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Monrovia Family Fears for Daughter's Life if Experimental Drug Discontinued

Photo by Sam Moqadam on Unsplash

Marian McGlocklin, the five-year-old daughter of Monrovians Sara and Paul McGlocklin, has a rare genetic disease called Niemann Pick Type C, which can be fatal.

An experimental drug called Adrabetadex seems to have made a dramatic improvement for Marian, but the drug's manufacturer has announced that after October Adrabetadex will no longer be available, saying that clinical trials give no clear evidence that the drug helps.

Ten doctors have written the company urging it to continue making it, and Marian's parents fear she will die if the drug is discontinued. https://is.gd/k3eCuE

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: An Early Film Studio Near Station Square

Early Monrovia film studio located by the current Station Square with Ben Webster, Director. Photo by William Ward. 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

Rotary Club Online Auction


- Brad Haugaard 

School Board to Consider New Rules for Student Board Members; District Honorees; Monrovia Days

At its next meeting (agenda: https://is.gd/I3VSMg) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Consider modifying the board's policy on student board members (they only have a vote that expresses their opinion). Here are a couple substantive changes: "Student Board member(s) may make motions that may be acted upon by the Board, except on matters dealing with employer-employee relations," and, "Student Board members are expected to attend Board meetings in their entirety, read agenda documents provided to them, and ask questions of the Superintendent when agenda items are not understood prior to the meeting." https://is.gd/j5H5fW

~ Recognize:

- District staff being honored as  "Employee of the Month" for April: Hermann Goss, Cafeteria Manager and  Shirley Conde, Intervention Teacher (Monroe Elementary); and Hector Flores, Custodian and Rob Cady, Teacher, (Santa Fe Computer Science Middle School).

- The  Food Services Department for serving 1,000,000 meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

- The Elementary Task Force for ensuring a safe return to school for elementary students and staff.

~ Consider adopting a memo of understanding between the City of Monrovia, Monrovia Unified School District, and Centre Stage Productions for the 2021 Monrovia Days Program. https://is.gd/bgs1pn

- Brad Haugaard

Planning Commission to Consider 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Hours for Foothill Gym


Foothill Gym, at its new location at the corner of Foothill and Primrose, is requesting permission from the Monrovia Planning Commission to be open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. (https://is.gd/t78WKl).

The application has several letters supporting the proposed new hours, but several residents of Linwood Avenue, just south of the gym, have indicated their opposition, mostly citing noise as their objection. https://is.gd/WGzWwf

- Brad Haugaard

Free Veggie and Wise Watering Workshop


- Brad Haugaard 

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 18 More Cases, No More Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 04/07/2021. Changes since 03/31/2021.

City of Monrovia: 3,140 cases (up 18), 74 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 366 cases (unchanged), no deaths

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Occupant Sets Fire to Hotel Room; Toyota Tailgates Stolen; Another Gunshot on Los Angeles Ave.; Catalytic Converters Stolen; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 1-7. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 345 service events, resulting in 65 investigations.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 1 at 1:14 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of W. Huntington when he observed a driver commit a vehicle code violation. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. Investigation revealed the passenger was in possession of a controlled substance. The passenger was arrested.

Arson – Suspect Arrested
April 1 at 8:06 p.m., a fire was reported at a local motel in the 900 block of E. Huntington. An occupant set fire to the inside of one of the rooms. Officers arrived and detained the suspect, who admitted to lighting the fire. There was minor fire damage to the curtains in the room and to the personal clothing of the suspect. The suspect was arrested for arson and was taken into custody.

Thefts of Truck Tailgates
April 2 at 8:46 a.m., a resident in the 500 block of Linwood called to report the tailgate was stolen from his Toyota Tacoma. His truck was parked in front of his residence. An officer responded and took a police report. At 2:26 p.m. that same day, a resident in the 800 block of S. Magnolia reported that the tailgate to his Toyota Tacoma had also been stolen. These investigations are continuing.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered
April 2 at 4:23 p.m., an OnStar representative called police to report a stolen vehicle was possibly in the 500 block of Fano. Officers responded and located the vehicle, which was parked and unoccupied. Officers conducted surveillance of the vehicle, and a short time later, a male subject entered the vehicle and drove away. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver complied with verbal commands. The vehicle was a rental and the named suspect was the driver's brother. The driver was positively identified and released at the scene. The vehicle was recovered and removed from the stolen vehicle system.

