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Mario Andretti Fuels Up at Monrovia Shell Station

Mario and Shell Owner Ramzi Rabadi.

Monrovia Shell Station owner Ramzi Rabadi writes to say: "We had an exciting moment last night at Monrovia Shell. Mario Andretti filling up gas (v-power nitro) in his Ferrari heading to Jay Leno garage.

Shell was doing a roadshow driving across the country.  It started June 1 in Time Square and it ended at Monrovia Shell before going to Jay Leno's garage.  Shell is promoting its new V-Power Nitro and our site was the winner as best image station in the Los Angeles Area.  We knew Ferraris would be fueling up before ending at Jay Leno garage but were surprised to find out the driver of the lead Ferrari was Mario Andretti."

- Brad Haugaard

Netflix Commercial To Be Filmed in Monrovia

Diane Delmatoff, of the City of Monrovia, writes: "There will be a Netflix commercial filmed at 401-1/2 S. Myrtle (K.C. Hopper) on Thursday, June 11 from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. They will be prepping the store tomorrow from 8 am - 8 pm. They will be using the green zone on the south side of Lime alongside Monrovia Travel on the prep day for loading and unloading. They will use parking on Myrtle in front of the location, a few spaces on the north side of Lime next to Library Park for a generator and a craft service vehicle and the east side of Primrose."

- Brad Haugaard

Fundraiser at Max's in Monrovia

Fundraiser for Relay for Life at Max's Mexican Cuisine, 1101 E. Huntington, June 10 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Details: http://goo.gl/mX42Y8

Cat and Dog Vaccination at Monrovia's Library Park | Vacation Bible School

~ Cat and Dog Vaccination Clinic, Thursday, June 18, 6:30-8 p.m. at Library Park. Vaccinations and microchips. Details: http://goo.gl/Lf0lL8

~ Vacation Bible School at Monrovia United Methodist Church, July 20-22, 9 a.m. to noon. 140 E. Palm. Registration: 303-2783. $10 per child.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Two Green Lights? Snoozing at Stop Light; Minibikers Arrested; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for June 4-7. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
June 5 at 1:13 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 100 block of West Walnut when she stopped a motorist for failing to obey a traffic sign. A subsequent investigation revealed the motorist was intoxicated. The officer arrested the motorist and took him into custody. The motorist was held for sobering.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
June 5 at 12:58 a.m., an officer was in the area of Lime and Primrose on patrol when he observed a subject stumbling. The officer contacted the subject and determined he was too intoxicated to care for his own safety. The officer arrested the subject for public intoxication and took him into custody. The subject was held for sobering.

Injury Traffic Collision
June 5 at 4:35 a.m., an injury traffic collision was reported at Bradbury and Royal Oaks. A motorist was driving eastbound on Royal Oaks and struck a driver who was southbound on Bradbury, turning to eastbound Royal Oaks. Both drivers claimed the light was green in their direction. No independent witnesses could be located. Both vehicles sustained major damage and both drivers were checked for injury at the scene by Monrovia Fire Department paramedics. Both drivers declined to be taken to the hospital for minor injuries that were sustained. The vehicles were towed.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
June 5 at 4:50 a.m., an off-duty officer observed a vehicle stopped at Evergreen and Myrtle that did not move as the traffic light cycled through, and the driver appeared to be asleep behind the wheel. When the officer knocked on the window, the driver awoke and drifted into the intersection, swerving. The driver struck a curb on the right side of the freeway on-ramp and continued driving onto the freeway. The off-duty officer followed the driver onto the freeway and Monrovia and California Highway Patrol units responded to handle the incident. The vehicle then exited the freeway and drove west on Live Oak, where it was stopped by police. The driver was arrested for driving under the influence and his vehicle was stored. A marijuana pipe and marijuana was also located inside the vehicle. The driver was held for sobering.

