Brad Hori

Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
Both of my parents were born in California. They were both in an Internment Camp during the war. They both passed away in 2003. My sister was killed in Pasadena in 1991. My brother had a traumatic brain injury. He stayed at my place for 10 years. Now he is living at Brookdale in Monrovia. Nice place BTW!

Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I grew up knowing I would be a machinist, like my dad, since we had a machine shop at home. Funny part is that most of my jobs have been in the electronic field, since that was a hobby of mine. But I do both at work. For what it’s worth, it’s easy to get a job with those two skills.

Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Monrovia certainly has a lot of good restaurants, and I have enjoyed most of them. I like many, so it would be hard to choose, I do have several in other nearby cities, Houston’s in Pasadena, Kuru Revolving Sushi place in Little Tokyo, and Matt Denny’s in Arcadia. I liked Ranchero in Duarte, gone. I liked Wang’s, gone, T Philip’s, gone, Spire’s, also gone.

Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I moved here in 1991, but I was still working in Pasadena, BTW, all of my jobs have been 5 miles away or less – at an aerospace manufacturer where they made custom mil spec transformers – but I got a job at Aerovironment on Myrtle Avenue in 1997. AV moved next to the cemetery in 2006, and in 2018 our division was bought out by a German company called Webasto CSI. I still work there.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Hum, can I say “Me”? Oh, just thought about her, Tina, the cat lady. I find her interesting. I like cats!

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Well the furthest I’ve traveled east is to Colorado. I haven’t flown since the 1990’s. And I drove to Vancouver Canada. Maybe Japan. It’s clean, safe and my peeps are there. At least I heard I have an aunt living there.

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I have many. I’ve been watching reruns of Castle. But in the past, MacGyver, Hallmark, Sci Fi/Horror, Two and a Half Men, and the list goes on.

Q: What advice would you give to people?
Do everything in moderation. Exercising, eating. Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things!

Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I don’t really have a bucket list. I do have things I like to do, but maybe do more traveling, or a cruise. I would like to visit Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Michigan, but being single makes it hard to travel alone, or not as fun. I keep putting it off, but the pandemic isn’t helping.

Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
Again, I have many, but I like The Carpenters, Queen, Heart, Pink Floyd, Bread, The Doors, and on and on. Yes, mostly music from the 60s-80s.

Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
I would have to say the former Aerovironment where I worked, since they had a lot of world breaking records throughout the years.

Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative, with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I’ve already had lunch with everyone I can think of. How about a single lady?

Q: What is your favorite thing about Monrovia or something unique about our community that you like?
Even though it’s not a small town, it has a small town feel. Probably because of Old Town, not to mention the Family Festival on Friday evenings. I also like the events put on throughout the year, Taste of Old Town Monrovia I really liked, and of course Monrovia Days, not to mention the Forth Of July Fireworks..

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
That’s easy, retired! So I’m planning the next stage in life, when all of my hard work will finally pay off. I’m looking for a house in Big Bear, but it’s been a struggle. Hard to find a 6-car garage around the lake. Plus a large house. I’m still looking. Donna, any advice?

Q: Even for friends or family, what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Well, most of my radio friends know I’ve been an Amateur Radio Operator since 1978. My astronomy friends know I do solar astronomy outreach programs. My Halloween friends know I put on Halloween parties every year, But some might not know I volunteered in Search and Rescue for over ten years, helped training dogs in S&R, and I even got one unit at Barstow College for S&R. I would say most people don’t know I have four patents – all from my formal employer AV.

Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Since I haven’t been too many places, I’ll have to say Las Vegas. Must be all of the lights. I think I hear them calling me. Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder!

Q: What is your favorite month? Favorite holiday? And what is the best single day on the calendar?
Easy one – Halloween. My Halloween parties are a little different. All the props go out that morning and all put away that night. I work on props all year for those six hours a year.

Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Not too many things I rate a 10. Ok, got one. My Dad. Since I haven’t said much about him. I can say that if he didn’t do what he did, I wouldn’t be here, ok, minds out of the gutter, what I mean is he made my life what it is today because of the things he did while raising us.

Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Me. I’m the only one who pushes me harder to do something.

Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Coffee. I don’t drink it but it smells good in the morning. And the Aria, where I stay in Vegas. But most of the hotels have their own scent.

Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Food, comfort, bathroom.