Pix of Monrovia Parade | Green Dot Deal | Gold Line Backing Off Parking Promise?

~ Pictures of the Monrovia Day Parade. http://goo.gl/XAHMa

~ Monrovia's Green Dot has signed a deal with Dollar Tree to distribute Green Dot's prepaid credit cards. http://goo.gl/oaUma

~ Arcadia is worried that the Gold Line may not build as substantial a parking center at the train station as originally indicated. Hmmm, I wonder if there are Monrovia implications here. http://goo.gl/enlpC

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Mayor Gets Dunked

Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz gets well soaked at the dunk tank at the Monrovia Days celebration.

Scenes from Monrovia Days

Old Seagrave fire engine, in need of restoration; Monrovia Reads bus; Boy Scouts, etc.

- Brad Haugaard

"Tommy," Monrovia's 1917 Seagrave fire engine, was purchased after the La Vista Grande hotel fire in 1916. Fire Chief George C. King asked the city leaders for a more effective fire apparatus. The city authorized the purchase of this 350-gallon, six-cylinder Seagrave motor-pumping continuous pumping hose and chemical truck for $5,000. In 2003 Monrovian Susan Motander tracked down the truck in Nevada and bought it for $4,000, then donated it to the Monrovia Fire Department. With citizen contributions, help from Coachcraft Auto Body, and from Brian Soash of Foothill Towing, "Tommy" will be restored to its original state.

Second Monrovia Fountain to Falls Race Gets Started

Runners approach Myrtle and Hillcrest in the second annual Fountain to the Falls race. The beginning of Monrovia Days events.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Math Instructor Loses Battle with Cancer

Monrovia High math instructor Ricardo (Ricky) Martin passed away Friday, May 11, after a courageous battle with brain cancer. He taught mathematics since 2006. "Mr. Martin's daughter specifically requested that Monrovia High School students know that her family deeply thanks them for being in her father's life and making his life so meaningful." http://goo.gl/czAVw

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board to Consider Contract with Web Hosting Company

At its Wednesday, May 23, 7 p.m. meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/jvFte ), the Monrovia School Board will, among other things, consider a web hosting contract with School Loop for $13,974 a year, of which the district will pay $5,589.

Opinion: I complained about the cost of this as originally presented and am glad to see it is now $8,184 less. Though I think $13,974 is still far too high, this is significantly better.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Assemblyman to Unions: Bring it On! | Huff on Budget

~ The Service Employees International Union California is opposing the reelection of Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represents part of Monrovia ( http://goo.gl/0FTXD ). On his Facebook page Donnelly writes: "If you stand up for common sense and living within our means, the unions will target you for removal from office. Bring it on!"

~ Video: Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, is not impressed with the Governor Brown's May Budget Revision. http://goo.gl/mMMGU

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Starlight Express

Lunch at Starlight Express Chinese Food in the Pavilions center. I got the two-item combo with teriyaki chicken, and tofu with green beans for $8.03. Very generous, especially with the chicken. Tasted fine.

- Brad Haugaard

Will Gold Line Stop at Azusa for Foreseeable Future?

It appears the staff of the Metro feels the Gold line will not be extended past Azusa to Claremont until around 2050 ... maybe.

Gold Line spokesman Habib Balian says that Metro staff "assumes the Foothill Extension to Claremont won't be fully funded until all other Measure R projects are completed and the Measure R debt service is paid off. They anticipate that will occur around the year 2050, and then 'because we are priority project,' the extension to Claremont would 'likely' be first in line for funding.

Habib adds, "This contradicts the 2008 initiative, when the project was clearly defined from Pasadena to Claremont - a key point of the Congress Members letter [ http://goo.gl/PR1wE ], as they urge Metro to correct this error in the upcoming Expenditure Plan."

Source: Gold Line press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Over Chino | Police vs. Fire

~ Monrovia Wildcats score 6-2 win over visiting Chino in a CIF-Southern Section Division 4 first-round baseball playoff game. http://goo.gl/m0Tqy

~ Monrovia Police vs Monrovia Fire in basketball. http://goo.gl/uP7KW

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia City Website Hacked to Stop Global Warming

Checking this morning I find that the Monrovia City Website has been hacked and the pages replaced with this message to "stop global warming!" (I guess Monrovia being recognized as a green city was not good enough for them.) If you'd like to see for yourself: http://www.ci.monrovia.ca.us/ or http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/

Opinion: Some unsolicited advice. Apparently Warwick, Rhode Island, was similarly hacked (according to LatinHackTeam's Twitter comment) so maybe the folks there, who now have their website up and running, know a good solution: http://www.warwickri.gov/

Update: The city site is back online
   

- Brad Haugaard

Getting Ready to Pour Concrete in June for Gold Line Bridge

Reinforcing steel is being added to the Gold Line freeway bridge form for the major concrete pour in June. Over 500 tons of rebar will be installed to support the main superstructure and cross beam. http://goo.gl/0TNjd

- Brad Haugaard

Free Calendars at Monrovia Fire Department | Fourth of July | Death on 210 | CPR | Brush Clearance

Fire Department calendars available.

~ Free 2012 fire department calendars still available. Pick one up at Fire Department headquarters at 141 E. Lemon. http://goo.gl/LJt8O

 

~ If you would like to contribute to a bang-up Monrovia Fourth of July celebration, click here: http://goo.gl/pCFWe

 

~ Pasadena man dies on 210 Freeway in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/wSw90

 

~ Spend ten minutes to learn CPR from a Monrovia firefighter. June 7 from 9:00 a.m. to noon in front of the library. http://goo.gl/LJt8O

 

~ Brush clearance tips here: http://goo.gl/LJt8O

 

- Brad Haugaard

Local Congress Members Say Gold Line Should Develop Comprehensive Plan

Congress members Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, and Grace Napolitano have written to the Gold Line suggesting that "Metro should develop a comprehensive spending plan to implement a truly regional transportation system" before a measure goes on the November ballot "to make permanent the Measure R half-­cent tax." The issue, according to the Congress members, is that Measure R says the Gold Line should go out to Claremont but only provides funds for it to go out to Azusa.

Source: Gold Line press release

- Brad Haugaard

Watch Out! Monrovia Police Looking for Unbuckled Seat Belts

The Monrovia Police Department will be participating in the 2012 National Click It or Ticket campaign, May 21-June 3, during which there will be "maximum high-visibility seatbelt enforcement both day and night."

- Brad Haugaard