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Blood Drive in Support of Monrovia High Athlete

There will be a Childhood Leukemia Blood Drive at Clifton Middle School on June 2, frin 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in support of  Monrovia High School student-athlete James Speranta, who is facing an unexpected battle against leukemia.

Speranta is a member of Monrovia High's swim and water polo teams and San Gabriel Men's Water Polo Club, and regularly trains at the local Fitness Factor gym. All of his sports and physical activities came to a halt on March 16 when he was diagnosed with leukemia.

He underwent intensive 28-day chemotherapy treatments at Miller Children's Hospital, where he stayed in the hematology/oncology ward so doctors can monitor his progress in a sterile environment. Monrovia High students, teachers, and staff recorded encouraging messages, which they sent to James to view and listen to while he was hospitalized.

He was recently sent home to continue with follow-up treatments at City of Hope for another year or more, depending on how well he recovers. He will be home schooled during this time.

If you would like to give blood you can preregister at RedCrossBlood.org. Enter keyword "James". Walk-ins are welcome.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Baseball Advances to Semi Dinals

Monrovia Baseball advances to semi-finals: https://goo.gl/ErCTFd

- Brad Haugaard 

Dinner at Chili’s




Dinner recently at Chili’s, on Huntington. Got the Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad for $10.39 and a beer. All very nice. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Threatening With Rifle; Drunkenness; Stealing; General Rowdiness; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 17-23. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 377 service events, resulting in 68 investigations.

Vandalism
May 17 at 10:30 a.m., a caller reported seeing fresh graffiti next to the train tracks in the 1100 block of S. Fifth. Officers arrived and graffiti removal was notified. This investigation is continuing.

Criminal Threats / Brandishing a Firearm
May 17 at 4:12 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of Highland called the police after a family member had made criminal threats toward them and pointed a rifle at them. The family member fled the home after the police were called. Detectives obtained a search warrant to search the private bedroom of the suspect to look for additional weapons. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
May 17 at 8:13 p.m., two vehicles collided in the 800 block of W. Colorado, causing one of the vehicles to collide into two parked vehicles. One of the drivers complained of pain and was transported to a nearby hospital. After an investigation was conducted, the party at fault was issued a citation.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 18 at 6:53 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 100 block of E. Olive when he saw a male subject lying on the sidewalk in front of a bar. He stopped to see if the subject needed assistance and found him to be heavily intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, it was determined the subject was too drunk to care for his own safety. He was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Fraud
May 18 at 7:31 p.m., a patron of a hotel in Monrovia realized he had lost his wallet, so he called his credit card company to cancel his card. He was notified that someone had already used it to purchase items at a store in the 300 block of W. Huntington. He immediately called the police. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication
May 18 at 11:44 p.m., residents in the 100 block of W. Cypress called the police to report a male subject in their front yard who was yelling and causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and contacted the subject, who they found to be heavily intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the subject was determined to be too drunk to care for his own safety, so he was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Grand Theft Auto
May 19 at 12:08 p.m., a resident in the 1700 block of Encino walked outside his home and discovered his Nissan had been stolen from his driveway sometime during the night. Officers responded and searched the area for the vehicle, but could not locate it. The vehicle was entered into the DMV stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
May 19 at 12:22 p.m., two motorists collided into one another at the intersection of California and Central. Officers responded to investigate. One of the occupants complained of pain and was transported to a nearby hospital. After the investigation was completed, the motorist who was found to be at fault was issued a citation.

Violation of a Court Order – Suspect Arrested
May 20 at 4:34 a.m., a resident in the 500 block of E. Almond reported a former roommate was in her front yard causing a disturbance. She advised she had obtained a restraining order against him and he had been served. When officers arrived, the restrained person fled the front yard, but was found a short distance away. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Attempt Grand Theft – Suspect Arrested
May 20 at 6:41 p.m., two male subjects entered a store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain and began filling an empty box with several power tools. They were stopped by store security as they attempted to flee the store with the merchandise. Officers arrived and took custody of both subjects.

