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Chicken (the Cat) Has Gone Through a Lot; She Just Wants Love and Stability


Three-year-old Chicken was surrendered to the shelter due to anxiety after the other cat in the household passed away. Understandably, Chicken has been under some stress due to losing her cat friend and her family, so she needs a patient adopter who will let her go at her own pace. It would be helpful to provide her with a sanctuary space, such as a quiet room, while she gets used to her new environment. Chicken has been through a lot, and just wants the love and stability of a forever home!

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 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


Monrovia High Student One of Just Nine Posse Scholars Across the Nation


Monrovia High School Senior Tamika Samuels will be attending Middlebury College in Vermont with the help of the Posse Scholarship, a full, 4-year scholarship for students traditionally overlooked in the college admissions process.  Middlebury chooses a handful of students each year for this honor.

Samuels is one of just one other Posse scholars from around the nation.

Celebrating with Samuels' family and friends on the zoom call was MHS School Counselor Noel Hernandez, one of many who helped on the journey to this achievement. 

"It was absolutely amazing to hear such great news.", said Hernandez. "This news made my week and I advised Tamika to keep that feeling alive in her heart for as long as possible."

From her time with the Black Student Union, Math and Science Academy, Varsity Tennis team and many other programs, she said they all helped her get to where she is now.

"MHS has helped prepare me for college," Samuels said. "I want to take the time to thank all the teachers I've had throughout high school and my counselor Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Putrika."

She has one piece of advice for those that might be holding off on applying: "I'd say, just go for it. You never know what the outcome would be but you'll feel at peace knowing that you did your best and prepared for it. So just do what you have to do, be your authentic self and believe in yourself."

Samuels will join the Middlebury's Math and Science Department and plans to focus her studies in biology. Her goal is to eventually attend medical school and become a pediatrician to help close the healthcare gap for communities in-need.

- Brad Haugaard

Getting Rid of Your Storm Debris

City Manager Dylan Feik reports that …

“City crews are working through the streets of Monrovia to pick up piles of debris. Residents with downed trees and limbs can stack them in the front yard near the street to be hauled off. Crews will continue picking up debris through the end of the week so please don’t worry if we haven’t come just yet…we’ll get there! In addition, the City is placing large roll-off dumpsters at 3 locations should you wish to dump green waste. The bins are already placed at the following locations –
  • Community Center (119 W. Palm Avenue)
  • Public Works Yard (600 Mountain Avenue)
  • Recreation Park (2 bins at 620 S. Shamrock Avenue)”
Also, Edison still has a backlog but is working to restore power, and the city is helping those with significant damage to their homes.

- Brad Haugaard 

A Moment in Monrovia History: Monrovia Union High School

Monrovia Union High School. From the Steve Baker collection. See full details here.

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

Artist Reception for New Exhibit at Community Center

- Brad Haugaard

Tree Falls Onto Property in North Monrovia


The wind did cause some serious damage in Monrovia. This house on Heather Heights in north Monrovia  had a tree fall on it. 

- Brad Haugaard 

City Provides Staging Area to Help SCE Restore Power

City Manager Dylan Feik reports that to assist Southern California Eduson in its work restoring power in Monrovia, the city has closed Central Avenue between California and Shamrock so SCE can stage more equipment, which will speed up its efforts to restore power.

- Brad Haugaard 

City Manager: Just Stack Windstorm Branches and Bags of Debris By the Curb

In case you are running out of green waste containers following Friday night's windstorm, City Manager Dylan Feik writes that you can "just  stack limbs and branches somewhere near the street so we can get to it. No need to schedule…there are downed limbs everywhere so we’ll stop wherever we see them!" Also, you can put other storm debris in trash bags and put it at the curb. Crews will pick those up as well when they come by.

- Brad Haugaard

'High Wind Warning' Cancelled, But 'Wind Advisory' In Effect Until 2 p.m. Sunday

The National Weather Service has cancelled its "high wind warning" but said a "wind advisory" is in effect for the San Gabriel Valley until 2 p.m. Sunday. "Northeast winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph. Strongest near the foothills." https://tny.im/a6uyR

- Brad Haugaard

City Services Busy Throughout Windy Night

City Manager Dylan Feik reports that Police, Fire and Public Works departments worked through the night responding to considerable damage caused by the winds. "Last night alone, the Police Department responded to 34 alarm calls, 26 calls for down live wires, some of which caused sparking in the streets or fires that are now extinguished, and 36 tree emergencies that ranged from downed trees, trees falling on cars, and even one that fell on a home that is deemed unsafe and uninhabitable."

- Brad Haugaard

Winds Hit Monrovia

A windstorm is hitting Monrovia now with flickering lights in homes, blown transformers, and a power outages reported on social media between Shamrock and Mountain, between Huntington and the 210 freeway, and near Hillcrest and Magnolia in north Monrovia. 

