West Hollywood

West Hollywood in brief- City government in action this week

Celebrating Black History Month in February, Implementing a New Organics Collection Program, ‘WeHo Reads’ Launches on February 8 plus more

Published

2 months ago

January 26, 2023

LA Blade Digital Staff

West Hollywood City Hall (Photo credit: City of West Hollywood/Jon Viscott)

City Celebrates Black History Month in February

WEST HOLLYWOOD – The City of West Hollywood celebrates Black History Month with events held throughout the month. Black History Month recognizes, celebrates, and honors the rich and diverse history and important contributions and achievements of African Americans, and is observed annually during the month of February.

On Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 9 a.m., the community is encouraged to participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event (previously postponed due to weather) at West Hollywood Elementary School, located at 970 N. Hammond Street. Residents, visitors, and community members are invited to take part in this day of service where volunteers will be helping to perform various landscaping, clean-up, painting, and other beautifying tasks at the school. Volunteers must be 13 years of age or older to participate.

To sign-up as a volunteer, please register on the City’s volunteer portal at https://volunteer.weho.org/. For more information or questions about the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event, please contact the City’s Community Programs Coordinator, Larissa Fooks at (323) 848-6413 or [email protected].

On Saturday, February 25, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visit the Black Women Lead Pop-Up Market. This free, open-air event will feature Black vendors, panelists, and performers, providing the community with the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month in West Hollywood. This event will take place at the West Hollywood Park Great Lawn, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Event updates will be provided on the City’s website calendar at www.weho.org/calendar. For information, please contact City of West Hollywood Community Programs Coordinator Jasmine Duckworth at (323) 848-6559 or [email protected].

Additional programming during the month of February includes:

The City of West Hollywood presents WeHo Reads: Writing Paths Toward Justice: an exploration and panel discussion with authors who examine what happens when the social contract fractures along the journey towards justice will take place online at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

Walter Mosley is one of America’s most celebrated writers with over 50 published books. His recently published novel, Every Man a King, is the second installment in his Joe “King” Oliver series.

Steph Cha is the author of Your House Will Pay, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the California Book Award, and the Juniper Song crime trilogy.

Kellye Garrett is an Anthony, Agatha, and Lefty award-winning author whose most recent suspense novel, Like a Sister, is about the death of a disgraced reality TV star.

Joe Ide is the author of the award-winning IQ series, including the most recent installment, Smoke.

Jordan Harper has been a music journalist, film critic, and TV writer. His most recent novel, Everybody Knows, is a crime thriller about a publicist who works for the corrupt and depraved elite in Southern California.

More information and an RSVP link is available at www.weho.org/wehoreads. For more information about WeHo Reads, contact City of West Hollywood Arts Coordinator Mike Che at (323) 848-6377 or [email protected]. For information, please contact City of West Hollywood Community Programs Coordinator Jasmine Duckworth at (323) 848-6559 or [email protected]. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

City Encourages Community Members to Participate in American Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED Training

When an emergency happens, would you know what to do? Get certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), First Aid, and Automated External Defibrillators (AED) to give you the confidence you need to respond in an emergency.

The City of West Hollywood is offering a free American Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED Certification Training on Saturday, February 4, 2023. The training will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center, located at 8750 El Tovar Place in the San Vicente/La Cienega Meeting Room. The training schedule will include a meal break. Parking will be available at the West Hollywood Park 5-Story parking structure, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

This American Red Cross Certification Training will cover adult and pediatric CPR/First Aid/AED topics and participants will learn how to respond to medical emergencies. Prior to meeting in-person, participants will be enrolled in an online learning session that takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete. There will be in-person section reviews and tests that will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours per section for participants to receive certification. The online learning session link will be sent out seven days prior to the in-person training session. All online coursework must be completed before the in-person training session.

Space is limited and is anticipated to reach capacity quickly. Enroll using the City of West Hollywood’s “ActiveNet” online reservations portal. RSVPs require ActiveNet registration, which takes just a minute to complete.

Once capacity reaches limits, community members who are interested are encouraged to join a waitlist. The City will host additional American Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED Certification Trainings during the 2023 calendar year. To join this waitlist, please contact Cortez Jordan, in the City of West Hollywood’s Recreation Services Division, at (323) 848-6585 and the City will reach out as future trainings are scheduled.

Knowledge in first aid has multiple benefits. Accidents are inevitable, and there is no guarantee that people are safe from any physical injury, illness, or trauma. The best thing that people can do is to be prepared when and if any accidents, mishaps, and occurrences happen. Every year, millions of people are hurt or killed from injuries due to inadequate response or lack of timely assistance.

The biggest difference between victims who survive and those who do not is a bystander’s willingness to help. Performing any sort of basic life support on victims while an ambulance is on the way doubles a person’s chance of survival.