Warrant – Suspect Arrest
May 20 at 7:24 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of W. Huntington when he saw a male subject whom he recognized. A computer check revealed the subject had five warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

DUI – Suspect Arrested
May 21 at 12:12 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 2600 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a vehicle traveling south at a high rate of speed. He stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, who he found to be intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Battery
May 21 at 4:10 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of E. Palm reported his 25-year-old son had just hit him in the face, and then ran out of the house. Officers responded and searched for the suspect, but could not locate him. An emergency protection order was granted to the father. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
May 21 at 5:05 p.m., a resident in the 600 block of E. Foothill reported a female subject was in her front yard and did not have permission to be on the private property. Officers responded and located the subject. A computer check revealed she had a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody. A search incident to arrest revealed she was in possession of drug paraphernalia.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
May 21 at 9:39 p.m., a caller reported a male subject in the 1300 block of S. Mayflower sitting on a couch on the side of the road who was breathing in toxic fumes from paint cans. Officers responded and found the subject to be heavily intoxicated under the influence of the fumes. He was not able to care for his own safety. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
May 22 at 7:51 a.m., an employee of a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington arrived to work and found that someone had entered their gated property sometime over the weekend and stole several large batteries. This investigation is continuing.

Stolen Vehicle Located
May 22 at 12:51 p.m., a parking control officer was checking for illegally parked vehicles in the 1800 block of Sixth when he saw a vehicle in violation of street sweeping. A computer check revealed the vehicle had been stolen. Officers arrived to investigate and found a shaved key inside the vehicle’s ignition. The owners of the vehicle responded and recovered their car. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 23 at 12:19 a.m., employees of a restaurant in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported a female subject walking around in their parking lot, yelling and causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and located the subject. She was found to be heavily intoxicated and unable to care for her own safety. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant / Suspended License – Suspect Arrested
May 23 at 12:53 a.m., a sergeant was patrolling the 1400 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a motorist violate a driving law. He stopped the vehicle and approached the driver. A computer check revealed she was driving with a suspended license and had a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Residential Burglary
May 23 at 3:54 p.m., the property management company for an apartment complex in the 500 block of W. Colorado reported a possible burglary had occurred at one of the units. Officers responded and found the apartment’s front window had been removed. It appeared the inside of the house was ransacked and a television was possibly stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
May 23 at 5:46 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of W. Palm heard his female neighbor screaming for help and called police. He said he saw her try to run out the front of her house, but her boyfriend grabbed her and pulled her back inside the house. Officers responded and contacted both subjects. After investigation, it was discovered that the male subject hit the female subject and threw her to the ground, causing physical pain. The male subject was arrested for domestic violence.

Traffic Collision / DUI – Suspect Arrested
May 23 at 11:24 p.m., a caller reported a vehicle had just collided with a parked vehicle and overturned in the 200 block of W. Foothill. Officers arrived and found the driver had exited the overturned car and was standing next to it. She did not have any injuries, but the officers found her to be heavily intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted and it was determined she was drunk driving; she was arrested and taken into custody. 

Rosenlippenmädchen Und Monrovia

I saw these roses recently in a city park in Vienna, Austria, and I’m posting the picture on a Monrovia blog not because it is Monrovia-related but because it seems like a clever idea that might be used locally. 

Notice the placards on the stems of the rose bushes. One says, “Für’s Rosenlippenmädchen Annemarie - Deine Lieben” and the other says, “Für Claudia, die Liebe meine’s Lebens” (“For the Rose-lipped young woman, Annemarie, your lover“ and “For Claudia, the love of my life,” if my sub-par German is correct). 

These little plaques cost, I was told, 300 Euros (about $350) for five years, and the money goes for the maintenance of the garden.

So anyway, I wonder if there might be situations around Monrovia where something like that might work. 

