News: brad.haugaard@gmail.com   •  Restaurants   •  Library Catalog   •  Library Activities  •  History   •  Facebook / X/Twitter / RSS

A Nice Hike Above Monrovia



I just discovered a nice little hike to a great lookout (see the view in the video). Here’s how to get there (At your own risk, I hasten to add.). 

Go north on Alta Vista, then go left on Cloverleaf until you get here ...


The entrance to the Wilderness Area is the green arrow, not the red X. Follow the trail until you get to this gate ...


The main trail is to the left, but the foot trail to the right is what you want. The trail looks like this...


Take this trail until you get to this fork ...

Take the right fork until it ends at the lookout. It’s not steep and not too far.

But if you decide to hike anywhere in the hills you do it at your own risk. I recently saw a cute baby gopher snake that coiled and threatened me. Oops! Glad I kept my distance. It was actually a rattler. 

- Brad Haugaard 

The Play Godspell at IFGF Easter Weekend


The play Godspell, at IFGF Church, 147 W. Palm. April 18-20 at 7 p.m. & April 20 at 2 p.m. Presented by Centre Stage. Details and tickets: https://is.gd/Xh88MK

- Brad Haugaard

More Parking for Downtown Monrovia; We're Drinking Too Much; Etc.

New parking for downtown Monrovia.

At its next meeting (https://is.gd/PYcBuK) the Monrovia City Council will consider ...

~ Leasing two parking lots with up to 150 new parking spaces on Lime, just east of Ivy, for $12,250 per month (with a 2% increase per year) for up to 35 years from Monrovia Lime, LLC. A smaller lot is between the First Indonesian Baptist Church and the George Anderson House Museum, and the larger is just east of the Anderson House. https://is.gd/RYXobQ


~ Approve spending $934,080 to buy more water for the city. A thousand acre feet of water production rights from Azusa Valley Water Company for $767,280, and 200 acre-feet from Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster for $166,800. https://is.gd/6WZ8EY

~  Amend an agreement with Mountainside Communion Church (Magnolia and Colorado) to  allocate an additional $75,000 to the city's Housing Displacement Response Program, which is administered by the church. "Since the program launch, the HDRP has assisted fifteen families with a 'hand-up' in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,500." https://is.gd/Fp2CdA

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Myrtle Tree Cafe


Lunch at Myrtle Tree Cafe, on the west side of Myrtle just south of Lime. Got the Super Hipster Avocado Toast from the Specials menu for $12 and an iced tea for $2.50. It was really good!


- Brad Haugaard 

Learn to Make a Video Public Service Announcement - Free!


Learn to make a 30-second public service announcement for your local non-profit for free. Develop a script, practice reading from teleprompter, learn on-camera skills, wardrobe and make up. Snacks. April 17, 6-7 p.m. at 847 E Olive. RSVP 357-4974 or kgemtv@gmail.com

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Tech Teacher Thomas Reale Dies at Age 57

Former Monrovia teacher Thomas Anthony Reale died on April 9, 2019 in Palm Springs after a brief illness. He was 57 years old.

Reale took a teaching position at Clifton Middle School as a science teacher in the early 90's and was a pioneer of technology in the classroom, becoming a full-time video production teacher first at Clifton, and later at Monrovia High.

Dozens of his graduates went on to careers in news casting, sports broadcasting, and video production. He was also a board member for Community Media of the Foothills (KGEM). Instead of flowers his family would prefer a gift to support the Monrovia High School Big M Boosters Association. https://is.gd/jCKWB2

Thanks to Karen Lujan for the tip.

- Brad Haugaard

School District Considers Anti-Smoking Instructional Materials


The Monrovia Board of Education is considering adopting anti-smoking instructional materials called, "The Stanford Medicine Tobacco Prevention Toolkit: Modules for Tobacco and Nicotine Education," which you can see here:

https://med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolkit.html

If you have any comments about the materials send them to the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services by May 10, 2019. https://is.gd/hKGYOQ

- Brad Haugaard

Auditions for Mary Poppins Play

Auditions for the Taylor Performing Arts Center production of Mary Poppins. Parts for kids and adults. Details: https://is.gd/eUQNaN

- Brad Haugaard

Free Ladybugs at Armstrong's

Armstrong's Garden Center (Huntington and Monterey) will be handing out a free sample packet of 150 ladybugs with a purchase today through Sunday. One per family while supplies last. (Thanks to Kelly for the tip.)

