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Gusty Winds Expected Tonight, Tomorrow

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory in effect from 11 p.m. tonight to noon on Halloween. Northeast winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected focused near hills and canyons in the San Gabriel Valley and some other locations. Gusts will make driving difficult and could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down. https://is.gd/bmXa4O

- Brad Haugaard

Beware the Utility Bill Scam! Youth Volleyball; Halloween; Youth Commission

In his first report, City Manager Dylan Feik reports:

~ There is a scam going around where someone calls to tell you if you don't pay your utility bill your water will be shut off. Feik says, "This is a scam, and residents should not pay anyone calling about their water bill, and should notify the police."

~  Registration (here: https://is.gd/e2ZfoR) is open for the Winter Season of the Youth Sports Program, featuring indoor co-ed volleyball. All 4th, 5th and 6th grade boys and girls may join. The season will run from Nov. 23 to Feb. 1, with practices held at the Mary Wilcox Youth Center (843 E. Olive Ave.) on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and games on Saturday mornings. Price is $35 for Monrovia Unified School District residents and students, and $70 for non-residents.

~ Old Town Halloween,  Thursday, Oct. 31 from 3-6 p.m., in Old Town and Library Park. Trick or treating, costume contest for youth, adult, group, family, and dogs, library activities,
activity and photo booth and more. https://is.gd/uPRgEH

~ 2019-2020 Youth Commission Board members are: Chair: Sebastian Laprsa, Monrovia High senior; Vice Chair - Matthew Angeles, Monrovia High senior; Secretary - Elizabeth Villoria, Inspire Charter School senior; Treasurer - Russell Wu, Monrovia High Senior; Member-At-Large - Benjamin Garcia, Seventh Grader at Clifton Middle School. https://is.gd/iCb8QW

- Brad Haugaard

Burrito: This Kitty is the Whole Tortilla!

Come meet a cat with a name as great as his personality: Burrito! And just like the food of the same name, Burrito is sure to be your favorite. This friendly 8-year-old guy is so excited to go home with you, he might just push his way out of the kennel. He’s ready and eager to find his forever home and have more space to run around.  He also loves food, and he’ll do pretty much anything for a tasty treat (just like most of us with burritos). Sure, taco cat is great, but Burrito cat is even better! Plus, he’s pretty handsome, and he knows it. He’s the whole tortilla, and more!

The adoption fee for cats is $90. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before being adopted.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

Red Flag Warning Tonight and Tomorrow

A Red Flag warning will be in effect from 10 p.m. tonight through 6 p.m. Monday for the San Gabriel Valley and other locations in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Gusts between 40 and 50 mph will be common across wind prone areas. Humidity is expected to decline rapidly tonight to as low as 5 and 10 percent, increasing fire danger. https://is.gd/MZmNdj

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia in 53-3 Victory Over La Canada

Monrovia victorious, 51-3, over La Canada. https://is.gd/hGV6nU

- Brad Haugaard

School District Asks Legislature to Restrict Marketing Vaping to School Age Children

The Monrovia School District has passed a resolution (https://is.gd/a5iN1u) asking the California State Legislature to "champion the health of our youth by supporting legislation that restricts marketing of vaping products to school age children."

The resolution cites a study published in the journal, Yale Medicine, citing the dangers of vaping, and concludes: "We respectfully ask you to champion this issue by submitting a bill before Governor Newsom banning the online and retail sales of all flavored e-cigarette and vaping products to school age children, launching an informative campaign telling the truth about these products, and finally, assisting school districts with funding to bring awareness to the youth of California."

Comment: The study published in Yale Medicine (https://is.gd/HqxfDA) and another article at the Johns Hopkins Medicine website (https://is.gd/L6ZCAT) seem to indicate that the main concern with vaping is that many vaping juices contain nicotine, so students are getting hooked on nicotine and may not even know it. The concern is with what is in some vaping juices, not with the vaping device itself. Perhaps legislation should simply prohibit sales of juices laced with nicotine to minors, which would be a logical extension of cigarette laws.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Rudy’s

Dinner at Rudy’s Mexican Food, at Myrtle and Colorado. Decided to be adventurous so I got the Nopalitos con Puerco (cactus and pork) for $16.25 and a beer for $4.95. The cactus was good; not much taste, but that’s what the pork and sauce were for. 


- Brad Haugaard 

State Auditor Says Monrovia in Poor Financial Shape

The State Auditor lists Monrovia as No. 10 on a list of 18 California cities in bad financial shape. Mayor Tom Adams disputes the analysis, saying the city's indebtedness is almost entirely because of the Monrovia Renewal Project, which is replacing water and sewer lines, paving and sidewalks throughout the city. https://is.gd/L1GtH0

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus College Honored for Transfer Degrees

The Campaign for College Opportunity has for the fourth consecutive year recognized Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, as a state leader in producing transfer degrees.  The award is for  California community colleges and California State University campuses that have demonstrated success in implementing the state's associate degree for transfer pathway.

