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Geltz Named Woman of the Year

Accirding to a Facebook post, Monrovia Assiciation of Fine Arts president Christine Geltz has been named by Assemblymember Chris Holden as the 41st Assembly District’s 2019 Woman of Distinction for the City of Monrovia. The award ceremony will be March 28 at his Pasadena district office.

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Robotics Team Comes Out on Top

Monrovia High robotics teams, The Suitbots, took first place in the Lucky Baldwin league, and advances to the next round, to be held this Saturday, Feb. 9, at Monrovia High. https://goo.gl/knUF7k

- Brad Haugaard

Council Member Crudgington Recovering from Cancer Surgery; Cleaning Underpasses; Grant to Library; Dementia Survey

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

~ City Council Member Gloria Crudgington had surgery at the City of Hope on Feb. 7 to remove a cancerous tumor on her tongue. The operation "was a complete success" and "further biopsy analysis indicated that the cancerous cells were confined to the tumor that was removed." Comment: Wonderful!

~ The city will have all freeway underpasses in Monrovia cleaned on Feb. 25. The contractor will begin work at 10 p.m., and should be finished by 6 a.m. the next day.

~  Monrovia has been awarded $55,000 from the California Library Literacy Services Program to help low-literate adults. Here's a video of what the Library has been doing: https://goo.gl/NqDhP1

~  Monrovia Providers Group has made Monrovia a "Dementia Friendly" city. This is an official designation under Dementia Friendly America, whose aim is to help improve the quality of life for those living with dementia. The committee has created a survey to identify Monrovia's strengths, gaps, and priorities for action regarding dementia. If you are a Monrovia resident, click to take the 10-15 minute anonymous survey: https://goo.gl/KhnJjH

- Brad Haugaard

Valentine's Day Carriage Ride




Valentine's Day horse carriage rides through Old Town on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 6 to 10 p.m. TTickets may be reserved in advance and will cost $10 per person, or $40 for a private ride. Limit 4 adults per carriage, and families with young children can have up to 6 riders. For more information or to make a reservation, call 932-5562.

- Brad Haugaard

Osze- Shy But Sweet


Osze (A469807) is a 12-year-old Chihuahua who is very affectionate but takes a little time to open up. He seems to be a shy dog who just loves a good cuddle session now and again. Once he's on your lap, good luck getting him off! He is always eager to accept treats that are given to him and he is overall a gentle and sweet dog. Osze shares a kennel with his son, Guerro (A469808), who is 9 years old. Osze likes spending time with his son but also loves interacting with other dogs he’s met on Wiggle Waggle Waggin’ field trips. He walks great on leash, likes to be carried, and would be a great new best friend. Visit Osze and his son, Guerro, today at the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA.


The adoption fee for dogs is $140. 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 


Inspirational Teacher, Erin Gruwell, to Visit Clifton Middle School

Erin Gruwell, the teacher whose experience transforming the lives of at-risk students was turned into the movie "Freedom Writers," will visit Clifton Middle School this Thursday to deliver a presentation about how education can spark change. https://goo.gl/v21R98

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Rotary Sponsors Blood Drive at City of Hope

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Enrollment Keeps Heading Down; Though Mandarin, Spanish Programs Boost Enrollment at Some Schools

At its next meeting (agenda: https://goo.gl/tEoKpA) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Consider a report showing average daily attendance at the district is 5,181 for the 2018-19 school year. There is no comparison from previous years in the staff report: https://goo.gl/nGbZTK

~ Receive a report (https://goo.gl/NqWzNw) indicating that, "District enrollment decreased 2.14% this year compared to last year, and has decreased 7.78% since the 2014-15 school year, its lowest level since at least 1992. District enrollment peaked at 6,762 in 1999."

Elementary enrollment decline 3.99% this year, and 6.86% since 2014-15, however Plymouth increased .22% this year and 7.64% since 2014-15, mainly due to the Mandarin dual Immersion program. Monroe has also increased, 3.36% since 2014-15 because of the Spanish Dual Immersion program.

