A Moment in Monrovia History: Ward's Photo Shop

Ward's Photo Shops. William Ward was the unofficial city photographer in the 1920s-1940s.. See full details here. From the William Ward collection. Identifying information from Kim Ward Anderson.

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 Secondary Schools to Reopen Monday, April 19

Letter from Superintendent Katherine Thorossian regarding the reopening of Monrovia's secondary schools.

The Reopening of Secondary Schools begins Monday, April 19 and we are so excited for the return of our secondary students for in-person instruction. Monrovia Unified is working hard to ensure a welcoming environment for our students, as their return to school will feel vastly different to years past.

Throughout the week, our secondary schools have provided communications to families regarding cohort assignments and have been conducting campus tours for sixth- and ninth-grade students, as well as students who are new to Monrovia Unified.

To prepare our students and families for their return, our school sites have also hosted seminar classes, with instructional videos and virtual assemblies.

Students will be asked to submit a daily health screening prior to arriving on campus and their temperature will be checked before entering campus. Within campuses, directional signs and floor markers have been placed to ensure social distancing and proper movement through hallways.

Arrival and dismissal procedures vary by school and those plans have been communicated to families. Should you have any questions, please contact your individual school site.

As we move forward with the reopening of our secondary schools, the health and safety of our entire school community remains our priority. We are hopeful that as Los Angeles County continues moving toward the minimal risk yellow tier, Monrovia Unified can begin exploring options for end-of-the-year, in-person student activities, and commencement ceremonies.

Though we do not have information on these events yet, we will share plans as soon as they become available.

Please continue to practice health and safety protocols, and we will see some of you on Monday for the Reopening of Secondary Schools!

Sincerely,

Dr. Katherine Thorossian

Superintendent

City Seeks Residents Thoughts on Environmental Justice

Monrovia is looking for feedback on what concerns residents regarding the new environmental justice element for its general plan.

Here's an online survey:  https://is.gd/cmS0rk

And a Zoom workshop on Environmental Justice on April 29, at 6 p.m. https://is.gd/xUrnIK

- Brad Haugaard

Small Businesses Can Sign Up to Get Free Personal Protective Equipment on April 27

Monrovia businesses (and other county businesses) with fewer than 100 employees can get a free 30-day supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees on April 27, from 11-4 at Santa Anita Park.

But businesses have to sign up in advance. Do that here: ppeunite.org/sign-up

PPE Unite is a joint public/private effort to give small businesses and organizations access to needed personal protective gear to keep their staff and employees safe. The program gives access to PPE, promotes PPE use, and provides additional resources for businesses.

- Brad Haugaard

City to Post 'No Parking - Residents Only' Signs Near Clamshell Trail

Ridgeside near Clamshell trail.

City Manager Dylan Feik reports that the city will add nine more signs in the Ridgeside/Oakglade area to persuade people not to park near the entry point of Lower Clamshell Trail. The signs will say, "No Parking - Residents Only."

If you want to know why people are being forbidden to park in a location that appears perfect for people to park without disturbing the neighbors, it is because it was a condition the city had to meet to get an easement to allow the trail to be opened. See here for details: https://is.gd/T5hUX2. 

- Brad Haugaard

John Watson and Hal Leavens Win Community Champions Award

Monrovians John Watson and Hal Leavens have won the Community Champions Award from the California Parks and Recreation Society.

 For 18 years, John and Hal have spent one Saturday a month going door to door to welcome new residents to Monrovia. They have visited well over 10,000 families, spending about 30 minutes with the new families reviewing a packet of information highlighting the programs, events, services, and clubs in town.

- Brad Haugaard

City Council to Consider Electric Vehicle Charging Stations for Old Town

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

At its next meeting (agenda: https://is.gd/LQjQRt) the Monrovia City Council will consider installing 12 electric vehicle charging stations around town for both city and public use. The equipment and installation will cost up to $112,600, paid for by the AQMD Motor Vehicle Subvention Fund.

The equipment will be installed at the City Corporate Yard, 600 S. Mountain; City Hall, 415 S. Ivy; City Police Department, 140 E. Lime; and City Parking Lot #4, 100 block of E. Lemon. https://is.gd/0rZmL2

- Brad Haugaard

MODA Apartments Sells for $100 Million

The MODA apartment complex next to the Monrovia train station has been sold for $100 million. https://is.gd/BtBjtR

- Brad Haugaard

Trader Joe's Recalls Tortilla Chips for Undeclared Milk

Monrovia-based Trader Joe's is recalling its Restaurant Style White Corn Tortilla Chips (SKU# 58073) that product with Sell By date codes of 08/09/21,  08/10/21, and 08/11/21 as the chips may contain undeclared milk. https://is.gd/e8yPH6

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian to Head Cal State LA Project to Overhaul STEM Education

 Gustavo Menezes, the grant's lead principal investigator, teaching students in a civil engineering class at Cal State LA. (Photo by J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)

Monrovia resident Gustavo Menezes, professor of civil engineering at Cal State LA, will coordinate a $2 million  project designed to transform STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.