The National Weather service has issued a warning of winds from 15 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 60 mph, in the San Gabriel Valley through 3 p.m. Saturday. https://tny.im/xAsYl

Update: At 7:30 a.m. Saturday traffic lights are out along Huntington Drive in west Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High to Get Intro to Engineering Course

At its next meeting (agenda: https://tny.im/WTEAH) the Monrovia Board of Education will consider, among other things, adding "Honors Introduction to Engineering Design" as a new course for high school students. https://tny.im/WFjiw

- Brad Haugaard

Work Begun on Re-Plastering Ceiling of Historic Anderson House.


Work began today (Friday) on re-plastering the ceiling of Monrovia's historic Anderson House.

The Monrovia Historical Society, which preserves the house as a museum, held an auction late last year of vintage items that either did not relate to the Society's mission, or were surplus, to help raise funds for the renovation. The ceiling plaster, which had been falling in sheets, had forced the closure of the museum.

The work is being performed by Monrovia's Mountjoy Construction.

- Brad Haugaard

Valentine's Day Romantic Carriage Rides

- Brad Haugaard

Penalties for Using Too Much Water; General Plan Revision; City Wants Artists to Paint Utility Boxes

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

~ Monrovians whose water usage exceeds 90% of their usage for the same month in 2020 will be charged "a penalty of two times the cost of a water billing unit (748 gallons of water) for each unit in excess of what is permitted. For a typical residential unit, the standard penalty is $4.88 per unit in excess."

~ No, Feik writes, the rain wasn't enough to fill major reservoirs and end the drought.

~ The city is updating its general plan...

The goal of the Housing Element is to create 982 housing units for "extremely low income" to "moderate income" people. The city "is not responsible for the actual construction of these units. The City is, however, responsible for creating a regulatory environment in which the private market could build these units." https://tny.im/iM248

Goals of the Environmental Justice Element are to promote: healthy and affordable housing, public and recreational facilities, healthy food access, climate resiliency, civic and community engagement and services. https://tny.im/caMQy

The Safety Element is the city's plan to protect against fire, flooding, earthquakes, heatwaves, drought, pollution, and crime. https://tny.im/idK0f

~ Monrovia is looking for artists to paint four of its utility boxes. The theme for this year's Art on the Box program is Celebrating Diversity. Applications will be accepted through March 31. Each artist may submit up to two proposals. Details: cityofmonrovia.org/art.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Students Get Access to 24/7 Online Tutoring


Monrovia students now have access to a free 24/7 online tutoring service called Paper. "Whether they’re stuck on homework, studying for a test, or need someone to read and make suggestions to their essays, there will always be experts available online to assist students in over 200 subjects." Details: https://tny.im/7gEGU

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 812 New Cases, One New Death

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 01/19/2022. Changes since 01/12/2021.

City of Monrovia: 6,909 cases (up 812), 89 deaths (up 1)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 730 cases (up 76), 1 death (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Transients Block Cleaning Crew from Building; Fake Delivery Person Wants a Kiss; Man Tries to Light Tree on Fire; Motorcycle on Fire; Church Sound Equipment Stolen; and Lots More

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for January 13 – January 19. - Brad Haugaard]


During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 329 service events, resulting in 65 investigations.

Park Hours Violation
January 13 at 2:47 a.m., a cleaning crew arrived to the 300 block of S. Myrtle, but could not get in the front doors because of two transients that were sleeping blocking the entry way. Officers arrived and had the cleaning crew enter the building through the side door. The transients refused to leave. A verified complaint was completed against the subjects for being in the park after hours.

Theft / Fraud
January 13 at 9:30 a.m., a caller reported he had his wallet stolen from the 700 block of W. Huntington during the night. The suspect then started using the victim’s credit cards in the early morning hours. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
January 13 at 12:16 p.m., the owner of a restaurant in the 1100 block of E. Huntington called to report that it was broken into during the night. The owner had video of the suspects prying the door open. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
January 13 at 4:30 p.m., a victim reported that her vehicle’s windows had been smashed and the tires slashed while parked in the 200 block of E. Chestnut. This investigation is continuing.

Battery
January 13 at 6:58 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of E. Evergreen called to report she had ordered food online and the delivery person arrived and dropped the food at her front door. After the delivery another subject picked up the food and tried to pretend he was the delivery person. While speaking with the victim he tried to hug and kiss the victim. The victim managed to push the suspect away and he fled from the location. This investigation is continuing.

Mental Evaluation
January 13 at 10:03 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 700 block of E. Huntington regarding a subject who appeared to be trying to burn a tree with a lighter. Upon arrival officers saw the subject trying to light a leaf on fire. It was determined the subject needed to be evaluated by a mental health professional. He was transported to a local facility for treatment.