Citrus College is one of only 12 community colleges in the state to be named a 2019 Champion of Higher Education.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Suspects Should Have Clean Teeth; Joker at the Wrong House; Marijuana House Was Wired - Incorrectly

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 17-23. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 410 service events, resulting in 73 investigations.

Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested
October 17 at 2:07 p.m., an employee from a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington called to report a subject causing a disturbance. Officers responded and contacted the subject in front of a business. The subject was found to be intoxicated and unable to care for his own safety. He was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Petty Theft
October 18 at 8:17 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of N. Canyon called police to report tools were taken from his vehicle. The vehicle was left unlocked and sometime during the night, someone entered the vehicle and removed the tools. Investigation continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
October 18 at 8:27 a.m., a resident in the 800 block of W. Walnut called police to report his vehicle had been stolen. The victim parked and locked his red, 2016 Kia Sol in his apartment carport the night before. When he returned to his vehicle in the morning, it was missing. Officers conducted an investigation and located the vehicle in the 800 block of W. Chestnut. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
October 18 at 2:04 p.m., an employee from a business in the 400 block of W. Huntington called to report a theft of electronics. A witness told the employee a female and male subject entered the store and removed electronic toothbrushes from a shelf. Both subjects exited the store without paying for the merchandise. They fled in a vehicle prior to law enforcement being notified. Investigation continuing.

Residential Burglary
October 18 at 6:01 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of N. Madison called police to report a neighbor’s home was being burglarized by four male, African American suspects wearing hoodies and masks. The witness saw the suspects attempting to break into the home and confronted them. The suspects ran from the location and fled the area in a white Hyundai. The investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
October 18 at 10:00 p.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Duarte and Alta Vista when he saw a bicyclist riding at night without a bicycle light. He stopped the cyclist, and a computer check revealed he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody for the warrant.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 18 at 10:38 p.m., an officer was on patrol at Station Square when he saw a male subject who appeared in need of assistance. After contacting the subject, he was found to be too intoxicated to care for his own safety. He was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
October 19 at 12:49 a.m., a caller reported a motorist that collided into a parked car in the 800 block of E. Foothill and fled the scene. Officers searched for the suspect, but were unable to locate him. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication / Medical Assist
October 19 at 2:00 a.m., an officer was on patrol near the 400 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a male subject lying face down in the alley. The subject was found to be extremely intoxicated and paramedics were called. He was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision
October 19 at 10:37 a.m., Monrovia Fire personnel called police to report a solo traffic collision in the 3300 block of S. Peck. When officers arrived, paramedics had the unconscious driver out of the vehicle. The driver smelled of alcohol and there were two empty liquor bottles in the vehicle. A witness said the vehicle was parked along the west curb of peck and slowly drove over the center divider into the wash fence on the east side of Peck. The driver was transported to a hospital, where blood was drawn. A complaint will be filed with the District Attorney’s Office.

Public Intoxication / Delaying Officers – Suspects Arrested
October 19 at 11:59 p.m., two officers were conducting a check at a bar in the 400 block of S. Myrtle. They discovered several male subjects yelling at one another in the street about to fight. Half of the group fled when they saw the officers and others stayed behind. Two of these subjects were too intoxicated to care for their own safety or the safety of others and they were taken into custody. One of these subjects resisted arrest and delayed officers. The suspects were arrested and held for a sobering period.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 20 at 4:14 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of Fowler reported a male subject with no shirt, wearing a joker mask and attempting to open her locked front door. As officers were responding, the resident advised the subject gave up on opening the door and was lying on her front porch. Officers arrived and found the subject was heavily intoxicated. He thought he was at his family's house. He was arrested for public intoxication and held for a sobering period.

Injury Traffic Collision
October 20 at 11:20 a.m., a caller reported an injury traffic collision in the area of Magnolia and Olive. Officers responded and spoke with both drivers. A vehicle was traveling north on Magnolia and was struck by a vehicle traveling west on Olive that failed to yield at the stop sign. One of the drivers complained of pain, but refused medical treatment. The driver at fault was issued a citation.

Warrant / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
October 20 at 11:58 a.m., an officer stopped a bicyclist for a traffic violation at Chestnut and Monterey. During the stop, he learned the subject had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and found to be in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine, which was hidden in his socks.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 21 at 12:32 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Huntington and Mayflower when he saw a motorist drive through a solid red light. He stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the driver was arrested for DUI. He was taken into custody and held for a sobering period.

Grand Theft Auto – Suspect Arrested
October 21 at 12:07 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 2000 block of S. Myrtle observed a suspicious vehicle. A computer check on the vehicle revealed it was a felony vehicle stolen during an armed robbery in the Los Angeles Police Department's jurisdiction. The vehicle was stopped and the driver matched the suspect description. She surrendered without incident. The suspect was also found to have a no-bail warrant out of Burbank Police Department. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto
October 23 at 10:09 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of S. Mayflower called to report his vehicle had been stolen. The victim parked his vehicle in front of his residence the day before and when he returned, his vehicle was gone. The vehicle was entered into the stolen vehicle system. The investigation is continuing.

