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Frost Warning Tonight

Frost warning for the San Gabriel Valley from midnight tonight (Feb. 23) until 9 a.m. tomorrow. Be sure to bring your pets and sensitive plants inside. https://shrtm.nu/43Jm

- Brad Haugaard

Mediterranean Restaurant to Replace Hon Sushi

A restaurant called DVine Mediterranean Express will replace the now closed Hon Sushi in the Vons shopping center at Myrtle and Foothill. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Jenny Would Like a Patient Adopter - She's a Bit Shy But Loving


Nine-year-old Jenny is a beautiful orange tabby looking for a calm and quiet forever home. Jenny is a little bit shy, but has been slowly and steadily making progress and coming out of her shell while in our care. Now, she enjoys getting scratches from volunteers, and also really loves catnip and silvervine. Jenny needs a patient adopter who can let her get used to her new home at her own pace. She has lots of love to give!

The adoption fee for cats is $100. 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.

View photos of adoptable pets and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

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

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: A View of City Park

A Scene in City Park, Monrovia.  City Historian Steve Baker said he believes Library Park was first known as City Park, and then the name changed because people just kept calling it Library Park. From the Steve Baker collection. See full details here.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Robot Teams Do Well in Competition

Monrovia High hosted a FIRST Robotics Competition this weekend and four of its five teams will advance to championship competition in Marcch. Here's a video Superintendent Ryan Smith posted: https://tny.im/HK8iC

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Enrollment Continues Down


At its next meeting (agenda: https://tny.im/ZTDmt) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Receive a report on the district's declining enrollment. Down 2.15 percent this year compared to last year. From the report:

In 2017-18, enrollment declined by 53 students. In 2018-19, enrollment declined 121 students to 5,442 more than 2%. In 2019-20 enrollment declined by an additional 38 students to 5,404. In 2020-21 in a distance learning environment, enrollment declined by 157 students, nearly 3%. This year, enrollment declined by 113 students, over 2%, to 5,134. ... For 2022-23 student enrollment is projected to decline by an additional 115 students to 5,019.

As a consequence the district will need 8.76 fewer teachers. It would need even fewer except Canyon Oaks/Mountain Park will actually need 4.9 more teachers. https://tny.im/cywb2

~ Consider buying a subscription to SchoolSite Locator for $2,900 a year. It gives you a map and you click where you live and it shows you the school your children will attend. (Here's an example for Duarte: https://tny.im/sneP6) https://tny.im/s2gKi

~ Consider a sexual harassment policy. Here https://tny.im/B0x1Z and here https://tny.im/fbLSd

~ Consider a policy on hate motivated behavior. https://tny.im/xKGmL

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Honored for Youth Employment Program, Open Seat on MOTAB; Driest in 1,200 Years

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

~ The California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) has awarded Monrovia its 2021 Creating Community Award of Excellence for the city's Youth Employment Services (YES) Program, an eight-week summer internship program aimed at providing meaningful work experiences for youth.

~ Old Town merchants can apply for a position on the Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board (MOTAB) to fill an unscheduled vacancy. Applications accepted through 6 p.m. March 1. Details: https://tny.im/vkbBG

~ Super drought. The southwestern US is now the driest it has been in "at least 1,200 years" according to the Journal of Nature Climate Change. Here's what Monrovia is doing: https://tny.im/KwTL

- Brad Haugaard

Video Showing Devastation of Canyon Park

A video showing the current state of Canyon Park after the recent flooding.

- Brad Haugaard

Deadline March 7 for Scholarships for Monrovia High School Seniors

Deadline is March 7 for Monrovia high school seniors who are planning to go on to college to apply for a scholarship. Last year more than $100,000 was given away to students. Details: https://tny.im/4MUAg

- Brad Haugaard

Person Threatens With Axe, Escapes in RV

An axe-wielding person who allegedly threatened a manager and customers at The Home Depot in Monrovia drove away in an RV, was pursued along the 210 and 2 freeways, then escaped on foot and - at least for now - got away. https://tny.im/FfJqp

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Weekly Coronavirus Count: 96 More Cases, 3 More Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 02/16/2022. Changes since 02/09/2022.

