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West Hollywood in brief- City government in action this week
West Hollywood in brief- City government in action this week
Goodbye Big Gay Starbucks WeHo- Thank You for the Memories
Tail O the Pup sells out of pups – will be closed till Monday
WeHo Black leadership in solidarity with Block by Block ops manager
West Hollywood in brief- City government in action this week
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‘All-Walk’ Phase Crosswalks Santa Monica & N. Robertson Blvds, Virtual Workshops, NextGen Summer Social, Women’s Equality Day – WeHo Takeover
WEST HOLLYWOOD – As part of an ongoing citywide effort to enhance pedestrian safety, starting on Thursday, August 11, 2022, the City of West Hollywood will implement a nighttime “all-walk” pedestrian-only phase for the crosswalks at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. Robertson Boulevard on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
This nighttime pedestrian-only phase temporarily stops all vehicular traffic in all directions, which then allows pedestrians to cross traditionally or diagonally. The aim is to enhance pedestrian safety and improve traffic flow. This concept was first tested at this intersection in 2019; this re-instates a pedestrian-only phase at this intersection, which is the most pedestrian-trafficked intersection in the City during certain evening hours, accommodating up to 2,000 pedestrians per hour.
Standard traditionally phased signals at intersections are designed to offer vehicles and pedestrians the opportunity to move together in the same direction at the same time. Potential conflicts may arise when there is a high volume of vehicular traffic making left or right turns, which means that cars are able to pass through pedestrian crossings during green walk signals (though drivers of cars are always mandated to yield to pedestrians in accordance with state law).
The City of West Hollywood, in developing a nighttime pedestrian-only phase for the crosswalks at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. Robertson Boulevard, seeks to add an additional layer of pedestrian safety by eliminating all vehicle movement at the intersection at the times that pedestrian volume is the highest. During the day and on lower-volume nights when the intersection has a lower pedestrian count, the intersection will function with standard traditionally phased signals, which will offer longer periods of green lights for vehicles to ensure maximum traffic flow at commute hours, while still regarding pedestrian safety.
Intersection improvements are part of the City’s continuous commitment to explore a mix of measures to address safety. The constant movement of dense vehicular traffic and pedestrians in close proximity is an ongoing challenge not only in West Hollywood but in cities across the nation. The nighttime pedestrian-only phase for the crosswalks at this intersection joins a variety of improvements as part of comprehensive plan with three unique areas to improve pedestrian safety: Engineering, Enforcement, and Education.
For additional information about the City of West Hollywood’s efforts to improve pedestrian safety, please call the City of West Hollywood’s Department of Public Works at (323) 848-6375. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
The City of West Hollywood is hosting two virtual community workshops at the end of August 2022 to seek community input on the vision for the Willoughby, Kings, Vista/Gardner Greenway Project. The workshops will be a guided discussion led by project partners, Here LA, to provide more information about the pilot project traffic calming strategies that were installed along Willoughby Avenue in April and to discuss the future vision of the streetscape for the Willoughby, Kings, Vista/Gardner Greenway Project. The City seeks community’s input about a streetscape plan as the project progresses into the final stages and implementation.
Community members are invited to attend one of two free virtual workshops, pre-registration is highly encouraged:
· The first virtual workshop will be held on Thursday, August 25, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. register on the Zoom platform.
· The second virtual workshop will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. register on the Zoom platform.
For individuals who wish to provide input about the project but who are not able to attend the virtual workshop, the City is providing a number of other ways to provide feedback (via text message, via an app accessed with QR codes at the sites of the temporary installations, or via a web submission form). More information about these feedback opportunities, a brief animated video about the project, and RSVP links for the upcoming virtual community meetings are available at www.weho.org/city-government/city-departments/planning-and-development-services/long-range-planning/mobility-planning/willoughby-vista-gardner-street-design-project.
The pilot phase of the Willoughby, Kings, Vista/Gardner Greenway Project began in April 2022 and consists of temporary traffic improvement strategies such as a traffic diverter at Ogden/Willoughby, corner curb extensions at Spaulding/Willoughby, and a mini-roundabout at Curson/Willoughby. These traffic calming measures were installed, temporarily, to model the impacts of street designs which intend to slow and/or divert traffic in order to make the residential corridor safer for local residents, pedestrians and cyclists.
