WeHo News prints every letter it receives and verifies through a phone call. We WILL request your PHONE NUMBER for ID verification. That private information is not kept by us or used for commercial purposes and is not shared with anyone at all, ever.

We promise to publish all letters received unedited except for brevity, grammar & spelling.

We publish the letters as a group on most Thursdays.

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In certain cases where a letter could stand alone as an op-ed piece, we'll publish it as such.

This Week:

Pastor Scott T. Imler

Re: WeHo News is seven years old today

Congratulations to you, your huge staff, your spouse Marcus and dog WeHo, and the community contributors who make WeHo News what it is -- an important community resource and the publication of record for the City of West Hollywood. 

While no publication is perfect, and at times I've taken exception to the editorial slant of some news articles, you've always been open about correcting factual inaccuracies where and when they've occurred. 

Walking the line between news and advocacy for West Hollywood's unique values is always difficult but you've done it with aplomb and humor, if not always tact. 

But that's what we love about you and WeHo News, you are who you are and we always know where you stand - for WeHo. 

Your dedication and personal sacrifice to the undertaking are admirable and appreciated. 

May the next seven years be as fruitful for the aspiration that is West Hollywood as the last seven. 

Thank you.

Scott Schmidt, West Hollywood

Re: WeHo Term Limits group goes hard right

If you can let me know if you are aware of any ACTUAL "orange county" or "tea party" people coming to West Hollywood, and whether any one of them has said or done anything to promote "hate and intolerance," please let me know.

Manny Rodriguez, West Hollywood

Re: WeHo Term Limits group goes hard right

WeHo Term Limits coalition's association with Jon Fleischman and CTL PAC is not only politically dubious, it is also hypocritical.

With this alliance, these activists and council wannabes in the coalition must look themselves in the mirror next time they accuse the council or the city of being in bed with special interests.

They have compromised their credibility.

These are the kind of choices that makes you wonder why it's so difficult for some to win elections.

But I guess that's why they want term limits.

R.J. Samuels, West Hollywood

Re: WEHOville.com – Let’s not get hung up on facts

When I first read your article on the new competition, I thought you were pretty snarky, pointing out how no one there seemed to know anything about West Hollywood and all that.

I read your comments and thought less of you. You never publish things like that on your site.

There is no need to call him names. If he is what you accuse him of, it’ll show up in his publication and his business dealings.

West Hollywood is actually a pretty small town, and word gets around fast.

Sandy Pawliger, West Hollywood

Re: WEHOville.com – Let’s not get hung up on facts

Boy oh boy, WeHo News must be flattered beyond words to find yet another imitator coming in from outside of town to horn in on its business.

I remember finding WeHo News in 2006 as a new resident – it was the only available professionally done publication to focus on West Hollywood – bar none.

Sure, the feeble LA Independent published (and I guess it still does) a mini-paper that sometimes did a West Hollywood story.

The Beverly/Park LaBrea Pres, the other throwaway paper, did and still does the occasional WeHo story – but both those papers do weak stuff when they do anything.

WeHo News has always done formidable, substantive stories that explained to new people like me the undercurrents behind the news stories.

I have learned so much about WeHo – not only from WeHo News but from the editor’s history book about WeHo (which is in the library).

A couple years ago, before the election that people around here still credit WeHo News with helping to decide, the LA Weekly did a story that focused on the body politic in WeHo called “West Follywood.”

A lot of that article (like one-fifth) told the story of how well WeHo News covered the city and the shenanigans that John Heilman and Abbe Land had been pulling – especially around the Tara site.

Well, this upstart paper called WEHOville.com that Henry Scott – a newbie with NO experience in West Hollywood – began and plans to staff with people from outside West Hollywood, has the sheer audacity to call his paper the “only truly local” one in WeHo.

What a giggle!

On top of that, he gets caught telling lies about his relationship to WeHo News.

That will give potential advertisers pause – who is going to want to advertise with a liar?

Anyway, WeHo News, just keep on keeping on. You do a terrific job and these outsiders can’t hold a candle to you – I know it.

Robert Leighton, West Hollywood

WEHOville.com – Let’s not get hung up on facts

What on earth made this guy choose such a stupid name for a publication? 

It is so close to Whoville from the Grinch that stole Christmas. 

Certainly NOT a threat to the WEHONEWS!

Keep your publication going. It is the most refreshing thing about this city.

Mia Johnson, West Hollywood

WEHOville.com – Let’s not get hung up on facts

So you’re going to provide the only truly local and professional coverage of West Hollywood’s eccentricities and its wackiness, huh?

How many people are you insulting there?

Oh, I’d say about 35,000.

West Hollywood residents don’t see ourselves as “wacky” or “eccentric.”

We see ourselves as genuine and real. We came here to WeHo because we didn’t fit elsewhere, because people, institutions and society everywhere else made us feel like outsiders in our own communities.

They still see us as “wacky” and “eccentric.”

They make fun of the city, especially the Republicans.

We all came here to live in dignity, to create a community in which we can feel comfortable being ourselves, whether that be Jewish, from Belarus or the Ukraine, or gay or lesbian or transgender, or an artist or musician or filmmaker or a go-go dancer or prostitute.

You are an outsider, and so you, too, see us as “queer” or “weird” or “whacky” and “eccentric,” just as did the people back home, those people we loved but who could not get past our “differences” and would not treat us with respect.

You come into our town to disrespect us, and add insult to injury to tell us you’re going to be the ONLY TRULY LOCAL publication while hiring exclusively from outside the community?

Then you take a swipe at our existing newspaper by saying you’ll be the only PROFESSIONAL one?

Mr. Gierach is right; Henry Scott, you have “mendacious balls of brass.”