It's Almost Frozen Yogurt Time

There's a new Fro-Yo spot in town. You know, frozen yogurt? Fro-Yo is the short version for frozen yogurt, typically said when you are in a hurry and need to satisfy that Fro-Yo craving immediately and can't waste time actually saying the entire word. But enough about the Fro-Yo lingo... 

As of 8 a.m. today, Yogurtland at 104 S. Myrtle Avenue looked ready to start serving up some of its Dragon Passion Tart, Birthday Cupcake Batter, and New York Cheesecake, among the other 20 or so flavors it has to offer. 

Its sign is posted, its hours are up, and all that we need next are the doors to open. It is expected to open sometime this week, and possibly as early as today.

This location is the chain's 170th store. Locally, there are several Yogurtlands in the San Gabriel Valley, including locations in Azusa, Glendora and West Covina. 

Yogurtland's philosohpy is that the client rules: "Yogurtland believes control, choice and creativity should always be in the hands of our guests – and this is the heart of the Yogurtland experience," according to its website. Whether it's selecting from its nearly 20 frozen yogurts or more than 50 toppings, it is a hands on experience at Yogurtland.

In Monrovia, this is the fifth frozen yogurt store. Other stores where you can fill your Fro-Yo satisfaction are Cherry On Top in Foothill Park, Pinkberry on Myrtle, White Tara in the Baja Ranch supermarket center, and AM Donut & Yogurt at 305 W. Huntington Drive.

Sunday: Cinco de Mayo Festival in Old Town

Stop by Old Town Monrovia today until 9 p.m. to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. There is a full schedule for both the children's and main stages. Click here to learn more.

Main Stage Entertainment

11:45am ~ Procession ~ Ballet Folklorico Nueva Antequera of Oaxaca
12:00pm ~ Opening Ceremonies

 - VFW Arcadia Monrovia Post 2070 Color Guard
  - American Anthem performed by Nile Zamora
  - Mexican Anthem performed by HectorDominguez
  - Invocation Ulises Gutierrez
  - President’s Welcome Rutilio “Rudy” Castrellon
  - Committee Acknowledgement
  - Honorable Mayor Mary Ann Lutz
  - Ralph Walker Introduces our Master of Ceremonies Daniel Castro

12:30pm ~ Mariachi Sonidos De Mi Tierra
1:15 pm ~ Juan Carlos Quintero
2:15 pm ~ Potro Norteno
3:00pm ~ Ballet Folklorico de Sally Savedra
3:15 pm ~ The Delgado Brothers
4:30 pm ~ Los Dominantes
5:15pm ~ Ballet Folklorico de Sally Savedra
5:45pm ~ La Santa Cecilia
7:30 pm ~ Hector Dominguez con el mariachi Sonidos De Mi Tierra
9:00pm ~ Festival Ends

Business Showcase Tonight

Now that the rain has stopped, it's time to get out of the house and into Old Town Monrovia. While you're strolling down Myrtle Avenue this evening, be sure to stop by the Business Showcase, where more than 30 local businesses, the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Monrovia will be showcasing what they have to offer.  


So while you’re getting your funnel cake and tri-tip sandwich, you can also check where to find good care and supplies for your pets, maybe schedule your next dental appointment, look for properties for sale in the City, schedule flowers to be sent to Mom for Mother’s Day next month, or even check on new car deals.


Monrovia Business Showcase: Friday, April 27, 5-9p.m., Old Town Monrovia, 700 block of Myrtle Avenue.

New Gymnastics Club to Celebrate Grand Opening

A Pasadena-based gymnastics club will soon be expanding by opening a new club in Monrovia. Club Champion Gymnastics, located at 905 S. Myrtle Avenue, will celebrate the new facility with an open house on Monrovia Day, Saturday, May 19, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 905 Myrtle Avenue. The official opening date is June.


According to its website, Club Champion Monrovia is a recreational tumbling and cheer facility, and will be "almost identical" to their Pasadena location with the "same great coaches and brand new equipment." The new gym will feature a "Mommy and Me" class with equipment specifically designed for toddlers, and pre-school and advanced level classes will include all Olympic events as well as trampoline, tumble track and an air floor.


For more information, visit the website by clicking here.

Newsmakers

Monrovia manufacturing and business-services companies have hit the headlines in recent weeks. Among our local newsmakers include:

AeroVironment, the creator of the drone used in combat, continues to collect contracts. The most recent one was a $5.5 million contract with the U.S. Marine Corps. Read more.

