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Two Monrovia Students Receive National Hispanic Recognition Award



Monrovia High School senior Joaquin Gutierrez-Tunstad and early graduate Tiber Ray both received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from among 72,000 students nationwide . The award highlights underrepresented students' academic achievements. Requirements: GPA 3.5 or higher, being in the top 10 percent in state assessments, or 3 or higher on 2 or more AP exams.

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: John B. Adams, Helped Found Shiloh AME Zion Church

John B. Adams was born a slave near 1856 named Hicks Bundy. He was a leader of the group recruited by Lucky Baldwin from Bennettsville, SC near 1886. John worked establishing citrus farms in Southern Calif. He was married to Adeline Morris Adams and had 6 living children" Elliot, Sally, Philip, Madie, Celia, and Frank. John bought the land for Shiloh AME Zion church in 1892. The Adams lived at at 228 E. Maple. From the Shiloh AME Zion Church 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

Craft-tastic, An Afternoon of Crafts for Children

Craft-tastic, an afternoon of arts and crafts for children up to age 11, Saturday, Sept. 2, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Monrovia Public Library. Designed to inspire self-expression, boost confidence, and ignite imaginations. No reservations required. For more information call 256-8269 or email asimpson@ci.monrovia.ca.us.

- Brad Haugaard

Call for Artists to Submit Christmas Ornament Designs

Monrovia is accepting designs for its second annual Art in Public Places Tree Ornament Contest. Artists may submit a design that will be transferred to a three-inch diameter ceramic ornament. The theme is A Merry Monrovia. The selected artist will receive $500 and have his or her name listed on the back of the ornament. Ornaments will be sold on Monrovia’s Online Store. Proceeds will support Monrovia’s Art in Public Places programs. Entries must be submitted by  6 p.m., September 28, 2023.

Design Requirements

  • Reflect the theme, A Merry Monrovia
  • Can be either be black and white or color
  • Needs to include “Monrovia”
  • Submitted in a PNG format (minimum 300 PSI)
  • Be family friendly

Submission Requirements

  • Open to artists of all ages
  • Email complete application and image to Kerri Zessau at kzessau@ci.monrovia.ca.us.
  • Email subject line must read “2023 ORNAMENT CONTEST”
  • Artist may submit up to two designs 
  • Incomplete applications, or applications received after the due date, will be disqualified

Design Selection

  • The Art in Public Places Committee will select the design
  • Designs will be evaluated on capturing the spirit of the theme, artistic excellence, innovation and originality

To receive the Contest Application in PDF format, email christine@monroviafinearts.org.\

- Brad Haugaard


Back to School Nights


Back to School Nights, all at 6 p.m.:

Bradoaks: Tuesday, August 29
Wild Rose: Tuesday, August 29
Monrovia High School: Wednesday, August 30
Canyon Oaks High School & Mountain Park School: Thursday, August 31
Monroe: Thursday, August 31
Santa Fe: Wednesday, September 6
Clifton: Thursday, September 7
Canyon Early Learning Center: Thursday, September 14

- Brad Haugaard

Block Party to Celebrate Isaac Epperson

There will be a block party celebrating the next Neighborhood Treasure, Isaac Epperson, NAACP president who championed integration at swimming pool, stores and jobs. Register here.

- Brad Haugaard

Prepare for Earthquakes Workshop Sept. 16

There will be a workshop on preparing for earthquakes on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., at the Monrovia Library Community Room. Guest speaker will be Margaret Vinci from Cal Tech. The workshop, sponsored by the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group and the Monrovia Fire & Rescue, is free, but is limited to 60 attendees and registration (here) is required. Light refreshments will be provided.

