A Moment in Monrovia History: Filming at Monrovia Airport

The 1939 Twentieth Century Fox movie, 20,000 Men a Year, was filmed at the Monrovia Airport. Here are Randolph Scott, Margaret Lindsay, and George Earnest? Here is the IMDB description of the movie. From the Gary Boen collection. See full details here.

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

Kiyoshi Kuromiya Neighborhood Treasure event

- Brad Haugaard

Bye Bye Birdie play at Clifton Middle School, April 9, 10, 11

Tickets for sale here.

- Brad Haugaard

Happy Easter, Monrovia!

The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."

(Matthew 28:5-6)

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Easter services here.

- Brad Haugaard

Singers invited to audition for choral group April 14, 21

San Gabriel Valley Choral Company invites singers to audition for its 2025-2026 season. Auditions, on April 14 and 21,  include vocal exercises, sight-learning, and a brief a cappella song. Rehearsals are Tuesday evenings at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, with the next concert on June 20. Membership fee $225; scholarships available. Sign up for an audition here.

- Brad Haugaard

Learn to draw manga characters at the Library, April 25

Character design workshop for anime and manga fans at the Library on Apr. 25 from 1 to 3 p.m. Adults and teens 16+ will learn tips for drawing favorite characters or creating originals. Registration required, here.

- Brad Haugaard

Storytime with park naturalists, April 11

Storytime outdoors with park naturalists at Tsuneishi Park, behind Chick-fil-A, on April 11 from 10 to 10:45 a.m., for children to age 5 and their caregivers. Stories, music, movement, and nature facts led by park naturalists and library staff. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard

Outline of proposed changes to city roads for bike lanes

Here is an overview (which I should have done long ago) of the proposed changes to Monrovia's road system under the proposed bicycle safety plan. The most dramatic changes would be to add physically separated bikeways along the full length of Foothill and along Huntington, from Arcadia to Duarte, and on Myrtle from Walnut to the south city border.

The city is proposing four classes of bikeways:

• Class 1 (green) - A completely physically separated path for use by bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Class 2 (purple) - A painted bike lane.
• Class 3 (gold) - Markings indicating cars and bikes share the same space.
• Red is a Class 2/3 combination.
• Class 4 (blue) - Separated bike lanes using physical barriers between cars and bikes.

Classes 1 and 4 offer the most dramatic changes, so I'm outlining them here.

Class 1
Central Avenue between Magnolia Ave and Shamrock Ave
Evergreen Ave between Magnolia Ave and Shamrock Ave
Primrose Ave between Palm Ave and Central Ave
Magnolia Ave between Central Ave and Duarte Rd
Primrose Ave between Palm Ave and Central Ave
Trail between Canyon Blvd and Lemon Ave
Valley Circle between Benrud St and California Ave

Class 4

Foothill Blvd between Fifth Ave and Mountain Ave
Huntington Dr between Fifth Ave and Mountain Ave
Peck Rd between Live Oak Ave and south city limit
Mayflower Ave between Colorado Blvd and Duarte Rd
Myrtle Ave between Walnut Ave and Central Ave
Myrtle Ave between Evergreen Ave and south city limit

See the report here for more information. For details on the proposed bike paths scroll to pages 124 and following.

- Brad Haugaard

City fundraiser for bear cubs to be announced next week

City Manager Dylan Feik reports that next week the city will soon be announcing a fundraising campaign to support the orphaned Monrovia bear cubs during their care at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center. The cubs were orphaned recently when their mother was euthanized after scratching a woman walking her dog and after the Department of Fish and Wildlife determined it was the same bear who scratched a man on his porch about a year ago.

- Brad Haugaard

Public comment period extended for city safety and bicycle plans

The city's Draft Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and Draft Bicycle Master Plan Update are available for public review. Comments or questions may be emailed to ssousa@monroviaca.gov by April 10.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Chamber of Commerce seeks new logo design; deadline April 30

The Monrovia Chamber of Commerce thinks it's time for a new logo, so it is seeking submissions for a new design, which must include the full name "Monrovia Chamber of Commerce" and use a dark green and gold color palette. Submission deadline is April 30. To be added to the designer list, contact Korrine Ramirez at kr@monroviacc.com or 358-1159.

- Brad Haugaard

Upper Water offering free Water Smart Home Kits

Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District's Home Kit Program is available to all residents within the Upper Water service area. The free kits include faucet aerators, showerheads, and sprinkler nozzles - all installable without a contractor. Request a kit here.

- Brad Haugaard

Veterans Community Picnic at Library Park, April 18

The annual Veterans Community Picnic will be held Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Library Park. The event is open to the public and features music, kids' crafts, family-friendly games, and free hot dogs and hamburgers. Representatives from the LA County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Veteran Peer Access Network, and the Foothill Unity Center will be on hand.

- Brad Haugaard

Coming Up in Monrovia

Holy Week services in Monrovia

Lenten fish fry at Knights of Columbus, Fridays, through Apr. 3

Trivia Night at the Library April 3

Easter egg hunt set for April 4 at Recreation Park

Mammogram screening April 9 at Unity Center

Free Compost and Mulch, April 11

Monrovia Wine Walk April 11, Tickets on Sale

Volunteers needed to green Monrovia High's outdoor spaces, Apr. 13

Pollinator-friendly landscaping webinar April 16

Veterans Community Picnic: food, resources, family activities April 18.

MAP Neighborhood Conference at Second Baptist Church, Apr. 25

Neighborhood Conference: AI made simple, civic leadership, Route 66, etc., April 25

New exhibit coming on 'How Transportation Shaped Monrovia,' April 30

Classic Car Show at Recreation Park, May 3

Blood drive at Monrovia Public Library, May 5

Unity Center needs volunteers for big May 9 food drive

- Brad Haugaard

Vector Control District warns of biting black flies in foothill cities

San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District is warning that biting black flies (aka "buffalo gnats") are particularly active in foothill cities now and are likely to continue so for a few weeks. The flies' bites - around the eyes and neck - are painful but do not transmit disease.

Unlike mosquitoes, which breed in still water, black flies breed in running water, so the district recommends turning off outdoor water features for 24 hours once a week to prevent black fly breeding, then turning them back on to prevent mosquito breeding. The district is monitoring the bugs and treating breeding sites with Bti as needed. Bti, it says, "is considered one of the safest insect control agents ever developed." Details.

- Brad Haugaard