Monrovia Old Town report: Value in volunteering

By Shawn Spencer shawn@girlfridaysolutions.net

The Federal Trade Commission Monday ordered San Diegobased medical technology company Illumina to divest its $7.1 billion acquisition of cancer detection test developer Grail.

According to the FTC, the acquisition "would diminish innovation in the U.S. market for MCED (multi-cancer early detection) tests while increasing prices and decreasing choice and quality of tests. This is extremely concerning given the importance of swiftly developing effective and affordable tools to detect cancer early."

Illumina announced in 2020 that it would seek to acquire Grail, which developed a blood test called Galleri that Illumina claims can detect 50 different cancers before a patient is symptomatic.

Illumina issued a statement Monday saying it intends to appeal the FTC's ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals, as well as a similar decision by the European Commission to the European Court of Justice. According to Illumina's statement, it expects the FTC's order to be stayed until the appeals process is completed, which the company said could come by late 2023 or early 2024.

While the company said winning the appeals "would maximize value for shareholders" and enable it "to expand the availability, affordability and profitability of (Grail's) groundbreaking Galleri test in the $44-plus billion multi-cancer screening market," the company stated, "If Illumina does not prevail in this appeal or the

ECJ jurisdictional appeal, the company expects to move expeditiously to divest Grail in a manner that serves the best interests of Illumina's shareholders."

According to the FTC's opinion published Monday, Illumina is "the dominant producer" of next-generation sequencing platforms used to analyze material from MCED tests and through the acquisition "will remain the only viable supplier of a critical input."

The FTC also rejected a claim by Illumina that its acquisition "is likely to yield results that save lives" as the commission said "letting competition spur through innovation among MCED test providers would do more to save lives than allowing a monopolist to vertically integrate and capture the market."

Are you looking for ways to become more involved in your community? Monrovia is such a wonderful place to visit, live and work and it really has a lot to do with the many wonderful community members that volunteer their time.

The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” comes from an African proverb that means it takes many people to provide a safe, healthy and nurturing environment where children can grow and flourish. Over the years, the saying has morphed into a broader use that means it takes the cooperation of many to achieve a goal. We could say “the more the merrier?” That alludes to the more people involved, the better. The original saying is “the more the merrier; the fewer, the better fare.” More people might be fun, but less means more food to go around.

But, I digress…there are ample ways to get involved in various aspects of Monrovia. On April 29, you can join your community at the 13th Annual MAP Neighborhood Conference. It’s from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. at Second Baptist Church, located at 925 S. Shamrock Ave. This year’s theme is “Live Your Legacy: Drawing

Your MAP to a Better Monrovia.” A free continental breakfast and free lunch are provided. There are health screenings and quite a few informative workshops on topics such as landlord/tenant rights, active shooter training, the history of Monrovia and more. Visit the city of Monrovia website to reserve your spot!

You can also sign up to join the Bobcat Fire clean-up team. You can better our hillsides and get paid! There are positions open for entry-level and supervisor-level. You must be over the age of 18 and must be able to handle the physical demands of the job. You must also reside in the communities that were impacted by the fire. If you are interested in Bobcat Fire temporary employment, training or workforce services, visit the city of Monrovia’s website to request contact. What a wonderful and worthwhile adventure!

The city of Monrovia has positions available on various boards and commissions. The mayor and city council appoint board members and commissioners to function as advisors on specific areas of city business. They may be volunteer positions, but they are extremely rewarding. There is an informa - tional meeting tonight, April 6 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. There are positions available on the Planning Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission, The Community Services Commission, the Library Board and the Monrovia Old Town Advisory Board. These are wonderful and fun ways to serve your community. To get more information…yep! You guessed it. Visit the city of Monrovia’s website.

On April 16, there is a community meeting to discuss proposed improvements to Recreation Park. The meeting will be held at the Mary Wilcox Youth Center at 843 E. Olive Ave, from 4 p.m. through 5:30 p.m. Attend this neighborhood meeting to learn the scope of the proposed projects and give your valuable input.

I am so excited to see the proposal; especially after the beautiful renovation of Lucinda Garcia Park!

There are so many ways to get involved in all things Monrovia. I have only given you a few. There are also city beautification days, Foothill Kitchen opportunities, Monrovia Days and more! Visit the city of Monrovia website or call City Hall at (626) 932-5550 and ask how you can do more for your community.

Droughts in each half

Monday evening doomed San Diego State's attempt to bring the city its biggest sports championship.

The Aztecs missed 14 consecutive shots in a more than a 10-minute span of the first half and went scoreless for more than three minutes of the second half after cutting Connecticut's lead to five points in a 76-59 loss in the final of the NCAA men's basketball tournament in Houston.

San Diego State trailed 36-24 at halftime. The Huskies made 10 consecutive free throws over four minutes, nine seconds, increasing their lead to 51-36 with 11:56 to play.

Jaedon LeDee made back-to-back jump shots to begin a 9-0 run that pulled the Aztecs to within six, 56-50, with 7:40 remaining.

Lamont Butler's fastbreak layup and two free throws by Keshad Johnson cut the deficit to 60-55 with 5:19 remaining but