For additional information about the City of West Hollywood’s free American Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED Certification Training, please email [email protected] or call (323) 848-6538. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

West Hollywood’s 2023 ‘WeHo Reads’ Series ‘Mindful Journeys’ Launches on February 8, 2023

The City of West Hollywood is launching its 2023 WeHo Reads literary series with a reception, readings, and the launch of a new photographic exhibition. Community members are invited to celebrate art, literature, poets, and authors.

The kick-off event will take place on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

At 6 p.m., there will be a reception for an exhibition of photographs from a contest that was held around the theme of the 2022 WeHo Reads series about creating joy in times of sorrow. The contest was held in the fall of 2022 and was juried by writers/photographers Lynell George and Marisela Norte. Photographers featured in this exhibition include: Natalia Affonso, Nadia Alamah, Rick Castro, Arpan Basu Chowdhury (who had the first-place winning submission), Gabriella Maria dos Santos Silva, Victoria Goring, Haro Istamboulian, Louis Jacinto, Alessia Piscopo, Mateo Salas, and Don Tinling.

At 7 p.m., there will be readings by authors featured in WeHo Reads including: bridgette bianca, Shonda Buchanan, Jen Cheng, Lisbeth Coiman, Flint, Charles Flowers, Peter J. Harris, Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett, Lester Graves Lennon, Malia Márquez, Thea Pueschel, Luivette Resto, Carla Sameth, Sehba Sarwar, Lynne Thompson, and Hazel Kight Witham.

RSVPs are required to attend this event at www.weho.org/wehoreads.

This year’s theme for WeHo Reads is Mindful Journeys, and the events will feature writers who are seeking to navigate joy in the midst of sorrow and craft mindful journeys toward better futures, whether through fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry.

WeHo Reads is presented by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division and produced by BookSwell, LLC. Additional support for WeHo Reads is provided by UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and Poets & Writers as well as media partnerships with Bookshop.org, Book Soup, and Los Angeles Review of Books.

Additional WeHo Reads 2023 series events will follow:

WeHo Reads: Writing Paths Toward Justice on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at 6 p.m. (online).

This discussion will explore what can we learn about human nature from imagining the paths taken by criminals and outcasts. Walter Mosley is one of America’s most celebrated writers with over 50 published books. His recently published novel, Every Man a King, is the second installment in his Joe “King” Oliver series. Steph Cha is the author of Your House Will Pay, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the California Book Award, and the Juniper Song crime trilogy. Kellye Garrett is an Anthony, Agatha, and Lefty award-winning author whose most recent suspense novel, Like a Sister, is about the death of a disgraced reality TV star. Joe Ide is the author of the award-winning IQ series, including the most recent installment, Smoke. Jordan Harper has been a music journalist, film critic, and TV writer. His most recent novel, Everybody Knows, is a crime thriller about a publicist who works for the corrupt and depraved elite in Southern California. This online event will take place on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/wehoarts. Members of the public can RSVP and be sent a direct link to view the event by visiting the WeHo Reads webpage on the City’s website at www.weho.org/wehoreads.

WeHo Reads: Crafting Literary Legacies on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. (online).
During Women’s History Month, we speak with authors creating new truths through storytelling and putting women at the center of literature. Natashia Deón is a two-time NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literature, Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Award Nominee in Fiction, a practicing criminal attorney, and author of the critically acclaimed and widely reviewed novels, The Perishing and GRACE. Toni Ann Johnson is the winner of the 2021 Flannery O’Connor Award for short fiction with her linked collection Light Skin Gone to Waste. Malia Márquez is a teacher and author of work that has appeared in Poetry Magazine, Hobart, Coffin Bell Journal, and elsewhere and of her award-winning first novel, This Fierce Blood. Laura Warrell is a writer and teacher whose work has appeared in HuffPost, The Rumpus, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among other publications. Her first novel is Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm. This online event will take place on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/wehoarts. Members of the public can RSVP and be sent a direct link to view the event by visiting the WeHo Reads webpage on the City’s website at www.weho.org/wehoreads.
WeHo Reads: Lounging with Poets on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ‘spa day’, 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. program (in-person).
Self-care is a radical act. Come lounge with a poet at our inaugural Poetry Spa Day at the respite deck of the new West Hollywood Aquatic and Recreation Center. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., guests will receive a menu of services and tokens to have individual, one-on-one experiences with former West Hollywood Poet Laureates and special guests, ranging from cucumber poetry facials to poetry speed dating. At 7:30 p.m., we gather at the steps at sunset to hear all the poets share their words in a ritual closing and celebration of National Poetry Month. City of West Hollywood Poet Laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace emcees this event, and will be joined by Jen Cheng, Kim Dower, Charles Flowers, Linda Ravenswood, and Steven Reigns. This in-person event takes place at the Respite Deck of the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center (ARC), located at 8750 El Tovar Place, next to the West Hollywood Library. RSVPs are requested ay www.weho.org/wehoreads.
WeHo Reads: Shaping Motherhood online on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 7 p.m. (online).
We consider motherhood–joys, hardships, challenges, graces–and the role they play in shaping ourselves and future generations. Amber Flame is an interdisciplinary creative, activist and educator whose work has garnered residencies with Hedgebrook, Vermont Studio Center, and more. Gerda Govine Ituarte, Ed.D., poet, art curator, columnist, and CEO of G. Govine Consulting, was born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and emigrated to New York City in the mid 50’s and California in the early ’80s. Luivette Resto is a mother, teacher, poet, and Wonder Woman fan who was born in Puerto Rico but proudly raised in the Bronx. Carla Sameth, 2022-2024 Altadena co-poet laureate, is the author of the memoir One Day on the Gold Line and the poetry chapbook, What Is Left, and teaches creative writing to a variety of ages. Colette Sartor’s linked short story collection, Once Removed, won the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, the NYC Big Book Award for Short Story Collections, and the Juror’s Choice Award, and the Short Stories Award from the National Indie Excellence Awards. This online event will take place on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/wehoarts. Members of the public can RSVP and be sent a direct link to view the event by visiting the WeHo Reads webpage on the City’s website at www.weho.org/wehoreads.

