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Monrovia's AeroVironment Gets $44.6 Million Army Contract

Monrovia's AeroVironment has received a $44.6 million contract modification from the U.S. Army to provide hardware and parts for its Switchblade miniature missile systems. https://goo.gl/kzuACy

- Brad Haugaard

Trying Out LimeBike

I tried out the LimeBike system today. I walked to a bike shown on the LimeBike smartphone app, but I think it was in someone’s back yard. So I kept walking. After about 10 minutes I found a bike a block south of Foothill. It was a bit hard entering my credit card number in the app; it’s lime and yellow color makes it hard to read in the sunshine. Should have done that at home. 

Otherwise easy. Unlocked bike, rode to the train station, went to LA and met a friend for lunch at Horse Thief BBQ, which I can HIGHLY recommend.

It’s a bit odd that a bike ride costs a dollar and a Lyft car ride costs 50 cents, but if you add a tip on the Lyft ride (and knowing what a nice person you are I’m sure you will) you come out ahead on the bike. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Latino Heritage Society Fundraiser Dance

The Monrovia Latino Heritage Society will present a scholarship fundraising dance tomorrow, Sunday, April 22, from 2-7 p.m. at the VFW Post at 250 E. First Street in Azusa. $20 per person; $25 at the door. Music by The In Crowd. For information contact Pat Lowell at 386-5896 or Cuca Mack at 359-2130.

- Brad Haugaard

The Moon and Meteors Above Monrovia

In the skies of Monrovia.

~ Tonight after sundown the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers will gather in Library Park, probably at the corner of Primrose and Lime, to avoid the Wine Walk. You should be able to see a great view of the moon.

~ And if you are up in the very early hours Sunday morning, you might see some Lyrid Meteors. Get to an area where the moon is blocked, and look up.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Church Institutes Shuttle Service

Fellowship Monrovia, the church that meets at Monrovia High, has apparently grown so large that it is instituting a shuttle service to bring people to church. 

According to an email, the church successfully experimented with shuttles for Easter and now plans to use the system regularly “to create a better parking experience for our first-time visitors, our families with young children, our elderly, and our handicapped.”

The shuttles will run from the parking lot at 488 E. Santa Clara Street in Arcadia to Monrovia High.

- Brad Haugaard 

Joint Monrovia City Council/School Board Meeting

The Monrovia Board of Education and Monrovia City Council will meet in joint session Monday, April 23 at 5 p.m. (agenda) in the district's board room to discuss the Monrovia Day's Parade and Library Park Festival on May 18-20, and to get an update on I Ride for You, Board Member Rob Hammond's cross-country bicycle ride that is also raising money for the Monrovia PTA.

- Brad Haugaard

Foothill Unity Center Moving

Foothill Unity Center is moving to its new home next week and will be closed Tuesday, April 24 through Tuesday, May 1. The new address is: 790 W. Chestnut Ave., at the site formerly housing World Vision. The Unity Center will have a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 17 at 5:30 p.m.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Rigo’s Mexican


Dinner at a Rigo’s Mexican Food, on Foothill at Mayflower. Got a cheese enchilada and carnitas taco combination for $13.95 and a beer for $5. All very good. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Pizza Voted Top Pizza Restaurant in Town

The readers' votes are in on "Which Monrovia restaurant serves the best pizza?"

The winner is Monrovia Pizza (on Duarte Road at Mayflower), followed by Blaze, then Alitalia, and Domenicos.


- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Watch Out for IRS Scams!

Monrovia Police want you to be aware of tax-season scams involving the IRS.

It's really simple: The IRS will always send taxpayers a written notification of any tax due via the U.S. mail, NOT by phone or through any other electronic media.

The IRS never asks for financial access information over the telephone or by any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media.

Don't open any attachments or click on any links contained in an electronic message. Instead, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov. More information on how to report phishing scams involving the IRS is available on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Robbery at ATM; Counterfeit Money; Cell Phone Robbery; Drunks and More Drunks; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 12-18. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 445 service events, resulting in 86 investigations.

Petty Theft
April 12 at 1:10 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of W. Walnut found their mailbox open and discovered that a package was missing. The package had been delivered, and it contained clothing that had been ordered online. It was taken sometime during the day. This investigation is continuing.

