Yard Sales / No Review of Conviction / No Contest

~ Cool, a list of yard sale locations in Monrovia for Jan. 10-16. http://goo.gl/pUPVw
 
~ State Supreme Court will not review conviction in the stabbing deaths of a Monrovia couple. http://goo.gl/eyNWa
 
~ Monrovian enters no contest plea in killing of Arcadia man. http://goo.gl/sSUf6
 
- Brad Haugaard

Loopnet Leaving Town / Monrovia Spy Plane

~ Loopnet, a Monrovia-based online real estate listing service, is moving to Glendora. http://goo.gl/merWc
 
~ More on huge spy plane built by Monrovia's AeroVironment: http://goo.gl/zAG58
 
- Brad Haugaard

Tom Adams - Mayor of Bras

Not only is Tom Adams Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Monrovia, but according to his Twitter postings he is also "mayor" of various businesses and organizations around town, including Little Caesars, Monrovia Community Center, and, of course, Wizard of Bras.

Congratulations, Tom!

Actually, he is just using an online game/tool called foursquare.

And just kidding, Tom. That's okay isn't it Tom? Tom?

- Brad Haugaard ( See Tom's comment ===> )

What's Objectionable about 'Rent' Play?

Since the Monrovia School District thought the play Rent was inappropriate for a high school play, I thought I'd skim through it to see what might be objectionable. You can read it yourself, here: http://goo.gl/M2GEe

UPDATE:I should make clear that this is from a script I found on the Internet. If the play the High School was thinking of putting on has been modified, then the information below may not fully apply.

Well, it is certainly very racy and gritty. There are scenes that are distinctly sexual. Not something I'd go to. Here are a few clips and comments about the script, and note that the stuff below is pretty strong in itself:
 
~ It uses very crude language in places. It lets you know right away it's not Oklahoma! You run into your first "sh_t" in the opening lines and in various places thereafter, and there is the "f" word in its various iterations, including the one with "mother" in front of it.

~ There is drug abuse and drinking. Quoting from the script: "April buys a packet of white powder from a dealer, THE MAN, a sinewy, greasy, sleazy dope dealer" and "A heavy rain. Roger and April shoot heroin beneath a fire escape" and, as part of a toast, "To marijuana" and "Wine and beer" and, after a funeral, "C'mon. Let's go get drunk."

~ There are sex scenes and sexy scenes. From the script: "Roger and April make love." and "Maureen and Mark are making love." and "Maureen is just grinding as she dances with another guy." and "Maureen shares a passionate kiss with the man, then turns, shares another with the woman" and "Angel lies face down on the table. Mimi mimics giving it to her from behind."

~ There is suicide: "April's lifeless arm dangles over the side. A heavy stream of blood mingles with the bathwater, spilling over onto the floor."

~ There are references to various forms of sexuality: Maureen works at a sex club that features bondage. "Handcuffs. Leather. Whips." and - as part of the toast referenced above - "To sodomy. It's between God and me." and "To S and M!" and there are references to dildoes and masturbation and cross-dressing and a lesbian relationship.

~ There is Santa Claus in drag.

~ There is a crude reference or two to the birth of Christ. A song says "In this week when we celebrate the birth ... / In that little town of Bethlehem, we raise / our glass, you bet your ass to ... /
[The song is interrupted as "Maureen moons Benny's table." Then is continued by Mark] / "La Vie Boheme!"

~ A guy kills someone's pet dog by throwing it from a 23rd story window.

~ There is a strip scene, though it appears the audience only sees the backs of the actors: "Mimi and Angel throw off their leather. All bra and panties. Mimi and Angel whip off their bras. We see them from behind."

~ There is a reference to sucking on a cow's udder. [Not sure how to classify that.]

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Spy Plane / STAAR Revenue Down

~ Spy Plane - Giant AeroVironment spy drone (almost the wingspan of a 747) takes a test flight in the Mojave. Can stay in the sky for days. http://goo.gl/cCSPt
 
~ Declining Revenue - Monrovia's STAAR Surgical expects to report $14.2 million in revenue in the fourth quarter, a decrease of 28 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009. http://goo.gl/H76In
 
- Brad Haugaard

Yet More on Rent Play

~ Statement from Monrovia High principal - http://goo.gl/E0Qvq
~ Will the ACLU get involved? http://goo.gl/BUiJW
~ More details - http://goo.gl/GkKLv

What do you think?

~ Should the district consider the content of a play before allowing it to be performed?
~ Should the district ever overrule a drama teacher?
~ What guidelines, if any, should be used to determine which plays are performed at Monrovia High?

