Louis Umbach's tailor shop that was located on the east side of 600 block of S. Myrtle Ave. c. 1907. See full details here. From the Myron Hotchkiss collection.
For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.
- Brad Haugaard
~ A Burlington store (aka Burlington Coat Factory) is planning to open in the former Toys R' Us space in the Huntington Oaks Shopping Center this fall. Interior and exterior improvements are being now being made to the 40,411 square foot space, which is one of the largest spaces in the center.
~ Monrovia Fire & Rescue spent five days in Ashland, Oregon, to assist with the Bootleg Fire but have now been redeployed to the Dixie Fire in Plumas County, California. All costs associated with the deployments are fully reimbursed to the city.
~ The city has broken ground on EV charging stations in Old Town. Four Level 2 charging stations will be installed at the public parking lot along the 100 block of East Lemon. Construction is expected to last from Monday, July 26 through Tuesday, August 3.
~ Monrovia Community Garden, at 303 W. Colorado, is accepting applications to rent garden beds. Beds cost $60 per year and are open to Monrovia residents and families with children enrolled in MUSD. Download an application (https://is.gd/lQvcDp) and submit it by Sept. 10. Scholarships are available to those who qualify. The program will run from October 2021-October 2022. For more information contact the Garden Director at info@monroviacommunitygarden.org.
- Brad Haugaard
In addition to studying insects in tropical regions, Brown has also been part of a project to study urban insects of Los Angeles. The BioSCAN project, he writes, "has uncovered surprising new knowledge about species living in local backyards," especially including Monrovia.
Monrovia, he said, has a wide variety of insects, because it, and other foothills communities, are so near the mountains, where insects abound. Of the roughly 100 species of phorid flies (his specialty) found in the Los Angeles area, he said, about 90 occur in his own backyard in North Monrovia, including many that were new to science. His backyard is the most species-rich habitat that they have examined, and he even found a couple of varieties of flies that he's only seen in Florida and South and Central America previously. Before this project began, he said, scientists estimated there were about 3-4,000 species of insects in the LA area; but the study has raised the estimate to about 20,000.
The much higher estimate, he said, is because while bigger bugs have pretty much been accounted for, the flies he works with are in the itty-bitty range - 2 millimeters long and smaller. These smaller insects, he said, are "still a frontier everywhere." The world’s smallest fly was described by Brown several years ago and is only 0.4 mm long. He named it Megapropodiphora arnoldi after former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, based on its greatly enlarged forelegs.
Brown is a native of Toronto, Canada, did his undergraduate and masters work at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Under the tutelage of Steve Marshall he began studying the fly family Phoridae. In 1990, he obtained his doctorate at the University of Alberta in Canada, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution and University of Maryland. In 1993 he took up his current position in Los Angeles.
He said when he heard he got the job he called his wife, who was watching the Rodney King riots, so ..., he said, there were some mixed feelings about moving to the LA area.
But they did, initially renting in Burbank then buying a home in Monrovia in 1996. They like Monrovia's small town feeling.
Brown has also written two books, numerous scientific papers, and has conducted research in many parts of the world, but especially tropical rainforests. There, he studies phorid flies, especially parasitic species known as ant decapitating flies and bee killing flies. He is also interested in fossil phorid flies in amber, integrating them into phylogenetic knowledge based on morphology and molecular characters. Most recently, he led a National Science Foundation funded effort to completely inventory the Diptera (true fly) fauna of the mid-elevation tropical forest in Costa Rica.
You may see Brown and his wife walking their dogs in North Monrovia. If so, say hi.
- Brad Haugaard
Dinner at The Monrovian, at the northeast corner of Myrtle and Colorado. Got the Avocado Toast for $10.50, the Simple Salad for $4, and a beer for $7.50. Lots of avocado and the salad was indeed “simple,” but also generous. Really good!
The City has ample free parking, including on-street parking, ten designated public parking lots, and two public parking garages in Old Town. View a full list of parking locations in Old Town Monrovia here: https://is.gd/H6a2ie
If you have any questions, contact the Parking Enforcement Office at 256-8083.
Source: Monrovia Police press release
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.
New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.
View photos of adoptable pets and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.
- Brad Haugaard
Our summer programs have gone extremely well, and it has been great seeing our students have fun while learning. Thanks to our teachers, staff, and partners at the Boys and Girls Club, for working hard to make these programs possible. As we move closer to the official start of the school year on Wednesday, August 18, I want to share some information about some important topics that we are working to address.
Monrovia's Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers will be letting people peek through their telescopes at about 8 p.m. today in Library Park, at the corner of Lime and Myrtle. The group reports that, "We will mainly have the Moon tonight. Venus sets shortly after sunset, and Saturn rises about 9 p.m. (although it will take some time to clear the buildings)."
- Brad Haugaard
~ Likely put off until later the main item on the agenda, granting a conditional use permit to construct a Starbucks and Chick-fil-A at the current Claim Jumper site. City staff is recommending waiting until the August 3 meeting "to allow the applicant and staff to submit additional information for City Council review" and because "the applicant is also exploring options to address concerns raised at the public hearing." That main concern seems to be the fate of an old sycamore (I think it was) tree on the site. An independent arborist will report on this. https://is.gd/zdDvU6
~ Review directives (https://is.gd/wTzrW3) the council has given staff:
- Brad Haugaard
Jarrett Camp - Pointilism and stipple art
Roy Chang - Photography
Sharon Romero - Mosaic
Keith Slover - Watercolor and ink illustration
Students from Clifton Middle School's Arts Academy have also been invited to display their art.
Rivanis Baking Company will provide a delicious spread of treats and hors d'oeuvres and Wine of the Month Club has donated the adult beverages.
Reception guests will enjoy the sounds of live music from Lobo Reese, a Monrovia-based musical ensemble playing rock, surf, jazz and bossa nova gems.
From July 25 until Oct. 23, the artwork will be on display and for sale on the walls during the Center's opening hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 119 W. Palm Ave.
Coming this fall: Join us for the next Artist Reception on Oct. 24 featuring these MAFA artists' work, displayed until Jan. 30, 2022:
Melissa Ahaus - Oil and acrylic painting
Jeni Bate - Mixed media painting
Traci Loving - Mixed media art
John Parker - Graphite and ink art
Source: Press release from Monrovia Association of Fine Arts
- Brad Haugaard
She adds that the California Department of Fish & Wildlife has confirmed that there is room for the cub at its rehab center, but where has the critter gotten to?
Collins says that if you see the cub send a text regarding its exact location and time to Rebecca Barboza, Biologist at Fish & Game: (562) 754-9741, letting her know it's an update regarding orphaned cub in North Monrovia.
- Brad Haugaard
The city has launched a new GoMonrovia website, here: https://gomonrovia.com/
... and a new program - as part of GoMonrovia - to encourage bicycle use. It is called Biking for Bucks and provides reimbursements to those who live or work in Monrovia "for purchases related to bicycle transportation and accessories." There will also be weekly raffles to encourage people to ride their bikes and share their activity on a bicycling map, shown above.
- Brad Haugaard