Traffic Offense / Evading a Peace Officer / Driving Without a License – Suspects Arrested
June 5 at 4:25 p.m., an officer responded to Mayflower and Hillcrest regarding speeding vehicles. While he was speaking with the reporting party, two young men on minibikes drove by on the street. They were on vehicles that were not properly equipped for public streets. The resident told him that these young men ride the minibikes on the street frequently. The officer followed and attempted to stop them by activating his red light and siren. The subjects looked back at the officer and increased their speed, failing to yield. The officer was able to get the subjects to stop after a brief pursuit. One rider was a licensed adult and the other was an unlicensed seventeen-year-old subject. They were arrested for the above listed violations. The minibikes were stored as evidence.

No-bail Warrants – Suspect Arrested
June 5 at 5:20 p.m., an officer was in the area of Huntington and Buena Vista on patrol, when he observed a male subject that he knew had an outstanding no-bail warrant for his arrest. He was able to stop and detain the subject and confirmed he had two no-bail warrants. He was arrested without incident.

Critical Missing Adult – Subject Located
June 6 at 10:37 a.m., a 21-year-old female took her mother’s car from her residence in the 500 block of East Almond and drove away, even though she is unlicensed. Her mother was extremely concerned because of her daughter’s state of mind. She was entered into the law enforcement system as a critical missing person and law enforcement agencies were notified. At approximately 3:30 p.m., detectives received a call from a California Highway Patrol officer advising that the missing female had been arrested for driving under the influence. She was arrested on Interstate 15, about an hour past Barstow. Her mother was notified that she was located, and she was removed from the missing person’s system.

Driving Under the Influence Traffic Collision With Injuries – Suspect Arrested
June 6 at 5:19 p.m., officers responded to an injury traffic collision in the 700 block of East Central. The male driver was westbound on Central and struck a pedestrian who was crossing the street. The victim suffered head trauma and a broken rib. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. The driver was determined to be intoxicated and was arrested for DUI. He will be charged for felony driving under the influence traffic collision with serious injury.

Grand Theft Auto
June 6 at 1:38 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 700 block of South Mayflower Avenue. The victim reported parking and securing her vehicle at approximately 1:30 a.m. She did not return to the vehicle until 1:30 p.m., when she found it was missing and called police. She does not know who took her vehicle and did not give anyone permission to drive her car. The vehicle stolen is a blue/green, 1994 Honda Accord. The investigation is continuing.

Slight Chance of Rain for Monrovia Tuesday, Wednesday

20% chance of rain Tuesday and Wednesday ( http://goo.gl/VnR5SB ), but the National Weather Service puts it more strongly: "As moisture from tropical storm Blanca streams into the area...the threat of showers will increase across the area during the day on Tuesday...with the shower threat peaking in the afternoon." Hmm. I think I'd prefer the word "promise" to "threat," but whatever. http://goo.gl/14uNvx

- Brad Haugaard

Dance Against Cancer | Removing Fallen Tree in Monrovia's Canyon Park

~ Dance against pediatric cancer, Sunday, June 7 from noon to 4 p.m. in the courtyard of the Aztec Hotel. All proceeds to St. Jude Children's Hospital. For a donation of $5 or more you get a $10 coupon for services at Mane Salon. Auctions, face painting, gold fish pong, a jumper and food trucks.

~ Pictures and video of removing a fallen tree on the trail to the Canyon Park waterfall. http://goo.gl/t1OyhU

- Brad Haugaard

Stats on Monrovia's Fountain To The Falls Run

Some interesting stats on the Fountain to the Falls run, comparing 2014 to 2015. More here: http://goo.gl/M2McKt

- Brad Haugaard

Tile at Monrovia Gold Line Station

Some of the tile work being installed at the Monrovia train station (Nice!): https://goo.gl/mNAVo6

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus College - Serving Monrovia - Celebrates its Centennial



A letter from Geraldine M. Perri, Ph.D. Superintendent/President Citrus College

The year was 1915. A gallon of gas cost 15 cents, and you could use it to fill the tank of your new car purchased from the pages of the Sears catalog. At Harvard University, tuition was $160 annually, and the cost of the most expensive mathematics textbook available was $2.50.

At a time in America when only 13.5 percent of people over the age of 25 had a high school diploma, a new idea in higher education was sweeping the nation—the junior college. In the early 1900s, three-quarters of high school graduates were choosing not to further their education due to financial, logistical or social reasons. National leaders were beginning to realize that a more highly-skilled workforce was vital to the country's economic strength. Extolling the ideals of democracy and education for all, advocates of the junior college movement proposed providing the first two years of a college education—tuition free—to high school graduates at schools they were already attending.