- Brad Haugaard

How to Counter Active Threats - Police Seminar


Monrovia Police will present security training on how to counter an active threat, such as a shooter. Run, hide, fight; how to prepare; how to respond when law enforcement arrives. Etc. Sept. 14, 2023, 7 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church (122 California Ave.). Presented by Interfaith Council of Monrovia. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Police Sponsor Blood Drive at Community Center

Monrovia Police Department is hosting a blood drive, on Thursday, September 14, at the Monrovia Community Center (119 W. Palm Ave.), from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. To schedule your appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code “BOB23” or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. 

- Brad Haugaard

Leadership Academies for Adults and Youth

Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP) is offering leadership academies for adults (here) and youth (here).\

- Brad Haugaard

City Wants Your Thoughts on Improving Rotary Park

There will be a meeting to get residents thoughts on what to include in a new playground for Rotary Park (401 S. California Ave.). The meeting will be at the park on Saturday, September 9, at 10 a.m.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Drunk Prowler on Roof; Person Extracted from Rolled Car; Thief Takes Truck Tailgate; Lots of Drugs and Alcohol; Etc.

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

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 394 service events, resulting in 66 investigations.

Vehicle Burglary
August 17 at 8:25 a.m., a victim in a business reported that their vehicle was burglarized while parked in a parking lot in the 1600 block of S. Mountain. Tools were taken. This investigation is continuing. 

Mental Evaluation
August 17 at 8:39 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of W. Duarte reported a disturbing subject in the area. The caller stated that the subject was her ex-boyfriend and he was threatening to harm himself. The subject was located and determined to be a danger to himself. The subject was transported to a medical facility for a mental evaluation. 

Battery – Suspect Arrested
August 17 at 8:52 a.m., a battery was reported in the 800 block of W. Duarte. The victim reported that her uncle had battered her. Officers and fire personnel responded. The victim claimed her uncle battered her. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
August 17 at 9:59 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Foothill and Stedman for a traffic violation. The driver displayed symptoms of intoxication. An investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period. 

Trespass
August 17 at 11:46 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 700 block of S. Shamrock regarding a prowler heard on the roof of the building. Officer’s arrived and saw the suspect on the roof. The suspect was detained and determined to be intoxicated. The suspect was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period. 

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
August 18 at 2:15 a.m., while patrolling a shopping center in the 1600 block of S. Mountain officers saw a subject laying on the ground near a vehicle. The officers checked on the subject's welfare and determined he was too intoxicated to care for his own safety. The subject was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period. 

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
August 18 at 11:34 a.m., an officer was on patrol in a park in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle when he saw illegal drug activity taking place. He contacted the subject and confirmed the subject was in possession of drug paraphernalia. The subject was arrested and taken into custody. 

Hit and Run Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence
August 18 at 12:33 p.m., a hit and run traffic collision was reported in the 1100 block of S. Myrtle. Witnesses provided a vehicle description and possible location. Officers responded and located a vehicle matching the description with body damage. An investigation showed the suspect driver was likely under the influence. He was transported to a medical facility for treatment. This investigation is continuing. 

Outside Assist
August 18 at 3:20 p.m., a witness reported a rollover traffic collision in the area of California and Central. Officers and MFD responded to extract a trapped occupant, who was transported to a hospital for treatment. CHP was notified and took over the investigation. 

Warrant Arrest / Battery – Suspects Arrested
August 18 at 9:20 p.m., an officer stopped a bicyclist for traffic violations in the area of Duarte and Alta Vista. A computer check revealed the subject had a warrant for his arrest. As the officer was arresting the suspect, an uninvolved female subject approached the officer and began yelling at the officer and slapped an officer’s hand. Both subjects were arrested and taken into custody. 

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
August 19 at 1:33 a.m., while patrolling the area of Ivy and Maple, an officer saw a vehicle commit a traffic violation. The officer contacted the driver who displayed symptoms of being intoxicated. An investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period. 

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
August 19 at 5:25 a.m., while conducting extra patrol in the 600 block of W. Huntington an officer contacted a subject who was in front of a closed business. A computer check revealed the subject had warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and found to be in possession of drug paraphilia. He was taken into custody. 