Vehicle Burglary
April 3 at 7:38 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of W. Olive called to report his truck was broken into sometime during the night. The suspect gained entry to the truck by forcing open the driver-side door. This investigation is continuing.

Weapon Offence / Mental Evaluation – Suspect Arrested & Evaluated
April 3 at 9:04 a.m., officers observed a suspicious male subject standing along the wall of the Police Department in the 100 block of E Lime. The subject was detained and found to be in possession of a concealed knife. The subject was making bizarre statements and said he could hear voices. He was arrested for possession of the knife and issued a citation. It was then determined he needed to be evaluated by a mental health professional. He was placed on a mental evaluation hold and transported to a local facility.

Injury Traffic Collision
April 3 at 12:47 p.m., a caller reported an injury traffic collision between a motorist and bicyclist in the 400 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived on scene and spoke with the bicyclist, who was the only party still at the scene. He sustained a head injury and was treated by paramedics. The bicyclist said a vehicle pulled in front of him and caused him to fall off his bicycle. The driver stopped and checked on the bicyclist. He told the driver he was okay and he could leave. A police report was taken.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 3 at 6:49 p.m., a resident in the 500 block of W. Walnut reported a suspicious male subject knocking on doors in the area, and he was now driving away. Officers arrived and located the vehicle described, which they observed committing several traffic violations. They conducted a traffic stop and contacted the driver. Officers determined the driver had been drinking alcohol and was too impaired to operate a motor vehicle. A DUI investigation was conducted, and the driver was arrested and held for a sobering period.

Driving Under the Influence / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 4 at 12:02 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 500 block of W. Huntington when he saw a motorist commit a vehicle code violation. A traffic stop was made and the driver was contacted. The driver displayed signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance. A DUI investigation was conducted and it was determined the driver was too impaired to operate a motor vehicle. He was arrested for DUI and held for a sobering period. During an inventory search, the vehicle was also found to contain a large amount of controlled substances. The driver was also charged for possession of those substances.

Injury Traffic Collision
April 5 at 1:36 p.m., a traffic collision involving three motorists was reported at the intersection of Walnut and Shamrock. Officers responded and found one of the drivers had minor injuries and another driver did not possess a license. The party at fault and the unlicensed driver were issued citations. Paramedics responded and treated the minor injury.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
April 5 at 5:16 p.m., a motorist called police to report a hit and run traffic collision. The collision occurred at the intersection of Olive and Myrtle, and the other vehicle fled the scene. No one was injured and there was minor damage to the reporting motorist’s vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 6 at 12:15 a.m., an officer on patrol witnessed a vehicle run the stop sign at Foothill and Mountain. The vehicle attempted to make a turn at the intersection and crashed into a pole on the east side of the street. The driver was evaluated and arrested for DUI. The passenger complained of minor pain to his leg, but refused medical treatment. The driver was held for a sobering period. Assault with a Deadly Weapon April 6 at 9:01 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of E. Los Angeles regarding a man with a gun to the front of the location. The suspect fired at a vehicle parked in front of the residence. The vehicle had been occupied by a female subject. Both the suspect and the victim fled the scene prior to officers arriving. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
April 6 at 9:59 a.m., an employee at a business in the 300 block of W. Huntington reported a suspect that entered the business that morning and stole a laptop and phone. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary / Fraud
April 6 at 11:45 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 2000 block of S. Myrtle. The victim said his wallet was stolen from his work truck sometime in the early morning. Items belonging to the victim were found discarded nearby. One of the victim’s credit cards had already been used. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
April 6 at 5:49 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 900 block of Genoa. The victim reported that someone broke into his vehicle sometime during the night. This investigation is continuing.

