Post #280534 by Son-of-Kelbo on Tue, Jan 23, 2007 4:25 PM

This sent to Steve Lopez today, thanks to Christiki's info:

Dear Mr. Lopez,

The recent announcement that Trader Vic's Beverly Hills is to be demolished is tremendously upsetting to many of us who are beyond sick and tired of losing our great city's most renowned landmarks.

As part of a community (both local and worldwide) of friends and enthusiasts posting online at Tiki Central ( http://www.tikicentral.com ), a collection of forums for those interested in that wonderful vein of "Polynesian Pop" still running strong through American sub-culture, and, also, as a native of Los Angeles who has too often endured the heartbreaking loss of our irreplacable cultural icons, I am writing to ask if you may be willing to help those of us who care, to defend Trader Vic's from the same oblivion suffered by so many of LA's cherished establishments.

A groundswell of protest is in the works, but we will need help from the media: help to sound the alarm about this impending disaster, and help to get the word out about how to mount an effective protest to prevent it.

Will you consider helping us declare this fight to preserve this legendary venue, where the greatest stars and celebrities have shone, out of respect for the past generation who created it, the present generation who revere it, and future generations who have yet to appreciate it?

If you agree that the loss of our own unique Trader Vic's restaurant (at this very time when new ones are being built elsewhere around the world) would indeed be a further, shameful, loss to our city's heritage and charisma, I hope you will respond, with permission to quote your response to the online community so they may take heart that the Times cares about the fight we're preparing for.

Mahalo and aloha,

[signed]

Hope everybody else will try this, or something like this, at this "Overture" in the campaign. I'll be following up on the other leads as well this week.

Can't make this Friday in person at Velocity, but can perhaps participate in cyberspace at 7:00pm. How many "first salvos" will we be able to discuss by then? A few at least, I hope!

Cheers and aloha,
SOK
http://www.yoyoisland.com

p.s.: As for "crowbars", well I can think of an immdiate activity for that sentiment, and TV's "demolition" isn't particularly foremost. We need allies to help keep Trader Vic's parts in one place, WHERE THEY ARE, not scattered to the carrion wind...