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Representative to Citrus College Board to Be Honored


Joanne Montgomery, a long‐standing member of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees, will be honored for her many years of service during an upcoming conference of the Community College League of California (CCLC).

Next month, Mrs. Montgomery will be presented with a Fulfilling the Trust award during CCLC's 2019 Annual Trustees Conference. Designed to recognize the enduring dedication and service of California's community college trustees, the award is given to trustees who have achieved 20 years of service at a California community college.

Mrs. Montgomery, who represents Monrovia, Bradbury and portions of Duarte on the college's governing board, was first appointed to fill a vacancy in 1998. She was later elected in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

"During her more than 20 years of service to Citrus College and the communities it serves, Trustee Montgomery has contributed greatly to the college's growth and progress. Her leadership has been instrumental in establishing Citrus College as a national leader in higher education," said Dr. Geraldine M. Perri, superintendent/president of Citrus College. "On behalf of the college community, I congratulate Trustee Montgomery on receiving this very special honor and thank her for the decades of guidance and vision she has provided."

In addition to her involvement on Citrus College's board, Mrs. Montgomery is active in her community, serving as a member of the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce and the chamber's BEACON (Business, Education and Community Outreach Network) Committee. She is also a member of the Monrovia Coordinating Council. She was previously on the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills, as well as the board of directors of the 48th District Agricultural Association.

Mrs. Montgomery has also served her community as an educator. For 32 years, she worked as an elementary school teacher for the Monrovia Unified School District. She was also a master teacher for several universities and served on numerous school committees.

"I have always been passionate about empowering others and making a difference in my community,"

Mrs. Montgomery said. "It is an honor to receive a Fulfilling the Trust award from the CCLC. I am grateful for the continued trust my community has given me and for the opportunity I have had to serve Citrus College for so many years."

Mrs. Montgomery's passion for education and for giving back to the community has earned her several recognitions. Her many honors include a Teacher of the Year award, being selected as the 2003 recipient of the Dick Lord Award from the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce and being named the 2015 Woman of the Year for Monrovia for California's 48th State Assembly district.

Most recently, the Monrovia Duarte Black Alumni Association presented Mrs. Montgomery with their Outstanding Educator Award in November 2018.

"I am pleased that Joanne's service to California's community colleges is being recognized. Her enduring commitment to the community and to Citrus College is inspirational," said Susan M. Keith, president of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees. "It has been an honor to serve beside her on Citrus College's governing board, and I am certain my fellow board members join me in offering our most heartfelt congratulations."

Source: Citrus College press release

- Brad Haugaard

Free Compost and Mulch Tomorrow

Free compost and mulch, tomorrow, Saturday, April 13 from 8-11 a.m. at the Monrovia Public Works Yard at 600 S. Mountain. Self serve, bring your ID or Athens bill, bring sturdy containers. No plastic bags allowed. Shovels provided. While supplies last.

- Brad Haugaard

Bishop Dr. William La Rue Dillard Retiring

Retirement celebration set for Bishop Dr. William La Rue Dillard, pastor of Monrovia's Second Baptist Church.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Drunks, Drugs, Burglaries, Shoplifting, and Stuff Like That

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 4–10. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 417 service events, resulting in 84 investigations.

Attempt Burglary
On April 4 at 1:34 p.m., an employee from a business in the 1200 block of S. Magnolia called police to report an attempt burglary. A window on the north side of the business was open and it appeared that someone had attempted to gain entry. There was nothing taken. Investigation continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
On April 6 at 5:29 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of W. Lemon called to report his vehicle was broken into sometime overnight. The vehicle was parked in a secured parking structure and the front passenger window was smashed in order to gain entry. The vehicle was ransacked, but nothing was stolen. Investigation continuing.