Middle school enrollment increased 1.9% due to a slightly larger class moving into sixth grade, but has declined 3.67% since 2014-15. High school enrollment is down 2.84% since last year.

- Brad Haugaard

Robotics Teams Compete at Monrovia High Today

Ten Monrovia schools robotics teams are competing today (details: https://goo.gl/jMfXvk) in the annual Inter-League Tournament. Six are from Monrovia High, two from Clifton Middle School, and two from Santa Fe Computer Magnet School. Top-scoring teams will advance to the LA Regional Championships at Monrovia High on March 9.

Students will control robots they have designed, built, and programmed in head-to-head challenges that simulate space rover actions such as landing, mining, sample gathering, and parking.

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at The Monrovian


Lunch at the Monrovian, at Myrtle and Colorado. Got the Fried Egg and Bacon Burger for $9.95 from the lunch menu and a coffee for $2.49. Good!

- Brad Haugaard 

The Legend of Norumbega

I was reading Milton’s Paradise Lost, motivated by the guilty sense that I hadn’t read much but pop detective books lately, when to my surprise I encountered the name, “Norumbega,” which a footnote said was a place in New England that showed up on ancient maps. 

Wikipedia says Norumbega “is a legendary settlement in northeastern North America which appeared on many early maps from the 1500s until American colonization. The houses were said to have pillars of gold and the inhabitants carried quarts of pearls on their heads.”

It adds that Bangor, Maine, embraced the legend in the nineteenth century, naming its municipal hall "Norumbega Hall," and in 1886 inventor Joseph Barker Stearns built a mansion named "Norumbega Castle," in Camden, Maine.

So how did our Norumbega get it’s name? I asked City Historian Steve Baker, who poked around a bit and found that around 1913 the area was owned by three men, who named it Norumbega Heights. The main man of the three was apparently a Harry Nelson Mabery, from Massachusetts.

So maybe, Steve speculated, since Massachusetts is near Maine, perhaps Mabery vacationed in Maine and was familiar with the name and the legend.

Sounds like a pretty good guess to me. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Man Threatens To Shoot Up Store; Woman Gets Worst in Fistfight With Man; Driver Side-swipes Car, Continues With Two Flats; Fake Kidnapping; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Highlighted Activity for January 31 – February 6, 2019. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 357 service events, resulting in 73 investigations.

Threatening
January 31 at 11:49 a.m., an unknown male subject entered a business in the 900 block of W. Foothill and tried to make a purchase. The clerk recognized the subject as someone who has previously stolen merchandise from the business. The clerk told him he was not welcome. The subject then threatened the clerk by saying he would return and shoot the place up. At this time the male subject is unknown. Investigation continuing.

Battery/Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
January 31 at 2:27 p.m., a mother reported that her son battered her in the 400 block of E. Lemon. Officers arrived and conducted an investigation. The son was arrested for battery, and during the booking process, was found to be in possession of prescription medication that did not belong to him. Possession of a controlled substance was added to his charges.

Battery
February 1 at 8:28 a.m., an officer was dispatched on the report of a battery incident in the 300 block of W. Huntington. A male and female subject were arguing over parking in a business parking lot. The argument continued into a local business and the female swung her fist at the male. The male reacted by punching the female and knocking her down. Officers arrived and completed an investigation. The female subject was taken to a local hospital. A report was completed and sent to the District Attorney’s office.

Violation of Court Order/Resisting a Peace Officer – Suspect Arrested
February 1 at 10:38 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the area of California and Cypress when he saw a known male subject riding a bicycle. The subject was in violation of a restraining order that prohibits him from being at the location. The officer confirmed the restraining order and initiated a traffic stop. The subject refused to stop until Cypress and Ivy and was uncooperative with the officer throughout the encounter. He was arrested for violation of the restraining order and resisting an officer.

