Monrovia Old Town report: Things are hoppin’ in Old Town

By Shawn Spencer shawn@girlfridaysolutions.net

of dollars spent by school districts on competitive sports were instead used to improve and expand the “basics”?

And if parents insist that school sports must remain undisturbed, why not let them continue with their own funds, thereby ensuring that all taxpayers’ money intended for their children’s education is spent exclusively for the teaching of academic subjects?

I'm well aware that some readers will consider my opinion as a sacrilege — because, to them, the subject of competitive sports is like a religion.

David Quintero Monrovia

And I don’t mean the Easter Bunny (although he’s coming soon). I have exciting news! The owners of Tito’s Market are 99.7% certain that they will be opening this March! Unfortunately, they faced some delays toward the end of the year and were further slowed down by the holidays. They don’t have a hard date yet; that’s the only downer. But we are getting closer! I know I am not alone in my excitement for this location to open. Have you had their sandwiches? SO GOOD! Just imagine an Italian sandwich and an Argentinian sandwich got married and had a perfectly delicious baby sandwich. You will definitely have to give this place a try! The Monrovia location will be where the wonderful Café Lumar once sat, at 136 E. Colorado Blvd., next door to La Adelita. Show them some love, Monrovia! This new addition is great news!

The old House of Windsor remodel is coming along beautifully. The mosaic tile has gone up on the façade. Next comes paint and new awnings.

Soon, the new tenants will move in. Clever Bear Toys & Books will be in one half, at 529 S. Myrtle. It will be an old-fashioned toy, game and bookstore for children. I just cannot wait for Clever Bear to open! I think this will be such a welcome and wonderful new store for all of us!

Next door, at 526 S. Myrtle, Suō Boutique is also coming soon! Many of you might remember Suō from its current location on Huntington Drive and Hwy Esplanade. They have been in business for over 20 years, so longevity won’t be an issue here! They have adorable clothes for young ladies and women. For some reason that no one seems to be able to figure out, Mimmers is never open. So, I am super thrilled that they are moving into Old Town.

The former location of 1776, at 504 S. Myrtle, is soon to be The State. They currently have locations in Redlands, Riverside and Rancho Cucamonga. They are an upscale gastropub/burger joint, but its menu does boast a ribeye steak and chicken velouté. They also have lobster mac & cheese. Yum! Google them and take a look at their menu. While being somewhat similar to other restaurants in town, I am looking forward to their grand opening. I can’t wait to try them. Who doesn’t love a good Poutine? They plan to open in Spring 2023! And by the sounds of all the jackhammering, they are right on target to meet their goal.

My beloved Monrovian, at 534 S. Myrtle, still stands empty. A sad reminder that I cannot have that amazing pizza, a lemon bar, the “what have yous” and so many other delicious things. I miss them terribly — not sure if you can tell. The building is still for lease and the owners are steadfastly looking for the perfect tenant. They are looking for a long-term partner that will become part of our Monrovia fabric. Let’s all throw out some good energy on finding the perfect tenant to fit our wants and needs. Unless you want a Cracker Barrel; then you can just stay out of it. individual and our policies prohibit customers from sending us data that could be used to identify a user. Google has strict policies against advertising to people based on sensitive information.”

We have a lot of exciting things happening in Old Town. I wish these businesses the warmest welcome and the highest levels of success.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are all excited to have you here. No one wants to see empty storefronts, but to fill them with such wonderful businesses is amazing! Old Town just keeps getting better and better!

Google pledged last year that it would delete location history data related to people’s visits to abortion and fertility clinics, but the company has not announced any changes since then related to data involving abortion pill providers or how it handles government requests for data. A Google spokesperson did not respond when asked whether the company has turned over any data to law enforcement about users of online pharmacies that provide abortion medication or whether it has been asked to do so.

“This is problematic and dangerous — both the potential access that law enforcement has to figure out who is violating our new state bans and that we’ve let tech companies know so much about our private lives,” said Anya Prince, a law professor at the University of Iowa who focuses on health privacy. “It shows us how powerful this data is in scary ways.”

Medication Abortion

Using medications to induce an abortion involves taking two drugs. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, effectively stopping the growth of the pregnancy. Misoprostol, taken a day or two later, helps the uterus contract, emptying it of pregnancy tissue. This drug combination is the most commonly used method of abortion, accounting for more than half of abortions in the U.S.

Demand for the drugs is expected to grow amid reproductive health clinic closures and the enactment of a cascade of state laws banning abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June.

At least 13 states now ban all methods of abortion, including medication abortion, though some allow exceptions for medical emergencies, rape or incest. People who are unable to shoulder the cost of traveling to states where abortion is legal are increasingly turning to online pharmacies to buy abortion pills without prescriptions. The mail-order pills can be taken at home, and they’re generally cheaper than abortion services provided in clinics — about $200 to $470 from online pharmacies, compared to about $500 for a firsttrimester abortion conducted in a clinic.

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000, mifepristone — the first tablet in the two-step regimen — can be used to help end pregnancies in their first 11 weeks. The agency initially restricted the drug, requiring patients to get it from clinicians in person.

Mifepristone became more accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the FDA temporarily relaxed the requirement that people visit providers in person to get the drug. The agency scrapped the requirement altogether in December 2021, allowing people to obtain abortion medication through the mail after a telemedicine appointment.

Then, on Jan. 3, the FDA published new rules allowing retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone to people who have prescriptions, potentially expanding access to medication abortion. But those rules do not help pregnant people in more than a dozen states where abortion bans prevent pharmacies from offering the drug.

A week later, Alabama's attorney general said that anyone using abortion pills could be prosecuted under a state law that penalizes people for taking drugs while pregnant — despite the state’s abortion ban, which excludes abortion seekers and penalizes providers instead. He then appeared to back off his statement, saying the law would be used only to target providers.

Nineteen states already ban the prescription of abortion drugs through telehealth, meaning people in those states must see a clinician in person or find abortion medication online on their own. Many appear ready to do the latter. After a draft of the Supreme Court’s