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Monrovia Schools Seeks Comment on Local Control Plan

Monrovia School District invites you to comment on its Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) plan. Here's the detail: https://goo.gl/yZwPDr . Click on Thought Exchange to comment.

- Brad Haugaard

Afro-Latin Ensemble Under Direction of Monrovia Resident Releases Second Album


Under the guidance of Monrovia resident and band director Professor Paul De Castro, the Cal State LA Afro Latin Ensemble has released its second album, Setenta, a compilation of classics and new compositions.

A Cal State LA press release describes it as "a passionate, sophisticated work that revels in its cultural tradition. Breezy flutes and bright trumpets, nimble and intricate percussion work and a sultry modern take on Leonard Bernstein's 'Maria' are just a few of the delights this joyful album packs."

"The goals were very high. I didn't accept second-rate anything," De Castro said of the album. "We had the best arrangements, great guest stars, and I put the pressure on the students."

The group began in 1999 as a Latin jazz ensemble, founded by students who sought the advice of De Castro, a Cal State LA alumnus and faculty member in the College of Arts and Letters.

As a scholar of Afro Latin music and a professional pianist, De Castro was an ideal faculty advisor for the fledgling Latin jazz ensemble. He incorporated traditional Caribbean rhythms, particularly those from Cuba, and invited vocalists to join the group.

Wearing signature guayabera shirts featuring the Cal State LA logo, the ensemble has played at venues such as the Autry Museum and Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. In 2000, the 22-person ensemble performed in Cuba, and 10 years later, they played before an audience of 2,000 in China.

"Our main goal," De Castro says, "is to make people feel happy, to make people want to move and dance."

Here's a taste of the music: https://vimeo.com/318-59163

Source: Press release

- Brad Haugaard

Health Fair at Unity Center


Health and Resource Fair at Foothill Unity Center (790 W. Chestnut) on March 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Medical screenings, food, raffle, health insurance enrollment, food bank, more.

- Brad Haugaard

Arsonist? Second House Fire in Two Days

Another house fire, last night. This time on Walnut west of Monterey. The street is blocked off at Monterey. Arson?

Update: person of interest detained - https://goo.gl/d7DB7u

- Brad Haugaard

Jewish Food Festival April 7 at Library Park

On Sunday, April 7, the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys will present the Jewish Food Festival at Library Park in Monrovia, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. This event will celebrate the diverse culinary traditions of Jewish communities throughout the world and throughout history.

The festival will feature favorites such as Matzah Ball Soup, Brisket Sandwiches, Falafel, Black and White cookies, Noodle Kugel and others. Food demonstrations will include pickle making, challah braiding and soft matzah. There will be a special Kids Zone area with bounce houses, craft projects, face painting, balloon artist, a chance to explore a fire truck and police car, and a couple places for kids to read to dogs. Other opportunities include a Beer and Wine Garden, and a Visual Arts Exhibition showcasing local Jewish artisans.

Musical performances will take place throughout the day and will be headlined by Mostly Kosher, the acclaimed klezmer gypsy-rock band that spent the past two years as part of Disney's Festival of Holidays, and children's recording artist Jason Mesches.

The event is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at the festival or online at www.jewishsgpv.org/jewish-food-festival or by calling 445-0810. For more information about the Jewish Food Festival, please call the Jewish Federation at 445-0810.

Source: Press release

- Brad Haugaard

Fire Destroys Monrovia Home Under Construction

Last night a fire destroyed a large Monrovia house under construction on West Colorado, just east of Monterey. https://goo.gl/Mft6Rh

- Brad Haugaard

Elementary Co-Ed Flag Football and Cheer

Co-ed 4th and 5th grade flag football and cheer. Registration now open. Details: https://goo.gl/oGh6H5

- Brad Haugaard

Get $250 Worth of Low-Water Plants for Free


The Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, which serves Monrovia, is now offering a Plant Voucher Program, giving residents up to $250 dollars worth of water efficient plants from Garden View Nursery in Irwindale.

When applying, you will be asked to provide a water bill to verify residency within the service area. Once verified, you'll get a voucher number which you can present at the nursery for plants.

