Pottery Ranch Coming Down

The old Pottery Ranch is now being torn down to make way for a Jack in the Box.

Monrovia Misses Bond Payment | Green Dot has Best Card | Kitchen Nightmares | Upstream

~ Monrovia missed a bond payment on June 1, according to Bloomberg, apparently because of a legal complication. Bloomberg says some city bond payments were disrupted following the state government's abolition of redevelopment agencies. http://goo.gl/9a6lg

~ Monrovia's Green Dot Gold Prepaid Visa Card has been named the Best Card for Alternative Checking Account by Card Hub'€™s 2012 Prepaid Cards Report. http://goo.gl/vMvLF

~ Kitchen Nightmares to film in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/9XRDy

~ The calypso band Upstream at Library Park this Sunday, July 8, 7- 8:30 p.m. Here's a video of the group: http://goo.gl/R82HN

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Library Closed Third and Fourth | Hiring Police

~ Monrovia Library will be closed July 3 as well as July 4. http://goo.gl/R7NIH

~ Monrovia PD is hiring officers: http://goo.gl/MnKe3 and http://goo.gl/73oJL

- Brad Haugaard

Books on Sale at Friends of the Monrovia Library Bookstore

Books and media with a blue dot on the spine are half-price. While some items are individually priced, regular prices range from $0.25 to $2.00.

The Friends Store is located inside the Monrovia Public Library. Store hours are Monday-Wednesday 10 a.m.â€"5 p.m. and Thursdayâ€"Saturday, noonâ€"5 p.m.

Also, the Friends has launched a newly designed web site, featuring additional items sold at Amazon. Visit the online store at http://goo.gl/wBAsr

- Brad Haugaard

Should Monrovia Help Former City Manager Sell House without Taking Loss?

Former Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa asks for Monrovia's help to sell his previous house without taking a loss, according to Councilman Tom Adams: http://goo.gl/mTkzc

- Brad Haugaard

Newspaper Reporting Monrovia Councilman Has Criminal Record

Monrovia Weekly is reporting that Monrovia City Council member Larry Spicer has a criminal record, though it appears to be from long ago. Spicer was appointed to the Monrovia City Council to stand in for Clarence Shaw, who is on active duty with the Army. http://goo.gl/QqVsz

- Brad Haugaard

Performance of Cinderella

Quite a few Monrovians are involved in a production of Cinderella, at St. James Church (2033 East Washington Blvd.) in Pasadena. It just opened and performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets at the door or write showlights.theater@gmail.com . Some pictures from the rehersal: http://goo.gl/NDzYG

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Wing Stop

Lunch at Wing Stop, in Pavillions center at Foothill and Myrtle. Got a six-wing (Louisiana Rub style) special with fries and a drink for about $8.25 with tax. Greasy goodness. Filling and tasty.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Senator: No Transparency, No Balanced Budget, No Likelihood of Tax Passing

Video: Senator Bob Huff, who represents Monrovia, complains that Republicans are learning budget information from the newspapers before they get it from their colleagues. He also said while Sacramento has made $3 billion in cuts, it has added much more in spending. Finally, he doubts the proposed tax increase will pass since the cigarette tax failed. http://goo.gl/MrROs

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia to Get Redesigned Website; Contracts with Lobbying Firm, Chamber of Commerce

At its July 3 meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/juc1c ) the Monrovia City Council will consider several one-year contract extensions, including ...

~ With Mad Haus Creative, to redesign (and host and maintain) the city's website for $21,600. The company already hosts and maintains the website. (Comment: $21,600 seems a very fair price for redesigning, hosting and maintaining the site, but it seems very high for just hosting/maintaining. Since redesign is just an occasional cost, I think I'd break this into two separate contracts, one for redesign and one for maintenance/hosting.)

~ with the Washington D.C. lobbying firm, David Turch and Associates, for $24,000.

~ With the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce (for $48,688) to help the city produce "city-wide events and marketing opportunities."