Theft – Suspect Arrested
April 6 at 7:19 p.m., an employee at a business in the 900 block of W. Foothill called police to report a male suspect that was attempting to steal items from inside the business. Officers arrived and detained the suspect. He was arrested and released on a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Grand Theft
April 7 at 12:20 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of Maryanna called police to report three suspects were attempting to steal the catalytic converter from his neighbor’s Toyota Prius. The suspects left the area in a white sedan prior to officers arriving. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
April 7 at 7:22 a.m., a traffic collision was reported in the 600 block of S. Mountain. When officers arrived, one of the parties complained of pain to her back. She was treated at the scene by paramedics. Both parties exchanged insurance information.

Vandalism
April 7 at 7:52 a.m., an employee at a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported that sometime during the night a suspect smashed the front window to the business. No entry was made. This investigation is continuing.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
April 7 at 8:39 a.m., a hit and run traffic collision was reported in the 100 block of W. Cypress. Sometime during the night, the victim’s vehicle, which was parked on the street, was struck. Officers arrived and confirmed damage to the front end of the vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 7 at 9:28 a.m., officers responded to the 1100 block of S. Fifth regarding subjects inside an apartment that was supposed to be vacant. Officers made contact with two of the subjects in the parking structure. One of them was in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. She was arrested and released on citation to appear in court on the charges. Both subjects were advised not to return to the apartment. A third subject was contacted inside the apartment, and he was also advised. No-trespass forms were signed by the apartment manager.

Vehicle Burglary
April 7 at 10:50 a.m., a caller reported seeing a suspect steal a tool from a trailer parked on the street in the 400 block of N. Mayflower. Officers arrived, but the suspect had already left the area. The owner of the trailer was located and confirmed that a crime had occurred. This investigation is continuing.

Mail Theft
April 7 at 11:15 a.m., residents in the 300 block of W. Duarte called police to report numerous mailboxes had been pried open. Officers arrived and determined that mail had also been stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud
April 7 at 11:58 a.m., a resident in the 500 block of S. Lincoln called police to report he had been receiving letters from an unemployment office in Virginia. The letters contained his personal information and stated that he had signed up for unemployment. He told officers that he had never signed up for unemployment and advised that he had also received twelve debit cards he had not requested. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspects Arrested
April 7 at 1:13 p.m., loss prevention officers from a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported that three female suspects had just stolen merchandise from the store. Officers responded and located the suspect vehicle driving in the area. They conducted a traffic stop, and all three suspects were detained and identified. They confessed to stealing the merchandise and all of the merchandise was recovered. They were arrested and released with citations to appear in court on the charges. These suspects were also found to have committed similar thefts in neighboring cities.

Grand Theft
April 7 at 3:27 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of E. Huntington reported that sometime during the night the catalytic converter was stolen from their vehicle. Officers responded and took a report. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
April 7 at 7:30 p.m., an officer patrolling the 700 block of E. Los Angeles was flagged down by a resident. The resident advised that the catalytic converter had been stolen from their vehicle while it was parked. This investigation is continuing.

Reckless Driving – Suspect Arrested
April 7 at 9:16 p.m., a subject called police and reported they had been the victim of a road rage incident that just occurred near the intersection of Duarte and Peck. Officers responded and located the suspect vehicle still in the area. An investigation revealed the suspect had committed a crime, and he was placed under private person’s arrest by the victim. The suspect was arrested.

Dinner at Stinkin Crawfish


Dinner tonight at Stinkin Crawfish, on the north side of Colorado a half block east of Myrtle. Got the three fish tacos for $8.99 and a beer  for $3.50 (happy hour price).  Nice. 

- Brad Haugaard 

How Monrovia Figures in the Founding of CarsDirect

If you have heard of the billion-dollar company CarsDirect, there is actually a bit of a Monrovia connection to it, although the company was never based here and probably nobody in Monrovia even knows about the connection.

This is one of a series of very brief business videos by Bill Gross of Pasadena's Idealab describing the creation of CarsDirect... with a passing mention of its Monrovia connection.

Comment: The whole series is excellent, and, full disclosure, I used to work for Idealab.