For more information about the Willoughby, Kings, Vista/Gardner Greenway Project, please contact Bob Cheung, City of West Hollywood Senior Transportation Planner, at [email protected] or (323) 848-6346.
For assistance regarding the virtual workshops and registration, please contact Paige Portwood, City of West Hollywood Associate Planner, at [email protected] .
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
CicLAvia—Meet the Hollywoods Presented by Metro will take place on Sunday, August 21, 2022. The City of West Hollywood, and the City of Los Angeles neighborhoods of Hollywood and East Hollywood will be transformed into car-free open streets for the day.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 21, 2022 from the Hollywood Walk of Fame to the City of West Hollywood’s inclusive pride crosswalks, everyone is invited to come along for the ride and walk, bike, roll, and stroll through along the area’s most iconic streets. The event will close Santa Monica Boulevard from N. La Brea Avenue to N. San Vicente Boulevard to vehicle traffic and thousands of cyclists will fill the streets.
The City of West Hollywood invites CicLAvia participants to make a day of it in West Hollywood and attend the City’s free Summer Sounds Concert Series finale on Sunday, August 21, 2022 at 5 p.m. at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, featuring M&M The Afro-Persian Experience. The Afro-Persian Experience is a duo featuring Persian kamancheh master Mehdi Bagheri and artist/percussionist Marcus L. Miller. The music consists of all original compositions created by Bagheri & Miller and is deeply rooted in the traditions of ancient Persia and Africa. Their unique sound results from the natural contrast of their individual musical styles as well as the expression of their passion for the music. This concert is presented in partnership with Grand Performances supported by an arts grant from the City of West Hollywood.
For those who wish to attend without attending CicLAvia, Summer Sounds concert parking will be available in the Plummer Park north lot off Fountain Avenue at N. Vista Street; CicLAvia will provide north-south vehicle crossings for through traffic at N. La Brea Avenue and N. Fairfax Avenue.
CicLAvia is a nonprofit organization that catalyzes vibrant public spaces, active transportation, and good health through car-free streets. CicLAvia engages with people to transform our relationship with our communities and with each other. Inspired by Bogotá’s weekly ciclovía, CicLAvia temporarily closes streets to car traffic and opens them to Angelenos to use as a public park. Free for all, CicLAvia connects communities to each other across an expansive city, creating a safe place to bike, walk, skate, roll, and dance through Los Angeles County. 1.6 million people have experienced CicLAvia; it is the biggest open streets event in the United States.
For additional information about CicLAvia—Meet the Hollywoods, please visit www.ciclavia.org/hollywood22.
For general information about CicLAvia, please visit www.ciclavia.org.
For more information, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Event Services Division at [email protected] .
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
The City of West Hollywood and its Women’s Advisory Board will present the City’s annual celebration of Women’s Equality Day honoring the optimism, tenacity, and unrelenting spirit of the people who worked to secure women’s right to vote, and to illustrate how much can be achieved in a democratic society by the collective efforts of citizens committed to political reform.
Women’s Equality Day – WeHo Takeover is a pop-up experience featuring signage and giveaways celebrating women mobilizing for equal rights and recognizing the anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. It will take place on Saturday, August 27, 2022 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. San Vicente Boulevard in West Hollywood. Community members can participate by picking up free sashes, buttons, and other mementos, as well as by taking photos to share promoting voting rights, pay equity for women, and support for the Equal Rights Amendment. Face masks are encouraged for attendees. West Hollywood businesses are invited to participate in the Women’s Equality Day – WeHo Takeover by displaying signage, sharing messaging, and offering themed promotions. For more information, please visit www.weho.org/19th.
In addition to the Women’s Equality Day – WeHo Takeover, West Hollywood City Hall and the City’s lanterns over Santa Monica Boulevard will glow in the colors of purple and yellow in recognition of the women’s suffrage movement.