Add a comment.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Traffic Advisory

Beginning tomorrow, January 11, a long-term public works project starts on Myrtle Avenue at both the Huntington Drive and Chestnut Avenue intersections. The project will run to May 2. Work hours are between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
 
More details here: http://goo.gl/RBQsE
 
- Brad Haugaard

Hillside Ground Cover for Monrovia Area

If you want to cover a hillside with a ground-cover plant, here is a list of recommended plants compiled by the Monrovia Fire Department. The department suggests a mix of species with varying root depths for best erosion control. For more information, the department recommends this website: http://www.theodorepayne.org/ . [Posted by Brad Haugaard, Source: http://goo.gl/9sru5 ]
 
 
NOTE: Asterisk indicates plant is combustible and may need extra maintenance.

KEYS TO FLOWER COLOR: B = Blue; V = Violet/Purple; R = Red; 0 = Orange; G = Green; W = White; P = Pink; Y = Yellow

Groundcovers (for surface soil retention)
- *Achillea millefolium, Yarrow P/R/W - full sun or part shade; spreads
- Baccharis pilularis ‘Twin Peaks' or ‘Pigeon Point', Dwarf Coyote Brush W
- Ceanothus griseus horizontalis ‘Yankee Point' B
- Grasses with tough fibrous root systems (many choices)
- Mimulus spp., Monkey Flower O/P/R/Y
- Salvia spp., Groundcover Sage Varieties such as ‘Gracias,' ‘Pt. Sal,' ‘Bees Bliss'
- Epilobium canum and E. canum latifolia, California Fuchsia P/R/W (white form requires some shade)

Small Shrubs (for soil retention and limited hillside stabilization)
- *Artemisia californica, Coastal Sagebrush G/Y - aromatic, super-tough plant for dry spots
- Brickellia grandiflora, Brickell Bush W - easy to grow and tough; good for partially shaded dry spot
- Encelia californica, California Bush Sunflower Y - fast-growing and easy; reseeds; seeds appeal to birds
- *Eriogonum spp., Buckwheat P/W - especially E. fasciculatum, California Buckwheat
- Fallugia paradoxa, Apache Plume W/Y - tough plant with lovely tufted seedheads
- Isocoma menziesii, Coast Goldenbush Y - cheerful fall bloomer
- Isomeris arborea, Bladderpod Y -bright yellow flowers attract hummers and bumblebees; interesting seed pods
- Iva hayesiana, San Diego Marsh Elder - crisp green color, soft texture; spreads, takes sun or shade
- Romneya coulteri, Matilija Poppy W/Y - tough root system spreads by rhizomes
- Salvia spp., Sages B/P/R/V/W - shrubs such as Black and White Sages, Cleveland Sage, San Miguel Mtn. Sage
- Trichostema lanatum, Wooly Blue Curls B/V - likes a dry sunny spot with excellent drainage
- Yucca whipplei, Our Lord's Candle W

Large Shrubs And Trees (for hillside stabilization)
- *Adenostoma fasciculatum, Chamise W - tough-as-nails, with striking white flower clusters in spring
- Aesculus californica, California Buckeye W - one of the most ornamental native shrubs/trees
- Arctostaphylos spp., Manzanita P/W - very deep root system; many stump-sprout after fire
- Ceanothus spp., California Lilac B/V/W - especially local species; hybrids best with a little afternoon shade
- Cephalanthus occidentalis, Button Willow W - ornamental ball-shaped flowers; deciduous; likes water
- Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon W - excellent for screen or bird habitat; adaptable to wet or dry, sun or shade
- Juglans californica, Southern California Walnut - excellent small- to medium-sized shade tree; edible nuts
- Rhus spp.: *Laurel Sumac, Lemonadeberry, Sugar Bush P/W -- drought-resistant, aromatic, attaining large size
- *Pinus coulteri, Coulter Pine; at higher elevations: P. jeffreyi, Jeffrey Pine or P. ponderosa, Ponderosa Pine
- Quercus spp. (Oak) such as Q. agrifolia, Coast Live Oak; Q. dumosa, Scrub Oak; Q. wislizenii, Interior Live Oak
- Sambucus mexicana, Elderberry W/Y - pretty flower clusters and berries; takes moisture or drought

Shrubs And Trees For Erosion Control In Dry Or Moist Shade
- Alnus spp., Alder - moisture to get established
- Brickellia grandiflora, Brickell Bush W - dry
- Calycanthus occidentalis, Spice Bush R - dry or moist
- Cercis occidentalis, Western Redbud P - dry
- Cornus spp., Dogwood W - moist
- Euonymus occidentalis, Burning Bush P - moist
- Iva hayesiana, San Diego Marsh Elder - dry or moist
- Quercus chrysolepis, Canyon Live Oak - dry or moist
- Ribes spp., Currants and Gooseberries - dry or moist
- Rosa californica, Wild Rose P - moist; tolerates dry
- Salix spp., Willow - moist or wet
- Spiraea douglasii, Spiraea P - moist
- Symphoricarpos mollis, Snowberry P - dry or moist
- Umbellularia californica, CA Laurel W - dry or moist

Notes: The listed species of yarrow, sagebrush, buckwheat and grasses have fine foliage or flowers which, when dry, are easily ignitable. These species should not be planted unless you can commit to extra maintenance - regularly remove spent flowers and any dead material, train plant as a low groundcover, and keep a clear buffer zone around the patch.

