Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, November 12, 2022

Mountain View News Saturday, September 10, 20228 Mountain View News Saturday, September 10, 20228 
THE L.A. ARBORETUM BREAKS GROUND ON A NEW 
VISITOR PLAZA 

The $10 million project updates and restores theexisting mid-20th century 
modern entrance. 


Officials of Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation had shovels in hand Friday, 
November 4, to break ground for the construction of a new Visitor Plaza at the Los Angeles County Arboretum 
and Botanic Garden. The $10 million project is designed to set new standards in visitor hospitality, 
horticultural beauty, and improved garden access.
“The Arboretum is a partnership venture between the Arboretum Foundation and the Los Angeles County 
Department of Parks and Recreation. The new Visitor Plaza will be a gateway for visitors from across L.A. 
County to enjoy the magnificent 127 acres,” Norma García-González, Director of L.A. County Parks and 
Recreation, said at the ceremony. “This bright new face for the Arboretum reflects the vastly increased community 
we serve and new-found appreciation for time spent in the natural world,” shared Richard Schulhof, 
Arboretum CEO. 

It was a proud moment for former President and Honorary Arboretum Foundation trustee, Ken Hill, PhD, 
who was part of the community and fundraising effort to build the new entrance. “The best result from this 
endeavor was discovering thousands of friends of the Arboretum who love the gardens and are happy to support 
its improvement,” he said.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, a supporter of the new project, was at the groundbreaking. The 
new entrance will add an Arrival Plaza, Welcome Plaza and Ticketing Pavilion within the footprint and re-
adaptation of the existing mid-20th century modern complex. The project, funded by the Arboretum’s first 
capital campaign in 40 years, is the Arboretum’s largest improvement to date. 
The Visitor Plaza is scheduled to be completed in 2023 during the Arboretum’s 75th Anniversary. More 
than 700,000 visitors a year enjoy the Arboretum, which is governed through a private-public partnership 
between the nonprofit Arboretum Foundation and the County Department of Parks and Recreation. Project 
design was completed by EPT Design, Dunbar Architecture and Hunt Design. 

The Chef Knows By Peter Dills 
My dear ol’ departed father told me time and time again “Don’t argue sex, 
politics or religion, you’ll never win”. Well, the holidays are here and we 
will be spending time with loved ones… and the loved ones who get on our 
nerves. My politics are simple: I don’t share my views at social events, and 
I’m not going to change my 85-year-old uncle who swears by Fox News so 
bottom line keep your lip tight if you must ask questions learn and don’t 
react. 

Here are a few more of my “get along during the Holidays” tips… 

• Ask for help, but don’t expect it. Families are never fair. Work is never 
equally divided. That’s just the way it is. I am always prepared to do everything, 
but very happy not to. Wasting time being mad because one person 
tends to just sit around ruins the whole experience for everyone.
• Don’t try to be right about everything. Getting the family together 
can be a toxic experience when someone insists on being the winner in an 
argument or thinks he or she is right about everything….of course, I am 
right about everything, but that doesn’t mean I have to rub it in their faces.
• Try not to criticize. Nothing is more hurtful or hard to watch than 
someone criticizing someone else in front of others. Whether it’s your kids or your spouse or your sister, 
holidays are a time to suspend critical thinking and just surrender to holiday spirit. If you need to discipline 
a child, please take the child to a quiet corner or another room and speak respectfully.
• Enjoy yourself. If you are doing all the work, make sure you sit down and take breaks and talk to 
people…so what if dinner is a little late? I like to spend a little one-on-one time with each person present—
to take the conversation at least a tiny step further than just “How are you?”
• Lay off the liquor. I haven’t had a drink in 10 years. And I don’t serve alcohol in my house. It’s 
amazing how much happier my family dinners turn out when no one’s crying or acting out after drinking 
too much. I don’t get upset when people bring their own wine to a dinner at my house—but the fact that 
they might be the only ones drinking seems to help them stay in control.
• Remember, we are all going to turn into our mothers/fathers one day. The very things that drive 
us crazy about our parents and relatives are probably hard wired into us, too. It’s just harder for us to see 
it in ourselves, since we are looking at the world from inside of ourselves. 
You probably have your own game plan, so if you have holiday survival tips of your own, feel free to share 
with me, and tune in this Sunday Night at 5 PM for my Foodie Talk Show AM 830 KLAA - the Angels 
Radio Station 
One last thing: please bring something to the party. Even if the host says they have things covered, there 
never is enough ice or plates. Pro Tip: don’t bring an entrée unless asked - I learned the hard way on that 
one 


SUPERVISORS EXTEND $50K 
REWARD IN MURDERED ALTADENA 
PRESCHOOLER

 The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 
unanimously approved a motion Tuesday by 
Supervisor Kathryn Barger to extend the $50,000 
reward offered for information leading to the arrest of 
the person responsible for the murder of four-year-old 
Salvador Esparza III.

 The young boy was shot while standing on the porch 
of a home in unincorporated Altadena on July 5, 2016.

 “This shooting violently and tragically ended the life 
of an innocent little boy,” said Supervisor Kathryn 
Barger. “Six months ago, I doubled the reward amount 
offered from $25,000 to $50,000. I am extending the 
reward because I have faith that someone will have 
the courage to do the right thing. Help us identify the 
perpetrator who robbed Salvador of his future and 
left a hole in his family’s heart. Justice for the Esparza 
family must be served.” Salvador Esparza III

 
Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo urged the community to 
do their part, “Chavita Esparza would be 10 years old today had he not been murdered 
in July of 2016,” Mayor Gordo said. “I am grateful to Supervisor Barger for extending the 
reward to encourage the public to step up and provide the information needed to help 
solve the horrific killing of 4 year old Chavita. Once again, I appeal to our community 
to step up, help identify the perpetrator of this heinous crime, and bring closure to 
Chavita’s family.”

 The murder is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department 
(LASD) Homicide Division. To report a tip or provide information related to this 
shooting, contact Sergeant Dominick Recchia at (323) 890-5500. Spanish interpreters 
and interpreters who speak other languages are available. Tips can also be reported to 
the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or submitted 
online at lacrimestoppers.org. 


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