For more than two decades, the City of West Hollywood has commemorated Women’s Equality Day in a variety of ways. The City of West Hollywood was the first city in the nation to declare itself pro-choice and it has continually supported state and federal legislation protecting and advancing women’s reproductive rights and access to healthcare. The City supports the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and has a strong record of supporting initiatives that call for equal pay for equal work. The City’s Women’s Advisory Board is involved in a myriad of programming and events that recognize and support women in the community.
For more information, please contact Yvonne Quarker, City of West Hollywood Director of Community Services, at (323) 848-6408 or at [email protected]
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
The City of West Hollywood will host a NextGen Summer Social on Monday, August 29, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. at the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center Respite Deck, located at 8750 El Tovar Place. The event will be an opportunity for West Hollywood’s Next Generation to meet neighbors and local business owners, learn more about the City’s NextGen initiative, and provide feedback about upcoming programming and events. People who live, work, and play in West Hollywood are encouraged to come, mix, and mingle.
NextGen is a civic participation initiative aimed at engaging constituents under the age of 40 who would like to get involved with civic life, and particularly people who are interested in being involved in the evolution of government programs and services in West Hollywood over the coming decades. The event is aimed at NextGen community members, but is open to everyone. Attendance at the NextGen event is free, but advance RSVPs are requested. To RSVP, please visit https://nextgensummersocial.splashthat.com.
In 2016, the City of West Hollywood launched the NextGen initiative aimed at enhancing outreach and engagement with the City’s 40-and-under population. The movement represented an intentional shift in the way the City engages with the new generation of residents and community members. Nearly half of residents in the City of West Hollywood are under the age of 40. Yet many younger people in the City are not actively engaged in local decision-making. The NextGen is passionate about a myriad of issues, yet this age group is disproportionately underrepresented at all levels of governmental leadership, as well as in the voting electorate.
For more information, please contact Jasmine Duckworth, Community Programs Coordinator for the City of West Hollywood, at (323) 848-6559 or [email protected] .
For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
Goodbye Big Gay Starbucks WeHo- Thank You for the Memories
WeHo & LA Public Health by appointment only Monkeypox Vax Pop-Up
Goodbye Big Gay Starbucks WeHo- Thank You for the Memories
LA County Board of Supervisors declares a monkeypox emergency
Moments after store manager told customers they had to go, ladders went up in front of the store & the Starbucks letters were promptly removed
By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – The beloved Big Gay Starbucks West Hollywood, located on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Westmount Drive, officially closed its doors forever at exactly 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 31, 2022—“Thank you for joining us today, but today is our final day of operations. We are officially done” store manager, Acacia Blenchard, told a group of loyal customers inside the store.
“Thank you for allowing us to serve you for 27 years. It’s been wonderful. We’ve appreciated being a part of this community, but on that note guys, I have to ask you all to go.”
ATTENTION CUSTOMERS!!! Big Gay WeHo Starbucks has left the building. Thanks for the memories. #wehotimes #wehocity #weho #wehonews #wehostrong #westhollywood #starbucks pic.twitter.com/mSpFRvzjoS
I worked the front desk at the Sports Connection when Starbucks Coffee West Hollywood first opened its doors across the street in the year 1995. I was young and too self-possessed to pay attention to the opening ceremony of a coffee shop back in those days. I had no idea the space at 8595 Santa Monica Boulevard would become such huge a part of my West Hollywood experience. Truth is, that Starbucks always existed in mind’s eye, and I figured it would continue to live on way past my own existence, so being asked to go for good on a Sunday afternoon was beyond surreal to me. I still need some time to process that I can no longer walk through those double doors and reminisce about the good old days.
And good old days they were.
The West Hollywood Starbucks was my jam. I kept it simple with a Venti Drip. I hung out there almost every day for its first two decades of operations. It was never really about the coffee, or the pastries fresh off the fridge, but more about the social setting on a corner where there was always something happening and something to see while you sipped on some coffee or tea.
Memories take me back to a time when LGBTQ+ meant you were gay, and guys sat behind a glass wall to gawk at the men passing by in spandex short shorts and spaghetti tank tops on their way to the gym (we called it bird watching, IF you know what I mean). It was common to see shirtless guys stretched out on the patio chairs, posing for cameras that weren’t there, way back before God invented selfies. Men made a spectacle on Santa Monica Boulevard while they sunned themselves, giving the Big Gay Starbucks more notoriety with a spot that was dubbed “The WeHo Beach.”