Just a thought. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Support Monrovia Baseball in Playoffs

Support the Monrovia High Boys baseball team as it competes in the third round CIF playoff game, May 25 at 3:15 p.m. at Northview High School, 1016 Cypress Street, in Covina. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Music Fest Coming Up


The free Monrovia Music Festival will take place Sunday, June 3 at Library Park under the Morton Bay Fig tree. Live bands all day, craft beer, food trucks, artisan market, giant bubbles, kids activities, SPCA adoption van and more. Pets are welcome. Performances by “a world-renown musical whistler, who will be performing alongside headliner Roger Espinosa (virtuoso Latin guitarist), The Travelling Fools, and other indie, folk, and rock musicians.”

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Days Success; 296-Unit Housing Project Moves Forward



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

~ Monrovia Days was a huge success. Chi writes, “The crowds were bigger this year than ever. The fun and festivities were more impressive.” And, he said, an extra day was added to the event, bringing it to three days, and the city was hoping to sell $40,000 in tickets but ended up selling $76,000. A big improvement from what started “three years ago as a modest effort to bring the Monrovia Days parade back in a joint City – School District effort.” Oh, and the city team successfully defended its pie-eating contest title.  

~ Students in grades 8-10 can participate in one of three summer sessions of the Junior Research Summer Academy for $40. Participants Will be introduced to a variety of scientific fields through hands-on experiments with real research scientists. Hosted by the City and Oak Crest Institute of Science. Session 1: June 25 - July 6; Session 2: July 9-20; Session 3: July 23 - August 3. 

~ The City’s Development Review Committee  approved an application for a 296-unit multi-family housing project located just south of our Gold Line stop at Station Square (located at the NE corner of Duarte and Magnolia).  The Planning Commission will now consider the project on June 1, and if approvals are granted at that meeting, the City Council will be considering the matter this July.

- Brad Haugaard 

Pet of the Week: Max


Max (A448137) is a 2-year-old miniature pinscher who arrived to the Pasadena Humane Society last week and has bonded very quickly with our volunteers and staff here. He likes attention and especially enjoys treats. He will follow commands without much prompting in an attempt to get to the treats quickly. He is energetic and friendly, and has enjoyed playing with other dogs and toys on Wiggle Waggle Wagon field trips. Find out more about him by visiting pasadenahumane.org.
 
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’s AeroVironment Sells Switchblades to Army, Marines

Monrovia’s AeroVironment was awarded a contract in April from the US Army for the company’s Switchblade Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System and support services for the drone system. Also, it got its first Switchblade order from the United States Marine Corps. This brings the total value of Switchblade contracts to $111 million since August 2017. 

- Brad Haugaard

Ribbon Cutting at New Unity Center Facility



Members of the Foothill Unity Center staff and board surround Center Executive Director Betty McWilliams (center, blue shirt), longtime Center supporter Betty Sandford, Board of Directors President Mary Ann Lutz and Director Emeritus Joan Whitenack (all to her left) at the ribbon cutting for the organization’s new location at 790 W. Chestnut Ave. in Monrovia. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Broadway Hits Concert on June 9

The San Gabriel Valley Choral Company will present a concert of hits from Broadway musicals on Saturday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 122 S. California Avenue at Foothill. Works will include selections from Les Miserables, Porgy and Bess and The Sound of Music; a medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber hits; and more. Tickets at $20 ($15 students/seniors, $5 children under 12) may be ordered at eventbrite.com for a small handling fee. The ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Alexandra Grabarchuk, includes singers from the San Gabriel Valley, Inland Empire and other local communities. Their repertoire includes music from the Renaissance to the late 20th century. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Spring Carnival at Calvary Road Church


Carnival, Saturday, June 9, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Calvary Road Baptist Church, 319 W. Olive. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Days

Photos of Monrovia Days: https://goo.gl/4c94bR

- Brad Haugaard 

GoMonrovia Famous as Far Away as Utah

Monrovia’s new GoMonrovia transit program is getting press coverage from as far away as Utah. https://goo.gl/toSj9H

