After three years and 8 months on Allen Parkway, the event formerly known as the Westheimer Street Festival in Exile has ceased to exist.  The weekend of 6.28 and 6.29.03 might have been the homecoming, and there was one viable solution - holding WestFest on the same weekend with the Silver Anniversary Gay Pride Parade.  Ever since the website Death of an Icon - The Westheimer Street Festival was published on 6.17.00, this will be the first time where a REAL Westheimer Street Festival website does exist.  What is seen in the pic might have been responsible for the chain of events to a resurrection of a former Montrose tradition which has been typecasted as disorganized.

6.28.03 personal log:  It's been 3 years and 4 months since the last Westheimer Street Festival was held on Westheimer, and this WestFest could be deemed a new era for Montrose.  One plus side was the kickoff of my campaign for the Houston City Council At-Large Position One, as well as another first - the WFPO Cruiser sighted on Westheimer during a REAL Westfest.

It all stems from last year's appearance @ the 2002 Gay Pride Parade, as entry #79, as well as El Meromero using the claim of holding WestFest on private property instead of the street.  What I experienced was the first time since 1992 that a 10-block section of Westheimer was not closed to traffic, and what I have witnessed might have been the resurrection of the Westheimer Street Festival as a real community gathering.  Because of the homecoming - this was a REAL and unfabricated WestFest, although it had to be held during Gay Pride Weekend.

Despite the lack of media coverage in my run for the Houston City Council and no interviews - I might be another grassroots candidate who is a virtual unknown.  The only + side was the assistance of Kendrick Johnson (former Houston GLBT Community Center Volunteer Coordinator) - he pushed my campaign literature, along with the Harris County Young Democrats.  Despite two camera crews from WB39 and News 24 Houston, there has been extensive media coverage @ the 'new' WestFest on Westheimer.

On the first day, a few members from Houston Copwatch were pushing literature, although I was not invited.  Despite the weakening of the joint WFPO/O22 Joint Coalition from October 2002, kicking off my city council campaign might have been a substitute despite the grassroots philosophy.  Although I have crossed a friend's last nerve, what was proposed in October 2002 should continue, despite the scandals that have plagued the WFPO and my 'real occupation' - Houston Indymedia.  For the past 12 months - a lawsuit was threatened and later dropped, along with the inevitable since 3.1.03 - a fallout of 11 HIMC members who engaged in nonviolent noncooperation.

Before 6:30 p.m., there was a second part of the mission - the WFPO Cruiser as entry #96 in the 2003 Gay Pride Parade a.k.a. Pride 25.  In both the WestFest and Gay Pride Parade - what was seen last year has been considered the following - V-M day in Montrose.

6.29.03 personal log:  Although the Harris County Young Democrats vacated their booth for Howard Dean personnel, there was a lot more - 2 interviews with Texas Live and the Houston Media Source.  Why the field interviews - yours truly - the Rastaman with the WFPO banner - might have been viewed as the unsung hero where WestFest is now home.  The 'meet and greets' in response to my candidacy for city council went on as planned although Kendrick wanted his laptop back (he was out all day).  If he was present where I was interviewed - the campaign staff which I am organizing for 2003 might have evolved.

I managed to drop one of my flyers on El Meromero's doorstep (despite the 2 disclaimers on the second level) - he is seeking WestFest-friendly candidates for the Fall 2003 citywide elections for the Houston City Council and HISD school board.  A half-hour before I dropped the flyer, an HPD squad cited two skaters, who are members of the Urban Animals, and I refused to snap a few pics, even considered as non-Copwatch.  Two divas from HUSH (a new westside club scheduled to open August 2003) were pushing their literature; because of the WFPO banner seen at the REAL Westheimer Street Festival - most of the respondents were women (even though yours truly is a str8-but-not-narrow).

I managed to pose with one of the divas from HUSH (a gorgeous blonde who reminds me of Planned Parenthood's Rebecca White), and a few hours before the festival was shut down (around 7 p.m.), a few that I know from the Mecom Fountain Candlelite Vigil went to the Felix Mexican Restaurant might have considered the unsung hero who brought WestFest back to Westheimer a part of H-town's future.

Overall Analysis - the "Emissary for City Council Campaign" might have been considered an official kickoff despite the lack of media coverage as a grassroots candidate - both Houston Media Source and Texas Live have video footage which can be duplicated for open distribution to the mainstream media.  Although the WFPO Cruiser might have been a showcase for a year and five months - it's mission to get the WestFest back to Westheimer has been accomplished.

Although the rumored "K-Mart 2" did not occur - there was no repeat of 8.18.02 @ the WestFest (there were no mass arrests and a preemptive shutdown), along with the trash pickup.

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