It was a place for cruising before hookup apps like SCRUFF and Grindr ruined our social sexual skills. Guys would do their seductive dances while nursing a cup of joe. Then one guy would get up and the other guy would follow him to the restroom by the pool area of the Ramada Inn a few doors down (or so I’ve been told…cough).
However, the Gay Bux wasn’t always about looking at boys, or hooking up, or being surrounded by friends for hours on end. Many times we’d embrace our inner nerd, and crack open a book and have what I’d call Super Quiet Reading Time, which is telling of how much we loved being inside the Gay Bux.
There are so many memories on that corner. I fell in love with random strangers, I laughed my ass off with the employees at the counter, and no matter how I practically lived there, the baristas always found a new way to jack-up my name.
I also went THROUGH IT inside that place. This is the spot where I nursed my fair share of hangovers the morning after; it was my reliable go-to when I needed a pick-me-up after crashing and burning from a bumpy night of drugs and debauchery during my party and play days; it’s also where I lost some major cool points after I got sober and made it a place to fellowship with local sobers (the full circle of WeHo life).
I’m not sure when my perception of that space changed and the energy didn’t seem the same. I think it dates back to when they decided to fix what was not broken in 2010. They remodeled inside, removed the tables and chairs on the Westmount Drive side, and they added a patio railing that separated sunbathers from Santa Monica Boulevard. It was goodbye WeHo Beach; hello WeHo Corral. It just wasn’t the same.
I can’t pinpoint why I stopped making that space my usual hangout for the past five or six years. Maybe I got tired of seeing the same faces setting up shop and taking up office space day-in and day-out; maybe it was the homeless issues with the screaming man making it impossible to have my Super Quiet Reading Time; maybe it was the closure of 24-Hour Hour Fitness (former home to the Sports Connectiom) and the lack of endorphins that depressed the living hell out of me.
It stopped being my jam, but I always took comfort in knowing that the Big Gay Starbucks in West Hollywood would always be there for me, should I ever want to visit and relive the good old days of WeHo.
And now the place is gone.
“I haven’t been in a room so solemn since Rock Hudson’s memorial,” said local WeHo personality Bobby Trendy while he waited for the place to officially close.
“It’s a sad, sad day,” said store manager Blenchard right before announcing the closing time, “It’s been a day full of heartbreak. We’ve been saying goodbye to the entire community. So now we’re asking everyone to leave so our partners can have a moment of decompression. We want to say our own goodbyes to this space and console each other privately.”
Whether you believe the place shut down because of safety reasons, because Starbucks corp was making a political statement about defunding the police, or because it was a union bust, none of that really matters in the end. We lost yet another West Hollywood gem.
Adding insult to injury, they didn’t waste any time erasing 27 years of community history. Moments after store manager Acacia Blenchard told customers they had to go, ladders went up in front of the store and the Starbucks letters were promptly removed and the WeHo Corral vanished on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Goodbye Big Gay Starbucks Coffee West Hollywood. Thank you so much for the memories. You join the French Market, Yukon Mining Company, Silver Spoon Restaurant, Coffee Bean WeHo, The Athletic Club, 24-Hour Fitness Sport, and a long list of LGBTQ+ spaces that have been erased from our GPS apps, but will never ever forgotten.
The preceding article was previously published by the WeHo Times and is republished by permission.
“WOAH! You loved our pups so much, you sold us out. “We’ll be back Monday, see you then! Thank for all the overwhelming love and support”
By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – The newly reopened Tail O the Pup closed for this weekend shortly after its grand re-opening ceremony this past Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
According to the owner’s social media, they are fresh out of pups—“WOAH! You loved our pups so much, you sold us out,” reads a post on their Instagram account. “We’ll be back Monday, see you then! Thank for all the overwhelming love and support.”
It is not yet clear how many “pups” were in stock and sold in less than a week. What is clear is that those planning to drive from afar to taste a pup this weekend, will need to wait just a few days longer.