City of Monrovia: 8,060 cases (up 96), 99 deaths (up 3)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 834 cases (up 4), 3 deaths (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Bad Timing - Cops Are at Store While Theft in Progress; Five EBT Accounts Compromised; Drunk in the Middle of Foothill; Keys Left in Car, Car Stolen; Hoodie Burglars Scared by Scream; Etc.

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

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 460 service events, resulting in 56 investigations.

Grand Theft Auto – Suspect Arrested
February 10 at 7:16 a.m., an officer on patrol observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation near the intersection of Mayflower and Huntington and a traffic stop was conducted. During the traffic stop, the officer discovered the vehicle was in the process of being reported stolen by the owner. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
February 10 at 12:10 p.m., an employee from a business in the 100 block of W. Pomona called to report a subject was laying on the driveway of the business. Officers contacted the individual and discovered he was intoxicated and unable to care for himself. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Injury Traffic Collision
February 10 at 8:33 p.m., officers in the 1300 block of S. Mayflower were flagged down regarding a traffic collision involving a motorcycle. They located the accident and conducted an investigation. A vehicle exited the parking lot from Huntington Oaks and failed to yield the right of way to the motorcyclist that was traveling on Mayflower, causing him to crash.

Shoplifting / Drug Activity – Suspects Arrested
February 10 at 11:05 p.m., officers were at a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain investigating a possible vandalism when the store reported a theft in progress. The officers detained two subjects and arrested them for shoplifting and being under the influence of a controlled substance. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
February 10 at 11:23 p.m., a disturbance was reported in the 200 block of W. Foothill. Officers arrived and located the subject in the middle of Foothill. The subject was intoxicated and unable to care for himself. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs – Suspect Arrested
February 11 at 2:17 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Ivy and Colorado saw a vehicle commit a traffic violation. The officer was stopped and the officers noticed he displayed symptoms of being under the influence. It was determined the driver as under the influence of marijuana. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 11 at 9:26 a.m., a caller reported that a subject in the 100 block of E. Duarte started to undo his pants in front of her. The subject then walked away. Officers detained the subject and learned he had a felony warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Traffic Collision
February 11 at 3:55 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the area of Royal Oaks and Mountain. Officers arrived and discovered four vehicles were involved in a traffic collision. The well-being of the occupants were checked and no one was injured. The driver at fault was issued a citation.

Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
February 11 at 11:15 p.m., officers responded to a solo vehicle traffic collision in the area of Huntington and Encino in which the driver struck the curb. Officers responded and contacted the driver and discovered he displayed symptoms of being under the influence. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglary
February 12 at 1:53 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 1100 block of S. Fifth. The victim parked her vehicle in the parking structure earlier in the evening. She returned to her vehicle at about 1:45 a.m. and discovered the passenger window was smashed. She was unable to determine a loss at the time. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
February 12 at 4:50 a.m., officers responded to a business in the 300 block of W. Duarte regarding an alarm activation. When officers arrived they discovered the rear door appeared to be pried open. The responsible party was notified, but the loss is unknown. This investigation is continuing.

