Westheimer Street Festival 2001:  WFPO Action

Since it's inception on October 31, 2000, the establishment of the WestFest Purists Organization is a first to preserve the Westheimer Street Festival in its current state.  The events of December 1999 and January 2000 have led to the end of a decades-old Montrose tradition, which was characterized as a Mardi Gras-like block party in the mid-1990s.  Urban renewal, in regards to townhome construction, has led to a rift between new Montrose residents that have not heard of WestFest, as well as urban renewal changing the community fabric of what Montrose is really like today - a diverse community with gays, lesbians, body piercers, tattoo artists, street kids, activist groups, bohemians, artists, and straight people.  The pic collection below details the personal log of one sole Emissary (a.k.a. Shaft of Count Blackula) who wants to keep WestFest from becoming another faded memory like the Shamrock Hilton or the Houston Oilers. (4.19.02 update: the HCGP mugshot was removed due to the WFPO's nonpartisan stance, as well as liability concerns to avoid a civil suit.)

5/11/01:  Canvassing with the literature titled Death of an Icon - The Westheimer Street Festival was in its early stages, and at the time, the WFPO was a few months old.  The pic with Shaft (and Dawn Ellen Stoker) reveals a lot more - she was the first one that commented on the literature of the website that started it all in the first place (see reference above).  It was not until 10.21.01 that recruitment was the final product, which I have experienced when setting up a temporary art car expo at the Fall 2001 Westheimer Street Festival in Exile:

 "Temporary" art car expo (Ada Edwards Campaign, Vote No on City Prop. #2, and WFPO community outreach)

Official WFPO door shield (alternate design)

In front of PVA HQ (10/23/01)

Campaigning for the Vote Against City Prop. 2 (with Rice U professor/PFLAG Secretary Sue Null); a few hours before taking the 'shift' at Mark Twain Elementary, I was at Montgomery Elementary in the Hiram Clarke district.  A few weeks later, an article in OutSmart Magazine (November 2001) revealed who I campaigned with - a PFLAG mom, and the author of 'Reminiscences of a Streetwalker'.

Election Night (11/6/01) in front of Mark Twain Elementary School, with Councilman Mark Goldberg (District C, 1999 - present).  Councilman Goldberg voted against the appeal brought forward by John Flores on February 16, 2000.  His other dissenters include Bert Keller (District G) and Gordon Quan (At-Large #2)

Election Night (11/6/01) at Riva's:  Councilwoman Annise D. Parker, now elected to a 3rd term in office as At-Large Position #1.  Although City Proposition #2 percentages (51% for, 49% against) were close, the following mugshot depicts my affiliation with Progressive Voters in Action, and the Harris County Green Party.  In an era with dètente, a supporter of liberating WestFest, along with 'a former friend' of John Flores, have shared similar views on historical preservation and 'hood integrity.

Count Blackula (The Emissary) strikes again - this time, at Lee Brown's victory party.  Although I have met with Andrew C. Burks Jr on 7/15/01 about the WestFest, I also brought the attention to Dr. Shelley Sekula Rodriguez.  When I first 'crashed' into her campaign HQ on 11/10/01 (right after the Bob Marley Festival), I managed to deliver Article 1680 from indymedia.org, and the mugshot of the 'temporary art car expo'.  (Trivial note:  a delivery of 20+ yard signs were left at her doorstep - this Emissary locates illegally planted yard signs and hauls them off to the party who planted them there in the first place.)