NorthPrimrose

First Lights of the Season

As the song says, "it's the most wodnerful time of the year," and it has certainly arrived on Primrose.  Not wanting to wait for the season, Angie and Dominic got their lights up on the multi-plex in the 100 block even before Thanksgiving!

We'll publish more pictures of holiday cheer on Primrose in the coming days.  Get your lights up soon!

Wildcats vs. Falcons, Tonight!

 Neighbors:

Our Monrovia HS Wildcats will be carrying the flag just a short way down Huntington Drive Friday night to take on the Duarte High Falcons in the Quarterfinals of the Mid-Valley Division Playoffs.

The winner will head to the semi-finals, a chance to play for the Division Championship.

This is a re-match of a game earlier this season at MHS which the Wildcats won. However, Duarte lacked their standout running back, who is now healthy, and has made it this far themselves. 

The game is at 7:30, it's just down the road, and is a great opportunity to support the local kids!  So come out and cheer for them!

Wildcats Take a Lickin'; Lions Stop Tickin'

They say a  picture is worth a thousand words...

It was a rough yet glorious night for the Wildcats.  They handily defeated the El Monte Lions, 34-7, but paid a price in pain to do it. Quite a few of the 'cats got hurt, including one who was taken away by ambulance in the first quarter (not the young man above). But, the good news is, they made it to the second round of the palyoffs. And, the important thing is none of the injuries looked extremely serious.

Marquis Williams and Kendal Boggs largely ran all over the Lions, or, more to the point, ran away from them, as Boggs did on this 80-yarder.

The home team's defense held El Monte scoreless until the fourth quarter, yet another impressive, stifling performance.

And, it's a good omen.  True fans of the game know: Defense wins championships!

If you weren't in the crowd, You can read the full story in today's Pasadena Star-News. But, if you weren't there, you might be in the minority of Monrovians.  The bleachers were full and featured many familiar faces.

Next Friday, the Wildcats will face a second round opponent in their quest for the Mid-Valley Division Championship. No word on who they'll face or where.

Kudos also go to the MHS Band which put on yet another impressive showing!

Update From MPD On Burglaries and A Crime Prevention Tip

Neighbors:

We just got a call from CPT Hunt of MPD who was nice enough to give us a ring on his day off.

While he could only release limited information on the recent burglaries in the Scenic/Canyon area, he said there does not appear to be a tie between them, and there is no statistically unsual trend or a "rash" of crimes.  The most recent crime was investigated and that investigation is ongoing.

Apparrently some leads have been developed in the previous case in that area (involving a local realtor's family) and the two appear to be unrelated.

Special Crime Prevention Tip

CPT Hunt wanted to remind all of you that the holidays are coming, and that means special crime prevention measures are in order.  Primary be extra careful about leaving valuables in plain sight in your car during and after Christmas shopping.  In his words: "Crooks need presents too"

MPD usually sees a major spike in such crimes around the holidays, 99% of them involving items in plain site and/or un-locked cards.  He added that GPS systems, Ipods and cell phones are tempting targets, and should be hidden away when you park, lest they should be hidden in a thief's pocket when you return.

Thanks, always, to CPT Hunt for going the extra mile on his day off!

Gem City Images Goes Crazy!

Neighbors:

If you've never seen it, GemCityImages.com is a wonderful web site.  If you want a rich look at the community, architecture and life of Monrovia, Keith offers an excellent, artful overview.  Each day, he posts a new photograph of our town, taken with far more talent than we've ever imagined having.

Why bring this up now? Because he went all kinds of crazy and is using Robert's photo of the MHS Band from last Friday is featured as a guest photo for today's lead image!  Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

So, go take a look!  And go to tonight's game!

Reminder: Monrovia H.S. In Football Playoffs Friday Night

  C'mon, folks!  If she can do this for the Wildcats...

... Can't you stand on your own two feet for 'em?

7:00, Monrovia HS, About $12 for adults.

SURVEY SAYS: Primrosians Mostly Like The Bells

Neighbors:

Here's the latest on the survey of the Presbyterian church bells.  I think one or two responses actually came from off our street, but, bottom line, two-thirds of those who responded like the dulcimer tones.

 

   

Burglaries Continue to Our Northeast

Neighbors:

The following news was added to the comments on another post.  The source is someone we are familiar with who has provided reliable information in the past.  We have emailed CPT Hunt at MPD seeking confirmation, but as of yet have not heard back.  Anyway, here's the comment:

News flash-

Monday midday
Another burglary in the Scenic/ Canyon neighborhood. 

Burglar broke window. Said to have taken small items, including handguns.

Maybe service workers and their vehicles need to be registered in Monrovia. Someone is casing homes and setting these break-ins up.

Sad to see it happen here but it's wise to be suspicious of anybody that you do not recognize.

[Edited to remove information about the location which would likely bother the victims. -RCJP]

While this is obviously quite bad for the victim in question, it raises more significant concerns in terms of patterns.  Barely a month ago, the home of a well known local realtor in the same neighborhood was burglarized. A family member interrupted the crime and was assaulted as the thief escape with several thousand dollars in goods. More disturbing is the timing - Mid-Day!

Some suggestions:

    1) Please keep your eyes open. If you see something suspicous, report it!

    2) Make sure you have phone numbers for at least your three immediate neighbors (left, right and across).

    3) Let your neighbors know if you are going out of town. Make sure newspapers, etc. get collected so your home does not look abandoned.

We will be in touch with MPD to see about setting up a neighborhood watch meeting sometime soon. But, with the holidays, that could prove difficult. In the mean time, pay attention to unusual cars - especially commercial vehicles - on local streets.

ADDENDUM: Details on past crimes issues in the area can be found here in our CRIME!!!! archive.

Dog Found in The Area

Neighbors:

This poster has gone up in the neighborhood.  Do you know this little guy?

Despite the Conflagration, MFD is Ready to Serve Monrovia

We drove by Monrovia Fire Department Station 1 this afternoon and were pleased to see an engine, ladder truck and battalion chief vehicle sitting at the ready.  We snapped this (really lousy and shaky) photo by cell phone camera on the way past.

With this weekend's fire disaster, many cities are calling for mutual aid. Earlier this year, an MFD crew spent nearly three weeks on the road, fighting fires in Northern California.

But, while some MFD fire fighters are no doubt away on the front lines in Santa Barbara, Sylmar or Yorba Linda (note that this is Engine 701, a reserve engine, so the primary, Engine 101, is probably near the hot spots), MFD has a full complement of troops to respond to our needs.

Hopefully, we will never need fire fighters from Sylmar, Santa Barbara or Yorba Linda to come to Monrovia. But, merely knowing they are available is the return on Monrovia's mutual aid investment.