Driving Under the Influence
August 19 at 11:44 a.m., a caller in a restaurant in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported that a driver had hit his vehicle in the parking lot and that the driver seemed intoxicated. Officers arrived and located the suspect. The suspect refused to cooperate. This investigation is continuing. 

Domestic Violence
August 19 at 12:57 p.m., a resident in the 1200 block of S. Alta Vista called to report that her husband was abusing her. Officers responded and located both subjects. The investigation revealed that they had an argument which turned physical. Though both subjects had injuries it appeared the husband was the primary aggressor. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Public Intoxication
August 19 at 4:11 p.m., a representative of a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington called to report a subject causing a disturbance. Officers responded and determined the subject was intoxicated and unable to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period. 

Battery / Child Endangerment
August 19 at 5:01 p.m., an officer was flagged down in the 2000 block of S. Myrtle by a subject claiming to have been battered. The investigation revealed that two subjects engaged in mutual combat in the presence of children, potentially placing the children in danger. This investigation is continuing. 

Battery
August 19 at 6:53 p.m., a guest of a hotel in the 900 block of S. Fifth reported she was battered by her roommate. Officers arrived and found the suspect had left. This investigation is continuing. 

Public Intoxication
August 19 at 8:39 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 300 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a female adult laying on the ground in front of the front doors of a closed building with a male adult next to her, after hours. Officers contacted the female to ask if she was okay, she became ill because of her level of intoxication. MFD responded and transported the female to a nearby hospital. 

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
August 20 at 12:56 a.m., an officer was patrolling a closed park in the 1600 block of S. Primrose when he saw a male adult subject. He contacted the subject and found he had a warrant for his arrest and was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
August 20 at 2:08 a.m., while patrolling in the 600 block of S. Myrtle an officer saw a motorist commit a driving violation. He stopped the motorist and found the driver to be heavily intoxicated. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period. 

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
August 20 at 2:52 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 800 block of W. Huntington when she saw a female adult loitering around a closed business. The officer contacted the female subject and found her to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. A computer check revealed she had a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody. 

Drug Activity – Suspects Arrested
August 20 at 3:40 a.m., while patrolling in the 1100 block of S. Myrtle an officer saw two male adults passed out at a bus bench. She stopped to check on their welfare when she saw a drug paraphernalia in plain view between the two of them. Both subjects were arrested and taken into custody. 

Burglary
August 20 at 10:30 a.m., the manager of an apartment complex in the 1400 block of S. Magnolia called to report that he reviewed video footage and saw that around 4:45 p.m. the day prior a male subject broke into the complex and stole tools from a locked storage closet. This investigation is continuing. 

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
August 21 at 7:05 a.m., an officer was alerted to a stolen vehicle in the area of Cherry and Magnolia. The officer confirmed the vehicle was stolen and the registered owner was contacted. This investigation is continuing. 

Grand Theft
August 21 at 10:25 a.m., a victim in the 900 block of S. Myrtle called to report that on August 19 someone stole the tailgate to his truck. This investigation is continuing. 

Theft
August 21 at 12:07 p.m., a caller in the 600 block of W. Huntington to report her wallet was stolen while shopping. This investigation is continuing. 

Fraud
August 21 at 2:14 p.m., fraudulent activity was reported in the 300 block of W. Huntington an employee stated that a customer has written a total of six fraudulent checks. This investigation is continuing. 

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
August 21 at 11:48 p.m., a resident in Glendale reported her daughter was at home in the 800 block of S. Myrtle and was the victim of a domestic violence. Officers arrived, but no one answered. Believing the victim was in danger, officers made entry. The suspect was located and detained. The victim was found in the backroom with visible injuries. The suspect was holding her against her will. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody. 

Commercial Burglary
August 22 at 4:52 a.m., employees of a store in the 1600 block of S. Mountain arrived to work and discovered the front glass of the store was shattered. They entered and found the alarm had not been activated for an unknown reason. Officers arrived and searched the store for suspects, but no one was inside. This investigation is continuing. 

