Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 26, 2020

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ARCADIA/MONROVIA-DUARTEARCADIA/MONROVIA-DUARTE

Mountain View News Saturday, December 26, 2020 

ARCADIA POLICE BLOTTER


For the period of Sunday, December 13th, through Saturday, 
December 19th, the Police Department responded 
to 884 calls for service, of which 89 required formal investigations. 
The following is a summary report of some 
of the major incidents handled by the Department during 
this period.

Sunday, December 13:

1. At 2:12 a.m., an officer responded to 7-Eleven,
located at 102 East Huntington Drive, regarding a
purse theft report. The victim stated she was pumping
gas into her vehicle when the suspect opened the driver 
side door and stole her purse from the front passenger 
seat. Through the investigative process, the suspect
has been identified as a 39-year-old male from Baldwin
Park.

2. At 8:57 a.m., an officer responded to the 900
block of West Duarte Road regarding a vandalism incident. 
The victim discovered her Honda Civic had been
vandalized sometime during the previous night. The
suspect keyed the rear passenger side door. The incident 
was not captured on surveillance footage.

Monday, December 14:

3. At 10:45 p.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 500 block of Fairview Avenue regarding
a stolen vehicle report. Sometime between December
12th and 14th, the victim’s 2002 Ford Econoline van
was stolen. The handling detective was unable to locate
any surveillance footage or suspect information.

Tuesday, December 15:

4. At 9:14 a.m., an officer responded to the front
counter of the Arcadia Police Department regarding a
theft from vehicle incident. Surveillance footage captured 
suspects stealing the victim’s catalytic converter
from her 2019 Honda Odyssey on December 5th at
approximately 6:00 p.m. The suspects fled in an older 
model white Chevrolet Tahoe. The investigation is
ongoing.

5. At 10:02 a.m., an officer responded to the 1400
block of San Carlos Road regarding found mail. An investigation 
revealed unknown suspects stole mail from 
a resident in the 1400 block of Oaklawn Road and left 
numerous pieces in the street. The officer was unable to 
locate any surveillance footage or cameras.

6. At 12:26 p.m., an officer responded to the 100
block of South Second Avenue regarding a theft report. 
A witness reportedly saw a suspect steal a leaf blower 
from a landscaper’s company truck. The suspect, described 
as a black male seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt, 
fled to an awaiting white Ford F-150 truck. 

7. At 2:44 p.m., an officer took a telephonic report 
of a package theft report. The victim discovered
her packages went missing from her porch at approximately 
1:30 p.m. on December 15th. The surveillance
cameras did not capture the event and there is no additional 
suspect information.

Wednesday, December 16:

8. At 1:50 p.m., an officer took a telephonic report 
of a grand theft incident that occurred at Arcadia
Methodist Hospital, located at 300 West Huntington 
Drive. The reporting party stated a cart of power tools 
was stolen from the second floor sometime between 
December 11th and December 14th. The incident was 
not captured by surveillance cameras.

Thursday, December 17:

9. At 10:12 a.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 100 block of Diamond Street regarding
a vehicle burglary report. Sometime during the previous 
night, unidentified suspects entered the vehicle by
unknown means and fled with cosmetic products and
personal paperwork. There are no investigative leads at
this time.

10. At 9:11 p.m., an officer responded to Westfield 
Santa Anita Mall, located at 400 South Baldwin
Avenue, regarding a battery report. An investigation
revealed an altercation occurred between two male
customers while inside Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle. The
suspect ultimately punched the victim in the face. Arcadia 
Fire responded and evaluated the victim. The
suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 
25 to 30-years-old, and was seen wearing a black
sweater and black shorts.

Friday, December 18:

11. At 12:37 a.m., officers responded to a residence
near the intersection of Windsor Road and Cornell
Drive regarding the sound of gunshots. Officers discovered 
unknown suspect(s) fired multiple rounds
into a residence in the 500 block of North Santa Anita
Avenue. A review of the submitted surveillance footage
revealed the suspect(s) were driving in a newer model
Mercedes-Benz C-Class, dark blue sedan. The investigation 
is ongoing.