For additional information or to apply, go here: https://goo.gl/XFeTgx. For questions email plantvoucher@ecotechservices.net.

- Brad Haugaard

Elementary School Math Bee

Monrovia Unified School District will hold its second annual Next Generation Elementary School Math Bee for students third to fifth grade on Wednesday, March 27 at Monrovia High School, Room 210, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

The event is aimed at nurturing mathematical skills in elementary school students, and stimulating enthusiasm and a passion for mathematics. https://goo.gl/WJZ6Gd

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus Top Two-Year College for Awarding English and Literature/Letters Degrees to Minorities

Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, has been ranked first among all public two-year community colleges in the United States for the number of associate degrees awarded in English language and literature/letters to minority students, according to "Top 100 Associate Degree Producers," published by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

Source: Press release

- Brad Haugaard

Trader Joe's to Cut Down on Plastic Usage

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's has announced it will be cutting down on its use of single-use plastics. https://goo.gl/9mhVYd

- Brad Haugaard

Meeting About Proposed Sales Tax; County Area Out of GoMonrovia; Treasures Program is a Finalist; Community Gardens; Pam Fitzpatrick; Youth Sports

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

~ There will be an open meeting to talk about adopting a sales tax for Monrovia. The meeting will take place at the Library Community Room on Monday, March 11, from 6-7 p.m. The idea is to max out the allowable sales tax for the city so if - as city officials believe is highly likely - the county adds a new tax, it won't get anything because Monrovians would already be paying the top allowable rate, and all the bucks would be going to Monrovia instead of to the county.

~ County area adjacent to Monrovia will no longer be part of the GoMonrovia Lyft-car program. The county declined to pony up the necessary money. Also, the big dial-a-ride buses for handicapped residents will be replaced by smaller vans (Comment: Good!). They're $3.29 an hour cheaper to operate.

~  Monrovia's Neighborhood Treasures program has been chosen as one of seven finalist - out of 30 entries - in the Best Neighborhood Program competition by Neighborhoods, USA. Monrovia's program displays public art in the neighborhoods of residents who have contributed to the community.

~ The Monrovia Community Garden Pilot Program is set to launch in May or June at Mountainside Communion Church at the northwest corner of Colorado and Magnolia. There will be private raised beds for rent, educational workshops, and public demonstration gardens. There will be an informational meeting on Saturday, April 13, in the Library Community Room from 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. 

~ An Old Town Memorial Bench in honor of Pam Fitzpatrick will be unveiled on March 8 (her birthday) at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Dollmakers store on Myrtle Avenue.

~ Registration is now open for the new Youth Sports Program featuring Flag Football and Cheer. The program, at Recreation Park, is open to fourth and fifth grade boys and girls. Details: https://goo.gl/oGh6H5

- Brad Haugaard

Shy But Affectionate Kitty Needs Home


Cookie (A472816) is a 4-year-old brown tabby who is a little shy at first, as you can see, but is very affectionate. Volunteers say once they approach slowly and she gains trust, she comes up to you and allows you to pet her. She was unfortunately turned in with a sister, Ginger (A472817), when their owner needed to move and couldn’t care for them any longer. They would prefer to be adopted together so they are a little bit more confident upon entering their new home. Visit Cookie and Ginger at the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA.

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

Hirsch Opens 23rd Branch in Monrovia


Hirsch Pipe & Supply has opened its twenty third Southern California location in Monrovia. The new branch is at 1726 S. Myrtle Ave. Phone at 406-1136 and fax at 406-1137.

Throughout March customers can hand in their business cards for a a chance to win a $50 gift card, which will be raffled off during weekly Friday BBQs with vendors such as Kohler, Bradford White, Sloan, Liberty Pumps, American Water Heaters, Takagi Tankless, Nortiz and others.