All events are free to attend. For additional information about these events and to RSVP, visit www.weho.org/wehoreads.

WeHo Reads is the City of West Hollywood’s literary series presenting authors of interest to the West Hollywood community since 2013. Past participants have included: André Aciman, Andrew Rannells, Arlene and Alan Alda, Armistead Maupin, Bianca Del Rio, Bryan Fuller, Carrie Brownstein, Charles Phoenix, Charles Yu, Chris Kraus, Danez Smith, Dasha Kelly Hamilton, David Ulin, Eileen Myles, Eloise Klein Healy, Emma Donoghue, Erwin Chemerinsky, Henry Rollins, Imani Tolliver, Jacob Tobia, James Sie, Lester Graves Lennon, Josephine Giles, LeVar Burton, Lillian Faderman, Lloyd Schwartz, Lorna Luft, Luis J. Rodriguez, Lynell George, Lynne Thompson, Michael York, Michelle Visage, Myriam Gurba, Natalie Goldberg, Natasha Deón, Nina Revoyr, Patrisse Cullors, Patt Morrison, Peter J. Harris, Randa Jarrar, Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco, Ryan Gosling, Ryka Aoki, Sarah Silverman, Seymour Stein, Shonda Buchanan, Stephen Chbosky, Tananarive Due, and Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim.

BookSwell, a literary events and media company dedicated to lifting up writers from historically excluded communities, is producing the WeHo Reads 2023 season. BookSwell was founded in 2017 by Cody Sisco.

For more information about WeHo Reads, please contact Mike Che, City of West Hollywood Arts Coordinator, at (323) 848-6377 or at [email protected]. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

As Part of the ‘Moving Image Media Art’ Exhibition Series, The City of West Hollywood Presents: Kassaram (Adapted) by Artist Thania Petersen and Reverse Women by Artist Sarah Rara On the Sunset Strip from February 1 through May 31

The City of West Hollywood announces the debuts of the next exhibitions in the Moving Image Media Art (MIMA) program. MIMA is an ongoing exhibition series of moving image media artworks on multiple digital billboards at various locations along Sunset Boulevard. The goals of the MIMA Program are to foster cultural equity, expand accessibility, inspire communication, create public space, and enhance the human experience of the Sunset Strip.

Kassaram (Adapted), a short film from artist Thania Petersen, will debut at the Streamlined Arbor billboard, located at 9157 Sunset Boulevard, and will air at the top of every hour for 10-and-a-half minutes. Reverse Women, a short film from artist Sarah Rara, will debut at the Invisible Frame billboard, located at 8743 Sunset Boulevard, and will air at the top of every hour and 30 minutes past each hour. Both works will be on exhibition from Wednesday, February 1, 2023 through Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

About Kassaram (Adapted) – The historically significant building that sits at the base of the Streamlined Arbor inspires artwork as an authentic reexamination of cultural identity, by amplifying the voices of those silenced and marginalized. Thania Petersen’s vivid and layered work, Kassaram (Adapted) examines how embedded clichés devalue culture and provide the framework for the permission of subjugation. Across a timeline of slurs and stereotypes, nuanced imagery devolves into more familiar scenes of chaos. Petersen subverts the narrative by illustrating how structural racism serves to further isolate, diminish, and dehumanize.

Thania Petersen is a South African multidisciplinary artist who addresses the intricacies and complexities of identity. Petersen’s work has been presented at such institutions as Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), Whitechapel, Istanbul Modern, Ballroom Marfa, Alte Kelter Fellbach, and Jeffrey Deitch. Her work is collected by the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.; Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town; IZIKO South African Museum, Cape Town; Pérez Art Museum, Miami; and many others.

About Reverse Women – Images of running women advance backwards in slow motion, as if the ground is being pulled out from under them, evoking unsettling allegories of agency, power, and progress. In Reverse Women the gesture of running is pivotal and intentionally ambiguous, seen both as a sign of practiced liberation, wellness, resilience; yet infused with suspense by the discomfort of watching someone struggle to escape. Reverse Women ultimately illustrates the disorientation of our unreliable and faltering constitutional protections.

