No One-Way Streets for Ivy and Primrose - for Now; Big Rocks and Low Groundwater; Homeless Count; Neighborhood Treasures; Wet Basement

In his latest report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Oliver Chi reports:

~  Monrovia has been denied funding for its "ACTV Monrovia" proposal, which would have installed protected bike lanes and a pedestrian walking paths on (primarily) Primrose and Ivy, making them one-way streets, "to better connect all parts of Monrovia with Old Town and Station Square." Chi said, "staff will continue searching for funding options."

~ Though the LA Regional Water Board has told Monrovia to do groundwater testing at its park-and-ride lot at Station Square, there are problems: "We have repeatedly run into boulders bigger than cars, which has damaged drilling equipment." Also, "groundwater levels have fallen dramatically." Instead of drilling down to 220 feet, "we've found that we are not hitting groundwater until we get down past 300 feet underground."

~  If you would like to participate in Monrovia's homeless count, there will be an orientation session at the Community Center  (119  W. Palm Ave.) at 8 p.m. on Jan. 22. The  count is expected to begin at 9 p.m.

~ The next Neighborhood Treasure to be considered by the Art in Public Places Committee is Francisco Gutierrez and his son, Felix Gutierrez. Francisco opened a cement business in 1925 and did a lot of work in town, including the sidewalks around the former Monrovia Plunge swimming pool. Felix, started a newspaper called Mexican Voice, and asked why Mexican volunteers were considered "white" by the World War II draft board, but "colored" by Monrovia Plunge, school districts, and neighbors.

~  If you are wondering about the storage pods adjacent to the Historic Museum, they are to store stuff from the Historic Museum basement while repairs are being made to the basement, which has been subject to flooding.

- Brad Haugaard