Hello Monrovians,   

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released the numbers of COVID-19 deaths by cities. Sadly, Monrovia is among many cities who have lost community members.

I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families and friends affected by these losses. These are extremely difficult times, but I want to reassure you that our community continues to remain united and stronger than ever.

Sincerely,  
Dylan

Highlights In This Issue

• Monrovia Community Comes Together
• Athens Services One Pass Collection in Response to COVID-19 Emergency
• COVID-19 at a Glance

Monrovia Community Comes Together

When a Monrovia resident was struggling to make ends meet, the community came together to lend a helping hand. The father of four originally expressed his needs on social media and offered to complete any handy work. Without hesitation, community members offered grocery, monetary assistance and tasks to complete! View the heartwarming story on ABC7. 

Athens Services One Pass Collection in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency     

Athens Services will temporarily change collection services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the health and safety of everyone is a high priority and out of an abundance of caution, effective, Monday, May 4, Athens will be collecting all of the refuse, recyclable, and green waste barrels with one or two collection trucks. This will allow keeping trucks and drivers to a minimum to ensure that there is reduced exposure while continuing to provide essential services. What this means is that residential collection will continue to be sent to the Athens Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and will no longer be hand sorted, but will continue to be mechanically sorted. Recyclable material will continue to be diverted from landfilling to the greatest extent possible. Green material will also be diverted to the composting facility to the greatest extent possible.

As this is only a temporary change to operations during this pandemic, the City and Athens would like to ask residents to continue to source separate their materials into the appropriate-colored cans. Black for non-recyclable waste; Blue for recyclable materials; and Green for yard waste. In an effort to ensure that there are not any missed pickups, we are asking residents to set all barrels out by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.

We appreciate your support and understanding as we implement this temporary change. Please feel free to contact the Public Works Department at (626) 932-5575 or Athens Services at (888) 336-6100.

Learn more about residential trash services. 

COVID-19 At a Glance 

Updates from the State and Local Agencies 
If you've wondered whether you or someone you know is eligible for COVID-19 testing, the County of Los Angeles is currently prioritizing tests for:

Schedule a test, and prepare for your appointment by watching this video. If you've been tested and have not received your results, contact your lab's customer service staff to ensure your contact information is correct.

CalFresh Recipients Will Now Be Able to Make Purchases Online 
CalFresh recipients can now use their EBT cards to start purchasing groceries online at Amazon and Walmart. California is also working with many other retailers to expand the number of stores accepting EBT online in the weeks to follow. In addition, persons receiving CalWORKs will also be able to use their cash benefits to make purchases online at Wal-Mart.

CalFresh provides monthly food benefits that help individuals and families buy healthy, nutritious food. Even if temporary, individuals and families who are experiencing a change in their circumstances and need additional help may apply for CalFresh. Californian’s can visit GetCalFresh.org to apply or call 1-877-847-3663 (FOOD) to be connected to their local county social service office.

As of April 28, approximately 603,139 tests have been conducted in California - received from commercial, private and academic labs and the 22 state and county health labs currently testing.

Jurisdiction - Confirmed Cases | Deaths

The parks in Monrovia are open to the public and the community is still able to enjoy the open space and walk/bike on sidewalks. All restrooms will also remain open and maintained. 

Please note that under the Safer at Home Order, the amenities including the playgrounds, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, sport fields, and skate parks are closed and no group gatherings are allowed. At this time, Monrovia Canyon Park and Hillside Wilderness Preserve will remain closed. 

2020 Monrovia Days – Celebrating at Home With You

Every year, we look forward to connecting with our community members and partners to celebrate Monrovia’s birthday. But given the growing concerns around COVID-19, we’ve made the difficult decision to change what that celebration looks like this year.

This year we will be creating a commemorative video with birthday wishes from you, our community that will be aired during a special Facebook Watch Party on May 16, 2020. To participate, we are asking you to send in short videos with Happy Birthday Monrovia wishes from you and your family. And while we will not be able to have our traditional parade and other festivities, you can show us your Monrovia pride by sending us a video of your own parade in your backyard or living room or how your family does a pie eating contest – we would love to see how you celebrate! In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and understanding while we all navigate this difficult time together.

The video submission deadline is May 7, at 11:59 p.m. To view the submission guidelines and to submit a video, visit Monrovia Days online. 

Respond to the 2020 Census

It’s not too late to respond to the 2020 Census while being safe and practicing physical distancing at home. Every 10 years we help decide how taxpayer dollars come back to our communities. Our community gets resources based on census population counts, that help pay for hospitals, emergency services, schools, roads, and more. An accurate and complete census helps businesses, community leaders and elected officials make informed decisions every day. Once you have responded, please encourage your family, friends, and loved ones to complete the census, too.

Craft & Makerspace Videos

Looking for something fun to do with items around your house? Check out the Library’s online craft videos! Learn how to make play-do, puzzles from cereal boxes, kazoos, and much more. Or want to learn how to design 3D objects? Join Ms. Anush as she leads demos on the library’s 3D printer and how to make basic designs using TinkerCad. Craft and Makerspace videos are posted on Mondays and Thursdays on the library’s Instagram or Facebook pages.

Virtual Game Night for Adults

Adults 18+ are invited to enjoy virtual game night every other Thursday at 7 p.m. (May 7 & May 21). Visit the library’s Events Calendar to learn more and sign up to join in the fun!

Street Sweeping Schedule 

During the month of May, street sweeping will occur every other week. Please note that in the event of rain, street sweeping will be canceled.

• May 4 - 8 (Sweeping Week)
• May 11- 15 (Non Sweeping Week)
• May 18 - 22 (Sweeping Week)
• May 25 - 29 (Non Sweeping Week)

View more street sweeping information. 

Monrovia Renewal Construction Updates  

Monrovia Renewal Northeast Section Improvement To Begin in May 
Work is set to break ground beginning Monday, May 11! Proper notifications will be distributed to impacted areas. As a reminder, the Northeast project section includes the area of the City that is bound by the City limit to the east, Myrtle Avenue to the west, Greystone Avenue and Hillcrest Boulevard to the north, Colorado Boulevard and Royal Oaks to the south. More information will be provided as we coordinate with the contractors of this project. 

Should you have any questions, please call the Public Works Department at (626) 932-5575, or send an email to pwcomments@ci.monrovia.ca.us. 

Development Spotlight

Several significant projects are working their way through the review process and stages of construction here at the City. Among these are the Adaptive Reuse of the Monrovia Market Building (approved on Oct. 1), the Overton Moore Pacific Self Storage Project in the former Verizon Building in Old Town (approved on Nov. 19), 127 Pomona Multi-Family Development with 310 units at Station Square (approved on Jan. 21), the Alexan Multi-Family Development with 436 units at Station Square (approved on Feb. 4), and the Arroyo at Monrovia Station Multi-Family Development with 302 units (Planning Commission approved on Feb. 12). For more details, visit the Development Spotlight or Building Monrovia webpages.