Hollywood Boulevard Is No Laughing Matter

I just finished reading Tony Mostrom’s “Cartoon Tour of Hollywood Blvd.” (Aug. 7) and was appalled by your apparent lack of investigation prior to printing this full-page, derogatory “cartoon.”

Through the efforts of Mayor Riordan, Council member Jackie Goldberg, the C.R.A., the Hollywood Beautification Team, the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and many more individuals and groups, the boulevard is no longer what Mr. Mostrom depicted.

The streets are scrubbed at least once a day, graffiti is removed almost instantaneously, the sidewalks have been upgraded with benches and beautiful palm trees, the facades of most of the historical buildings have been upgraded and painted, and safety is ensured by private security patrolmen in addition to the LAPD on foot and on bicycles.

Hollywood Boulevard is known throughout the world and tourists do come to see the Walk of Fame and other attractions. Its star is once again rising to become a final destination for world tourism.

RAY KIRSCHBAUM

Westlake Island

*

Tony Mostrom’s vision of Hollywood Boulevard is all too true. When my out-of-town visitors want to see it, I talk them out of it because it is so degrading to all of L.A.

No wonder Mike Woo lost his bid for mayor; he cited Hollywood as evidence of how he could clean things up.

JOHN DEGATINA

Los Angeles

*

I am offended that The Times would print a depiction of Hollywood Boulevard that clearly doesn’t tell the real story.

Anyone who has lived anywhere in the City of Los Angeles during the past 30 years (including myself and the cynical Mr. Mostrom) has seen a general decline in what we all refer to as the “quality of life.” While Hollywood has not been immune to this trend, neither is it the armpit of the city that Mr. Mostrom portrays it to be.

Revitalization is under way and a great deal of progress has been made. When was the last time Mr. Mostrom was out on the boulevard?

Rather than actively promoting the negative perception of the Hollywood community, The Times should be interested in informing its readers of the real story.

I invite you and Mr. Mostrom to take a real tour of the boulevard with members of the chamber’s board of directors. Let us show you the success stories of the revitalization efforts. I promise, the “charm is not gone.”

JULIE E. KLEINICK

President

Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

Hollywood

*

Feeling as strongly as I do, I must perforce protest the colorization of your newspaper. Every day I open the paper now, I almost shudder because I know I am going to be given a visual shock by crudely colored, garish pictures.

The last straw was the Life & Style of Aug. 7. Now, I ask you--who wants to look at the huge, mustachioed face of a sports agent, veins and all, at breakfast time?

The cartoon of Hollywood Boulevard was just as distasteful--and positively juvenile. All of it true and in black & white might have been clever, but Tony Mostrom’s vision does not belong in the Los Angeles Times and you should not let your paper sink to the level of Heavy Metal and R. Crumb’s Weirdo magazines.

If this is your idea of style, then heaven help us.

EMMA DEMPSTER

Hollywood