See the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn Through a Telescope Tonight

Come out to see the moon, Jupiter and Saturn up close with Monrovia's Old Town Sidewalk astronomers  tonight at the southeast corner of Monrovia's Library Park from 5:45 - 8:30 p.m.  On display will be the moon, Jupiter and Saturn. Venus may be visible low in the west right after sunset. 

Photo by Sandor Pinter from FreeImages

- Brad Haugaard

Trader Joe's Chicken Recalled

Chicken products made by Innovative Solutions, and sold at stores owned by Monrovia-based Trader Joe's as Trader Joe's Lime Chicken Burgers and Spinach Feta Chicken Sliders, have been recalled for having pieces of bone in them. https://v.gd/qajuYK

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 45 More Cases, No New Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 11/10/2021. Changes since 11/03/2021.

City of Monrovia: 4,110 cases (up 45), 84 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 456 cases (up 3), 1 death (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

City Council to Consider Making Fountain an Historic Landmark

At its next meeting (agenda: https://v.gd/nBKdZ2) the Monrovia City Council will consider designating the Farmers Club Fountain in Library Park as an historic landmark. https://v.gd/4o9M9E

- Brad Haugaard

Free Water Conservation Kits to Fight Drought; Tree Trimming; Road Closures

In his latest report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Dylan Feik reports: 

~ Despite the storm, this year is the second driest on record. As of October 31, 153 wells across the state have gone dry and water in key reservoirs is alarmingly low.  Monrovia is offering free water conservation kits, one per household.  https://v.gd/kv3fWF

~ This week tree trimmers will be working between Mayflower and Fifth from Duarte Road to the southern boundary of the city.

~  Beginning Friday, November 12, at 8 p.m., all westbound lanes on Live Oak Ave and all eastbound lanes on Arrow Highway will be closed and will stay closed until 5 a.m. Monday, November 15.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Cafe X2O

Dinner at Cafe X2O, on the north side of Foothill just east of Alta Vista. Got the Chicken Kebab plate with sides of hummus and garlic paste for $15, and a beer for $7.  Came with pita bread. Very good!

- Brad Haugaard 

Original Apple Computer Sells in Monrovia for $400,000

An original Apple 1 computer sold at auction in Monrovia through John Moran Auctioneers for $400,000. It originally belonged to a professor at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. https://v.gd/VMBGqy

- Brad Haugaard

Oliver! November 20 and 21

The Taylor Performing Arts Center will perform Oliver! its 16th professional production. The show will take place outdoors (with heat lamps provided) in Friendship Circle on the campus at Monrovia High School for two performances only, Saturday, November 20, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, November 21, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets: here.

- Brad Haugaard 

Enter Monrovia Chalksgiving Contest - Theme: What We're Grateful For

Monrovia Association of Fine Arts is holding Chalkgiving, an at-home chalk festival on November 25-28.  Registration is open on the MAFA website at monroviafinearts.org, and registered participants can pick up a free kit (thanks to community partners) to create chalk art with the theme "What We're Grateful For" on their sidewalk or driveway at home. More details on the website. 

MAFA will award first, second and third place prizes to registered participants in these categories: 

• Monrovia Residents/Families 
• Monrovia Resident Children to age 12 (with parental permission) 
• Students 
• Professional Artists
• Monrovia City Departments 

To compete for a $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant, registered participants should email a photo of themselves with their chalk art to sandra@monroviafinearts.org by midnight on November 28. 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Burglaries, Drugs, Drunks, Siphoning Gas, Mental Evaluations; Car Wheels Replaced With Concrete Blocks; Surveillance Camera Records Itself Being Stolen; and More

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

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 335 service events, resulting in 60 investigations.

Commercial Burglary
November 4 at 7:25 a.m., officers responded to Fig regarding cash registers left at an empty parking lot. Upon arrival officers located registers that had been pried open. Officers searched the area and located a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington that had been broken. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
November 4 at 8:57 a.m., a business owner reported that his business in the 600 block of W. Huntington had been broken into overnight. Officers arrived and determined that the suspect had entered through the ceiling. Once inside the suspect ripped the cords from the surveillance equipment and left the store. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication / Mental Evaluation – Suspect Arrested
November 4 at 6:46 p.m., an employee at a business in the 200 block of W. Foothill called to report a female subject causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and located the subject who was determined to be too intoxicated to care for herself. She was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department Jail for a sobering period. Once in the jail she kept stating she wanted to be killed by police. It was determined that she needed to be evaluated by a mental health professional. She was transported to a local facility for treatment.

