Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 17, 2015

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 17, 2015 

DETAILS ABOUT MONROVIA RENEWAL 

AND THE WATER / SEWER RATE ADJUSTMENTS

MONROVIA POLICE BLOTTER

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events. To see 
a complete listing of crimes reported, go to the City of Monrovia 
website and click on the crime mapping link. Sign up to follow us 
on Twitter for police notifications. 

Traffic Stop/Resisting and Delaying a Peace Officer – 

Suspect Arrested October 9 at 8:34 p.m., an officer was on patrol 
in the area of California and Cypress when he observed a bicyclist 
riding at night without a light. When the officer attempted to 
detain the subject, he fled into the backyard of a nearby residence. 
Officers quickly set up containment of the area, and the Foothill 
Air Support Team helicopter responded to assist. The suspect 
was found hiding inside of a trashcan in the yard. The suspect 
was arrested and taken to a hospital for medical clearance for a 
puncture wound he received jumping over a fence. The suspect 
was determined to be a juvenile. He was medically cleared, booked 
for the charges, and then released on a citation to appear in court. 
The juvenile was released to the custody of his mother. 

Welfare Check/Public Intoxication – 

Suspect Arrested October 9 at 10:17 p.m., officers were dispatched 
to Palm and Ivy regarding the welfare check of a subject lying on 
the ground. An intoxicated male was found lying flat on his back. 
Monrovia Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene 
to medically evaluate the subject. The subject was determined to 
be intoxicated. He was arrested for public intoxication and taken 
into custody. He was held for sobering. 

Domestic Violence/Kidnapping – 

Suspect Arrested October 10 at 4:01 a.m., officers responded to 
the report of a domestic violence incident in progress in the 200 
block of East Los Angeles. The reporting party said the suspect 
and victim were leaving the area in a vehicle. Officers conducted a 
traffic stop on the vehicle as it was leaving the location. The male 
suspect and female victim are boyfriend and girlfriend. The victim 
told officers that her boyfriend grabbed her and put his hand over 
her mouth, causing a visible scratch to her face. When the victim 
tried to break free, he threw her down onto the grass. The suspect 
then picked up the victim and forced her into the vehicle against 
her will, causing her to hit her head. The suspect was arrested and 
taken into custody. He was held pending his court appearance 

Battery with Great Bodily Injury – 

Suspect Arrested October 11 at 7:38 a.m., an officer responded 
to a hospital regarding a victim that had been battered during 
the night at Shamrock and Olive. The victim was involved in 
an altercation and was extremely intoxicated at the time of the 
incident. In the morning, he went to the hospital because of eye 
swelling and head pain. His recollections were vague, but he was 
diagnosed with a fractured eye socket and a minor bleed in his 
brain by the medical staff. A detailed investigation identified the 
suspect, who was located and admitted to striking the victim. The 
suspect was arrested and taken into custody. 

Domestic Violence – 

Suspect Arrested October 11 at 5:32 p.m., a domestic violence 
incident was reported in the 200 block of North Shamrock. 
During an argument, the suspect placed his hand on the victim’s 
neck causing a minor injury. The suspect left the residence before 
police arrived, but he was located at a park in the 700 block of East 
Lemon. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody. 

Driving Under the Influence – 

Suspect Arrested October 12 at 1:36 a.m., police received a call 
reporting a vehicle that was driving erratically in the area of 
Mountain and the 210 Freeway. Officers arrived and found the 
vehicle parked in a business parking lot in the 1600 block of South 
Mountain. The occupant in the vehicle was obviously intoxicated 
and admitted to driving while drunk. The driver was arrested, 
taken into custody, and held for a sobering period. 

Warrant Arrest 

October 13 at 12:35 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 500 
block of West Huntington when he saw a male adult subject to 
the rear of a closed business digging in the trash. He stopped and 
contacted the subject. A computer check revealed three warrants 
for the subject’s arrest, with the highest bail set at $40,000 for a 
drug charge. The warrants were confirmed and the subject was 
arrested and taken into custody. 