Sarah Rara’s multi-disciplinary practice explores the position of witness within fragile systems. Rara is a contributing member of the ongoing project Lucky Dragons (with Luke Fischbeck). Their work, solo and in collaboration, has been presented at such institutions as the Hammer Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Centre Georges Pompidou, Walker Art Center, London’s Institute for Contemporary Art, PS1 in New York, REDCAT, LACMA and MOCA in Los Angeles, among others. Rara is a 2018 recipient of the LACMA Art + Technology fellowship and holds an Assistant Professor of Moving Image at Williams College.

The Moving Image Media Art Program (MIMA) is a City of West Hollywood exhibition series administered by the City’s Arts Division, as part of its Art on the Outside Program, and is presented with the Sunset Arts and Advertising Program. MIMA offers artists the opportunity, and the funding, to create immediate, remarkable, and ambitious works of art that engage with the unique visual landscape of the world-famous Sunset Strip, and experiment with the state-of-the-art technology of high-definition digital signage. 

MIMA enables artists to occupy, contest, and play with the boundaries and uses of public space and manifest moments of connection and awe. Artists exhibited in the program are selected from the MIMA Prequalified List, a rolling, open-call for moving image media artists, curators, and non-profit arts organizations, with applications reviewed bi-annually by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission, in May and November. The MIMA Prequalified List includes a diverse list of artists of all career levels; from emerging to internationally recognized: www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/visual-arts/mima

The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division delivers a broad array of arts programs including Art on the Outside (temporary public art), Arts Grants, City Poet Laureate, Free Theatre in the Parks, Human Rights Speaker Series, Library Exhibits, WeHo Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, Summer Sounds + Winter Sounds, Urban Art (permanent public art), and WeHo Reads. For more information about City of West Hollywood arts programming, please visit www.weho.org/arts. 

For more information about MIMA, please contact Rebecca Ehemann, City of West Hollywood Arts Manager at [email protected] or at (323) 848-6846. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

City is Implementing a New Organics Collection Program in Compliance with SB 1383, a Statewide Effort to Reduce Emissions of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants

The City of West Hollywood is implementing a new organics collection program in compliance with SB 1383, a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) by reducing organic waste disposal.

Under SB 1383, community members throughout California will be required to place all food scraps, food-soiled paper (100% fiber-based), and landscaping waste into a green waste container. Athens Services, which provides waste collection and recycling services for the City of West Hollywood, is implementing food scrap collection, which applies to all customers including single-family-home residents, multifamily buildings, and commercial customers in West Hollywood.

To assist community members in collection of food scraps, the City of West Hollywood and Athens Services will be hosting two events on Saturday, January 28, 2023 to provide free kitchen pails. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., there will be a Kitchen Pail Giveaway at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard, and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., there will be a Kitchen Pail Giveaway at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. West Hollywood community members are eligible for one free kitchen pail, limited to one per household or commercial customer.

“West Hollywood has long been a leader in green policies and practices. I’m excited to see our city develop this new program in adherence to SB 1383 to help collect organic waste and, ultimately, turn food scraps into soil compost,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne. “Community-based efforts to reduce waste and emissions are essential in our greater efforts in combating climate change.”

West Hollywood residents in single-family homes and multifamily buildings must, under SB 1383, separate food scraps, food-soiled paper (100% fiber-based), and landscaping waste into green waste containers. SB 1383 establishes statewide targets to achieve a 75% reduction of organic waste disposal from 2014 levels by the year 2025.

With its new organics collection program, Athens Services will accept all types of food scraps. Its American Organics compost facility converts organics waste into nutrient-rich soil amendment. The resulting compost is used by commercial farmers, projects, garden shops, landscapers, and residents.

The Athens Services outreach team is currently in West Hollywood visiting customers, including those in multifamily and commercial buildings, to ensure they are set-up for the new organics recycling program. Many buildings in West Hollywood already have a green Athens organics bin and in such cases the Athens Services outreach team is educating and informing building management that food scraps must now be put in those bins.

For Athens Services customers who do not yet have a green bin, the Athens Services outreach team is working to get them set-up. Additionally, Athens Services will provide a kitchen pail to any customer in West Hollywood who requests one. The outreach team has found that for residents of multifamily buildings, kitchen pails make it much easier to collect food scraps and then empty them into green Athens bins situated at their property.

To contact Athens Services to make a request, or for community members who may have questions about the new organics collection program, please contact the Athens Customer Care Center at (888) 336-6100 or visit www.athensservices.com/sb-1383.

To learn more about acceptable items for organics collection, including types of green waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper that Athens Services collects, visit www.athensservices.com/in-the-news/food-waste-recycling. For a complete recycling guide, visit www.athensservices.com/recycling-guide. For more information about SB 1383, visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp.