The college has been awarded a $2 million grant by the National Science Foundationto improve undergraduate education in STEM through a new model of teaching and learning.

The four-year grant will enable the university's College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology to create Eco-STEM, a healthy education "ecosystem" designed to facilitate learning for all students regardless of their backgrounds.

The new model aims to shift the mental model of faculty, develop the capacity of department chairs and program coordinators, and reform the teaching evaluation system to promote a culture of reflection and self-improvement.

Source: Cal State LA press release

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 12 New Cases, 1 New Death

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 04/14/2021. Changes since 04/07/2021.

City of Monrovia: 3,152 cases (up 12), 75 deaths (up 1)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 370 cases (up 4), no deaths

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Homeowner Catches Burglar; Attack-Girlfriend Arrested; Blowing Leaves While Intoxicated; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 8-14. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 354 service events, resulting in 69 investigations.

Residential Burglary – Suspect Arrested
April 8 at 7:00 p.m., a resident in the 2100 block of S. Myrtle was returning home and saw a female adult crawling out the homeowner’s bedroom window. The suspect had personal property in her arms belonging to the resident. The suspect fled on foot with the property, and the resident called police. Officers arrived and detained the suspect a short distance away from the residence. The suspect was positively identified by the victim and was arrested.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
April 8 at 7:41 p.m., a traffic collision was reported at the intersection of Central and Myrtle. The victim said she was stopped for the red light, when a vehicle directly behind her changed lanes and hit the back of her vehicle. The suspect driver fled. Officers checked the area, but were unable to locate the suspect vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
April 9 at 3:16 a.m., a male subject who lives in the 500 block of E. Lemon called police to report a domestic violence incident. He reported that his live-in girlfriend started hitting and kicking him while he was asleep. The victim managed to lock the suspect outside and called the police. Officers arrived and found the suspect beating on the front door. The victim sustained minor injuries, and the suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered
April 9 at 6:45 p.m., a resident from the 200 block of E. Chestnut called police to report an abandoned vehicle parked near his home. Officers arrived and found the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Granada Hills. The vehicle was recovered and removed from the stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
April 10 at 3:26 a.m., police responded to an alarm activation at a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington. Officers arrived and found the front window of the business had been shattered and the suspects were already gone. The investigation revealed the suspects tried to open a safe, but were unsuccessful. Nothing else was reported stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
April 10 at 8:23 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of E. Chestnut called to report that his vehicle was vandalized sometime during the night. The driver-side front and rear windows were shattered. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
April 10 at 8:49 a.m., a resident in the 400 block of N. Canyon called to report that his vehicle was broken into and money was missing from the center console. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Tampering – Suspect Arrested
April 10 at 10:21 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of W. Colorado called to report a suspicious subject checking vehicle door handles in a nearby parking lot. Officers arrived and located the suspect, who was positively identified by the witness. He was placed under arrest and released on a citation. Prior to the officers leaving, the suspect began sweating profusely and his face turned red. Paramedics were summoned, and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Theft / Warrants / Wanted Person – Suspect Arrested
April 10 at 6:49 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill regarding a theft that just occurred. They located the suspect, who was positively identified by witnesses. During the investigation, it was discovered that the suspect also had outstanding warrants and was wanted by Monrovia Police Department for violating a court order. He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto
April 11 at 3:24 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of S. Fifth heard his car alarm go off. He looked outside and discovered his vehicle was missing. Officers arrived and checked the area, but the vehicle was not located. It was entered into the stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Theft Attempt
April 11 at 6:18 p.m., officers responded to the 1100 block of S. Fifth regarding an attempted theft of rims and tires at an apartment garage. Two male suspects in a gray Honda Accord were attempting to remove the tires, when they were confronted by a witness. The suspects fled the scene. Officers responded, but were unable to locate the suspects. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
April 12 at 3:09 a.m., officers responded to a burglary alarm in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle. Upon arrival they saw the north window of the store was broken. The window was broken with a rock, but no suspects had made entry into the building. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Tampering
April 12 at 4:06 a.m., a resident in the 500 block of W. Palm heard an alarm sounding on his vehicle. When he went outside, he saw the door on his vehicle was open and a male suspect was walking away. Officers arrived, but the suspect had fled the area. The vehicle had been left unlocked and nothing was taken. This investigation is continuing.

Violation of Court Order
April 12 at 4:12 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of Highland reported that her ex-boyfriend, whom she has a restraining order against, has been unlawfully sending her text messages. Officers conducted an investigation, and this case is being forwarded to the District Attorney’s office for prosecution.