- Brad Haugaard
March
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current and new customers alike can hand in their
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Monrovia Color Guard Takes Third Place

The Monrovia Color Guard took third place at the WGASC (Winter Guard Association of Southern California) Signature Show North, with its performance of Starry Starry Night, Saturday March 2, at the MHS Event Center. Watch here: 

https://youtu.be/6tmersnvEUc

Building Trader Joe’s Culture

An interesting article on how Joe Coulombe built the Trader Joe's culture. Trader Joe’s headquarters is in Monrovia. https://goo.gl/QvLuKs

- Brad Haugaard 

Dinner at Sushi Kuni

Dinner at Sushi Kuni, on the east side of Myrtle just north of Olive. Got the Spicy Pork plate for $15.50 and a beer for $4.99. Delicious, and prompt, friendly service. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Citrus College is Finalist for Student Success Award

Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, is one of only four community colleges in the nation that has been selected as a finalist for the 2019 American Association of Community Colleges Award of Excellence in the Student Success category.

While only 20 of the nation's more than 1,100 community colleges were selected as finalists, only two of these colleges are from California.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High to Host Robotics Championship

Monrovia High School will host 48 teams at the Los Angeles Regional Robotics Championships on Saturday, March 9. https://goo.gl/YSg6Lx

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Saw Blade Attack; Golf Clubs Stolen, Recovered; Peeing in Public; Wedding Theft; Credit Cards Lost and Recovered; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Highlighted Activity for February 21–27. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 403 service events, resulting in 106 investigations.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
February 21 at 3:51 a.m., residents in the 1200 block of S. Magnolia called police to report a vehicle traveling north on Magnolia had collided into several parked cars. The driver exited the vehicle and fled on a skateboard. Officers searched the area, but could not locate the suspect driver. Investigation continuing.

Vehicle Burglaries
February 21 in the early a.m., two vehicle burglaries that occurred overnight were reported to police. The burglaries occurred in the 200 block of Melrose and the 200 block of S. Magnolia. In both incidents the vehicle windows were smashed and items were taken from inside. Investigations continuing.

Petty Theft – Three Suspects Arrested
February 21 at 1:45 p.m., an employee from a business in the 3000 block of S. Peck called police to report three subjects seen throwing car parts from the business over a fence without paying. Officers arrived and located the three subjects. They were all detained and arrested for the theft.

Attempt Robbery
February 21 at 3:33 p.m., an attempt robbery was reported at a business in the 3000 block of S. Peck. A subject concealed speakers in a bag and left the business without purchasing them. Security attempted to detain the subject and a struggle ensued. The suspect picked up a saw blade during the struggle and the security guard sustained a small cut on his finger. The suspect dropped the stolen property and fled in a waiting vehicle prior to the officer arriving. The suspect was not located and the investigation continuing.

Theft From a Vehicle – Suspect Arrested
February 22 at 8:40 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of Valle Vista called to report that sometime during the night a subject entered his unlocked vehicle and stole golf clubs. Later that same day, the golf clubs were recovered by San Dimas Sheriff’s Department and a suspect was arrested. The golf clubs were returned to the owner.

Theft From a Vehicle
February 22 at 5:27 p.m., a resident from the 300 block of Valle Vista called to report that sometime during the night, someone entered his unlocked vehicle and stole items. Investigation continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 22 at 8:55 p.m., an officer was patrolling the area of 100 Poinsettia when he saw a vehicle commit a vehicle code violation. The officer conducted a traffic stop and discovered the driver was intoxicated. Officers conducted an investigation for driving under the influence and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Violation of Domestic Court Order – Suspect Arrested
February 22 at 9:04 p.m., a resident in the 1400 block of Magnolia called to report suspicious circumstances regarding someone yelling. When officers arrived, they contacted a male and female who had been arguing. While talking to the female, they discovered there was a restraining order restricting her from the residence where the officers located her. She was arrested for violation of the court order.

