Monrovia Library Staffer Dies | Brewery Delayed | More Liquor | Class Cancelled | Liu Welfare Bill
~ An application to put a microbrewery at 130 East Walnut Ave. has been withdrawn by the applicant, but the Monrovia Planning Staff is working with the brewmaster to find a suitable location in town. http://goo.gl/7L2bS
~ Mimi's, Oto Oto Japanese restaurant, and the upcoming Smashburger restaurant (at the old Acapulco site) have all asked for city permission to sell more types of alcohol. http://goo.gl/7L2bS
~ The Union 76 service station at Myrtle and Pomona is going to get a face lift, with an expanded convenience store and a repair facility. http://goo.gl/7L2bS
~ The Saturday class at the Library on how to make money with your computer has been cancelled.
~ Monrovia's State Senator, Carol Liu, has introduced a bill that would exclude second graders from the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program ( http://goo.gl/8W7cq ). Liu has also introduced a bill ( http://goo.gl/Q411T ) loosening the welfare-to-work provisions of CalWORKs for additional classes of pregnant women.
Monrovia Police: Graffiti, Stolen Cars
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Feb. 11-13. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 381 service events, resulting in 63 investigations.
Vandalism
February 12 at 4:06 a.m., an officer on patrol discovered several locations vandalized with graffiti. The graffiti was found in the 2000-2100 blocks of South Myrtle, 200 block of East Duarte and the 200 block of Kruse. The crimes occurred between 1:30 and 4:00 a.m. The suspect(s) used black spray paint to write the graffiti. Investigation continuing.
Stolen Vehicle Recovered
February 12 at 10:04 p.m., police received a call reporting a suspicious vehicle parked in the 600 block of Maryanna Lane. Two male subjects were seen walking away from the car. The vehicle, a 2004 BMW, was found to be a reported stolen vehicle. The vehicle identification number indicated this vehicle was one of 13 stolen from a dealer in Brea on February 7. The vehicle had a license plate on it that was stolen from a vehicle in Glendale. The suspects are described as two male African American's, 20-30 years old, approximately 6'0" tall, medium to large build. Brea Police Department was notified of the recovery.
Grand Theft Auto
February 14 at 5:09 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 200 block of South Sunset. The vehicle was parked in the victim's driveway and was taken sometime between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. The vehicle is a black, 2007 Acura TL. The investigation is continuing.
Mayflower PTA Provides 30 Computers | Help MHS Students Talk to Space
~ Help Monrovia High students talk to astronauts - in space. http://goo.gl/8AeNx
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia High Wins 6-Year Accreditation | Napolitano Introduces Mental Health in Schools Bill
~ Representative Grace F. Napolitano, who represents most of Monrovia in Congress, has introduced H.R. 628, the Mental Health in Schools Act, to fund on-site school-based mental health services for youth. http://goo.gl/zTiRX
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Youth of the Year | Holden Pharmacy Bill
~ Assemblyman Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, has submitted a bill (AB 299) that would prohibit any pharmacy - in-state or out-of-state - from requiring recipients to either a) get their meds by mail or, b) not get them by mail. http://goo.gl/2I0UF Comment: Not sure why this is necessary.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Senator Proposes Extension of Education Funding
- Brad Haugaard
Big Lawsuit Against Monrovia Settled | Class: Make Money on Your Computer
~ Saturday, Feb. 16, 1-4 p.m. in the Library. Seminar. Learn how to make money with your computer. 120 businesses you can run from your computer. Free. http://goo.gl/M3NQu
- Brad Haugaard
Filing for Monrovia Write-In Candidates Begins
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Police: Sleeping in the Playground with Stolen Items, Burglary, Threats, Etc.
Monrovia Y Fundraiser Tonight
- Brad Haugaard
This Car Wash
"Last September, the Planning Commission approved a CUP [Conditional Use Permit] to build a new automated car wash, which will be located on the western portion of the vacant lot in the 900 block of East Huntington Drive. Here's a link to the staff report: http://goo.gl/14aAt
"Since the signal/intersection (into the Target center) is shared with the City of Duarte, the coordination related to the intersection improvements have taken a little longer than anticipated. However, they should begin construction in this spring."