12. At 6:35 p.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 500 block of East Norman Avenue regarding a
burglary alarm activation. An investigation revealed
unknown suspect(s) smashed a rear window causing
the alarm to activate. It appears as though the suspects
fled before entering the home. The officer was unable
to locate any surveillance footage.

Saturday, December 19:

13. At 4:51 a.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 1800 block of Elevado Avenue regarding
an attempted burglary report. Surveillance footage revealed 
a white male, approximately 5’11” tall, with a
thin build, and seen wearing a black brimmed baseball
hat attempted to enter the victim’s home but fled when
he discovered the door was locked. The suspect may
be responsible for two vehicle burglaries that occurred
just a few houses away.

14. At 4:30 p.m., an officer responded to Fox Junk
Removal, located at 19 La Porte Street, regarding a 
grand theft incident. Surveillance footage revealed suspects 
in a black SUV with no plates stole the catalytic 
converter from one of the company’s dump trucks. The 
investigation is pending a review of the surveillance 
footage. 

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ALTADENA-SO. PASADENA-SAN MARINOALTADENA-SO. PASADENA-SAN MARINO

New South Pasadena Water 
and Sewer Rates For 2021

HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL DIRECTOR JAMES FOLSOM SET TO RETIRE

 
James P. Folsom, (pictured) the Marge and Sherm Telleen/Marion and Earle Jorgensen 
Director of the Botanical Gardens, is set to retire Friday. Folsom’s retirement coincides 
with the culmination of one of his grandest projects: the completion of one of the largest 
and most beautiful Chinese gardens outside of China—Liu Fang Yuan, the Garden of 
Flowing Fragrance.

 Throughout his Huntington career, much of Folsom’s effort has been devoted to 
educational and research programs that increase public understanding of the science, 
culture, and history of plants, and of the critical role plants play in sustaining life on 
Earth. He has also presided over an era of unprecedented growth and fundraising for 
botanical projects.

 In 2020, Folsom was honored by the American Horticultural Society with its 
Liberty Hyde Bailey Award, the organization’s highest honor, for significant lifetime 
achievements in the field.

 “Jim’s indelible imprint on The Huntington is everywhere,” said Huntington President 
Karen R. Lawrence. “It can be seen in the gardens he has built, the botanical collections 
he has developed, the relationships he has nurtured with donors, and in the passion for 
the natural world that he has shared enthusiastically through programs for young and old. Any description of his duties 
fails to capture the totality of Jim’s legacy, but it is anything but a platitude to say that his legacy lives on. We will miss the 
contributions of The Huntington’s one-of-a kind Pied Piper of botany.”

 Folsom joined the Huntington staff in 1984 as assistant curator and was named director of the Botanical Gardens in 1987. 
Today, he oversees a staff of 81, charged with the stewardship, care, and interpretation of more than a dozen thematic 
gardens covering 130 acres of the 207-acre grounds and conducting research among the specialized plant collections. 
The property was once the home of Henry E. and Arabella Huntington, who, in creating their trust document in 1919, 
transformed their estate into the institution that bears their name.

 Among the most notable achievements under Folsom’s leadership was his long-held vision of creating a garden to 
celebrate Chinese landscape traditions. That vision was realized in 2008 with the debut of the exquisite Liu Fang Yuan, 
originally 3.5 acres but now expanded to 15 acres. Enthusiastically supported by the local community, the project 
spanned 20-plus years and was an international partnership between Chinese and American architects, contractors, 
and craftspeople. The result is a world-class attraction that not only celebrates the height of Ming dynasty-era garden 
building, but also embodies the contemporary ideals of international cooperation and cross-cultural exchange. The total 
cost of the garden’s construction came to about $54.6 million, all of which was raised from individual, corporate, and 
foundation gifts.