In the spirit of “think globally, act locally,” the City of West Hollywood aims to inspire sustainability and eco-conscious programs, projects, and policies. In December 2021, the City adopted its people-centered Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) to guide the implementation of the climate measures and actions and will help to ensure that West Hollywood is a sustainable, vibrant, livable, and equitable city for current and future generations. To find out more, visit www.weho.org/climateaction. For additional information about the City’s ongoing sustainability efforts, visit www.weho.org/gogreen.

For more information, please contact Matt Magener, City of West Hollywood Environmental Programs Coordinator, at (323) 848-6894 or at [email protected]. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

For more information, please call the City of West Hollywood’s City Council Offices at (323) 848-6460. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

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FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

West Hollywood

Drag March LA coming to WeHo on Easter Sunday

The event for all ages and aims to mobilize against the oppressive anti-LGBTQ+ tidal wave that is currently sweeping through America

Published

6 days ago

March 26, 2023

Special to the LA Blade

Photo Credit: Paulo Murillo

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – The Los Angeles LGBT Center will host Drag March LA on Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023. The event for all ages and aims to mobilize against the oppressive anti-LGBTQ+ tidal wave that is currently sweeping through America.

The march will start at West Hollywood City Hall, located at 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard, at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Sweetzer Avenue and end at the LGBT Rainbow District.

There are already over 400 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation on the books—unsurprisingly, most of them target transgender people and drag performances too.

“Drag has always been political and gender has always been policed. LGBTQ+ people have always known (and shown) that there are many shades of the rainbow—and once again, it’s time for us to put them all on full display,” Los Angeles LGBT Center said in a statement. “We will not stand by while the far right seeks to roll back our rights.”

The event is in partnership with local LGBTQ+ organizations, faith groups, queer and trans activists, and the finest drag artists in the City of Angels.

10 a.m. Doors Open
11-11:40 a.m. Rally & Kickoff Performance
11:45 a.m. Demonstrators Get in Formation
12 p.m. March Begins
1 p.m. March Ends

Participants are encouraged to wear their best drag.

Guest speakers will include the activists and families from impacted states who are fighting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. See below for a full list of supporters.

+1,000 guests expected to attend. Stay tuned for more on speakers + performers!

Want to get your organization involved? Sign up here

Supporters of Drag March LA include the following:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Bienestar Human Services
CA LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network
Equality California
LGBTQ Center Orange County
LGBTQ+ Community Center of the Desert
ProjectQ
Racial & Ethnic Mental Health Disparities Coalition (REMHDCO)
Radiant Health Centers
Rainbow Services, Ltd.
Somos Familia Valle
The National LGBTQ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence
The Source LGBT+ Center
[email protected] Coalition

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.

West Hollywood

WeHo to host 3 free LA County Fire disaster preparedness training

CERT program is a nationally supported, locally implemented initiative that teaches people how to better prepare themselves for hazards

Published

1 week ago

March 22, 2023

Special to the LA Blade

LA County Fire Department - WEHO TIMES

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – When disaster strikes, will you know what to do? The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out that the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Community Emergency Response Team (“CERT”) is presenting disaster preparedness CERT Training.

There will be three free full-day workshops on Saturdays, April 15, 22, and 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center in the San Vicente / La Cienega Room located at 8750 El Tovar Place.

Space is limited and expected to fill quickly. Participants must register in advance and attend all three sessions to receive a certificate of completion. To register for CERT Training, please visit the LA County Fire Department CERT training website.

Following a disaster, police, fire, and medical professionals may not be able to meet the immediate demand for emergency medical attention. Residents and neighbors may need to rely upon one another to help with immediate life-saving needs. CERT Training was developed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide basic fire safety and life-saving skills.

CERT Training participants will learn valuable survival skills, including disaster preparedness, terrorism, disaster fire suppression, disaster psychology, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, team organization, and drill simulation, which can be vital in the immediate aftermath of a major disaster.

CERT program is a nationally supported, locally implemented initiative that teaches people how to better prepare themselves for hazards that may affect their communities. Since 1993, CERT trains the public in basic disaster response skills such as team organization, disaster medical operations, fire safety, and light search and rescue. The ability for CERT volunteers to perform these activities frees up professional responders to focus their efforts on more complex, essential, and critical tasks.

For more information, please contact Jessica Anukam, the City of West Hollywood’s Public Safety Specialist, at (323) 848-6436 or at [email protected]

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.

West Hollywood

20K runners cross ‘Rainbow Mile’ in WeHo for LA Marathon 2023

KTLA telecast the marathon on “The Rainbow Mile,” so the scene was festive as runners crossed WeHo between miles 14 and 15 of the course

Published

2 weeks ago

March 20, 2023

Special to the LA Blade

38th Annual Los Angeles Marathon 2023 - Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – Over 20,000 participants passed through the streets of West Hollywood Sunday morning for the 38th Annual Los Angeles Marathon 2023. West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem John Erickson referred to the turnoff at the Rainbow District on Santa Monica Boulevard as the “Rainbow Mile.”

