Council Follows Advice, Cancels ’87 Street Scene

In an action that surprised no one, the 1987 Los Angeles Street Scene Festival was canceled by the City Council on Tuesday--a clear casualty of the legal troubles surrounding Sylvia Cunliffe, director of the city’s General Services Administration.

In voting 9-1 to cancel the event, members voiced hopes that the popular downtown festival can be revived next year. The council action heeded the recommendations of Mayor Tom Bradley, the council’s Revenue and Finance Committee and acting GSA chief John Cotti.

The council also approved the formation of a committee to study the Street Scene structure, and asked city staff to study ways to “privatize” the event, using the privately supported Los Angeles Marathon as a model.

Protest by Lindsay

The only vote in favor represented a protest by Councilman Gilbert Lindsay, who gave an impassioned defense of Cunliffe, now facing criminal and administrative investigations for alleged mismanagement, favoritism and misuse of confidential personnel information.

Cunliffe, now on a leave of absence, was chief organizer of the Street Scene, which provided a late summer weekend of music, food and carnival rides for the last nine years. Last year’s festival attracted about 1 million participants, but was marred by scattered violence and high costs.

Cunliffe “has done a tremendous job . . . magnificent,” Lindsay declared. “I just don’t understand the spanking she’s getting,” he added.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky said that to approve the Street Scene under present circumstances would be “a risk that might jeopardize the Street Scene forever.”