The Fourth of July in Monrovia's Library Park | Count Butterflies

~ The Fourth of July in Monrovia will feature a free concert and fireworks show in Library Park, with the 60's and 70's music of Person to Person beginning at 7 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m. Adjoining streets will be closed. No BBQs are permitted at Library Park. Also, personal fireworks (including sparklers) are prohibited in Monrovia. Comment: It is GREAT! Come early.

~ Count butterflies in Monrovia Canyon Park for the North American Butterfly Association. Join rangers and volunteers for a hike to learn about the butterflies of the region, their role in the native ecology, and to participate in the national survey. Dress for hiking, and bring water, food and sun protection. Saturday, July 14, 8:30 a.m. â€" 2:30 p.m. $10 per participant (includes $5 parking). Maximum 20 people. Call (626) 256-8282 to get involved.

Source: City Manager's weekly email report

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia City Manager: State Power Grab 'Unconscionable'

Monrovia City Manager Laurie Lile says the state government is grabbing too much power. In her weekly email report, she writes:

One of the budget trailer bills, AB1484, vested the State Department of Finance with an extraordinary amount of authority to withhold City’s property tax and sales tax if, in the judgment of the state, the payments required through the dissolution of the redevelopment agencies are not adequate.  Our staff is reviewing the bill’s language to better gauge the potential impact to our community; however, despite the immediate financial impact, the power that the state has created for itself to take away resources at a local level is unprecedented and unconscionable.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Schools Among Most Improved in San Gabriel Valley | Green Dot to Issue Its Own Prepaid Visas and Mastercards

~ According to a report in the Star-News, of San Gabriel Valley schools, Monrovia showed some of the biggest improvements, "increasing its graduation rate to 87.9 percent from 84.3 percent and lowering its dropout rate to 6.3 percent from 9.3 percent." http://goo.gl/xPZQg

~ Monrovia's Green Dot will now be able to issue its own prepaid Mastercard and Visa cards through its own bank, Green Dot Bank, which used to be Bonneville Bank until Green Dot bought it. http://goo.gl/VS8wa

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Canyon Continuation School is a 'Model'

Canyon Oaks High School is now a Model Continuation School for California, according to the latest edition of the city's Monrovia Today magazine.

The magazine says: "The school earned a perfect score from the WASC Accrediting Commission, which certifies and validates a school's quality of education."

- Brad Haugaard

Metro Board: No Money to Extend Gold Line

From Gold Line Spokesman Habib Balian:

"We are disappointed, but not surprised today after the Metro board approved the ballot initiative to extend Measure R for an additional 30-years (to 2069) with no funding for the Gold Line Foothill Extension to Claremont.

"There were many comments made at the meeting in support of completing the Foothill Extension to Claremont as required by Measure R.  The many who have advocated on the projects' behalf stressed that  Metro is not meeting the 2008 voter mandate; a congressional letter read during the meeting called attention specifically to provisions of the enabling legislation which "delineated the Gold Line Foothill Extension as terminating in Claremont."  Unfortunately, contrary to law,  the board did not amend the expenditure plan to include the project to Claremont.

"The project is once again grateful to Congress members Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, Grace Napolitano and Joe Baca for submitting the letter (below) to the record today that urged Metro to amend the expenditure plan and include funding for completion of the project to Claremont. Their support and dedication to the project has never been stronger. I also want to thank California Senator Dr. Ed Hernandez who continues to work on our behalf in Sacramento to amend the enabling legislation (AB1446) currently moving through the Senate.

"In addition, La Verne Councilwoman Robin Carder, former-Claremont Mayor Al Leiga (also a former Construction Authority board member), Phil Hawkey from the University of La Verne and Katie Gagnon from the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership attended the meeting today and spoke on behalf of completing the Foothill Extension to Claremont. We thank them for their dedication to the project.

"The issue now goes to the Board of Supervisors for their approval. If passed, the initiative will be on the November 2012 ballot."

- Brad Haugaard