Death Report
January 14 at 2:13 a.m., officers responded to the 100 block of S. Myrtle regarding a subject not breathing. Paramedics also responded and pronounced the subject deceased. The subject had been suffering from numerous medical issues. The LA County Coroner’s Office was notified and authorized the deceased to be released to a mortuary.

Trespass – Suspect Arrested
January 14 at 8:39 a.m., an employee from a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington called to report that a male subject was at the location who had been previously advised to not come back onto the property because he was disrupting the business. Officers arrived and located the individual on the property. He was arrested.

Grand Theft
January 14 at 9:17 a.m., a resident in the area of El Dorado and Fifth called to report that sometime during the night his vehicle's catalytic converter was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Wanted Person – Suspect Arrested
January 14 at 3:23 p.m., officers were patrolling the 300 block of E. Duarte when they saw a subject they recognized as being wanted for domestic violence and robbery. The subject was detained and his identity confirmed. He was arrested and transported to Monrovia Police Department jail.

Fire Assist
January 14 at 4:55 p.m., a resident in the 800 block of W. Colorado called to report that a motorcycle was on fire, which caused a portion of a residential complex to catch fire. Officers and the Fire Department arrived and the fire was quickly extinguished. The fire was caused by a tenant who was working on his motorcycle. The fire is being investigated by an arson investigator.

Commercial Robbery
January 14 at 9:42 p.m., officers responded to a convenience store in the 900 block of W. Duarte regarding a robbery that had just occurred. An investigation revealed that three male suspects wearing masks had entered the location after a customer left. One of the suspects was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun and ordered the clerk to open the register. Another suspect then reached into the open register and removed cash. All three suspects then fled the location on foot. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence
January 15 at 11:56 a.m., a resident in the 400 block of E. Cypress called to report that his neighbors had a domestic dispute. Officers arrived and spoke with the female subject. She alleged her husband had pushed her out of their home and locked her out. The husband would not answer the front door or phone calls. This investigation is continuing.

Death Report
January 15 at 1:06 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of Granite called to report her husband was unconscious and not breathing. Officers and Paramedics responded and began life saving measures. The subject was pronounced deceased by Paramedics. Mortuary arrangements were made. The deceased was identified as a retired Monrovia Police Department detective.

Trespass / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
January 15 at 3:21 p.m., an employee from a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill called to report that a male subject was at the location disturbing customers. He was asked to leave and he refused. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. The officer asked the subject to leave on behalf of the manager's request, but he refused. His response was, "You'll have to arrest me." Further investigation revealed the subject had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail.

Fighting in Public
January 15 at 9:20 p.m., a fight was reported in the 400 block of S. Myrtle. Upon arrival officers learned that the subjects had left the location. One of the subjects was later located through his license plate. He explained that after leaving a restaurant in the area, an intoxicated male subject called his wife a derogatory term. He then confronted that subject and they began pushing each other and at one point they fell to the ground. They then separated and left the location. No prosecution was desired and the other involved subject was not located.

Suspicious Subject
January 15 at 10:21 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 800 block of E. Central when a caller reported that the security officer there was acting aggressive towards him. The caller stated he was driving by and saw a vehicle he liked. He parked and was looking at the vehicle. The security officer then told him to leave and began taking pictures of the caller’s vehicle. Officers conducted an investigation and determined no crime had occurred.

Wanted Person – Suspect Arrested
January 15 at 10:21 p.m., officers from Arcadia Police Department located a subject wanted by the Monrovia Police Department. They were able to transport him to the Monrovia Police Department jail where he was arrested.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
January 15 at 10:22 p.m., a caller reported a vehicle stopped in the area of Myrtle and Olive with a driver slumped at the wheel and the engine revving. Officers arrived and detained the driver who displayed symptoms of being under the influence. The driver was arrested for DUI and transported to a local hospital for a blood sample. He then refused to provide the sample and was transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail for a breath sample.

Theft
January 16 at 3:27 a.m., officers responded to the 2100 block of S. Myrtle after a resident called to report a suspicious subject walked onto his neighbor’s porch and took a package. The subject was seen taking the package to the side of the residence, opening it, and discarding it. Officers arrived and detained the subject. The owner of the package was located, but did not desire any prosecution. The subject was positively identified before his release.

Injury Traffic Collision
January 16 at 8:07 a.m., a caller reported five motorists collided into one another at the intersection of Peck and Live Oak. Officers and Paramedics responded. The driver found to be at fault was issued a citation. Two of the drivers complained of pain and one was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
January 16 at 3:04 p.m., officers were patrolling the 800 block of E. Olive when they saw a male adult subject loitering in the middle of the roadway. He was contacted and found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery / Hit and Run – Suspect Arrested
January 16 at 5:18 p.m., a caller reported that one of his neighbors was running after a male suspect in the 900 block of Norumbega. The suspect got into a red vehicle and fled the area south. The suspect then crashed the vehicle in the 600 block of Wildrose and ran from the vehicle. An investigation revealed the vehicle was reported stolen in the city of San Bernardino the same day, after the victim left her keys in the ignition with newly purchased groceries. A search for the suspect was conducted with neighboring agencies. The suspect was eventually located hiding in the backyard of a home on Wildrose. He was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail. The owner of the stolen vehicle was notified.

