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MONROVIAWEEKLY
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7 - FEBRUARY 13, 2019
Since 1996
VOL. 23, NO. 6
MONROVIAN SUPERSTAR, ARCHITECT ROBERT KENNARD Susie LING, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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n 1986, Robert Kennard was inducted into the prestigious AIA College of Fellows for excellence in the field of architecture. Established in 1957, his Kennard Design Group (KDG) is one of the largest and oldest African American architectural firms in Los Angeles. Robert Alexander Kennard (1920-1995) was a Monrovian who graduated from Monrovia High in 1938. It was Jerome Robinson of USC’s School of Architecture who recently dug into this history in his thesis. Perhaps, Monrovia should better celebrate its own rich heritage. Robert Kennard was born in Los Angeles to James and Marie Bryan Kennard. James had been a pullman porter. The family moved to Monrovia in 1924. “Grandma wanted to do farming here,” said Gail Kennard, now president of KDG. They built a half acre of orange grove at 533 E. Walnut Ave. in Monrovia. The Kennards wanted their four children to thrive and complete college, but the children were forced by Monrovia School District to attend the segregated SEE KENNARD PAGE 12
Lydia and Gail Kennard, USC Professor Trudi Sandmeier, and Jerome Robinson at Monrovia Historical Museum in January 2019. – Courtesy photo
Monrovia Police Explorers’ Big Win Susan MOTANDER motander@yahoo.com
If you opted to watch the State of the Union Address and the Democrat response, you missed the Monrovia City Council Meeting held on Tuesday and would therefore have missed the presentation by Monrovia
Police Lieutenant Sarah Covarrubias. Her presentation outlined the success of our local Police Explorer Post at the 21st annual Chandler Explorer Tactical Competition in Arizona. They won two major awards at the competition. SEE BIG WIN PAGE 13
Rain, Rain and more Rain in the San Gabriel Valley Highway 39 closed in Azusa due to mudslide Terry MILLER tmiller@beaconmedianews.com
“It never rains in southern California,” Albert Hammond laments in 1972. He wasn’t far wrong. The last rainfall season
(2017-2018) was the driest for Los Angeles since 20062007 and the third driest since rainfall records kept in 1877. We have undeniably been in a long drought in California so this rain is truly remark-
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Monrovia Reads
‘Othello’ Takes the Stage at A Noise Within
Seeks to Dismantle Illiteracy
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SEE RAIN PAGE 13
MONROVIA IS A COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO READING Susan MOTANDER motander@yahoo.com
For 20 years Monrovians have turned out to read aloud twice a year to elementary school students in town. Every classroom gets a reader. The second reading of the year is held in March each year in celebration of the anni-
versary of the birth of Dr. Suess (aka Theodore Seuss Geisel). Although Geisel’s real birthday is March 2, Read Across Monrovia will be on March 7. Joanne Spring started the program at Monroe Elementary School when she was the SEE READING PAGE 12
SPORTS
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Monrovia Impresses at League Finals as CIF Approaches
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