Possession of a Controlled Substance/Possession of Drug 
Paraphernalia – 

Suspects Arrested October 13 at 7:53 p.m., officers were dispatched 
to the Santa Anita Wash at the railroad tracks on the report of two 
suspicious males loitering in the area. When officers arrived, they 
contacted two homeless adult male subjects. During a pat-down 
search for the officer’s safety, a syringe and methamphetamine 
was found on one of the subjects and a pipe for smoking 
methamphetamine was found on the other. Both subjects were 
arrested and taken into custody. 

Warrant/Possession of a Controlled Substance – 

Suspect Arrested October 15 at 2:17 a.m., an officer responded 
to a business parking lot in the 1600 block of Mountain on the 
report of a suspicious male subject walking through the parking 
lot, picking up discarded receipts, as well as digging them out 
of the trash. Officers arrived and located the subject, who was 
in possession of several receipts printed from the business that 
day, possibly to fraudulently claim he was returning an item with 
a receipt. A computer check revealed a warrant for the subject’s 
arrest; he was arrested and taken into custody. The suspect 
attempted to hide methamphetamine in the backseat of the police 
car. The suspect was also charged with possession of a controlled 
substance. 

Driving Under the Influence/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia 
– Suspects Arrested October 15 at 2:46 a.m., an occupied 
suspicious vehicle was reported in the 600 block of North Canyon 
with its engine running. Officers arrived and found a male and 
female sitting in the car. The female appeared to be trying to 
hide something under her seat when the officers approached the 
vehicle. The driver had a pipe for smoking methamphetamine 
sitting next to him and was showing signs of being under the 
influence of a controlled substance. Both occupants were removed 
from the vehicle and field sobriety tests were conducted on the 
driver. The driver was arrested for driving under the influence 
of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. A search of the 
vehicle revealed a syringe that the female was attempting to hide, 
as well as burglary tools. The female subject was also arrested and 
both were taken into custody.

During the past year, the most visible capital improvement program 
that the City has established is a project we have called, Monrovia 
Renewal, a comprehensive community wide infrastructure project 
geared towards replacing / repairing every street, water facility, and 
sewer facility in need of improvement here in Monrovia. All told, the 
overall Monrovia Renewal project is estimated to cost $51.7 million.

To help fund the initiative, last Tuesday, we held a Public Hearing 
at our City Council meeting to consider an adjustment to the City’s 
existing water and sewer rates. If approved, the increased rates would 
allow us to make the capital improvements identified in the overall 
Monrovia Renewal program. Based on the process mandated by 
Proposition 218, if 50% + 1 of our customers submitted a protest 
against the proposed rate changes, then the City Council would not 
be allowed to consider the adjustments.

 Practically speaking, what this meant was this… the City has 
9,103 water customers, and if 4,552 customers (50% + 1) protested 
the water rate adjustment, the City Council could not consider the 
proposed changes. Similarly, the City has 8,559 sewer customers, and 
if 4,280 customers (50% + 1) protested the sewer rate adjustment, 
then the proposed changes could not be considered.

 Ultimately, after the Public Hearing took place this past Tuesday, 
we had 463 protest votes against the water rate adjustment, and 378 
protest votes against the sewer rate adjustment. This meant that 
the City could in fact consider the proposed changes, and after 
deliberating the matter for several hours, the City Council voted 
unanimously to approve the newly proposed water and sewer rates 
on first reading. In order for the new rates to be implemented, the 
item must be approved on second reading, and that hearing will take 
place on October 20, 2015.

 For your reference, the revised rates being considered for 
implementation is as follows: 

 Pursuant to the overall plan, the City has also established a 25% 
discount rate for economically disadvantaged seniors, economically 
disadvantaged residents, and veterans. Those that qualify for the 
discount rate would be assessed the following rates:

 The proposed plan also includes a 5% discount rate for seniors, 
pursuant to the following rates:

 A copy of the presentation regarding the water and sewer rate 
adjustment, along with an explanation about the Monrovia Renewal 
capital improvement program, has been uploaded to our website for 
your reference and can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/publicworks/page/
proposition-218-water-and-sewer-rate-adjustments

 In the coming weeks, the City will be publishing additional 
information regarding the Monrovia Renewal project, and if you 
should have any questions in the interim, please feel free to contact 
the Public Services Department at (626) 932-5575.