Possession of Drugs for Sale – Suspect Arrested
February 12 at 5:26 a.m., while officers were investigating a commercial burglary in the 300 block of W. Duarte, they observed a subject on a bicycle who appeared suspicious. The subject was contacted and during a search of the subject's property, they located numerous small baggies sealed with crystal like substance and a scale. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 12 at 8:02 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of E. Pomona called to report that a subject was trespassing on his property. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. It was discovered the subject had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglary
February 12 at 11:36 a.m., a resident in the 1300 block of S. Magnolia called to report that sometime during the night his vehicle was broken into and items were taken. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
February 12 at 12:07 p.m., a caller reported that a traffic collision occurred in the area of Mayflower and Walnut. Officers arrived and checked on the well-being of the occupants. One of the driver's was transported to a local hospital for his injuries. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
February 12 at 12:20 p.m., a caller stated she was eating at a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington with a friend. She concealed her wallet in her backpack, which she placed on the back of the chair she was sitting on. Sometime during the course of her lunch someone unzipped her backpack and took her wallet. Shortly after she was notified of fraudulent activity on her credit cards. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism / Mail Tampering
February 13 at 8:40 a.m., a resident of a condo complex in the 1800 block of S. Tenth called to report that the bank of mailboxes at the complex had been damaged. It is unknown if this was a vandalism or an attempted mail theft at this time. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Pick Up
February 13 at 8:55 a.m., an officer responded to the Long Beach Police Department to pick up a subject being held on a felony firearms warrant. The subject was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail, where he was held pending his court appearance.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 13 at 2:13 p.m., an employee at a pharmacy in the 900 block of W. Foothill reported a man behaving erratically in and around the vaccination center. Officers responded and contacted the subject. A check for wants/warrants showed the subject had multiple warrants from several jurisdictions. He was arrested and issued citations to appear in court.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 13 at 4:35 p.m., a subject entered the Monrovia Police Department lobby to turn himself in for a bench warrant he knew he had. Due to the small amount of the warrant per court protocol, he was cited and released.

Grand Theft Auto
February 13 at 6:18 p.m., a victim borrowed a friend's vehicle to pick up some food from a restaurant in the 600 block of W. Huntington. The victim parked the vehicle in the parking lot, left the keys inside, and entered the restaurant for the food. When she returned to the parking lot, the vehicle was missing. The vehicle was entered into the stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Attempted Residential Burglary
February 13 at 6:51 p.m., a victim in the 700 block of Monterey called to report an attempt burglary at her residence. The victim was inside the residence when she heard a loud knock at her front door. She opened the door and looked outside, but no one was there. As she walked towards the back room of the house, she saw a male suspect attempting to crawl through her open window. There were two additional suspects outside wearing black and white hoodies. The victim screamed and all three suspects ran to a gray, 4 door vehicle and fled. This investigation is continuing.

Residential Robbery
February 13 at 9:44 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of W. Olive called 911 stating she was just robbed at gunpoint inside her residence. The victim was in her room watching television when a male suspect wearing a ski mask and holding a gun kicked in her back door and ordered her to lay face down on the bed. The victim heard two suspects talking. The suspect was asking where the money was. The suspect kicked in her roommate’s bedroom door looking for items. Both suspects fled out the back door. The victim heard a vehicle drive away, but never saw it. It's unknown at this time if this call is related to the earlier call for service in the 700 block of S. Monterey. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 13 at 11:53 p.m., an officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation in the area of California and Camino Real. The driver displayed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. After a DUI investigation, the driver was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Petty Theft – Suspect Arrested
February 14 at 8:55 a.m., a clerk at a business in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle phoned stating a female subject took items from the store without paying for them. A description was given and she was located near the platform at the train station. The items were recovered and she was issued a citation for theft and released in the field.

Fraud
February 14 at 11:11 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of Valley Circle reported her EBT card had been compromised and was used without her permission. She still had her card in her possession and has no idea how someone got the information. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication
February 14 at 2:00 p.m., an employee at a business in the 200 block of W. Foothill said a male subject came into their lobby and requested a cab. They asked him to step outside and they would call him a cab, but as he was walking out, he urinated in his pants and it came out onto their lobby floor. The subject went outside and passed out. Paramedics were summoned when officers arrived and he was transported to the hospital.

Fraud
February 14 at 4:45 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of W. Walnut came in to report her EBT account had been compromised. She is still in possession of her card and didn't give anyone permission to use it. This investigation is continuing.

Fire Assist
February 14 at 5:22 p.m., a fire was reported in the 100 block of W. Colorado. Officers arrived and found flames inside the oven. A fire extinguisher was used to put out the fire. Monrovia Fire and Rescue arrived and assumed control of the situation.