On the evening of June 5, 1915, the forward-looking board of education of Citrus Union High School voted to establish Citrus Junior College, making Citrus College the oldest community college in Los Angeles County and the fifth oldest in the state.

Who could have imagined 100 years ago that Citrus Junior College, with its first class of 27 students and no more than seven courses to choose from, would evolve into a nationally acclaimed community college with more than 18,000 students, awarding degrees and certificates in 94 academic and career technical program areas?

Today, Citrus College is a recognized leader among community colleges in the nation, the state and the region. This year alone, the publication Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education ranked Citrus College as one of the Top 25 community colleges in the country for degree completion by Hispanic students. Citrus College has been recognized by PayScale, Inc. as one of the nation’s top 10 public two-year colleges based on alumni earning potential, and GI Jobs magazine named Citrus College a Military Friendly School® for the fifth consecutive year.

In the state, Citrus College has received commendation as a leader in developing and awarding Associate Degrees for Transfer, or ADTs, which allow students to transfer to the California State University system with junior standing. In fact, since the first class of students eligible to earn an ADT from Citrus College graduated in 2012, the number of ADTs awarded at commencement has grown from 39 to 549. Currently, Citrus College offers 16 ADTs, and the college ranks number one among California’s community colleges for awarding ADTs in science.

Locally, for the second consecutive year, Citrus College was honored to be named “Best Community College” in the San Gabriel Valley in a reader’s choice poll by the San Gabriel Valley Newsgroup publications.

In 2012, Citrus College students, faculty, staff and institutional leaders signed a pledge to make Citrus College a College of Completion. Since that time, the college has set new records for the numbers of degrees and certificates awarded at commencement each year. On June 13, 2015, we expect to break another college record by awarding more than 2,500 degrees and certificates, up from 2,119 last year.

All of these amazing achievements—and many others—can be credited with the fact that Citrus College was recently named the fifth fastest-growing community college in the United States among its peer institutions by Community College Week magazine.

Although much has changed since the college was founded in 1915, there are several fundamental tenets that have guided the institution throughout the decades. Those include an emphasis on transfer; outstanding faculty and staff that are committed to student success; board members and administrators with a vision for the future; and strong reciprocal partnerships with the communities we serve.

On the occasion of our 100th anniversary and on behalf of the entire Citrus College Community, it is my honor to thank all those with whom Citrus College has partnered throughout the years—our K-12 school districts, our alumni and donors, community and business leaders, and the members of the communities we serve. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Today, it is evident that Citrus College stands at the threshold of a future filled with exciting possibilities. We look forward to continuing our ongoing pursuit of educational excellence, as we begin our next 100 years.


- Brad Haugaard

Photos of Monrovia High Graduation

Photo essay of the Monrovia High School graduation: http://goo.gl/4NANeI

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Mimi's


Had dinner last night at Mimi's, at the corner of Huntington and Mayflower. Had the roasted chicken and french fries ($15.99) and an iced tea ($2.99). It was all pretty good.

- Brad Haugaard

Assembly Approves AP Classes Bill Sponsored By Monrovia Assemblyman

The Assembly today approved a bill (AB 252) creating a grant program to help school districts in poor communities develop Advanced Placement courses in science, technology, engineering, math and computer science. The bill was authored by Assembly member Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia. Source: Holden press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Suspects Hang Around After Robbery, Get Arrested; Drunk Driving; Wife Yells For Help, Then Is Arrested For Assaulting Husband

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for June 1-3. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 397 service events, resulting in 70 investigations.

Armed Robbery – Suspects Arrested
On June 1 at 1:13 a.m., an officer on patrol stopped a red Chevy Camaro on Foothill for a traffic violation. The vehicle was occupied by two male subjects in their twenties. The subjects claimed they were looking for an address and were distracted. The driver was let go with a warning. Shortly after, a female victim was robbed of her Verizon note pad by two male suspects in a red Chevy Camaro with handguns. Officers searched for the suspects and vehicle, but were unable to locate them.