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
On April 6 at 3:07 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 100 block of N. Grand saw a female subject who is known to be involved with drugs. Officers contacted the subject and a consent search resulted in the female being arrested for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
On April 6 at 6:10 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of Sierra Vista called to report a hit and run traffic collision. Sometime during the previous night, a vehicle collided into the side of her parked vehicle, causing minor damage. Investigation continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
On April 7 at 1:21 a.m., officers were on patrol in the 400 block of S. Myrtle when they saw a disorderly subject standing in front of a business. As officers approached the subject, he attempted to lean against a gate, but fell down. Officers checked on his welfare and determined he was too intoxicated to care for his own safety. He was arrested for public intoxication and held for a sobering period.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
On April 7 at 2:03 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 800 block of W. Duarte when he saw a vehicle committing multiple vehicle code violations. The officer conducted a traffic stop and, after field sobriety tests were conducted, the subject was arrested for DUI.

Vandalism
On April 8 at 2:16 p.m., the owner of a business in the 1100 block of S. Mountain arrived to work and discovered someone had spray painted illegible graffiti on the side of his building wall. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
On April 8 at 2:26 p.m., a resident in the 500 block of Fano walked outside her home to leave for work and discovered her car wouldn't start. She checked inside the engine compartment and found the catalytic converter had been stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
On April 8 at 9:32 p.m., a caller reported a non-injury traffic collision in the 300 block of W. Huntington. A motorist failed to stop in time and rear-ended another motorist, which in turn rear-ended the motorist in front of him. An officer arrived, conducted an investigation and the motorist at fault was issued a citation.

Non-injury Traffic Collision
On April 9 at 6:59 a.m., a traffic collision was reported at the intersection of Peck and Longden. Officers arrived and found that no one was injured. The drivers involved chose to exchange information only, no report was taken.

Grand Theft Auto Recovered
On April 9 at 7:53 a.m., a business owner in the 1800 block of S. California called to report he had located his stolen work truck. He found it parked down the street at the corner of Camino Real and California. He said he did not park it that far from his business. The vehicle was removed from the DMV stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
On April 9 at 2:12 p.m., officers responded to the report of a traffic collision in the 400 block of E. Huntington. Monrovia paramedics also responded to treat one of the drivers for minor injuries. The driver at fault was issued a citation.

Non-injury Traffic Collision
On April 9 at 4:01 p.m., a motorist call police to report she had just collided into another vehicle at the intersection of Mountain and Central. Officers responded to investigate. No one was injured in the collision, and the party who was found at fault was issued a citation for the driving violation.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision
On April 9 at 7:07 p.m., a motorist called police to report he had lost control of his vehicle and collided into a building in the 400 block of W. Chestnut. There were no injuries as a result; however, Monrovia Fire Department personnel responded to evaluate the structure. Officers also responded to investigate.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
On April 9 at 7:51 p.m., a female adult subject was reported causing a disturbance in the 100 block of S. Myrtle. Officers arrived and determined the female was too intoxicated to care for herself or the safety of others. She was arrested for public intoxication and held for a sobering period.

Vehicle Burglary
On April 10 at 8:38 a.m., a resident in the 1100 block of S. Fifth walked outside his apartment to go to work and discovered someone had burglarized his vehicle sometime during the night. The suspect gained entry by shattering a window on the vehicle. The suspect stole the apartment complex gate transponder. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
On April 10 at 9:21 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of El Nido called police to report a vehicle burglary. While the resident’s gardener was working in the yard, someone broke into the locked camper on his truck and stole gardening tools. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspects Arrested
On April 10 at 12:02 p.m., security at a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported two female subjects had just stolen merchandise and left the store without paying. Officers responded to the area and located the suspects one block away from the store. They were detained inside their vehicle and the stolen property was recovered. The suspects were arrested and taken into custody.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered / Possession of a Controlled Substance / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
On April 10 at 11:43 p.m., an officer was on patrol in the 2000 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a suspicious vehicle. A computer check revealed the vehicle was stolen. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled and eventually crashed into a building in the 300 block of W. Huntington. The driver attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly detained by officers. The driver was also found to have a felony warrant and was in possession of methamphetamine and stolen credit cards. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Wine Walk, This Saturday

