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Weekly Coronavirus Count: 19 More Cases, One More Death

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 10/28/2020. Changes since 10/21/2020.

City of Monrovia: 848 cases (up 19), 42 deaths up 1
Unincorporated Monrovia: 89 cases (up 1), no deaths

- Brad Haugaard

School District Honors Fred and Diane Bowden at Weight Room Dedication


Monrovia Unified School District honored Fred and Diane Bowden, along with the Bowden family, during an Oct. 27 dedication ceremony at Monrovia High School that named the school's weight room the 'Fred and Diane Bowden Weight Room.'

For their longtime support of the District and Monrovia High School (MHS) Athletics, Fred and Diane Bowden were honored during an Oct. 27 dedication ceremony that named MHS's weight room the 'Fred and Diane Bowden Weight Room.'

Fred, who passed away in 2018, and Diane, graduated from Monrovia High School in 1959 and 1961, respectively. The two always looked for ways to give back to the District and with Fred's passing, Diane and the Bowden family made a commitment to continue that support.

"Monrovia High School is very fortunate that so many alumni feel so close to their Wildcat campus. Our district is very fortunate that Diane and Fred Bowden have always been willing to support their Alma Mater," Board President Rob Hammond said. "Over the years, the Bowden family has been extremely to our community. Thank you to Diane and Fred for Living the Wildcat Way."

In September, the District celebrated a grand reopening for the weight room, which was renovated with help from the Bowen family. The room was outfitted with new equipment, painted and redecorated. The District also improved the varsity locker room.

Head MHS Football Coach Christian Williams and Monrovia City Councilmember Larry Spicer helped organize the refurbishing efforts.

"We are thankful for the staunch support of the Bowden family and excited that our Wildcat athletes will be able to focus on strength training with the equipment they need we return to school," Superintendent Dr. Katherine Thorossian said. "Even during these trying times, our community continues to show up for our students."

Diane and the Bowden family were present during the socially distanced event to receive the dedication honor from the District and MHS.

"This renovated weight room will help strengthen our athletics program and inspire our student athletes," Principal Kirk McGinnis said. "Monrovia High School Wildcats are thankful to the Bowden family, Councilmember Larry Spicer and Coach Williams for their dedication to our students and their athletic goals."

Source: Monrovia Schools press release

- Brad Haugaard


Monrovia Police: Sleeping Driver Rolls Car Three Times; Car Burglaries and Break-Ins; Fighting from Monrovia to South El Monte; Vehicle Thefts; Etc.

 


[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 22-28. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 348 service events, resulting in 54 investigations. 

Theft
October 22 at 7:37 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of E. Lemon called police to report that someone had ransacked their vehicle sometime during the night. The vehicle was parked and had been left unlocked. The resident's backpack, which contained personal documents and some money, was taken. This investigation is continuing. 

Vehicle Burglaries
October 22 at 9:31 a.m., two customers of a hardware store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain called police to report their vehicles had been broken into while they were in the store. The suspect forced entry by breaking the door locks, then took tools from inside both of the vehicles. These investigations are continuing. 

Injury Traffic Collision
October 22 at 5:07 p.m., a caller reported two motorists collided into one another at the intersection of Fano and Alamitas. Officers responded and found one of the drivers had visible minor injuries, so paramedics responded to assist. After an investigation, the driver who caused the collision was issued a citation. 

Disturbance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
October 23 at 12:09 a.m., an employee from a business in the 700 block of W. Huntington called police to report a subject screaming and yelling at them, and refusing to leave the business. Officers responded and contacted the individual. After a brief discussion and a consensual search, drug paraphernalia was recovered from the subject and he was arrested. 

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
October 23 at 7:00 p.m., an employee from a business in the 900 block of W. Duarte called to report a suspicious subject loitering in the area. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. A consensual search of the subject revealed drug paraphernalia in his possession and he was arrested. 