Illegal Indoor Marijuana Cultivation
October 23 at 6:02 p.m., a caller reported a strong odor of marijuana in the 400 block of Norumbega. Officers arrived and were able to see equipment consistent with marijuana cultivation through a garage window. The tenant stepped out of the residence to speak with the officers and admitted to having a marijuana grow inside the home. She gave officers permission to enter the home. Officers entered and located numerous plants and cultivation equipment. The Fire Department, HAZMAT, and a building inspector responded to the location. The building inspector red-tagged the house due to illegal and unpermitted wiring. The investigation is continuing.

Monrovia Baskin-Robbins Owners Honored as 'Operators of the Year'

Baskin-Robbins has named Arun and Binny Malik of Monrovia as its 2019 Operators of the Year.

Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc., the parent company of Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins, named Arun and Binny Malik of Monrovia, California, as the 2019 Baskin-Robbins Operators of the Year at its recent awards ceremony at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Each year, the award is given to an outstanding franchisee who excels in all areas of operating outstanding Baskin-Robbins restaurants.

"With two Baskin-Robbins shops, Arun and Binny foster a strong 'People First' culture through employee recognition, new crew member training and window readiness training," said Jason Maceda, senior vice president for Baskin-Robbins U.S. and Canada. "They ensure their crew are comfortable in their roles and empowered to make decisions that positively impact the business."

"This duo never settles for good enough," added Jonathan Biggs, vice president of operations for Baskin-Robbins U.S. and Canada. "They are always willing to make changes to improve and invest in the equipment, tools, and training to enable their team members to consistently deliver an excellent guest experience. They are exceptional operators who are committed to developing new stores, while at the same time continuing to establish their existing stores within the local community."

"We have to share this award with our employees," said Arun Malik. "Our team members are responsible for promoting the brand and providing superior customer service in our shops. We're so honored to accept this recognition on their behalf."

"Without the dedication and cooperation of everyone on our team, we wouldn't excel at what we do," added Binny Malik. "The Baskin-Robbins Operator of the Year award belongs to everyone in our organization."

Source: Dunkin' Brands press release

- Brad Haugaard

Halloween in Old Town Monrovia


- Brad Haugaard

Oak Crest Institute of Science Open House

- Brad Haugaard

Make A Difference Day Oct. 26

If you'd like to volunteer to be part of Make a Difference Day, Oct. 26, 8 a.m. to noon, as an individual or as a group, sign up here https://is.gd/r8bJB4. Contact Penny Arroyo at 755-1636 for information on large group registration. Some of the projects are:  Installing and replacing smoke detectors, painting city Christmas Tree fencing, park beautification and clean-up.

- Brad Haugaard

Red Ribbon Week Starts Tomorrow

Wednesday begins National Red Ribbon Week and the Monrovia Police Department will tie red ribbons around light poles in front of public buildings and will wear red wristbands to send the message that we do not want people to become victims of drug addiction. The week is in honor of Enrique Camarena, who served in the Marines, became a police officer, and joined the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, where he worked undercover in Mexico. Later he was kidnapped and tortured to death.  Within weeks of his death family and friends launched Camarena Clubs in Calexico, Camarena's hometown, and pledged to lead drug-free lives, wearing red badges and ribbons in his memory.

- Brad Haugaard

Daphne: Shy But Good at Playing

Hello! I’m Daphne, and I get to tell you all about ME! I’m a 2-year-old puppy and I'm kinda shy around new people, but I really like them! I love sunshine and cuddling and yummy treats. OH! And I really love small dog playgroup time! It is sooo fun. It’s where I, Daphne, get to play with other small doggies. We run around pouncing, barking and sniffing! We play bow and of course we take turns being chased and being the chaser. I’m super good at playing! Let's become forever play friends over a game of hide-and-seek!

The adoption fee for dogs is $140. All dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before going to their new home.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

Cheap Appliances at New Lowe's Outlet in Monrovia

Lowe's Outlet, a store for new but dented or scratched appliances, will have its grand opening today at the site of the old Osh store at Monterey and Huntington. https://is.gd/Ii7gsR

- Brad Haugaard

Number of Monrovia Students Slightly Higher than Expected

At its next meeting (agenda: https://is.gd/FyFFoJ) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Get an enrollment report that shows the number of students is 5,407, actually a bit higher than the 5,350 projected eaarlier. https://is.gd/d2E6iQ

~ Consider buying a Paxton/Patterson Learning
System for Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School for $81,877. https://is.gd/LaOraI

~ Participate in the clinical training of University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine students in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (https://is.gd/swbzIs), and in the clinical training of New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development students in the field of Speech-Language Pathology (https://is.gd/Ed1irm).

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Victorious Over South Pas

Friday Monrovia sailed to a 49-7 win over South Pasadena. https://is.gd/uF2kkm

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Church’s Chicken

Dinner at Church’s Chicken at Huntington and Shamrock. Got the “3Pc Mixed” with a biscuit, fried okra as a side, and an iced tea for $8.79. Okay, keeping in mind that we’re not talking health food here, the chicken and iced tea were good, the okra was an experiment and was okay though I confess I’d probably get fries if I ordered it again. And good price. 

- Brad Haugaard