Study Says AeroVironment Drones Safe to Fly at Night

Monrovia's AeroVironment, which makes small drones, and New Mexico State University's Physical Science Lab, have studied the safety of flying small drones at night in American skies and concluded that it's safe. http://goo.gl/lp6e5

- Brad Haugaard

More Filming for Monrovia?

Monrovia is hoping to make filming in town easier by entering into a contract with Film LA, a firm that "helps film companies with obtaining permit fees and other tasks," according to the latest issue of Monrovia Historic Preservation Group's newsletter, Preservation Conversation.

From the newsletter: "It is felt that such an agreement would facilitate making the process easier and less time-consuming for the film companies. Because many of the film companies in Los Angeles prefer to shoot on locations within 30 miles of the studios (which Monrovia is), the city could once again become a mecca for filming."

The report adds that Film LA plans to be at an April City Council meeting.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Library: Calling All Book Scribblers!

Monrovia Public Library is conducting a study of "marginalia." (That's a fancy word for people scribbling in the margins of their books.) If you would like to participate in the survey, click here: http://goo.gl/0u8k3

- Brad Haugaard

Opinion: Patch's Push to Modify Legal Ads Law is a Good Thing

If you have followed MonroviaNow for a long time, you may recall me expressing serious doubts about the ability of AOL's Patch chain of local-news websites - including Monrovia Patch - to survive. I still have doubts, but in reading this article ( http://goo.gl/6iheU ) I find that AOL is pushing to have an antiquated law changed, and if it succeeds I think the California Patch websites could survive and maybe even thrive. Years ago I wrote my assemblyman urging just such a change, but maybe with AOL's clout something will happen.

This antiquated law requires that legal notices (those tiny-print columns of text that you used to skip over in the back of your newspaper when you used to read a newspaper) must be printed in a newsPAPER. The logic, which was probably good in the 1800s, was that there is certain information that businesses and local governments must put in front of the eyes of the public, and so those businesses and governments must buy advertising to do that. And that, of course, is a nice source of revenue for newspapers.

But today, newspapers are declining and online news is growing, and it is increasingly reasonable that online-only publications be allowed to accept legal advertising if they can show they have adequate readership.

Obviously, this would benefit Patch and other local online-only media (maybe even MonroviaNow), but I suspect newspapers will have a conniption fit as that is probably one of the few revenue sources keeping their paper versions alive. But newspapers could still run legal ads (in paper or online), so the only real difference is that newsPAPERs wouldn't be the ONLY venue for running the ads.

Now, a related argument is this: Why require legal ads at all since a government database can make the information just as easily available to the public as if it was published in a local news outlet?

Hmm... good point. The only arguments I can think of in reply are that the government may see value in pushing the information out there where it is in people's faces, or it may see value in supporting local news media, but I gotta admit, those responses are pretty weak.

- Brad Haugaard

Power Tower Construction Above Monrovia - Good Roads, Too

What appears to be a recently-dug footing for a new power tower.

If you happen to see helicopters buzzing around in the hills above Monrovia, the reason is that Southern California Edison is putting up additional power transmission towers and lines above Monrovia as part of the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project. The project will bring electricity from solar and wind plants in the Tehachapi area into the LA area ( http://goo.gl/ODop3 ). The cool thing if you are a mountain biker is that Edison has graded the road from White Saddle up to, and including, Rincon Road. Silky smooth. Before it was rutted, rocky and loose.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia over San Marino :-)

In baseball, Monrovia beats San Marino 4-3. Photos here: http://goo.gl/oUHI4

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Schools: Flat Enrollment After Years of Declines?

Among other things, at its March 27, 7 p.m. meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/G90IE ), the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ hear a report saying: "For 2013-14 the student enrollment is projected to remain unchanged from 2012-13 at 5,951. After a decade of declining enrollment, district enrollment may have stabilized due to the graduation of the large kindergarten classes of the 1990's." But still, the district is estimating it will need a net of one fewer staff member (down one at Bradoaks and one at Clifton and up one at Monroe). http://goo.gl/mPPgm

~ approve funding for making the MHS Band and Choir Room safer in an earthquake.