On June 1 at 10:27 p.m., the officer that made the original traffic stop saw the vehicle and suspects stopped at Madison and Foothill. A high-risk stop was made with the assistance of the Foothill Air Support helicopter. A search of the vehicle revealed two Airsoft guns and the property stolen in the robbery. The suspects were arrested and taken into custody, and the vehicle was stored as evidence.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
June 2 at 10:02 p.m., officers responded to a traffic collision at Colorado and Mayflower. One of the vehicles tried fleeing the scene and the other driver chased after the vehicle. Both vehicles stopped at Olive and Monterey until officers arrived. Further investigation revealed the fleeing driver had been drinking alcohol. The driver was arrested for driving under the influence. There were no injuries from the collision.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
June 4 at 12:06 a.m., officers responded to the report of a female yelling for help in the 1800 block of South Mayflower. Officers arrived and located the house where the screaming was coming from. Investigation revealed the female subject had attacked her husband while he was trying to go to sleep. The husband had visible injuries to his neck and face. The wife was arrested for domestic violence.

Emergency Repair to Prevent Water System Failure; Homelessness In Park; 4th of July; Etc.

From City Manager Oliver Chi's weekly report ( http://goo.gl/zzv6vb ):

~ The city is doing emergency repairs to prevent a water "system failure." A pump at the 510 South Mountain Avenue facility hasn't been working since 2005, and now another pump is threatening to go out. This water-booster station supplies the "Cloverleaf Pressure Zone," which sounds like a stretch of north Monrovia near Cloverleaf.

~ Monrovia Police Chief Hunt is reconvening the Homelessness and Park Conduct Committee to review the effectiveness of our current strategies, and discuss potential adjustments.

~ The 4th of July Concert and Fireworks Show will begin at 7 p.m. with the band, Person to Person, in Library Park. Then at 9 p.m., a free 20 minute fireworks show. You may reserve a space no larger than 10 x 10 feet, which must be supervised at all times.

~ City Treasurer and Monrovia's Historian Steve Baker lost his mother last Friday, May 29, 2015. She lived to be 101 years old. Comment: Sorry to hear that, Steve.

~ Two drinking fountains in Old Town are being fixed. The Wishing Well Drinking Fountain (I think that's the one in Library Park) was totally inoperable, while the drinking fountain between Chang Thai Bistro and Pinkberry was leaking.

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus College Voted Best Local Community College

Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, has once again been recognized as the region's "Best Community College" in a poll conducted by the San Gabriel Valley Newsgroup. For the second year in a row, readers of the organization's newspapers and websites indicated that they preferred Citrus College over the area's other community colleges.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Loses to Temple City :-(

Temple City defeats Monrovia to advance to baseball title championship. http://goo.gl/Rxe6XB

- Brad Haugaard

Working Towards Championship: Monrovia Baseball

Monrovia vs Temple City for baseball championship berth. http://goo.gl/xrlUD2

- Brad Haugaard

Assembly Approves Monrovia Assembly Member's Bills

~ The Assembly today unanimously approved Assemblymember Chris Holden's bill would create a partnership between high schools and community colleges to allow students to take college-level courses at their high schools or on community college campuses. The vote was 75 to 0.

~ The Assembly has overwhelmingly approved legislation authored by Assemblymember Chris Holden to allow those over age 55 or the disabled to transfer the base value of their property to a new residence as long as the new house is in the same county and costs less than the old residence's sale price. Currently, California seniors over 55 and disabled adults are permitted to transfer the assessed value of their present home to a new home - but only one spouse or partner can claim the tax transfer. AB 1378 ensures both property owners in a recognized partnership are entitled to the base tax transfer.

Holden represents Monrovia. Source: Holden press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Lots of Bears; 'Influencing' a Bear; No License But Lots of Social Security Numbers; Take It All But Spare My Phone! Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Highlighted Activity for May 28-31. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Vehicle Burglary
May 29 at 2:45 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 900 block of West Huntington. The victim's vehicle was parked and locked in a parking stall. Unknown suspect(s) smashed the victim's passenger window and removed property that was left on the front passenger seat. The investigation is continuing.