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
October 23 at 10:17 p.m., deputies from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department responded to a residence in South El Monte regarding a domestic violence incident. Their investigation revealed the crime initially occurred in Monrovia near Central and Magnolia, and when the couple returned home to South El Monte, they continued to argue, which generated a call to the El Monte Police Department. Monrovia officers responded to the location and took over the investigation. It was determined the female was the aggressor in the incident, and she was arrested for domestic violence. 

Vehicle Tampering
October 23 at 10:25 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of Bella Vista called to report he just saw a subject checking the door handles on his neighbors vehicle. Officers arrived and located the subject still in the area. The subject was positively identified by the reporting party as the person who was checking door handles. This investigation is continuing and will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. 

Injury Traffic Collision
October 24 at 3:01 a.m., an officer responded to a single car traffic collision in the 1900 block of S. Mountain and conducted an investigation. The driver fell asleep at the wheel, collided into a fire hydrant and rolled over three times. She sustained non-life-threatening injuries. 

Grand Theft Auto / Stolen Vehicle Recovered
October 24 at 8:32 a.m., employees at an industrial business in the 1700 block of S. Peck arrived to work and discovered one of their company vehicles had been stolen sometime during the night. All their vehicles have tracking devices attached, so the vehicle was located by officers parked and unoccupied in the 800 block of W. Chestnut. Officers searched for possible suspects, but could not locate anyone. The vehicle was recovered and returned to the business. This investigation is continuing. 

Vehicle Vandalism
October 24 at 8:50 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of W. Pomona walked outside his apartment and discovered someone had vandalized his vehicle sometime during the night. The window and mirror were found shattered. The suspect did not enter the vehicle. This investigation is continuing. 

Theft
October 24 at 1:43 p.m., a gardener doing work in the 200 block of Kruse reported someone had stolen some of his gardening tools. Officers responded and attempted to locate the suspects, but were unsuccessful. This investigation is continuing. 

Vehicle Burglary / Vehicle Tampering – Suspect Arrested
October 24 at 6:22 p.m., an employee from a business in the 500 block of W. Duarte called police to report a subject was checking vehicle door handles, and he just broke a window on a vehicle. Officers arrived and located a subject matching the description given. He was identified by the witness and by security footage as being the suspect seen breaking the window. Officers also found stolen property in the subject’s possession. He was arrested for vehicle burglary and vehicle tampering. 

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 25 at 2:27 a.m., officers were patrolling the 700 block of W. Huntington when they saw a vehicle stopped underneath the freeway overpass. The vehicle was running and the driver was slumped over the steering wheel. Officers checked on the driver. She woke up and was displaying signs of being under the influence of alcohol. A DUI investigation was conducted and it was determined she had been driving under the influence. She was arrested, held for a sobering period, and later released on a citation to appear in court on the charges. 

Theft
October 26 at 5:47 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 300 block of W. Huntington regarding the theft of a purse. The victim left her purse inside her vehicle and went inside the business for a few minutes. When she returned to the vehicle, her purse and cell phone were missing. Just prior to this call, a resident found an empty purse in the intersection of Myrtle and Huntington. The victim positively identified the found purse as being the same one that was stolen from her vehicle. This investigation is continuing. 

Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
October 27 at 12:24 a.m., an officer on patrol saw a person walking in the middle of the street at the intersection of Foothill and Primrose. The officer contacted the subject to check on his welfare. As the subject was walking to the sidewalk, he pulled a glass smoking pipe from his pocket and smashed it on the ground. The subject was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. 

Commercial Burglary
October 27 at 1:57 p.m., employees from a business in the 600 block of S. Myrtle arrived at work and discovered someone had gained access to the location. Officers arrived and an investigation revealed the suspect had removed cash from the register and a bank deposit bag which was located under the counter. This investigation is continuing. 

Medical Assist / Overdose
October 28 at 8:48 p.m., a caller in the 600 block of E. Olive reported his girlfriend had overdosed on a prescription medication. Officers arrived and found the subject unconscious on the floor. Officers administered two doses of Narcan before she regained consciousness. The subject was then transported to a local hospital for treatment. 