Public Intoxication / Resisting Arrest – Suspect Arrested
November 4 at 10:22 p.m., officers patrolling the 400 block of S. Myrtle saw a male subject standing in the middle of the road almost get hit by a vehicle. Officers determined he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department Jail for a sobering period.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
November 5 at 2:12 a.m., officers patrolling the intersection of Duarte and Myrtle saw a bicyclist commit a traffic violation. A traffic stop was conducted and an investigation revealed the subject was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested.

Trespass – Suspect Arrested
November 5 at 2:27 a.m., officers were providing extra patrol to a location in the 800 block of W. Huntington that had multiple no trespass authorizations. They saw a subject on the property who had previously been trespassed from the location. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
November 5 at 3:32 a.m., officers patrolling the intersection of Mayflower and Evergreen saw a bicyclist commit a traffic violation. They conducted a traffic stop and an investigation revealed the subject was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested.

Commercial Burglary
November 5 at 9:14 a.m., an employee of a business in the 500 block of W. Duarte called to report that someone had broken into the location during the night. Officers arrived and found a smashed front window. Further investigation revealed that the suspect(s) had entered the location and attempted to take the cash registers. During the burglary the suspect(s) damaged the surveillance equipment in an attempt to conceal their identity. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
November 5 at 9:15 a.m., officers responded to the intersection of Alta and Encino regarding a suspicious person loitering in the area. Upon arrival they found a female subject holding drug paraphernalia in her hand. She was arrested.

Vehicle Burglary
November 5 at 9:25 a.m., a caller reported his business’ vehicles parked in the 400 block of E. Duarte had been broken into during the night. The suspect had smashed the windows of several vehicles and gained access to the fuel lever. The suspect then siphoned gas from each of the vehicles. This investigation is continuing.

Missing Person – Subject Located
November 5 at 11:14 a.m., officers responded to the high school regarding a missing juvenile who had returned. Upon arrival they saw the juvenile was well kept and did not need any medical attention. She was subsequently taken out of the missing person’s database and went back to class.

Vehicle Burglary
November 5 at 11:17 a.m., a caller in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported his vehicle had just been broken into. Officers arrived and saw the window had been smashed by an unknown object. The victim also stated that money was missing from the center console. This investigation is continuing.

Theft
November 5 at 11:34 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of N. Magnolia reported a package was stolen from their front porch sometime during the morning. She described the suspect as a male wearing a hoodie. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft – Suspects Arrested
November 5 at 12:25 p.m., a caller in the 100 block of Peppertree reported that someone had just stolen her Louis Vuitton purse and wallet out of her unlocked vehicle. Officers arrived and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area. An investigation revealed that the driver and passenger had taken the purse and wallet. Both suspects were positively identified and arrested. The suspects were arrested and taken into custody.

Mail Theft
November 5 at 12:27 p.m., a mail carrier in the 600 block of W. Duarte reported that his USPS mail truck that had just been broken into. The mail carrier stated that when he returned to his vehicle he noticed a window had been smashed and that mail was missing. Officers searched the area for evidence. This investigation is continuing.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
November 5 at 5:20 p.m., officers on patrol in the intersection of Monterey and Chestnut conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a traffic violation. An investigation revealed the driver was on probation for battery and was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
November 5 at 9:50 p.m., an officer patrolling the 600 block of W. Huntington saw a subject he recognized from prior encounters loitering in the area. An investigation revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
November 6 at 1:38 a.m., a caller reported a male subject passed out inside a vehicle in the 100 block of W. Foothill. Upon arrival officers found the subject was heavily intoxicated, sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. An investigation revealed that he had been operating the vehicle will under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department Jail for booking and a sobering period.

Commercial Burglary
November 6 at 6:07 a.m., officers responded to a business in the 600 block of W. Duarte regarding a commercial burglary investigation. It was determined the business had been broken into sometime during the night and money had been taken from the cash register. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto / Recovery
November 6 at 7:46 a.m., the victim reported a vehicle theft in the 900 block of S. Fifth. It was determined that the victim had lost their keys a few days prior to the vehicle being stolen. During the investigation the vehicle was located in the city of Arcadia. The vehicle was returned to the registered owner. This investigation is continuing.

Mental Evaluation
November 6 at 2:36 p.m., officers responded to Library Park in the 300 block of S. Myrtle regarding a subject asking for assistance. It was determined the subject needed to be evaluated by a mental health professional. He was transported to a local facility for treatment.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
November 7 at 2:47 a.m., officers were patrolling the area of Evergreen and Primrose when they saw a subject walking in the middle of the street. They contacted the subject who displayed symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Further investigation revealed he was also in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department Jail for booking and a sobering period.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
November 8 at 2:11 a.m., officers responded to a traffic collision at the intersection of Primrose and Walnut. The driver was traveling south when she drifted to the right hitting a parked vehicle. Officers saw she was displaying signs and symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. After a DUI investigation she was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department Jail for booking and a sobering period.