DUARTE ANNOUNCES A NEW SMART & 

FINAL EXTRA! STORE FOR THE COMMUNITY 

Weingarten Realty Investors, owner of the Buena Vista shopping 
center, announced today that Smart & Final; one of the longest 
continuously-operating food retailers in the U.S., will open a new 
Smart & Final Extra! store in Duarte in early 2016. The store will open 
at the site of the former Ralphs location in Duarte on Huntington 
Drive, and will create approximately 50 new jobs for the area.

 Smart & Final Extra! stores are generally larger than the company’s 
traditional “core” store and carry more than 15,000 different items, 
about 8,000 more than in core stores, offered in a broad range of sizes. 
The new Smart & Final Extra! in Duarte will occupy approximately 
30,000 square feet.

 Smart & Final Extra! stores combine warehouse savings with 
market freshness. The new stores include many new features, 
including a larger selection of meat, deli and frozen food products; 
an expanded produce section that includes organic produce; dry 
bulk foods by the pound; good & well sections filled with natural 
and organic products; and oven-roasted chicken. With 50% more 
club-sized items than club stores, Smart & Final Extra! stores offer 
great value, quality and convenience for households, businesses and 
community groups, all without a membership fee.

 Smart & Final is currently working on plans to upgrade the 
existing façade and the interior space of the new store. An opening 
date has not been set. 

 In a continuation of its aggressive growth plan, Smart & Final has 
opened 15 new stores so far this year and is scheduled to open a total 
of 20 by the end of 2015.

About the City of Duarte

 The City of Duarte was incorporated on August 22, 1957. 
With integrity and transparency, the City provides exemplary 
public services in a caring and fiscally responsible manner with a 
commitment to our community’s future. For more information visit 
www.accessduarte.com or call (626) 357-7931. Follow the City of 
Duarte on Facebook at facebook.com/duartecommunity; Twitter @
CityofDuarte; Instagram @city_of_duarte and LinkedIn.


DETAILS ABOUT MONROVIA RENEWAL 

AND THE WATER / SEWER RATE ADJUSTMENTS

During the past year, the most visible capital improvement program 
that the City has established is a project we have called, Monrovia 
Renewal, a comprehensive community wide infrastructure project 
geared towards replacing / repairing every street, water facility, and 
sewer facility in need of improvement here in Monrovia. All told, 
the overall Monrovia Renewal project is estimated to cost $51.7 
million.

 To help fund the initiative, last Tuesday, we held a Public Hearing 
at our City Council meeting to consider an adjustment to the City’s 
existing water and sewer rates. If approved, the increased rates 
would allow us to make the capital improvements identified in the 
overall Monrovia Renewal program. Based on the process mandated 
by Proposition 218, if 50% + 1 of our customers submitted a protest 
against the proposed rate changes, then the City Council would not 
be allowed to consider the adjustments.

 Practically speaking, what this meant was this… the City has 
9,103 water customers, and if 4,552 customers (50% + 1) protested 
the water rate adjustment, the City Council could not consider the 
proposed changes. Similarly, the City has 8,559 sewer customers, 
and if 4,280 customers (50% + 1) protested the sewer rate adjustment, 
then the proposed changes could not be considered.

 Ultimately, after the Public Hearing took place this past Tuesday, 
we had 463 protest votes against the water rate adjustment, and 378 
protest votes against the sewer rate adjustment. This meant that 
the City could in fact consider the proposed changes, and after 
deliberating the matter for several hours, the City Council voted 
unanimously to approve the newly proposed water and sewer rates 
on first reading. In order for the new rates to be implemented, the 
item must be approved on second reading, and that hearing will 
take place on October 20, 2015.

