Francis Ching, 60, a native Hawaiian, is retiring after 20 years as supervisor of the Los Angeles County Dept. of Arboreta and Botanic Gardens, which includes the LA County Arboretum in Arcadia.
A 90-foot crane used for a movie shoot at the Arboretum toppled arm-first into Baldwin lake, which is being used as the set for the upcoming Columbia Pictures movie "Anaconda."
The California Arboretum Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation are negotiating their roles for future management of the Arboretum.
Audience response to the California Philharmonic Orchestra's Festival on the Green series at the Arboretum has surpassed even the expectations of philharmonic management.
The California Arboretum Foundation and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation have reached an agreement that the foundation and parks and recreation will co-manage and be equally involved in decisions on the use of the Arboretum. An executive director will be hired.