Spring in the San Gabriel Valley Is Filled With Arts P. 7 Thursday, March 12, 2015 - March 18, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Test Water After Illegal Disposal P. 17
monroviaweekly.com
Volume 19, No. 11
Community News, Arts & Opinions Since 1996
No Matter How You Spell It - Sierra Madre’s Wistaria Festival Is This Sunday By terry miller
Water Leaks Reported in Monrovia P. 16
SPORTS
Maranatha Boys’ Basketball Clinches First Ever CIF Championship P. 25
Monrovia Boys Soccer, Advances to Second Round of CIF State Tournament P. 24
ENTERTAINMENT Figaro: An Old Tale for Today’s Common Man P. 10 Restaurant Review: ARO in South Pasadena P. 14
BUSINESS
Celebrate Women’s History Month By Taking The L.E.A.D. P. 21
Class-Action Lawsuit Against Lumber Liquidators Filed P. 21
EDUCATION
Max Bhatti to Compete in State Geography Bee P. 26
State Superintendent Starts New Era of Student Assessment P. 31
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015 6–10 PM
This Sunday, the city of Sierra Madre holds its annual Wistaria Festival, during which the public is invited view the massive Wistaria vine that’s grown so big it is in the Guinness Book of World Records. Additionally there will be music and vendors downtown along Sierra Madre Blvd. and Baldwin Ave. on Sunday. But the real star of the show is the vine, which attracts thousands from all over California each spring. The vine started in 1894 and now covers an acre of land in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Wisteria is a famously hardy plant. It originally came from Asia, where it is prized for its beautiful hanging mauve or purple flowers and ability to live for decades. This particular beauty started as a young vine bought and planted by Alice Brugman
SEE PG. 15
The local media was invited to a sneak preview Monday of the Wistaria Vine, which is in full bloom just in time for the Festival Sunday- Pictured is artist Elizabeth Converse painting the famous vine – Photo by Terry Miller
Mayoral Debate in Monrovia Asks More Questions Than It Answers By terry miller It was standing room only at City Hall Tuesday evening for the Monrovia Mayoral forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. With paraphrased questions read to candidates for Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, Tom Adams and Leonard Holen, some voters were left wondering why their complete questions weren’t answered. Specifically, one resident said his question about who actually applied for the grant(s) that were lost was not answered at all. Other critics claim that they submitted specific questions and the moderator, Robbie Davis, generalized and categorized the questions while losing much SEE PG. 16
The Reorganization of Monrovia’s City Workers by susan motander
Tom Adams
- Photo by Terry Miller
At the council meeting last week, Director of Administrative Services and City Manager, Oliver Chi, presented a proposal for the reorganization of responsibilities in city management. The proposal was outlined to the council, which ultimately approved the plan. The largest single change is moving public works and community services into one department with a single director. Under this Director, the SEE PG. 17
Enjoy a free evening of art, music and entertainment as Pasadena’s most prominent arts and cultural institutions swing open their doors.
FREE SHUTTLES Free shuttles, running 6–10 p.m., will loop throughout the evening with stops at each venue. Park at any venue and ride to the others.
PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS Armory Center for the Arts / Art Center College of Design / artWORKS Teen Center / City of Pasadena–City Hall / Jackie Robinson Community Center / Kidspace Children’s Museum / Light Bringer Project at Day One / Lineage Performing Arts Center / MUSE/IQUE / Offramp Gallery / Pasadena Conservatory of Music / Pasadena Museum of California Art / Pasadena Museum of History / PUSD at The Shops on Lake / Shumei Arts Council / Side Street Projects / USC Pacific Asia Museum
ARTS BUS Pasadena ARTS Route 10 runs along Colorado Boulevard and Green Street until 8 p.m. Information at cityofpasadena.net/artsbus. METRO GOLD LINE Take the Gold Line to Memorial Park Station in Pasadena. More info at metro.net. artnightpasadena.org facebook.com/artnightpasadena