Grand Theft Auto
February 22 at 10:54 p.m., a resident in the 2100 block of Peck called to report her vehicle was stolen while it was parked in front of her residence. Investigation continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 22 at 11:25 p.m., a caller report an intoxicated male subject that was standing by a truck in the 700 block of E. Huntington. Officers responded and located the subject and the vehicle, which had flat tires. After interviewing witnesses and reviewing the surveillance footage that showed the subject drive the truck into the gas station parking lot, a DUI investigation was conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Drug Activity/Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
February 23 at 1:23 a.m., officers were patrolling the area of 400 S. Myrtle when they saw a male subject urinating in public. They contacted the subject and determined that he was too intoxicated to care for his own safety or the safety of others. The subject was arrested for public intoxication and during a search of his person, officers discovered he was also in possession of drug paraphernalia. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
February 23 at 2:56 p.m., an officer initiated a consensual encounter with a known subject. The subject granted consent to search his person and the officer located drug paraphernalia. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Injury Traffic Collision
February 23 at 7:03 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the 800 block of S. Mountain. A motorist was traveling east on Royal Oaks and entered the intersection at Mountain. The other motorist was traveling north on Mountain, approaching Royal Oaks, and failed to stop at the flashing red light, colliding in the motorist traveling on Royal Oaks. A passenger complained of pain and was treated at the scene by paramedics. The driver at fault was issued a citation.

Grand Theft
February 23 at 10:24 p.m., an employee from a business in the 900 block of W. Huntington called police to report a grand theft. An unknown male suspect entered a wedding reception and spent two hours removing numerous envelopes from a wedding money box. He then fled the scene. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
February 24 at 8:16 p.m., a grand theft was reported in the 100 block of E. Palm. The victim reported that while she was attending church, an unknown subject stole a large sum of money from purse. The victim had no idea who stole the money. Investigation continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 25 at 12:11 a.m., an officer was on patrol the 3000 block of Peck when he saw a vehicle commit a vehicle code violation. A traffic stop was initiated and the driver displayed signs of intoxication. A DUI investigation was conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Shoplifting/Warrants – Suspect Arrested
February 25 at 9:27 a.m., security for a store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported a male subject had entered the store with an empty shopping bag and filled it with merchandise. He immediately went to the return merchandise desk and attempted to return what he had placed in the bag for cash. Store security detained him and called the police. An officer arrived and a computer check revealed the subject had four warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Stolen License Plate
February 25 at 9:34 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of E. Olive walked outside her home and discovered someone had stolen the front license plate off her vehicle sometime during the night. The plate was entered in the DMV computer system as stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Burglary/Possession of Stolen Property/Fraud/Parole Violation – Suspect Arrested
February 25 at 11:21 a.m., a subject was working in her office in the 500 block of S. Myrtle and left to go to her vehicle outside. When she returned to her officer, she discovered someone had entered while she was gone and took her purse, which had been hidden under her desk. The purse contained credit cards and personal information. Thirty minutes later, the victim's credit cards were used at several stores in Monrovia. One of the stores had video and officers recognized the suspect who used the victim’s card. Approximately three hours later, they located the suspect at Cypress and Sherman. The suspect was still in possession of the victim's credit cards. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Shoplifting/Warrant – Suspect Arrested
February 26 at 9:37 a.m., an employee from a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain called to report they had a subject detained for shoplifting. Officers responded and made contact with both parties. The loss prevention employee said the subject picked up a power tool and attempted to walk out of the store without making any attempt to pay for it. A computer check revealed the subject also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested, transported to the station, and booked for the warrant. He was issued a citation to appear in court for the theft.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
February 26 at 3:50 p.m., a local tow company called to report one of the vehicles they had stored was reported stolen. They learned about it after they placed a lien sale on the vehicle and were denied for that reason. It had been reported stolen by embezzlement from a rental car company. An officer arrived and recovered the vehicle.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia/Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
February 27 at 2:15 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 1600 S. Primrose when he contacted an individual in a parking structure. The subject was found to be a reported missing person. Further investigation revealed the subject was in possession of a syringe containing a controlled substance. The subject was issued a citation for the drug offense and was removed from the missing persons system.

Residential Burglary
February 27 at 9:23 a.m., a resident in the 700 block of Valley View discovered someone had been inside his home and took all his wife's jewelry. It is unknown when this occurred or how entry was made into the home. This investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
February 27 at 1:36 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of W. Colorado reported his locked garage had been broken into and multiple tools were stolen. This investigation is continuing.