Grand Theft
November 8 at 7:48 a.m., a resident in the 500 block of Fano walked outside her home and discovered her car was propped up on concrete blocks and two of her wheels had been stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
November 8 at 11:50 a.m., an employee of a store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported a male customer had just left the store with merchandise he did not pay for. Officers arrived and located the subject. After an investigation, the subject was arrested for shoplifting.

Theft
November 8 at 2:37 p.m., a member of a residential complex in the 100 block of W. Colorado reported a surveillance camera had been stolen sometime during the night. The surveillance camera recorded the suspect removing the camera. This investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
November 8 at 3:02 p.m., a resident in the 2600 block of Doray Circle discovered several pieces of expensive jewelry missing from inside her home. The jewelry was all there in June and several people have been in her home since. This investigation is continuing.

Trespassing - Suspect Arrested
November 9 at 9:51 a.m., a caller reported a male subject that was trespassing at a business located in the 100 block of W. Foothill. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. The subject had previously been advised about trespassing on the property and was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

Attempt Grand Theft
November 9, at 11:45 a.m., an attempt grand theft was reported in the 800 block of S. Mayflower. Someone tried to steal the victim’s unlocked truck by removing the plastic guard over the ignition. The suspect had fled prior to the discovery of the attempt theft. This investigation is continuing.

Fire
November 9 at 1:36 p.m., callers reported smoke coming from the inside a home in the 300 block of W. Lemon. Upon arrival, officers and the Monrovia Fire Department discovered a cooking fire inside the kitchen. The fire was quickly extinguished and no one was injured.

Grand Theft
November 9 at 8:03 p.m., a caller in the 500 block of W. Olive reported that someone in a black sedan stole the catalytic converter from his vehicle. Officers arrived, but the suspect had already left the area. This investigation is continuing.

Attempt Grand Theft
November 9 at 8:10 p.m., while Officers were responding to the above call on Olive, another caller in the 700 block of E. Los Angeles, reported that two suspects in a black BMW, attempted to steal the catalytic converter and fled. The suspects were not located. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
November 9 at 9:03 p.m., a customer in the 1600 block of S. Mountain parked his van in the emergency lane in front of the entrance and went into the store. When he came out, he found that someone had punched his door lock and stole multiple power tool batteries and a subwoofer from inside. The investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision Myrtle and Olive
November 9 at 11:32 p.m., a caller reported a traffic collision at the intersection of Myrtle and Olive. Officers arrived and checked on the well-being of the occupants. It was determined that the vehicle collided into a city tree and boulder after making a turn at the intersection. No one was injured and Public works was notified regarding the damaged tree.

Monrovia Historical Society President to Speak Saturday on City's Founding Women

Monrovia Historical Society President Steve Baker will speak on Saturday, Nov. 13 at the Monrovia Community Center on "Monrovia's Founding Women and What they Created." The event, jointly sponsored with the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group, will be both in-person and virtually by Zoom, at: https://wmp.zoom.us/j/92755488491?pwd=dlJJRDg5ZEk4YkhPamU0ZzVXTHZidz09 Password: 639273.

There will be refreshments for those who come in person. Masks will be required.  The Community Center is at 119 E Palm in Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Scout Troop Honors Four New Eagle Scouts

 New Eagle Scouts. Left to Right: Tyler Ford, Scott Reynolds, Luca Ammon and Nicholas Milazzo.

Four scouts from Monrovia Boy Scout Troop 66 have earned Eagle rank:  Tyler Ford, Nicholas Milazzo, Luca Ammon and Scott Reynolds. Scoutmaster Mark D. Peters reports the ceremony was held aboard the SS Lane Victory, a museum ship in the San Pedro harbor that served as a cargo ship during World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. The scouts were presented their Eagle medals by their parents and each mom pinned the medal on her son's chest.

Also, the troop recognized new Tenderfoot scouts, Micah Beltran, Charles Gerringer, and William Wysock Jr.; and scouts advancing to First Class, James Rangel Vierra and Maxwell Rily.

For a complete report: https://www.facebook.com/monroviatroop66

- Brad Haugaard

Maggie: Beautiful Eyes and Affectionate Personality

The first thing you might notice about one-year-old Maggie is her beautiful eyes. Spend more time with her, and you’ll notice what an affectionate and playful personality she has. Along with playing, Maggie also enjoys a good nap, and will sleep or quietly chew on toys while you work. Maggie can be shy with new people, and will need time to get to know you, but it’s so rewarding to see her bright personality emerge!