“It’s the best mile,” he told Wendy Burch of KTLA. “We’ve got all the colors, we’ve got all the diversity, and there’s no better place to do it than West Hollywood… we love that they come through the city every year. We can see the crowds come out, every family from all walks of life, and we do it right here in West Hollywood because this is where everyone is welcome.”

KTLA chose to telecast the marathon on “The Rainbow Mile,” so the scene was festive on Santa Monica Boulevard. People dressed in costumes, held up signs cheering their loved ones on, and spectators fist bumped the runners as they rushed by.

38th Annual Los Angeles Marathon 2023 – Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES

38th Annual Los Angeles Marathon – Photo by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES

The 26.2-mile marathon kicked off at Dodger Stadium at 6:30 a.m. beginning with wheelchair participants, followed by the women’s division. Then a short distance later, the men’s division kicked off, followed by the general public. The course ran through Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the finish line was at Century City.

Kenya’s Stacy Ndiwa was the first to cross the finish line Sunday in the women’s division. She clocking in at 2 hours and 31 minutes. Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer won the men’s division in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 13 seconds. Elite female runners always start the race 18 minutes and 19 seconds ahead of the men.

Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia won the men’s division of the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, while Stacy Ndiwa of Kenya took the women’s division. Via @AP https://t.co/kKgEbiFdfy
— Bloomberg Africa (@BloombergAfrica) March 19, 2023

Top 5 women’s results! pic.twitter.com/JOwXF878p6
— Los Angeles Marathon (@lamarathon) March 19, 2023

The portion of the route that runs through the City of West Hollywood remained unchanged from previous years. Runners made their way westbound into the City of West Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard at Marmont Lane, just west of N. Crescent Heights Boulevard. From the Sunset Strip, runners turned left (south) onto N. San Vicente Boulevard; then right (west) onto Santa Monica Boulevard; then left (south) onto N. Doheny Drive, where they will enter the City of Beverly Hills. The Marathon ran through West Hollywood between miles 14 and 15 of the course.

For full results, visit: (Link)

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.

West Hollywood

Security Guard was bitten during assault at Heart WeHo

The men were being escorted out of the nightclub located at 8911 Santa Monica Blvd. when one of suspects punched a security guard in the face

Published

2 weeks ago

March 18, 2023

Special to the LA Blade

Photo courtesy of Catherine Eng for The WeHo Times

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – A deputy at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that two security guards at Heart WeHo were physically assaulted as they were ejecting two unruly men out of the nightclub.

One security guard was punched in the face and the other guard was bitten during the altercation. The incident happened on Thursday, March 16, at roughly 11 p.m.

According to the report, two men were being escorted outside of the nightclub located at 8911 Santa Monica Boulevard, when one of suspects punched one of the security guards in the face. A physical altercation ensued and another guard was bitten in the arm. The bite broke the skin in the arm. The man who was punched in the face required some stitches.

Both men were arrested for felony charges based on their assault.

The incident at Heart WeHo occurred roughly 24 Hours after a woman was stabbed at Beaches WeHo Wednesday night, located nearby. A physical altercation between a male suspect and a security guard at the bar led to a woman being stabbed in her thigh area. The suspect was arrested and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital. She is reportedly in stable condition.

If you see something, say something. Anonymous tips can be called into Crimestoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. If you see something, say something. Anyone with information can also drop a tip at https://www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. Period.

The purpose of Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers is to prevent and reduce crime, by forming a partnership among the community, law enforcement and the media to offer anonymity and cash rewards to anyone providing information leading to an arrest.

Crime Stoppers encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy.

West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station polices the City of West Hollywood and the unincorporated communities of Franklin Canyon, Universal City (which includes Universal Theme Park, Studios, and Citywalk), and the Federal Enclave in West Los Angeles.

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.

West Hollywood

Wi-Fi is now free in the City of West Hollywood

WeHo Wi-Fi network will provide free outdoor connectivity to members of the public, including residents, businesses, visitors, & city staff

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2023

Special to the LA Blade

Free WeHo Wi-Fi - WEHO TIMES

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – The City of West Hollywood has launched WeHo Wi-Fi, the City’s first major free outdoor public Wi-Fi network. The new Wi-Fi network spans the entire length of Santa Monica Boulevard within West Hollywood utilizing a network of powerful Wi-Fi 6 access points installed at traffic light intersections and select transit shelters along the boulevard that provide robust Wi-Fi coverage.

The City’s WeHo Wi-Fi network will provide free outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity to members of the public, including residents, businesses, visitors, and city staff members who are working in the field. In addition, the free outdoor public Wi-Fi network is also available at West Hollywood Park, including the Aquatic and Recreation Center, and at the Plummer Park Community Center. Members of the public may access the WeHo Wi-Fi network via mobile device by selecting ‘WeHo Wi-Fi’ and agreeing to the terms of service.

