Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, May 27, 2023

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 27, 2023 

ARROYOS & FOOTHILLS CONSERVANCY 

PARTNERS WITH CONSERVATION AND 

ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO 

SHOWCASE WILDLIFE

La Cañada Flintridge, CA - On June 3rd, 2023, doors at the Historic Boddy House at Descanso 
Gardens open on Living in a Wildlife Corridor, an immersive and interactive exhibit 
fusing art and nature presented by Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy (AFC). Featuring up-
close breathtaking photography of local wildlife, striking life-size sculp-ture, and original 
paintings, prints, and drawings, visitors will be captivated by the beauty and brilliance of 
Los Angeles wildlife.

Displays in this impressive exhibition include artwork and traditional knowledge shared 
by Tongva Culture Bearers, the latest scientific and research expertise from conservationists, 
and insights into the specific challenges and opportunities around conservation in the 
greater Los Angeles area.

As visitors make their way through the exhibit, they’ll learn about local initiatives to conserve 
land and help wildlife, and will walk away with concrete actions and steps they can 
take to protect and preserve the natural world surrounding us.

To present Living in a Wildlife Corridor, Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy is partnering 
with leading conservation and environmental organizations both regionally and na-tionally, 
including the National Park Service, the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural History 
Museum of Los Angeles County, Occidental College, the Theodore Payne Foundation, 
Kidspace Children’s Museum, and the Pasadena Audubon Society.

“Los Angeles is one of the most biodiverse urban areas in the world, and its natural beauty 
is part of why so many people choose to live here,” said John Howell, Arroyos & Foothills 
Conservancy’s CEO. “We’re honored to be working alongside Descanso Gardens and other 
important environmental organizations to give a new and differ-ent window into the world 
of wildlife - not only mammals but also bats, birds, bees, butterflies, and reptiles - and the 
plant life they depend on. It’s our hope that visitors will gain greater insights into the natural 
world we live in and be inspired to join the wave of people taking action to protect it.”

One of the exhibiting artists, painter and former Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde said, "It’s an 
honor to have my artwork included in this remarkable exhibit. I’ve been in-volved with Arroyos 
& Foothills Conservancy for many years now, and I believe that local conservation is 
crucial to our ongoing efforts to protect wildlife and address climate change."

The exhibit explores how wildlife corridors — paths of movement that wildlife use to navigate 
through and among islands of native habitat — function in a dense urban environment 
like the greater Los Angeles area. That movement is an essential key to their survival; the 
exhibit remembers and explores the heartbreaking case of P-22, LA’s so-called celebrity 
mountain lion who died last December, as an example of what happens when wildlife corridors 
are not available.

Through informational panels, interactive activities, a summer-long educational se-ries, 
and multi-sensory installations, Living in a Wildlife Corridor encourages visitors to reflect 
on what it means to share space alongside an immense variety of wild neighbors: plants, 
animals, birds, and pollinators alike.

Living in a Wildlife Corridor runs from June 3rd through October 1st. Tickets can be 
purchased onsite at Descanso Gardens, or online at descansogardens.org (admission is required 
for all visitors, but is free to members of Descanso Gardens). You can learn more 
about AFC’s work at arroyosfoothills.org.

Peter Dills Knows 


THE SPIRIT OF MEMORIAL DAY

Over seven billion hot dogs will be eaten by Americans 
between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the July 
4th weekend alone (the biggest hot-dog holiday of the 
year), 155 million will be downed.

Every year, Americans eat an average of 60 hot dogs each. 
They are clearly one of the country’s most loved, but most 
misunderstood, comfort foods. Like most great events in 
history, there are varying accounts of how it all began and 
who started it. The history of the Hot Dog is no different. 
You will find many references throughout history to the 
origins of a Hot Dog-like thing called a sausage. Here are 
some stories of how the Hot Dog was born.