Fraud
February 14 at 5:34 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of Montana reported his EBT account had been compromised. It's unknown how it was compromised since he still has his card. Nobody had permission to use his card. This investigation is continuing.

Recovered Stolen Bicycle
February 14 at 10:52 p.m., while patrolling the area of 100 S. Myrtle an officer observed a subject in possession of a bicycle that had been reported stolen in the 400 block of W. Huntington. The subject told officers he traded his own bicycle for the stolen bicycle with one of our local transients. The bicycle was returned to the owner.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
February 14 at 11:26 p.m., a victim in the 1300 block of S. Alta Vista called to report her husband had choked and threatened to kill her during an argument. The victim said she was at work while the husband watched their kids. When she arrived home, she discovered he was asleep and none of the kids had been fed. When she awakened him, he assaulted her and threatened to kill her. The husband was arrested for domestic violence. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
February 15 at 8:53 a.m., an employee from an auto processing yard in the 3300 block of S. Peck phoned to report a vehicle they have on their lot as scrap, came back reported stolen. An officer arrived recovered the vehicle.

Grand Theft Auto
February 15 at 9:53 a.m., an employee at a rental car business in the 1100 block of E. Huntington phoned to report one of their rental cars that has been gone since September 2021 has not yet been returned. A report for GTA by embezzlement was taken and the vehicle was listed as stolen.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
February 15 at 2:25 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of N. Madison saw a female transient walking through front yards with what looked like an open container of alcohol in her hand. Another resident called to say the female went into a backyard. Officers arrived and saw the female sitting in the backyard eating. While speaking with her, they got consent to pat search her. The officer located a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. The female was not under the influence of a narcotic. She was arrested and issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Petty Theft – Suspect Arrested
February 15 at 8:04 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain regarding a female suspect placing merchandise inside bags and entering the bathroom. The suspect left the store and was detained by officers nearby. A no trespassing form was completed by employees.

Warrant Arrest
February 16 at 2:49 p.m., an officer observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation in the area of Myrtle and Olive. A traffic stop was made on the vehicle. A computer check on the driver revealed he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Fraud
February 16 at 3:21 p.m., a victim came in to the Monrovia Police Department lobby to report her EBT account was compromised. It's unknown how the suspect(s) gained access to her account.

Fraud
February 16 at 4:34 p.m., the victim came in to the Monrovia Police Department lobby to report her EBT account was compromised. It's unknown how the suspect(s) gained access to her account.

Battery 232 W. Colorado
February 16 at 5:47 p.m., the victim in the 200 block of Colorado phoned and said her son hit her in the face with a keychain. Officers arrived and made contact with both parties. The victim desired prosecution and completed a private persons arrest for battery. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Dinner at Sushi Nakata

Dinner at Sushi Nakata, on the south side of Lime just east of Myrtle. Got two orders of yellowtail sushi (four pieces total) for $17 and I ordered an Asahi beer but through the mask it came out “hot sake” ($10). The restaurant was happy to exchange it but I decided to give it a try. All very  tasty. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Safe Routes to and from Schools

The Monrovia School District has released a series of maps showing the safest paths for students walking to and from schools. https://tny.im/Pjrmm

- Brad Haugaard

Hide a Hot Dog and Sergeant Will Find It


Two-year-old Sergeant is an intelligent, active dog who loves playing games! Sergeant is a big fan of puzzles – everything from treats in egg cartons, to snuffle mats, to searching for hidden hot dogs around the room. This smart pup will do best in a home where he has lots of enrichment and games to keep him busy. When Sergeant isn’t solving puzzles, he loves getting attention from his favorite people and getting lots of pets!

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog 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.

View photos of adoptable pets and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

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

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Oranges and Snow Capped Mountains

A California anomaly - snow and oranges. . From the Gary Boen collection. See full details here.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

A Tour of the Canyon Park Mess

Canyon Park is a mess. It is going to cost approximately $10.3 million dollars - maybe a bit less - to fix it up, paid for by federal, state, county, and insurance company money, and - of course - by Monrovia money.