The historic hot dog stand celebrated its grand re-opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister joined co-owner Bobby Green and his business associates at the celebration for the ribbon-cutting.
Tail O the Pup was officially acquired by the 1933 Group in 2018. The new owners spent the past three years searching for a location in West Hollywood—positioned on a corner along a major street and near its original location 75 years ago on La Cienega Blvd. near Beverly Blvd. They chose 8512 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood as its new home. Positioned along a walkable corridor of Route 66, the 2,700 square foot property offers a can’t-miss facade for the walk-up food stand and will include al fresco dining areas complete with a beer garden.
The West Hollywood building itself offers additional historical backstory for the new Pup. Dating back to 1958, it once operated as a music studio where The Doors recorded “L.A. Woman” in 1971.
The original hotdog stand first opened in 1946. Dennis and his Father Eddie Blake owned the hotdog stand since 1976. It originally stood on the northwest corner of Beverly and La Cienega boulevards.
The opening of Sofitel Hotel in the 80s moved it down the street to the northwest corner of Beverly and San Vicente boulevards. It would move further north to a Cedars Sinai parking lot on San Vicente, before vanishing in 2005. It’s been in storage since and rumored that it was reopening at various locations dating back as far as 2016.
A roster of Hollywood stars became longstanding fans, often photographed in front of the Pup, including actresses Sigourney Weaver and Betty White as well as band members of Devo and The Go-Go’s.
It has made several television cameos—showcased by Jim Henson in a 1987 episode of The Muppet Show, featured in George Benson’s music video for his 1980 Billboard hit “Give me the Night,” and lured culinary legend Anthony Bourdain during a 2002 episode of his travel and food series “A Cook’s Tour.”
The preceding piece was previously published by the WeHo Times and is republished by permission.
“Ask yourself: would you want to be defined in life by the worst mistakes of your life? Would you want society to throw you away?”
By Paulo Murillo | WEST HOLLYWOOD – West Hollywood Black community leaders, including present and former West Hollywood Public Safety Commissioners, and a West Hollywood task force and Advisor Board member, released statements in solitary with Shea Gibson, the Operations Manager of Block by Block this week.
The support comes on the heels of an ongoing recent controversy after a local blog dug up Gibson’s criminal record from 27 years ago and published articles about his voluntary manslaughter conviction in Georgia, in 1995. The context published by the blog according to Black community leaders and others was the appearance of questioning Gibson’s personal integrity and effectiveness because of his status as a convicted felon.
The Block by Block security ambassador program was first established in 2013 to provide a highly visible uniformed presence at the street level in West Hollywood. Block by Block security ambassadors are deployed on bicycles along major streets, alleys, City parking lots, and residential neighborhoods, which has a direct positive impact on safety and neighborhood livability.
The controversy over the program escalated after a City Council vote June 6, 2022 that approved a two-year agreement for services with Block by Block, which includes a regular deployment of approximately 36 full-time security ambassadors, plus 6 additional ambassadors at kiosks and on foot patrols, and approximately 13 full time ambassadors as fixed-post security guards at the City’s facilities.
The approved council motion on Monday, June 27, 2022 expands upon this by 30 full-time security ambassadors and an updated agreement for services is anticipated to go to the City Council for approval in August 2022.
This came after the city council voted 3 to 2 in a late month June session in favor of eliminating four Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies over the next nine months. One deputy on average costs the city $330,000 a year.
“Prioritizing people’s safety doesn’t just mean people with guns and badges on the streets,” councilmember Lindsey Horvath said at the time of the vote.
The Block by Block program costs the city roughly $70,000 a person. The council set a goal of adding 30 Block by Block members, using most of the money they’ll save from eliminating the four sheriff’s deputies.
This move has angered some in West Hollywood’s business community which has accused the city council of pandering to a far-left “wokeism” agenda. Crime however remains a principal concern.
But some residents don’t believe now is the right time to be eliminating armed sheriff’s deputies telling KABC News 7 reporter Josh Haskell,
“I think in light of our current situation across the country, it seems like a curious time to be taking police officers off the street. I would definitely feel safer having more,” said Josh Forte, who works in West Hollywood.