The invention of the Hot Dog, is often attributed to the 
1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. However, similar 
sausages were made and consumed in Europe, particularly 
in Germany, as early as 1864, and the earliest example of a 
hot dog bun dates to New York City in the 1860s. German immigrants appear to have sold 
hot dogs, along with milk rolls and sauerkraut, from pushcarts in New York City’s Bowery 
during the 1860s. The Hot Dog’s association with baseball also predates the 1904 World’s 
Fair. Chris von der Ahe, owner of the St Louis Browns, sold Hot Dogs at his ballpark in 
the 1880s.

Who’s Served the First Hot Dog? Also in doubt is who first served the first Hot Dog. 
Wieners and frankfurters don’t become Hot Dogs until someone puts them in a roll or 
a bun. There are several stories or legends as to how this first happened. Specific people 
were have been credited for for supposedly inventing the Hot Dog. Charles Feltman and 
Antonoine Feuchtwanger were among the few.

In 1867, Charles Feltman, a German butcher, opened up the first Coney Island hot dog 
stand in Brooklyn, New York and sold 3,684 dachshund sausages in a roll during his first 
year in business He is also credited with the idea of the warm bun.

Although the exact origins of the Chicago Dog are not documented, Vienna Beef of 
Chicago claims the “Chicago-style” Hot Dog was invented by two European immigrants at 
the Chicago World’s Fair and Columbian Exhibition in 1893. 

 – I know this may be very hard to swallow for some Dodger fans but the love of the hotdog 
and baseball did not start with the Dodgers. 

PRESS +
MEDIA KIT
DUARTE RECOGNIZES CARMEN WONG AS 
2023 SENIOR CENTER VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

On May 23, 2023, City Council recognized 
Duarte’s 2023 Senior Center Volun-teer of the 
Year, Carmen Wong, and proclaimed May 
2023 as Older Ameri-cans Month (OAM). 

Since 1991, the City of Duarte has honored 
a senior member who provides uncommon 
and exceptional volunteer service, devoting 
their time and effort to making the Duarte 
Senior Center a better place.

The Administration for Community Living 
themed this month’s observance Aging Unbound, 
which offers an opportunity to explore 
diverse aging experi-ences and discuss 
how communities can combat stereotypes. 
Carmen Wong certainly fits the theme by 
demonstrating her ability to go above and 
beyond for the community of Duarte. She is 
a deserving recipient of this recognition with 
her numerous hours of outstanding volunteer 
service at the Duarte Senior Center.

“Carmen Wong has been an active volunteer 
at the Duarte Senior Center for over 
14 years,” said Recreation Supervisor Susie 
Perez. “The knowledge that she has and the 
amount of energy she brings is unbelievable. I 
truly appreci-ate Carmen and everything she 
does for our community. She is a true inspi-
ration and person that embodies being an 
Older American.”

More than half of Wong’s week is devoted to 
assisting with the Grab & Go Frozen Meal 
Program and Hot Meal Program. She is a 
regular volunteer at Duarte’s special evening 
events, bi-annual Community Yard Sale, 
the City’s Independence Day Celebration, 
Anniversary Picnic and Employee & Commis-
sioner Awards Reception, among other 
things.

Wong dedicated around 520 hours of her personal 
time to serving the com-munity this 
past year. To put that in perspective, her time 
averages to a staff-ing salary savings of just 
over $8,000 for the City.

Though Wong is mostly behind the scenes, 
her hard work does not go unno-ticed. The 
Senior Center hosted a private event on 
April 28 to recognize all their volunteers. 
Wong was honored by her peers and fellow 
volunteers that evening and will also be recognized 
at the 2023 Los Angeles County’s 
Board of Supervisors Annual Older Americans 
Recognition Day Awards Ceremony on 
May 25.

“It’s an honor to be volunteering at the Senior 
Center,” Wong commented. “It has kept 
me going all these years, and I’ve enjoyed every 
moment.”

The City of Duarte is immensely grateful for 
Carmen Wong and her selfless volunteerism 
for the Duarte Senior Center. Wong’s time, 
commitment, and service for Duarte evidently 
reveals her compassionate heart and 
her posi-tive impact to those around her.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com