 Inspiring new audiences with the wonders of the plant kingdom has always been a key focus of Folsom’s work. With a 
bachelor’s degree in botany from Auburn University, a master’s degree in biology from Vanderbilt University, and a Ph.D. 
from The University of Texas at Austin, he brought botanical education at The Huntington to the forefront. Along with 
his staff, he has offered programs for teachers, students, and the public that reinforce the critical importance of plants 
to life on our planet. Whether presiding over the dissection of a corpse flower on Facebook Live for an unforgettable 
lesson in that rare plant’s reproductive cycle, leading a monthly botany lab for “citizen scientists,” or demystifying the 
yeasty science of bread-making in fragrant workshops in the demonstration kitchen, Folsom has always been one of The 
Huntington’s most engaging presenters and an inspiring advocate for the natural world.



 The South Pasadena City Council approved establishing new 
water rates with additional increase from the Metropolitan Water 
District (MWD) and new sewer rates. The new rates were approved 
on November 18.The MWD’s change of the wholesale water rate 
for 2021 is considered as pass-through charge. Here are a few 
important key notes of the new rates:

New rates will be effective January 1, 2021.

Residents will see the new rates for January 2021 service on their 
bills around March or April 2021.

Water Rates for 2021 will increase by approximately 6.2 percent for 
the bi-monthly fixed charge and 8.8% for the volume charge.

Most single-family residences are served by a 3/4” meters, which 
are the least expensive sized meters available.

Sewer rates for 2021 will increase by approximately 4 percent from 
current sewer rate.

 For more information visit: southpasadenaca.gov (search for 
water rates).

South Pas Tournament of 
Roses Crunch Time Party

 With the cancellation of the live 
Rose Parade on Jan. 1, the South 
Pasadena Tournament of Roses 
Committee is already gearing 
up for the 2022 New Year’s Day 
event by encouraging public 
support, starting Saturday, 
December 26, at 10 a.m. and 
continuing through Sunday, 
December 29, at 10 p.m.

 South Pasadena Tournament 
of Roses Committee (SPTOR) 
President Brant Dunlap is 
urging those in the community 
and beyond to get behind a new 
look Crunch Time Party, minus 
the traditional dinner, silent 
and live auction held at the War 
Memorial Building in town. This 
year’s virtual auction will feature 
dozens of items, including a 
gourmet dinner for eight, a 
private airplane ride for two, a 
Big Bear getaway, an overnight 
stay at a high-end hotel, an 
elegant estate tour, dinners, 
gift baskets, entertainment and 
much more.

 While this year’s Crunch Time 
Party will look different, Dunlap 
knows the goal of the auction 
remains the same – to raise the 
necessary funds for the city float 
to participate in the 2022 Rose 
Parade and create enormous 
hometown pride along the way.

 To take part in the auction site, 
go to: SPTOR.org or auctria.
com/auction/SPTOR2020

ALTADENA LIBRARY SERVICES GO BEYOND BUILDING WALLS

 
Just because Altadena library buildings are temporarily 
closed doesn’t mean that library services cease entirely. 
While library staff work from home, reference services 
over the phone at (626) 798-0833 and through live chat 
on the library website on Monday-Saturday, 10:00am to 
6:00pm will continue to be available should you require 
assistance or just feel like talking books with a friendly 
voice.

 The Altadena Library website is our online library 
branch... and it is open 24/7. With your Altadena Library 
card, you can continue to access digital reading platforms 
and databases anytime, including the following examples:

cloudLibrary: Access to over 140,000 ebooks and 
audiobooks

hoopla: Movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics and 
TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, or phone – 
and even your TV!

Tumblebooks: An online collection of existing picture 
books with animation, sound, music and narration which 
you can read or have read to you

The New York Times Online: Courtesy of the California 
State Library, a daily access code to give you full digital 
access to The New York Times.

A to Z World Foods: Thousands of international recipes, 
hundreds of culture and ingredient articles to take your 
culinary skills to the next level...and more! Not sure where 
to start? Want to learn more about what digital resources 
you can access with your card? Give them a call at (626) 
798-0833.

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com