Garden exchange anyone?

Back east it isn't uncommon to have neighborhood garden exchanges.  How it worked was as various plants, bulbs and perrenials in particular overcrowded a garden the excess was passed out to anyone in the neighborhood who wanted them.  Better than them going to waste either by dying off due to overcrowding or into the landfill when they were thinned.

I have about 5 dozen callalilly rhizomes (bulbs to some) at the moment looking for a new home.  I have mostly the scarlet red ones right now.  The yellow will follow over the coming weekend.  If you want them speak up in the comments or stop by.

Calla Lily's do best with morning sun and afternoon shade.  They like regular water during the summer, but once established do well with light watering and tolerate drying out of the soil between waterings.  Other than than feeding once in early spring is all they need for blooms all year.  They do best at the back of a garden or against a wall as they will grow 4-7 feet tall!

Sometime in November I will have some traditional Iris up for grabs.  These are even easier than calla's to grow and naturalize in the gardens really well.  When they are ready I will drop you all a note here.

If anyone else has plants they are dividing out just drop me a note and I'll share it with the neighborhood.

Frank

Be safe burglary's continue in the area

Monrovia and Arcadia share a lot in common in terms of crime and crime patterns.  Arcadia POA has a blog that continually gives updates on crime on the area.  APOA Blog also has a wealth of information that affects us as we run about driving on errands, getting kids to school as well as staying safe at home.  I met Sgt Tom LeVeque of APD who runs the APOA blog last spring when he arranged a ride-along with APD.  Nice guy, knowledgeable and certainly had plenty of information on how the two communities are so similar when it comes to crimes of opportunity.

In light of the continued day time home burglary's in the area take time to read APOA's Blog on Staying Safe at Home.

Auto burglary's continue.  In the area where Arcadia and Monrovia abut a Monrovia man was recently arrested attempting an auto burglary.  

If you want to stay on top of crime trends as well as general safety info bookmark or subscribe to the Arcadia Police Officers Association Blog.

Until then, be aware, watch, report and lock up while staying safe!

Celebrate the Arts is coming 10/11&12

Celebrate the Arts is the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts(MAFA) single biggest event of the year. This is MAFA's 45th Celebrate the Arts event! It will be held in the Community Center and its parking lot on Palm Avenue this year as the usual venue, Library Park is undergoing its huge building and renovations.

MAFA supports art and art education in the community. MAFA supports the art program in the Village After School Program. With that support fully 10% of the elementary school kids in the community get some art education. (Art education was cut from the program years ago and MAFA stepped in where they could).

Industrious principals like Stacey Ayers over at Wild Rose Elementary sought to find ways to bring art classes and a dedicated art teacher to the school. She contacted MAFA and we gave them direct grants as well as assisted in their fund raising efforts.

This is only one way that MAFA helps bring Art to the community. The other way is through working with local businesses to help them open gallery's in their stores using MAFA artists. Focus One Credit Union, Monrovia Coffee Company, CA Wine and Cheese and "Art at the Aztec" are examples of MAFA artists being showcased in local businesses.

Other times MAFA is contacted by businesses to help them establish gallery's. The Paint n Play Art Studio and Gallery and the Route 66 Gallery at the Aztec are examples of that partnership with local businesses.

All of this needs help and financial support from the community. Please attend the FREE shows during the Day Saturday and Sunday October 11&12. There will be 65 artists representing a variety of fine art mediums. There will be silent auction items available for your bidding as well. The silent auction is composed of fine art donated by the participating artists and the proceeds to fund the events and grant programs supported by MAFA.

Also...a little disclosure, I am a MAFA board member. It is pretty strange seeing my name all over as this years "featured artist" but the group chose to give me the honor which I am humbled by.

See you at the show!

Caution at night - recent event in Duarte

Stacey Birkholz dropped an email to a few of us. So every one is aware here is what she wrote tonight.

"That would explain the helicopters....

I heard today from my neighbor that her friend's sister was attacked in the parking lot of the Target in Duarte. She was walking to her car the other night - and she had parked by Denny's. Someone hit her in the back. When she turned around, he hit her in the face, splitting her lip and knocking loose some of her teeth. Then he took her purse. A witness ran to the Sheriff's substation, and it took them quite awhile to come out.

So, this is not a message to not shop at Target, but to park close; look around you; try to go during daylight; and at night, ask a security guard or Target employee to walk you out. Better to feel silly by asking, than to have your teeth knocked out - or worse. We all have children who need us."

A comment from our neighbors on Canyon

I'll try to avoid the snarky comments. But having worked with LAPD as a Neighborhood Watch co-captain in the Valley years ago we were given monthly crime stats for our reporting district. It showed "pins" for the various types of crime, date and approximate time it took place in our little area. It even gave us descriptions of the suspects where it was known. All in the name of giving us what we needed to keep crime down in our little corner of LA.

I really wish MPD took the same position on informing all of us as to what is going on. It would certainly be easier for us to understand the severity and be involved in finding the solution to controlling it.