- Brad Haugaard 

Lunch at Panda Expres


Lunch recently at Panda Express, in the Huntington Oaks Shopping Center. Got the two-item plate with Kung Pao Chicken and Pepper Chicken for $7.60 and a small iced tea for $1.70. Good, as always. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Art Sale Weekends at Monrovia’s Historic Train Station



Works by local artists on display and for sale at the historic Santa Fe Depot every Saturday and Sunday in May and June from 1-4 p.m. Sponsored by Monrovia Association of Fine Arts. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia’s AeroVironment Denies Carrying Explosive Drone on Commercial Flight

Monrovia’s AeroVironment Inc. denies as “baseless” a claim that employees carried a drone containing explosives on a commercial flight and then retaliated against a manager who reported the incident to the government. https://goo.gl/QMM775

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Man Buys Tires, Seller Disappears With Money; Lots of Drunk Driving

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 10-16. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 410 service events, resulting in 80 investigations.

Vandalism
May 10 at 6:32 a.m., a resident in the 500 block of E. Olive walked outside her home and discovered someone had slashed two of her vehicle tires sometime during the night. This investigation is continuing.

Attempt Residential Burglary
May 10 at 12:55 p.m., a resident in the 1700 block of Venice was at home when he saw two male subjects attempting to break into the house through the back door. When the suspects saw the resident was home, they both ran. Officers responded, but were unable to locate the suspects. This investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of Narcotics – Suspect Arrested
May 10 at 4:33 p.m., a caller reported a male subject in the 300 block of W. Huntington behaving suspiciously. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. They found he was under the influence of a controlled substance. After field tests were conducted, he was arrested.

Grand Theft Auto
May 10 at 7:41 p.m., officers were alerted to a possible stolen vehicle traveling north in the 700 block of S. Myrtle. The vehicle was located and stopped by officers. The female driver was not the owner of the vehicle, nor did she have permission to possess it, so she was arrested for grand theft auto.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 11 at 11:48 a.m., officers responded to a house in the 1000 block of Royal Oaks to check on the welfare of an elderly female subject who had possibly been battered by her grandson. Officers arrived and investigated the allegations; however, the crime was not substantiated. A computer check revealed the grandson had two warrants for his arrest, so he was taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
May 11 at 12:25 p.m., the owner of a business in the 1800 block of S. Myrtle arrived to work and discovered several items had been stolen. The last time he saw the items was a week prior. Officers arrived to investigate the theft. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
May 11 at 1:12 p.m., a caller reported he was at a gas station in the 800 block of E. Huntington when he was approached by a male subject selling vehicle wheels. The caller gave the subject money for the wheels. After receiving the money, the subject fled with the money and the wheels. Officers responded, but were unable to locate the subject. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
May 11 at 6:15 p.m., two female subjects entered a store in the 100 block of W. Foothill, carrying empty bags. They proceeded to fill the bags with approximately cosmetics, then fled the store without paying. Officers responded, apprehended one of the suspects and arrested her. The investigation is continuing to identify the second suspect.

Petty Theft
May 11 at 6:30 p.m., a resident in the 600 block of W. Duarte arrived home and discovered an Amazon package, which had been delivered earlier in the day, had been stolen from his front porch. This investigation is continuing.

Providing False Information to Peace Officers – Suspect Arrested
May 11 at 8:38 p.m., the Special Enforcement Team was patrolling the 100 block of W. Duarte, when they saw a male subject who was behaving suspiciously. They stopped the subject, who provided them with false information. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrest
May 12 at 12:26 a.m., a caller reported two subjects yelling at one another and causing a disturbance in the 100 block of W. Palm. Officers responded and located the male and female subject, who are married to one another. Officers discovered the male subject had hit the female in the face, causing visible injuries. A domestic violence restraining order had been issued against the male for previously battering his wife. The male subject was arrested.

Injury Traffic Collision
May 12 at 7:52 a.m., officers responded to the 1500 block of S. Myrtle, where two vehicles had collided into one another. One of the occupants had complained of pain due to the collision. Officers investigated the collision and issued a citation to the driver who was at fault.

