In his latest report (
https://is.gd/JGORRp) City Manager Oliver Chi reports:
~ The city has obtained a lease on two parking lots on Lime just east of Ivy that will add about 150 new parking spaces near Old Town that should be available for public use by the end of May. The smaller of the two lots is located between First Indonesian Baptist Church and the George Anderson House Museum. The larger of the two lots is just east of the Anderson House. City crews will make minor upgrades to both parking lots (weed control, lights, new painting, etc.) before they are opened.
~ Boulders as large as Peterbilt trucks are slowing the installation of a 16" pipeline along Canyon Boulevard. The project, to improve water flows, pressure, and reliability, was supposed to be done by April 26. New estimate is the week of May 20.
~ Want to be involved in city government? Consider volunteering for a city commission, committee or board. Here are the openings: Community Services Commission (3 vacancies); Historic Preservation Commission (2 vacancies); Library Board (3 vacancies); Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board (2 vacancies); Planning Commission (2 Vacancies). Apply by May 1. Contact the City Clerk's office at 932-5599 for questions. Details:
https://is.gd/eS7XGs
~ Chi congratulated the city teams that shut down what he said was an operation at 212 N. Myrtle that was "manufacturing illegal drugs." He said city workers "spent hundreds of hours last week responding to this incident, and we are so pleased with the way that everything turned out. Many thanks to the vigilant neighbors in the area who alerted the City to the situation, and kudos to our Community Development, Police Department, and Fire Department teams for their excellent work in addressing this situation!"
~ The city is conducting its annual sewer maintenance with a private contractor (Houston Harris) to clean nearly 47 miles of sewer lines, hydro jetting to clear blockages, inspecting the lines with closed circuit video and removing roots and critters.
~ The final sections of K-Rail on Highland Place, Mauna Loa Drive, and Hillcrest, will be removed beginning May 28, and should be gone within 3 days. The K-rail was installed after the 2013 Madison Fire.
~ Ms. Betty Fisher Thomas, Older American of the Year for Monrovia, was honored for her community involvement as a member of several outreach ministries at Second Baptist Church, her 10-year leadership in Monrovia Area Partnership, her service as a nurse and teacher of nursing, her service as a board member of Monrovia Duarte Black Alumni Association, and her work at Monrovia elementary schools for Black History Month.
- Brad Haugaard
Residents on and around Norumbega in north Monrovia have more than once noticed bags of meat left on the street and are wondering if the meat might be poisoned. Resident Sandi Warren, posting in NextDoor, said that yesterday she and a friend found the bag of meat shown here in the 600 block of Norumbega. She writes: "We were able to flag down a policeman who called another policeman and then they took the bag. They said it would go to the Fish and Game Department for analysis."
Monrovia's Staar Surgical, a maker of implantable lenses for the eye, has reported a first-quarter profit of $1.4 million on revenue of $32.6 million.
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Lunch at Seasoning Alley. Got the Chicken Shawarma plate for $9.99 and an iced tea for $1.99. Tasty and filling. 
The LA County Registrar-Recorder and Monrovia Area Partnership are sponsoring a community meeting on June 6, 6-8 p.m. about Vote Centers, which will be implemented in 2020, LA County. This new system will allow voters to cast a ballot at any center in the county over an 11-day period.