Bear Incident
May 29 at 10:03 a.m., and officer responded to a residence in the 800 block of Wildrose regarding a bear. The homeowner saw a bear rip the metal screen off of the crawl space under her house, but didn't know if the bear had crawled inside the space. The officer checked the crawl space and the surrounding area, but the bear was gone from the location.

Bear Incident
May 29 at 2:44 p.m., a resident in the 800 block of East Foothill called police and reported a bear swimming in the backyard pool of the home. An officer arrived and saw a juvenile bear in the backyard. He attempted to get the bear to move back into the foothills, however, it wouldn't leave the area. The officer then deployed two beanbag rounds at the bear, which successfully influenced the bear to return to the foothills.

Bear Incident
May 29 at 3:14 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Crescent on the report of a very large bear in a resident's backyard, but when officers arrived, the bear was gone. Callers began reporting the bear walking along Hillcrest. Officers responded to Hillcrest and located the bear in a backyard at the base of a large tree. They discovered her two cubs at the top of the tree. The mother began walking toward the officers, so two beanbags rounds were deployed at her, causing her to run away from the officers. She jumped a fence into another yard and then couldn't be found. The Department of Fish and Wildlife responded and stayed in the area until the cubs came down out of the tree to reunite with their mother and they all returned to the foothills.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
May 29 at 8:25 p.m., a non-injury traffic collision was reported in the 800 block of Monterey. The investigation revealed that one of the motorists was driving under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested, taken into custody, and held for sobering.

Unlicensed Driver / Incident Report – Suspect Arrested
May 30 at 1:17 a.m., an officer stopped a motorist for a vehicle code violation. Further investigation revealed the motorist was an unlicensed driver and was found to be in possession of documents containing other people’s social security numbers. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody. The officer determined the suspect was using the social security numbers for employment purposes. The investigation is continuing and the report will be forward to the IRS to protect potential victims from receiving IRS penalties for unreported income.

Warrant Arrest
May 30 at 2:02 a.m., an officer was on patrol and stopped a motorist for a vehicle code violation in the area of Peck and Emery. The officer discovered the motorist had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The warrant was issued by the El Monte Police Department. The officer arrested the suspect for the warrant and El Monte police officers responded to the Monrovia jail and took custody of the suspect.

Possession of Methamphetamine / Under the Influence of Methamphetamine – Suspect Arrested
May 30 at 9:38 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 500 block of West Huntington Drive regarding suspicious subjects loitering behind a store. When the officer arrived, he contacted the subjects and determined one of them, a female, was under the influence of methamphetamine. She was also found to be in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine and a glass methamphetamine pipe. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Possession of Metal Knuckles / Minors in Possession of Alcohol – Suspects Arrested
May 30 at 11:04 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 200 block of East Olive when he noticed two suspicious subjects loitering in the alley. The officer attempted to contact the subjects and they ran from him. The officer eventually found the subjects hiding behind a vehicle and discovered they were minors that were consuming alcohol. The officer also found metal knuckles beneath the vehicle where the juveniles were hiding. The juveniles were arrested and released on citations to their parents.

Armed Robbery
June 1 at 2:03 a.m., officers responded to the 400 block of South Myrtle on the report of a robbery that had just occurred. The female victim reported she had been robbed approximately 15 minutes prior at the intersection of Myrtle and Huntington. She told the officers she had left a bar in the 400 block of South Myrtle and had walked to Huntington and Myrtle alone. A red Chevrolet Camaro drove up next to her and stopped. A male passenger exited the vehicle, pointed a black handgun at her and demanded she give him her purse. The victim refused, so the suspect grabbed the purse and they began to struggle with it. She told him to take everything except her phone. The male driver then leaned over the passenger seat, pointed another gun at the victim, and ordered the other suspect to shoot her. Distracted, the purse was pulled from the victim's grasp and its contents fell onto the ground. The suspect began picking up the contents and putting it back into the purse. The female picked up her phone. Once all the contents were back in the purse, the suspect walked up to the female and grabbed her phone. Both suspects then fled in the vehicle west on Huntington. Officers searched the area for the suspects, but were unable to locate them. This investigation is continuing.