5) there will probably be a Vandenberg Air Force Base rocket launch visible from Monrovia, as long as you can see north to south 1/3 up from the horizon at 4 a.m.

InSight, NASA's next lander on Mars, will launch May 5 at 4:05 a.m. (3 hour window), then several minutes later each day for about a month if the launch is no-go on the 5th. 

Source: Jane Houston Jones of the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers

- Brad Haugaard 

Lunch at Nano Cafe




Lunch at Nano Cafe, on the north side of Duarte Road just east of Mayflower. A very pleasant, homey place. Got the Chef Salad for $11.98 and an iced tea for $2.79. Very nice. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Assault With Glass Mug; Drunks and Drugs and Lots of Arrests

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 26 – May 2. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 404 service events, resulting in 67 investigations.

Warrant – Suspects Arrested
April 26 at 9:23 a.m., a resident in the 800 block of W. Duarte reported a male subject in front of her house who was yelling and causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. A computer check revealed he had a warrant for his arrest, so he was arrested and taken into custody. 


Assault with a Deadly Weapon
April 26 at 4:08 p.m., two male subjects had been drinking at a bar in the 1100 block of E. Huntington and an argument started between the two subjects. One of the subjects hit the other in the head with a glass mug, then fled the bar. Officers and paramedics arrived, but the victim refused medical treatment. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 26 at 9:58 p.m., the Special Enforcement Team was on patrol in the 700 block of S. Primrose when they saw a motorist in front of them violate a driving law. They stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, who they found to be intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted, and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 27 at 3:04 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 100 block of E. Huntington when he saw two subjects near the intersection who appeared to be intoxicated. He stopped to speak with them. A computer check revealed one of the subjects had multiple warrants for his arrest; he was arrested and taken into custody. The second subject was intoxicated, but was capable of caring for their own safety.

Traffic Collision
April 27 at 6:33 a.m., a motorist was traveling along the 300 block of W. Foothill when another motorist made a left turn in front of the first vehicle from a side street and caused a collision. No one was injured in the collision. The party at fault was issued a citation for the driving violation.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 27 at 8:42 a.m., residents in the 100 block of N. Highland reported a female subject going through people’s trashcans on the street. Officers arrived and located the subject. A computer check revealed she had several warrants for her arrest, so she was arrested and taken into custody. A search incident to arrest revealed she was in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, which were added to her charges.

Warrants – Suspects Arrested
April 27 between 7:51 and 9:29 p.m., the Special Enforcement Team detained two subjects, one in the 700 block of Valley View and the other in the 1900 block of S. Myrtle. Computer checks revealed both subjects had warrants for their arrest, so they were arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 28 at 12:56 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 1400 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a motorist in front of him commit a vehicle code violation. The officer stopped the vehicle and approached the driver, who appeared to be intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 28 at 10:33 a.m., the employee of a business in the 200 block of W. Huntington arrived to work and found a male subject sleeping on the front lawn of the business. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. A computer check revealed he had a felony warrant for his arrest and was on mandatory probation supervision, so he was arrested and taken into custody.

Petty Theft
April 28 at 5:29 p.m., a resident in the 600 block of Anita arrived home and discovered someone had taken a package from their front porch that had been delivered earlier in the day by UPS. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence
April 30 at 4:21 p.m., officers responded to a home in the 500 block of W. Duarte regarding a possible family argument. When they arrived, they discovered a male subject in the home had hit his wife, but did not cause any visible injuries. He was arrested for domestic battery.

Under the Influence of Narcotics – Suspect Arrested
April 30 at 8:40 p.m., the employee of a convenience store in the 900 block of W. Duarte reported a male subject walking back and forth in the business parking lot. The subject was yelling and causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. They found him to be under the influence of a controlled substance, so he was arrested and taken into custody. He was later issued a citation to appear in court on the charge.

Trespassing / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 1 at 8:47 a.m., the manager at an apartment complex in the 1200 block of S. Alta Vista saw a female subject sleeping inside one of the vacant apartments. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. A computer check revealed she had a warrant for her arrest, so she was arrested and taken into custody. She was also charged with trespassing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrest
May 1 at 4:31 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 100 block of W. Foothill when she saw a motorist talking on their cellphone while driving. She stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver. A computer check revealed the driver had a warrant for his arrest, so he was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 2 at 5:38 p.m., officers were alerted to a vehicle traveling north in the 2000 block of S. Myrtle that was wanted in connection with a felony that had previously occurred in San Bernardino County. Officers located the vehicle and contacted the driver. A computer check revealed the driver had a warrant for her arrest, so she was arrested and taken into custody.

Residential Burglary
May 2 at 8:16 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of El Nido arrived home and discovered someone had forced entry into her home through a sliding glass door. She entered the home and saw that it had been ransacked. This investigation is continuing. 