Staar Surgical celebrated its 300,000th implant of its Visian ICL implants, used as an alternative to LASIK. Read more.

Environmental consultants MWH America became one of the first labs in the nation to meet the strict water testing requirements called UCMR3, enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. Read more.

Miyachi Unitek, which creates systems and equipment for laser welding and cutting, unveiled a phone app for resistance spot welding help. Read more.

Green Dot, a company that provides prepaid Visa and MasterCards, acquired Bay Area-based Loopt for $43 million. Read more.

Stylists Needed at Bellisima Salon

Bellisima Salon has been a mainstay on Myrtle Avenue for nearly 15 years - though the location itself at 501 S. Myrtle once served as Woolworths.

Staff photo

Bellisima Salon is located at the former Woolworth's site.

Photo from Monrovia Historical Museum

Look closely...the Monrovia Day Parade  is passing 

Woolworth's during the route up Myrtle Avenue.

The salon, led by Maria Fajarado - a dedicated businesswoman and entrepreneur - provides a variety of services ranging from manicures to make-up to hair styling.

Staff photo

The salon is also in search of models and stylists. If you are interested in receiving a hair cut as a model or are looking for a job as a hairstylist or manicurist, call Bellisima at (626) 357-0017 or visit the salon's website.

Staff photo

Owner Maria Fajardo has run Bellisima

Salon since 1996.

Mt. Sierra Hiring

Mt. Sierra College, the local graphic arts, marketing and information technology college at Myrtle and Huntington, has the following positions open:

• Marketing Coordinator
• Adjunct Technology Instructor
• Admissions Representative
• Game Arts Instructor
• Media Arts/Design Instructor
• Online Media Arts Instructors

Check it out by clicking here.

Monrovia Adult School: Resource for teens, adults

Computer classes. Ceramics instruction. Medical school preparation.

These are just some of the programs offered at the Monrovia Community Adult School, which serves nearly 1,500 students each year.

Located at 920 S. Mountain Avenue, the Adult School offers low-cost continued education classes, career development courses and free job seeking support.

TIP: From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Monday, job seekers can stop by the school to work on computers to search current job listings, receive effective resume-writing and interviewing techniques, and get other services such as typing tutorials.

To learn more about the school's programs, visit http://www.mcasweb.com/.

Gone Fishin': Wil's Sport and Tackle Opens in Old Town

Fishing has been a passion of Wil Fitzpatrick for the past four decades, and now he's hoping to share his love and expertise for the sport at his new store, Wil's Sport and Tackle. The store, located at 310 S. Myrtle Avenue, will open tomorrow.

Photo courtesy of Wil Fitzpatrick

Employees of Wil's Sport and Tackle 

show off the merchandise.

"I love fishing. I fished all my life, and it’s an industry that I'm familiar with," Fitzpatrick said on Thursday. "A lot of what I'm carrying, you wont find at [big box sporting goods stores], and one of the advantages to coming here is that more than likely, you will find someone who fishes, and they will set you up with everything you need." 

Fitzpatrick, whose mother Pam Fitzpatrick also owns a business in Old Town Monrovia, started fishing when he was just four years old. His biggest catch was a 250-pound ray.

While his favorite fishing destination is the ocean - anywhere from San Clemente to Morro Bay - he knows the local fishing spots like the back of his hand. 

Among the San Gabriel Valley spots include the Santa Fe Dam, Puddingstone Lake in San Dimas, Chantry Flats, Azusa Canyon, Arroyo Seco in Pasadena, and there are even spots in our very own canyon in Monrovia.

Aside from fishing equipment, he also sells a variety of sporting goods including balls, archery supplies - sorry, no bow and arrows, though - and clothing.

Wil's Sport and Tackle opens tomorrow at 8 a.m., and will be welcomed by the business community with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce at noon on April 18.

For more information, visit their website.

Seniors: Avoid These Healthcare Mistakes

Monrovia Businesswoman and Gerontologist Mary Winners, founder of About Senior Solutions at 525 S. Myrtle Avenue, will be offering tips to seniors on how to avoid the eight most common healthcare mistakes on May 10 at Santa Teresita in Duarte. The program begins at 9 a.m. To make a reservation, call 626-256-3059.

Winners was recently featured on KCET in a docu-series about caring for aging loved one.

