Can someone tell me why there's always the "good news and bad news"? There was good news for our businesses with summer tourism up but not so good for traffic or for our hillside neighbors who were inundated with visitors armed with GPS and smart phones winding their way on narrow roads to get a better view of our famed sign. I guess it's just part of the yin and yang of life to keep things in balance.
Keeping things on an even keel as far as preserving Hollywood's precious history, Hollywood Heritage, Inc. has been at work for 35 years. Hollywood's film industry began when Jesse Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille arrived in 1912, but it was settled in the late 1800s. Precious few remnants of our past remain and thanks to their good work much will remain for future generations. One of the organization's founders, Christy McAvoy, shares some of their triumphs in her article on their history.
While we hope our readers learn or discover something in every quarterly issue, in the fall we focus on education. The American Academy of Dramatic Arts celebrates and respects its rich history as the nation's first acting school. No, it didn't start in Hollywood, but had been established well over twenty years when Cecil B. DeMille attended in New York. The school arrived in Hollywood about 15 years ago and is now seminal to Hollywood's growing educational community.
And then there's Mexico, a treasure of history and tradition at our doorstep. Early this year, Oscar and I returned to Mexico City. We stayed right on the Zocolo in the historic district. Restored buildings, walking streets, three centuries of cultural heritage and a gleaming new art museum made for an amazing trip. Add to all that the wonderful Frida Kahlo House Museum and three days on the Mexican Riviera on the beach in Zihuatanejo, glorious! We hope you enjoy our Sojourn to Mexico.
Fall in Southern California can be warm, and maybe with the drought there will be more falling leaves than usual. We take Halloween seriously here and, coupled with the traditional Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), it's filled with more than ghosts and goblins, respect for family, the past and laughing at our inevitable demise.
I'll drink to that. Pass the tequila.