COMPLIMENTARY COPY
MONROVIAWEEKLY.COM
THE MONROVIA OLD TOWN REPORT
It’s funny how priorities change with time. It used to be important to me to have a place to park reasonably close (like, in the same block) to my business. Of course, when more and more businesses moved into town and every business owner felt the same way, I changed my tune. If we all park near our businesses, where do our customers park – in the south forty? Then came the parking restrictions; we chose timed parking over timed/paid parking, and that worked fairly well for several years. But that’s when we had 25-plus vacancies, very little retail, and only a few restaurants. Today, with very few vacancies, and tons of restaurants, the plan needs an overhaul. Lots of ideas floating around to solve our parking
MONROVIAWEEKLY
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Thursday, August 10, 2017 - August 16, 2017
Pam FITZPATRICK |
/
pam@oldtownreport.com
problems: the proposal for valet parking in front of the Krikorian is one idea, but there was another idea presented to City Council last week, and the Old Town Merchants at their MOTAB meeting this week. How about a parking structure? But, where? Well, the City is studying the feasibility of using the two parking lots between Lemon and Lime Avenues for a large medical building and an associated parking structure. I have to admit, this is one of those ideas that gives me nightmares…. How do you “temporarily” replace all of the parking spaces in those two lots during the construction? If anyone is listening, I vote “NO” … Now that we can’t solve
Since 1996
VOLUME 20, NO. 32
LEGENDARY KEYBOARD LUMINARY ROBBY ROBINSON VISITS MONROVIA’S CHURCH KEYBOARD CENTER
SEE PAGE 10
Will Water Rates Go Up in Monrovia? Susan MOTANDER motander@yahoo.com
The Monrovia City Council held a special study session last week to discuss the water supply in the San Gabriel Basin and the on-going drought (the drought may be over in Northern California, but not here in Los Angeles County). In May of this year the Watermaster of the Main San Gabriel Basin aquifer, of which Monrovia is a part instituted a new fee on all water producers in the San Gabriel Valley. This new fee was implemented to help remedy the water shortage. After years of drought conditions, the
water level in the aquifer has fallen very low. In order for the aquifer to be considered healthy, it needs to remain above 200 feet. It lowest level was 172.2 feet last October just before the rains last winter. It has now reached only 177.8 feet, still shy of the healthy level. The watermaster has determined that unless conservation efforts continue and improve, the wells will go dry by the end of this year, this includes the wells in Monrovia. To combat this, the watermaster made a large purchase of water, 40.7 billion gallons at a cost of SEE PAGE 10
Robby Robinson takes questions about his career from audience members on Saturday. - Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
Story & Photos Terry MILLER
O
tmiller@beaconmedianews.com
n Saturday Aug. 5, I was invited to an intimate musical afternoon ‘The Hammond Hang’ with an extraordinary musician who has been the musical director and keyboard
player for Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons for the past forty years. Alas, that’s just one of his thousands of credits. Vitality and versatility is his DNA…this man is a superstar. The remarkable experience took place at Church Keyboard Center in Monrovia where Robison
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you can really get to know what makes these amazing people continue to create and touch so many people all over the world. While at the same time, showcasing one of the world’s greatest instruments, the Hammond organ. SEE PAGE 11
SPORTS
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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT The Best Thai Food At ‘Fresh Thai’
was introduced to me by good friend Emiko, another rather extraordinary musician in her own right. The concept created by Emiko and the late Gregg Gronowski, former Director of Marketing for Hammond Organ USA, is to have top musicians featured in a very intimate setting where
Arcadia Woman attends ‘Superbowl’ of Fitness
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