Monrovia’s Staar Surgical Reports Profit

Monrovia’s Staar Surgical, maker of replacement eye lenses, reports earnings of one cent per share for its first quarter. It had a loss for the same period last year. https://goo.gl/KcRBJ3

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Rotary Awards Scholarships

Monrovia Rotary Club has awarded scholarships to 19 local students: https://goo.gl/7KjhPx

- Brad Haugaard 

Funny Video: German Coast Guard

This has absolutely nothing to do with Monrovia, except that I think it is the funniest video I've seen in a year and, well, I live in Monrovia, so that's the Monrovia connection. And besides, I run this site so I figure I can take liberties. Although it is several years old, it's the first time I've seen it. Hope you enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MUsVcYhERY

- Brad Haugaard

Fire Protection Seminar This Saturday

This Saturday, May 5,  11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Monrovia Community Center, the Monrovia Fire Department will teach a class on how to assess the fire vulnerability of your home.  To RSVP, or for questions, call 256-8109.

- Brad Haugaard

TV Show ‘Restored’ Needs Monrovia Home; Goodbye Liquidambar Trees; Super Senior; capturing Stormwater; Etc.


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

~ The HGTV series Restored is planning an episode of a home restoration in Monrovia this year, and they need to find a home to restore. It’s got to be a pre-55 home and you’ll need to put up at least $55,000. Details: https://goo.gl/aOqX7O
 
~ in South Monrovia, along Myrtle Avenue and Peck Road, “there are liquidambar trees that are notorious for causing damage to the infrastructure and are in failing health.” So, the city is going to take some of the trees out, but will leave the holes for new trees. 

~ Also, the city is going to drill dry wells to divert storm water underground, where, presumably, we can reuse it. Chi writes: “Water will be collected in new catch basins that will be installed on the streets and connected by pipeline to these drywells.” The drywells will be installed on: Atara Street, Diamond Street between Alamitas Avenue and Mayflower Avenue, El Dorado Street between 5th Avenue and Encino Avenue.

~ Ms. Joyce Leeman was been selected as Monrovia’s Older American of the Year  She recently celebrated her 10th year as a driver for the Foothill Unity Center, she is active in her church (foreign missionary board member, led youth ministries, founded the food pantry Loaves and Fishes), organized food drives that fed several Monrovia families, housed foreign exchange students, assisted with outreach programs, is
on the board of directors of Children of the Shepard Los Wise Compassionate Center (which assists the homeless), provided care packages overseas, assists seniors get around to meetings and voting polls, assisted in hospice care of two neighbors. Comment: I’m tired just reading this. 

~ Early-bird pricing still available for the 2018 Fountain to the Falls Run/Walk & Health Fair, the 6.38 mile out-and-back race from the Library Park Fountain to the Canyon Park waterfall.  The race will be held on Saturday, May 12, at 7 a.m. Early registration fee is $35 and event day registration is $45. Details: https://goo.gl/JfrpHu

- Brad Haugaard 

Rob Hammond Bikes Into Louisiana


Cross-country bike rider, former mayor and current school board member, Rob Hammond, has crossed from Texas into Louisiana on his San Diego to Florida bicycle ride. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Pet of the Week: Larry the Dog



Larry (A452618) is a 2-year-old pit bull who loves toys. He can hear a squeaky toy from a mile away and will stop whatever he is doing and perk up. His absolute favorite toy is the Jolly Ball. Our volunteers have noticed he has good focus and is good with commands. While out on our Wiggle Waggle Wagon, he has met many children and is friendly to people of all ages. Larry has received his blue ribbon, so he knows his “sit, “down,” and “stay” and is ready to find a home. 

 

The adoption fee for dogs is $130. All dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before going to their new home. 

 

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Days Coming Up

Monrovia Days is coming up, May 18-20. Carnival, music, book sale, performances by Center Stage, and a pie eating contest. Details here: https://goo.gl/Pxdrg3

- Brad Haugaard 

Inside Monrovia's Trader Joe's

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's has created a five part podcast called Inside Trader Joe's, which takes listeners inside the company for the scoop on what makes Trader Joe's – Trader Joe's. https://goo.gl/HaLPsE

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Faults

Northwest Monrovia fault zones.

Northeast Monrovia fault zones.

Is your house close to a fault line? Or in an area that could experience landslides or soil liquifaction if an earthquake happens?

The State Department of Conservation has an interactive map that shows the earthquake fault lines running through Monrovia, which are mostly along the edge of the mountains and most extensive in Northeast Monrovia. The fault lines are in black and the fault zones in yellow.

Those aren't all the earthquake dangers; There are also potential areas of soil liquifaction and landslides, which you can switch on and off. (Off in these photos.)

You can check it out here: https://goo.gl/dhXohn

Thanks to James Brown who brought this to my attention by posting it on Facebook.

- Brad Haugaard