Issue: Issue Winter 1999/2000

From the Editor

With all congratulating that's been going on this year acknowledging that Hollywood is "on the move," the actual transition into the next century seems oddly anti - climatic.

As we move through the Millennium frenzy, it's important to keep our feet firmly grounded in the richness of our heritage and our community's unique culture.

It's time to pause and reflect, to acknowledge the contribution of those who have kept their resolve that Hollywood, the place, is Los Angeles' greatest asset.

At the head of the pack is Bill Welsh, president emeritus of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. It was Bill, pioneer in television news casting, who led the charge for Hollywood coining the phrase in the early 80's "We're building the Hollywood of the 21st Century."

Prior to becoming the Camber's first paid president, Bill had organized the Committee of Forty - a coalition of homeowners and business groups who worked to bring the subway through Hollywood.  Never one to rest on his laurels, he also led the drive to raise the seed money necessary to initiate the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency's Hollywood Project.  The rest shall we say, is history.

Now, at last, we have it all:  the culture, the history, the infrastructure - old and new, and most of all, the people.  As we move into the next Millennium, let's celebrate the creativity, the determination, the resolve and that essential "anything is possible in Hollywood" spirit.

And let's not forget all that has gone before and all the reminders of the past that have been handed down for safe keeping.  All this is our legacy, our tools to build the New Hollywood.

Hollywood has shaped nearly 100 years of world culture, now we have 1000 years to go.  The Hollywood of the 21st Century is here. Happy Hew Year, Bill.