Old Town Report (01/05/17 Issue)

– Photo courtesy by Pixabay (CC0)

By Pam Fitzpatrick

Sometimes the big news is what didn’t happen, more than what did… So, let’s start with a few things that didn’t happen in Old Town…

It didn’t rain after 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. I’m sure you all heard my sighs of relief echoing off the mountains. The threat of rain didn’t keep folks away from our celebration – in fact, by 11:30 p.m. we had more guests on the street and in the Beer & Wine Garden than EVER! I may have had tons of trouble controlling many things in 2016, but multiple prayers worked on the weather issue. Happy.

The usual holiday vandalism of the candy canes didn’t happen. No one got stupid and used a candy cane to bash in a restaurant’s door (like last year). Few, if any, canes were broken off or stolen. No one pestered me about decorating earlier than their schedule permitted (like, before Thanksgiving), and everyone seemed to understand the work involved and the time invested. Once again, no one got run over in Old Town because they were texting and walking, or a driver was so distracted. Happy.

Businesswise, not one business closed their doors in January and called it quits. Some of my fellow merchants have signed new leases, and others have changed their business model for added success in 2017. The Big One did not come, and no Little Ones rattled our already fragile nerves. Happy.

So with all this stuff not happening, what did happen in 2016? Well, Old Town had a successful Car Show, a new Street Fair operator, a very successful Monrovia Days Celebration, a great MAFA Art Festival, a more-fun-than-ever Traditional Music Gathering (now in Library Park), an incredible Kiwanis-sponsored Taste of Old Town (thank you, Julie Gentile!), a super-dooper Small Business Saturday with the help of the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce, the best-ever Holiday Parade, nine – count them! — nine Santa Breakfasts all with free toys for each of the kiddies, Craft Stations and a Free Gift Wrap Station on Myrtle, and, of course, a wonderful New Year’s Eve event.

And something brand new happened in Old Town: our MOTAB board worked with the City to coordinate Thursday and Sunday old-fashioned carriage rides up and down Myrtle Avenue. I know I had calls from the San Fernando Valley asking about times and locations, and it appears that the rides were so popular that the City will be considering increasing the days and or hours of operation next season.

This all takes working together – both the things that didn’t happen and the things that did happen (except for the Big One and the Little One….). I will admit that I have a love/you-drive-me-crazy relationship with the City of Monrovia, but the reality is EVERYONE eventually gets it together to make things work. Let’s all work together in 2017 and respect each other to make sure that continues!

I do have a few New Year’s Resolutions this year, unlike past years when I could honestly say I was happy with the way things had gone. This year I promised myself to continue caring, but to volunteer less and let some other folks who have opinions get involved and take their opinions to the “action” stage. It’s easy to comment, but really getting involved and helping takes a little more time and commitment than just talking. And, if I’m allowed just one New Year’s Wish for my town, I would wish that folks would not post negative stuff on Facebook (and apologize later) but go straight to the source and try to work it out before blasting anyone. Then I would really be HAPPY.

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