Warrant/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
February 1 at 12:08 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 500 block of W. Colorado and saw a female subject commit a vehicle code violation at the intersection of Mayflower and Colorado. A traffic stop was conducted and the subject was found to have a warrant for her arrest. She was also found to be in possession of used syringes. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft
February 1 at 2:24 p.m., a grand theft was reported in the 600 block of W. Duarte Road. The victim checked on the status of a phone delivery and discovered it was marked delivered to his residence. The victim said he never received the package. He called the delivery service and received conflicting statements as to what happened to his package. Investigation continuing.

Criminal Threats – Suspect Arrested
February 1 at 4:58 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of Highland called police to report his brother was intoxicated and had disabled the phone lines to the home. He also made threats inside the residence. Officers arrived and conducted an investigation. The brother was arrested for making criminal threats.

Special Traffic Enforcement
On February 1 during school hours, officers conducted special traffic enforcement at several schools. They issued both warnings and citations to drivers violating traffic laws in the school zone areas.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
February 1 at 7:42 p.m., a caller reported a male subject climbing out of a donation bin in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle. Officers responded and made contact with the subject. The subject had multiple warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
February 1 at 8:48 p.m., multiple callers reported a traffic collision involving two vehicles at the intersection of Royal Oaks and Mountain. One of the vehicles attempted to flee the scene of the accident and collided into a light pole down the street. Officers arrived and searched for the driver, but he was not found in the vehicle. Investigation continuing.

Robbery
February 1 at 10:52 p.m., a robbery was reported at a residence in the 300 block of W. Foothill. A group of female subjects were leaving a party and were confronted by a group of male subjects in a black Range Rover, who were also leaving the party. One of the females leaned into one of the vehicle windows and a male subject in the vehicle grabbed her phone. The vehicle was driven away and the victim sustained scrapes on her legs from falling on the asphalt. Officers arrived and searched for the suspect vehicle, but it was not located. The investigation is continuing.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision/ Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 2 at 2:08 a.m., a caller reported that a vehicle had collided into multiple parked cars and then pulled over and parked along the curb, near the intersection of Cypress and Magnolia. Officers arrived and checked the area. The driver was located a block away and was found to be intoxicated. Officers conducted an investigation, and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Driving Under the Influence – Driver Arrested
February 3 at 2:16 a.m., officers were patrolling the area of Peck and Live Oak when they saw a vehicle fail to stop at a red traffic signal. A traffic stop was conducted. The driver was intoxicated and an investigation for driving under the influence was conducted. The driver was arrested for DUI.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
February 3 at 3:21 a.m., a caller reported hearing a loud argument in the 700 block of W. Duarte. Officers arrived and made contact with a male and female subject who lived together. The female had scratched the male and left visible injuries. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Theft
February 3 at 7:18 a.m., a resident from the 800 block of E. Foothill reported that the mailboxes for his building were stolen sometime during the night. Officers arrived and began a theft report. Investigation continuing.

Traffic Collision – Vehicle vs. Pedestrian
February 3 at 9:35 a.m., a vehicle struck a pedestrian in the intersection of Fifth and Huntington. Officers arrived to investigate the collision and the pedestrian was transported to a hospital with injuries.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision/Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 4 at 1:07 p.m., a vehicle was reported near the area of Myrtle and Huntington being driven with two flat tires. A second caller reported being side-swiped by a vehicle that was not stopping. Officers arrived and located the vehicle near Myrtle and Palm. They initiated a traffic stop. A witness was able to positively identify the driver of the vehicle. An investigation was conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Commercial Burglary
February 4 at 7:05 a.m., the owner of a business in the 400 block of W. Maple discovered someone had burglarized his business over the weekend. The suspect shattered a window to gain entry. Investigation continuing.

Phone Scam/Fraudulent Kidnapping Call
February 4 at 12:47 p.m., a female subject reported she had just received a call from an unknown number while in the 800 block of S. Mountain. A male subject told her he kidnapped her daughter and was holding her for ransom, unless she paid him money. Officers found the 15-year-old daughter at home, and she knew nothing about the call. The call was found to have originated in another country and was a fraudulent scam to extort money from the family.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
February 4 at 7:19 hours, a vehicle was stopped on Mountain, waiting to make a left turn onto Wildrose, when a second vehicle lost control due to water on the roadway and collided into the first vehicle. Officers responded to investigate the collision. There were no injuries.