- Brad Haugaard

Dispose of Old Prescription Drugs - No Questions Asked

On April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Monrovia Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. This will be the 17th National Take Back Initiative event. Bring your medications for disposal to the Monrovia Community Center at 119 W. Palm Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016. The service is free and anonymous; no questions asked.

The goal of this program is to allow Southern California Residents to deliver all of their unwanted medications to law enforcement officials who can in turn dispose of these controlled substances in a secure and non-hazardous manner, potentially saving lives and protecting the ecosystem. During the previous events, tons of prescription drugs were collected nationwide.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs getting into the wrong hands. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from the medicine cabinets of family and friends. Previous methods of disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Source: Monrovia Police press release

- Brad Haugaard

Library Fine Forgiveness; Beer and Bookmarks; Typhus - It's Increasing



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

~  Monrovia Library is celebrating National Library Week by forgiving fines and fees throughout the week. Some restrictions apply, see Library staff for more information.

~ More than 300 community members attended the 10th annual MAP conference at Second Baptist Church. Bishop Dr. Wm. La Rue Dillard - who has served as the head pastor for the past 45 years - will retire this May.


~ The city will partner with Wing Walker Brewery to celebrate National Bookmark Day on Wednesday, April 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wing Walker Brewery (235 W. Maple Avenue). Fun activities from 5 to 7 p.m., then trivia from 7 to 8 p.m. For ages 21 and over. For more information, contact the Library at 256-8274.

~ Flea-borne typhus cases in LA County have nearly doubled between 2013 and 2017, to nearly 60 cases per year. People get it by contact with feces of infected fleas, which rats, cats, opossums, and other small mammals may carry.

Tips:

  • Keep fleas off you and your pets (flea control products, keep pets indoors).
  • Avoid wild or stray animals.
  • Don't leave pet food or drinking water out for wild animals.
  • Keep yard free of debris and trim overgrown plants.
  • Keep trash in tightly covered containers to avoid attracting animals.
  • Close openings where rats and stray animals can sleep, hide, or find food.
  • Address any stray cat, rodent or opossum issues on and near your property.

- Brad Haugaard

William Pile: Clergyman, General, Governor, and Monrovia Mayor


Here’s an interesting bit of history. The Idlewild house at 255 N. Mayflower was built by a Civil War brigadier general named William Anderson Pile.

Pile,  who was one half Native American, started his career as a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, signed up as a chaplain when the war started and rose to the rank of general. After the war he was Governor of New Mexico Territory, and in 1886 moved to Monrovia and purchased a 50-acre property, where he grew wine grapes. The following year, he commissioned the Northern California architects Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom to design the house for him. He served for one year as mayor, and then applied to be consul general in Melbourne, Australia, but caught pneumonia and died in Monrovia on July 7, 1889. https://is.gd/3EEcvj

Comment: Might make an interesting person for the Neighborhood Treasures program.

- Brad Haugaard

Police Asking for Information About Murdered Woman in Arcadia

LA Sheriff's Department and Arcadia PD are looking for any information about the car stolen from a murdered woman in Arcadia. White Lexus license 5LOG473.

- Brad Haugaard

Tomorrow - Tip A Cop at Claim Jumper for Special Olympics

- Brad Haugaard

Rigo's Mexican Food Moving Across the Street


Rigo's Mexican Food, at the northeast corner of Mayflower and Foothill, will be moving across the street to the building now occupied by Shaffer Awards, according to a flyer forwarded to me by "greeneggsandsam." Rigo's last month at its current location will be May. Then it hopes to reopen at its new location in "a few months." Thanks GE&S!

- Brad Haugaard