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia's Senator Liu Introduces a Variety of Mostly-Education Bills
~ SB 116. "The Personal Income Tax Law allows taxpayers, until January 1, 2014, to designate on their tax returns that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be contributed to the Emergency Food Assistance Program. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2019." http://goo.gl/yj38j
~ SB 174 specifies the types of adult education that can receive State education funds. http://goo.gl/mJFlG
~ SB 177 would require that children in foster care who are shifted around by law be immediately deemed to have met residency requirements for school extracurricular activities. http://goo.gl/k4pfL
~ As best I can figure out, SB 188 would allow counties to set up "conservation camps" for prisoners, like those operated by the state. http://goo.gl/dbjTl
~ SB 192 would "require child care resource and referral programs" to "provide information about certain child care services" to families that qualify. http://goo.gl/WQbPl
~ SB 195 would require the Governor's Office of Planning and Research to set goals for state colleges and universities. http://goo.gl/CQdeg
~ SB 201 would tax school textbook publishers and manufacturers for the cost of the the State Board of Education adopting a basic curriculum for "language arts and English language development" for K-8 California schools. http://goo.gl/OgyzO
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Whistler | Medical Records
~ A new bill by Monrovia's assemblyman, Chris Holden, would allow a representative of a patient to have the same access to the patient's medical records as the actual patient ( http://goo.gl/hXZfJ ).
- Brad Haugaard
Frosty Night
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia School Employees May Get Pay Restored
- A 3% salary increase, which is a reinstatement of an earlier pay cut.
- A 2.78% increase in benefits.
- Five more instructional days per year, from 175 back up to 180.
Total cost will be $1,118,621.
The cost increase for the 2013-14 year will come out of reserves (though the district will not drop below its 3% legal reserve minimum) and for subsequent years it will be paid for from "Existing reserves and future cost reductions as necessary."
Comment: Hmmm. I'm happy for everybody's pay to be restored, but dipping into reserves for a continuing expense seems a bit dicey in the long term. But maybe I'm missing something.
- Brad Haugaard
Lunch at King Hao Chinese Restaurant
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Goals Meeting | Marshmallow Shooters | Valentine Stories
~ Marshmallow Shooters, Saturday Feb. 9, 7-9 p.m. at the Library. Use physics to catapult marshmallows into the sky. For 6th-12th graders only. http://goo.gl/rcEtG
~ Valentine stories, Saturday Feb. 9, 2-3 p.m. at the Library. Favorite Valentine stories, songs, crafts and film. Snacks. Ages 4 years through 5th grade. http://goo.gl/na2Nz
- Brad Haugaard
Details of Proposed Settlement Between Monrovia and Developer
The proposed agreement is a bit of a monster, but here it is if you want to look ( http://goo.gl/g1kmY ), however, the main points seem to be that Samuelson & Fetter, LLC, will ...
- Get to buy a chunk of land near the new rail station for $2,780,000.
- Get $510,000 from the city, of which $110,000 will go to pay city development fees.
- Be reimbursed by the city for its environmental insurance costs on the land.
- Get street improvements from the city on the streets around the property.
- Brad Haugaard
Mexican Restaurant at Monrovia's Aztec Hotel Open in a Month? | Holden's Innovation Bill
~ Monrovia's Assemblyman, Chris Holden, has introduced a bill (AB 250) to create a "California Innovation Hub Program." The program - which is authorized to use underused state properties - will create "iHubs" to assist innovative start-up businesses. http://goo.gl/PoV9x
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Police: Suspects Arrested in $2,000 of Graffiti Damage
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Feb. 4-6. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 434 service events, resulting in 84 investigations.
Vandalism - Suspects Arrested
February 4 at 10:08 a.m., staff from Monrovia High School reported that they had two students detained for vandalism. The high school has had an increase in graffiti on campus recently, so the staff and security had been on alert. One of the security officers noticed a student with graffiti on his pants and escorted him to the office. In the office, security located over 30 markers in the student's backpack.
Officers arrived and during the interview, the student admitted to tagging numerous places throughout the City of Monrovia with another student. Officers researched the monikers in previous graffiti vandalism incidents that have occurred in the City. They discovered nearly $2,000 in graffiti damage had been reported with the monikers the students use. The students were arrested and later released to parents on citations to appear in court.