Vehicle Burglary
April 12 at 6:33 p.m., officers responded to the 500 block of Linwood regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim said his vehicle had been broken into sometime during the night. An investigation revealed the suspects had taken his key fob and clothing items. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
April 12 at 7:48 p.m., officers responded to the 600 block of W. Huntington regarding a theft that had just occurred. A male suspect entered a business and ripped the phone and display rack from the counter. The suspect then exited the store and ran from the area. Officers were unable to locate the suspect. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 12:32 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of W. Pomona regarding an intoxicated subject running a leaf blower. Officers contacted the subject and determined he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Possession of a Controlled Substance / Warrants – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 3:46 a.m., officers were on patrol in the 1800 block of Santa Fe when they located a subject sleeping inside a vehicle with a drug needle sitting in his lap. He woke up when contacted by officers, and the investigation revealed the subject was also in possession of multiple controlled substances. Further investigation showed he had multiple warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Graffiti Vandalism
April 13 at 7:55 a.m., the manager of a school for boys in the 100 block of E. Palm arrived at work and discovered fresh graffiti on the building wall. The graffiti occurred sometime during the night. Athens graffiti removal was notified. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto / Motorcycle
April 13 at 7:52 p.m., officers responded to the 500 block of E. Cherry regarding a theft of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. The victim parked his motorcycle on the street in front of his residence on April 8. He returned back from a business trip on April 13 and discovered his motorcycle was missing. The motorcycle was entered into the stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision / DUI
April 14 at 1:12 a.m., officers responded to the 800 block of E. Huntington regarding a traffic collision. A witness stopped to check on the driver's welfare and reported smelling alcohol. Further investigation revealed the intoxicated driver was driving east on Huntington and crashed into the back of a parked truck. Officers arrived and the driver was transported to a hospital for a head injury and possible broken ribs.

Theft – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 1:07 p.m., an employee of a convenience store in the 400 block of W. Foothill reported a male subject had just stolen from the store and fled south on Alta Vista. He advised this subject continuously steals from the store. Officers quickly arrived and located the suspect. He was positively identified and was arrested. The stolen property was returned to the store.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 8:51 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of W. Foothill regarding a subject disturbing customers. Upon arrival, it was determined the subject was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested for public intoxication and held for a sobering period.

City Wants Volunteers for Boards and Commissions

Monrovia is now accepting applications for volunteers to serve on several city boards and commissions for terms beginning July 2021. The deadline to apply is Monday, May 10.  https://is.gd/sxg8FY

Openings on: Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, Community Services Commission, Library Board, Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board (MOTAB).

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Chicken King Express

Lunch at Chicken King Express, in the mini shopping center on the north side of Foothill just east of Mayflower. Got the Chicken Kebob Plate for $12.50 and a Coke for $1.50. Very nice. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police Department: No Poison In Meat Found on Norumbega

The Monrovia Police Department has announced that the suspicious meat packages found on Norumbega have been analyzed and there was no evidence of poisoning. 

The police department released this statement:

There has recently been concern about meat and other food items being discarded in the area of the Norumbega Loop. These concerns were shared with the Monrovia Police Department (MPD) and other City of Monrovia departments, including our contracted animal control partners, the Pasadena Humane Society (PHS). As a result, over the past month the Monrovia Police Department has responded to numerous calls for service and taken the suspicious meat packages and other food items as evidence. With the help of PHS, samples of the recovered meat were submitted for chemical testing at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at U.C. Davis. In addition a sample was sent by a private citizen to the same laboratory. We have now received all of these reports completed by the laboratory, which confirmed that there was no evidence of poison or other tampering in any of the submitted samples.

We hope that this news will assuage any fears that any person(s) is/are deliberately attempting to poison or harm any animals, either domestic or wild. It appears the person(s) is/are simply attempting to feed wildlife in the area. Feeding or attempting to feed wildlife is a violation of Monrovia Municipal Code section 6.30.010 , which states that "No person shall feed or in any manner provide food for one or more non-domesticated mammalian wildlife, including but not limited to bears, deer, mountain lions, coyotes, raccoons, opossum, mice, rats, skunks, squirrels or feral cats." 

We will continue to monitor the situation and work with our partners at PHS as needed to abate the problem. If anyone sees someone leaving meat or other food out for wildlife in violation of MMC 6.30.010, please contact our MPD Communications Center at 256-8088 for a police response. With regards to any meat or other food items found by citizens, at this point we believe it would be safe to treat it as garbage and dispose of it accordingly. Should any citizen not feel comfortable doing this, MPD will respond and collect the meat or other food item as provided for under our policy manual. As always, contact the us with any questions or concerns about this issue.

- Brad Haugaard