Los Angeles County Arboretum and Baldwin family push to revive Baldwin Lake. The 4-acre lake in the middle of the Arboretum stands polluted, filled with tons of mud and filth from years of urban runoff. Tony Zampiello, executive officer of the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster, along with the county's Department of Parks and Recreation, have formed a task force with goal of dredging the old lake built by Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin in the late 19th century. Margaux Viera, Baldwin's great-great-great granddaughter, a member of the "Save Baldwin Lake" task force, says the shoreline around the lake is collapsing and eroding. See hard copy in VF "Arboretum."
Arcadia’s Baldwin Lake makes history. A “History Lives Here” historical marker was dedicated at Baldwin Lake at the Los Angeles County Arboretum last Thursday. The marker was donated by Arcadia Historical Society.
What's Going on with Lake Baldwin in Arcadia" Part 2: the Plan. Plan includes installing wetland ponds and settling basins north of Baldwin Lake, along Arcadia Wash. The idea is to capture water, channel it into a natural filter, and a portion of which will find its way down to an aquifer (a layer of water-holding rock below the surface), where it is drawn and used in various ways, including drinking water.
Arcadia city council accepts gift of a bronze statue of Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, founder of Arcadia, from his descendant Margaux Viera. Article erroneously states that she is the granddaughter of Elias J. Baldwin. In her proposal to the City of Arcadia, she states that she is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Baldwin.
A statue of Arcadia city founder Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, has been proposed by his great-great-great granddaughter, Margaux Viera, of Pasadena, for placement in the rose garden next to Arcadia Community Center. City council will consider the issue tonight. City council must agree to provide a location for the proposed statue, purchase a pedestal, and provide any electrical, lighting, and landscaping deemed appropriate. (Article erroneously states that Margaux Viera is the great-great-granddaughter of Elias J. Baldwin. In her proposal to the City of Arcadia, she states that she is, in fact, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Baldwin.)
Lucky Baldwin statue to be unveiled at Reverend Monsignor Gerald M. O'Keefe Rose Garden at Holly Avenue and Huntington Drive. Bronze sculpture commissioned, donated by city founder Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's descendants Margaux Gibson-Viera and Heather Gibson (Baldwin's great-great-great granddaughters). Statue was designed and made by artist Alfred Paredes. See also VF Statuary #20.
Lucky Baldwin statue dedicated. at Reverend Monsignor Gerald M. O'Keeffe Rose Garden at Holly Avenue and Huntington Drive. Bronze sculpture commissioned, donated by city founder Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's descendants Margaux Gibson-Viera and Heather Gibson (Baldwin's great-great-great granddaughters). Statue was designed and made by artist Alfred Paredes. See also VF Statuary #20.
Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage has a permanent exhibit on Anita Baldwin. The daughter of Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin was a quiet woman of great compassion.
Revisiting Anita Baldwin. Margaux Viera (photo) of Riverside, the great-great-great granddaughter of Arcadia founder Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, has unexpectedly come into possession of some personal items that belonged to Anita M. Baldwin, the only daughter born to Lucky Baldwin and his third wife, Jane Virginia Dexter. The items were discovered by a farmer on a rural, central Nevada ranch once owned by the Baldwin estate. The items include Anita Baldwin's daily journal from 1935, a gold calligraphy pen and Art Deco glass bottle used as an inkwell, an address book with her name and signature, a leather passport holder with her name and a wallet containing several of her identification and membership cards. See hard copy in VF "Baldwin, Anita."
Experts who have analyzed the crash that killed Alice Zhang, 16, of Arcadia, say that Bowen Du, the driver, did not have enough time to react to avoid the fatal accident. This report given by Du's attorney failed to address how or why Du failed to stop after other cars had stopped at the crosswalk, which is required by California Vehicle Code.
Arcadia city council agrees to accept gift statue of Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin. His great-great-great granddaughter, Margaux Viera, 34 of Pasadena, will commission a bronze statue for display next to Arcadia Community Center. The statue will be worth close to $60,000. The city will pay for pedestal, lighting and landscaping, up to $25,000.
Los Angeles County Arboretum. $8 million cleanup and restoration of Baldwin Lake sought. Flood control district assigns funding; expense to go before supervisors in July. Baldwin Lake is severely polluted centerpiece of the county Arboretum, visited by 400,000 people annually. The 144-year-old lake, dug out by 19th century real estate pioneer Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin on his estate, has been dying a slow death because of the accumulation of street runoff laced with heavy metals, automobile brake fragments and other chemicals that create algae blooms and strong odors. Supervisor Kathryn Barger is championing the project.
Los Angeles County supervisor Mike Antonovich plans to set aside $650,000 of county funds to re-seed the oak woodland habitat in Arcadia that was demolished last week for flood control purposes, after mud and debris dredged from the Santa Anita Dam has been spread at the site. Bob Spencer, spokesman for Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, said there is much more debris poised to come down the hills and "We need to find a solution." Other county wilderness areas face destruction to make way for sediment. Officials are already considering the relocation of sediment from Devil's Gate Dam, which could end up on a 40-acre mature black willow woodland in the Hahamongna Watershed Park. Environmental activists won't let that happen without a fight.
West Nile Virus: infected mosquitoes, birds found in San Gabriel Valley. A recent sample of mosquitoes collected in Arcadia have been confirmed to be infected with West Nile Virus, prompting officials to emphasize prevention. There is no vaccine and no treatment.
Abandoned pet turtles, specifically red-eared slider turtles that are native to Louisiana, are turning up at the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia (shown in photograph), Huntington Library, and local golf courses. It is illegal to buy turtles less than 4 inches long and to dump them. They threaten to push out the state's only native turtles species in urban and natural waters here.
Tarzan returns to Arboretum in Arcadia. Arboretum celebrates Hollywood history on June 30 with a special presentation of On Location: Tarzan at the Arboretum by Scott Tracy Griffin, author of Tarzan on Film and Tarzan the Centennial Celebration. Baldwin Lake and surrounding landscape served as stand-in for African jungle in 12 classic Tarzan films.
Arcadia Rotary to raise funds to renovate Fort Rotary-Camp Trask. Tallman H. Trask Scout Reservation in dire need of repairs after years of neglect. It is located in the area above Monrovia Canyon. Fort Rotary was built in 2003.
Santa Anita Park at a crossroads. Racetrack remains profitable but a string of cancellations, fewer horses in the running, and off-track betting show problems in the backstretch.