~ hear a report on expenditures for maintenance, and another on expenditures for facilities.

~ consider approving a contract with Moss, Levy & Hartzheim, LLP to do the district's audits.

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Drone Tracks Sea Lions | Corn Toss

~ University of Alaska uses drone from Monrovia's AeroVironment to study sea lion populations. http://goo.gl/ABTI3

~ Monrovia High's Big M Boosters will hold a corn toss fundraiser. A corn toss is "similar to horseshoes except you use wooden boxes called Corn Toss platforms and corn/bean bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes." Details: http://goo.gl/EHBzE

- Brad Haugaard

Registered to Vote? | Who Gave to Each Monrovia Council Candidate

~ If you want to vote in the Monrovia municipal election, make sure you are registered by this Monday, March 25. Info here: http://goo.gl/934a5

~ Three lists of who gave to each of the three Monrovia City Council candidates, from Patch:

- Alexander Blackburn http://goo.gl/acV1z
- Robert Parry http://goo.gl/n9pVY
- Larry Spicer http://goo.gl/7lGIr

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Max's Mexican Cuisine

Had lunch at Max's Mexican Cuisine, which is apparently in Monrovia though right across from Sonic - I thought it was Duarte. Got carnitas taco with noodle soup from the lunch menu with ice tea. For two of us, $20.82 plus tip. Bright atmosphere, good service and really good tacos. Meat tender and nicely seasoned.

- Brad Haugaard

Details on Monrovia's Five-Year Plan

The Monrovia City Council will hold a study session on Tuesday, March 26, at 6 p.m. at City Hall to discuss how to implement its five-year plan priorities: Long-Term Fiscal Responsibility, Economic Development, Infrastructure and Facility Maintenance, Historic Preservation, Public Safety, Environmental Stewardship. Here is the 71-page document the council will be working from if you are low on reading material: http://goo.gl/z7NgT

- Brad Haugaard

Doubt About Kurt Scoby Playing Football for Monrovia

Hmmm. Some serious doubt about whether Kurt Scoby will play football for Monrovia. http://goo.gl/tfZMo

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Firefighters to Climb 1,400 Stairs | Drunk Driver Stoppers | Egg Hunt

~ At the instigation of Firefighter/paramedic Jason Norton, on April 6, nearly a dozen Monrovia Firefighters will participate in the American Lung Cancer's 2013 "Fight for Air Climb" by ascending 1,400 stairs at the 850-foot AON Center - the second tallest building in downtown Los Angeles - in full firefighter gear. You can donate here: http://goo.gl/VFdHb

~ Mothers Against Drunk Drivers has recognized Monrovia Police Officer Gerald Dehart for 25 DUI Arrests in 2012. MADD also recognized Reserve Officer Fred Hirigoyen and volunteers Jerry Ferguson and Keith Green, who received the Team Award for overall support of DUI enforcement with more than 25 assists each.

~ Annual Spring Egg Hunt and Healthy Kid's Day Event on Saturday, March 30, at 10 a.m., at Recreation Park. Registration for all egg hunts for kids ages 0-16 begins at 9:45 a.m.

Source: My Monrovia newsletter - http://goo.gl/1p3V5

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Top Priorities

On Feb. 9, the City Council named the City of Monrovia's top priorities for the next five years:

- Long-Term Fiscal Responsibility
- Economic Development
- Infrastructure and Facility Maintenance
- Historic Preservation
- Public Safety
- Environmental Stewardship

Source: City newsletter

- Brad Haugaard

Weinermobile Comes to Monrovia

Pictures of Oscar Mayer Weinermobile making a visit to Monrovia. http://goo.gl/qJiAp

- Brad Haugaard