Grand Theft Auto
August 22 at 7:01 a.m., a victim in the 600 block of W. Duarte reported that his vehicle was stolen. This investigation is continuing. 

Commercial Burglary
August 22 at 8:02 a.m., a reporting party in the 1300 block of S. Myrtle called to report a roll-up door broken into and some tools stolen. This investigation is continuing. 

Vandalism
August 22 at 2:18 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 1200 block of S. Alta Vista. This investigation is continuing. 

Battery / Resist / Delay – Suspect Arrested
August 22 at 2:46 p.m., officers responded to the 500 block of W. Huntington regarding a disturbing subject inside a store. The subject battered a customer and when the officer attempted to detain the subject, she took off running, refusing to listen to the officer's commands. She was ultimately detained. She was arrested and taken into custody. 

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
August 23 at 4:20 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain regarding subjects who had been inside the business for five hours and were concealing items in a bag. Officers made contact with the subjects. A computer check revealed one of the subject's had a no bail warrant and was in possession of burglary tools. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Summer Night Worship Friday Night at Library Park

Put on by Calvary Chapel Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard 

Dinner at Chronic Taco


Dinner at Chronic Taco, on the west side of Myrtle just north of Palm. Got the two taco plate for $9.95 and a beer. To get a beer you need to first buy a card for $2 and then put money on it. I put $8 on it then touched the card on the tap to get the beer, so the beer cost $8… or less. Or, if you just use the card once I guess it cost $10. Anyway, it was all tasty.

- Brad Haugaard 

Dobby, Sweet and Sensitive Comedian

Dobby thinks it’s funny to stick out his tongue while getting his photo taken. He probably also likes to tell corny jokes, put a lampshade on his head or whatever it takes to get a laugh. Or at the very least, an eyeroll.

He may be a comedian at heart, but Dobby is also a sweet and sensitive dog. He’s just over a year old, and an active home would be ideal for this active border collie mix.

Pasadena Humane volunteers have taken him on several field trips, and they’ll attest to his love of the outdoors. He is an avid hiker and explores whatever stream he comes across. He is also thrilled to go hang out at Starbucks afterwards and enjoy a puppocino.

Dobby is ready for an open-mic night at your house!

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

A Moment in Monrovia History: 1887 Real Estate Office

Man seated at desk to right is John Wilde, who built the apartments and stores later known as the Harper block. W.H. Evans (Emporium of Fashion) was the first occupant of the north store that was where the Boxx Jewelry Store is now at 516 S Myrtle. Mr. Wilde also built two or three houses on Lemon Avenue east of Canyon. The MacNeale & Urban safe seen belonged at one time to the firm of Buck & Campbell. The man in the 'pork pie' hat may be Mr. Campbell. Photo by Shaffner's California Views, 500-590 Sixth Street, Los Angeles. From the Myron Hotchkiss 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

Last Summer Art Walk This Saturday

On Saturday, August 26, from 6-9 p.m., in Old Town will be the last Summer Art Walk of the season; sponsored by Monrovia Association of Fine Arts.

- Brad Haugaard

Lego Free Play Saturday at Library


Lego Free Play on Aug 26, 1-3 p.m. in the library Story Room. Creative building with provided LEGO blocks for ages 2-12 and families. No registration needed.

- Brad Haugaard

Sensory Playtime Aug. 26 at Library

Sensory Playtime on Aug 26, 10-11 a.m. at library, for children with ASD and sensory disorders. Registration required, limited seats. Register here.

- Brad Haugaard

Dungeons and Dragons at Library Friday

 

There are 4 seats remaining for people 16 and older to play Dungeons and Dragons at the library this Friday, August 25,  at 5:30 p.m. Seats to play limited to eight but if you are waitlisted, feel free to watch and learn. Registration here.

- Brad Haugaard