“I do hear from residents every single day that they are very scared in their communities, and I know we all do, and I take that very serious,” said John Erickson, a West Hollywood City Councilman. “And I don’t know if the Block by Block team will help alleviate that fear.”
According to crime data from the sheriff’s department, the city of West Hollywood has seen a 59% increase in average monthly crimes from 2021 through May of 2022 — a 28% increase from the average between 2015 and 2019.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says that it is his belief that the majority of West Hollywood residents are against the cuts.
“They want to experiment with your public safety,” Villanueva said about the three councilmembers who voted in favor of removing the deputies. “So, they might want to start re-imagining another line of work than being elected officials if they’re not going to represent the wishes of their own constituents.”
Not all hold the views expressed by Villanueva. Nika Soon-Shiong, a public safety commissioner with the city of West Hollywood told KABC;
“Police and law enforcement agencies are asked to do so many functions in society that they aren’t trained to do, and that real public safety means further investments in affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, mental health, alternative response teams. “These are solutions that we know work. That we know keep people safe.”
The Black West Hollywood community members made their statements supporting Gibson for having paid his debt to society and having served his time in prison after the local blog pressed the issue over the elimination of the four sheriff’s deputies contrasting his past and other staff of the Block by Block program to the uptick in crime in the city.
The support was expressed via the following statements submitted to the WeHo Times for publication:
Statement by Tod Hallman (Safety Commission Chair)
I am Tod Hallman, and I have lived on the Eastside of the City of West Hollywood for over 30 years. I have been the WEHO East Neighborhood watch captain since 2015, and I currently serve as Chair of our city’s Public Safety Commission.
I was first introduced to Shea Gibson by David Aguliar, who was the Block by Block (BBB) Operations Manager prior to Shea’s tenure in that position. From our very first encounter, I felt completely confident that as David was moving into a new position, we were in very capable hands with Shea Gibson. Since 2019, Shea has served West Hollywood’s residents, visitors, and businesses with passion, devotion and professionalism. Many of you might not be aware that BBB was originally deployed on the Eastside in a limited capacity; however, since the program was so successful, its hours of operations increased, as well as its city-wide presence. Since day one I’ve had a wonderful working relationship with Shea. He’s thorough and has a full understanding of the public safety issues in West Hollywood. With City Council’s recent vote to reallocate Sheriff’s funding to increase our BBB Security Ambassadors, all hell has broken loose. Our once beloved BBB team has found itself in the crosshairs, especially Shea, as his past arrest record was brought to light. I personally find this infuriating as a Black man, for I question: would this be happening if Shea were White? Would we not find more compassion for a man who has already served his sentence? Would we not have asked more questions about the circumstances surrounding his case? With very little information about his past, there were some in our community who seemed to take pleasure in destroying a man’s career and name.
I’m tired of the racist undertones in our current climate, and yes, that includes West Hollywood. Shea Gibson paid his debt to society. Like anyone else, he deserves the opportunity to find redemption and a second chance at life. It’s insulting that his past is being used as a pawn in the current city debate. Shea’s tireless service to our community and a blossoming career are so easily destroyed for some with a political statement to make. A Black man remains too easy a scapegoat, even in this woke, liberal city.
I ask my fellow West Hollywood residents: do not condemn this man or anyone so easily. Accept that there may be a reality in which this man is a different person today than he was many years ago. Ask yourself: would you want to be defined in life by the worst mistakes of your life? Would you want society to throw you away without even thinking twice?
Statement by Alana Roshay (former West Hollywood Safety Commissioner Vice Chair)
I stand with Shea Gibson. As former Vice Chair of the Public Safety Commission I have worked closely with Mr. Gibson during my term and he has been consistently professional and respectful. Mr. Gibson’s commitment to the City of West Hollywood has been proven repeatedly since 2013. It is incredibly disappointing and hypocritical that the same individuals who are now using him as collateral damage to instill fear and panic–not to mention during an election year–are the same individuals who supported him and the entire Block by Block team to handle unmanageable and reoccurring issues the city was facing at Plummer Park, as well as the intersection of La Brea and Santa Monica Blvd. When the city approved to re-allocate ambassadors to these “problematic” areas, the number of incidents were dramatically reduced. This impact was due to Block by Block’s ongoing presence and immediate action. It is unclear as to why Mr. Gibson’s personal history after all these years has been dug up by local media when he has been nothing but an excellent contributor to West Hollywood.