Vehicle Code Violations/Warrants – Suspect Arrested
February 4 at 10:39 p.m., an officer was on patrol in the area of Monterey and Huntington and saw a subject operating a motorcycle without license plates. The rider was also wearing a hard hat instead of a helmet. The officer initiated a traffic stop and discovered the rider did not have a motorcycle endorsement on his license and it was suspended. The rider also had multiple warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant – Suspect Arrest
February 5 at 6:56 a.m., a caller reported a vehicle that was parked awkwardly for over an hour in the 900 block of E. Huntington. Officers arrived and discovered two female subjects in the vehicle. When contacted, they said a male subject who was no longer there drove them to the location. One of the female subjects had a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Injury Traffic Collision
February 5 at 9:01 a.m., officers responded to the intersection of Fifth and Huntington for an injury traffic accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian. As the pedestrian was walking across the sidewalk, he was struck by a vehicle turning left. The driver didn't see him. Officers arrived to investigate the collision and the pedestrian was transported to the hospital with injuries.

Mail Tampering
February 5 at 10:07 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of Peppertree Lane reported that mail was stolen from mailboxes on the street. When the officer arrived, it was discovered that there were numerous possible victims. A mail tampering report was taken and the investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
February 5 at 9:40 p.m., officers on patrol near the intersection of California and Evergreen came upon a single vehicle accident. The vehicle struck the center divider while making a turn and collided with a pole. There were no injuries.

Mail Tampering
February 6 at 7:41 a.m., a resident in the 700 block of W. Olive reported her senior complex mailbox was either left open or someone had opened it sometime during the night using a key. The community mailbox contains all of the private mailboxes of the residents. Mail had been removed and was on the ground. It is unknown if any mail was actually taken. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
February 6 at 8:59 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of W. Lemon walked outside his home and discovered someone had burglarized his vehicle sometime during the night. One of the windows had been shattered and the interior was ransacked. The resident did not know what had been taken. This investigation is continuing.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
February 6 at 1:02 p.m., officers noticed a suspicious person in the 500 block of W. Colorado. They made contact with the subject, and a consent search revealed the subject was in possession of heroin. The subject was arrested possession of heroin.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
February 6 at 1:40 p.m., a caller reported a male subject was yelling at people in the 100 block of W. Foothill. Officers made contact with the subject and determined he was intoxicated and unable to care for himself. A computer check revealed he also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglary
February 6 at 3:02 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 1600 block of S. Mountain. The victim parked and locked her vehicle, but forgot to take her purse. When she returned to her vehicle, the window was smashed and the purse was gone. This investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
February 6 at 5:02 p.m., a traffic collision was reported at Shamrock and Foothill. A white tractor trailer turned south on Shamrock from eastbound Foothill. As the trailer portion was completing the turn, it hit the light standard, knocking it down to the ground. The caller did not get a plate. It is unknown if the driver even knew what happened. Investigation continuing.

Chinese Students Visit Monrovia Elementary Schools

More than 100 students from China visited Monrovia elementary schools as a part of a cultural immersion program. They visited Mayflower, Plymouth, and Bradoaks. https://goo.gl/EHwq3L

- Brad Haugaard

Proposal for Former Market Grill Building

If you wondered what is happening with the former Market Grill building (525 S. Shamrock), here is a proposal currently before the city for its consideration. As you can see the remodeled building features the addition of a second floor, which would be apartments.

- Brad Haugaard

City Exploring New Tax Measure; Cutting Cost of Treating Storm Water; Etc.