Lunch at Sena

Lunch at Sena, on the west side of Myrtle just south of Lime. Got the Verde Pork tacos for $11 and a tasty beer for $7. Delicious!

- Brad Haugaard 

Injured Mountain Lion Treated and Now Released

The mountain lion whose paws were burned during the Bobcat Fire in the mountains above Monrovia, was released after treatment. Here's video: https://is.gd/QgyzeE

- Brad Haugaard

Video of Winners of Monrovia's Jack-o'-Lantern Carving Contest

- Brad Haugaard

Water District Sponsoring 'Conserve-a-Palooza' Contest


To celebrate it's 60th anniversary, Monrovia-based Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District is sponsoring a social media "Conserve-a-Palooza" contest - with free water-use efficiency devices as prizes - from now to November 30.

Three winners will be chosen at random and announced every week by an Upper District Board Director during a "WaterSmart Minute" video posted on social media.

Prizes include native plants vouchers, water-efficient washer machines, tickets to the Discovery Science Cube, and 8-station irrigation controllers.

Details: https://is.gd/CIu9pc

- Brad Haugaard

Hazardous Waste Roundup in Monrovia Oct 31.

Household hazardous and electronic waste drive-thru collection Oct. 31, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Monrovia City Yard on Mountain. Waste materials must be in the trunk (or bed of pick-up in a sturdy box (you gotta leave the box) with no other items. No explosives, ammunition, radioactive materials, controlled substances, trash, tires, or large appliances (like refrigerators, stoves and washing machines).

- Brad Haugaard

Halloween Decorating Contest Winners


Here are the winners of the city's Halloween Home and Old Town Decorating Contest.

Home Contest Winners
  • Best Inflatable Display - 309 N. Madison Ave.
  • Best Light Display - 746 Ocean View Ave.
  • Best Pumpkin Display - 802 S. California Ave.
  • Judge's Award - 516 E. Foothill Blvd.
  • Haunted House Display - 848 Ridgeside Dr.
  • Most Creative Display - 125 Acacia Ave.
Business Contest Winners
  • Best Pumpkin Display - Puff Monkey, 427 S. Myrtle Ave.
  • Judge's Award - Law Offices of Mauro Fiore, Jr. 136 E. Lemon Ave.
  • Haunted House Display - Douglas Elliman, 517 S. Myrtle Ave.
  • Most Creative Display - Art Time Classes, 162 W. Foothill Blvd.
  • Spookiest Display - Hop Secret Brewing at Myrtle Tree Café, 405 S. Myrtle Ave.

Click through for details and a bigger map: https://is.gd/riMCjO

- Brad Haugaard

Gumdrop and Goody Looking for a Home Together


If you’ve been needing something sweet in your life, seven-month-old Gumdrop just might be the kitten for you! Gumdrop and her brother Goody arrived at the shelter as shy kittens, but have been coming out of their shells in their foster home. Gumdrop is the more curious of the two – she loves playing and exploring. She’s also the more confident cat, and she’s showing her brother that humans are great and can provide lots of nice petting and snacks. Ideally Gumdrop would go to a home with Goody since they’re such good friends. And who wouldn’t love that? You can have two beautiful house panthers exploring your home - what a treat!

Gumdrop is eligible for a 30-day adoption trial. Take her home for a month, get to know and love her, and we’ll provide all the supplies. At the end of 30 days, you can make your adoption official. Email foster@pasadenahumane.org to get your adoption trial started!

The adoption fee for cats is $90. All cat adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.

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.

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

No 2020 Alta Vista Halloween Party


Alta Vista, north of Hillcrest, usually puts on a whiz-bang Halloween block party, open to the world. But not this year. 

- Brad Haugaard 

High Winds Predicted Through Tuesday - Fire Weather

The National Weather Service is predicting dangerous fire weather tonight through Tuesday, with high winds and low humidity. 

The service says there will be moderate to strong Santa Ana winds late tonight through Tuesday, "likely the strongest Santa Ana event we have seen so far this season," with "the strongest winds expected late tonight through Monday evening, when damaging gusts of 60 to 80 mph can be expected in the mountains."