This comment was on one of the recent posts on this blog. It enumerates crimes taking place in the condos that are on Canyon and the bottom of our street. Seems we have had quite a bit bigger auto burglary spree around here than we thought.

The specific comment:
My name is Tom and I am the President of the Canyonwood Homeowners Association townhome complex. Most of our units are on N. Canyon Blvd., but we have two units at 147 Poinsettia Ave. My neighbor here on N. Canyon Blvd. reports that her car was broken in to early last Thursday morning, August 14, 2008. She had a purse and a car stereo stolen. Her car was unlocked just like one of your neighbor's cars that got broken in to on Friday, August 15th. The thieves walk up the street at around 3 AM and pull on door handles. If they find anything unlocked, they will steal whatever they can find."

When they have their blog up and running I will link to it. I'll suggest as well what other blogs they link to keep up on what is happening crime wise in the community.

Until then. Lock your doors. Set your alarms. Just simple steps that will keep the casual thief wandering around looking for an easy hit from making you his next target.

fraz

Auto Burglary on our street

We are not alone or insulated from the burglary problem in the community. This email from Renee on the latest on our street.


'Upsetting news that another one of our neighbors cars was broken in to while the car was in the driveway. This took place yesterday mid street where the street widens. The cars were left unlocked, however the culprits are bold as one car was in the persons driveway.

This recent break in tells me that we all need to be on the watch and that who ever is committing these crimes are looking for easy opportunity.

Please remember to lock your vehicles and all doors of your homes, even if you are at home in order to keep family and your property safe.

Have a Safe Weekend!
Renee"

I have spoken with officers on different forces and understand our primary problem is we are complacent with security. We need to remember to lock doors and close windows. We need to watch and report what is out of the ordinary.

Compounding the problem is the bad guys know we are easy targets of opportunity. They share with each other what communities are easy targets, easy in and out to freeways with little traffic. We are a community that even San Bernardino prisoners know is easy and tell their pals in the jail.

Simple precautions will prevent most of our problems. Ignoring it and dropping our guard makes us the next victim. Unsettling, but welcome to life in the city.

NE Monrovia daytime burglary continue.

From the Monrovia City Watch blog. He posted his block captains warning to the neighbors on his blog. This is one of several daytime home burglary's to take place in the NE part of town.

Hi everyone,

It’s serious Neighborhood Watch time!! There has been yet another burglary, this time on Monday, August 11th, at the gray house right before the tree at the top of Norumbega, belonging to Don, the trumpet player who has a Corvette. It happened between 4 and 5 in the afternoon. The suspect was an older white male who stole a computer system and some other stuff.

Suspect on the loose! Secure your homes! Be aware and report any suspicious cars or suspicious characters coming door to door who ring doorbells to see whose home. If your neighbors are not on this list, get their emails and forward it to me so we can alert others of ongoing suspicious activities.

As we've said in the past, be alert and report anyone who doesn't belong here, especially if they are where one would not expect a casual visitor to be! Then let Frank and Renee know so we can get the word out to everyone.

Burglary's in NE Monrovia Continue

I spotted this gem to the residents up on Norumbega from their Neighborhood watch that was posted on Monrovia City Watch:

There was a burglary at 1010 Norumbega this afternoon 8/7/08. The burglars jimmied the front door and got in. Not sure at this time what was taken.

There was also another burglary in the 1100 block a few weeks ago in a house just before the 4 houses that form the cul de sac. A college-aged kid heard some noises in the middle of the night, went downstairs and surprised a burglar in progress, who then ran away.

It’s a very timely reminder to report any suspicious people you see on our street! Call the police at 256-8000!
Eileen

You should read the full Monrovia City Watch post for their take on the situation.

Our awareness and dilgence is needed to keep our street safe. If you see something report it. If you see unusual cars just left on the street, ask anyone if they know who it belongs too, and if it isn't identified call the police and report it as a potential abandoned auto.

Whenver you see something or are a victim yourself let Renee or Frank know so they can post here and make sure everyone is aware of what to look out for.

Home Burglary's in North Monrovia

Monrovia City Watch reports that yesterday MPD with an assist from APD rounded up and arrested 3 residential burglars up on eastern Norumbega Drive. Full story on that blog.

Interesting point made in the post is that during tough economic times burglarys increase. The need to be aware and report anything out of the ordinary is always important.

We've already seen a rash of auto burglary in the street earlier this year, take the precautions to lock up your house AND windows to secure them as well.

Street lights put to rest

From an email earlier sent to mailing list:

Dear All,

It seems that we do not have a majority vote to move forward with additional street lights for our block, so we will put this to rest.

Stay Safe,
Renee

Just a reminder as Lee and others noted you can do your own security lighting cheaply with motion detector lights for increased lighting around your home in areas you have a concern.

The best defense still is to simply lock and secure your cars and home at night as our burglary's last spring were due to unlocked cars.

As always, report suspicious activity when you see it to MPD and let your neighbors know what you saw. That will do more to slow down and prevent problems.