IndyCar Driver to Make Pit Stop at New Monrovia Printing Business Tonight

www.simonadesilvestro.com

Sir Speedy, a graphic arts, marketing  and printing store located at 411 W. Maple, will be having its official grand opening and open house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight starting with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce. It is open to the public.

Aside from showcasing its products, IndyCar Driver and 2010 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Simona De Dilvestro will be there signing autographs. De Silvestro, who is often referred to as “the Swiss Miss” because of her Swiss upbringing, was the first woman in series history to have earned the most wins, pole positions, and led the most laps all in a single season, according to her website.

The connection between the two is that Sir Speedy will be sponsoring her this year in the series.

Sir Speedy opened earlier this year, and joins the ranks of more than 600 Sir Speedies across 13 countries. The original Sir Speedy was opened in 1968 in Costa Mesa. The business provides a variety of services, ranging from printing to banner making, to social media marketing. Here's the website.

Employers: Sign-up Today for Monrovia Job Fair on June 19

The City of Monrovia is teaming up with Best Jobs Magazine to host a Job Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on June 19 at the Monrovia Community Center. Whether you have one position open or dozens, you can have a booth for FREE at the Job Fair. All you need to do is contact Jennifer McLain at 626-303-6601, or by email at jmclain@ci.monrovia.ca.us by May 28 to ensure that you get a space.

Best Jobs Magazine is an employment boosting organization that hosts job fairs throughout Southern California.

Looking for a Job? Monrovia Can Help...

Resume tips, interview pointers, and recommendations on how to get a job are among some of the topics at the Job Seekers All-Day Event from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. You can reserve a spot for this free event by signing up online at www.monroviapubliclibrary.org, or by calling (626) 256-8274.

Palmdale Assistant City Manager Named as Monrovia's New Top Administrator

The Monrovia City Council on Tuesday announced the hiring of Palmdale assistant city manager Laurie Lile to Monrovia's top administrative post as City Manager.

Laurie Lile has worked through the ranks of Palmdale over the past two decades, where she started as Principal Planner in 1988 until she climbed to her current position as assistant city manager.

Palmdale is located in northern Los Angeles County, and has a population of nearly 150,000. It has a diverse job and business base that includes the Antelope Valley Regional Mall, the Edwards Airforce Base, and aerospace manufacturers such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. Here is a link that describes more of Palmdale's economy, and what Ms. Lile has been working with the past 24 years.

Ms. Lile is expected to assume the position as Monrovia City Manager April 30. Read more.

Old Town Welcomes New Church

A church long occupied by the First Church of Christ Scientist now has a new congregation. The Monrovia Word Center celebrated its official grand opening today at 140 W. Lime Avenue, located across from the Monrovia Public Library.

Business Profile: Stop By and Smell the Roses at Monrovia Floral

Spring has officially sprung, which means a season full of longer days, beautiful blossoms and colorful flowers. But for Monrovia Floral,  the colorful flowers part is nothing new to them.

Step inside this Old Town Monrovia flower shop, and you are welcomed with the smell of roses and the site of arrangements of all shapes and sizes. The current trend is small - but compact - arrangements that include flowers such as lilies, iris, gerbers, tulips and spray roses.

Monrovia Floral has been a staple in the community for nearly two decades. It was first located on Foothill Boulevard, and eventually it relocated to its current site at 119 E. Olive Avenue.

Owner Gloria Huss bought the store in 1989, and she describes the business as a "small town florist that can service modern day needs." Huss got her start in the flower business as a delivery driver, and after a lot of long hours and persistence, eventually bought Monrovia Floral.

When Huss isn't working at Monrovia Floral, she keeps herself busy with her many civic obligations, including serving as Old Town Monrovia's Filming Liaison, on the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce, and on the Monrovia, Arcadia and Duarte Town Council. It is her passion for Monrovia and community participation that led to her recipient of the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce's "Dick Lord Award," according to this article.

Monrovia Floral can be contacted at 1-800-676-2837, or at its website, www.monfloral.com.

Filming Roundup

March was a slow month in Monrovia's filming world due to the rain and scheduling conflicts, but April got off to a bang. On Sunday, there was a re-shoot for the horror-flick Crush on the 200 block of Encinitas Avenue, a residential street north of Foothill. The Crush crew returned to Monrovia following a 21-day shoot back in February.

Hopefully, we will have more to report in May.