Chamise is on most fire-prevention agencies' lists of fire-hazardous plants, so it is best to avoid planting it within 200' of any structure. If it is already growing in your yard and serving a good erosion-control function, just maintain it assiduously free of any dead or dying material and leaf litter, well-pruned into a light, open form, or trained low as a groundcover, and isolated from other potential fuels.

The same advice goes for laurel sumac - if it is thriving on your hillside, retain enough of it to keep serving your erosion control needs, but maintain it "lean, clean and green", as described above for chamise. If you are replacing a laurel sumac bush, try one of the other "Rhus" species listed - lemonadeberry or sugarbush, which are less resinous than the sumac.

Pines are also on most lists of fire-prone trees, and they are not well-adapted to Monrovia's warmth and dryness. Many cities and individuals are currently spending large amounts of money to remove pines that have become overgrown, so it is not recommended that you plant a pine. To maintain an existing pine, keep the pine needles cleaned up and limb the tree up to at least 6' from the ground (but no more than 1/3 of the tree's height) to prevent a fire ladder and prune away any branches that come within 10 feet of a structure.

Fire Department Gives Toys and Money

The Monrovia Fire Department received 620 toys and $1,250 in cash donations during the holiday season. Most of the toys went to the Foothill Unity Center, and some going to three local schools. The $1,250 collected was donated to the California Community Foundation. Firefighter Ernesto Moreno put in the extra work to coordinate the department's efforts.
 
Source: http://goo.gl/9sru5
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia City Manager Nervous About State Budget

Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa said he is afraid California Governor Jerry Brown may propose changing redevelopment law to help balance the state budget. He thinks eliminating redevelopment agencies could even be unconstitutional. He writes:

"This week, during Governor Brown's swearing-in, the curtain was partially pulled back to reveal some of the strategy that will be employed to help curb a mammoth $25 billion budget shortfall over the next two years. While I expect that any real solution will involve both revenue increases and service reductions - and possibly even significant structural changes in the governance and administration of the State - I was disappointed to see the wholesale elimination of the California Redevelopment Law was floated as a trial balloon. To me, this signifies more of the same short-sightedness that helped to get us into the fix we're currently in. Properly run redevelopment agencies - and the large majority of them are indeed operated ethically, responsibly and effectively - are catalysts for job creation and growth, investment, the creation of affordable housing and the elimination of blight. To eliminate redevelopment agencies in order to redirect their funding to counties in order to help pay the State's financial obligation to education is irresponsible and, probably, unconstitutional."
 
Source: http://goo.gl/9sru5
 
- Brad Haugaard

State Budget and Monrovia Clinic

A look at a Monrovia clinic that could have funding cut under Brown budget. http://goo.gl/mRwgE
 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Calendar Available

A calendar featuring celebrating Monrovia's 125th birthday is now available at the Monrovia Community Center and the Dollmaker’s Katywompus in Old Town for $10.

Source: http://goo.gl/NYKpM

- Brad Haugaard

New Monrovia School Administrators

Two new school administrators are joining the Monrovia Unified School District this month. They are:

~ Dr. Julie Vitale, the new Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services. She began with the district on January 3. http://goo.gl/NVOA9

~ Ms. Connie Wu, the new Chief Business Officer. She will be starting January 10. http://goo.gl/gusQM

- Brad Haugaard

Completion Schedule for Monrovia High Projects

If you are wondering when the various projects will be completed at Monrovia High, this image spells it out.

Also, here is the full school board agenda for the Wednesday, Jan. 12 meeting. http://goo.gl/BIe5b

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Falls Pix / Wrestlers Edged by La Canada / Wiz of Bras

~ A very cool comparison picture showing the waterfalls at Monrovia Canyon Park in 1890 and today. Amazing difference (I mean, aside from color vs. black-and-white): http://goo.gl/Ovauj
 
~ Monrovia Falls Pix / Wildcat Wrestlers Fall to La Canada / Wiz of Bras
 
~ Interview with owner of The Wizard of Bras. http://goo.gl/qcpNS
 
- Brad Haugaard