As the recent triple-murder returns to the role of Southern California’s medical marijuana “ground zero,” officials responded LA County Sheriff Lee Baca’s charges that criminal elements have hijacked the medical marijuana movement.

In remarks made to the LA Times Wednesday, Sheriff Baca asserted that the triple killing over a pot deal showed how “the medicinal marijuana program… has been hijacked by underground drug dealing criminals.”

One West Hollywood official pushed back, saying that the only way to solve the problems caused by the illicit pot trade is to regulate it.... [full story]

Hyatt workers here in West Hollywood at the Andaz Hotel are striking in advance of the Labor Day Weekend hoping to gain traction in stalled union negotiations.

Beginning at 4 am this morning, union members of Unite Here local 11 walked off the job and into the street to picket the hotel firm they claim “is trying to make the recession permanent for its employees.”

Unite Here president John Wilhelm, said, “Hotel workers understand that Labor Day is about more than picnics and parades, it’s about honoring the people who have built this country and make it run.”... [full story]

People often ask what is the value in getting into a lot of fests? After the submission fees, travel costs and promo materials, does it really wind up being with it all to even bother?

I’d have to say absolutely. Many of my dearest friends are people I’ve met on my travels to the fests over the years, I’ve made some important industry contacts and I’ve gotten some press

That said, we went to the 2009 West Hollywood International Film Festival (WHIFF) this week where my short film Death in Charge was officially selected to screen. Wow [from all appearances] I half suspect it was some sort of money-laundering scam.... [full story]

The third installment of a great idea - a Sunset Strip Music Festival – took root this year doubling last year’s attendance by drawing 30,000 people to the Sunset Strip over three days, with 13,000 rock aficionados flocking to the Street Festival on Saturday.

This festival is on the map.

Through the last fifty years, a lot of people who started on the Strip settled around it. Up the hill and down the hill, from movies to music, from cook to crooner, Sunset Boulevard is everyone’s back yard. ... [full story]

In the very early day of the West Hollywood West Residents Association, our first president, Arthur Trudeau, would announce in answer to people expressing frustration and lack of resolve: “YOU CAN FIGHT CITY HALL – AND WE DAMN WELL BETTER!”

On August 25 I attended a small gathering of WeHo citizens to see a presentation by Ivy Properties and their architect, RNL Design, regarding their proposed building at the site known to some as “the Aga John hole” - at the northwest corner of San Vicente and Melrose Avenues.

As usual at these events, there was a fair degree of suspicion, aimed at the builder’s real intent, a few raised voices and a lot of details tossed about by the presenters... [full story]

The General Plan draft projects more intense development on “the transit corridors,” those commercial streets that are currently served by major bus routes, yet Metro (MTA) is a County agency with a budget and will all its own.

Metro is also facing an historic operating deficit - $250 million in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2010 - and recently raised its rates.

More than 500 Metro jobs are being eliminated as well as steep cuts in administrative overhead and other expenses.... [full story]

WeHo News prints every letter it receives and verifies through phone contact (we DO NOT publish phone numbers or E mail addresses), printing them all unedited except for brevity, grammar & spelling. We publish the letters as a group on Thursdays; deadline for inclusion is the previous Tuesday at noon.

This Week: Exclusive: WeHo triple slaying victims identified – may be connected to medical marijuana, Senior Moments: Where has the summer gone…, WHIFF 2010, in a reversal, announces a fall film festival, Smoking Task Force completes draft smoking ban.... [full story]

Hyatt workers here in West Hollywood at the Andaz Hotel are striking in advance of the Labor Day Weekend hoping to gain traction in stalled union negotiations.

Beginning at 4 am this morning, union members of Unite Here local 11 walked off the job and into the street to picket the hotel firm they claim “is trying to make the recession permanent for its employees.”

Unite Here president John Wilhelm, said, “Hotel workers understand that Labor Day is about more than picnics and parades, it’s about honoring the people who have built this country and make it run.”... [full story]