Assault Report
January 16 at 7:15 p.m., an off-duty Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy detained a suspect at a local bar in the 600 block of S. Myrtle after he hit someone with a chair. Officers arrived and found that the possible victim had already left the location. An investigation revealed that the suspect and victim are co-workers, and that the assault occurred after the victim called the suspect a racial slur. During the fight the suspect picked up a chair and hit the victim in the back with it. This investigation is continuing.

Missing Person
January 16 at 7:42 p.m., a male subject in the 3300 block of S. Peck reported his girlfriend missing. She was last seen at a business in the area when she walked away at 4:00 p.m. She suffers from multiple mental disorders. She was entered into the national missing person’s database.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
January 17 at 4:37 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of W. Cherry regarding a suspect in the area with a possible warrant for his arrest. The subject was located and positively identified. A computer check revealed he had a $250,000 warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and transported to the Monrovia Police Department jail.

Trespass – Suspect Arrested
January 17 at 7:42 p.m., a resident in the 1100 block of Teresita reported that a subject was trespassing on her property. Officers arrived and detained the subject down the street. It was learned that this same subject already had a pending trespassing case from the same location. The resident desired prosecution and has no idea who the subject is and why he keeps returning to her property. He was arrested and released with a citation.

Battery
January 17 at 9:27 p.m., officers responded to a restaurant in the 600 block of W. Huntington regarding to subjects fighting inside the location. Upon arrival officers discovered that the suspect had already left the location. The victim told officers he was punched in the face in an unprovoked attack. This investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
January 18 at 8:01 a.m., an employee of a church in the 400 block of E. Huntington arrived at the location and discovered someone had forced entry into a trailer parked in their back parking lot. The suspect stole all the church sound equipment from inside the trailer. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
January 18 at 11:03 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of S. Madison walked outside and discovered someone had stolen her vehicle sometime during the night. Officers searched for the vehicle, but could not locate it. The vehicle was entered into the Stolen Vehicle System. This investigation is continuing.

Burglary
January 19 at 8:00 a.m., a resident at an apartment complex in the 200 block of W. Pomona received an email from the management company for all residents to check their parking garage storage units for possible break-ins. The resident checked his and discovered someone had forced entry into the unit sometime during the night, and personal property had been stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto Attempt
January 19 at 8:29 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of N. Grand walked outside his home and discovered someone had attempted to take his vehicle. The steering column and steering wheel were damaged, however, the suspect was unsuccessful in the theft. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
January 19 at 8:46 a.m., the Sierra Madre Police Department discovered a stolen vehicle parked and unoccupied in the 1600 block of Rosewood, two blocks from the victim's home. The vehicle had been reported stolen by its owner the day before to the Monrovia Police Department. Monrovia officers responded and recovered the vehicle. The vehicle was returned to its owner. This investigation is continuing.

Burglary
January 19 at 2:56 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of Valley Circle discovered someone had gained entry into his garage and stole his bicycle. This investigation is continuing.

Mental Evaluation
January 19 at 4:57 p.m., several callers reported an adult male subject was yelling at Junior High School children and walked in front of cars moving at high speeds in the 100 block of W. Duarte. Officers arrived and located the subject. It was determined that he needed to be evaluated by a mental health professional. He was transported to a local facility for treatment.

Grand Theft
January 19 at 8:40 p.m., a victim called and reported that someone had stolen the catalytic converter off of her Honda Accord. Sierra Madre Police Department recently arrested three catalytic converter theft suspects and this incident is believed to be related. Sierra Madre PD was notified and they will be contacting the victim. This investigation is continuing.

Non-Injury Traffic Collision / Hit and Run
January 19 at 9:18 p.m., a victim was driving east on Evergreen approaching a green light at California. Upon entering the intersection, the other party ran a red light, traveling south on California, and collided with the victim in the intersection. The other party fled the scene. This investigation is continuing.

New Art Exhibit at Community Center


A new exhibit of works by four Monrovia artists, Arella Tomlinson, Jenny Gano, John Parker, and Arthur Lorraine. . Artist reception Jan. 30, 2-5 p.m. at the Community Center. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Dinner at T Burger


Dinner at T Burger, on The south side of Foothill just east of Magnolia. I got a chicken gyro for $7.98 and a drink for $2.79. Very tasty.

- Brad Haugaard