 For your reference, the revised rates being considered for 
implementation is as follows: 

 Pursuant to the overall plan, the City has also established a 25% 
discount rate for economically disadvantaged seniors, economically 
disadvantaged residents, and veterans. Those that qualify for the 
discount rate would be assessed the following rates:

 The proposed plan also includes a 5% discount rate for seniors, 
pursuant to the following rates:

 A copy of the presentation regarding the water and sewer rate 
adjustment, along with an explanation about the Monrovia Renewal 
capital improvement program, has been uploaded to our website for 
your reference and can be accessed at the following link: 

http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/publicworks/page/
proposition-218-water-and-sewer-rate-adjustments

 In the coming weeks, the City will be publishing additional 
information regarding the Monrovia Renewal project, and if you 
should have any questions in the interim, please feel free to contact 
the Public Services Department at (626) 932-5575.

VOLUNTEER CENTER OF SAN GABRIEL VALLEY SHARES THEIR VISION

 Yenier Leyva is a wonderful representative of the Volunteer Center. 
He shares the vision of community service and opportunities for 
volunteers with a true passion. The Volunteer Center of San Gabriel 
was initially founded in 1948. They have had an ongoing program 
for Meals on Wheels since the beginning. The Volunteer Center has 
grown over the years and now has offices in East L.A., Pasadena and 
Monrovia. They provide volunteer opportunities for court ordered 
community service as well as for traditional volunteer services. 
One of the latest opportunities for volunteers is at the Sierra Madre 
Playhouse. There is a volunteer opportunity for ushers, some stage 
crew and other duties.

 The big opportunity of the year happens on Saturday, October 
24th – Make a Difference Day. Yenier shared at a recent Duarte 
Kiwanis meeting, and the Volunteer Center is looking for volunteers 
of all ages. This year, Make a Difference Day will start at 8 a.m. at 
Monrovia Library Park. It will be a day of community improvement 
and city-wide beautification – In Honor of our Veterans. Yenier 
can be reached at 626-256-8187 for more information. 


Yenier Leyva, Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley and Chery 
Reynolds, President Duarte Kiwanis. 

 For further information on speaking or joining the club, contact 
Dr. Diane Hernandez at drdiane@drhernandezoptometry.com

DUARTE WOMAN’S CLUB TEA PLANNED

With a tropical flair, the Duarte Woman’s Club will host a tea for 
prospectivemembers on Sunday November 8, 2-4 p.m. at the Duarte 
Historical Museum, 777Encanto Parkway, Duarte. Women over theage 
of 18 are invited. For moreinformation call Luz Porlier, Membership 
Director, at (626) 357-0954.

 Curiosities of the California Desert –Historic, Offbeat & Forgotten 
Attractions, a recently released book by local authors Alan and Claudia 
Heller, will becelebrated at a launching party on October 23, 6-9 p.m. at 
the DuarteHistorical Museum, 777 Encanto Parkway, Duarte. Partial 
proceeds from the book sales will benefit the Museum. Imagesof 
America: Duarte, and Duarte Chronicles will also be available for 
purchase in addition to the limitededition 2015 Duarte parade pins 
featuring The trails Restaurant.

 

 The public is invited to attend and admission is free. For details call 
(626) 358-0329.

COMMUNITY IS KEY TO NEW EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES

At a time when children seem more engaged with technology than with 
one another, a swing toward more collaborative learning opportunities 
is gaining ground. Educators and mentors are fostering experiences 
that allow young hands to get dirty and young minds to be stretched. 
As a result, a unique community collaboration is growing in Duarte 
as Foothill Oaks Academy joins the Science Education Partnership 
Collaborative between the City of Hope’s foremost medical experts 
and the DUSD. FOA students will not only have scientists visiting 
their classrooms, and have hands-on experiences in City of Hope’s 
Community Teaching Laboratory, but they will do it with their peers 
from other schools in the city – a true picture of a community at work. 

 Nestled in the foothills where the 210 and 605 freeways meet, 
Foothill Oaks Academy is a private school offering a challenging 
academic experience, for children preschool to eighth grade, in a 
safe, orderly, caring and supportive environment that recognizes the 
needs of the whole child. Visit this unique educational community 
for Campus Tour Day on November 12, 2015 or call the school office 
to schedule a private visit any time at 626.201.9809.