Public Wi-Fi is not designed to be used inside buildings, or inside a vehicle, moving or stationary, and while the City strives to keep the Wi-Fi operational at all times, the service may be unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances like weather, Internet provider outages, network upgrades, or technical issues. The City does not have access to your device, nor does it collect any personal information. However, the WeHo Wi-Fi system does collect statistics such as device type, operating system, and Wi-Fi usage that will help better serve the public as this service grows.

With the rapid growth of technology and the increasing demand for connectivity, the City of West Hollywood believes that providing free outdoor public Wi-Fi is an important service that can make a significant difference in the lives of people who live, work, and visit West Hollywood.

For additional information please visit the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Wi-Fi website information page at www.weho.org/services/weho-wi-fi or contact the City’s Information Technology Division, at [email protected] or at (323) 848-6448. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.

West Hollywood

St. Patrick’s Day weekend “Make Your Own Luck” event in WeHo

Take action & stay safe with free naloxone & fentanyl test strips will be made available Saturday, March 18, 2023, 7 p.m. West Hollywood Park

Published

2 weeks ago

March 16, 2023

LA Blade Digital Staff

Safer WeHo Coalition will distribute free naloxone and fentanyl test strips to help keep those celebrating St. Patrick’s Day safe (Photo by Alexis Sanchez/Facebook)

WEST HOLLYWOOD – A Coalition of agencies will distribute free naloxone and fentanyl test strips to help keep those celebrating St. Patrick’s Day safe. Pickle the drag queen will be assisting in distributing resources.

To ensure that individuals have access to life-saving resources during a time of celebration and increased risk, the coalition is saying to folks, “Make your own luck this St. Patrick’s Day weekend.”

Take action and stay safe with free naloxone and fentanyl test strips that will be made available on Saturday, March 18, 2023, 7 p.m. at the West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. on the Robertson Blvd. side of the park.

Sponsors include the Safer WeHo Coalition:

▪ AIDS Healthcare Foundation

▪ Friends Community Center

▪ Los Angeles Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse

▪ Being Alive LA

▪ Men’s Health Foundation

▪ Los Angeles LGBT Center – WeHo Life

▪ Tarzana Treatment Centers

▪ Out Here Sexual Health

▪ The Wall – Las Memorias Project

▪ Drag Queen Story Hour

▪ City of West Hollywood ▪ West Hollywood Project

West Hollywood

LA County Sheriff’s Dept seeks public’s help: WeHo sexual assault

Special Victims Bureau, is currently investigating a sexual assault that occurred in WeHo & is seeking information regarding the suspect

Published

2 weeks ago

March 16, 2023

LA Blade Digital Staff

Photo Credit: County of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Bureau, is currently investigating a sexual assault that occurred in the City of West Hollywood and is seeking information regarding the suspect.

On March 13, 2023, between the hours of 1:30 AM and 1:45 AM, Deputies assigned to West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station responded to the 7600 block of Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood regarding a sexual assault involving a male suspect and a female adult victim. The suspect approached the victim at a bus bench and forced her to a nearby parking garage where the sexual assault occurred. The suspect then walked southbound on Fuller Avenue and out of view.

The suspect is described as a:

Male, Black, approximately 28 years old
Approximately 6’01” / approximately 210 lbs., muscular build
Black eyes, mustache
Last seen wearing a ski mask, baseball cap, cream colored “XTC” sweater over a green hoodie, black pants, and white shoes.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Special Victims Bureau is tasked with investigating the sexual and physical abuse of children and felonious sexual assaults involving adult victims.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Bureau toll free tip line at (877) 710-5273 or by email at [email protected]

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided this photo of the sweater worn by a man involved in an alleged sex assault on March 13, 2023.

If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP or “P3 Mobile” for the hearing impaired on Google play or the App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

West Hollywood

Pump restaurant in limbo as it renegotiates lease in WeHo

Vanderpump’s two highly profiled West Hollywood restaurants, both had their liquor licenses suspended this past Wednesday, March 8

Published

2 weeks ago

March 15, 2023

Special to the LA Blade

Pump Restaurant (Photo by Paulo Murillo/WeHo Times)

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – E Entertainment reports that Pump Restaurant, partly owned by reality TV personality, Lisa Vanderpump, may be leaving the City of West Hollywood after being on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Robertson Boulevard (next the The Abbey Weho) for the past 10 years.

According ET, broker Leslie Haro with City Street Commercial has revealed that Pump Lounge at 8948 Santa Monica Blvd., is being sold and that the landlord is currently looking for a long-term tenant. Vanderpump owns the restaurant with her husband, longtime restaurateur, Ken Todd; they do not own the property. According to Haro the restaurant and bar is expected to be sold.

However, Vanderpump told ET that she and her husband have a great relationship with the landlord and that they are currently discussing resigning their lease over the next few months. She revealed that they haven’t made a decision yet, but they will be be opening two more restaurants with Caesars Palace.

A sign in the window of Pump restaurant this past weekend stated that the restaurant was closed due to the rain. However, we reported here first that Vanderpump’s two highly profiled West Hollywood restaurants, Pump Lounge and Tom Tom Restaurant, both had their liquor licenses suspended this past Wednesday, March 8. Tom Tom was reinstated on March 10, but Pump Lounge is still suspended as of March 15, 2023, per California’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC).