According to Vice President of Operations Derrick Hughes, “Block by Block is in compliance with the City of West Hollywood’s procurement and vendor policies in that we conduct employment prescreening, including criminal background checks, on all job applicants after an applicant has been made a conditional offer of employment. In California, employment screening laws state that employers cannot ask about, or take into consideration, criminal convictions older than seven years. Based on the guidance of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, if a background check reveals a criminal conviction, Block by Block considers the nature and gravity of the offense; the time that has passed since the offense, or the employee’s completion of any sentence given as a result of the offense; and the nature of the job held or sought.”
It is crucial that we recognize that the action taken by local media failed to acknowledge how Mr. Gibson history complies with EEOC and to further publish Mr. Gibson’s history without provocation perpetuates the ongoing violence towards black men in this country. It ultimately becomes a distraction and divisive during a time where we should be working together.
Statement by Jonathan Wilson (Social Justice Task Force Chair)
As a Black man in society, I have to acknowledge my own privilege among the Black race. While I am a native Angeleno and grew up in Pacific Palisades, among my male cousins, I was among the lucky few who didn’t end up getting caught in the system. It’s very common for young Black boys to be arrested for something very minor where they may have been innocent or just at the wrong place and wrong time. Whatever the story is for each person, I have witnessed first-hand how black boys / young men in particular are coerced into making a plead that hurts their record and chances of getting a well-paying job as they grow further into adulthood. As they get rejected over and over again while trying to find a great job or do the right thing, they become discouraged and often fall back into a cycle that welcomes them with open arms, the prison system.
With that said, while I don’t know Shea personally, I can guarantee you that I know 70% of his story and I recognize that he was hired by Block By Block 18 years after he committed his crime. He served his time and was able to demonstrate a straight and arrow path. As a society, we love to place the Scarlett Letter on Black men, driving them back into the prison system, which is the only one welcoming them with open arms. Let’s give rehabilitated members of society a chance to excel. They too have families, dreams, and a desire to add value. The hateful rhetoric targeting Shea Gibson is strictly counter to the focus within the City of West Hollywood. Social justice means equal opportunity for all. If we applaud actors like Tim Allen, Robert Downey, Jr, and Christian Slater, who are all ex-cons and have turned their life around, I’m sure that we can find it in our hearts to give Shea Gibson a chance to excel in an area where he has demonstrated success and fortitude.
As President Obama once said, “we are the change we seek.”
Statement by Mallery Jenna Robinson (Transgender Advisory Board Member)
I am in solitary with Shea Gibson as an AfraCaribbean Transwoman and board member for The City of West Hollywood’s Transgender Advisory Board and believes in their capabilities as a leader.
Letter of appreciation from an LAPD investigator
On the 25th of November (Editor’s note: date unspecified), Shea Gibson and Cesar Barrios were at an Auto Zone in LAPD’s Hollywood Division when they walked into an armed robbery in progress. Without a second’s worth of hesitation, your folks began efficiently de-escalating the situation. Mr. Gibson stayed inside of the store and began leading citizen bystanders to safety while Mr. Barrios stepped outside and called 911.
Once the suspect fled, Mr. Gibson and Mr. Barrios followed him, from a safe distance, and directed responding officers upon their arrival. After sufficient amounts of officers were at scene, Mr. Barrios and Mr. Gibson began diverting traffic so as to prevent unknowing citizens from wandering into a potentially life endangering situation.
Please pass along my sincere thanks to Mr. Barrios and Mr. Gibson for their valiant actions last November. Their conduct was instrumental in safeguarding the lives of many vulnerable community members and was well in keeping with the level of performance I’d expect from one of our officers here at the LAPD.
With much respect and admiration, Detective II Douglas M. Johnson Serial No. 37738 LAPD/Force Investigation Division
The preceding article was previously published by the WeHo Times and is republished by permission.
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