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This week's L.A. Business Journal is chock full of stories. RiShawn Biddle covers the brouhaha at the Writers Guild over new president Charles Holland, his resume and the dissidents in the ranks. Biddle also has a piece on the front about the clash of egos playing out in the battle between Comcast and Disney. (Busy week for Biddle: he also writes on the upscaling of East Melrose adjacent to Paramount studio).
Inside, Amanda Bronstad reports that the grand juries looking into city corruption are not likely to target Mayor Jim Hahn. Political reporter Howard Fine speculates on the investigations' impact on Hahn's relection chances and says that potential challengers, among them Bob Hertzberg, Antonio Villaraigosa, Bernie Parks and Laura Chick, are waiting to see if indictments come down. Says one source: "Everybody is watching what Hertzberg is going to do." The former Assembly speaker is known to be talking about running [fyi, he also has a consultant contract with Fleishman-Hillard, see previous post below].
Deeper inside is the news that Dutton's, the venerable Brentwood bookseller, is opening a store this summer on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. The revelation comes from the Beverly Hills end, which cut a deal to lure the store to the new city-owned development where Crate and Barrel recently opened. The Brentwood store will remain open for now, but Andy Fixmer reports that the property owners may have other plans. Doug Dutton declined comment.