On March 8, the first episode of “Vanderpump Rules,” aired aired since a scandal first broke on March 3, when TMZ reported that Tom Sandoval one of the junior partners at Tom Tom Restaurant, was cheating on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with Leviss. The story shocked fans, as Sandoval and Madix were one of the show’s steadiest couples.

The scandal dubbed “scandoval” reportedly gave the show its highest total viewers with 2.2 million viewers and the highest-rated episode among 18-49 demo in nearly three years according to The Wrap.

As word of the “Scandoval” spread to bigger audiences on social media, live viewing for the March 8 episode also doubled from the previous week’s episode, which aired March 1. In terms of streaming, the episode also climbed to the third highest Bravo episode to be watched on Peacock the next day among both total viewers and among adults 18-49 through 3 days.

“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process,” Sandoval posted on his social media platforms. “Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly.”

Pump Lounge is expected to open tonight after being closed since last Friday.

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.

West Hollywood

Man charged with sexual battery, drugging, & attempt to kidnap

At the time of the incident, the suspect had been seen by The Abbey’s security personnel pulling on the victim, so they intervened

Published

3 weeks ago

March 9, 2023

Special to the LA Blade

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – Kent Okukporo, 42, has been charged with sexual battery, drugging someone with intent to commit sexual assault and attempted kidnapping in an incident Los Angeles County Sheriff detectives say took place on Saturday, February 25, 2023.

Detectives from the LASD’s Special Victims Bureau and the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station are investigating a sexual assault case involving Okukporo who witnesses drugged, sexually assaulted, and tried to kidnap a female adult as she visited The Abbey Food and Bar with friends in West Hollywood.

A press statement from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station noted that on February 25, patrol deputies received a call from a female adult and several witnesses who alleged a male adult had placed drugs in her drink while she was inside The Abbey nightclub.

When the victim became disoriented, the male grabbed her by the arm and attempted to take her outside of the location and into an unknown vehicle. As the male held onto her, he sexually assaulted her. The victim was able to get away from the suspect.

At the time of the incident, the suspect had been seen by Abbey security personnel at the location pulling on the victim, so they intervened, which cause the suspect to release the victim and quickly leave the location.

During the investigation, detectives reviewed surveillance footage of the suspect inside the night club with security personnel. The next day, the suspect returned to the night club where he was spotted and identified by nightclub security personnel as being the one who was seen pulling the female adult outside of the nightclub the previous evening.

Security personnel contacted the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, who responded and detained the male adult. He was also identified by the female adult as the one who drugged her drink, attempted to take her outside, and sexually assault her.

Okukporo was arrested for drugging someone for the purposes of sexual assault, attempted kidnapping, and sexual battery. He was taken to the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station where he was booked with bail set at $160 thousand dollars. He posted bail and was released on March 1, 2023.

Detectives presented their case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office which reviewed the case and filed one count of drugging someone with the intent to commit a sexual assault, attempt kidnapping, and sexual battery.

Okukporo’s next scheduled court date is March 14, 2023, at the Los Angeles County Airport Courthouse.

Investigators West Hollywood are looking for more possible victims of the suspect.

The City of West Hollywood began distributing drink-spiking test strips in partnership with the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s WeHo Life program to West Hollywood nightlife establishments last October. Drink-spiking test strips are designed to detect the possible presence of “date rape” drugs, such as GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) or ketamine. The test-strip user drops a small amount of drink liquid on the testing patch, which turns dark blue if drugs are present.

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.

West Hollywood

Woman allegedly drugged, sexually assaulted & nearly kidnapped

KABC 7 reports that it is not yet clear when the incident happened or if they have suspect in custody. A full report is expected later today

Published

3 weeks ago

March 9, 2023

Special to the LA Blade

The Abbey Food & Bar in WeHo (LA Blade photo by Noah Christiansen)

By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – A woman was allegedly drugged, sexually assaulted and then almost kidnapped by a man she encountered at The Abbey in West Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday.

KABC 7 reports that it is not yet clear when the incident happened or if they have suspect in custody. A full report from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department is expected at some point later today.

According to KABC deputies say they are looking for other possible victims.

The WeHo Life program has partnered with local nightlife venues to ensure test strips are available on an ongoing basis for interested patrons. The immediate aim is to inform and educate community members and businesses that drink-spiking test strips are a tool for personal safety that can be used anywhere at any time. The City and the Center hope that personal experience with using test strips will encourage nightlife patrons to purchase, carry, and use them on a regular basis.

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. Period.

Crime Stoppers uses a three-part approach to preventing and solving crimes. The first part of the program is to empower the community by providing a safe way to report criminal activity. Secondly, Crime Stoppers partners with all forms of media in the Los Angeles region to inform the community on how to anonymously report crimes. Law Enforcement is the final part of the triangle; they follow-up on tips from
community members.

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.