Traffic Collision
April 12 at 1:30 p.m., officers were called to the intersection of Mayflower and Huntington, where a traffic collision had just occurred. One vehicle had been traveling south on Mayflower and attempted a left turn directly in front of another vehicle that was traveling north on Mayflower. The vehicles collided in the intersection. One of the drivers was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
April 12 at 1:57 p.m., the owner of a parked vehicle in the 100 block of W. Palm returned to her car and discovered it had collision damage on the driver’s side. There was no note left on the vehicle letting the owner know who collided into her car. This investigation is continuing.

Counterfeit Money
April 12 at 3:39 p.m., an employee of a restaurant in the 900 block of W. Huntington discovered a customer had used counterfeit U.S. currency to purchase a meal. The employee called the police. This investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
April 12 at 5:45 p.m., the owner of a house in the 1800 block of S. Mayflower returned home after work and discovered the glass in a side door had been shattered and the door was left open. She went inside her house and found it had been ransacked. All her jewelry was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Robbery
April 12 at 6:46 p.m., several suspects entered a store in the 600 block of W. Huntington and removed new cellphones from the shelves, then ran out of the store without paying for the merchandise. One of the store’s employees was outside with a cellphone in his hand. He yelled at the suspects, who had just ran out of the store. One of the suspects forced the employee’s phone out of his hand, then ran. The employee chased after the suspects, yelling at them, but the suspects fled the area. Officers arrived, but were unable to locate the suspects. This investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of Narcotics – Suspect Arrested
April 12 at 7:20 p.m., Special Enforcement Team officers saw a female subject approaching customers and vehicles in front of a liquor store in the 400 block of W. Duarte. They stopped to find out if she needed help. They found that she appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance. Field tests were conducted, and she was arrested for being under the influence.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 2:27 a.m., officers were called to a house in the 700 block of W. Foothill because neighbors heard yelling coming from inside the house. They arrived and found a male and female living in the house had been in an argument. The argument had become physical, and the female subject had caused injuries to her boyfriend. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Wanted Person – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 7:15 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 200 block of E. Foothill, when he saw a male subject he recognized as being wanted by the Monrovia Police for a weapons offense. The subject was stopped, his identity was confirmed and he was arrested.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 7:42 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 200 block of E. Palm, when he saw a vehicle that matched the suspect vehicle description from a hit & run collision the day before. The vehicle had fresh collision damage. The officer stopped the vehicle and approached the driver. The driver immediately confessed to colliding into the victim’s parked vehicle and not stopping. A computer check revealed the driver also had a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
April 13 at 3:22 p.m., two vehicles collided into each other in the intersection of Shamrock and Huntington. One of the vehicles fled the scene as the other pulled to the curb out of the intersection. Officers were called and they searched for the fleeing vehicle, but were unable to locate it. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 10:35 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 700 block of W. Duarte, when he saw five homeless persons in the wash area. He stopped to see if they needed services, however, they refused. A computer check revealed one of the subjects had a warrant for his arrest, so he was taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 12:49 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 800 block of S. Mountain, when he saw a vehicle in front of him fail to stop for a red light signal. He stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted, and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Under the Influence of Narcotics / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 6:25 a.m., employees of a hotel in the 900 block of W. Huntington reported a suspicious male subject on their property for the second day in a row. Officers arrived, located the subject, and found him to be under the influence of a controlled substance. He was taken into custody. A search incident to arrest revealed he was in possession of drug paraphernalia, which was added to the charges.

Petty Theft
April 14 at 9:56 a.m., employees of a grocery store in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported two female subjects had just entered their store, removed several bottles of liquor from a shelf, and then ran out of the store without paying. Officers arrived and searched the area, but were unable to locate the subjects. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspects Arrested
April 14 at 7:40 p.m., a sergeant was patrolling the 1700 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a male subject slumped over on a bench in Station Square Park. He stopped to check on the subject’s welfare and found him to be heavily intoxicated. The subject was not able to care for his own safety, so he was arrested and taken into custody for public intoxication.

Armed Robbery
April 14 at 9:01 p.m., a customer of a bank in the 600 block of W. Huntington was in his vehicle at the drive-thru ATM, when a male suspect approached his vehicle and pointed a handgun at him demanding money. The victim handed the suspect $300, which had been withdrawn from the ATM, as well as some additional money he had in his pocket. The suspect fled the area with the money. Officers arrived and searched for the suspect, but were unable to locate him. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 15 at 2:32 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 3300 block of S. Peck when he saw a vehicle speeding. He stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
April 15 at 3:32 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of Los Angeles reported a male subject outside causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and located the subject. He was found to be heavily intoxicated and unable to care for his own safety, so he was arrested and taken into custody for public intoxication.