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

~ Monrovia "will be exploring the option of putting a sales tax measure on the ballot for our residents to consider in 2019." Why? Because, Chi said, "if Monrovia doesn't tax itself to the maximum permitted (10.25%), the LA County will tax to the max, and in that case the new taxes would all go to the county and Monrovia would only get a bit of that back. Chi writes: "Those cities that have reached the 10.25% cap do not pay for additional LA County taxes, but are still able to receive the funds collected." For example, he said, Santa Monica and Long Beach do not pay anything for Measure H homelessness tax because they already have a 10.25% sales tax rate, but they do receive Measure H money - paid for by everybody else in the county.

~  The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board has given conditional approval for Monrovia's Revised Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP). (That's filtering our runoff water.) Chi writes: "Our original EWMP plan was slated to cost around $1.4 billion (yes... BILLION) to implement." Now it's down to $122 million, still a bucket-load of money, but, he adds, Monrovia should get $32.1 million a year in Measure W grant money for the projects.

~ Want to watch the State of the City address? Here it is: https://youtu.be/vBR9xkKK3J0

~ The 18th annual Mosaic Arts International Exhibition Series has selected the Bob Bartlett Memorial at Station Square as one of 19 architectural and site-specific mosaics from around the world to be recognized. Renderings of the mosaic art-work will be on display in Nashville, TN, from January 26 - May 19.

~  Foothill Unity Center will host an open-to-the-public reception to honor Betty Sandford for her contributions to Monrovia. Reception on Thursday, Feb. 21, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Foothill Unity Center facility at 790  W. Chestnut Ave.

~ Monrovia has been working with the Monrovia Youth Baseball League on baseball field improvements at Recreation Park. Painting, maintenance on the scoreboard, work on the infield, working on an outfield fence and figuring out how to install a new batting cage.

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus College Named as 'Military Friendly'

For the ninth consecutive year, Citrus College has been designated a Military Friendly School by VIQTORY, an organization that connects the military community to educational opportunities and civilian employment. Citrus appears on MilitaryFriendly.com (here: https://goo.gl/hgtWEf) as well as in the "2019 Guide to Military Friendly Schools," published in G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse magazines. Citrus serves the Monrovia area.

Source: Citrus press release

- Brad Haugaard

New Monrovia Brewery Holding Grand Opening

Monrovia has yet another micro-brewery, Wingwalker Brewing (celebrating "the Daredevil Barnstormers of the past and the Spirit of Adventure that drove them."). The new brewery will hold its grand opening this Saturday, Feb. 9, with food trucks, beer and rock and roll by The Freedom Ledges. The brewery is at 235 West Maple St., three blocks north of Huntington, and a half block east of Magnolia. https://goo.gl/G1RBTg

- Brad Haugaard

Jynx Would Love to Have a Cat Playmate

Jynx (A471061) is one beautiful cat! He’s a 5-year-old who was surrendered to the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA in mid-January and was pretty shy. We thought he might come out of his shell if he was in one of our cat communal rooms, and be able to interact with other cats. Jynx is now doing so much better. He even has a best friend, Ralphie (A471298), a 2-year-old red tabby. They get along great except when Ralphie tries to eat Jynx’s treats. Jynx is also very sweet to people, and likes to be petted around his ears. He’ll even head bump and purr for more human affection. Because Jynx seems to like other cats, just as much as people, we recommend Jynx going to a home that already has a cat so he will have a guaranteed play mate.

The adoption fee for cats is $90. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before being adopted.

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

Trickle to Torrent

The stream in Canyon Park, which for years has been a trickle, has become a torrent. 

- Brad Haugaard 

City Council to Consider 5% Raise for City Manager; Will Receive Financial Report

At its next meeting (agenda: https://goo.gl/etZvzT) the Monrovia City Council will ...

~ Consider bumping City Manager Oliver Chi's salary up 5%, to $19,282.69 per month, which the city attorney says is still 8 percent under the average for city managers in nearby cities. https://goo.gl/nEZZoc

~ Receive an "unqualified" (that's good) report from the city's financial auditor. Here's the whole monster report if you want to read it: https://goo.gl/ahKHhN

- Brad Haugaard