Petty Theft / Fraud
May 12 at 1:29 p.m., an elderly female was shopping at a store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain, when she discovered someone had stolen her wallet from her shopping cart. While officers were investigating the theft, she received a call from her credit card company advising her that someone had already used her card at a nearby store. This investigation is continuing.

Mail Theft
May 12 at 2:57 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of Ocean View walked outside his home and found a pile of opened mail in his front yard. He looked at the addresses and saw the mail belonged to several of his neighbors. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 12 at 7:21 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of N. Alta Vista reported a male subject was in her backyard refusing to leave. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. They found him to the front of the property and he was too intoxicated to care for his own safety. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
May 12 at 9:40 p.m., a caller reported seeing a male subject in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle who appeared heavily intoxicated. Officers arrived and located the subject. Field tests were conducted and it was determined that the subject was too intoxicated to care for his own safety; he was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 12 at 10:35 p.m., several residents in the 400 block of Heliotrope reported a noise disturbance at one of the houses in their neighborhood. Officers arrived and located the party and the owner of the property. A computer check revealed she had several warrants for her arrest; she was arrested and taken into custody.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
May 13 at 4:15 a.m., a female resident of a hotel in the 900 block of W. Huntington reported that her boyfriend had just hit her after an argument and he was attempting to leave. Officers arrived and contacted both subjects. After further investigation, officers arrested the male subject for domestic violence.

Injury Hit & Run Collision / DUI / Child Endangerment – Suspect Arrested
May 13 at 11:42 p.m., several callers reported a collision where a vehicle had just run a red light at the intersection of Mountain and Huntington that caused injuries to the other driver. The suspect vehicle then fled the area. Officers responded and located the suspect vehicle. The driver was heavily intoxicated, and after field sobriety tests were conducted, he was arrested. His wife and two-year-old child were also in the vehicle with him.

Injury Traffic Collision
May 14 at 5:51 p.m., officers responded to a collision that occurred in the intersection of California and Central between two vehicles. One of the drivers complained of pain to her leg, so she was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Both drivers claimed to have a green light. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 14 at 7:53 p.m., a sergeant saw a male subject loitering by a door to the rear of a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington. He stopped the subject to investigate the suspicious behavior. A computer check revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest; he was arrested and taken into custody.

Petty Theft
May 15 at 7:19 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of W. Lime walked outside her home and discovered someone had entered her unlocked vehicle sometime during the night. Two credit cards were taken from the vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 16 at 2:01 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 1800 block of S. Shamrock when he saw a male subject he recognized from previous contacts. A computer check revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest, so he was stopped and taken into custody.

DUI / Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
May 16 at 4:04 p.m., a caller reported that a female subject had just collided into a vehicle parked in the 100 block of S. Mayflower. She exited her vehicle and was walking away from the scene. Officers arrived and located the subject attempting to flee the scene of the collision. When they contacted her, they found she was heavily intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted she was arrested.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 16 at 7:46 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of W. Huntington, when he saw a person behaving suspiciously. He stopped the subject, and a computer check revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

DUI – Suspect Arrested
May 16 at 11:29 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 600 block of S. Canyon when he saw a motorist commit a driving violation. He stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the driver was arrested. 

Garden Club to Select Beautification Awards

Monrovia Garden Club will be hosting the Annual  2018 Home Beautification Awards for the City of Monrovia.  Front yard gardens of eight Monrovia residents are chosen by the Garden Club.  The yards are judged on the outstanding appearance of the garden, how it enhances the home and the neighborhood and on its own merit as a planted work of landscape art.

An award sign will be put in the front yard announcing the resident as a winner.  The Mayor and city council will present each resident with a "Certificate of Recognition".   A slideshow of the winning yards will be shown.

The next Monrovia Garden Club meeting will be held on Tuesday May 22 at the First Presbyterian Church in its Fireside Room, at the corner of Myrtle and Foothill. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m.  Social time at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

- Brad Haugaard