City Manager Dylan Feik gave me a tour of the park (though it'll be closed for a long time) and outlined what the city has planned for restoring it.

The road inside the park is a one car-width lane scraped through the debris. While the road is badly damaged in some places it is not much damaged at all in others. However, Feik said that by the time the heavy equipment clears out all the debris even the parts of the road that appear to be okay will be a mess. Because of that the city plans to redo the road from the concrete sign on Canyon Boulevard to the top of the park. Although there is no real damage to the road above the public rest rooms, he said the pavement is old and with the paving equipment on site the additional cost to do that section should be minimal.

Here the county is busy cleaning out the Sawpit Debris Basin.



Fortunately, none of the buildings in the park were damaged, though the flooding came fairly close. However, Camp Trask, above the park, was badly damaged, with its swimming pool filled to several feet over its top with mud, and the floor of the dining area also covered in mud.

There are three bridges, or "box culverts," in the park as well as the bridge on the road that goes up to Camp Trask Boy Scout Camp. Before the storm you could walk through the culverts under the road, now the lower two of the culverts are filled to the top with mud, and the top culvert has a wad of trees clogging the upper side. The bridge to Camp Trask seems to have survived nicely. 

Here is the lower box culvert. You used to be able to walk through that area below the gray pipe you see in the picture.


Here is the upper box culvert, looking at it from the lower side...


... and here it is from the upper side, clogged with trees.


In places the road has been badly undercut.



Some trees that still look okay for the moment have had their trunks and roots damaged by the debris flow, and will probably die, so they will have to be removed.

- Brad Haugaard

YMCA Grand Opening Today


The Y is reopening today. They’re celebrating with a pancake breakfast. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia To Conduct Foot Traffic Study - Particularly Around Schools; City's Financial State

At its next meeting (agenda: https://tny.im/Ij8sp) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Consider hiring Gibson Transportation Consulting for up to $46,270.00 to do a pedestrian safety study. The company would analyze existing pedestrian data and do studies of foot traffic in the city, and particularly around the schools. Details: https://tny.im/91WN

~ Receive the  Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. Despite a global pandemic, an economic recession, and the Bobcat Fire, the General Fund closed the year with an increase of $4,634,647 due to cost cuts and unexpectedly higher revenues. On the negative side, there were increases in the city's pension liability and the city has $165,210,000 in bond debt. Details: https://tny.im/DITpr

~ Receive a mid-fiscal-year financial report that recommends setting aside $1,690,000 in addition to the $1,077,000 the City Council already planned to set aside for a reserve. (The additional amount is from the city's sale of two properties on Primrose near the train station.) Also, the report recommends rehiring  for some positions that were frozen during COVID. Details: https://tny.im/NQvyf

- Brad Haugaard

Homeless Count; City's Draft Housing Element Available; Biking for Bucks Extended; Library Job; Job Fair

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

~ If you want to help in the annual homeless count on  February 22 show up at the Monrovia Community Center (119 West Palm Avenue) at 8 p.m. The count will be recorded on participants' smart phones using a mobile app. For questions email Heather Gibson at hgibson@ci.monrovia.ca.us. 

~  The revised draft housing element of the city's general plan is online, here: https://tny.im/oKOp1. If you have any thoughts about it, submit them before 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 15, to Sheri Bermejo by email at planning@ci.monrovia.ca.us or in person or by mail to City of Monrovia Planning Division, 415 S Ivy Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016. 

~ The city's Biking for Bucks rebate program has been extended to February 28. Through it the City offers to those who live or work in Monrovia a reimbursement for purchases related to bicycle transportation and accessories. Up to $350. Details: https://tny.im/iej9H

~ Monrovia has a job opening for a full time Library Supervisor $76,835-$102,966 per year. Details: https://tny.im/OJDQS

~ Monrovia Chamber of Commerce is putting on its 2022 Career Expo and Job Fair March 10 from 2-7 p.m. at Sierra Auto Group, 1450 S. Shamrock.

- Brad Haugaard