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog 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 an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

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

- Brad Haugaard

Free Online Composting Class

 Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District is sponsoring a free online Zoom class on Wednesday, November 10,  from 6-7 p.m. on:

• How plants work with their soil
• Introducing the soil food web
• How to make compost, selecting soil amendments for your garden
• How to grow healthy soil for healthy plants

Register here: https://v.gd/kO8FlZ

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Xencor Reports Third Quarter Loss of $40.2 Million

Monrovia's Xencor, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, reported a net third-quarter loss of $40.2 million, compared to a net loss of $12.6 million for the same period in 2020. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, net income was $9.6 million, compared to a net loss of $55.6 million for the same period in 2020. The company's stock closed today down 1.67%. https://v.gd/oBhWPy

- Brad Haugaard

MonroviaNow Email Address Change

Just a note to let everyone know that MonroviaNow will no longer be using the email address brad@bradhaugaard.com. The new address is brad.haugaard@gmail.com

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: 1923 Picture of First Methodist Church

Postcard of the First Methodist Church c. 1923.. See full details here. From the Myron Hotchkiss collection.

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

Centre Stage to Present Beauty and the Beast This Month

- Brad Haugaard

Board to Consider: Letting Some Students Off Campus for Lunch; Continuing On-Line Meetings Because of 'State of Emergency'; Honoring Teacher of the Year, Scholars

At its next meeting (agenda: https://v.gd/4rz06w) the Monrovia Board of Education will consider ...

~ Adopting an "open campus" policy to let 11th and 12th graders leave campus during lunchtime, subject to their maintaining a 3.0 GPA, parental approval, good attendance and basically keeping their noses clean. https://v.gd/DXCRIO

~ Adopting a resolution "recognizing the continued state of emergency and reauthorizing the need for teleconferenced meetings." State law requires districts consider this resolution monthly. https://v.gd/8OR7gc

~ Adopting a policy revision concerning absences and excuses. https://v.gd/TbHAYG

~ Congratulating Kristin Ford on being named the "2021 Teacher of the Year" for Monrovia Unified School District. This at a special 5:30 p.m. meeting. https://v.gd/TQjpf8

~ Congratulating Advanced Placement scholars: 

AP Scholars:

• Valery Almeida, 12th grade
• Luke Grebel, 12th grade
• Luca Ammon, 12th grade
• Elizabeth Hutson, 12th grade
• Sarah Avalos, 12th grade
• Ashley Jauregui, 12th grade
• Sophia Childers, 11th grade
• Raymond Revilla, 12th grade
• Robert DeBetta, 11th grade
• Matthew Rocha Torres, 12th grade
• Finn Espinoza, 12th grade
• Ava Shechtman, 11th grade

AP Scholars With Honors:

• Alexander Lenz, 12th grade
• Megan Ta, 12th grade
• Jane Neuman, 11th grade

AP Scholars With Distinction:

• Edward Feldman, 12th grade
• Susann Martinez, 12th grade
• Matthew Hui, 12th grade
• Andrew Smithwick, 12th grade
• Elizabeth Liu, 12th grade

~  Adopting a policy revision concerning absences and excuses. https://v.gd/TbHAYG

- Brad Haugaard

Honor a Veteran; Buy a $100-pie; How to Spend $15 Million; Hypertension Event; City Job Opening; Volunteers Make a Difference

In his latest report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Dylan Feik reports: 

~ You can visit the city booth at Library Park to get a tag to write a thank-you message to a veteran. Tie the tag to one of the many flags flying in the park. The city will also celebrate Veterans Day with a ceremony at 11 a.m. to noon, on Thursday, November 11, at  Library Park. 

~  The group FoodEd is baking 100 homemade pies that it willl sell for $100 each to raise funds to support garden and food science programs in the San Gabriel Valley. https://v.gd/e3TRwx

~ The city has $15 million of Measure K money to spend and it would like your thoughts. Meetings:  November 13, Station Square Park, 1-3 p.m.; December 4, Library Park, 1-3 p.m.; December 11, Station Square Park, 1-3 p.m. Or submit thoughts on-line, here:  www.cityofmonrovia.org/measurek.

~ The city is looking for a Development Services Technician, full-time - $50,589 to $67,795.04 a year. https://v.gd/po12Ao

~ The Monrovia Historical Museum will reopen on November 7 with an updated exhibit of Monrovia High School yearbooks; a Fire Department exhibit; and, upcoming, a display on the city's diversity. Regular operating hours are Sundays and Thursdays from 1-4 p.m. 

~ To focus attention on pulmonary hypertension, Monrovia O2breathe will hold a virtual event November 6. Details:  https://v.gd/wRL4bQ

~ The Volunteer Center of the San Gabriel Valley hosted the 31st annual Make a Difference Day event on October 23. Volunteers made home and landscaping improvements for low-income families and seniors, did park clean-ups and beautification, worked at Monrovia High School and Santa Fe Middle School doing landscaping and at Foothill Unity Center doing food sorting.

- Brad Haugaard