Monrovia Old Town Report (2/9/17 Issue)

Before unlocking what Valentine’s Day has in store for Old Town, Pam uncovers the Mystery of the Birds. – Courtesy photo

By Pam Fitzpatrick

As I’ve said before, I do love a good mystery! Well, thanks to my friend, Council Member Becky Shevlin, I’ve had a good couple of weeks trying to “unbewilder” myself. To experience this nutty feeling for yourself, you have to go up to the 300 block of South Myrtle and listen to understand the Mystery of the Birds.

Day and night, rain or shine – birds on the rooftops, or not – there is a constant piercing sound of what appears to be tropical birds. Parrots, I thought; but no, I’ve owned parrots and the combination of screeching and cooing couldn’t be parrots. Becky swore early on that it had to be a recording because she had cleverly noticed that each time she listened, she heard the same sequence of sounds. A recording of birds on the roof tops? Nope – can’t be, I said. OK, Becky, you were right: it’s a recording of predatory birds designed to keep pigeons and rats off the roofs of the buildings. Thank you, Karen Suarez, for the education. Now I have to go find another mystery to solve.

Valentine’s Day is coming up next Tuesday, and Old Town is the place for gifts and celebrations. We’re fortunate here in Old Town to have our very own candy store (Candy Connection) with homemade chocolates and other Val’s Day goodies. Plus, there are gifts all over town, and I would encourage everyone to support our local small businesses for this event, same as you all did for your holiday purchases. Come on out to shop and dine – you won’t melt in the drizzles, and we promise to warm you up! Speaking of Valentine’s Day, I just checked to see if there are still openings for the romantic Carriage Rides on Feb. 14, and the City tells me we are only 50 percent booked, so don’t wait to call. Here’s the telephone number for reservations (which you must have to be assured of a space): (626) 935-5562. The rides are $10 each or $40 for the entire carriage and run from 6 p.m – 10 p.m. The horse-drawn carriage will be stationed up at Library Park in the 300 block of South Myrtle.

This Saturday, Feb. 11, is Tutti the Dust Bunny Dog’s birthday party (I’ve lost count which one…), so The Dollmakers’ Kattywompus will be hosting a Tutti Birthday Celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come on in and make your loved one a Valentine’s Day card and snap a photo with Tutti! And then, to carry on with the puppy theme, the following Sunday on Feb. 12  there will be a “Puppy Love” event in the 400 block of South Myrtle at Paint ‘N Play. The event goes from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature crafts, and … get this … a puppy “Kissing Booth!” The plan is to have some tables on the sidewalk in front with some items for sale and then continue on with crafts, sales and sampling inside the store. This is one of those co-op-type events involving several Monrovia businesses – some you may not have known before. There will be doggie treats from Bone Appetit and people treats from Cold Stone, too!

It’s still strangely silent (maybe another mystery??) up at the 316 clock tower building. Workmen came in and cleaned out some of the debris inside, but no construction yet. Maybe the predatory bird sounds are driving them away. As for the old 4^th Dimension site, the new owners passed the Historic Preservation review last December and I’m told they are still working on their interior plans. The front space, which has to be retail to comply with city codes, hasn’t been leased yet. And the new bakery, Frost, is still working on their interior, so we patiently wait.

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