- Brad Haugaard

Summer School at Monrovia High

Monrovia High School is offering Summer School. English, biology, chemistry, world history, math, US history, economics. For details https://is.gd/rhpdxv

- Brad Haugaard

First Presbyterian Church to Begin Meeting Indoors

Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church will now gather in person and indoors. Doors open at 10 a.m. for the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. Please wear a mask and prepare to have your temperature taken. https://is.gd/aXzo3N

Monrovia High Juniors Start Clothing Company

Scott Reynolds and Luca Ammon.

Sonny Sluiter 

Four Monrovia High School juniors, Luca Ammon, Sonny Sluiter, Scott Reynolds, and Tyler Ford, have started their own clothing company, a streetwear brand called  Pier Clothing, which "seeks to represent the Southern California lifestyle while helping the environment."

It's goal is "to raise awareness for environmental conservation through our clothing. We aim to do our part in the fight against climate change." In addition to raising awareness, the company is dedicating 20 percent of its profits to environmental causes.

Luca Ammon says that Pier Clothing has sold clothing in many different states, and even to other countries, such as Sweden and Australia. In addition, the company has more than 18,100 followers and 283,600 likes" across all the company's videos on the popular social platform, TikTok. They have done photo shoots all across Southern California, from Malibu to downtown Los Angeles and including Monrovia's Grant Park.

- Brad Haugaard

Covid Shots at Community Center


- Brad Haugaard 

A Moment in Monrovia History: Monrovia Days Parade 1926

Monrovia Days Parade 1926 seen from the northeast corner of Myrtle and Orange (now Colorado). First National Bank building at 601 S Myrtle Ave. Photo by William Ward. 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.

Correction: This post originally said the photo  was taken from the southwest corner, but according to City Historian Steve Baker, it is actually looking AT the southwest corner  

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Y Opening Date 'To Be Determined'

While the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles has now published the re-opening dates and times of its LA-area facilities, the Santa Anita Y in Monrovia is one of three listed as "to be determined." https://is.gd/VNn3vH

- Brad Haugaard

Eve and Squirt Would Like a Calm and Quiet Home Together


Eve is twelve years old and was surrendered to the shelter with her ten-year-old daughter, Squirt, when their owner could no longer care for them. Eve is a beautiful, social kitty who loves being petted, and will stand up and head-butt your hand to ask for more attention! In her foster home, Eve has been displaying her cuddly tendencies, and can often be found grooming her daughter. Both kitties would love to find a calm and quiet home together, and you’ll love seeing how sweet they are with each other!

The adoption fee for cats is $100. All cat adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.

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 and schedule a virtual adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every day at 5:00 p.m. for the following day.

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

- Brad Haugaard

Happy Easter, Monrovia!


Christ the Lord is risen today, Allelujah!
Sons of men and angels say; Allelujah!
Raise your joys and triumphs high; Allelujah!
Sing ye heavens and earth reply; Allelujah!

- Brad Haugaard 

GrowMonrovia Urges Monrovians to Plant Strip Between Sidewalk and Street

Since April is a month for the environment, having both Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day  (April 30), the non-profit organization GrowMonrovia is asking residents to consider:

~ Planting the strip between the sidewalk and your street (It's owned by the city but maintained by the property owner). "When properly landscaped and cared for, they provide scenic corridors, habitat for wildlife and curb appeal. They provide space for street trees which provide shade and absorb carbon dioxide. They prevent stormwater and irrigation run-off into the streets, allowing it to percolate down to the groundwater table." Sign up at the GrowMonrovia website to be part of this project and the first 20 people who sign up receive a free starter pack.

~  Purchase a shade tree for your home or park strip. Shade trees "provide habitat for our wildlife, reduce summer temperatures, absorb rainwater and tailpipe emissions, sequester carbon, and decrease energy usage." (For sale on GrowMonrovia's website.)

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Football Wins Over Sierra Vista

Monrovia fights back in the fourth quarter for a 35-28 victory over Sierra Vista. https://is.gd/cPAg1p

- Brad Haugaard