"Winds north to northeast 20 to 40 mph with damaging wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph. Winds likely to diminish Monday night into Tuesday morning, with gusts generally 25 to 40 mph, except local gusts to 50 mph in the foothills. Relative Humidity lowering rapidly to 15 to 25 percent late tonight into early Monday morning, then widespread single digit humidities by late Monday Morning through Tuesday. Humidities potentially falling as low as 3 to 5 percent, driest over Los Angeles county."

Increased risk of fire ignitions due to downed trees and power lines. "If fire ignition occurs, conditions will be favorable for very rapid fire spread, long range spotting, and extreme fire behavior which would threaten life and property."

Source: https://is.gd/VZQjIr

- Brad Haugaard

Wilderness Preserve to Open Within 30 Days - Hopefully 'Much Sooner'

 Restoration is proceeding on the trail through the Hillside Wilderness Preserve and Community Services Director Tina Cherry reports that, "We know we will be able to open within 30 days, but we are hopeful that we can open much sooner."

She added that, "The trail restoration crew is working on re-establishing the Coyote Ridge switchbacks [red on map] and our trail crew are conducting some brush clearance and sign repairs. As for the connection from Cloverleaf to Ridgeside, we are pleased with the condition of the connector and we continue to work toward making that loop complete."

"With Canyon Park closed," she said, "we know that the community could really benefit from the access to open space and nature."

- Brad Haugaard

Vineyard Church Offering Free Food on Fridays


Vineyard Church Monrovia, on Encinitas right across from the Post Office, is handing out free food every Friday at 4 p.m. “Lines begin to form at about 3:30 p.m. - but they aren't very long - we have lots of volunteers to help.  We also offer prayer to anyone who requests it.”

- Brad Haugaard

Canyon Park from Above; Pipeline Work on Mountain; E-Books for the Library; Veggie Workshop; Landlord Survey

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

~ Above is an aerial video of Canyon Park after the Bobcat fire.

~ Starting on Monday, October 26, Southern California Gas Company and National Pipeline will begin installing a new distribution line on Mountain Avenue just north of Lemon Avenue. Work will be between 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. and most of the job should be done by November 6. Expect lane closures on the shoulders north and south lanes. If you have questions or concerns, call Public Works at 932-5575 or email pwcomments@ci.monrovia.ca.us

~  The Monrovia Public Library has received $5,000 grant, which it will use to purchase e-books.

~  Monrovia Community Garden will host a Winter Vegetable Workshop on November 14, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. through Zoom. Register by email at info@monroviacommunitygarden.org.

~ If you're a residential landlord, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments - building on the LA County Development Authority's Homeless Incentive Program - wants to hear from you. The survey it has developed typically takes no more than 5 minutes to complete and responses are confidential. Complete survey before October 31 for a chance to win a $25 Visa gift card. Survey: https://is.gd/Zca5ac

- Brad Haugaard

'Trunk or Treat' Event to be Held at Monrovia High

The drive-through "Trunk-or-Treat" event sponsored by Monrovia's Fellowship Church now has a location. It will be held at Monrovia High School on Saturday, October 31, from 1-4 p.m. https://is.gd/FfhOne

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Brothers Painting Dodger Signs on Lawns

Two Monrovia brothers have set up a very successful little business painting Dodger signs on neighborhood lawns. Here's a video report: https://is.gd/ufuOVQ

- Brad Haugaard

Health Department Fines Some Monrovia Restaurants

County health officials handed out fines of up to $500 to several Monrovia restaurants in connection with alleged violations of COVID restrictions, according to an article in the Monrovia Weekly. https://is.gd/h1mI8n

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Coronavirus Count: 26 More Cases, No More Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 10/21/2020. Changes since 10/14/2020.

City of Monrovia: 829 cases (up 26), 41 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 88 cases (up 2), no deaths

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Peach Cafe

Lunch at Peach Cafe, on the north side of Colorado just west of Ivy. Got the Short Rib Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a side of fruit for $12 and an iced tea for $2.75. Very good!

- Brad Haugaard