Petty Theft / Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
April 15 at 5:24 p.m., an employees of a gas station in the 1500 block reported a male suspect had just stolen a beer from their store. Officers arrived and located the subject in front of the store. He was heavily intoxicated and unable to care for his own safety. The unopened beer was returned to the store and the store refused to prosecute him for the theft. He was arrested for public intoxication.

Burglary
April 15 at 8:18 p.m., a resident at an apartment complex in the 900 block of S. Monterey walked outside his home and discovered someone had cut the locks off of several of the carport storage lockers sometime during the day. It is unknown what was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
April 16 at 1:23 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of S. Myrtle, when he saw a subject loitering and stumbling inside Library Park, which had been closed for several hours. He stopped the subject and found him to be heavily intoxicated. The subject was unable to care for his own safety and was arrested for public intoxication and taken into custody.

Alcohol Offense – Suspects Cited
April 17 at 11:00 a.m., officers were on patrol in the 100 block of W. Palm, when they saw four subjects in Library Park, drinking alcohol near a posted sign prohibiting possession of alcohol in the park. The officers stopped all four subjects and issued them citations to appear in court on the charges.

Grand Theft Auto – Suspect Arrested
April 16 at 11:36 a.m., police dispatch was notified of a stolen vehicle traveling north in the 2100 block of S. Myrtle. The vehicle description was broadcast and officers stopped the vehicle at Myrtle and the 210 Freeway. After investigation, the female driver was arrested for grand theft auto without incident.

Grand Theft Auto
April 18 at 8:07 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 800 block of Oakdale. The resident walked outside her home and discovered her Honda Accord had been stolen sometime during the night. The vehicle information was entered into the DMV stolen vehicle database. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
April 18 at 8:09 a.m., while gardeners were mowing the lawns at Recreation Park in the 700 block of E. Lemon, someone removed several tools and gardening equipment from the back of their two trucks. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting
April 18 at 8:44 a.m., an employee of a store in the 400 block of W. Foothill reported a male subject had entered the store, removed several boxes of cigarettes from a shelf behind the checkout counter, and then fled the store without paying. Officers arrived and searched for the subject, but were unable to locate him. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
April 18 at 8:53 a.m., a business owner in the 500 block of Chestnut reported he could hear a female subject yelling for help outside his business. Officers arrived and located a male and female subject who are in a dating relationship. After investigation, it was found that the two had been arguing and the female subject began hitting the male subject, causing physical injuries. The female subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Bicycle Theft – Suspect Arrested
April 18 at 12:22 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of E. Lemon witnessed a male subject enter the side yard of his neighbor’s house, then exit the yard with his neighbor’s bicycle. The subject began riding away from the house with the bike and the resident called police. Officers arrived and located the subject on the bike. He was stopped and after investigation, he was arrested for the theft. The bicycle was returned to the owner. 

Monrovia High's Impressive Swim Team

Article on Monrovia High's revamped swim team and its impressive results. https://goo.gl/DdZajY

- Brad Haugaard

Homeless Woman Charged With Stealing Shuttle Bus in Monrovia, Crashing It In Pasadena

Homeless woman charged with stealing shuttle bus in Monrovia, crashing it in Pasadena. https://goo.gl/xM18HU

- Brad Haugaard

Holden Bill Would Allow College Athletes to Be Paid Yet Retain Amateur Status

A bill by Monrovia's Assembly member, Chris Holden, would allow higher education institutions to create degree-completion funds from which college athletes could receive income while competing and yet retain their amateur status. The athletes would be able to access the fund upon graduation or when they no longer are eligible to participate in college sports in order to fund their education. 

The College Athletes Civil Rights Act of 2018, Assembly Bill 2747, has passed the California State Assembly Committee on Higher Education. The bill would also designate NCAA employees, coaching staff, and other university officials as mandated reporters and require them to report to law enforcement agencies any abuse or neglect.

- Brad Haugaard

Bill By Monrovia's Senator Would Limit Firearms Purchases, Increase Minimum Purchase Age to 21

The California Senate Public Safety Committee has voted to pass SB 1100 authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino, who represents Monrovia. SB 1100 would prohibit a person from making more than one firearm purchase within a 30-day period in California and increases the age requirement for purchasing all firearms to 21 years.

Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Yet Another Starbucks Coming to Monrovia; Kid Empire Coming, Too; Police to be Honored; Lyft Glitches; Historic Homes


In his weekly report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Oliver Chi reports ...

~ 3-Day Suit Broker, at the corner of Huntington and Magnolia will be replaced with a Starbucks. The new Starbucks will be 2,200 square feet and will include a drive-thru operation.  It will be on a 28,974 square foot site, with 35 parking spaces. The drive-thru will be able to handle 11 vehicles in the queue.

~ A Kids Empire indoor playground will be going in the shopping center at the northeast corner of Huntington Drive and Shamrock. The 10,480 foot space, just east of 24-Hour Fitness, is an indoor playground with slides, climbing structures, a café pantry, and space for private parties such as birthday events.

~ The Monrovia Police Department will hold its Annual Awards Ceremony in the City Council Chambers on Thursday, April 26, at 5 p.m., followed by a cake and punch reception in the Police Department Community Policing Room. Award recipients are:

Distinguished Service Medal: David Andrew, Travis Ortega, James Ruano, William Wilkins, Alfonso Castaneda, Pam Greene, Sandy Williams.

Medal of Valor: Esteban Castaneda, Oliver Medina.

Medal of Merit: Michael Garcia.

Life Saving Medal: David Andrew, Brian Cofield, John Jefferson.

~ Some people have had bugs with the promo code (GOMONROVIA) when using Lyft. Chi said, "Lyft is working to solve the problem with their third-party vendor who assists with promotions like ours.  If you experience an issue with the promo code stopping working, please let us know and we will work with Lyft to resolve the problem."

~ The 36th Annual Monrovia Historic Preservation Group's Historic Homes Tour is scheduled for Sunday, May 6, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. There are six vintage homes that embody the variety, charm, and character of Monrovia's neighborhoods.  Advance tickets may be purchased at Dollmakers' Kattywompus, the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce, or here: http://www.mohpg.org/ost.html

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board Member into Texas on Cross-Country Bicycle Ride

Monrovia school board member and former mayor, Rob Hammond, is in Texas now on his bicycle ride from San Diego to Florida. In 2013 Hammond rode his bicycle from Canada to the Mexican border.

You can follow his progress and donate to the Monrovia PTA at this site: http://www.irideforyou.com/track-rob-s-ride.html

- Brad Haugaard

Noodle Street Coming



New restaurant, Noodle St, appears to be replacing the Starlight Chinese restaurant. In the Vons shopping center. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Wine Walk

Monrovia Wine Walk, 6-9 p.m. this Saturday, April 21. Stroll through Old Town, explore businesses and sample wine while enjoying music. For the $40 ticket price, participants will receive 12 one-ounce wine samples. Get tickets here (https://goo.gl/grHQnM) or avoid the processing fee by purchasing the at the Community Center, Volunteer Center, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Charlie's House, Merengue,  Sunday's Old Town Bistro, or PrimeLending. For more information: https://goo.gl/XeZa1B

- Brad Haugaard

Will Monrovia Acquire Peck Lake Wetland for Additional Parkland? Twelve Potential Historic Districts Dropped from Historic Context Statement; Etc.

At its next meeting (agenda: https://goo.gl/Hq6wZF) the Monrovia City Council will consider ...

~ Adopting a Citywide Park Master Plan. Highlights:

  • Aim to provide 1.5 acres of park for every thousand residents. Currently the city is at 0.9.
  • Look for properties that could be turned into parks, especially in areas more than a half mile from existing parks. This may mean: "Acquire and develop the Peck Lake Wetland project for passive recreation and stormwater treatment." Also, consider partnering with school district, which "could provide opportunities to improve school facilities in ways that may help meet community park needs." 
  • Improve existing parks: Picnic shelters, playgrounds, water play splash pads, sport fields and courts, restrooms and playground shade structures.

Monster report here: https://goo.gl/6KUhV9

~ Consider adopting an Historic Context Statement (https://goo.gl/eacGnw) which is, "the foundation for identifying, evaluating, and handling historic properties and it helps communities and cities make land use decisions." An earlier version of the HCS identified 12 parts of the city that could become historic districts, but these have been dropped because the Historic Preservation Commission feels it needs to communicate more with residents in those areas and because commissioners felt that "potential district designation should begin at the homeowners' request."

~ Authorize an agreement with Oak Crest Institute of Science and the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills to develop a summer science program for Monrovia students. https://goo.gl/aX5Ty4

- Brad Haugaard