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Relay for Life Purple Man, originally uploaded by Living in Monrovia.

You just never know who you are going to run into in Monrovia.

Anyone wanting to get a deal on jewelry should head to Monrovia. The two largest jewelers on Myrtle Avenue are both going out of business, and there are plenty of signs posted in case you hadn’t noticed.

I stopped in Boxx Jewelers, a mainstay in old town for 87 years, and icon for the landmark street clock of the same name. Owner Jeaneane Silverman, who has been chatting with longtime clients with a box of tissues handy, says she has loved her many years of having her business in Monrovia. “I’ve been here over 25 years…and I am going to be 70 July 14th so I think I need to retire and this seemed like a good time.”

The Silvermans took over the business as the first non-family owners in 1969, so they’ve had a pretty good run. Mr. Silverman passed on in April of 2007, but there is a bench next to the clock that has been memorialized in his name. Jeaneane said she may be leaving her business behind, but she is not leaving Monrovia, and hopes to run into many of her former customers while strolling through Old Town.

Although Silverman did not speculate on why Old Towne Jewelers was closing, she did say that Walmart is now the largest jewelry retailer, and that many people prefer to purchase jewelry online.

I’ve been meaning to give a friend of mine, Monrovia resident Charlotte Schamadan, a mention on this blog for some time, and am finally getting around to it. She’s got a gem of a column in the Pasadena Star News, and you can read the latest here. Her writing is friendly, straightforward and always has a local flavor, even if, as in this most recent one, she is writing about getting out-of-town. She knows just about everyone who is anyone in the Monrovia area, so if you run into her, tell her I said, “hi.”